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Chapter 2: Fun and Games

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April 2nd, 2006

For the past few days Hiroyuki had focused on unpacking, refamiliarizing himself with the village, and making sure he had the supplies he would need when school began. All of it had been simpler than he'd expected, if not easy. The energy that came to him a few days ago had since waned, and every bit of the preparation had stoked the embers of guilt that still burned in him. Even now he didn't understand why he'd been so insistent that he come here. Being with his friends again was great, being able to reach his other friends in the city was also good... but he couldn't understand himself.

Hiroyuki stood in his bedroom, shaking his head to clear it. He wouldn't analyze himself today. No, today he had yet another party to get to. Hiroyuki was grateful that this one wasn't for him, but rather for Kouya. It was the husky's birthday, and this get together had been planned well before Hiroyuki's return had been a thought in anyone's mind. Still, two parties in four days? It was a little overwhelming. The proximity couldn't be helped, and neither gathering could reasonably have been cancelled in favor of the other. Hiroyuki considered the small package on his desk, wrapped in light blue paper and tied with white string tied in a messy bow. It wasn't much, would Kouya like it? Only one way to find out, he thought with resignation. It was time to get moving, off to the park!

---

The walk to the park was fairly short, and the air was warmer today. Hiroyuki breathed deep. He was so in love with the smell of it. Living in the country was definitely agreeing with him. He hoped it would give him the energy he needed to get through today. He hadn't broken down again since that night, but the idea of doing so in front of everyone was still terrifying. No, enough of that. He could see them ahead now, no time to get anxious. He took another deep breath and broke into a jog. Today could only go bad if he let it.

A pair of folding tables had been pushed together, Kyouji and Juuichi were cooperating to lay a large tablecloth over them. Tatsuki held a platter with a cake, his tail twitched impatiently as he waited for them to be ready. Shin stood by him, watching the cake carefully and snapping whenever Tatsuki began to lean the cake one way or another. Torahiko was working over a barbeque, and Shun seemed to be cheerfully assisting in an oversized apron. Kouya stood watching all of this, looking a bit awkward with his hands in his pockets. His gaze shifted and he met eyes with Hiroyuki. Kouya grinned and waved.

"Hey, Hiroyuki! I told you he wouldn't be late."

Kyouji called out in reply without looking up.

"I didn't say he would be, I said I hoped he wouldn't."

"Ah, close enough. Oh, Hiroyuki, is that for me?"

A smile crept onto Hiroyuki's face, Kouya looked enthusiastic. The size of the package didn't seem to bother him, Hiroyuki had worried about that. It felt silly in retrospect. He nodded and handed the gift over.

"Yes, happy birthday Kouya-san."

"Thanks."

Kouya's manner was as cool and calm as ever. Hiroyuki kind of envied that recently. He glanced around to see how things were coming along. Kyouji and Juuichi quickly finished their setup, and Tatsuki set the cake on the table. He looked relieved not to be in charge of it anymore, or under Shin's supervision. It was hard to blame him, Shin had a way of making his displeasure known that was quite cutting. Looking around at those gathered, Hiroyuki couldn't help but notice that someone was missing.

"Is Kounosuke...?"

"Not late, yet. And if he is I'd understand today. He volunteered to bring the drinks, which means he's lugging a cooler here. Even if he has one on wheels, that's going to slow him down some."

"Ah. That's nice of him. Although, wouldn't it have been better for someone stronger to do that?"

"Actually we told him that, but he insisted."

Kouya leaned in a bit to whisper to Hiroyuki.

"And anyway, the other volunteer was Tatsuki. That's really the reason none of us argued too hard. If he'd had his way, there'd be nothing but sake today."

Hiroyuki nodded. That probably wouldn't have ended well for any of them. Kouya backed away and glanced over Hiroyuki's shoulder.

"Oh hey, there he is now. I think he's actually on time for once."

Hiroyuki followed Kouya's glance to find Kounosuke walking their way, pulling a children's wagon. Seated inside was a big and heavy looking drink cooler, but it didn't look like he was having any trouble managing it. Hiroyuki waved, smiling as Kounosuke returned the gesture.

"Heeeey! Is everyone doing good?"

Tora and Tatsuki responded with matching shouts of "Hell yeah!" The others, Hiroyuki included, gave various pleasant affirmations and thumbs up. The one exception was Juuichi who offered the slightest nod. Kounosuke and Kyouji worked together to get the drinks out of the cart and onto the table. At the same time Torahiko cheerfully called out from the grill.

"Food's ready, who’s hungry?!"

He quickly found himself surrounded by hungry friends and plates. With a hearty laugh he dished up each of them.

---

After lunch was cake. It had been made by Shin, and the taste was amazing. Shin blushed as the comments rained down on him, saying things like "You think so?" and "I only followed the recipe..." Even Juuichi seemed to perk up as he ate it, and offered Shin: "This is excellent, Kuroi." That didn't seem out of place, but Hiroyuki noticed that everyone else reacted strangely. Some were less obvious than others, Kyouji's slightly raised eyebrow nearly escaped Hiroyuki's notice, but everyone had stopped what they were doing in mild surprise. Shin and Juuichi both blushed, but where Juuichi looked embarrassed Shin smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Juuichi-san."

Juuichi mumbled something and nodded. Everyone quickly found something to do or talk about. Hiroyuki was worried now. This was not normal, this wasn't like the bear he remembered. He needed to ask someone about this later, approaching Juuichi directly would probably do more harm than good, but he wanted to know what could make a simple compliment become such an event. Kyouji interrupted Hiroyuki's thoughts by clearing his throat.

"I think it's time for the birthday boy to open presents."

A cheer rose up in agreement. Kouya grinned amiably as gifts were piled up on the table in front of him. Full of energy, Tora practically shouted:

"Open mine first, it's the best!"

Kouya glanced at him with mild irritation, and then smirked playfully.

"If it's the best, then maybe I should save it for last."

"H-hey!"

Hiroyuki chuckled, he couldn't help it. This at least felt familiar, Kouya and Tora were always pushing each other's buttons like this. It was strange that they hadn't ever outgrown it, but he figured they must be good friends to still be doing this five years later. Kouya grabbed a gift and checked it over before opening it. It was a small, brightly colored paper bag that been taped closed.

"Juuichi's gift is... a pocket knife. Thanks man."

The nod he received in reply seemed to satisfy Kouya, he grinned pleasantly. The gift was a bit basic, but Hiroyuki could hardly judge. Something practical like that felt right for Juuichi, too. Kouya had moved on to the next gift while Hiroyuki had been reflecting, he was unwrapping a moderately sized box now. Who had given it to him? Tatsuki's face was crimson and he was fidgeting, it must be him. Why was he embarrassed though? Was the gift something lewd? Even when they were younger Tatsuki had been prone to doing such things... Kouya pulled the paper away (carefully folded and taped newspaper) and revealed a box for a large build-it-yourself model plane. That was not at all like what Hiroyuki had pictured. Judging from the puzzled looks around the table Hiroyuki wasn't alone in that. Tatsuki was smiling, but he stilled looked anxious.

"It's a bi-plane! Do you like it...?"

The husky looked up from Tatsuki's gift and smiled lazily, immediately brushing aside the slight tension that had built up around the table.

"I do, thanks Tatsuki."

"Really? Great!"

The next few gifts went much more smoothly: Shun had gotten Kouya a video game, to no one's surprise, 'Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner'. Kounosuke got him a music CD, some band Hiroyuki didn't quite catch the name of. Kouya commented that it was the "1995 album" with enthusiasm, and Kounosuke grinned cheekily. Had Kounosuke been studying Kouya's music interests? Kyouji's gift was an envelope, when Kouya opened it and removed the card inside it looked as though there was a second envelope inside it. What might that be about? Kouya's face became a bit stiff, and he thanked Kyouji in a way that sounded almost mechanical. What was that about? Kyouji nodded in return, and the card and envelope were set under Shun's gift.

It was difficult for Hiroyuki to wait, he felt a little bad about his own gift now. He could see Kouya reaching for it, would he appreciate something so plain? It was cheap, too, but Hiroyuki didn't have much money at the moment to do better.

"You're really gonna make me wait til last?!"

"Yup. Chill, Tora. Yours is next."

Kouya had been unwrapping while he taunted Torahiko, his tone mock reproachful and his smile sardonic. He looked down at his gift when he was done speaking and his face fell a bit. He didn't look disappointed Hiroyuki realized: confused would be closer, mildly confused. The husky held in his hands a black plastic box, with rounded sides that opened on a hinge. It was a bit of a knock off, a much cheaper version of a very nice wooden case. Kouya's full name was engraved on the front in crisp kanji letters and underlined, and painted silver. The engraving had cost as much as the case itself.

"Hiroyuki, this is...?"

"A pen case, yes. I just figured with school coming up..."

Kouya's ears fell, uncomfortable glances passed around the table. Oh no, he hadn't thought it was that bad! He needed to fix this, quickly.

"I'm sorry, I know it's not much."

"Hiroyuki-"

"Do you already have one? I might still be able to return it and get you something-"

"Hey!"

Kouya's voice had suddenly become stern, and something about his posture reminded Hiroyuki of the husky's father. Hiroyuki quailed under force of that personality and quietly prepared for a tongue lashing, a fitting punishment for his paltry offering. Instead Kouya sighed and his face softened.

"Calm down. The hell are you freaking out for?"

"I... got you a bad gift? And you looked so disappointed, I just thought..."

"Oh. No, that's not it, not at all."

Kouya inspected the pen case closely while he spoke, opening it and examining every surface.

"I like the case, a lot actually. Honestly if you had showed up empty handed today that would have been fine too. I'm kind of impressed that you managed this in a couple days."

He set it down and looked at Hiroyuki, looking a bit troubled.

"It's just... I'm not going back to school. I had to drop out a few years ago, and it still bothers me. I'm sorry I upset you."

"O-oh. That’s ok. And... I guess I kinda over reacted. Sorry."

Kouya smiled amiably.

"It's ok."

Tora fidgeted awkwardly, poking his fingers together without looking right at anyone.

"Soooo..."

Kouya sighed and rolled his eyes, but his smile didn't go anywhere.

"Yeah, yeah. This had better be really amazing, for you to be such a kid about it."

"Wha- Who are you calling a kid?!"

"You."

Tora actually jumped to standing and slammed his hands on the table, he looked like he was about to say something harsh... and then smirked instead. His tail tip was flicking rapidly making his anger clear to all, but face showed none of it. He stared at Kouya unblinking.

"Open it."

After that display Hiroyuki half expected it to be a bomb. Kouya's bewildered look made him wonder if Kouya thought the same thing. Hiroyuki looked at the package for the first time, Tora's gift was about the size of a playing card, a few centimeters thick. Was it a gift card? Tora wouldn't make such a fuss if it were though, that would be ridiculous. Kouya opened it gingerly, and pulled out... a single guitar pick? It was strange though, thicker than Hiroyuki had expected, mottled black and dark yellow. It was a different shape that Hiroyuki had expected too, longer from the point to the back. Shin spoke first.

"... After all of that, it was a pick?"

"Forgive me, but aren't those fairly... cheap?" asked Kyouji.

Tora wasn't discouraged, he kept staring at Kouya, who was studying the small object very closely.

"Torahiko... is this real?"

Tora's smirk blossomed into a toothy grin.

"Yes! I got it through my old man's connection!"

"T-Tora..."

Kouya didn't seem to know how to finish. He was staring slack jawed at the pick. Juuichi stared at Torahiko disapprovingly, his brows set into a hard line and his scowl a little extra deep.

"Ooshima, you bought real tortoise shell? That's illegal, you could have been arrested."

"I wasn't though. Dad gets it this way all the time, it's fine!"

Shun looked from Juuichi to Torahiko, his face a mask of concern and confusion.

"Torahiko-san broke the law? Will he go to jail...?"

Tora started in shock.

"W-what? Of course not. You don't have to worry Shun..."

Kounosuke whistled appreciatively.

"Wow, Tora's Dad has a black market connection. I wondered how he kept getting people tortoise shell combs for weddings. That must have cost like 10,000 yen for that one pick!"

Shun whimpered.

"Ooshima-san is a criminal?"

Shin smiled thinly and added:

"So Torahiko-san bought Kouya-san a tortoise shell token, huh? Is that why he was so jealous a few days ago?"

Tora sputtered in consternation, gesturing wildly as he tried to keep up with the flow of comments.

"N-no he's not! A-and it wasn't that much, anyway! AND IT'S NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL! Geez you guys. Kouya, say something!"

Kouya finally looked up from the pick, caught between awe and concern.

"Tora... this is incredible, this would make anything I played sound amazing... but Kounosuke's right, the price for something like this- How can I accept this?"

The irrepressible tiger's grin returned and he offered Kouya a wink.

"Well I mean... It's the best right? That's why I got it. Just say thank you and take it already!"

Kouya beamed, and when he answered his voice trembled.

"... Thank you, Tora!"

Kounosuke and Tatsuki cheered, and after a moment everyone else joined in. Hiroyuki, next to Tora, leaned in. One little dig probably wouldn't hurt. He leered as he whispered:

"Wow, I think he might cry. When's the wedding?"

"Not you too...! Come on!"

"Hahaha, sorry. Couldn't resist. I think you did good, though."

"... heh. Thanks."

Had he gone too far? Tora had sounded a little subdued, and was blushing. He was smiling too though, maybe it was fine.

---

After food and gifts were done with it was time for games. They didn't have nearly enough players for soccer, but Kyouji had brought a ball so they made an attempt all the same. They'd split into two teams of four, with Shin sitting out to serve as referee. Shun had proved a surprisingly capable goalie, and Kounosuke had done fairly well at the same for his own team. Tora, Hiroyuki and Juuichi had done their best to win, but between Kyouji's greater experience and Shun's speed they really never had a chance. The game had been to the first three goals, and was settled 3-1. After a quick breather they played a game of tag, and after that Tatsuki suggested wrestling. To be more precise, he'd challenged anyone in the group to wrestle him. Fear visibly gripped him when Juuichi accepted, although something about his expression made Hiroyuki think Tatsuki might be a little excited as well.

The other seven sat and watched as Juuichi threw Tatsuki around the park for a while, it was an impressive display of martial prowess. Hiroyuki was so absorbed in watching that when something poked his shoulder he jumped. He turned to see that it had been Tora.

"Aw jeez, did I startle you?"

"Only a little. What's up?"

Tora glanced at the others nearby before answering. None of them were looking their way, and that seemed to satisfy Torahiko. He continued in a whisper, passing Hiroyuki something in his closed hand.

"I got you something. I wanted to give it to you a few days ago, but it wasn't ready. Open it later, ok?"

Tora had stuffed a small package into Hiroyuki's hand, just slightly thicker than the one he'd given to Kouya. A gift? What could it be? He felt his face get hot, and smiled in a way that probably looked dumb. What had gotten into the tiger recently? He'd always been friendly, but ever since Hiroyuki got back he'd been acting weird around him... Was there something to it, or was he reading too much into things? Either way, he should say something. He stuffed the small envelope into his pocket and whispered back.

"Alright. Thanks, Tora!"

He won a toothy grin from the tiger, Tora looked very happy. Just then there was a loud thump and a collective, sympathetic groan. Hiroyuki looked back at the match and winced. Tatsuki was flat on his back with his limbs splayed out, he sounded dazed as he weakly called out: "u-uncle..." Juuichi crouched by him, he didn't look much different from normal but concern tinged his voice.

"Are you ok? I didn't throw you that hard..."

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Just... let me lay here for a while."

A few chuckles echoed through the park, and Kouya's voice rose above them.

"Anyone else want to challenge Juuichi? We've got time for one more I think."

There were understandably no takers. Hiroyuki wasn't certain, but he thought he saw the ghost of a smirk on Juuichi's face. A single soft clap drew everyone's attention to Kyouji.

"In that case, maybe we should start cleaning up a little early? Unless someone else has something."

"Oh, I do! This will be fun, I promise!"

It was Kounosuke, he'd jumped up and was holding a small, colorful box in one hand. It didn't look familiar to Hiroyuki at all, but it was about the right size to be a card deck. Card games didn't really sound like something he'd expected the Tanuki to be interested in though, he'd always complained about being bored by them when they were younger. Hiroyuki opened his mouth to ask Kounosuke a question, but he'd already dashed over to the table.

"Come on, come on! I wanted my first time to be with you guys, make it special you know?"

Tora leered.

"Oh, is it like that? Don't you think this is a little too exposed Kounosuke?"

"Shut up, this is serious! Help me clean up a little."

Hiroyuki exchanged glances with his other friends. They all looked just as puzzled as he felt. There was no reason to object, they all made their way back to the table. They all worked together to quickly clear the table and sat down, looking at the Tanuki expectantly. Kounosuke was shuffling his cards, and up close it became obvious that they were taller than normal playing cards. The card backs were a criss-cross design of blue, white and black lines. Shin studied the cards and mused quietly:

"Those look like 'tarot cards.'"

"Yup! I'm gonna do a reading for us! My first one."

"Reading? Is there a book for this game too?" Hiroyuki asked. Kounosuke shook his head.

"Nah, that's what it's called when you use the cards. They predict the future. I'm gonna learn our fortune!"

Predict the future? Did Kounosuke really believe that? Hiroyuki wondered. Kounosuke had always believed in odd things, from ghosts to aliens and more. Shun was starry eyed, Juuichi scowled, Kouya and Tatsuki looked dubious. Kyouji smiled in a thin way that made it hard to tell what he was thinking, and Tora looked nervous. The supernatural had always bothered him though, no surprise there. Shin looked interested, and explained as he watched Kounosuke.

"It's not really predicting the future, or telling you about yourself. Tarot is a kind of performance art, it relies on the gullibility of the listener. Anyone can do it, in theory."

“Hey! It’s real though! People all over the world use these to predict the future, there has to be something to that.”

“There is.”

Shin nodded slowly, to Kounosuke’s delight. However his spirits fell as Shin replied.

“It’s called the Forer Effect. If something is vague enough… well, may I demonstrate? Just for a quick exercise.”

“Well… ok. Just be careful with my cards please!”

“Of course. Now then…”

Shin picked through the cards, examining the faces and pulling many of them out. The pictures were very pretty, Hiroyuki thought. No two looked alike. They were all equally inscrutable to him however, how did you use them to tell the future? Soon Shin had two piles of cards, the larger of which he returned to the box. The other he shuffled, his fingers moving expertly over the cards. They fairly danced through his hands, and none looked bent or scuffed when he finished. With one fluid stroke of his arm Shin laid out the cards in an arc across the table, faced down.

“I’m going to determine our Arcana. That is, our roles in a reading. To get the full experience, please pretend that this is real. Just for a moment, play along. I’m sure Kounosuke would like that as well?”

Kounosuke blinked, he looked surprised. He managed a small smile however.

“I uh, yes. Yes I would!”

“Just so. Now then. Each of us will, one at a time, draw a card. Please take your time, take the one that feels right to you. Then, I will tell you what it says about you. Would you start Kouya-san? It is your birthday after all.”

“Oh? Alright. Then I’ll choose this one.”

“Hm, that was a bit quick don’t you think?”

“I picked the one that felt right.”

Kouya turned his card over a few times, looking at it critically.

“Huh. Is this a dancer?”

He held it out for Shin to see. Shin examined Kouya’s card briefly, and Hiroyuki leaned forward to see as well. Pictured was a bat wearing colorful clothes, hanging upside down from the boughs of an oddly shaped tree. Emblazoned at the top of the card were european characters: “XII”

“No, you’re looking at it upside down. This is the Hanged Man. See how his leg is tied here? He isn’t standing or even gripping with his foot, he’s stuck there.”

“Oh.”

He looked liked he didn’t like that very much, but Shin didn’t seem to take notice. The small black cat continued on in a brisk, business-like tone.

“The Hanged Man is a card about decisions, self sacrifice and betterment. Sometimes it has to do with denial, or making necessary changes in your life. Being defined by The Hanged Man suggests you’re at a crossroads, or have chosen to put yourself in an uncomfortable position for a greater purpose. Does that sound right for you, Kouya-san? Do you think The Hanged Man is your card?”

Kouya gave Shin a hard look. Hiroyuki worried that Kouya would be irritated and reply harshly, or leave. The air felt a little tense, and a glance around made Hiroyuki realize he wasn’t alone in his anxiety: the group seemed to be holding it’s collective breath. Shin was the only one who seemed unperturbed. However when Kouya did reply he cracked a thin smile, much to everyone’s relief.

“That… kinda sounds familiar, I’ll say. Yeah.”

Now it was Shin’s turn to smile, but it disappeared quickly and his eyes darted to the others.

“Who will be next?”

“Me next please!”

“Kounosuke. No surprise there, but it is your deck. I suppose I’ll allow it.”

“Uh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just that you’re enthusiasm seems a bit childish, doesn’t it?”

Kounosuke frowned impatiently, but the tail on his fur stood on end. He was plainly nettled, but he didn’t say anything. Instead he ran his hands over the cards once, just over them without quite touching. He stopped suddenly and smoothly slid a card out from the fan. He flipped it over between himself and Shin.

“It’s this one, definitely.”

The card face depicted a golden wheel with characters written on it that Hiroyuki wasn’t certain he recognized. The image seemed a little busy, there were a bunch of other images on the card he couldn’t make out. It felt a little over the top, but Hiroyuki felt that was right for Kounosuke. A little weird, with a lot going on. At the top was a single ‘X’. Shin interrupted his internal monologue, speaking in the same quick and matter of fact tone he’d used with Kouya.

“The Wheel of Fortune. Like you’d expect, it has to do with fate and fortune. It’s kind of the essence of Tarot itself really, and if you follow these letters on the outer band it even spells out ‘Tarot’ in western characters. In a person, it had to do with making important decisions, seizing your fate in your own hands. Or sometimes it means understanding the strange turns of destiny that would make no sense to anyone else.”

Shin rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, Hiroyuki recognized the pose from their youth. Shin was about to deliver a particularly mean barb, no doubt.

“ … Of course, sometimes an assignment can be seen as something a challenge. An area where you’re meant to grow. Well, either way, it’s definitely a special card to receive. Are you satisfied?”

Kounosuke frowned, but it quickly morphed into a smile as he spoke.

“Words can hurt, you know. I think I’m very decisive! … And it sounds like that’s what this is about, so it’s perfect for me!”

Shin was taken aback for a moment, he seemed shocked by something. He collected himself quickly however, and got back into character.

“O-of course. Next?”

Shin’s cutting remarks aside, this seemed kinda fun. Maybe now was a good time to jump in? No reason not to. Hiroyuki spoke up.

“I’d like to try.”

Shin gestured to the cards, and Hiroyuki began to reach for one on the end closest to him- and stopped. He’d meant to just grab the easiest one to reach, reasoning that it hardly mattered which one when you couldn’t see any of them. However he felt a strong urge to pull the centermost card. How strange...

“Hiroyuki-san?”

“Ah, sorry. Just… thinking. This one.”

He stood up and pulled the card. It felt so right, somehow. And that was the whole idea, wasn’t it? He felt very confident in his choice the more he thought about it. Hiroyuki flipped the card over and with some pride announced:

“This one is mine.”

The table fell silent. Shin was smirking, and Kyouji’s brows were knitted as if he was concentrating on something. Hiroyuki glanced around, he felt uncertain now. The others seemed as bewildered as Hiroyuki was. He looked at the card for the first time, looking for what Shin found funny. The card pictures a young man walking blithely towards the edge of a cliff, a stick and bundle over his shoulder and a dog chasing along after him. At the top was a simple ‘0’. It was a strange image, but he still couldn’t understand. He sounded more indignant than he cared to when he spoke again.

“What? What’s wrong with it?”

“Shin-kun, my English is a bit rusty, but does that say… Fool?”

“It does indeed, Kyouji-san. Hiroyuki-san’s card is The Fool.”

Hiroyuki’s cheeks felt hot, chuckles echoed around the table. He silently reflected that he probably deserved this after his dramatic pronouncement earlier, and that he definitely should have grabbed the other card. Shin silenced the laughter with an explanation, though not before his own amused titter.

“It’s not as bad as it sounds, really. The Fool is about creativity, inexperience, madness and chaos- freedom and innocence. Endless potential, waiting to be shaped. The name and the imagery aren’t flattering, but as a role it suggests a lot of power- and the need for guidance.”

That only made Hiroyuki feel marginally better. Not an idiot then, just… ‘inexperienced’. Still, it had been very embarrassing. Why did Kouya and Kounosuke get such neat sounding cards by comparison? It didn’t feel very fair.

“I guess… that’s not so bad.”

Kouya shrugged.

“It’s just a game man, don’t worry about it.”

Shun bounced to his feet before Hiroyuki could reply.

“Can I go next please? This is really neat!”

“Alright then.”

“Thank you very much!”

Shun whooped excitedly and hopped back up into his seat, standing on it to reach the center of the table. Hiroyuki couldn’t help but think of Shin chiding Kounosuke for his enthusiasm earlier, this was definitely the much more brazen display. Shin was holding his tongue this time though. Maybe it was because Shun was younger than the rest of them, if only by a little bit. Everyone watched and waited for Shun to pick his card. Seconds turned to minutes, and his tail drooped. Shin cleared his throat.

“Shun…?”

“Fyuuuun… Which one do I pick? Choosing is hard!”

“You might be thinking a little too hard… Just feel for it, it will be the right card. Or, maybe you want to wait and let someone else go?”

“N-no! I’ll pick… uhm. Awawawawa…! This one!”

Shun brought his arm down in a wide arc and stabbed a single card with his finger. Kyouji and Juuichi hid smiles, while Kouya and Torahiko openly grinned at the small wolf boy’s display. Shun’s cheeks puffed up in irritation, but he wouldn’t be distracted. He pulled the card towards himself and flopped to sitting position in his chair. He flipped the card… and squinted at it, flipped it over, and gasped. He turned bright pink immediately and slapped his hands over the card’s face. Kouya’s ears perked forward.

“What’s wrong Shun?”

Tatsuki slid up behind Shun, who was staring at his feet. Tatsuki deftly slid the card out from under Shun’s hands.

“Hey-!”

“... It’s a naked woman! Haha, check it out!”

Torahiko stood and leaned over the table to see, and Kounosuke crowded over Shun’s shoulder to see as well. Hiroyuki was curious too, but there wasn’t room around Shun to have a look anymore! Tatsuki had him covered however, he raised the card up and showed it around. There was indeed a naked woman on the card, pouring a jug of water into a lake. The card was suddenly pulled from Tatsuki’s grasp by a large yellow furred hand- Torahiko’s.

“Huh. It’s not very detailed- HEY!”

Juuichi had snapped the card out of Torahiko’s hand and slammed it down on the table face down, his expression was dark. Kounosuke cried out in anguish.

“Hey! Stop being so rough with my cards!”

He was silenced in a moment when Juuichi turned his glare on him. In booming voice he chastised:

“You are all being quite rude! Stop this now!”

It seemed Juuichi’s temper hadn’t changed, anyway. Hiroyuki idly wondered if maybe he should start keeping a record of the things he noticed, just to keep track. Shin held out a hand for the card.

“If I may?”

“If these cards have inappropriate images on them, I don’t think minors should be playing with them…”

Shin offered Juuichi a disapproving look. Tatsuki laughed and dug his fingers under Juuichi’s, braving the withering glower leveled at him without concern.

“By my count, that includes you too! At least for two more months, Gahahaha! I’m the only adult here, so gimme!”

“Midoriya, that’s not… oh, fine.”

Juuichi released the card with a sigh. Shin was rubbing his temples, he looked more irritated than any of them. Shun had been following the exchanges with growing anxiety, the sight of the sad wolf boy seemed to mellow Tatsuki’s boisterousness. He grinned awkwardly and handed the card back to Shin.

“Heheh, sorry Shin-kun, Shun-kun. Tell us about this one, please?”

Shin took it from Tatsuki gingerly, and gave the barest nod of appreciation. He set it on the table in front of Shun.

“This is The Star. It represents faith, joy, courage and hope.”

Shun managed a small smile and his tail gave a single slow wag.

“Those all sound good.”

“They are. The Star is about healing, recovering from a negative point in your life. In a reading it usually signifies a bright future on the horizon. In a person, it might mean that you’re going through something especially bad right now and it’s going to get better… Or maybe that you serve that role for someone else.”

Shin smiled encouragingly, and it seemed to do the trick: Shun was smiling more broadly, and his tail moving much faster.

“That sounds wonderful! … Do you think I could really help people?”

“Maybe. What do you think?”

“I… don’t know.”

“Well, give it time. Maybe you’ll surprise yourself.”

Shun’s tail stopped and he looked at Shin quite seriously, just for a beat. He broke into a smile and the wagging began again in earnest.

“Ok! I will!”

Shin giggled lightly, before looking out over the table.

“That’s half now. Who wants to-”

“Me! I go next!”

Torahiko, of course. The tiger seemed to have made a major turn around, Hiroyuki could see none of the earlier apprehension in him. It made Hiroyuki glad in a way, this was supposed to be a fun party game. He had a feeling that Tora would take it too far at some point though. Shin crossed his arms, his expression had become neutral again.

“That’s fine, go on then.”

“Ok! I’ll definitely get a good one, I can feel it!”

“... If you say so.”

Torahiko reached for a card and began to slide it out, but stopped short. He put it back and reached for another… and then another. He bit his lip and hesitated. Hiroyuki raised an eyebrow at that, Torahiko was usually pretty confident, even when he shouldn’t be. Shin’s tail tip was flicking about in irritation.

“It’s not that hard. Just pick one.”

“But… a couple of these feel right. I don’t want to pick the wrong one!”

Shin sighed, and Hiroyuki decided to step in before Tora got reamed.

“It’s just a card right? Just calm down a little. It’ll be fine.”

Torahiko flushed under his eyes and his ears drooped, but his hand moved more decisively to a single card- the second one he’d originally grabbed for Hiroyuki noticed. He and Hiroyuki looked it over before Tora handed it to Shin. The card was illustrated with a human man wearing a white robe and red sash, holding some kind of rod over his head. Hiroyuki didn’t get to see more before Shin got it.

“Er, right. This one is…?”

“The Magician. ...Hm. I can see where this one’s appropriate.”

Torahiko frowned, not sure how to take that remark.

“The Magician is all about action, confidence, skill. It’s about taking initiative, being impetuous and trusting that you have the power to get yourself out of all the trouble you tend to land yourself in.”

The table shared a chuckle and this time Hiroyuki, and Torahiko himself, shared in it. There was no denying that Torahiko was always a bit of a troublemaker. Hiroyuki and Kounosuke too for that matter, but it seemed Torahiko was the only one to get a card signifying that.

“In a reading the card means that you, right now, have the power and energy and skill you need to make a new path for yourself- to attain what you desire, whether that’s something spiritual, physical, mental, or emotional… this is the time to go for it.”

Torahiko positively radiated satisfaction now, he was so happy Hiroyuki wondered if it hadn’t somehow become Tora’s birthday rather than Kouya’s.

“I’d say Torahiko-san approves… Hm.”

Shin was glancing at the horizon. Hiroyuki followed his gaze and understood immediately. The sun hadn’t set yet, but it was getting close. Hiroyuki said what Shin was thinking.

“We’re going to start losing the light soon.”

“Yes. Should we leave off for now, or-?”

Tatsuki crossed his arms and sulked in an exaggerated way.

“But I didn’t get my turn yet… It won’t take that long, will it?”

“It may if I have to give a full reading after you, Kyouji sempai and Juuichi-san. They take about twenty or thirty minutes on their own, and that’s rushing things a bit.”

Kyouji raised his hand and cut in.

“I have an idea, in that case. Why don’t we draw at the same time? We’ll have a fast reading, and since we’ve already started the clean up we should be able to leave before it gets dark.”

“I have no problem with that. Tatsuki-san, Juuichi-san?”

Both nodded agreeably. Shin gestured to the cards, their three remaining friends quickly took a card each and flipped them over. Shin stood next to Hiroyuki and began to lean forward.

“Ah, pardon me. I need to see. Do you mind?”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Thank you… hm. Juuichi-san has The Emperor, Kyouji sempai The Hierophant and… Temperance?”

Shin smirked as he spoke the last word. There was an awkward silence around the table, punctuated with a little awkward laughter here and there. Shin stood up straight, allowing Hiroyuki to see again. Tatsuki was flushed and had his eyes locked on his card. There was some joke here that he felt that he was missing, and it didn’t look like Tatsuki liked it very much. Juuichi and Kouya looked irritated as well. Shun, like Hiroyuki himself, seemed puzzled. The others were all either trying not to laugh or chuckling. He thought back to Kouya’s comment about Sake earlier today. He’d assumed it was a joke at the time, but now he wondered. Had Tatsuki become some kind of drunk? He looked critically at his gathered friends. Was that really the whole joke?

“The Hierophant, Kyouji sempai’s owl holding the staff and wearing a red robe, is a figure representing tradition, conformity, and at it’s most literal it’s about religion. First and foremost the Hierophant is a teacher.
“Juuichi-san’s graying wolf wearing armor and a jeweled crown is The Emperor. He’s Authority, structure. Kind of a father figure. These people usually slide into leadership roles naturally.
“It’s kind of interesting actually, you notice they’re sort of similar. Older men, sitting on thrones, wearing crowns and holding staves to indicate their position. They’re very similar cards, and both very appropriate for a sempai. It’s an interesting coincidence.”

Shin glanced at Tatsuki and his card. Tatsuki’s looked a little gloomy, he either wasn’t hiding it or had a poor poker face. Shin’s fur fluffed suddenly, his face fell a bit and he rushed through his next explanation.

“The Angel is mixing two cups of water, bringing different things together. One foot on land and the other in the river. They are a being that represents harmony, synthesis, prudence, opposites coming together. Mind and matter, life and death-”

Kouya helpfully offered:

“Making fine art and performing manual labor?”

Shin flushed, he nodded once emphatically before speaking again.

“Yes. It can be most anything. Temperance is mostly about avoiding extremes. It doesn’t particularly have to do with… well. No, I think we can leave it at that.”

He clapped his hands together, still speaking a bit quickly.

“So. What do you think? Do your cards reflect your personality?”

Hiroyuki frowned. Shin’s description of The Fool didn’t remind him of himself much. From what he could pick out however most of the others around the table felt better about their own cards. Juuichi hadn’t commented, but he looked less surly than usual. Kyouji had nodded but otherwise remained impassive. Torahiko and Tatsuki were much louder however.

“Yeah, this is perfect for me! I didn’t get it at first, but ‘Temperance’ really describes me perfectly.”

“I don’t know if it’s right, but I really like the Magician! This is fun!”

Kounosuke was looking at Shin critically, he had set his elbows on the table and steepled his fingers dramatically. He had raised an eyebrow at Shin and it looked like he was expecting something. Shin seemed not to notice.

“The Star doesn’t really sound like me… but I want it to be me!”

“That’s admirable, Shun-kun. What about you Kouya-san?”

“... It caught me off guard, let’s leave it at that.”

“Juuichi-san?”

“You can’t ignore Kuri indefinitely Kuroi, please just ask him what is on his mind?”

“Very well. Kounosuke?”

“You never drew a card for yourself.”

“... Well no, of course not. I’m interpreting.”

“Uh uh. We all got our turn being praised or lectured. You should get a turn too, I think.”

“I don’t think so.”

“I agree with Kounosuke, actually.”

It was Kouya, grinning impishly.

“It’s only fair, right? Besides, it was supposed to be a game for everyone. Please?”

Shin glared, but it melted into irritated resignation once Kyouji joined in.

“As you said Shin-kun, it is all just for fun. Why not indulge us?”

“... Fine.”

The small black cat stepped closer to the table and snatched up a card- No, two cards were missing Hiroyuki realized.

“But quickly- eh? Seems I’ve made a mistake. Assigning two roles would be somewhat uncommon...”

“You grabbed them both without realizing though, if the idea is to grab whatever ‘feels right’ doesn’t that make them both right?”

“Not necessarily, if the cards were on top of one another-”

“So you laid out the cards incorrectly?”

“... No, no I didn’t.”

“Then… I guess they’re both right!”

“Kounosuke… Fine. These are, uhm. The Hermit and The High Priestess.”

Kyouji leaned forward, the ghost of a smile played over his features.

“Is that unusual? You sound surprised.”

“They are… their roles are somewhat related. They both have meanings connected to hidden knowledge or skills. The Hermit is a man that’s secluded himself, perfected skills through isolation and practice. The High Priestess is a mystic, a feminine figure that serves as a conduit between God and Man. She has divine knowledge.”

“That sounds a fair bit like yourself. Did you mean to do that?”

“What? I… no, but you’re right, it’s a pretty apt description of exactly what I’m doing right now.”

“So maybe it is real then?”

“No. This is exactly what I meant earlier, this is a very vague description. Yes I spend a fair bit of time at home, and I enjoy reading and learning about other cultures, but would any of you call me a hermit? Isolated and reclusive? And I’m certainly not a holy figure, Shun comes much closer to that as Miko. I don’t believe in any of this, let alone hear ‘the voice of God.’”

“Aren’t they a bit less literal than that though? I assume you didn’t mean for us to believe that Juuichi-san destined to be Emperor of Japan, for example.”

“Well of course, but… oh, nevermind. I trust you all understand, even if you’d rather tease me than acknowledge it.”

Everyone had a good chuckle at that, and after a moment Shin hesitantly joined in. Something about Shin’s stance looked stiff though, it didn’t look natural. Shin cleared his throat suddenly.

“It’s getting a bit late. I know Kounosuke wanted a proper reading, but we really should think about packing up.”

“Whaaat?! Cop out! Come on!”

“Unless you’d rather we ask Kouya-san to walk home in the dark? It’s a bit of a walk to the apartments from here.”

“Eh?! I… ah. Sorry.”

Kouya waved Kounosuke off.

“Don’t worry about it. Honestly I’d be fine with it, but there are other reasons to finish up now too. There’ll be another time, right?”

“Yeah… We’re definitely doing this later! I’ll get everyone together to make sure!”

---

The clean up had gone well, they had all said their goodbyes and headed their separate ways. Today only Shin walked with Hiroyuki towards his Grandparents’ place, the others homes were all in other directions from the Park. Torahiko’s gift weighed heavy in his pocket, he was dying to get a peek, but he wouldn’t open it just yet. Somehow opening it in front of Shin felt inappropriate, Tora had been kind of sneaky about getting it to him. He needed a distraction about now, so curiosity wouldn’t get the better of him. A conversation with Shin might be just the thing he needed, and he was curious about something anyway.

“Hey Shin-kun.”

“Yes?”

“Can I ask you a question? It’s about the cards earlier.”

“Must you?”

“... Well no, I guess not. Sorry.”

Shin sighed.

“I’m sorry. Please, go ahead.”

“If you’re sure it’s ok.”

Shin managed a strained smile.

“It is, really.”

“You seemed very uncomfortable at the end there, when Kyouji tried to counter you…”

“Ah.”

Shin was silent for a long time. Hiroyuki wondered if maybe he wasn’t going to answer after all.

“Kyouji had a point, in a way. When I saw those cards, supposedly assigned to me, there was a moment where it felt right. Like they were a real description of me rather than random chance. People have a powerful instinct to draw meaning from things, no matter how vague. Knowing about it doesn’t seem to help much.”

“I see. So that’s what was bothering you? Realizing that it got to you too, just a little bit?”

“... No. Kyouji has been strange lately. I’m not sure how to put it. It feels like sometimes he’s pushing others, trying to get a reaction. For a moment, I thought he was doing that to me.”

“Really? Nothing he said seemed strange to me.”

“No. I suppose not.”

“Eh?”

“Nothing. The path splits here, good night Hiroyuki-san.”

“Oh. Good night.”

---

Hiroyuki lay on his futon, staring at the ceiling. He’d definitely had a good time today, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. It had been in the back of his mind since shortly after he arrived in the village and he was beginning to think it wasn’t just his imagination. He rolled onto his side, hoping to escape from this growing anxiety in sleep. His pocket crinkled and something stuck into his hip. Tora’s gift! He sat up and snatched the envelope from his pocket.

He overturned the package and gave it a shake. A bubble-wrapped bundle was his reward. It was the work of a moment to retrieve the bundle’s contents: A strangely shaped blue crystal, a little larger than Hiroyuki’s thumbnail. It reminded Hiroyuki of a pair of feathers, or perhaps a heart. It was wrapped with a long black leather cord. Torahiko had given him… a pendant? A heart pendant. Hiroyuki’s face felt hot, his mind went blank.

Could Torahiko have intended this as a romantic gesture? This was very sudden, too sudden! He held it up to the light looking for anything he might have missed. The points hung down, not a heart then. He breathed a sigh of relief and examined it further. Each arm of the crystal bore an identical dark circle in it’s center, reminding Hiroyuki of eyes. A pair of tiny needles protruded from the center, pointing upward. Realization suddenly struck him.

“A butterfly. A blue butterfly.”

A smile came to his lips unbidden as he ran a thumb over the small charm. It felt warm in his hand, strange but pleasant. He hopped up and rushed to his desk. Inside he grabbed a hand mirror and carefully put on Torahiko’s gift. Now that he saw it on himself he frowned, it looked more feminine on him than Hiroyuki was comfortable with. The color scheme wasn’t girly by any means, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to be seen with it on at school. … But Tora gave it to him, secretly. No one would know where he got it from, and the uniform policy should allow accessories… What would Torahiko think if he saw Hiroyuki wearing it on the first day? A thrill went up his spine and his skin tingled just thinking about it. Torahiko was a very, very handsome man now. He’d noticed the tiger’s physique immediately on seeing him at the bus stop. He was sweet, too. His thought of their hug that night and his pulse raced a little. If this was some kind of romantic overture on his part, the idea of pursuing it was definitely appealing.

The mirror was shaking. … No, Hiroyuki’s hand was shaking. Hiroyuki himself was shaking, all over. He sat in his chair and sighed. He was all worked up, but wasn’t he getting ahead of himself? It was just a pendant, he was being very presumptuous assuming there was something romantic behind it. It could be so much more innocent than that, a little ‘welcome back’ gift. He needed sleep, but there was no way he was going to manage it feeling like this. He took off the pendant and placed it on the mirror, stowing them both in a desk drawer. There was all day tomorrow to make a decision, right now he was going to make a cup of tea. Hopefully it would clear his mind.

---

That night Shin slept fitfully. Visions of dark things assailed him through the night: Furious accusations, people in pain, people hurting one another, his friends suffering. A rising, vast and unfathomable darkness loomed over them all. Shin could see Torahiko and Hiroyuki next to him distinctly, but the others were all vague silhouettes. The darkness quickly consumed them. The others followed, It rushed over them all as they stood heedless. Shin now stood naked and alone before it. Something changed... Absolute horror froze his heart: It saw him!

Shin woke with a strangled gasp. His chest burned as if his lungs were on fire! The world was a dark, terrifying blur. It was here! No, just a dream… he was having an attack! He fumbled wildly across his bedside table in the dark, desperately fighting panic. After what felt like an eternity he came upon his inhaler. A squeeze, a labored breath, sweet relief. Another, stronger inhale and his bedroom came into focus. He could breath again, he could see.

The small black cat hugged himself and wept quietly. The details of the nightmare were fading, but it had shaken him deeply all the same. Dreams were only that, he tried to tell himself. Just a nightmare. The same nightmare. One he’d been having for half a month now. It was becoming very difficult to believe it was ‘just a dream.’ Every corner seemed to be watching him, every door shielded him from some hidden darkness just behind.

Panic took over once more when his door slide open by itself. He inhaled sharply, his pupils narrowed to pin points as he stared at the door.

“Master Shin, is everything alright? I thought I heard you having trouble.”

The soft, familiar voice on the other side of the door was the balm he needed, his fears melted into embarrassment. His butler, Amaki. He hadn’t heard the older cat’s approach, even light foot steps were normally audible in this big, silent house.

“Just… a bad dream. I’m ok Amaki. … How did you hear me? Did I… cry out?”

“No, there was a loud bang. Are you sure you’re alright? Do you want me to come in?”

A bang…? Shin glanced at his bedside table, reaching for the lamp there- it was out of place. More specifically, it was on the floor, knocked over in his desperate grab for the inhaler. He hadn’t even noticed he’d struck it. It felt ridiculous, but somehow the realization made him feel upset all over again. He opened his mouth to send Amaki back to bed but choked on a sob. Damn it all. Amaki let himself in. The white cat was clad in dark colored pajamas, his glasses missing at the moment. He crossed the room in a few quick strides and sat by his small charge. Familiar arms wrapped themselves around Shin’s shoulders.

“It’s ok. It’s over now.”

Shin gave in and hugged back. He sobbed into Amaki for long minutes, eventually exhaustion took him. He fell asleep that way, at peace again at last.

Amaki gently laid him back down and started to tuck him in. He froze mid-action when his eyes fell upon Shin’s inhaler, still gripped tightly in his small hand. Worried gnawed at Amaki’s belly, another attack then. Quite gently he pulled the inhaler away from Shin and returned it to the nightstand. Amaki silently moved to an armchair in the corner of the room, he would sleep here tonight. Master Shin wouldn’t like it, but after an attack he could do no less. Amaki wished dearly Shin would open up about what was troubling him so. In the morning he would ask, but he suspect he knew how Shin would answer.