There was a twinkle in Lilian’s eyes as she spoke, as if she was imagining the many worlds that she could visit through reading manga.
“Traveling to new worlds, fighting evil, experiencing the powers of friendship, and gazing at the beautiful artwork, it’s all so amazing.”
Kevin grinned at his mate’s enthusiasm. “Yeah, it is pretty cool. You know, considering how much you love manga, you should think of becoming a mangaka or something and make your own. I bet you’d be pretty good at it.”
Lilian laughed and rubbed the back of her head. “I don’t think I’m a good enough artist to create my own manga.”
“You never know until you try, right? I bet you’d be amazing.”
“Ufufufu, you’re sweet, Beloved.”
They reached the cash register and paid for their manga, volume one of Magika Swordsman and Summoner, and left the store.
They ignored the disgusted look that the clerk had given them when she saw what they were buying.
***
Unknown to the young couple, a trio of overcoat-clad females trailed after them, exiting the bookstore several seconds after they did.
The group of Iris, Christine, and Lindsay kept a suitable distance so as not to arouse suspicion… which made little sense because they were wearing long overcoats that reached down to their ankles and overgrown hats that covered most of their faces in shadow… plus they wore sunglasses. It was sort of like painting a big sign that screamed, “Look at me! I’m a suspicious individual!”
Everyone they passed stopped whatever they were doing to gawk at them. The girls, to their credit, were either very good at ignoring the stares or, the more plausible scenario, they weren’t even paying attention.
At some point, the couple stopped.
Christine, Iris, and Lindsay hid behind a large column near a clothing shop and peeked their heads out from behind it to spy on Kevin and Lilian.
The young couple had made it to a small sitting area outside. Water spouted from an in-ground fountain several feet away on an elevated platform, and a fire crackled merrily inside of a large fireplace made of tan bricks and black metal.
The couple had chosen to sit on a cushy-looking leather couch. Kevin sat with his back against the chair, and Lilian was nestled between his legs, appearing awfully comfortable. The manga was open on her lap, and he had set his head on her left shoulder as they read together.
“Aw!” Lindsay cooed at the two. “Aren’t they just adorable? Don’t you think they look cute?”
“Disgustingly cute,” Christina said with a twitch in her eye.
“You sound a little jealous,” Iris commented, staring down at Christine with a twinkle in her eyes. “Don’t tell me that even after all this time, you’re still hung up on the stud?”
“W-wha—no! Of course not!” Christine exploded. The color of her cheeks had turned an icy blue. “What makes you possibly think that he and I—that I would still like him?! I don’t! W-w-why would I possibly like an idiot like him?!”
“Your tsundere is showing again.”
“SHUT UP!”
“Quiet down, you two,” Lindsay hushed the pair to silence. “They’ll notice us if we’re too loud.”
Christine huffed as Iris grinned. They went back to watching the couple, who continued to read their manga. It was actually kind of boring, watching two people who did nothing but flip pages in a book. Iris was used to this, of course, as, when the two were not doing homework, watching anime, or getting their freak on, this was usually what they did. However, Christine and Lindsay seemed put out by the pair’s lack of activity.
They’re probably going to be there for a while.
Iris sighed and prepared herself for a long wait.
She hoped something interesting would happen soon.
She needed something useful. Otherwise, all of her plans would go up in smoke.
***
“Hey, Kevin?”
Kevin’s eyes flickered to Lilian for a moment before traveling back to the page. “Yes?”
Lilian finished reading, and then waited until Kevin tapped her stomach to let her know that he was done as well. She flipped the page.
“I was wondering, are you feeling better today? I mean, you seem to be doing better, but you were, well, you were really depressed yesterday about… um, what happened… back then…” She trailed off, not that Kevin couldn’t see why; she was bringing up an awfully conflicting and emotional topic for him.
Smiling, he placed a kiss on her neck. “I’m feeling a lot better, thanks to you.”
Lilian breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed deeper into his embrace. “I’m glad,” she said, pausing for just a moment. “Does that mean you’re going to start training with Kiara again soon? I know you stopped, but…”
“I’m not sure if Kiara will let me train with her anymore,” Kevin admitted, scanning the page they were on. It looked like there were several girls whose breasts were even bigger than Camellia’s in this manga. “She said that she won’t train me until I can prove my resolve. The problem is that I don’t really know what she means by that, or how I can prove my resolve to her. What am I supposed to do? Beat up a bunch of people in front of her to show my resolve? What does that even mean?”
“Well, resolve is just another word for commitment, right? Your determination to do something? I think she wants you to prove to her that you’re determined to continue training with her, or maybe she wants you to prove that you’re determined to remain involved in the yōkai world despite the… uglier aspects that come with it.”
By uglier, Lilian obviously meant violence. The yōkai world was full of it. Kevin only had to look at his first meeting with Chris, a yōkai who wasn’t as kind as Lilian, to see this.
Of course, the human world contained its dark elements as well, like the Sons and Daughters of Humanity and terrorists and stuff, but they didn’t seem as prevalent in the everyday life for the average citizen. If anything, the Sons and Daughters of Humanity were more like a part of the yōkai world than the human one.
“My resolve, huh?” Kevin sighed as if thinking about how this whole situation exhausted him. His cheek came to rest against Lilian’s, and he rubbed their cheeks together. “I’m not even sure if I can prove my resolve to myself, much less to Kiara.”
“That’s because you’re confused,” Lilian told him. “You just have to find your reason for wanting to stay in the yōkai world.”
“My reason?”
“Yeah!” Lilian set their manga on the ground, moved out of his embrace, stood up, spun around, and placed her hands on her hips. She was grinning. “Your reason for staying in the yōkai world. It’s like how Natsumo’s reason for being a shinobi is to gain the recognition of her village, or how Luffy’s reason for finding One Piece is because he feels like becoming the Pirate King represents the ultimate form of freedom, or how Natsu’s reason for being a mage is to find his missing dragon father. Every shōnen hero has a reason to keep going, a reason to keep fighting.” She pointed at him. “You need to find your reason to keep fighting, too.”
“You do realize that we aren’t characters in a shōnen manga, right?” Kevin asked.
“That’s true. We’re more like caricatures from a harem series.”
“Don’t call us caricatures! And don’t mention harems!”
***
“What is she talking about?” Lindsay asked. “Ugh, I wish I could hear what they were saying.”
Iris facepalmed. “No, you don’t. She’s giving a speech.”
“A speech?” Christine and Lindsay asked at the same time.
“Yes…” Iris looked almost pained, as if the idea of her sister giving speeches caused physical injury. “She likes giving speeches because it makes her feel like those heroes in shōnen manga.”
“You’re joking,” Christine said. “Please, tell me you’re joking?”
“Believe me, I wish I was.” Iris sighed. “Lily-pad has been a manga fanatic since before
even meeting the stud. She used to spend hours practicing her shōnen speeches in front of a mirror. I imagine that she’s super excited to finally put all that practice to use.”
To that, Christine and Lindsay had nothing to say.
***
Kevin sighed and leaned back in his seat. “Caricatures and harem themes aside, I’m not a hero from a shōnen manga.”
“It doesn’t matter if you’re not a shōnen hero,” Lilian declared. “Every choice you make and action you take determines the outcome of your life. Even if you’re not the protagonist of a shōnen manga, you’re still the main character to your own story.”
It was something that children heard a lot. Movies, books, especially those aimed at a younger audience, often spoke about how “you are the hero of your own story.” Most of these themes were done with the intent of empowering kids, of letting them feel like they mattered.
As people grew older, they tended to become disillusioned, but as someone who’d experienced a world so unlike the one that he was used to, Kevin could only concede Lilian’s point with a nod. She was right, in a way. Even if his life wasn’t like those heroes in shōnen manga, he still controlled his own life.
“And our life isn’t exactly normal either,” Lilian added. “You might not be a character in a shōnen manga, but you’re hardly normal. You’re my mate. You are in a relationship with a kitsune. You live with an entire family of kitsune, and let’s not forget about all of the misadventures we’ve had since our meeting. You might not be living on the Grand Line, in the Elemental Nations, or Magnolia, but your life has been a lot like a shōnen manga.”
“Don’t remind me,” Kevin groaned, his shoulders slumping. “Just thinking about some of the things that have happened to me since we’ve met makes me question my own sanity.”
It really was pretty unbelievable when he thought about it. All of the things that he’d been through since meeting Lilian actually did resemble the sort of stories found in anime and manga.
There were differences, of course. Most of those people in anime and manga had superpowers of their own that allowed them to stand on par with their enemies—or at least train to get stronger. He had no superpowers, no special abilities. He was just a normal human. Aside from that small fact, his life was kind of similar to his favorite shōnen heroes.
It even had random acts of fanservice.
Go figure.
Just then, a loud, earth-shaking rumble filled the area. Everyone in the vicinity stopped what they were doing, turned, and stared.
“Was that your stomach?” Kevin asked incredulously.
Lilian’s cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink. “W-well, all this speech giving has made me kinda hungry,” she tried to defend her stomach, at the same time wrapping her arms around said stomach to keep people from looking at it.
“Let’s get something to eat, then.” Kevin stood up and, after picking up their manga and marking their place with a bookmark, he held out his free hand.
Grinning brightly, Lilian took his hand in hers. “Okay!”
***
Still wearing their overcoats, oversized hats, and sunglasses, Christine, Lindsay, and Iris followed the couple into a small bakery that sold sandwiches.
“It’s so hot in these things,” Iris complained as they sat at a table several feet away from the two that they were stalking… in broad daylight… while wearing ridiculous clothing...
It was enough to make Christine wonder how Lilian and Kevin hadn’t noticed them yet.
“Stop complaining,” Lindsay grumbled bitterly as she pulled at her own overcoat. “You think I like wearing this thing any more than you do? Newsflash, I don’t. And you’re the one who suggested we wear these anyway.”
“Yeah, but you’re used to sweating and stuff.”
Lindsay rolled her eyes. “While I’m playing soccer, yeah, but not while I’m sitting at a table in a stuffy bathrobe. Why are we even wearing these things anyway? Don’t you think we look kind of suspicious?”
“This is the only way we can hide our faces,” Iris defended. “Unless we want to wear masks or something, but that would be just as, if not more, suspicious.”
“Why are we following these two again?” Christine asked, having long since forgotten the reason. She was the only one among the trio who didn’t complain about being in a sweaty overcoat. She actually liked the heat.
“This is for my research,” Iris said seriously, and the solemnness in her tone made the other two look at her.
“Your research?” Christine asked, seemingly both fascinated and afraid.
“Hm!” Iris nodded her head, actually looking enthusiastic for once. “Very important research. You see, if there’s one thing I’ve learned since coming here, it’s that I won’t be able to break up the stud and Lily-pad.”
“Wait, wait, wait. Before you continue, can I ask something?” Upon receiving permission in the form of a nod, Lindsay asked the question that must have been bothering her for a while now. “Why do you call Kevin ‘Stud’?”
“Oh, come on. Are you seriously asking me that?” Iris asked, not giving Lindsay a chance to answer before she continued. “You’ve seen him with his shirt off. I know you have, so you should know why I’ve given him that nickname.”
At the mention of Kevin without a shirt, Christine’s cheeks became extremely cold. She had seen Kevin sans upper-body clothing when they went to California. She wasn’t sure if he’d always been that muscular, or if it was a recent change, but Kevin had an impressive physique. Lean muscles, six-pack abs, broad shoulders, a powerful chest, and defined arms. If Christine had been the drooling type, she would have considered him drool-worthy.
Over by the cash register, Kevin sneezed several times.
“Are you feeling okay, Beloved?”
“Yeah, I just had something tickling my nose.”
“Someone could be talking about you.”
“God, I hope not.”
Back at the table, Lindsay stared at Iris for several seconds… and then she sighed.
“Oh… I guess I see your point,” the blonde tomboy admitted.
“Right.” Iris nodded. “So, anymore stupid questions?” Lindsay shook her head. “Good.”
“So… your research,” Christine prompted Iris to continue, which she did, with glee.
“Like I was saying, the stud and Lily-pad can’t be broken up. I’ve tried it before and have come to the conclusion that it’s impossible. Besides, I actually kind of like the guy. He keeps life interesting, and he makes my Lily-pad happy, so it’s cool.”
“Kachoo!” Lilian let out a rather cute sneeze.
Kevin, who’d just picked up their order of food, looked at his mate in concern. “Bless you.”
“Thanks.” Lilian rubbed her nose. “Someone must be talking about me. I wonder who…”
“I don’t care who they are so long as they’re not talking about how they want to, uh…”
“Want to what?”
Kevin blushed. “You know…” When Lilian just looked at him, he leaned over and whispered in her ear. “... Do ecchi stuff.”
Now Lilian was blushing as well. “Oh… I hope people aren’t saying stuff like that about me either.”
“Anyway,” Iris continued heedlessly, “I’ve decided that if I can’t have Lily-pad all to myself, then it would be better to share her with Kevin.”
… Silence. Several crows cawed in the distance. Christine and Lindsay stared at the raven-haired vixen, realizing for perhaps the first time that this girl wasn’t all there in the head.
“You plan on sharing Lilian?” Christine deadpanned.
“Hm hm!” Iris nodded, looking quite proud of herself. “I’m magnanimous like that,” she added.
“Sharing?”
“Yep.”
“You plan on sharing Lilian?”
“I believe I have already stated that, yes, I plan on sharing Lily-pad.” Iris crossed her arms and leaned back. “I personally think it’s a
great idea. I get to stay with Lily-pad, Lily-pad gets to stay with the stud, and the stud not only gets to stay with Lily-pad, but he also gets some two-girls-on-one-guy action. It’s a win-win situation for everybody.”
Christine didn’t know what was worse: Iris’s stupid idea, or the fact that said stupid idea was causing her to nosebleed.
“Are you thinking about it, nya?”
“W-w-wha—of course not! Why the hell would I want to share Kevin with anyone?!”
“I think it sounds fun.”
“Shut up, you stupid cat!!”
“Nya-ha-ha!”
While Christine shoved tissue paper up her nostrils to keep from bleeding all over the table and her overcoat, Lindsay was crouched underneath the table. Her head was tucked between her knees, and her arms were wrapped around her legs. She was rocking back and forth, and there was a strange black mist-like substance emitting from her body.
“The hell is wrong with you?” Christine asked in a nasally voice due to the tissue paper in her nose.
“Iris keeps calling me a dyke and yet here she is, swooning over her own sister,” Lindsay sniffled. “So not fair…”
It was in that moment, at that time, that Christine realized every single person she knew was certifiably insane.
She wanted to bang her head against the table.
***
Christine, Iris, and Lindsay eventually switched from sitting inside of the bakery to outside when Lilian and Kevin left after getting their food.
They sat several tables away, on the opposite end of the courtyard, watching as the redheaded fox-girl and her human mate talked and laughed about… something. They didn’t know what. Not even Iris had hearing good enough to hear that far.
“They look like they’re getting along well,” Christine stated with a scowl. Iris noticed that despite saying otherwise, the pale-skinned girl was a lot more vested in Kevin and Lilian’s date than she let on.
So I was right. She still loves the stud.
It was obvious, of course. The girl was a freaking yuki-onna. They were obsessive when it came to the people they loved, even more so than kitsune. Chances were good that this girl would love the stud for the rest of her life.
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