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Chapter Twenty-Five: War and Peace:

Daisuke didn’t want to admit it, but had no choice. The peace that he tried so desperately to keep was now shattered. Anna still didn’t know the truth about their family. Ideally, he would be happy to never tell her. However, reality would not allow it otherwise. From there, he began to plan.

First, Daisuke collected all of his old notes. Haruka made the boys study tsukai magic all while they were growing up. Usually, they tired into seducing the prey and killing them for their kitsune. The man was so disgusted with his past in these endless pages of text, that he refused to teach them to Anna or dirty her hands dirty in their blood-soaked clan. Daisuke even tried to destroy them once before she was even born. Burning them wouldn’t work; he tried that day after he ran away from home. The student found himself shocked to find the notes back on his desk without a single hint of damage on them. Daisuke was so horrified that he ended up running out of his room. He tried everything after that, but his notes always came back in one piece. In the end, Daisuke resorted to locking them again and putting a barrier around their hiding place. The man kept them well-hidden in his desks ever since. Until now, he hadn’t thought about them at all.

Daisuke sat back at his desk. He stared at the ceiling as he replayed what he needed to do to seal off his notes. He needed to put his books in different boxes, seal them up with tape, and place the charms all over the box. Removing the barrier was already taken care of just seconds earlier. The man glanced over at the clock on his wall. Eight in the morning and he still had some time to execute this. Anna was in her bathroom, getting ready for school. Daisuke timed himself to move.

Alright, he thought. He got up from his desk and went out to the storage building. He returned with eight big storage boxes. One by one, Daisuke filled them up and taped them closed. He drew out the charms that he collected from different temples over the years that he had hidden in another drawer his desk and taped them down all around the boxes. He rose to his feet and chanted his sealing spell over them. Blue lights went into all of them and vanished. Daisuke stood back and smiled. This would hold until after he died. He glanced over at the clock. He still had about ten minutes to risk it. After weighing his options, he shook his head.

It’s too much trouble right now, the man thought. It would be best to move the boxes after Anna left for school. Daisuke put on a brave face and headed out to the kitchen for breakfast. As planned, he pretended that everything was normal. However, his daughter could sense otherwise.

“Are you alright, Papa?” she asked at the kitchen table. Daisuke waved her off as he drank up his tea.

“I’m fine,” he said, “Really I am.”

“What was all that about last night?” his daughter asked. Daisuke lowered his cup with shaky hands. He hoped that she would’ve forgotten about last night’s shouting match after she got a good night sleep.

“It was nothing,” he tried to lie again. Anna looked at him rather curious. Daisuke didn’t enjoy the look in his daughter’s eyes. He searched for something else to talk about with her.

“How’s summer school been coming along?” he asked.

“Good,” the girl answered, “My class is having a little party after we take exams today.”

“Oh, a party?” her father asked.

“That’s right,” Anna remarked.

“Do you need me to make you something or get anything?” he asked.

“No,” Anna replied, “I’m good; I can just pick up something on the way there.” She paused before setting up for the next question. “Are you feeling okay?” she asked. Daisuke chewed on his pickled ginger before glancing over at him.

“Of course, I am,” he said calmly, “Why would you ask?”

“You’ve been falling asleep a lot lately,” his daughter pointed out, “Are you sick or something?” Daisuke lowered his chopsticks on his bowl.

“I’ve been a little tired lately,” he said with a little smile, “I’m really fine. Is there anything else?” Anna shook her head rather uneasily.

“No,” she replied.

“You’re going to be late,” Daisuke pointed out. His daughter blinked.

“Huh?” she asked as she looked up at the clock on the stove. “Oh crap!” she yelped, “Bye Papa!” Anna rose to her feet and rushed out the door. However, she turned around and gave Daisuke a kiss on the cheek.

“Bye, honey,” he said, “Good luck on your exams today.”

“Bye-bye!” Anna yelped as she raced out the door again, “Thank you!” Daisuke smiled as he heard the door slam such. Oh to be young and careless again, he thought. His mood turned serious as he remembered that he still had work to do. The man cleared the table and went back to his office. This would be the hard part. His only hope was that Anna would never have to learn about this dark family secret for years.I’m sorry to leave you in the dark like this, Anna-chan, he thought, But this is for your own good. He started to carry the boxes out to the backyard. Carrying heavy container boxes out to a storage building in the dead heat of summer was something that Daisuke didn’t really count on doing. However, his desperation pushed him to keep moving.

I have to get this over with today, he thought. He collapsed over the last box he got up to the building. Daisuke paused to catch his breath and go over what he needed to do next. He was already suppressing Jin’s growing hunger and moving his notes out of Anna’s reach. Daisuke lifted his head.

“I have to make charms for her,” he said to himself. The man turned and looked at the open storage building. I can do this, he thought. Daisuke pushed himself to his feet, picked up the first box, and carried it into the open storage building.

Jin watched from above the whole time. The kitsune shook his head to himself.Give it up, kid, he thought, Our mother will not let you have your way. You’ve heard the stories. This will not end well for you.

Daisuke moved the last box into the open storage building. He closed the doors and locked it up tight. The man sat down on the path and breathed out heavily. Task number two had been completed.

“This will not work, you know that, right?” Jin asked in his head. Daisuke ignored him and pushed himself back to his feet.

I need to take my pill, the man thought. He walked back into the house and made it to his office. It felt so good to have another weight lifted off his shoulders. He just needed to take his medication and go to work. The difficult part of being on the meds at first was not to fall asleep during the work day. The faculty and administration at Tokyo University approved of him using the pills. Their lack of questions made Daisuke slightly uncomfortable.

It’s just like the village back in Kobe, he thought. It had been a year since he last heard or spoke to those people. He sometimes wondered how they were doing. Kato paid most of the bills of the house, gas, electricity, water, phone, and everything else. Daisuke kept trying to vain to get the old man to stop.

“At least let me pay some of the bills,” the younger man pleaded on the phone last month, “I don’t want to feel like I’m taking advantage of you out here in Tokyo.”

“It’s fine,” Kato insisted, “I don’t mind.” Nothing seemed to get through to this man. However, after Haruka’s late night visit, that didn’t really seem like an issue anymore. Remembering all of this reminded Daisuke of a burning question that he just had to ask about Kato.

On his lunch break, Daisuke gathered up his change and called back Kato back in Kobe on a pay phone. He paced around as the other line rang.Come on, you bastard, the younger man thought,This is urgent.

“Hello?” an old man asked on the other line. Daisuke quickly stopped short in place.

“Kato-san?” he asked in a matching tone.

“No, this is Yamamoto-san,” the old man replied, “I’m currently watching Iwao’s house. Who’s this?”

“It’s me, Daisuke,” the younger man answered.

“Oh, Dai-kun!” Yamamoto-san said on the other line, “How have you been?”

“I’m good,” the other man replied, “Listen, do you know where Kato-san is at the moment?”

“No, he just stepped out a little while ago,” the old man replied. Daisuke’s stomach turned upon hearing this.

“Well, when will he be back?” he asked.

“This evening, I believe,” Yamamoto-san replied.

“This evening?” Daisuke repeated.

“That’s right,” the old man answered, “Shall I take a message for you?” Daisuke bit his lower lip. This suddenly took a turn for the grim. He swallowed hard and took in another breath.

“Just have him call me this evening when he gets in,” he answered in a low voice.

“Okay,” the old man said uncertain, “You sound worried about something. Are you alright? Is everything okay in Tokyo?” Daisuke quickly nodded with the phone to his ear.

“Yes, of course I’m fine,” he lied with a sped up tone in his voice, “Just have Kato-san call me back, okay?”

“Okay,” Yamamoto-san replied still uncertain for himself, “Goodbye.”

“Bye,” Daisuke replied before hanging up. He had to keep up his brave face for the rest of the work day.