When I was little, my parents took me to a restaurant once. Something about "spending family time," like they said. It was a nice day, sunny, by the sea. My dad ordered rabbit for everyone. I was so hungry I could've swallowed anything.
Except the food was taking forever to arrive. I'd already finished my drink. And since I was about to explode, I got up to go piss. I didn't even know where the bathroom was. So I wandered off, hoping to run into a waiter. I turned a corner… and that's when I saw him.
One of the cooks. He was holding a live rabbit by the ears. Without flinching, in one swift motion, he smashed it against the wall.
I froze. The body convulsed, then collapsed.
Thirty minutes later, our rabbit was on the plate. Piping hot, nicely roasted. I didn't touch it. And from that day on, I never ate rabbit again.
Humans live better in ignorance. What do I think about it? I think it's fine that way. We've lived in pain since we were kids. All around us, things die, scream, and we ignore them. Most people know full well that the meat in their sandwich once had a beating heart. But they'd rather not think about it. It's easier to see it as just another ingredient. Like a supermarket label. And the worst part is—it works. Maybe that's for the best.
— Kouki?
— Kouki? Can you hear me?
He snapped out of his thoughts. His mother had turned toward him, a slightly amused look on her face.
— Huh? Uh… yeah, sorry.
— I always wonder what you're thinking about sometimes. Ever since you were a kid, you've always been so quiet in the car. You just stare out the window with that blank look… like you're hypnotized by the scenery.
— We never have time to just sit and do nothing. So I'm enjoying it. That's all.
— Well you know what? I'd rather that than seeing you glued to your damn phone. My son… a philosopher. Oh my God! Don't tell me you wanna write poems and all that?!
— RAHHH! WILL YOU STOP SAYING STUFF LIKE THAT, YOU OLD BAT?!
— HUH?! DID YOU JUST YELL AT ME?!
His father turned his head halfway back, without slowing down. And bam. A dry slap to the back of the neck.
— Ow! Damn, are you serious right now?!
— YOU DO NOT TALK TO YOUR MOTHER LIKE THAT! APOLOGIZE RIGHT NOW!
— Okay okay I'm sorry! Ow! Damn, that's abuse, I swear!
— ABUSE? YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT IS! WANT ME TO SHOW YOU?!
— KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD, DAMMIT! his mother shouted. YOU TRYNA KILL US OR WHAT?!
— WE FAILED AT RAISING HIM, I swear… sighed his father.
— NO, YOU GUYS ARE JUST OUT OF TOUCH! YOU'RE THE CRAZY ONES!
That evening. Kouki sat at the table, covered in bandages. One eye swollen, arm scratched up. He was glaring daggers at his father. His father chewed aimlessly, arms crossed. His mother came in from the kitchen, carrying the main dish.
— Enough already. Dinner's ready. My chicken has a way of calming people down, so eat and shut up.
— I'll stop when this kid shows his father some respect.
— And I can't wait to turn 18 and get the hell out of here, you psycho old man!
— You provoking me again?!
— ENOUGH! his mother shouted.
She slammed the dish on the table. A roasted chicken, crispy, still steaming. The smell filled the room within seconds. Their eyes met, then drifted to the food.
Kouki reached for the fork. His father grabbed it first. Eyes locked on eyes. No one spoke. His mother calmly served mashed potatoes, a drumstick, then handed the plate to Kouki.
— Here. Your favorite piece. Eat.
He stared at the plate. For a moment. Then he cut off a piece. Mashed potatoes. Meat. Brought it to his mouth. And chewed. Once. Twice. Then took more.
— Told you, his mother muttered. My chicken works wonders.
— Yeah. Thanks, mom. It's really good.
— Still as good as ever, honey, added his father without looking up.
She smiled. A small, quiet smile. Nothing more.
The next morning, Kouki was getting dressed. He put on his first shoe. The left one. But he couldn't find the other.
— Mom? I can't find my right shoe.
— Just wear another one.
— No. These are my favorite. And my rollers are still hooked on them.
He searched the living room. Opened a closet. A metal dog bowl fell to the floor. And with it, a toy. A blue-and-red rope bone, chewed all over.
On the bowl, written in black marker: Snow.
Kouki froze. His expression changed. He didn't say anything, but his eyes were clear: he remembered. And it hurt.
His mother entered, looked at him, then gently picked up the bowl.
— What were you thinking… why would you put your shoes in here…
She bent down, searched a little further, and found the shoe.
— Here. There it is. Go on now. You're gonna be late.
Kouki straightened up, slowly took back the shoe. He looked at his mother. A small smile.
— Yeah. Thanks, mom. See you tonight.
She returned the smile. He walked out.
His mother's smile faded.
The school bell rang throughout the building. The hallways gradually emptied, the last students dragging their feet or wrapping up conversations before being caught under the watchful eyes of the supervisors. In room 2-3, the students were already taking their seats.
Kouki entered, hands in his pockets, chewing gum. No uniform. Oversized tracksuit, sneakers with rollers attached. He scanned the room.
— Yoooo.
He high-fived a buddy, shared a smile with two girls in the back. He slumped into his chair, arms folded behind his head like he owned the place.
— Oi, did you finish the math assignment? asked Taiga, right behind him.
— Yeah. I did the first two pages. That's what we had to do, right?
— You're pushing it, man. There were three pages.
— I did the important stuff. Don't worry, we won't need the rest. The teacher's gonna talk for twenty minutes about yesterday's graph, like always.
— …You're a damn lazy genius, I swear.
A girl in the front row turned around with a sigh.
— Honestly, I still don't get why you're allowed to dress like that. It's not fair.
Kouki cracked a smile without moving.
— I told you I could come out on top for the whole year. It was the principal himself who made the bet. Not my fault he didn't believe in me.
— And you won?! a boy from the back exclaimed.
— Dude. Haven't you noticed he's been wearing that tracksuit since September? Of course he won. The worst part is he didn't even go all in.
— Just enough to get by, sighed Taiga. As always.
Laughter broke out. At that very moment, the sliding door opened. The teacher walked in, followed by a girl none of them had ever seen.
Instant silence filled the room.
She was tall, slim, and yet had curves that said a lot. Her pink hair flowed like petals over her shoulders. A calm beauty, a little otherworldly. She stared straight ahead, her expression a little frozen, but not clumsy.
— Good morning, everyone. This is Kiko Karasuma. She'll be joining your class starting today. I'm counting on you to give her a warm welcome.
Kiko bowed politely.
— Um… Hello… I'm happy to be here… I hope we can… get along well.
Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. But clear.
In the back, a group of guys whistled quietly. Ryu, a tall dude with shaved eyebrows, whispered to his buddy:
— Damn, she's hot.
— No kidding… did you see her figure? She looks like she's out of a manga.
— Are all the new students supermodels now or what?
Some girls exchanged looks, arms crossed, clearly already annoyed.
Kouki, meanwhile, stared at her without saying a word, slowly chewing his gum. He looked at her like you'd look at a figure in the distance—not really involved, but still curious.
The next hour passed without incident. Then came P.E.
Under the noon sun, the students were gathered on the outdoor field. The boys' group were firing off low comments.
— You think she's single?
— That ass is unreal. Did you see how she runs?
— Bet she's flexible too.
— I can totally picture her in my room.
The girls were walking with them, but on a different wavelength.
— Who does she think she is with that soft little voice?
— Seriously, she acts all shy, but it's always the same types.
— Yeah… guys drool the second a pair of boobs moves.
Kiko just ran silently. She was sweating, but showed no sign of exhaustion. Her expression was focused, dignified. She didn't look at them.
Kouki, sitting nearby, sipped from a water bottle while listening to everything they said. He didn't miss a word, even from a distance. His eyes followed the scene, but his face stayed neutral. He observed, without getting involved.
A bit later, during the break, Kiko walked up to the fountain to drink.
She was tapping quickly on her phone.
A video call. The screen displayed the face of a man with a strict jawline, hair tied into a perfect bun, serious eyes behind thin glasses.
— Father…
— Kiko. Have you managed to settle in properly?
— Yes, everything is fine. The school is spacious, the staff is polite… and the class seems nice.
— And the students? Are you able to make contact?
— I… was introduced today. I don't know yet. I'm doing my best.
A brief silence. The man adjusted his glasses.
— Don't forget why you're there. Osaka is becoming a critical hotspot. Zohōn are appearing more and more frequently, and their intensity is increasing. Some are even manifesting in broad daylight.
Kiko nodded slowly, serious.
— I understand, Father.
— You carry the name of the Karasuma. You were born into one of the oldest Zoopsychopomp bloodlines. This stay must toughen you. Train you. You were prepared, but recognition only comes in the field.
— I remember. I won't disappoint you.
— Stay alert. One of them could appear at any time. The first signs are sometimes subtle. A smell, a noise, a tension in the air. If you sense something… never ignore it.
She nodded. A shadow briefly passed in her gaze.
In the distance, voices could be heard. Ryu and his crew were laughing as they walked toward her, hands in their pockets.
— I have to go, Father.
She ended the call without waiting for a response, put her phone away, and quickly put her shoes back on.
By the time the group arrived, she was already on her feet, looking neutral.
Ryu in front, smiling. Two others behind him. The girls followed, grinning but with their arms crossed.
— Hey. Hi. You ran really well earlier. You're doing great, huh.
Kiko looked up. Hesitated a moment, then bowed slightly.
— Thank you… I'm doing my best.
— We wanted to invite you to something cool. You just got here, so you don't know the area much, right? Well tonight, we're going to a place a bit off the grid. An old abandoned building, real chill. We're thinking of making it our new hangout.
— Hm… That's kind of you, but I think that…
— Come on, don't hesitate, insisted Ryu. Don't worry, it's just so you can get settled in faster.
The girls chimed in.
— Yeah, come with us, Kiko. It'll be fun! We'll all be there. You can't turn down your first hangout with friends, right?
Kiko looked around. A little lost. Not really worried. Just hesitant. She ended up smiling, a little timidly.
— Alright. But… just for a short while.
— Awesome, said Ryu. Don't worry, it'll be chill.
A few meters away, in the shadow of a tree, Kouki was passing by calmly. He had stopped in front of a vending machine… but hadn't bought anything. He was just listening.
And now, he was staring at the group in silence, hands in his pockets, jaw clenched.
Barely noticeable, a little twitch pulled at his left cheek.
He had heard everything.