Taking place during Easter Break

Home.

Kazuo stepped out of the car, stomach fluttering in excitement and apprehension. It had been almost two years since he’d visited the Shimada estate. The move to London, his enrollment at Hogwarts and his parents’ busy schedules had kept the family away from their ancestral home. Though he had been back to Tokyo a few times, it had been harder for his parents to justify a trip up to Niigata Prefecture.

The estate sat on the outskirts of Sekikawa, walking distance from the Takanosu Hot Springs, a convenience he had every intention of taking advantage of over the spring break. Sekikawa sat in the shadow of Mount Kougagisan, a small agricultural town with a slowly dwindling population. It was a lovely place to hide an entire clan of onmyoji.

The usual etiquettes had to be followed of course. Greeting his grandparents, sharing tea and answering the inevitable onslaught of questions about his schooling, and finally being allowed to settle in his room. Collapsing onto his bed, he stared at the artfully decorated panels of his ceiling with a soft smile, contemplating what he would do first. While he was contemplating his options, however, jet lag set in and his planning turned to daydreams then, inevitably, napping.

This is how he was found by one of his only friends in the clan, Yuuto Maeda and rudely awakened by a loud shout. “Kaz!” Kazuo cracked an eye then gave a mock groan.

“You’re still here? I was sure you would have been kicked out of the clan by now.”

“Rude. They can’t kick me out. I…” Yuuto waved an ofuda in Kazuo’s face. “Am officially in training!”

“You? Huh. Miracles really do happen.”

“I see you haven’t changed. Get up. I have a surprise for you.” Yuuto grabbed Kazuo’s arms and tugged him upright. Kazuo sighed and stretched then rose.

“A surprise?” He asked, curiosity roused.

“I remembered, you know. The summer before you left for London.” Yuuto grabbed his hand and led him out of the house.

“The summer before I left…” Kazuo frowned, letting himself be dragged across the estate grounds toward the stables. “When we were talking about going to Zhao to steal a fox?”

“Yep! I went, you know. But I couldn’t steal a fox.” Yuuto’s face fell as he admitted defeat. Kazuo chuckled.

“It wasn’t a very good plan.”

“True. But I really wanted to bring you a fox when you came back. I didn’t think it would be so long, though.” Yuuto admitted with a sigh. “So I decided if I couldn’t steal one, I would try to catch a wild fox.”

“Yuuto that’s…”

“I know.” He interrupted. “Your grandfather caught me and I swear his lecture must have lasted four hours. Then he doubled my chores for a month straight.”

Kazuo snickered. “You’re lucky it was Grandfather and not my mother.”

“Kyouko-san…” Yuuto shuddered. “She probably would have plucked out one of my eyes with her hairpin.”

“That’s a bit of an exaggeration. So you failed to catch a fox. What does that have to do with your surprise?”

“Well, your grandmother also had words for me. She told me that even if I could catch a fox for you, you wouldn’t be allowed to take it with you to your English School. Something about how they don’t allow wild animals. She suggested something different.” Yuuto had led him into the stable, to a quiet corner away from the horses. A small, comfortable nest of old blankets had been piled up in a barricaded corner where a litter of kittens was being housed. “She said you could take one with you if you wanted. I thought…”

Kazuo stared at the mewling pile of fluff, eyes shining with delight. “Kittens?!”

“Yeah but… hang on…” Yuuto carefully moved several of the babies out of the way, lifting up one that was darker in colour than the rest and on the small side. “When I saw him, I thought of you right away. They’re Bengals, you know. But he was the runt and he’s melanistic.” Yuuto handed him the spotted baby Bengal.

Kazuo took the kitten gently and brought it to his chest, laughing as it immediately sank its claws into his shirt and tried to climb him. “I’m not a runt.” He retorted though he had to admit Yuuto was right. The kitten was perfect. A tiny panther squeaking its way up to his shoulder where it draped itself as if it had always belonged there.

~

“What about this one, Kazuo?” Kyouko held up a black collar with a star pattern and a silver moon hanging beside a bell. He nodded, taking the collar and adding it to his armful of supplies. “I believe that is the last thing on your list.” The fuzzy menace squeaked from its new home, curled up in the hood of Kazuo’s shirt. “And he agrees. Have you thought of a name yet?”

Kazuo frowned. “I’ve thought of lots of names but I still don’t know if any of them is the right name.” Kyouko chuckled and ruffled his hair.

“Do you want help?”

“I… Well, I thought of naming him Haru.” Kyouko arched a brow.

“Well, it is spring, I suppose.”

“That’s not-” Kazuo began then huffed. “Nevermind.” Kyouko gave him a gentle smile.

“I know, little fox. Is that what feels right to you?” Kazuo nodded. “Then Haru shall be his name.” Haru let out a fierce squeak of approval and both mother and son laughed. “Let us pay for your things. You’ll need to be back on the train to school soon.”

Word count 938

What animal do you wish to purchase? Bengal
What do you want to name it? Haru
Is this a boy or a girl? Boy
What is your pet's date of birth? February 2nd 2021