Persona BLEACHED 4: Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Captain's Childcare Service
August 23, 2031
"Remember to update me on everything. Don't let Uri have too much sugar. If you think he's energetic now, you haven't seen anything. If you get talked into buying anything, save the receipt. Money's not an issue. My ex made sure of that." Kirumi instructed.
"Got it. Any allergies I should know about?" Max asked.
"His stomach gets upset when he has peanuts, but other than that, there shouldn't be any problems. I have a medicinal bag here just in case..."
"Moooom." Uri griped.
"It's for your own good, little man. Would you like it better if you had to go on another hospital trip because you thought the colored peanuts were jelly beans?"
"That stuff tastes so yucky!"
"It'll be even yuckier if you end up in a bed for a week. Just keep away from peanuts, and you won't have to worry."
Meanwhile, Ibuki was on her knees, tending to Kanae. "There we go. Adorbs to the max, as always. You be a good girl for Maxie, alright?"
"Okie-dokie." the girl replied. 
"I mean it. Your Auntie really really likes him. I'd love it if you and him could get along, too. And maybe, if today goes really good, your mama can start warming up to him. Then everything would be perfect."
Kaede had her arms crossed, a stern aura about her. "Is it too late to take her with me?" she signed.
"If you did, she'd be sitting in the back with all the dusty stock. You know how antsy she gets when she's bored. This'll be good for her." Ibuki signed back.
"I still don't trust him. I've seen this show too many times. How's he any different from the creeps that hurt us before?"
"I get it. But he's different. I promise that he is. People can change. I did. If Kanae-chan gives a bad review, I'll boot him to the moon myself. But if she likes him, then please, give him more of a chance. I've never felt this way about someone before. Trust me."
Kaede gave Max a look. He had turned around. "It's alright. I'll keep her safe." he methodically signed.
Kaede sighed. "I want to believe you, Ibuki. My daughter comes first, and so do you. I want the best for both of you. If she likes him, then we'll talk. I'm not making promises." 
"Just give him a chance. If I could learn to forgive him, then you can, too. Let's leave it up to Kanae-chan." Ibuki replied.
"We should get going, Ibuki. We're going to be late." Kirumi said. She patted Uri. "I want to hear that you were a respectful young man later. Mr. Max is someone very special to Ms. Ibuki, and your Aunt Rin was his teacher. I want to tell her at dinner tomorrow that you were on your best behavior. Can you do that for me?"
"Yes, Mom. I'm gonna be super ultra good!" Uri exclaimed.
"There's my good boy." Kirumi hugged him.
The sight illicited a memory in Max. In his mind appeared a kind woman with auburn hair--his mother, Annette. She was speaking to a young boy in a black shirt with a lightning bolt symbol on the front. "(Mama's gonna be gone for a few days, so you be good for Grandma and Grandpa, okay?)"
"(Yes, Mama.)"
"(Take good care of your sister, too. Oh, I dunno why I'm explaining this. You don't have a bad bone in you. You're Mama's little hero, Starbolt. I love you.)"
"(Love you too, Mama.)"
"Hey, Sparkplug." Ibuki spoke up.
He snapped out of his memory. "Sorry. You heading out?"
"Yep. The munchkins are all yours. We'll be home by 6. Try to keep out of trouble, won't ya?"
Kaede looked him straight in the eye. "Keep her safe. Or else." she spoke with an impediment.
Max was taken aback, having not heard her speak before this. "Don't worry. I will." he signed.
"Have fuuuuun!" Ibuki waved.
The women departed, Ibuki leaving with Kirumi while Kaede took the family car. "Yeah. Fun." Max uttered. "Alright, time to lay down some ru--"
"Hi! My name's Uri! What's yours?" 
"Hiya! I'm Kanae! Wanna be friends?"
"Sure! I love making friends!"
As the two children buzzed, Max could only watch. "Oh dear God, they're already forming an alliance." he mumbled. "Okay, break up the huddle for a second. There's gonna be some rules for our little adventure today."
"Booo, rules stink! I believe in anarchy!" Uri replied.
"How do you know what that is?"
"Yeah, we should have an-achey!" Kanae exclaimed.
"You *definitely* don't know what that is." Max groaned. "Look, kid. You're into superheroes, right?"
"Mmhmm." Uri nodded.
"Well heroes have to follow the rules, don't they? They're supposed to do the right thing. If they don't, that'd make them villains." "(Or, y'know. Country bumpkins with delusions of grandeur.)" Max thought.
"Yeah...oh, please don't tell my mom about the anarchy thing! I was just joking!"
"(Well that changed his tune real quick.)" "Okay, so. Rule Number One: No overdoing it on sugar. The last thing I need is two kids running around Tokyo going crazy. So go easy on the gumdrops. I'm looking at you, little lady."
"I don't have a problem! Just gimme 10 cupcakes and we're good!" Kanae exclaimed.
"Yeah, no. Let's go with 3 and we'll negotiate from there. Which brings me to Rule Number Two: don't ask Maxie to buy what he can't afford. My pockets aren't what you would call full at the moment. I'm not about to shell out 30,000 yen just cuz something looks cool."
"But what if I really need it?" Uri asked.
"What would you need that would cost that much money?"
"I don't know, maybe a first edition Ultraseven figure with the original vocal recordings included?"
"You got into that school on merit, right? So you know what the difference is between 'want' and 'need', *right*?"
"But what if it's something I really really REALLY need? Like an ice cream sandwich?" Kanae asked.
"What ice cream sandwich is gonna cost as much as a washing machine?"
"Maybe it's made out of really nice ice cream? Like the milk's from a golden cow." Uri suggested.
"Ooh, ooh, or maybe it's a big sandwich! Like the size of a house!" Kanae imagined.
"If there's one that big, we'd have to share it! Or else it'd melt!"
"We can't let it melt, or else the cow would have to put in all the work to make it again!"
"(Does she think that cows make the ice cream themselves?)" Max's expression grew more grim. "(This is already going horribly.)"
---
Akihabara. Considered by many to be the epicenter of Japanese pop culture and a major center of electronics and quote-unquote "geek culture". Between Uri's heroic inclinations and Kanae's love of the sweets provided by the local maid cafés, it was an easy way for Max to keep the pair occupied.
"Wowee wow wow wow! There're so many shops around. I must've seen at least three selling Kamen Rider merch already!" exclaimed the starry-eyed Uri.
"Ooh, can we go to the café?! I wanna say hi to Saku!" Kanae added.
"Pump the breaks on that, kiddo. Saku doesn't work here anymore. She's in Sendai attending college." Max clarified.
"Awww. So no more free cupcakes?" Kanae pouted.
"Unfortunately, no. Sorry." "(What's she worried about? She's not the one paying for it.)"
Uri tugged on Max's jacket. "Hey, she's running away."
"Huh?" Max realized, in his thoughts, that Kanae had already ran off ahead, and was waving at him. 
"C'mon, I might still get free cupcakes! I might just have to, uh, huggle!"
"It's 'haggle', and how do you even know what that is? And hey, don't run off! It's the easiest way to get lost!"
"Sorryyyyy." Kanae trotted back over to him.
Max looked around. "Okay. If we're gonna be going around all day, I don't want you running away like that. So..."
"Do you wanna hold my hand, Maxie~?" Kanae feigned being bashful.
"She's kinda short for you, Maxie." Uri commented.
"Shut up. We're not holding hands. I was thinking...I know Ibuki likes carrying you around on piggyback, so if you don't feel like walking--" Max responded.
No sooner did he make the suggestion that Kanae gleefully hopped onto his back. "Yay! Maxie wants to be my horsey!"
"Nngh..." "(Well, it could be worse. It could be her aunt.)" Max envisioned New Years Day 2030, where Ibuki, garbed in a Chinese dress, hopped onto his back and had him carry her up nearby Mt. Shirayuki. Her playful demeanor that day more closely resembled her current self, and where Max started to get the sense that she had more than a passing interest in him.
Only a month and a half after that day, his machinations would be exposed for all to see. Ibuki looked as though she wanted him dead.
"(And now here I am playing the horse for her niece.)" He looked at Uri. "You're not getting a turn."
"Oh, my. What a fascinating scene this is." a light voice spoke.
"(Oh, no. RIGHT after I say she's not here.)" Max thought.
Appearing before them was a petite girl with long, black hair, a magenta ribbon tied into it like a bow. She wore a buttoned shirt, skirt and shoes, all colored varying shades of pink. Sakuya Hanakotoba was originally a Death's Hand lieutenant who had defected to the Artisans after bonding with them. Serious, polite and well-mannered, she once worked at a maid café in Akihabara, but was now attending Tohoku University in Sendai, studying marine biology.
"Good day to you, Max-kun. I see you're rather busy." she greeted.
"Hey, Saku. What are you doing here?" Max asked.
"I came down to pay everyone a visit. I just came from the café, actually. Wanted to say hello. I was about to head to Ikebukuro to see my mother, then over to see Professor Kubo."
"Forgot you're only a few hours away. So did you come by yourself, or did--"
"Did someone else come with?" Arriving was a dark-skinned young man with a black goatee and tied up dreadlocks. He wore a dark green hoodie, bearing the logo of the Nigerian national football team. He was Sahir Musa, Sakuya's boyfriend, originally from Lagos. Once a footballing prodigy with many a top club interested in his talents, a leg injury derailed those plans. He was now studying to become a surgeon.
Normally a friendly and oftentimes flirtatious person, he had found his perfect opposite in the down-to-earth Sakuya, and the pair were living a happy existence in Sendai, far away from Sahir's strict and conservative father, who would likely never accept the fact that Sakuya was transgender.
His friendliness had its limits, however, as Max very much knew. The two had been roommates at the Academy, and out of all the Artisans, Sahir was the one who took the most issue with Max's return. From the look in his eyes, Max could tell that the old wounds had yet to fully heal.
"Hey, man." was all Max could muster.
"Relegated to nanny duty, huh? Oh, how the mighty have fallen." Sahir responded.
"Hiya, Saku!" Kanae waved.
"Hello there, Kanae-chan. Aren't you looking adorable today. Having fun with Max-kun, hmm?" Sakuya replied.
"Maxie's my horsey!"
"Oh, he certainly is." Sahir sneered.
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Max asked.
"This by itself makes the trip down worth it."
"Be nice, Sahir-kun." Sakuya looked at Uri. "Hello there. Who might you be?"
"His face looks kinda familiar..." Sahir pondered.
"Hi! My name's Uri Kawagami! Was Auntie Rin your teacher, too?" Uri exclaimed.
"'Auntie Rin'?"
"Did one of Professor Kubo's friends adopt this boy?" Sakuya questioned.
"No. When he says Auntie, he means it. He's DJ Tan Man's kid." Max answered.
"Oh."
It took a moment to sink in for the couple. "Huh?!" they both exclaimed.
"Yeaaaah. That was everyone else's reaction, too. Professor Kubo can explain it a lot better than I could." Max said.
"So wait...so DJ Tan Man actually--" Sahir began.
"Don't. Not in front of children." Sakuya stopped him. "So, to answer your question, Uri-kun, yes. Your aunt was our teacher. She is a wonderful person. Accepting and helpful towards everyone she meets."
"You're a lucky lad, kid. Just promise that you won't take up your old man's musical pursuits." Sahir suggested.
"Wait, Dad can sing? Have you heard him? Oh, he really is talented!" Uri questioned.
"'Talented' is a word for it." Max replied.
"Can you get us free cupcakes, Saku?" Kanae asked.
"I'm sorry, Kanae-chan, but I don't work for the café anymore. But I'd be more than happy to pay for your meal." Sakuya replied.
"Seriously?" Sahir grumbled.
"We can go as soon as I pay for it. They still have my card information. You promised you'd mind your manners around him."
"You don't have to do that, Saku. I can handle lunch, at least." Max replied.
"It's fine. Just a friend helping a friend." She gave Sahir a look. "Right?"
Sahir sighed. "Guess you can't say no to a kid wanting sugar, huh? Back to the café it is." He walked off.
"He must really not like me being around if he's complaining about going to a maid café." Max said.
"Give him time. Wounds heal at their own pace." Sakuya patted his arm. "Relax. I'm on your side. I know firsthand how long it can take someone to forgive a betrayal. Come. Let's get these two fed." Sakuya went on ahead.
"Are those your friends, Maxie?" Uri asked.
Max was silent for a moment. "It's complicated."
"You know what fixes people being mad?" Kanae asked.
"Let me guess...cupcakes?"
"Yep! Let's get a move-on, horsey!"
"(Yep. She's definitely Ibuki's niece.)"
---
"How come she was pulling on that guy's ear, Maxie?" Uri asked, as the three were now seated outside of a maid café.
"That happens a lot. Usually when he starts to annoy her." Max replied.
"Was it because he was looking at you funny? I thought they were your friends."
"I said it's complicated. Me and Sahir used to be roommates at the Academy. But then, things just..." Max paused. "I did something really bad. And it's taken a long time for my friends to think of me as their friend again. It's harder for some than others."
"What'd you do that was so bad?"
"....."
His line of thinking was halted by the sounds of gleeful eating next to him. "Yummy yummy yummy, cupcakes in my tummy~!" Kanae sang.
"Wha--you scarfed that whole plate down already?!"
"Cupcakes need to be eaten right away, Maxie!" The girl's stomach made a growling noise. "Uuuugh...tummy's not doing too good..."
"What did you think was gonna happen? You have to be careful with your food. Here, let me see if they..." Max reached behind and grabbed the little pink bag Ibuki had given him. "There we go. For an upset stomach. Your mom and your aunt know you."
"Bleeeh, that stuff tastes icky..."
"You're already feeling icky. This is so you stop feeling icky."
"I don't wanna!"
"Welp. Guess we won't be getting cake."
"N-no cake?"
"If you have any more sugar you're gonna throw up. It'd be really gross *and* you wouldn't get to have sweets for the rest of the day. Unless..." Max waved around the medicine bottle.
Kanae puffed her cheeks, before finally relenting and letting Max give her the medicine. "Bleeeeeeh."
"There. You'll feel better in no time."
"That's usually how I get with sugar, too. It's why my mom usually keeps the sweet stuff higher than I can grab." Uri said.
"She's an attentive one, isn't she? Your mom."
"She's always hovering around me and doing everything to make me happy. It gets to be a lot."
"That just means she loves you that much. Moms can be like that."
"Is your mom like that, Maxie?"
"Yeah. She's the best mom I could ever ask for. She did everything to make sure me and my sister were happy and successful. Now everything that I do is to make her happy and comfortable. There's nothing I wouldn't do for her."
"You have a sister, too?"
"Yep. Her name's Barbara. She's in America for school. She loves singing and dancing and just being happy. She's gonna be a big star one day."
"Barbie's like an angel! She sings really pretty and she's super-duper nice!" Kanae exclaimed.
"You're really lucky, Maxie. It's just me and my mom. And I guess my dad now, too, and Auntie Rin and Grandma. What's your dad like, Maxie?" Uri asked.
"....." Max's mood shifted. "My dad...was an evil man. The worst. He was a liar, a manipulator, and a bully. He made life miserable for us. And he pretended to be someone he wasn't so no one else would know. I hated him more than anything."
"Oh...but why was he so bad? My dad's always been nice to me."
"That's how it's supposed to be. But not everyone's so lucky."
"Maxie's right. Some daddies can be really bad." Kanae spoke up.
"(What the--there goes the stomachache, I guess.)"
"What's your dad like, Kanae-chan?" Uri asked.
"I dunno. I've never met him. Whenever my mommy or Auntie talk about him they use these words they tell me I can't use til I'm older."
"I...would listen to that advice." Max replied.
Uri spotted something. "Oh, wow! That's Pink Argus from Featherman V! I've gotta go take a picture with her!" 
"Hey, wait, don't go runni--"
Uri sprinted off to the front of an adjacent hobby shop to greet the costumed performer. Max sighed. "That used to be me whenever I saw a guy in an Iron Man suit."
"Hey, Maxie?" Kanae asked.
"What's up?"
"How come some daddies are so mean?"
"Hunh...there honestly isn't an easy answer for that. Most dads love their kids. But there are a lot of bad people out there, and a lot of those bad people end up having kids. There's no one reason for it. And there isn't a reason good enough for why it happens, but it does."
"I don't even know who my dad is...all I know is he tried to hurt Mommy when I was still in her tummy. He didn't want me. Why did he hate me so much when I wasn't even born yet?"
The normally bubbly girl started to cry. "....." Max watched. 
He patted her on the head. "...huh?"
"C'mon. You can't be crying around your cupcakes, can you? Look. I don't know why your dad wouldn't want a kid as cute as you around. But you still have your mom and your auntie around. And...I'm gonna be looking out for you from now on, too."
"Really?"
"Uh-huh. And if I ever see your dad anywhere, I'll--" Max stopped before he could voice any sort of violent option. "I'll drag him over so you all can yell at him. I'll even wrap him up like a birthday present. That sound good?"
"OK!"
Kanae jumped and gave a surprised Max a hug. "(I can see why Kitty Kat wants to be around kids so much. The awful parts of the world haven't gotten to them yet. Maybe I'll get her that cake, after all.)" he thought.
"I'm back!" Uri reappeared, now wearing a pink helmet with a bird design.
"(...provided this one doesn't bankrupt me, first.)"
---
"And then she's all like *PEW* with the bow and arrow! So cooool!" Uri gushed.
"Kanae's auntie's pretty good with a bow. Maybe she could show a thing or two if I ask her." Max replied.
"Really? Is she that crazy good, Kanae-chan?"
"Auntie's the baddest lady around! She can beat anybody!" Kanae boasted, still clutching into Max's back.
"Case in point..." Max pointed in the direction of an electronics store, "Master Plan Electronics". "That shop belongs to my sister's boyfriend's family. The mom was a pretty big-time wrestler. Ibuki's hero, in fact. And then one day..."
"Auntie beat her up real good, no problem!"
"I wouldn't say 'no problem' when she fainted right after, but yeah, she fought like crazy. The mom had never lost a fight before that."
"Wow, that sounds so cool! Can I go ask the lady herself?" Uri asked.
"I wouldn't go reminding her about her one loss. I mean she was cool with it, but that's still a really scary woman." "(A really scary woman who's probably heard about what I did and wouldn't hesitate to fling me out the window.)"
The door to the shop opened. A man stepped out, with messy brown hair, a scar on his left cheek, and glasses. "I'll be back in thirty. Don't miss me too much."
"Try coming back with a bombshell around your arms, baby~!" a woman's voice boomed.
"KYOKO." another man's voice followed.
The glasses-wearing man started walking. "The more things change, and all that. Hm?"
Max and the children were looking at him. "Wait...that guy..." Max pondered.
"He kinda looks like Keebie." Kanae said.
"Who the..." The man stared back. "Wait...you...you're one of the ones from the apartment...one of Kibō's friends. And one of...Ringo Kubo's students." He shuddered at the utterance of the name.
"Oh, now I remember. Pineapple-On-Pizza Man." Max said.
"Imbecile! *That's* what you're choosing to remember from that night?"
"Would you rather I mention Natty and Keeb flattening you?"
"Grrr...what is with that scar? You trying to ape my appearance?"
"Oh, this? I got in a fight with a cat."
"A...cat? With just one claw?"
"You discriminating against declawed cats now? Kind of a weird hill to die on."
Uri popped in front of the man. "Hi! My name's Uri! Do you know my Auntie Rin?"
"What...your...*Auntie*? She's your..." the man uttered.
"Uh-huh! She's my dad's sister! Are you one of her friends?"
The man began breaking into a sweat. He gave the boy a look. Soon, instead of the upbeat smile and bright look Uri was giving him, he began to see something much different. A young man resembling the boy, with glasses and a black blazer, with a piercing, sinister gaze. He smirked.
"You...you can't be...why...why am I being cursed like this?!" The man began to panic.
"Huh? Is something wrong, sir?" Uri asked.
"GAAAAAH! GET AWAY FROM ME!" The man fell, and started to back away in a haste. "Even in death, he comes back to torment me! Just take me back to jail! This damned clan is going to haunt me to my grave!"
"Buddy, buddy, just calm down! The kid's harmless!" Max assured.
"'Harmless'?! Look at him! He's a dead ringer for that infernal Tohru Kubo! Is that his ultimate plan?! Send his spawn to finish what he started?!"
"Dude, you've got this all wrong. He's not Tohru Kubo's kid. Hyōtan is his dad. The other brother."
"Don't try to lead me astray! Am I really to think that buffoon somehow managed to woo a woman?"
The shop door opened. "The hell's with all the screaming?" It was an older woman with wild brown hair with black streaks in it. She had black nails, and a black concert shirt for the band Foo Fighters. "Kyo! What's wrong with you?!"
"A tormenting session from the spawn of Satan, that's what!"
"Seriously, man, I'm not joking, he's not Tohru--" Max began.
"Wait a minute! Did this punk start something?!" The woman got up to Max. "So what, you're back in town for five minutes, and you try starting shit again?! I oughtta wring you out for messing with my boy! And with Kanae-chan on your back, at that! You kidnap her?!"
"M-Ms. Kyoko, please, it's not what you think!" "(How did this turn around on me?!)" Max questioned to himself.
"Why's everyone acting all crazy?" Uri whispered to Kanae.
"Grown-ups are weird." the girl replied.
An older man with dark hair and glasses, holding a coffee mug, stepped out of the shop. "Alright, who's starting what now?"
"The little thug wants to start crap again, Kabu! He's messing with Kyo!" Kyoko bellowed.
"I didn't do anything, Mr. Ishimaru! I swear, this is all a million misunderstandings at once!" Max responded.
"Sir, are you feeling alright? Do you need some sugar?" Uri asked.
"Don't give me that look, you little demon!" Kyohei panicked.
"Alright, everyone back to your corners! What started all this nonsense?" Kabu asked.
"I just walked up with these kids, and he started freaking out when he saw Uri. I keep telling him he's not Tohru Kubo's kid, but he won't believe me. The kid's 10!" Max explained.
"10 years old...Tohru Kubo died almost 13 years ago. The math doesn't add up." 
"Now that you mention it...Hana did call me up and tell me her oldest had this secret kid. He does look a lot like the younger one, but that's it, really." Kyoko said.
"So then...I was mistaken." Kyohei shook his head. "That was unbecoming of me. I apologize."
"(I remember him freaking out when he heard the Professor's name last time, too. Guess when one family lands you in prison, it's gonna leave a mark.)" Max thought.
"So why do you have the kids with you?" Kyoko asked.
"I'm just looking after them while their moms are working. I'm living with Ibuki now." Max replied.
"I'm having fun with Maxie! He's letting me have cupcakes and ride him like a horsey!" Kanae exclaimed.
"And I got to meet Pink Argus and try on her helmet!" Uri added.
"So it's a totally innocent situation. And you were about to pound him into the dirt." Kabu sipped his coffee.
"What else was I supposed to think? Especially with...tch. Never mind." Kyoko replied.
Kyohei put a hood over his head. "I'm getting that lunch." He hustled away.
"So, now I'm gonna ask. Wasn't he in jail?" Max asked. "(I remember Keeb saying that he was up for parole, but this seems a little too soon.)"
"They're 'reconsidering' the case against him. There's gonna be a hearing in a month to determine whether they'll lower the charges and release him on time served." Kabu replied.
"Until then he's a free man. Ish. He's got an ankle monitor on. And we're going crazy worrying about how it's gonna go. He has to show remorse for his actions. And the people that got hurt by them have to agree to it." Kyoko added.
"Meaning...Professor Kubo and her family." Max asserted.
"Exactly. I know that's a big-hearted bunch, but...Kyohei made the Professor's life extremely difficult for a time. Not to mention everything that went down with the brother. Enough time's passed where they've been able to forgive us, at least, but...that would still be a massive step." Kabu replied.
"I just want my baby home! They can't seriously pry him away from me again!" Kyoko exclaimed.
"Well I hope it works out for you all. Have to give people a chance if they're really sorry, right?" Max said, to himself as much as anyone else. "I've gotta keep giving these two the grand tour. You folks have a good one."
"Bye-bye, Thunder Lady!" Kanae waved.
"Sorry I made him crazy!" Uri added. The three departed.
"Well that was a fun start to the afternoon." Kabu said.
"That's one way to put it. Fireball's really trusting him, huh..." Kyoko replied.
"Hey, Maxie?" Uri asked. "Why was the guy with the glasses going nuts like that?"
"From what I've heard from your aunt and my sister's boyfriend, he did some bad things to her and her friends, and he went to jail for it. Did your dad ever mention his brother at all?" Max replied.
"He said something about his brother being gone, and that he wasn't a very nice person."
"(That's putting it lightly.)" "Well that guy there and your uncle had a rivalry going on, and he ended up in jail mainly for things relating to your uncle's death. Even though Tohru was the one behind it. From what the Professor said."
"I guess I look a lot like him, if it made Glasses Guy go crazy."
"I get why he would. When something really terrible happens, sometimes you'll see ghosts."
"Do you see ghosts from the bad thing you did?"
"...yeah." Max said nothing else on the subject. 
"Uh-oh, Maxie's getting all serious again. Is there medicine for being serious?" Kanae asked.
"This would usually be when your aunt would say something flirty to lighten the mood. I'll just pretend that she just did. Let's keep going."
---
"Hunh." Max looked at the store before him. "Azure Moon Games" was written on the top in stylized blue letters.
"Have you been to this store before, Maxie?" Uri asked.
"Yeah, but it used to be closer to your dad's shop. The guy who runs it is your aunt's neighbor. Him and his wife are her left and right arms."
"Huh? But ShiShi's mama has both of her arms! Are they actually alive?!" Kanae asked.
"It's a metaphor. It just means they're close."
"Arms can be alive, I've seen it before! And they can multiply!" Uri exclaimed.
"I think you've been reading way too many comics, kid. But this guy's got legit collectibles. Might be worth taking a look." "(Even if I KNOW he's gonna give me that dagger look. At this point I'm used to it.)"
The three entered the store. "Okay. No one in sight." Max said.
"Is there really no one here? That's weird." Uri commented.
"No, that's not it. You have to keep your wits when you're in here. The owner has a habit of--"
"Appearing when you least expect it?" a man's voice spoke from behind Max.
"YAH!" he jumped. "Ugh...even when I know it's coming."
"No one *ever* knows when it's coming." The man had a deep tone, and had a black beard and hair tied back, and wore a dark collared shirt with the store's emblem, a blue crescent moon, emblazoned on it. Jinichi Mirai IV, better known as Jin, was Rin's neighbor and, much like Hiyoko and Shūjo, was a longtime friend who had helped her combat the schemes of Kyohei Ishimaru during their academy years. He was a man of relatively few words, though had a soft spot for bagged candies.
Jin took one look at Uri. "Oh, jeez. This the nephew I've been hearing about?"
"Hi! You're Auntie's neighbor? I'm Uri!" the boy affirmed.
"Dude. Aside from your smile not being anywhere *near* as creepy, you're almost a mirror image of..." Jin shook his head. "So how'd you end up with Subparman here?"
"I can hear you, you know." Max replied. "And I'm looking after him and the cupcake aficionado on my back."
"That smell..." Kanae sniffed. "I smell candy!"
"You probably smell this." Jin was now holding a bag of gummy candies, and ate one.
"Where'd you pull that out from?" Max questioned.
"Alexa, play 'The Less I Know the Better' by Tame Impala."
The song began to play from Jin's phone. "Ha ha ha ha." Max feigned laughter.
"Sir! I hear the sound of chatting customers, sir!" A young man with light, messy hair and a chin beard suddenly appeared from one of the aisles.
"Took you long enough, Leon. I actually was just needing you to--" Jin began.
Leon locked eyes with Max. The color completely drained out of him. "SIR! PERFORMING WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT, SIR!" Leon sprinted out the door.
"...I didn't even say anything."
"(Crap. I forgot he was working for Mr. Mirai now.) Max thought. That reaction from Leon Hachimaru, known by the pen name of "Hasha", was understandable. He was one of the ones put into a trance by Captain Thunder. Max knew he would have to make amends with him some time in the future.
His thought was interrupted by an odd feeling on his back. "What the...are you pulling on me, Kanae-chan?"
This was not Kanae's doing. She herself was flustered by the sudden appearance of a smaller girl on *her* back. Said girl had brown hair in a spiky ponytail and wore a black shirt with "Mommy and Daddy's little geek" written on it. "NINJA!" the smaller girl yelled.
"Aaaaah! Get it offa me! Save me, Maxie!" Kanae belted out.
"NINJA! I'M A NINJA!"
"What's going on?!" asked a bewildered Max.
Jin picked the girl up. "What did I tell you about hopping on people like that?"
"Ninja! I'm a ninja, Daddy!" the girl, Jin's 2-year old daughter Rina, exclaimed.
"Yes, so you are."
Rina freed herself and hopped on top of Uri, before plucking his hat. "Ninja! Mine now!"
"H-hey, give that back!" the boy demanded.
"Alright, that's enough of that." Jin picked her up again. "This is why your mom didn't take you to work today."
"Has she started saying 'Believe it!' yet?" Max smirked.
Jin's eyes flashed yellow as a menacing aura surrounded him. "I ought to bury you alive for saying that."
A few minutes later, Uri was perusing the figure section while Max stood by. By the counter, Kanae gleefully ate from a bag of candy, as Jin settled Rina down. "So kid, I've gotta know. What's it about superheroes that you like so much?" Max asked.
"They all just look so cool and brave! They do things nobody else can do, and they save people when no one else can!" Uri replied. "The man I thought was my dad was a really mean guy, but he was so powerful that no one could touch him. I used to draw pictures of Ultraman beating him up to make me feel better. I wanted so bad for one of the heroes from TV to show up and take him away."
"Tch..."
"Hm?"
"It's nothing. I've just heard all of this before."
"But then I found out that they're not just on TV! They're real! Like those Ashen Artisan guys!"
Max reeled back. "Ah...sorry. I swallowed wrong. So you're a fan of the Artisans, huh?"
"They're so cool! They make the bad guys admit to all the bad things they do, and it's always people that pretend they're not being awful! How do you think they do it, anyway?"
"Who knows. Must be some kinda magic..." Max mumbled.
"Last year something really weird happened, though. All these people started changing, and it was because of this one guy who used to be with the Artisans. Said he was doing it to save people, but all the people that he changed called him a bad guy. I guess the Artisans beat him, since he disappeared after that. I think his name was--"
"Captain Thunder."
"Yeah, that's it. He said he'd save everyone, but the Artisans fought him. Heroes aren't supposed to fight each other, but they both said they were doing the right thing."
"It's not that heroes don't fight each other. My two favorites are Captain America and Iron Man. They fight each other all the time. People have different ideas about what 'the right thing' is, and sometimes they're so different that they have to fight. That's how a lot of wars start. And sometimes the 'good' side isn't so obvious. Sometimes there aren't *any* good guys."
"Is that what happened? Why would someone think they were helping people when they were just hurting them?"
Max didn't know how to answer. An already awkward conversation had gone in a direction where he'd have to explain his own actions. Only one response came to his mind.
"Because he's an idiot."
"...oh."
"Look, kid. I'm not getting down on you for being into heroes. I am too. Some heroes are just more...respectful than others. The ones that do the right thing *because* it's the right thing. Not for money, or fame, or cuz they want to just say they're a hero. But it goes both ways. Sometimes you tell yourself that what you're doing is good, but you end up doing bad things to get what you want. My mom always tells me that you should never do the wrong thing for the right reasons. It took me a long time to understand what she meant by that."
Max shook his head. "Sorry. I know that's a lot to dump on a kid. If you take anything from that, it's that you should always listen to your mom. Mine's never steered me wrong."
"I think I get it. A hero needs to have a strong sense of justice on top of being strong and cool. It's a lot more complicated than the shows make it look..."
"Most things in real life are. Alright, let me pay you back for talking your ear off. I've seen you eyeing that Ken the Eagle fig there. Lucky for you, that's in my budget."
"Really?! Thanks, Maxie!"
"Don't mention it. How's a kid your age know about Gatchaman, anyway..."
"How does a kid *your* age know about Gatchaman?" Jin questioned from behind the counter.
Max paid for the figure, and the kids made for the door. Max turned to follow. "Hey, Mr. Mirai."
"Yeah?" Jin responded, as Rina swatted his hair around playfully.
"I'm gonna be back. I know what I need to say to Leon. When I figure out how I'm gonna say it, we'll have words. Tell him not to run off next time he sees me. Thanks for not stabbing me on sight." Max left.
"Heh." Jin opened up a drawer. "Hey...I'm missing a bag. Did someone ninja grab it?"
"Nuh-uh." Rina answered.
"Maybe there's another ninja in here. One with a sweet tooth."
---
Later in the afternoon, the three had returned to the Hinotama home. Kanae was asleep on the couch, while Max and Uri watched an 'Ultraman' show on TV. The boy watched in wonder as the titular hero performed his signature 'Specium Ray' attack.
The front door opened. "Oh, would you look at that! Everyone's intact." Ibuki chimed. Kirumi came in behind her.
"There's the lady of the house. One of them, anyway." Max said.
"Hi, Mom!" Uri greeted.
"Someone looks like they had a good day. Is that a helmet I see?" Kirumi questioned.
"I got it for free from Pink Argus! She let me take a picture with her and everything!"
"How exciting! So Mr. Jadefang took you around Akihabara?"
"It was so much fun! Maxie's a really smart guy who knows a lot about all sorts of things!"
"Does he now? News to me~." Ibuki patted Max on the shoulder.
"He's hyping me up. He was good today. A little excitable, but kids are gonna be that way. Absolutely no problems." Max replied.
"I'm so glad to hear all of that. If I'm ever in need of someone to look after him again, would you be interested?" Kirumi asked.
"I'd have no problem with that. Though you might want to ask his aunts if they want a crack at it, too."
"Oh, of course. I was going to discuss that with them at dinner tomorrow. It's going to be an adjustment, not keeping him secret from them."
"It's gotta be freeing, too. Burying things just eats away at you. Right, Maxie?" Ibuki replied.
"Yeah. Let that be the second lesson you take, kid. What was the first one?" Max asked.
"Always listen to your mom!" Uri replied.
"A wonderful lesson if I've ever heard one. I'll give your payment to Ibuki the next time she's in. Thank you for keeping an eye on him." Kirumi said.
"No trouble at all. Hey, kid?" Max held up his fist.
Uri gave him a fistbump. "See you around, Maxie! Thanks for the fun day!"
"No prob. Stay out of trouble."
"Thank you, again. See you on Monday, Ibuki." Kirumi said.
"See you around, Rumi! Have fun with the apple clan tomorrow!" Ibuki replied. The Kanagawa pair left.
Kanae stirred awake with a yawn. "Hi, Auntie."
"Hey, sleepyhead! Not often I don't hear a peep from you. Did you have fun with Maxie?"
"Mmhmm. I had lots of cupcakes and got a tummy ache."
"That sounds about right."
"But Maxie made me feel better and said he was gonna look after me."
"Oh, really? So, does he get your stamp of approval?"
"I really like him, Auntie."
"That's what I wanted to hear. I do, too. Maybe now your mom can lighten up a little. How about we get you ready for dinner?"
"Okie-dokie."
"Alright, go to the bathroom, I've gotta talk to Maxie for a bit."
"Okay. Hey." Kanae tugged on Max's pants.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Do you really like Auntie, Maxie?"
"Uh-huh. I do. A lot."
"Is it okay to call you 'Uncle Maxie'?"
Max was stunned. "You know what, cupcake? Nothing would make me happier. My uncle taught me a lot of important things growing up. I hope I can do the same thing for you. Could I get a--"
Kanae gave him a hug, before bounding off to the bathroom. Ibuki shook his shoulder. "Look at you, grinning ear-to-ear! You were acting like this was gonna be a disaster! 'Uncle Maxie', holy crap!" she exclaimed.
"I just acted normal. I didn't think it'd go as well as it did, but...it did. Maybe there's hope for me yet." Max replied.
"I think there's more than hope, my dude. I'm gonna help bubblegum with the bath. I'm already preparing some 'I-told-you-so's for Kaede when she gets home."
"I'll start getting dinner going. Gonna make it extra special tonight."
"Sounds like a plan~." Ibuki kissed him on the cheek, then left the room.
Max's posture became more relaxed. He got up to prepare the meal.
For the first time in over a year, he started to believe that things could be okay.