19 Chapter 19 : Guts Over Fear

A/N: sigh... no kiss for y'all since no one found it...

Enjoy today's chap! And keep the stones coming!

https://discord.gg/pRaqNADp7C

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Following Kurai's sudden outburst, Rumi got up too, 'A baby?'

Her interest in the matter at hand was picked instantly so she attentively listened to him.

Even though the volume of the speaker wasn't particularly high, thanks to her bunny ears, she still could hear relatively well the man speaking on the other side.

"No-No! It's not your mother! But Ayaka-san!" Akio, whom Rumi deducted to be his dad, denied nervously.

Hearing him Kurai relaxed, "Oh... Ms. Hado is about to give birth? I see."

Ayaka Hado, she was the woman he saw all those years ago when he first came to this school, since then she always joined his birthdays, still, Kurai always called her in a respectful way.

"Anyway, what are you doing? Your mom thought that we could see each other since Ayaka-san is giving birth in Shimane prefecture."

Kurai looked at Rumi who was standing on his left and smiled, "I'm hanging out with a friend right now, we were training and yeah sure no problem Pops, I can come!" Shimane and Hiroshima prefecture were actually bordering each other so he didn't see anything wrong with it.

"Oh a friend…?" Akio was thinking, their son told them a few times about this friend of his but they never saw him or her.

He continued, "Ask your friend if he or she wants to come too, Kunishe will take both of you."

Kurai gave Rumi a sideways glance, seeing her with stars in her eyes, he already knew the answer. Smirking at her blushing face when she noticed him looking at her, he told his father:

"Alright Pops, I think it's okay for my friend, heh."

""Ouch!"" Suddenly both of them let out a cry of pain, even though Kurai wasn't really in pain after Rumi's friendly jab. But Akio seemed to be hit by something or... someone too.

Kurai could hear some background noises, and only when it calmed down Akio started talking again, "Ahem… I forgot to mention but ask for your friend's parents permission before coming here, okay?"

"Yeah, will do! And it seems like mom hit you again, huh." He shook his head derisively, 'Come on man, it's broad daylight.'

"What do you mean again? She just reminded me to ask for permission or it'll look like a kidnapping… Ahah." He laughed nervously.

"Okay, okay, I'm hanging up now, we still gotta go back."

"See you later, son!" Akio hung up.

Closing 'his' phone, Kurai got up and transformed into a cat. He preferred this form to move around because he could use his quirk and get away with it easily. Contrary to his main form, the human one, where he already got reprimanded for his quirk usage in public…

Just when he was about to leave the factory, he didn't hear Rumi's footsteps behind him. So he looked back, only to see the bunny girl still sitting on the ground with her head down.

"Wh—Meow."

'Fuck, it was close! Nobody can hear my voice when I'm a cat! Nobody ever!' Kurai meowed loudly to hide his instinctual attempt at talking.

Rumi raised her head seeing him approach her, she still didn't say a word even when he got back to his human form. She actually didn't know if she was welcomed, they were basically strangers to her.

Kurai crouched down to reach her level, "Why ain't you following me Rumi-chan?" He teased her, knowing why she didn't. Even though his friend was rough and liked to confront people, she still minded other people's stares and opinions too much.

Rumi didn't really react to his teasing, "I—" She hesitated a lot.

But Kurai interrupted her, "Didn't you hear? My father personally asked for you, so come on, we'll go to your mother!" He patted in between her fluffy ear to appease her troubled heart.

Feeling his pleasant touch on the top of her head, she could only further dive her face in her knees to hide it.

'Smile.' She remembered.

"Alright!" Kurai stopped his action, and stretched out his hand for her.

Seeing her bright expression, he was glad, "We still gotta get permission from your mom before we can go, haha!" Kurai obviously knew her mother after hanging out for 3 years with her.

Rumi, being the troublesome kid she is, he had to help her get back or bring some stuff to her house. After all, even though he couldn't call himself a model student because he liked pranking people, he was reliable.

They both left the factory, in the direction of Hiroshima's center, where Rumi was living.

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"You're as fast as a turtle! I really wonder if you deserve your quirk, ahaha!" Rumi could be seen jumping from roof to roof while sticking her tongue out at Kurai.

After leaving the factory's vicinity, he decided to start a race with her: mainly to change her nefarious thoughts, and to reach there faster.

So he decided to let her win to improve her mood.

Still, a tick mark appeared on his forehead, "Oh yeah? Don't you know the turtle and rabbit story? Who lost in the end?" He said, poking her side.

"I—Kya! I'm not that dumb, alright!" She huffed, putting her hands on her hips.

"Yes, sure you musclehead…" He gave her a sideway look, and pointed at her house.

Just when she was about to rebuke him, he clamped her mouth shut, "Anyway, we arrived, let's go and ring the doorbell." He started walking toward the door.

"Humph, you'll see in the next fight, I'll crush you!!" Getting her mouth freed from his claws, she still followed him from behind.

Kurai approached the door, "Yeah, yeah for sure." He then pressed the button and rang.

*Ring Ring*

Light footsteps were heard, "Coming!" Followed by a cheerful voice.

When the door opened another bunny girl came to greet them. Well, it'd be more proper to call her a woman, even more so after seeing her figure. She had a fair pale skin, looking flawless without impurities and her eyes were literally shining amber orbs. Her hair was brown, just like her fluffy tail and bunny ears.

"Ooh! Isn't it Kurai-kun?"

"Hello Ma'am, how are you?" Kurai greeted her.

"My, my, still so polite, huh? If only Rumi was half as polite as you." She put her hand on her cheek, and tilted her head on the side, adding drama to her sentence.

The said bunny girl, used to her antics, ignored it completely, "Hi Mom!"

Indeed she was her biological mom, even though Rumi was an albino dark-skinned girl. But Kurai didn't see anything wrong with it. 'Maybe the dad is that special…'

This was also the reason why both rabbits appreciated him so much, because he didn't care about their situation; about Rumi being fatherless or her mom being a widow, or simply their different skin.

They first thought that he was too young to understand their situation, but after coming to their house a few times during the past few years, they learned that he simply didn't care. And it reassured them a lot.

It was even more true for Mai, that was Rumi's mom's name. She didn't want her little girl's first friend to break her heart with a mean comment or something of the sort. So she was very glad that he was understanding, she could see her daughter's fondness for him, or maybe it was something more? She didn't know nor she cared, though, Kurai being dark-skinned too reduced her wariness quite a lot back then.

"Did Kurai beat you again or what?" Mai asked, seeing her daughter 'sulking'.

Kurai answered in her stead, "Actually, she won this time." Mai was surprised, pretty much most of the time her daughter loses against him, but still, she accepted the outcome.

Rumi reverted back to a more joyful mood and nodded proudly, "Um, um!"

Mai smiled seeing her daughter, "Anyway, do you want to enter?"

"Actually…" Kurai explained the situation to her.

"So, Rumi is interested and your parents suggested that she comes too?"

"Yes! So I'm here to ask for your permission!" Kurai inquired, striking a pitying pose along with Rumi.

"Ahah! No need for that, I trust you enough!"

"Yes!" Rumi threw her fist in the air while Kurai smiled.

"Thanks Ma'am!"

She knew how reliable he was after 3 years of enduring her daughter, bringing her books back, or helping her resolve conflicts. And she knew that he was from a 'well-off' family with security accompanying them, so she wasn't worried.

Just before they both left, Mai held her daughter back and whispered in her long ear, "I understand why you want to go Rumi! I believe in you! Good luck!"

But Rumi only looked back at her weirdly, "???"

"Go now, shu, shu! Kurai's already waiting for you!" She pushed Rumi forward, to make her move.

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They were now both sitting in the limousine's backseat with Kunishe driving. He saw them walking together toward Kuriai's house, so he stopped to take them in before.

For Rumi it was the first time climbing in such a big and long car. Kurai was now used to his family's means, but for the bunny girl it was quite a novelty. No, even the fact that he had a personal driver was already quite amazing to her.

She was literally gobsmacked after seeing the spacious interior, so Kurai tried to divert her mind back, "Hey, what did your mom tell you before we left?"

It seemed to work and woke up the bunny girl from her astonishment, "Huh?"

"She said something about believing in me?" She tilted her head confusedly.

"What?" Even Kurai was quite lost. 'Maybe it's a misunderstanding? I don't know.'

"Anyway, does it not really bother you? You don't know them."

Rumi turned her head at his question, "I don't really mind... "

She then looked out the window, seeing the car driving past them on the highway, "I'd rather be with you, than alone…" She was actually referring to her dream, but she didn't notice in how many ways her sentence could be interpreted.

Kurai, though, could feel a heavy atmosphere surrounding her, so he understood that it was most likely that she meant something else.

"Oi! Don't get lost on your own! Here let's watch TV." He poked her again, receiving another jab from her.

Kurai laughed it off and pressed a button on his armrest, making the screen separating the passengers compartment and Kunishe's turn black. Then, a small projector came out of the roof. Technology was amazing these days, and Kurai could say that he adapted to this world's technologies quite well.

Rumi too was impressed by this display, even though she was born in this world, it didn't mean that she was used to this kind of thing. Average people's cars don't have a TV after all.

"So, what do you wanna watch? We've got everything on Metphlix!"

Instantly, the bunny girl looked at him, her eyes shining, "Really, really?!" She even shook his body, to say that she was excited was an understatement.

'Damn girl, your mood changes too fast and you didn't even start bleeding.' He sighed in his mind.

"Yes! Yes! So, calm down." He stopped her.

"So what do you want?"

"Anime, duh!"

'Welp of course, Japanese…Comics are better though...' He shook his head but still relented and gave her the controller to put whatever she wanted.

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"Young Master, Little Miss, we have arrived." Kunishe's voice reached both of their ears. Interrupting them for what they've been doing during the whole ride.

Well, Rumi mostly watched anime, while Kurai slept after getting bored by what the TV was showing. Kunishe fluid and steady driving didn't help him, in a ride so smooth, he couldn't help but close his eyes.

"Thanks Kunishe!" After waking up, he thanked him and walked toward the hospital with Rumi in tow, who bowed to Kunishe.

He tried to reassure her, "Just be yourself, they all are kind people, you'll see!"

Rumi nodded but kept quiet, she was starting to think that she made a hasty choice or that she should've stayed alone even though her nightmares might come back stronger. 'No, I should keep smiling!' She persisted.

*Sigh*

'It would've been easier if you just talked to me.' Sighing, Kurai took her hand and guided her through the crowd of people.

The little bunny girl blushed at his shameful behaviour in public but in the end she tightened her hand.

From the passers-by point of view they really looked like 2 cute siblings, taking Rumi's ears out of the picture.

Reaching the reception desk where a nurse was busy taking notes, Kurai asked:

"Hello! We've come to see Ms. Hado's childbirth."

The nurse raised her head and looked at them, "Ano… Are you family?" She questioned after reading through Ms. Hado files and seeing their skin colour.

Kurai smiled, "No, but we are acquainted!"

"I see, then you can join the waiting room with the others, Ms. Hado shouldn't be disturbed for now. It's on the 3rd floor, directly on your right."

After thanking the nurse they both took the elevator to the 3rd floor.

"Say, Kurai, have you ever seen a childbirth before?" She pulled on his hand to grab his attention.

He glanced back at her, "No, ahaha, it'll be my first time!"

'In this life.' He completed his sentence, in his mind.

*Ding*

The elevator signaled them that they arrived, "Let's go!" Kurai, still holding her hand, pulled it this time to take the little bunny out of her comfort zone.

Turning on the right, they could see a few people, mainly the couple's parents and Mr. Hado, along with Kurai's family.

Kurai naturally walked up to them. "Mom, Pops!" He waved with his other hand.

Akio and Miku both turned back after hearing their son's real voice after 3 years.

Even though they talked everyday with their computers, it didn't really show how their son grew up. They could now really see the difference. He was a bit taller, with a more refined look, his purple hair grew a bit too, and his gaze became more piercing.

But the next moment, seeing who was holding their son's hand, they both got their feet rooted on the ground.

Rumi and Kurai were both shocked at their sudden reaction, Rumi, losing her smile, started thinking about the worst already… 'I knew I shouldn't have come…'

"You are…!" A shout escaped Miku's mouth.

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Welp now you probably now who's the mysterious baby hehe... I guess...