Chapter 12 - Can the Owl Pay Rent?

'Why are his clothes all worn out, and what the heck is that in his arms?' pondered Rina, staring at her youngest son, who came home a bit later than usual today, looking a total mess. His clothes had visible stains, and a displeased expression came to her face, as she was the one who had to wash them.

"You look like a mess," said Rina.

Hearing his mother's words, he guiltily started to explain himself.

""You see, I had to help my friends find something," responded Ayumu. Then, noticing her penetrating gaze at what he was holding, he continued, "This is an owl I rescued," proceeding to raise the owl away from his chest so she could see it properly.

The little owl hooted as if introducing itself, causing her expression to change to one of interest.

"Oh," said his grandfather, looking at the owl with curiosity. "You might want to explain yourself."

"Sure."

Ayumu then recounted the tale of how Kenji and Taro came that morning needing to find a gift for their friend Hana. They went to the outskirts, climbed the ravine wall, searched for the flower, and ended up finding the injured owl. He explained how he hit a snake with a kunai and how the owl helped locate the flower.

Hajime, his grandfather, was intrigued by the story, complimenting him on several things, like being able to hit the snake, with remarks like "That's my grandson" and others.

His mother's face, on the other hand, was not so supportive.

She stared at him with a death glare the entire time. As he ended the tale, she remarked with a mocking tone laced with anger, "So in general, you went somewhere and risked your life for a flower and an injured bird?"

This caused an awkward expression to come to Ayumu's face, confused about how to continue while looking at his mother's angry expression. "I didn't know it would be that dangerous either," he said, giving the best response he could in that short time.

"You should really be more careful."

"Also what about the bird, what are you planning to do with it?"

'Yeah, what can I do with this bird? I took it home to let it heal, but how exactly am I supposed to heal it? Is there a veterinarian that could help me?' Ayumu thought for a second, reconsidering his decision to bring back the bird.

"Well, I was going to take it to a doctor to get healed," said Ayumu to his mother.

"Do you have owl healing money?" she asked, putting Ayumu on the defensive. "This is a lot for an owl you're just going to put back into the wild," she added, landing another blow.

Seeing things getting messy, Hajime decided to interrupt for his grandson.

"He could always just take it as a summoning beast," causing Rina to pause, and Ayumu to look at his grandfather intrigued, as he had never heard about a summoning beast before.

"A summoning beast? What's that?" he muttered to his grandfather, confused about the term he had never heard before.

Hajime chuckled softly at his grandson's curiosity. "A summoning beast is a special creature that a ninja can call upon to help in battle or other tasks. These creatures form a bond with their summoner and can be called upon using a special technique."

Ayumu's eyes widened with interest. "So, you're saying I could make this owl my summoning beast?"

"It's possible," Hajime replied thoughtfully. "Summoning beasts are not just pets; they are partners. At least for now, the owl seems comfortable with you. Plus, your owl could possibly help you."

"Help me how?"

"You see, the owl you have could be used as your eyes, or in simplest terms, act as a tracker since it has really good eyesight and wouldn't be hindered by darkness like you."

'That sound interesting and really helpful, but would the owl really agree with this'

Ayumu looked down at the little owl in his arms, feeling a new sense of responsibility. "I think I'd like to try," he said determinedly.

Hajime smiled, placing a reassuring hand on his grandson's shoulder. "I'll help you with the training. But first, let's make sure the owl gets the care it needs."

He then looked at his daughter-in-law Rina and asked, "Does that sound good to you?" She paused for a second, then reluctantly agreed, "Sure, at least the bird serves some purpose."

Rina looked at her son with a stern expression. "Tomorrow morning, you will take the owl to the doctor," she instructed firmly. "From today on, the owl is your sole responsibility."

Ayumu nodded. "I will take full responsibility for the owl," he said with determination. Inside, however, he felt a swirl of emotions. He was surprised by how quickly the situation had escalated and how much responsibility he had suddenly taken on. 'Thank God for Grandpa, he saved the entire situation' he thought, admiring his grandfather's way with words and secretly shooting him a smile.

Waking up early in the morning, Ayumu took the owl to the doctor as he had promised. The doctor provided a cure for the poison, which the owl would need to take over the next week. Walking back home, Ayumu thought of a name for the troublemaking owl.

"You know," Ayumu said, looking down at the owl nestled in his arms, "I think you need a name. How about… Ayakashi?"

The owl hooted softly, as if in approval.

He then continued, "It means you're a troublemaker."

As if understanding the mocking meaning of the name, the owl pecked Ayumu with his beak.

"Oww, Ayakashi it is, then," Ayumu said with a smile. He felt a sense of satisfaction, knowing that he had not only saved the owl but also found a summoning beast.

It's been a while since the whole debacle with the Hana flower. As the first week of December slowly approached, Ayumu, Kenji, and Taro were gradually returning to their normal daily lives, as if the whole thing had been an illusion.

Eventually, Hana's birthday came around, and the five kids in their group decided to meet up at a sushi place to celebrate with her. When it was time to give gifts, Maki gave Hana a scarf.

"Wow, Maki, this scarf is beautiful! Thank you so much!" Hana exclaimed, wrapping it around her neck immediately.

Kenji was the one to hand her the flower, being insistent on doing so. Ayumu and Taro agreed since he was the one who came up with the gift idea.

"Hana, this one's from all of us," Kenji said with a proud smile, holding out the delicate flower.

Hana's eyes widened with genuine excitement as she took the flower. "Oh my gosh, this is amazing! I've never seen a flower like this before!" she said, her voice full of wonder. "Thank you, everyone! This means a lot to me."

Maki, curious about the rare flower, leaned in closer to examine it. "Where did you guys find this? I've never seen anything like it."

Kenji glanced at Ayumu and Taro before responding. "Well, it's a bit of a story. We found it in the outskirts, near the ravine."

Maki raised an eyebrow. "The ravine? You guys went all the way out there without me? Why wasn't I invited?"

Ayumu looked a bit sheepish. "It wasn't really planned, Maki. Kenji and Taro came to me that morning with the idea. We didn't think it would be such an adventure."

Kenji nodded, adding, "Yeah, we had to climb the ravine wall and everything. It was pretty intense."

Maki folded her arms, looking slightly miffed. "Still, you could've told me. I would've loved to come along and help."

Taro chimed in, trying to smooth things over. "We didn't mean to leave you out, Maki. It all happened so quickly. Next time, we promise to let you know."

Maki sighed but then smiled. "Alright, I forgive you guys. Just make sure there's a next time, okay?"

"Definitely," Ayumu said, relieved. "We're glad you like it, Hana. We thought it would be something special for your collection."

"Absolutely," Taro added. "And it won't need to be swapped out every other day like the others. It's pretty unique."

Hana beamed at her friends. "You guys are the best. This is the perfect birthday gift!"