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I’ll do my best to fix this!
•••
It wasn’t as if Toshiko Kayura was wishing and praying for godparents every day for years. She didn’t even know they existed. After another horrible day of not being taken seriously with the threat of the worst babysitter in the world coming later, Toshiko was sulking in her bedroom when she noticed the Magic 9-Ball she received from a past client. She wanted to get her anger out and threw the Magic 9-Ball, but after it hit the walls, two fairies she would later learn were named Damon Maitsu and Kai Monteago appeared. They claimed to be her godparents who could grant her any wish so long as it followed certain rules. Now, she was stuck with them for better or for worse.
Despite how long she had been with them, there was little Toshiko knew about Fairy World, the place where fairies who weren’t currently being godparents on Earth lived. She had never been there, but Damon would sometimes go there, whether it be for business or matters he didn’t share with her but did share with Kai. Today, Damon had left, leaving her with just Kai.
In the safety of her bedroom, Toshiko felt more relaxed talking to her godparents when she knew there was no one who could look at her weirdly for seeming to talk to herself. Laying on her bed, she told Kai, “I’ve been meaning to ask, how do you know Mochi? How did you meet, when did you meet...?”
“How I met him?” Kai, having taken one of her fans without her permission again, waved it to his face several times as he thought. “That was years ago. Like, take your age, and multiply by 1,000. I think that’s how long we’ve known each other.”
She wrinkled her nose. “You think? You couldn’t even be bothered to remember the date you met Damon? Whatever do you do on anniversaries?”
“I... No one wants me to do anything on any anniversary!” he hurriedly defended.
She glared at him before sighing. “Anyway, you only partially answered my question. You answered when you met him, as poorly as it was, but you didn’t answer how. Was it through training to become godparents?”
“I mean, yeah, we met at Fairy Academy,” Kai admitted. “We didn’t really train together, though. Just kinda met.”
His answers bothered her, but the topic of Damon reminded her of his absence. “What is Damon doing right now, anyway? He didn’t have the decency to tell me where he was going, although I assume it’s in Fairy World. If I was not so used to it—which is shameful on your ends—I would scold him the second I saw him again!”
Kai stopped fanning himself. “I don’t know, actually. He usually tells me where he goes, but today... Maybe he’s planning something.”
“So, he does special things on anniversaries, but you don’t?”
“First of all, we both don’t do anything special on anniversaries, and second, there aren’t any anniversaries coming up. I don’t even actually know if he’s planning something.”
“Perhaps something happened to him.” She sat up. “I suppose the only way to find out what he is doing is to find out ourselves.”
“Okay, cool idea, but how do we do that if we don’t even know where he is?”
“Can I wish to go to Mochi’s location?”
He thought for a few seconds. “I don’t think Da Rules say anything about it. I’m not sure, though, but I am not reading through Da Rules for this.”
“There’s no harm in trying. I might have to use his real name, so...” Toshiko cleared her throat. “I wish to go to Damon’s location.”
Kai smiled as he took out his wand. In a flash, they were gone. They appeared in front of a building that resembled houses on Earth, but the main differences lied in the pastel colours and the rounder shape. Frankly, she never thought Damon was one to like pastel colours, considering how his clothes seemed to mostly be darker colours, but she could admit that she didn’t know a lot about her godparents.
“Hey, it does work!” Kai grinned as he handed Toshiko her fan that he still had on him. He turned to look at the building with a confused frown. “Why’s Damon at his house?”
“Mochi lives here? It’s a nice house,” Toshiko complimented.
Kai smirked. “If you think this is nice, I’ll show you my house one day! It’s so much better than Damon’s!”
“Let’s get Mochi first.” Toshiko was about to knock on the door before wondering if that was impolite for Fairies. She learned it wasn’t when Kai knocked on the door for them.
When Damon opened the door, his eyes widened when he saw them before he frowned. “What are you doing here?”
“We were worried about you, right, Toshiko?” Kai put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her to his side, trapping her.
“Yes, we were...” She tried to get free for a few seconds before giving up. “You need to start telling me where you’re going, Mochi. I can’t always wish to go to your location! That is terribly improper!”
“You won’t have to worry about it soon,” he told her.
“Because you’re going to tell me where you’re going from now on? Good choice. It’s polite to—”
“No, because you won’t have me as your godparent anymore.”
Any words that Toshiko could say disappeared as she felt Kai’s grip on her shoulders tightened. Even if Kai could only say, “What...?” it was better than her.
Damon looked unfazed, as if this news was nothing more than noticing the sun coming out after some rain. “I’m resigning from being a godparent. I’ve figured I’ve been through enough of it to move on to a different part of my life.”
“Wh-What part?” asked Kai. “You spent thousands of years in the Fairy Academy to become a godparent—we spent thousands of years becoming godparents!”
“I put those thousands of years to use. I would say I was a decent godparent.”
“You’re still a godparent! Toshiko’s still a child. She still needs us!”
“She needs a godparent. She doesn’t need two of us. Godchildren don’t usually get two godparents anyway. As long as you’re here, she will still get what she needs.”
“But I agreed to being a godparent with you, not by myself! How am I supposed to take care of Toshiko by myself?”
Damon’s frown deepened. “By...granting her wishes? You’re making it sound like you’ve never been a godparent before.”
“I’ve never been a godparent without you. I don’t know how to be a godparent by myself! You should’ve talked to me about this, you know. You should’ve at least given me some sort of heads-up!”
“That...” Damon sighed. “Listen, what’s done has been done. I already sent in my resignation letter. There’s nothing we can do about it anymore.”
“Yes, you can!” insisted Kai. “Make whatever excuse you need to, just take back your resignation letter! Stay with me for longer! At the very least, stay until Toshiko doesn’t need us anymore!”
“I already told you, Toshiko needs a godparent, not two. It isn’t a problem if I resign.”
“Maybe to you, but not to me! And definitely not to Toshiko! She’s right here, so let’s ask her—”
“Don’t bring her into this, Kai...”
“Don’t bring her into this? This whole thing revolves around her!” Kai gently shook her. “Toshiko, do you want Damon to stay, yes or no?”
Both of their eyes fell onto her—maybe even the neighbours, if any of them had come out to see what the commotion was about. Toshiko didn’t know if any of them did; she couldn’t look anywhere that wasn’t her feet. Even with her fan covering her face, she didn’t want to cry over this. She was stronger than that, but the tears kept trying to find a way out.
If she had to cry, she wanted to get one question out to Damon before then: “Did I do something...?”
She couldn’t even bring her eyes up to Damon’s face, but she could hear his answer clearly: “You didn’t do anything, Toshiko.”
She thought hearing that would make her feel a bit relieved and stop the tears, but it didn’t. It did the opposite, actually. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to keep her sobs as quiet as she could. Her fan was basically pressed against her face.
“Take her home, Kai,” she heard Damon say.
“You think you can tell me what to do now?” Kai had responded.
“Staying here isn’t going to cheer her up. Take her home and make her happy. Isn’t that what a godparent is supposed to do?”
Kai didn’t respond. Toshiko heard him sigh, and the next thing she knew, they were back in Toshiko’s bedroom.
All of that, and Damon didn’t even have the courtesy to offer an invitation to talk inside his house.
. . .
Toshiko was sure she didn’t need a babysitter, especially since she had godparents, but she apparently wasn’t if her parents kept hiring Tozu, the worst babysitter in the world. He was pure evil, and he took fun in seeing her in horrible situations. She had no idea where her parents found a man with a goat head, but wherever they did, she hoped they would put him back there soon.
“Tozu’s coming?” Kai shuddered when she told him. He seemed to sink into her mattress. “Why does he have to come? Can’t you get some nice babysitter for a change?”
“My parents think Tozu is the nicest person in the world.” Toshiko opened her fan wider. “What do you think he’ll do this time?”
“Good question...” Hi’s eyes widened. “What if he takes you on another train to a locked building and told you that you had to find your way out of it yourself again? That was already a nightmare, but if he added murder—like you had to kill someone to get out—I think I’d throw up...”
Toshiko waited for the familiar voice to tell Kai that he was being stupid for worrying about something like this before she remembered Damon wasn’t here anymore. It had been a week since she found out Damon was resigning from being a godparent, but it was still hard to believe that was her reality. Judging from the look on Kai’s face, he was going through the same thoughts as her.
Since both of them were wondering about Damon, Toshiko asked, “How long does it take for godparents to stop being godparents?”
Playing with the necklace he always wore, Kai answered, “Since Damon handed his resignation letter a week ago, I think he still has three weeks left before his court hearing.”
“Court hearing?”
“Being a godparent is serious work. How powerful our magic is depends on how much humans believe in our existence. Not only are godparents helping make children’s lives better, but they’re also partly responsible for helping to keep our magic going. The Fairy Council will see if he actually should resign, so technically, Damon’s still your godparent.”
“Then why doesn’t he come see me?”
He shrugged. “It’s...probably personal reasons...”
That didn’t make her feel any better. Perhaps she needed something else to focus on. “Kai, I want to make a wish. I wish—”
“That’s cool and all, but I don’t know if I’m in the mood to grant any wishes...”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “What do you mean, you’re not in the mood? You’re my godparent; your job is to grant my wishes.”
He sighed. “I know, but I just don’t feel like it. I feel too depressed, you know...?”
“If Mochi was here, he would grant my wishes.”
“And if Damon was here, then I wouldn’t be feeling so depressed! I don’t even feel like having my wand anymore...” Kai threw his wand across her room.
That conversation led them nowhere.
Toshiko decided to search through her bedroom for something to do. There had to be something she could do before Tozu arrived and made her even more miserable. There were no games she felt like playing, there was nothing in her closet, there was nothing on her desk...
“Oh, I forgot about this!” Toshiko pulled out a piece of paper from one of the drawers on her desk.
“Forgot about what?” Kai asked from her bed.
“Back when we first met, I drew a picture of us together. Me, you, and Damon. I knew I would remember this moment, but I wanted a physical reminder of it. It wasn’t a reminder, though, since I forgot about the reminder.”
“Wait, you drew a picture of us?” Kai sat up. “I wanna see!”
Toshiko sat on her bed and showed Kai the drawing. It was nothing other than the three of them together. It wasn’t anything special, and in her opinion, the drawing itself was childish. Her drawing skills had improved since they first met, and she had also matured as a person. This photo meant nothing to her.
Kai, on the other hand, was treating it like the finest piece of art he had ever laid his eyes on. The compliments from him just kept coming and coming. Toshiko honestly felt a bit overwhelmed.
“We look like one happy family,” Kai said.
“You’re supposed to be my godparent,” she replied. “That makes me technically your child.”
“Aww, and I’m your mom and Damon’s your dad?”
“If you want to say that, then sure.” She frowned at the drawing. “But I guess I’m the divorced child now... Have you talked to Mochi, by the way?”
“I’ve, umm... I’ve been ignoring him,” Kai admitted.
“Ignoring or avoiding?” Toshiko asked.
After a pause, he said, “Avoiding.”
“Nothing is going to get solved if you keep avoiding him,” she pointed out.
“He’s dead-set on resigning, though...”
“Not that! I meant in your relationship . If you keep avoiding him, your relationship will fall apart. You’re angry at him now,” she said, “but I know you like being with Mochi. You wouldn’t be my godparents—plural—otherwise.”
“But he doesn’t want to talk to me.”
“You’re only saying that as an excuse to not talk to him. In the future, you’ll be wishing that you did talk to him and kept in touch. That’s assuming you get to the point where you avoid him for a long time, of course. I’m assuming that won’t be the case, since you’re going to talk to him.”
“Are you making me talk to him?”
“I’m not going to make you do anything. I just know you’ll do it because you want to.”
Kai sighed and leaned against her headboard. “Why am I listening to my godchild lecture me about ignoring Damon...?”
“It’s because I’m your godchild that I’m saying this,” Toshiko said. “I know you’ll both leave me when I’m an adult, so I understand our relationship will fall apart one day, but I don’t want to see my godparents’ relationship fall apart.”
“I guess you have a—”
There was a knock on the front door.
Toshiko sprang off the bed as Kai transformed into a small pink pillow resting on her headboard. Her bedroom was on the far end of the hallway, meaning she had to run to get to the stairs. When she reached the balcony, she saw the front door open just in time to see her parents leave and Tozu shutting the door behind them. His gaze fell onto her. Despite having no mouth, she knew he was smiling.
“Hello, Toshiko!” he said, waving at her to join him downstairs. “It’s great to see you again! Have any luck with your new costumers? Have they found any love yet?”
“Yes, Tozu...” She didn’t move from her spot, her hands gripping the railings next to her. With Kai’s fear of Tozu, Damon always disguised himself as some sort of green accessory whenever she had to face Tozu. She always had that comforting weight of him on her, but now that he was gone, she felt too light and vulnerable.
Tozu looked around. “Say, I’m hungry, and I need to use the bathroom. Make me a sandwich, okay?”
Toshiko knew she should stand her ground—that would be what Damon would encourage her to do—but she found herself meekly saying, “O-Okay, Tozu,” and going to the kitchen.
Unsure of what kind of sandwich to give Tozu, Toshiko settled for a basic tuna sandwich. When Tozu came back downstairs, Toshiko spotted a bright light and felt her heart stop when she noticed him carrying a wand in his hand—Kai’s wand.
“You have a fun toy!” Tozu waved it around.
“That was in my room,” she managed to say. “Why were you in my room...?”
“Oh, I lied about needing to go to the bathroom. As your babysitter, I have to make sure you’re safe. Matchmaking people at such a young age... Someone will give you something you shouldn’t have one of these days.”
“Give me my wand back...”
“I will after I’m done playing with it! Grownups need to play too, you know!” He picked up the sandwich, and his visible eye had some disgust. “Tuna? I’m not a big fan of that. I wish you had given me something like a ham sandwich.”
Toshiko’s eyes widened as the sandwich changed from a tuna sandwich to a ham sandwich. Tozu blinked a few times at the sandwich before saying, “Oh, forgive me, Toshiko. It appears you did give me a ham sandwich.”
“Y-Yes, I did...” Nervous laughter followed.
Since Tozu was busy with his sandwich, Toshiko took the chance and went to her bedroom. She found a panicked Kai who, once seeing her, immediately said, “He just came so fast, and I couldn’t stop him! He has my wand now, so he can grant any wish in the world! What do we do?”
Toshiko tugged on her sleeves. “I-I don’t know, I was going to ask you that...!”
“Damon would be better at this...” After a moment of thought, Kai said, “Okay, here’s the plan: I distract him with whatever magic I can do, and you grab the wand!”
“How will you distract him?”
“I’ll be stuff like the pizza delivery man, a man delivering an online order, a man trying to sell something...”
“He’ll definitely become suspicious...”
“I don’t see you coming up with any better ideas!”
Toshiko didn’t have any ideas, let alone any that would be better than Kai’s. They had no choice; this was what they were going to do to get Kai’s wand back from Tozu.
. . .
Toshiko and Kai discovered early on that Tozu decided the wand looked so cool that he would keep it on him at all times. He kept accidentally making wishes, such as wishing the rug was a different colour or that a show about 16 students trapped in a killing game was airing on the television right now. Toshiko successfully helped convince him to think these were all coincidences, but they were risking him finding out the truth with every second that passed. Unfortunately, she and Kai were running out of ideas.
“Why did Damon have to leave?” Kai groaned when they returned to Toshiko’s bedroom after another failed attempt. “If he was here, this problem would’ve already been solved! He’s always been better than me at everything...”
“I wouldn’t say at everything.” At his look, Toshiko said, “I’m trying to make us happier.”
“Don’t bother. We failed again, and at this rate, I’ll be taken away as your godparent too.”
She frowned. “What will happen if you’re no longer my godparent?”
“I’ll probably be taken away before Damon’s court hearing, so the court will probably say Damon will still have to be your godparent. But if they agree to let him resign...” His shoulder’s drooped. “You’ll forget about us.”
“Oh.” Forgetting about Kai and Damon felt so unreal. She could live without them in her life, but she couldn’t imagine not ever knowing them.
“But we still have time!” Kai said with a forced cheerful tone. “We can still get it back! And who knows? Maybe Tozu will give it back before he leaves!”
“He’s stolen my stuff before. He once stole a whole suitcase full of my clothes and other stuff, remember? We had to fight to get it back...”
“M-Maybe this time is different! We can still get the wand back, and I’ll still be your godparent!”
“Kai? Can I ask something?” With his full attention, Toshiko asked, “What magic can you do without a wand?”
He counted what he could do on his fingers. “I can float, I can shape-shift, I can heal really fast, and I can teleport me and other stuff to places.”
She nodded along. “I have an idea. Let’s teleport to Mochi and ask for his help!”
After a second, he said, “You can go. I’ll stay here.”
“Why? It’s just Mochi. You were the one who kept complaining about his absence too.”
“Well, someone’s gotta keep watch on the wand, and since it’s my wand...”
“Aren’t you scared of Tozu?”
Kai didn’t reply. Instead, Toshiko found she had been teleported in front of Damon’s house again—alone. Had he no manners?
She couldn’t leave Fairy World alone, though, so she knocked on Damon’s front door like Kai did last time. When there was no answer, she knocked again and again. Soon, she was pounding on the door. Was he ignoring her like Kai was ignoring him? He was the one who said she didn’t do anything!
“Toshiko, I’m right here.”
Toshiko turned around and saw Damon approaching his house. Feeling the blood rush to her face, she asked, “How long were you there...?”
“I just got here.” He looked around and looked a little disappointed. “Where’s Kai?”
“Back at my house.” The words came rushing out of her as she said, “I know you don’t want to be a godparent, but you’re still technically my godparent right now, so you should come back and help Kai and me because Tozu took his wand, and we need your help getting it back.”
Damon listened in silence. He seemed to be debating whether he should agree before he sighed and held out his hand to her. “Let’s go.”
Toshiko smiled and took Damon’s hand. She knew he would be able to make things better again.
. . .
When Toshiko returned to her bedroom, she asked Kai if Tozu had done anything. After Kai answered that he hadn’t, he asked, “Isn’t Damon meant to be with you?”
“It’s all part of his plan.” Toshiko took a fan from her bedroom and covered her face. “We have to wait a few minutes. Mochi said to tell you that you shouldn’t be worried, even though you will be. He says you need to stay calm no matter what.”
“He can’t control how I feel...”
Toshiko sighed. “We have some time before the plan starts, so I’m going to tell you this now: Kai, you need to get yourself together. Your marriage is going to fall apart.”
“My marriage?” He frowned. “What marriage? When was I married? Who am I married to? I don’t remember any of this.”
“Don’t be silly. I’m obviously talking about your marriage with Damon.”
“But...we’re not married?”
“You’re... You’re not?” At the shake of his head, she lifted her fan higher. “O-Oh...”
A smile spread across his face. “Wait, you actually thought we were married?”
“I-I was introduced to you both as my godparent s , so I thought...you were at least dating...”
Laughter burst from Kai. “I promise, I’m not married to him! Seriously, just being godparents together doesn’t mean we’re together.”
“Didn’t you just say today when you saw that old picture I drew that you were my mother and Damon was my father?”
“Just because I said that doesn’t mean we’re together. Friends always say stuff like that! Oh, and by the way—”
“Friends usually say one of you is the parent and the other is the aunt, the uncle, the older sibling...”
“Well, me and Damon are just different. I told you, take your age and times it by 1,000, and that should be about how long me and Damon have known each other. We’re probably closer than regular friends ‘cause of that.”
“How many godchildren have you had over these thousands of years?”
“A lot more than I can count.” He sighed. “You know, we didn’t take that long of breaks between godchildren. Actually, we spent those breaks together, too. We were inseparable after our first godchild. Like, it felt like my whole life changed after meeting him.”
“Do you feel like you can’t live a life without ever knowing Mochi anymore?”
“Yeah, exactly!”
She contemplated what question she could ask him before settling on, “How does being with Mochi make you feel?”
“Being with Damon... Safe, I guess. I know if I can’t do something, he’ll help me.”
“Does being with Mochi make you have this warm feeling inside you? It can feel like a mix of safety, comfort, peace, and happiness. Do you feel like that even at the thought of Mochi?”
“Now that you mention it, I do feel like that around Damon, but when I think of him, I’m just angry and sad at him for quitting.”
“Would you feel angry and sad if you were a godparent with someone else, but they also quit without telling you?”
“Obviously, but that would never happen! Damon’s the only Fairy I’d ever be godparents with! Don’t get me wrong,” he said, “there are cool Fairies out there, but I’d never be godparents with them. Damon’s the only one who had enough patience to last thousands of years with me, and honestly, I don’t like the thought of sharing a godchild with anyone but him.”
“Does sharing a godchild feel too intimate for you? ‘Child’ is in the name, after all; you’re practically raising a living creature together.”
“Yeah, yeah, you get it! Sharing a godchild with anyone else just feels too weird, but I’m happy to share 1,000—more than that, actually! I’m happy to share a ton more with Damon. Why are you asking me all this anyway?”
It appeared she would have to be the one to tell him.
Toshiko extended her free hand and waited for Kai to take it, albeit hesitantly. Slowly and carefully, she said, “Kai, we both know that I am a matchmaker and have lots of experience in matchmaking, even with how young I am. You might not witness any of my matchmaking sessions because of how boring you find it, but you know I’m not lying. I’m speaking as a matchmaker, your godchild, and someone who cares about you when I say—”
The fire alarm went off.
Ignoring what she wanted to say before, Toshiko said, “Damon said to stay calm!”
“I-I am calm! I’m always calm!” Kai’s expression looked anything but calm.
Hearing Tozu’s footsteps coming up the stairs, Toshiko quickly told him, “Try to get the wand back when we leave,” before Kai turned into a pink ball.
Her bedroom door opened, revealing Tozu who didn’t have Kai’s wand on him. Before she could react, he grabbed her arm and yanked her forwards. “I’m not getting paid if you die...”
Despite knowing the cause, she still asked, “What happened?”
“The fire alarm went off, and I smell smoke. We are getting out of here, and you’re not going to get a scratch on you.”
“But...you never cared if I died before...”
“Before, I could make up some cheap story about your death. If you die here, it will obviously be my fault to some extent.”
At least she learned something about Tozu.
Outside, the other neighbours had come out too. The smoke detectors had gone off in their homes. In the distance, a fire could be seen. When Tozu spotted it, he muttered, “I didn’t know this area was close to wildfires.”
“It’s not supposed to be,” Toshiko replied. She wondered when he would let go of her arm.
The fire looked to be quite a while away, but some neighbours were evacuating. Tozu looked at them and said in a voice that was too cheerful, “I know! Let’s go to the park, Toshiko!”
“But last time we went to the park, you forced me to solve a murder you set up and would kill me too if I failed to get the right answer under a time limit...”
“Thank you for reminding me! That was a fun time. Should we do it again?”
Spotting a child who looked to be around her age, Toshiko said, “I see my friend. Can I go?”
Tozu stared at her with his unblinking eye. She tried not to squirm. Finally, he let go and said, “Meet me back at the house in three hours. Your parents will be back a little after that. They don’t have to know we weren’t together.”
“R-Right! Umm... Thank you, Tozu.” Toshiko headed off in the direction of the child. When she knew Tozu wasn’t looking, she turned and, with the houses, hid herself from Tozu’s sight. Damon was waiting not too far away.
In his hands were two sticks with roasted marshmallows on them. “I got them for you and Kai,” he said as he handed her one.
“Did you use the fire for this?” As he nodded, Toshiko took a bite out of one marshmallow. With the perfectly crisped outer layer and soft inside, she swore she could taste Heaven.
That explained the wish. After quickly going over Da Rules, Damon said they could wish for a fire as long as it didn’t harm any living thing. That meant Toshiko could wish for the smoke detectors in all the houses to go off, and if that didn’t make everyone leave, she could wish for a fire far away that didn’t harm any humans or plants. He told her to wish that it would happen after a few minutes so she could tell Kai and to wish it would end after a few minutes to end it without any problems. She had assumed he didn’t want to talk to Kai as much as Kai didn’t want to talk to him, but if he had roasted marshmallows just for Kai, it appeared she was wrong.
“Toshiko!” Kai’s voice rang out as he appeared next to her with his wand. He waved it around as he sang, “I got my wand back!”
“You should thank Mochi for that. It was his idea,” she said before taking another bite out of her marshmallows.
It was only then did Kai seem to notice Damon. “Oh, hi. Yeah, umm... Thanks for helping.”
“It’s nothing.” He held out the other stick with roasted marshmallows. “I got you this.”
Kai’s eyes lit up. “You got me roasted marshmallows? Damon, thank you so much! I haven’t had these since forever!”
“It’s barely been 100 years.” To Toshiko, he said, “Kai and I were the godparents around the time roasting marshmallows started becoming a thing. Our godchild fell in love with it, and so did Kai. Apparently, Kai only liked the ones that godchild roasted. Ever since the godchild grew up and didn’t need us anymore, he never ate one since then.”
“Then why is he eating them right now?”
“Since he didn’t want to learn how to do it like that kid, I decided to learn.”
“Shouldn’t it be possible to make another one like it with magic?”
“That’s what I kept telling him,” interrupted Kai. “But this guy keeps saying it doesn’t taste the same if magic is used, so he spent all these years trying to perfect something a human kid 100 years ago did.”
“It still isn’t that accurate,” said Damon. “The texture is still a little off. You could say it’s close enough, but if I keep trying for at least a few dozen years, it might—”
“Oh, my God, Damon, these are perfect!” Each stick had five marshmallows on them, and Kai was already halfway done. “I feel like I’m back at the little house with the fire starting and the sunlight streaming in through the windows ‘cause the poor kid was horrified of the dark...”
“I just said—” Damon sighed, and a smile came onto his face. “Well, if you’re happy with it, I guess I did a good job.”
Kai was about to eat the last marshmallow when he realized Toshiko had her own stick with roasted marshmallows but not Damon. “Hey, why don’t you have one?”
“They were just for you and Toshiko.”
“But you should have one! You went through the all the trouble of making these.” He pulled the last marshmallow off the stick and held it near Damon’s mouth. “Here, have it!”
Instead of arguing as expected, Damon let Kai feed him the marshmallow. His expression towards the smiling Kai didn’t look as annoyed as expected either.
Oh, no. Toshiko finished her last marshmallow! Now what was she supposed to focus on to prevent feeling like she was interrupting something?
Kai’s eyes fell on Toshiko, and his smile fell as he seemed to come to the realization someone else was with them. Along with that realization, he turned his back to Damon. “I’m still mad at you,” he said to him.
As Damon’s expression flickered to one that had more sadness, Toshiko said, “I would forgive him just enough to talk to him if I was you. He brought you marshmallows!”
“You’re just easy to be swayed.”
“No, I’m not! My heart is just soft and delicate, so I’m more empathetic, but that does not mean I’m easily swayed!”
“Whatever makes you sleep at night.”
Usually, when one of her godparents annoyed her, Toshiko would make a point to spend more time with the other. Since Damon was here, and he was still technically her godparent, she turned to him and asked, “Can we go somewhere? Like Fairy World? I want to see more of it.”
“Oh, so now you’re on his side?” Kai frowned at her. “Come on, Toshiko. Who’s your favourite between me and Damon?”
“Mochi,” Toshiko answered without hesitation, earning a chuckle from Damon.
Kai stared at her with a blank expression before turning his back to both of them, muttering about how he didn’t care if they hung out and it wasn’t any of his business.
“I can take you to Fairy World,” Damon told Toshiko. “Just don’t do anything that makes people stare at us, okay?”
“Okay!” Toshiko held Damon’s hand as he took them to Fairy World, leaving a grumpy Kai behind.
When the magic was gone, Toshiko saw that Damon took them to a park. It didn’t have a playground, but it looked pretty to look at. Damn started walking without telling her, and she quickly caught up. As they walked around the park, Toshiko asked, “Are humans allowed in Fairy World?”
“There’s no rule saying they aren’t,” Damon answered. “I heard it might change soon, though. The Fairy Council is thinking about making it so humans can’t come here without their godparents, and godparents who currently have godchildren can’t come here without special permission. It’s all just rumours, though, so don’t worry about it. You’re safe to come here for now.”
“Speaking of the Fairy Council, Kai says you’ll meet with the Fairy Council to resign from being a godparent in a few weeks.”
“I should be.”
“And...there isn’t anything I can say that can change your mind?”
She expected to hear something similar to him telling her to not bother trying, but she didn’t receive a response.
She couldn’t stop a smile from coming onto her face. “Oh! I can convince you to stay!”
“You’re not going to,” he said.
“Said who? I can be really convincing,” she threatened.
“Helping someone realize they have feelings for someone else is different from this.”
“I don’t think so.” If she pretended that being a godparent was someone Damon had feelings for and quitting was someone Damon was trying to convince himself he had feelings for, it wasn’t that different from matchmaking. There were quite a few people she helped who had that problem. “Why do you want to quit?”
He sighed. “I shouldn’t have said anything... Are you going to stop asking those questions soon?”
“No! I want answers, Mochi!”
“I can give you at least one answer if you don’t call me that. And preferably not here,” he said, looking around. There weren’t a lot of other Fairies nearby, but she could understand that being around other people might not be the most comfortable.
“Then where should we go, Mochi?” Toshiko asked. “Keep in mind, you didn’t invite me inside your house even though I’ve gone to your house twice...!”
“You’re not going into my house, Toshiko.” Damon didn’t let her say another word before he used his wand and teleported them away.
The sound of rushing water was the first thing Toshiko noticed about the new area. When her eyes got used to the scenery, her heart dropped as she realized she was above a waterfall. She screamed and flailed around until she realized she wasn’t falling. When her gaze fell on Damon, she saw him using magic to carry her along with an amused smile. If she didn’t have questions to ask him, she would wipe that smile off his face and go back to Kai!
However, since she did have questions, she asked very politely like a true lady, “Where are we?”
He pointed to a large yellow sign in the distance. “This is Fairy Falls, the only large body of water in Fairy World.”
Now knowing she was under no danger, Toshiko took a better look around. “It looks like Niagara Falls.”
“That’s the waterfall between Canada and the United States, isn’t it?”
“It is. Why are we here out of everywhere, though?”
“It was the first place I could think of going.” He paused for a moment. “I think it’s because I usually go here with Kai after we leave a godchild. We usually go over the falls—which made me forget you can’t fly.”
“Which means I could’ve been dead. Very irresponsible,” she muttered.
“If I saved you from Tozu from using you to test that execution of making you sit on some sort of treadmil taking you to a pit of fire and making fun of your situation by making it impossible to get to the exit door right in front of you, I would never let you die.”
She huffed. “Why do you and Kai come here anyway?”
He shrugged. “It’s a form of tradition for us. Just Kai and I, I mean. Other Fairies don’t do this. Kai was really excited when we graduated from Fairy Acadmey. He wanted to do something immediately, and since I’ve wanted to come here for a while, I took us to Fairy Falls. He was bored of it at first, but he grew to like it enough to willingly go here with me every time we leave a godchild.”
“Is it relaxing for you here?”
“It is.”
“Then why do I have to yell to make sure you can hear me?”
“You’re just not used to it yet—and I’m a used to Kai’s loud voice. Here.” She stifled a scream as he moved her closer. “Now you don’t have to yell as loudly. I’m pretty sure the whole Fairy World heard you before.”
“Be quiet.” Toshiko gave herself a moment to recollect herself before she asked, “Were you friends with Kai during training? When I asked Kai, he made it unclear, but it sounds like you were.”
“You could say that.”
“Is that a yes or a no?”
“We knew each other, but I wouldn’t say we were friends. He wouldn’t either.”
“Did you hook up?”
“What— Why would we hook up while we were at Fairy Academy?”
“Your face is red.”
“Because you asked me if I hooked up with Kai! You’re a child; are you even supposed to be asking this?”
“I’m a matchmaker. Are you opposed to the idea of hooking up with Kai? Do you even like boys?”
“This conversation is ending here.” Damon used his wand to move them apart. Toshiko was sure he moved them further apart than they were when they first teleported to Fairy Falls.
“I have another question!” she shouted over the waterfall. “Why aren’t there any other Fairies here?”
“It’s usually a honeymoon spot for couples.”
“Does that mean you and Kai were once married, but now you’re divorced?”
Damon moved Toshiko further away from him.
She strained her voice to shout, “What was your relationship with Kai when you two were in Fairy Academy?”
Damon said something she could hear. She asked him to repeat it multiple times before he finally moved her closer and shouted, “Because Kai couldn’t graduate without me!”
She frowned. “That’s mean.”
“It’s the truth,” he said.
“When you say he couldn’t graduate without you, do you mean being godparents together?”
“Right. Kai couldn’t be a godparent by himself no matter how hard he tried.”
“Why?”
“If Kai didn’t already share it with you, then I’m not telling you.”
“At least tell me why you helped him.”
“Why I helped him?” Damon looked surprised at that question. Toshiko stayed silent as she gave him time to think. Eventually, he said, “You might think worse of me, but I only helped him because of how pathetic he was.”
“Explain, please.”
“Kai needed someone to help graduate. He...” His eyes looked conflicted before he said, “No one was very amiable towards him, so no one else offered to help him. Kai looked so desperate that I agreed to help, even though we hadn’t spoken to each other before.”
Knowing how Kai acted, Toshiko could believe that he made such a big deal about not being able to graduate that someone he had never spoken to would take notice. “Did you have fun being godparents with Kai?”
Again, the expression on his face made it clear he wasn’t expecting these questions. Being a matchmaker involved expecting the unexpected, though, so as someone who attended her matchmaking meetings more than her other godparent, he shouldn’t be surprised. “Being a godparent isn’t meant to be fun. You’re helping sad children become happier, which helps make sure Fairies can still use magic.”
“I didn’t ask if the job was fun. I asked if you had fun working with Kai.”
“If I say yes, will you leave me alone?”
In case he pushed her away again, Toshiko said quickly, “Kai had fun working with you too. I can tell. He’s really depressed now that you’re gone and doesn’t know if he can be a godparent or do anything without you.”
At first, Damon looked ready to push her away, but he didn’t. A thoughtful look was on his face. “He was?”
“I think he’s being depressed now. He didn’t feel like granting any of my wishes today because of how depressed he felt, which made him leave his wand unattended and let Tozu take it.”
He sighed. “See, it’s this kind of stuff that made him unable to graduate from Fairy Academy by himself...”
“How did you handle him for thousands of years?”
“If you’ve been around him for thousands of years like me, you learn how to deal with him.”
“Actually, no, that’s not what I wanted to ask. I meant...” She decided to word it with, “Why did you let it get to thousands of years? From what I know of Kai and how you’ve described it, I would assume most Fairies would’ve given up on Kai maybe 100 years in, 1,000 at most. You’ve been godparents with Kai for more than 1,000 years, though. Why were you okay with that, even though you knew how Kai can be?”
When Damon fell silent, Toshiko first assumed it was because he was thinking of an answer. Then, she realized he had no answer. Her suspicions were confirmed when he muttered, “These questions are so stupid.”
She smiled from behind her fan. “That’s all I needed to know.”
“All you needed to know for what? Why are you laughing?”
“It’s a secret! A lady’s secret. You can’t ask what it is since you’re a boy.”
A frustrated look appeared on his face. “I understand godchildren less and less with every new one—and I barely understood the first one...”
“I’m doing being angry at Kai, by the way,” she said. “Can you come with me, though? Kai might actually do stuff if you’re there...”
“And get him used to having me again?”
“It’s been thousands of years. A few more days together doesn’t make that much of a difference. Please? Do it for Kai?” she added quietly.
It was a flat-out denial she was expecting, but she was happy to take Damon looking like he was reluctant to take out his wand. Toshiko didn’t have time to think about how he probably wasn’t actually so reluctant; she now had a mission she needed to complete, and she needed to complete it today. If she couldn’t, then there was little to no chance she could ever have another opportunity like this again.
. . .
Kai, who was less grumpy than he was before, had made himself comfortable in Toshiko’s living room. He looked surprise when seeing Damon with Toshiko. When Toshiko explained that Damon was staying for a little longer, Kai said, “Didn’t know all it took for Damon to be a godparent for a day longer was to have our godchild ask nicely. Is it because she’s cute? Damon, who’s cuter, me or Toshiko?”
“Me,” Toshiko answered for Damon.
“I only came here because Toshiko said you were too depressed without me to do anything,” clarified Damon.
He sounded like he was already tired of Kai after being in his presence for a minute, but he had a smile when Kai sputtered out, “I was not depressed! Toshiko’s just— She’s making up lies! You taught her that! You’re corrupting our daughter!”
“Then how did your wand go missing? Toshiko told me it was because—”
“Don’t listen to her! Listen to me, and I’m telling you that Toshiko was the one who was depressed without you!”
“I was a little sad,” she admitted.
Damon patted her head. “See, that’s the difference between you and her, Kai. Toshiko can actually accept that she was sad over me. Plus, Toshiko is a child.”
“Kai has the maturity of a child, though.”
Kai pointed at her. “You taught her that, too!”
Toshiko smiled. It felt like how it was a few weeks ago, when Damon leaving them didn’t have any chance of happening. She didn’t have too good of a relationship with her parents, to say the least, but being with Damon and Kai made her feel like she was actually part of a family. It was far from a regular one, but it was hers.
The thought of it made her reminded of the picture. “Kai, what happened to my drawing?”
“I still have it on me,” he answered. “I was gonna tell you before, but I guess I forgot.”
“I didn’t know you started drawing,” Damon told her. When she told him why the drawing was made, he asked, “Can I see it?”
“It’s with Kai right now,” Toshiko answered as Kai proudly took it out and displayed it like he was offering Damon a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a millionaire.
“We’re like a happy family!” he told Damon. “You’re the dad, I’m the mom, and Toshiko’s our cute, little baby!”
“Why are you the mom?” asked Toshiko.
“Because I wouldn’t be pregnant! Oh, I forgot humans have more differences from Fairies than just having no magic,” he said when he noticed her confused look. “You know how human moms get pregnant? For Fairies, it’s the dad that gets pregnant.”
“Oh.” The question of how was on the tip of her tongue, but it was probably better for her own sake if she didn’t know all the details.
“Since we’re both boys, we both could get pregnant, but I feel like between me and Damon, Damon would be the pregnant one.”
“Mochi, are you listening to this?” Toshiko turned to look at him, expecting some sort of shocked look.
Instead, his focus was entirely on the drawing. He looked almost hypnotized by it. Maybe he was, since it took Kai saying Damon’s name after Toshiko tried several times to get Damon’s focus away from it. Since he looked a little lost, Toshiko said, “Kai thinks that between you and him, you would be the pregnant one.”
“What?” The shocked she was expecting earlier was now on his face.
“It’s just sort of vibes, you know?” Kai made vague gestures with his hand that wasn’t holding the drawing. “Like, you just look like someone who would be pregnant.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I-It’s a compliment, I swear!”
“How?”
“Hey, maybe let’s not talk about pregnancy in front of our daughter, okay? ‘Cause she’s so young and innocent...?”
Toshiko could defend herself right now, but she didn’t need to. It would look weird if she didn’t, though, so she settled for glaring at Kai before saying, “I have to go to the bathroom.”
The bathroom was on the second floor and was opposite to her bedroom. When she climbed up the stairs, she turned around the corner and hid behind the wall. Since she was apparently so “innocent,” they would definitely talk about something they didn’t want her to listen to. Unfortunately for them, she might need to in order to get more information and make sure her mission to succeed.
After a stretch of silence that felt like it lasted an eternity, her suspicions were finally confirmed. Damon was the one to break it. “Say whatever you want to tell me now. We might not get another chance like this again”
Kai’s voice, which had so much more emotion just before she left, sounded much more deflated now. “I don’t have anything I want to tell you.”
“You said earlier that you were still angry at me. If you—”
“I lied. I wasn’t angry at you anymore. I just...didn’t want Toshiko to know I knew this was coming...”
Damon said exactly what Toshiko was thinking. “You knew this was coming? What are you talking about?”
“I knew you would eventually get tired of having me around.” He sighed. His voice was quieter when he spoke again, but Toshiko could make out what he was saying. “I told you before, Damon, I know who I am and what everyone thinks of me. I know my magic is unstable, and no matter how many people I can get to like me, my magic will be the reason they start hating me again.”
“So, you were waiting for me to start hating you?”
“Obviously. I guess I’m just...still a little surprised it took you this long. Really long... But yeah,” he added, “I didn’t want to worry Toshiko with my own feelings. We’re here to help give her a worry-free life, you know? We can’t do that if she realizes I’m literally the reason it’s illegal for Fairies to have babies.”
“It’s not your fault I’m resigning, Kai.”
“Then give me a reason that doesn’t involve me.”
Toshiko resisted the urge to peek around the corner when there was only silence.
“You don’t have to keep lying to me, Damon. I’m not that stupid.”
“It’s— It’s not the reason you’re thinking, Kai. Your magic has nothing to do with this. Actually, I couldn’t care less about how insane your magic can get.”
“You do care—”
“But not to the extent you’re thinking. Yes, your magic can get crazy, yes, it can get annoying, but do you really think I’ve spent thousands of years with you just to hate you?”
“What other reason is there?”
Toshiko heard Damon sigh, and she froze when he said, “I don’t want Toshiko listening to this...”
“Toshiko’s in the bathroom,” Kai said, while Toshiko panicked over if she accidentally revealed herself. “Just say it really fast.”
“She said she was going to the bathroom, but if you taught her anything, it was how to eavesdrop.”
“Hey, I never eavesdrop. I’m too good of a person for that.”
“Toshiko might not be.”
As much as she wanted to keep listening, Toshiko hurried as quietly as she could to the bathroom. Only after she locked the door behind her did she realize she was trapped in there until a good amount of time had passed for her to act like she actually went to the bathroom. What did people do in bathrooms?
. . .
Toshiko waited for what felt like forever before stepping out of the bathroom. She went downstairs but found no one there. No one was in the kitchen or outside, either. Upstairs, her parents’ room was empty, and no one could be in the bathroom if she just came out of it. That meant Kai and Damon went to her bedroom, for whatever reason.
When Toshiko went into her bedroom, though, it was empty too. She was wondering if they both went to Fairy World when two arms trapped her from behind.
“I’ve caught her!” Kai declared as Damon stepped into her view. “Stay still, Toshiko! You’re now being held hostage!”
They were hiding! Probably as some very small objects. “Let me go! You should never treat a lady like this!”
“Ladies also shouldn’t eavesdrop on people.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Your footsteps aren’t as quiet as you think they are when you’re running away.”
Stupid feet giving her away... However, she wasn’t going to give in that easily. “Again, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’re not good at lying.”
“Come on, Damon, interrogate her,” encouraged Kai. “Like... Do it like a pirate! Like that Jean guy!”
“Jean DeLamer? Wasn’t he a ship captain being interviewed on TV after he almost drowned at sea?” asked Toshiko.
“He looks like a pirate. Come on, Damon, be a pirate!”
Damon with a very unamused face said, “Yar, har, har. Tell us what ye’s intentions were when eavesdropping on me and my matey.”
Kai’s smile was evident in his voice alone. “Yeah, see, you’re getting it! Just add a bit more emotion next time, okay?”
“I’ll think about it after Toshiko admits to eavesdropping.”
She turned her head away from him. “I’m not telling you anything because I don’t know anything. I’m done talking about this.”
“She’s lying, and she’s trying to get out of this confrontation! May I attack, Captain?” Kai asked Damon.
“Go ahead.”
Toshiko squealed as Kai began his attack—tickles. How rude of Damon to just stand there and watch! Yes, she did eavesdrop, but she was on a mission! From how they were acting, she could assume she succeeded if they were getting along again, but she wasn’t satisfied with these results. That was a matter for later, though. Right now, she needed to stop Kai’s attacks as quickly as possible!
. . .
As the end of the day neared, Toshiko thought Damon was going to leave. He stayed for the night, though. He stayed the next day too. And the next. And the next. Soon, his court trial was only a few days away, and he spent all his time with her and Kai. At least he and Kai were getting along, making her sure that her plan had succeeded.
However, his long stay was confusing. Toshiko needed to confront him about this when Kai wasn’t there, so Toshiko asked Damon, “Can I go to your house, Mochi?”
Unfortunately, Kai immediately asked after, “Ooh, can I come too?”
“You’ve been to my house before, Kai,” Damon reminded him.
“And I like being there! Plus, you still have some of my clothes. I know I told you that you can keep some of them, but I didn’t say you could just take everything I own.”
“Your closet is full of clothes.”
“‘Cause I kept buying more after I realized I’m going to lose my entire closet to you if I don’t!”
“You could tell him to stop,” suggested Toshiko.
“But I don’t know if he’d listen to me.” He whispered in her ear, “And I also need him to take some of my clothes. I have clothes I would never wear, but I know Damon would love to have them in his closet. Plus, he does look nice wearing my clothes.”
“You could give him the clothes as a gift,” she whispered back. “You could wrap it nicely and add flowers as a bonus.”
“Damon’s more of a giver and not a receiver when it comes to gifts, though. I tried to get him a plushie that costed about five human dollars one time because I thought it looked like him, and he acted like I was offering him $1,000,000, but he’d have to go through Fagigly failure to get it.”
“Do you know what other human word starts with the first four letters of ‘Fagigly’ and could describe Damon and you?”
“Whatever plans you’re making aren’t going to work,” interrupted Damon. “Kai, you’re not coming to my house, and Toshiko, you’re never coming into my house.”
Kai pouted as Toshiko said, “But I want to go to Fairy World and see the inside of your house!”
“I can take you to Fairy World, but we’re not going into my house.”
“Where are we going?” asked Kai.
“It’s just going to be me and Toshiko.”
Kai’s smiling expression faded. “What? Why?”
“I have something I need to talk to her about.”
“As do I,” agreed Toshiko. “Other than about your house.”
“You could’ve just said that.”
“But I want to be in your house.”
“So, you guys are just going to leave me?” Kai sighed. “Have fun...”
After a second, Damon took him and Toshiko to Fairy World. They appeared to be in a forest. All the trees loomed over Toshiko, making her feel as big as an ant. “Do you and Kai come here often too?” she asked.
“No, but it’s private here.” Despite saying that, he still looked around like someone was listening in. Only weird people listened in on conversations they weren’t supposed to hear. “You can say whatever you wanted to tell me first.”
“Alright.” She waited for him to look at her. “I don’t mean this in a rude way, but why are you still here? I thought from the way you acted in Fairy Falls that you would leave after an hour or two, but it’s been days.”
“I was going to leave earlier,” he admitted, “but I changed my mind.”
“Why?”
“Reasons.”
“I can listen.”
“I’ll tell you later.”
“Later instead of never? You’re changing, Mochi. Your turn,” she said before he could reply. “Unlike you, I shall actually answer!”
“Right.” His gaze darted away. “Don’t laugh.”
“I am an empathetic person, but I can’t promise I won’t laugh at you.”
“Good enough, I guess.” After a pause, he began. “I’ve been... I’ve been wanting to tell Kai...”
“That you have feelings for him?” she finished. “It took you long enough, but fortunately, you have come to the right person! I am certain that Kai reciprocates your feelings, although I doubt he knows his feelings. Don’t worry; I will help him realize that, and after, I will tell you when—”
“That was not what I was going to say.”
“What else would there be to tell him?”
“That I’m changing my mind about resigning!”
“You’re— You’re staying?” She stared at his face that reminded her of a strawberry from how red he was. “You’re not lying, right?”
“I’m not lying. I didn’t bring you here to talk about...that. I brought you here—”
“You’re staying!” Toshiko wrapped her arms around him. He stumbled back a few steps from her sudden hug, but he didn’t push her away like the other times she tried to hug him. He was awkwardly patting her head, but she didn’t care. Damon was staying!
She knew Damon wasn’t a huge fan of physical touch, so she made herself pull away soon. When she did, she asked, “What made you change your mind? Weren’t you sure you were done with this part of your life?”
“I wasn’t done with this part of life.”
“Obviously, if you’re staying.”
“I meant... It’s that stupid drawing,” he sighed.
“The one I made?” She wrinkled her nose. “That drawing is so bad.”
“I know it’s bad, but...” After struggling with his words for a bit, he settled for, “I don’t know, I just couldn’t leave after looking at that.”
“If I knew I just needed to show you that picture to make you realize you couldn’t leave yet, I would’ve done that ages ago. Mochi, your resolve for moving onto a new part of your life isn’t strong.” His expression looked off to her. Guilty, he looked, and ashamed. Toshiko couldn’t help but ask, “Did you lie about why you were resigning?”
“To you and Kai. Everyone else who found out thought I had enough of Kai.”
“You didn’t bother to correct them?”
“That would mean I need to know the actual reason I’m resigning.”
She shook her head. “Mochi, I thought you were more professional than that. Quitting your job without knowing why? You were panicking about your crush on Kai, weren’t you?”
“I don’t—”
“I don’t want to hear any of it! I know Kai was part of the reason you were resigning, and I know you both have feelings for the other. Friends don’t spend thousands of years raising children together! Friends aren’t even godparents together! If you two got married right now, most people would be more surprised that you weren’t married before.”
Damon cleared his throat. “We’re not talking about this anymore, and we’re moving on to how to actually tell Kai about how I’m staying.”
She huffed. “Fine. We can talk about that. The answer is simple, though. All you have to do is just tell him. I’m not sure why you’re making this a big deal.”
“Kai will make it a big deal.”
“You’ve dealt with Kai for this long. You can find a way to handle that.”
He sighed. “It was a mistake asking you about this...”
“Maybe to you, but I am very happy about everything you told me.”
Telling Kai about the news might be a challenge to Damon, but they would move on from it fast. Soon, the two of them and Toshiko would get back to their version of normality. The future was looking bright!
. . .
Technically, Toshiko was eavesdropping again. However, she felt she had a right to hear Damon and Kai’s conversation about him staying. She was the one Damon went to for help, after all. Yes, she hadn’t given him the best advice in his eyes, but she also made a deal with Damon: He could tell Kai himself today, or she would tell Kai. It was obvious who would be the better person to break the news.
So, when they were watching the television showing a golf game mainly featuring a woman with a bunny visor yelling at everyone, Toshiko made an excuse about needing to look for something to help a costumer and ran up the stairs. Back in her hiding spot from the last time she eavesdropped, she waited for Damon to reveal his secret.
He did sooner than she expected. The way he randomly said, “I changed my mind about resigning,” wasn’t to her liking, but she could deal with it.
However, from how random it was, all Kai’s response was, “What?”
“I changed my mind,” he repeated. “I got approval to stay. We can still be godparents together.”
“You’re lying,” he said quietly. “You have to be. You can’t actually...”
“I’m not lying. But...if you don’t want that, I can—”
“No, don’t... Don’t try to leave again...”
Toshiko heard a sniff, then quiet crying. She risked taking a peek and saw Damon with his arms around a crying Kai. Neither of them said anything. There was a quiet comfort between them, the one that only came from knowing the other for most of your life.
Toshiko made sure she was quiet this time as she carefully made her way to her bedroom. This wasn’t something she needed to overhear.
. . .
Today was the day when Damon’s court case was supposed to be. Even though they all knew it was cancelled, the three of them still laid on the grass in Toshiko’s backyard and waited there silently like someone was going to come find Damon for not showing up.
The sun was setting. That showed that in the Fairy World, that showed the time for the court case had ended. Still, no one said anything for a while. Eventually, Damon broke the silence. “We’re never going to talk about this again.”
“Why?” asked Toshiko.
At his silence, Kai filled in. “He’s just embarrassed.”
“You did overreact.” Having a crush wasn’t scary, and from the way they currently were, they already spent so much time together that they might as well have been a married couple. Toshiko would have to find another day to deal with her godparents’ feelings for each other, and when that day came, she would make sure her godparents were happy with each other. She was a matchmaker—she could even be the best matchmaker—for a reason.
“I just said we’re not talking about this,” repeated Damon. “This topic will never come up again.”
Silence filled in the space after that. It didn’t last as long as before, though, when Kai said, “Toshiko, do you remember that one time when Damon wanted to quit being a godparent but came back before the day of his court case?”
“Shut up, Kai.” Damon’s voice didn’t have any of his usual annoyance in it.
“If you keep bothering Mochi,” added Toshiko, “he’s going to actually leave us.”
“I won’t.” This time, his voice sounded gentler.
Toshiko’s gaze was on the sunset. It was quiet. No one else mattered in the world except her and her godparents. Her mission had succeeded: She helped Kai and Damon make up, and she even did what she hoped but didn’t except to achieve, which was getting Damon back as her godparent. After such a tiring mission and crazy few weeks, she could use this moment of peace, and she knew her godparents would agree.
Kai said her old drawing made them look like a family. The families she saw always seemed to be close and love each other to the moon and back. She wasn’t like that with her parents, but she was sure she was like that a little with Kai and Damon. Speaking of the moon, she would love to stay outside for longer. They could treat it like they were camping, which could be a good excuse to have Damon make them more marshmallows. Kai would agree to do it if marshmallows were involved.
She, however, didn’t get the chance to tell her godparents about her fantastic idea. Another voice calling out her name came in before she could. That voice was annoying and sadly familiar.
Damon and Kai turned into toy balls as the door leading to the backyard opened. Tozu stepped out from inside the house. His red eye fixed itself on her. “What are you doing on the ground, Toshiko? You’re going to get dirty.”
“No, I won’t,” she said as she sat up.
“Right, you’re already dirty.”
“Just because I laid on the ground—”
“No, not because of the ground! You’re already dirty since you’re unfaithful. Do I really need to mention your third-grade boyfriend for you to remember?”
Toshiko’s heart stopped. “How did you get that information?”
“I have my ways. Speaking of having my ways...” Tozu’s voice lifted like he was smiling. “I have a friend named Mara! You haven’t met her before, but you will later. We’re going to see her!”
“What are we doing with Mara...?”
“It’s a surprise! It’s going to be so much fun! She has so many guns we can use!” Tozu went back inside and closed the door behind him.
Once he was far enough away, Kai turned back into his regular form and hissed, “That Mara girl is so going to kill you...!”
“I-I know...!”
Damon had transformed back to normal not too long after Kai. He added, “That’s why we’re here, Kai. We need to protect Toshiko.”
“But Tozu’s so scary...” He clasped his hands together. “Damon—”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re safe too.”
He beamed. “Thank you, Damon!”
Toshiko would have to postpone her and her godparents’ fake camping. Their moment of peace was over, but if Tozu was being the worst babysitter in the world, and Damon was the one who indirectly confronted him the most with Kai fearing Tozu more than Toshiko, then they were back to normal. As nice as the peace was, knowing that things were always going to be the same as always like now made Toshiko appreciate Tozu just a little. Heavy emphasis on the last three words.