Final Chapter 30: The Best Seat in the House

But in the Hoshi household, peace looks like a Sunday morning pancake breakfast where nobody tries to stab a sausage with a fork.

It has been a month since the "incident" with the Yakuza. The neighborhood is quiet. The Kanto Rengo has dissolved, mostly because their leader woke up in a car down the street with a bent gun and a profound fear of cats. The estate company withdrew their offer to buy the land, citing "unforeseen structural anomalies" (which is a polite way of saying Yoshi rearranged the local geography to make it unbuildable for anyone but us).

Hajime is happier than I have seen him in years. He thinks he scared off the Yakuza with a broom. He tells the story to everyone who will listen.

"I just looked them in the eye", Hajime says, waving his chopsticks at the breakfast table. "And I said, 'Not in my house!' And then... well, it gets a bit fuzzy after that, but I remember feeling very brave".

"You were very brave, Dad", Naomi says, hiding a smile behind her teacup. She winks at Muji, who is currently trying to balance a stack of five pancakes on his nose.

"I am a master of balance", Muji declares. The pancakes wobble. "Do not distract the artist".

"Eat your food, Tiger", Yoshi says. He is sitting in a chair properly today, wearing a t-shirt that says "I HATE MONDAYS" (a gift from Naomi). He looks less like a terrifying geomancer and more like a grumpy teenager who just woke up. "And stop playing with your food. We are respectable citizens now".

"Speak for yourself", Inoe says. She is reading a fashion magazine, levitating her spoon to stir her yogurt without using her hands. "I am a deity of style. Respectability is boring".

Kenuji is helping Naomi with her calculus homework. He is not using his psychic powers to cheat; he is actually explaining the derivatives.

"So if the limit approaches zero", Kenuji says, pointing at the notebook with a claw-no, wait, a finger. He is human right now. "Then the function stabilizes".

"I still don't get it", Naomi groans, resting her head on the table. "Why do numbers have to move? Can't they just sit still like normal numbers?"

"Calculus is the study of change", Kenuji says patiently. "Like life. It is always moving".

"Deep", Muji says. The pancakes fall off his nose. He catches them mid-air and stuffs them all into his mouth at once. "Mmm. Change tastes like syrup".

I am sitting by the window, basking in the sun. I am fully recovered. My spiritual core is humming with a steady, warm light. The crack is gone, healed by rest and an obscene amount of premium tuna.

The door opens. Hajime stands up, checking his watch.

"Alright, I am off to the community center", he announces. "They are having a meeting about the new park renovation. I want to make sure they plant more cherry trees".

"Have fun, Dad", Naomi says.

"Be good, kitties!" Hajime calls out to the empty living room, assuming we are asleep somewhere.

He leaves.

As soon as the door clicks shut, the tension-what little there was-evaporates.

"Okay", Naomi says, standing up and stretching. "House meeting. Agenda item one: The beach trip".

"Beach?" Muji perks up. "Sand? Water? Fish?"

"Yes", Naomi nods. "Dad is taking a weekend off next week. He wants to go to the coast. He rented a cabin. He wants to bring the 'cats'".

"We cannot go to the beach", Inoe says, horrified. "Sand gets everywhere. It is an exfoliating nightmare. And salt water ruins my hair".

"We are going", Yoshi says firmly. "Hajime needs a vacation. He has been working too hard. We will go. We will be good pets. We will not summon sea monsters".

"Aww", Muji pouts. "Not even a little one? Just a baby kraken?"

"No krakens", Kenuji orders. "We are there to relax. Swimming. Sunbathing. Nap taking".

"I like naps", I say. "I vote yes".

"Item two", Naomi continues. "The Talent Show".

"The what?" Yoshi asks.

"The university is hosting a talent show", Naomi says, grinning. "And I signed us up".

Silence fills the kitchen.

"Us?" Kenuji asks slowly. "As in... you and your five cats?"

"No", Naomi says. "As in me and my five mysterious, transfer student cousins who are visiting from... let's say... Hokkaido".

"We are not doing a talent show", Yoshi says, crossing his arms. "We are warriors. We are the shadows in the night. We do not dance".

"First prize is a year's supply of premium wagyu beef", Naomi says.

Yoshi uncrosses his arms. "What kind of dance?"

"I was thinking a band", Naomi says. "Muji on drums. Yoshi on bass. Inoe on vocals. Kenuji on keyboard. Haruka on tambourine".

"Why do I get the tambourine?" I ask.

"Because you are the cute one", Naomi says, pinching my cheek. "You are the mascot".

"I can work with that", I admit.

"I don't know how to play bass", Yoshi says.

"You can reshape the earth", Naomi points out. "Pretty sure you can figure out four strings".

"I will shred", Muji says, playing air drums with his forks. "I will be a rock god".

"I have always wanted to be an idol", Inoe admits, checking her reflection in her spoon again. "I have the charisma".

"It is settled then", Naomi claps her hands. "Rehearsal starts at noon. But first... agenda item three".

She looks at us. Her face gets serious.

"Are you guys happy?"

The question hangs in the air.

It is a simple question. But for five hundred years, the answer has always been complicated. We were cursed. We were soldiers. We were lonely spirits drifting through time, waiting for a war that never seemed to end.

I look at my siblings.

Muji is covered in syrup, laughing as he tries to balance a spoon on his nose.

Kenuji is smiling-a real, small smile-as he corrects Naomi's math equation.

Inoe is critiquing the fashion choices of the news anchor on TV.

Yoshi is drinking his coffee, looking out the window at the garden he fixed, his eyes calm.

Are we happy?

We live in a small house in the suburbs. We share a litter box (when we have to). We eat kibble (sometimes). We have to hide who we are from the world.

But we have a home. We have a family that knows us-really knows us-and loves us anyway. We have a purpose that isn't just killing monsters.

"Yeah", Yoshi says softly. He looks at Naomi. "We are happy".

"Good", Naomi smiles. "Because I bought a laser pointer. A new one. It has different shapes".

Yoshi's eyes widen, "..shapes?"

"It has a mouse shape", Naomi says, pulling a small keychain from her pocket. "And a star. And a butterfly".

Yoshi stands up. He tries to look dignified. He tries to look like the leader of the Guardians.

"I am immune to your tricks", Yoshi says. "I am an ancient being of immense power. I do not chase lights".

Naomi clicks the button.

A tiny, red, glowing mouse appears on the floor.

It wiggles.

Yoshi twitches. His pupils dilate. His tail swishes.

"It... it is mocking me", Yoshi whispers.

"Get it, Blackie!" Muji yells.

Yoshi breaks. He pounces.

He lands on the rug, sliding into the table leg. Thump.

"I got it!" Yoshi yells, his hands cupped over the red light. "I caught the mouse!"

Naomi moves her hand. The mouse escapes from under Yoshi's hands and darts across the room.

"It escaped!" Yoshi screams. "After it!"

He scrambles on all fours-still in human form-chasing the light. Muji joins him, diving over the sofa. Inoe laughs and throws a cushion at them.

"You guys are idiots", Kenuji sighs, but he is putting his book down. He watches the red dot move near his foot. He twitches. He pounces.

"Gotcha!" Kenuji yells.

"Hey! That was mine!" Yoshi tackles Kenuji.

It is chaos. It is loud. It is ridiculous.

I sit by the window, watching my family turn into a pile of wrestling, laughing limbs. Naomi is cheering them on, moving the light faster and faster.

The sun is warm on my back. The world is safe. The shadows are gone.

I close my eyes and listen to the sound of happiness.

It sounds like laughter. It sounds like friendship. It sounds like home.

And honestly? It is the best sound in the world.

"Haruka!" Naomi calls out. "Incoming!"

I open my eyes just in time to see the red butterfly dancing on my knee.

I smile.

I pounce.

The Neko Saga might be over. But the fun?

The fun is just beginning.

The End.