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He was born on the night of a full moon. A bad omen not just for the village beyond the hill on which the nursery was established, but for the nursery itself. With superstitions overtaking rationale for humans, a child of the full moon could spell nothing but trouble. The nursery knew of these superstitions. They knew how those outside the nursery would treat their monsters and tried to avoid having their monsters hatch on the night of a full moon. Though they tried to support their monsters, the unease and fear of scrutiny should they keep this child led to questions of his fate. Should they toss him into the wild where rogue monsters lived so he could fit in amongst them? Should they hide his existence and keep him in the nursery for the rest of his life? Should they put him down?
“He’s our child, not some rabid pet of yours to fear. You don’t get to decide his future for him.” From his crib, he saw a woman, gentle and warm. She wheeled herself to him and stroked his head. There was movement in his peripheral vision. He turned to see what it was.
Another woman, sterner and more cautious, reached a hand out to him. He giggled and took a fingertip, chewing on it harmlessly. Her smile was hesitant but her words were firm. “You’ll be okay. We’ll protect you, Teru.”
He was a docile child, well-behaved yet free spirited. He liked to act out in certain situations but he was, for the most part at least, obedient. If he was told it was time to sleep, then it was time to sleep. If he hated carrots but was told to finish them, he’d painstakingly eat them all with a grumpy face of disdain. If he was told it was time for his daily checkup, he would wait patiently in his room until Mei or Shijima was ready to see him.
Teru loved Shijima and Mei. Shijima was the angel to Mei’s devil on his shoulder. Whereas Shijima was strict and always making sure he was behaving, Mei would whisper in his ear ways to cause mischief. Teru was taught to always listen to adults, if his parents told him to steal a few cookies from the cookie jar then what was he doing wrong? It was harmless fun!
Well, eventually Teru grew to develop a mischievous side that he kept very well hidden. He was such an angel despite being a monster of the full moon! Look, he was helping the researchers carry their books and documents to their rooms. And there! He was helping a fellow monster solve a jigsaw puzzle. Even now, he was exchanging secrets with the other monster children. What were they up to now? Games? Oh, they were on their move!
Aw, did they want their parents’ attention that badly? Clinging to the researchers’ legs like that, how cute! And there was Teru, guiding other monsters into the kitchen. Huh, he stopped just outside the doorway. Well, he certainly looked like the general of the pantry thieves.
“What’s wrong, Teru? Why are you standing outside the kitchen? Are you hungry?” A researcher passing by stopped in front of Teru and knelt down to eye level in concern.
“The other monsters are inside raiding the pantry.” He pointed to the poorly hidden monsters.
“What!?”
“You said you’d be a lookout!”
“Traitor!”
“Bad monsters don’t get dessert today. Thank you for telling me, Teru.” The monster had a polite smile as he nodded. “You can get an extra portion tonight.”
Oh… oh dear. Perhaps Mei had been a little too encouraging with Teru’s mischief. Shijima would not be having it tonight. At least Teru seemed okay with his two desserts for the first and last time.
It was time for a photo! Smile at the camera!
Snap!
Oh my, how cute. There he was with his parents, though it seemed Shijima wasn’t fully prepared for the photo. There was always next time. The photo would go in their memory album. Maybe one day they would find it years after forgetting it. They would look through the album together and stop at this one photo. How would they react? Laughter? Smiles? Some hint of sadness within the nostalgia? Regardless, one thing was clear.
This was a photo worth treasuring for a lifetime.
It seemed Mei was growing a little too weak and was unable to keep up with little Teru’s shenanigans. Should they focus on studies instead? He looked at her funny. Teru certainly didn’t approve of homework, but all good and studious monsters would be rewarded!
Hm? What’s the reward?
Well… Maybe there was never a reward. Parents tricked their children into doing or not doing things when they were young, right? Don’t hold it against them, of course. They often meant well.
Mei seemed a little sad that Teru was devoting his time diving into books rather than having fun. She’d gone to Shijima to talk about it. Teru was still a child, after all. He could have fun for a while more. Shijima seemed to agree. But it came as a surprise when they found out that their darling monster seemed to actively enjoy reading over tossing sticks and stones at others. Oh well. If that was what he wanted to do, who were they to stop him?
Shijima had locked herself up in her study for three days straight now. Whenever someone came back to check on her, she’d tell them she was busy or needed more time. Her report wasn’t due until much later, so she should relax!
“Shijimaaa, I miss you! Come on out, we’ll have some tea together.”
“In a while, Mei.”
“Shijimaaa, it snowed last night. Do you want to build a snowman with me?”
“I’m almost done. And don’t you dare go outside in your condition.”
“Shijima.”
“Yes, Mei?”
“Teru’s already on the move.”
“Wha—“ The glass windows shattered and the books were kicked aside. Teru laughed as he made a mess of the study he’d broken into, watching Shijima’s expression carefully. She was shocked in more ways than one. W-was that a look of excitement at her anguish?!
“Mei told me to do it,” he shuffled his feet and looked up from his toes. “Forgive me?”
Oh no he didn’t!
“We’re going to build a snowman.” Shijima set down her pen and pointed at her child. “You get all the clothes you can find.”
“Yes ma’am!”
“Yay~ I’ll get to the—“
“No, you’re waiting here.”
“Why?” Mei pouted.
“I got the clothes!” Teru struggled to keep all the clothes above the ground as he waddled towards them. Shijima immediately took the first few articles of clothing from the pile and stuffed Mei inside them.
“Shijima, don’t tell me…”
“It’s for your own good.”
After Mei was cold-proofed, Shijima led Teru to the snow and started packing it around him. Before he knew it, she’d made him the snowman. Dusting the snow off of her clothes, Shijima took a step back to admire her work. “You seem toasty.”
“I’m melting.”
“I’m a little cold.” Teru yelped as he was rolled to Mei’s wheelchair. “Shijimaaa,” he whined.
“I’m going back to work now, you two take care.”
That day, Mei and Teru found out just how spiteful Shijima could be.
Teru tried one-upping Shijima today.
Shijima tried getting back at Teru the next day.
And then Teru tried to prank Shijima the day after.
They started a small war trying to get the last laugh.
The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. These two were clearly vengeful beings.
Mei was sick today.
Teru tried to make her some soup.
It didn’t go so well. He almost burned the nursery down while Shijima tried to salvage what she could of the soup.
Perhaps he should leave the cooking to another person from now on…
They made a terrible discovery. Teru was a natural born fighter. Now, he was expected to join the countermeasures department to fight rogue monsters in the future.
“Do you want to be a fighter when you grow up? You don’t need to,” asked Mei.
“You can decide your own future,” said Shijima. “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
“What do you want me to be?” Teru asked sincerely, maybe a little hopefully, like he wanted a specific answer that they could not figure out.
“It’s your choice.”
“I don’t mind being whatever you want me to be.”
And that response broke their hearts.
Mei couldn’t get out of bed today.
Teru was growing distant with the other monsters. His parents were concerned. “Don’t you want to play with them? It’s been a while since you’ve last talked.”
“I don’t wanna.”
“Why not?”
“They’re boring.”
“Don’t say that, I’m sure there are a lot of interesting things about them that you don’t know.” Mei started counting with her fingers, saying, “Maybe they like to bake but hate sweets. Maybe they’re bad fighters but great negotiators.”
“That’s still boring.”
“That’s subjective,” Shijima interrupted as she brought a tray with Mei’s medicine to the bed. “There’s nothing wrong with a little boredom here and there.”
“I heard them say they wanted to be a florist when they grew up. I don’t get why. What’s so fun about growing plants and inviting bugs to your place?”
“Maybe it’s just a passion of theirs. What about you? What’s your passion?” Mei asked gently. Teru frowned.
“Whatever you want it to be.”
“Teru, we’ve been over this before. You don’t need us to tell you what to do or be.”
“Maybe I don’t know what I want to be. Ever think of that?” Teru grouched and hopped off the chair he’d pulled beside Mei. He stomped to the door and spared a glance back. “Maybe instead of constantly telling me I’m free to be whatever I want, you can help give me tips to figure out what I want to be.”
He slammed the door shut on his way out.
Mei didn’t leave her room the next day.
Or the next.
And the next.
He hadn’t spoken to either of his parents since that day. They didn’t try to seek him out. Shows that they care , he thought bitterly. He stayed in his room too.
There was a knock on his door. Ah, did they finally—
“Mei passed away.”
Time slowed to a stop. His ears buzzed and replayed what was said to him over and over again until it finally sank in. His body was numb and his vision spotty. He ran past the researcher and headed straight to Mei’s room. The doorway was blocked by other adults and curious monsters. Teru shoved them out of the way.
Mei was sleeping on her bed, neither smiling nor frowning in her slumber. Shijima was sobbing into the bedsheets as she held her partner’s hand.
“When will she wake up?” He asked, because surely, it was just a long nap. Surely, they misunderstood one of Mei’s deathly still slumbers as her passing and she would wake up more alive than ever, and he would be able to apologize. Shijima looked at him with a face twisted into a glare, both upset and defeated.
“She won’t wake up ever again.”
Teru’s world shattered.
It was cloudy, but sunny too. It was windy and hot. At the same time, it was humid and cold. Teru paid the weather no mind.
One by one they placed roses on her coffin. She was lowered into the earth. She was covered in dirt. And then, she was gone.
A part of everyone was buried along with her that day. But Teru lost half of his world. Shijima lost much more.
They kept themselves busy and avoided each other. Teru engrossed himself in his studies and honed his skill as a fighter in his free time. Shijima rarely left her study. Nobody came to take her out.
It became abundantly clear that Mei had been their glue. They never spoke to each other again. They never saw each other again. Come months later when Teru decided to finally pluck the courage to speak with his last parent, it’d been too late.
Shijima’s glasses were found in a clearing in the forest. She herself was nowhere to be seen. The earth around the glasses were imprinted with the footprints of multiple different monster species.
There had been no sign of a struggle.
Teru ran away from the nursery soon after. Then, he got lost. But he was lost in more ways than one. He travelled the country and encountered a variety of different people and monsters. They were interesting, even their dreams and hobbies were unique in their own ways.
Teru felt the urge to cry climbing up his throat. He pushed it down. He didn’t deserve to think of them. Not now, and perhaps not ever again.
A monster tried pickpocketing him today.
Teru didn’t let that go unpunished. As he sank his claws into the monster’s arm, he felt a thrill he’d never experienced before. Ah, was this his calling? His parents had been distraught when they found out he was considered to be scouted for the countermeasures department so long ago. Ironic that it may have been the job he was destined to pursue in the future.
Teru retrieved what’d been stolen to him, kicking the unresponsive monster away from him as he stood up. He could feel the eyes of other monsters on him from within the shadows. Readying himself for another round, he thought the world could do better without monsters like these.
Thus began his violent spree. Not all of the lives taken by him were guilty. Teru didn’t care.
He’d just finished tossing a monster into the ocean one day when he felt someone tug his cloak. He looked behind him and found no one. Another tug and he looked down.
A young boy, blue eyes dark with vengeance and blond hair matted with mud, looked up at him in awe. “Didja just kill that monster without a weapon? That’s so cool!”
“Hm…” how should he handle this human child?
“Can you teach me how to do that too!?” The boy looked eager and prematurely confident. Teru didn’t see a warrior in the making. He saw a boy tainted with blood he would never be ready to shed. The monster shook his head subtly, making sure his horns and tail were hidden. The wings growing on his back fluttered restlessly under his cloak.
“You’re not meant for that kind of job.”
“C’mon, you gotta teach me!” The boy whined.
“Where are your parents,” sighed Teru. The boy faltered. Oh.
“That monster killed them and my sister. But you killed it so that’s all good! I just don’t want any more people to go through the same thing. I want to stop those monsters before they can hurt anyone else.”
“Look, kid. To be honest, I don’t think you’re cut out for this whole monster slaying thing.” Before the boy could interrupt him, Teru raised a hand. “But I won’t stop you from tagging along with me for a while until you find a new place to stay.”
“But will you teach me how to kill monsters?” Teru walked away from the cliff edge, making the boy follow behind him excitedly. Teru spared the human a glance before facing forward once more.
“I think you’re better suited to raise them.”
That human, Kou, was as much his lifesaver as Teru was his. Kou could cook, he could do a lot of household chores. He was curious about monsters in a way that reminded Teru of the researchers of the nursery who were invested in uncovering the mysteries of each monster they raised. Kou was Teru’s first companion since traveling and his first social connection in a long time. He was an enthusiastic kid, something Teru found endearing.
But Kou would not give up on the idea of becoming a monster hunter. Nothing Teru said directly dissuaded the boy. He chose a different method. He talked about the place he once called home. He spoke of the kind and eccentric researchers and the unique yet relatable monsters living in harmony within that castle. Kou was enraptured by the idea of coexisting with monsters. Teru saw it clearly whenever he recounted tales of his childhood. Kou was not a bloodthirsty guy. He wanted to see the best in everyone and was too hurt to extend that kindness to monsters. But he was willing to try. Teru respected him for that.
A few years passed before they knew it. Kou grew to be a curious soul. Teru was still a haggard monster slayer. But perhaps it was time to go home, just this once. And when Teru brought Kou to the nursery, he would be honest with the human about his real identity.
“This is the nursery…?” Kou spun in a slow circle to marvel at the architecture. “Amazing…”
“The interior is much cooler, last time I was here.”
“Nothing has changed since the last time you were here.” Teru froze. The researcher who greeted them was…
“Tsuchigomori?” He’d never interacted with that researcher much, but Tsuchigomori was known throughout the establishment as a tired man who seemed to know everything about everyone. Rumor was he had a secret library underground full of records of those who came to live here. Teru couldn’t decide whether he believed in said rumor or not.
Tsuchigomori nodded. “Long time no see. How many years has it been?”
“Seven, if I remember correctly.”
“How many of your own have you killed by now?”
“I lost count.”
“You never lose count,” Tsuchigomori rolled his eyes and pointed at Kou. “New recruit?”
“Only if he wan—“
“I want to!” Kou was vibrating in place, looking fondly at the researchers talking with monsters around them. “I want to for sure.”
Tsuchigomori witnessed his utter lack of malice and whistled. “You found a good one.”
“He’s special.”
“The committee is going to want to see you.”
“I’ll see them after I give Kou a tour.”
“Whatever floats your boat.”
“Teru-nii, what’s that over there!” Tsuchigomori raised an eyebrow, smirking at Teru’s slightly red cheeks.
“Don’t you say a word.”
“A word.”
“You never won the funniest researcher award for a reason,” Teru said in faux sympathy. The researcher shooed him away.
“Were you raised by humans just as kindly?” Kou asked as they ventured through familiar halls. Teru stopped walking and stared at the human in disbelief.
“A researcher’s gotta be observant! And you weren’t particularly trying, were you?”
Teru smiled and ruffled Kou’s hair. “You’ll do just fine here, I know it.”
As expected, Teru was assigned a member of the Monsters Disasters Countermeasures Department. Unexpectedly, he was the chief. Unexpectedly again, he was assigned a human to watch over him, Akane. Unexpectedly once more was the fact that this human was actually capable of fending for himself. The boy was an entertaining fellow. He feared no monster and took no nonsense from anyone. He was a decently put together guy. That was, of course, unless he was in the presence of a monster Teru would admit was beautiful. Akane was a fool whenever that monster was nearby. He was as pathetic as he was amusing. Though Teru wouldn’t find out about this until much later. Further observations must be made in order for him to decide whether he liked Akane or not.
“Do you have to leave?” Kou asked dejectedly.
“I’ll make sure to visit once in a while.”
“You better! Next time you see me, I’ll be the best researcher there is!” Teru smiled.
“I don’t doubt that.”
Nothing really changed now that he was chief. They let him do whatever he wanted, really, with only an observer behind him. Akane hated him. Or did he hate his job? Teru couldn’t tell.
Whenever they had free time, Akane would write a letter. He seemed passionate about it compared to his usual dull expression whenever he was following Teru’s lead. It made the monster curious.
“Who’s it for?”
“My childhood friend Ao-chan. She’s such an angel. Last time I saw her she was helping the monster children brush their hair— Just how kind can she be.” Ah… A lovesick fool. Teru shrugged, ready to drop the topic when Akane gasped. Pointing at the monster accusingly, Akane said, “I’m not going to let you have her!”
Oh? Teru hid his smirk behind his hand as he sighed. “Like I’d fancy an ugly monster who's supposedly boundless kindness only extends to combing people’s hair.”
“How dare you!” A photo appeared out of nowhere and was thrusted in front of his face. Teru leaned back and focused on the monster in the photo. Huh, she was quite beautiful indeed. Still, that polite smile and reserved posture, not to mention the look in her eyes as if she was taunting those who thought her as perfect, made Teru wary. “Isn’t she the most beautiful monster in the entire world?”
“…Yeah, I guess so.” Akane scoffed at the end of his sentence but pocketed the photo away with a nod.
“As long as you understand.”
Oh, he understood alright. He found a new way to get under Akane’s skin. This was perfect. Hopefully they could meet soon.
Traveling with Akane was entertaining at times. The human got the job done when it counted, always stoic and on top of things when they were investigating monster activity. When it was time to rest, Teru found him both annoying and hilarious.
Confessing almost every hour of the day, every day, for years? How overbearing. How lame. But from what he’d been told, Akane was never outright rejected. Could it be a game between them…?
It didn’t matter in the end. Teru liked Akane, he was handy to have around, but the monster much preferred the human boy who looked up to him like an older brother. Akane’s cooking just wasn’t at the same level. His companionship was tinged with annoyance, and his presence was cold. Kou was much warmer, so much friendlier. Teru missed Kou.
“Brother lov—“ Teru slapped a hand over Akane’s mouth. The human’s smug eyes melted into annoyance. “You know I’m right though.”
Teru pulled out some chains and smiled.
“I said nothing.”
Teru received a letter himself one day.
I met this really nice monster today! She’s helping me get used to living here and is teaching about monsters before I can take care of them myself!
There Kou was with a picture of a familiar looking monster. Well, it looked like it was time to visit the nursery again.
Wonderful. Absolutely magnificent.
This monster had the same look in her eyes as he had once upon a time. Mischief under the facade of an angel, a selfish being acting as a selfless hero. She played that role well. And when she rejected Alane’s confession without hesitation, and her grin grew into something twisted when Akane wasn’t looking? Perfection.
“You know, I think I like you.”
“Oh? That’s nice to hear, especially since I like you too.” Behind them was the sound of a broken heart and devastation.
The monsters were behaving, lately. There were hardly any whispers of foul plays and wretched plans. It meant less work for him. Teru wanted to try many things, but his skill and talent in most of them were subpar, a contrast to how he handled work.
Akane wanted to cry as Teru started breaking the candy into fine powder with his needle. Beside the human was a large pile of candy dust from the amount of candy shapes Teru had failed to carve. “All that money… for what?”
“I think I got it this time.” Another crack. Teru looked at the candy blankly before reducing it into dust and dumping it into the growing pile. “One more time. I got a good feeling about this.”
Kou was growing into a fine man. He was completely enraptured by the world he once tried to loathe, eagerly following the other researchers to observe what they were up to and excitedly chasing the monster children and playing with them whenever he wasn’t shadowing the researchers. He knew how to handle kids, even if the monsters had different needs. Kou was attentive and always remembered the preferences of every monster he looked after. Teru vaguely remembered him mentioning he had a sister. Maybe he was meant to look after the young ones.
This year, Kou had dragged along a researcher a little older than him to introduce to Teru. There was a woman following them a short distance away. She took her time, each step slow and purposeful. She had an air of regality about her, how intriguing.
Kou waited until she was standing nearby to introduce them. “This is Natsuhiko and Miss Sakura! They joined recently but they know a lot about monsters that even the other researchers didn’t know about!”
“I see…” Teru looked at Natsuhiko from head to toe with furrowed brows. Natsuhiko began to sweat.
“Despite appearances, Natsuhiko can be surprisingly reliable.” Teru turned his attention to Sakura.
He only needed a quick glance to know he could trust her. With a bow, he said, “Please take care of my brother. He’s a hardworking person but tends to get carried away at times.”
“Nii-chan!”
“Of course.” Sakura returned the bow. They stood straight simultaneously. Teru felt relieved with these new additions to the nursery. Kou was in good hands.
When Teru finally was able to chisel out the candy piece without breaking it, Akane called it a bad omen. Teru wanted to laugh at Akane’s fear, but when he came back to see two new researchers with seals on their cheeks and an unpredictable shine in their eyes, he was inclined to believe his companion.
“They showed up out of nowhere one day but if the higher-ups can trust them, so can I… I think.”
“Just send word if they cause any trouble and I’ll deal with them immediately.”
“What!? No, you don’t have to!” Kou waved his hands and blocked the doorway with his body. “Oh, by the way! I think we’re getting a new batch of eggs soon! The Chief is letting me be in charge of one of them!”
“Really? Are you excited?” Teru felt his malice sizzle and die down at the change in topic. New eggs, huh? Well, it was that time of year again, and the nursery had plenty of capable researchers to look after the monsters. Kou nodded enthusiastically.
“I’m excited but also a little nervous. I don’t want to mess up, you know? Life is a precious thing and all.”
“Sakura and Natsuhiko are there to help if you need it. They’ve handled eggs before. Are they going to be working with you on this project?”
“Huh? Oh, no. The twins are.”
Teru felt something in him snap, and he was ushered out of the nursery by Akane immediately.
“Those twins are going to trouble Kou, I can feel it. I just know it. I should go back to make sure he’s okay—“
“Look, there’s the monster who’s been devouring humans nearby.” Akane pointed to the monster a distance ahead of them. In the blink of an eye, Teru threw the club in his hand into the skull of the culprit. Akane began to sweat.
“Where did they even come from? Who are they—“
“You’ve been asking yourself this for the past two months and haven’t gotten any bad news. I’m sure your brother is fine.”
“Maybe they already did something and nobody survived. Maybe they’re forcing him to keep quiet.” Teru frowned. “If that’s the case—“
“Do you not trust your brother’s capabilities that much?” Akane sighed with a shake of his head. His baseball bat was wedged into the earth in frustration.
“He never trained for combat.”
“Look. He’s fine. The committee doesn’t let some random stranger in even as a guest unless they’ve done an extensive background check.” He raised a hand before Teru could open his mouth. “And if those brothers managed to hide everything, at the very least Tsuchigomori has got things covered.”
“That guy?” Teru asked in disbelief. Tsuchigomori hated conflict. What could he do? What did he know? What did Akane know? “You—“
“Master Teru?” They jumped back, already swinging their weapons when the monster behind them easily ducked under the blows. “You have mail.”
“Oh… Thanks.” Who was this guy and how did he sneak up behind them? How hadn’t they noticed him? How did he know who they were and find where they’d gone? He exchanged a look with Akane, who shook his head.
“Who’s it from?” Teru flipped the envelope over and inhaled sharply.
Kou.
Fearing for the worst, Teru opened the envelope recklessly. He tore it open and snatched the letter out of it, speed reading the paper. His body sagged.
“What is it?” Akane whispered. Teru let out a slow laugh. Akane looked at him questioningly.
“Kou’s become a parent.”
Time to go back to the nursery.
It was bright. Not in the blinding lights way, but in a warm and happy environment. Teru couldn’t remember the last time he felt this way in the nursery. But when he saw Kou and the twins with their children, he couldn’t help but soften. It really did look like he had nothing to worry about. The twins’ children would never hold a candle to Kou’s, but they were excitable and healthy children, just the way they should be.
“Teru-nii!” Kou ran to him with his arms outstretched and his monster perched on his head. “This is my monster!”
“He’s very fit.”
“I made sure he gets enough exercise everyday!”
“That's good, you always have to make sure they’re active. He seems well-behaved.”
“Not really, he sometimes steals things. I found a bunch of the nursery’s missing items in his closet.” Kou glared halfheartedly at his monster, who only looked at him innocently. Teru laughed.
“Mischievous monsters and good too. Can’t have them be a real stickler for rules and not experience the thrill of causing trouble.”
“Were you like that too?” Kou raised an eyebrow.
“Who knows.”
“The children are going to go trick or treating later tonight,” Kou fidgeted. Teru looked at him knowingly. “So I was thinking we could catch up while they’re having fun, if that’s alright with you.”
“It’s more than alright.” Teru ruffled his brother’s hair. “I can’t wait to hear about how you’ve been doing.”
“Be warned, a lot of it will be about taking care of this rascal.” Kou chuckled.
“All the more interesting.”
“Ah, Nene! Come back here, and don’t you dare breathe fire right out right now. We are having guests!” Something collided into Teru’s leg. He looked down.
“Owie,” a young girl rubbed her nose. “S-sorry, Mister!”
“Don’t worry about it,” he knelt down and offered a hand. “Are you hurt?”
“N-no…” She looked at her feet, face red as she peeked up at him a couple of times. Teru grinned.
“Your face is all red, are you sure you’re not injured?”
“Teru-nii, don’t tease her.”
“Yeah! I won’t let you mislead Nene!” The twin with the seal on his right cheek pointed at him with a growl. “She’s a pure maiden!”
“Tsukasa, you’re embarrassing her even more.” The other twin came in, holding the hand of his own child. The young boy hid behind the researcher's leg. “Come on now, Mitsuba. Greet our guest.”
“H-hello…”
“Hello,” Teru greeted gently. It’s been a while since he’d met a more timid monster. How refreshing.
“Don’t be such a baby, Mitsuba-kun!” The girl pulled Mitsuba away from the researcher’s leg and pointed at Teru. “Say hello louder.”
“But you didn’t even say hi to him, Nene-chan.” Nene huffed and kicked her foot into the air.
“Not the point.”
“We always have to greet our guests when we see them before we can go back to playing.” Mitsuba looked bored, but Teru could see the familiar hint of mischief he loved to see in the child’s eyes. “I already said hello so I can go trick or treating. If you don’t then you have to stay here.”
“Wha— B-but…” Nene made eye contact and immediately broke it, her crimson cheeks becoming scarlet.
“I need to get my costume ready~”
“W-wait!” Nene looked between Mitsuba and Teru’s foot before waving her hands at the rabbit on Kou’s head. “Mokke-chan, come here for a moment!” The Mokke complied. Nene immediately shielded herself behind him. “H-hello…”
“Hello,” Teru said mercifully without any teasing. “I think you should prepare for trick or treating with your friends now. It’s almost time to go, isn’t it?”
“You’re right!” Nene gasped. “Let’s go, Mokke-chan! We’ll be late!”
“You won’t be late when it comes to trick or treating!” The unidentified twin shouted as the children raced back to their rooms. He shrugged apologetically. “Sorry about them. They still don’t behave in front of guests.”
“No, that’s fine.” Teru shook his head. “It’s good to see them acting freely.”
He saw the bright Halloween decorations littering the hallways. He saw the researchers all helping the children prepare for trick or treating, laughter swelling and ebbing in the air as the children ran out the door. The nursery was more welcoming than ever before. The monsters were flourishing. Teru let himself be pulled away by his brother to join the other researchers in a feast, allowing himself to be swept away in the festivities.
It was warm. It was gentle, supportive, and free. That was what Shijima and Mei had wanted from him.
Do you see this? He asked them. Aren’t you glad?
They wouldn’t answer him. Of course not. But he knew without hearing their voices in his ears that they were happy.
“To the many years ahead of us! To our research and children!” Teru raised his glass without hesitation.
To you two, for all that you’ve given me.
Everyone cheered and the feast commenced. The night was young. Teru would enjoy it to the fullest. For his own sake, of course.
But for both of their sakes as well.