chapter sixteen;

━━━━━━ "KAORU, MAKE SURE YOU PLAY NICE and be like the gentleman I taught you to be", kisa reminded, as she made sure the little boy's yukata wasn't too flashy.

"of course nee-chan!! when will she be here?", kaoru excited asked as the two foxes were currently waiting at the garden.

kisa's ears perked up as she heard footsteps nearing, to which she smiled as she replied to kaoru.

"right now".

just as kisa stood up, with kaoru standing slightly behind the girl's kimono, the four men along with their subordinates, and a special little girl had arrived.

kisa put on her most welcoming smile as she kneeled down once more, inching closer to the little girl with round red eyes, who was clearly scared.

"welcome to the yōkai world eri. my name's kisa, but you're free to call me whatever you like. this is my little brother", kisa pointed, to which little eri had nervously looked up, to see a smiling pale boy who's face quickly flushed pink.

"h-hello...I'm kaoru! and I'm six this year", the little boy introduced, to which kisa raised a brow in amusement.

"h-hi...I'm...eri. and...I'm also six", the girl quietly mumbled, to which kisa just chuckled.

kisa then outstretched her hand, to which the girl unconsciously flinched, making chisaki slightly displeased.

"don't worry eri, I won't hurt you", kisa smiled, to which eri had begrudgingly accepted the girl's hand.

kisa then led little eri towards kaoru, who started to mentally malfunction, as he's never had any friends before, much less a cute girl as a friend.

"now now kaoru, remember what I said. you two go play, but don't run too far", kisa urged as she let go of eri's hand, meanwhile kaoru had taken a deep breath in and boldly snatching the girl's hand, leading her away.

kisa slightly tilted her head to the side as she watched the children disappear behind the bushes.

     "now, let's discuss business", kisa said as she invited her four fiancées and their friends to take a seat at the table set up under the sakura tree.

     "why aren't you sitting hari?", kisa asked.

     "overhaul—"

     "if I'm going to be wed to your boss, you might as well listen to my commands as well. and that goes for the rest of you too", kisa interrupted, to which kurono hesitantly took a seat.

     "so...what did you wanna talk about kisa-chan?", toga laughed.

     "well I'm glad you asked. I actually wanted to thank you personally, twice. you've been spending the majority of your time making my dress I see", kisa smiled.

     "of course, it's my honor. it's such a drag!!", twice yelled, covering his own mouth in shame.

     kisa chuckled. "no need for the gesture. I actually quite enjoy your contradicting statements. it's very refreshing".

     "what?! how come only twice gets to see your dress?!", toga pouted, to which the girl smiled.

     "it's a surprise of course. I can't have people knowing...especially not father", the girl mumbled.

     dabi grinned. "well don't you just take every chance to piss your father off".

     "not true", kisa defended.

     "our first impression of you was you being carried into the main hall on a bed. if that doesn't scream arrogant, I don't know what does", inasa rebutted.

     "well at least I'm not the only one that has daddy issues here", kisa chuckled, to which dabi simply snorted.

     "anyways, hari, have you gotten all the reservations set?", kisa asked.

     "yes, your—kisa".

     "and bearhead, did you and bakugo blow up chunks of the mountains and have the tengus transition it back to their region?"

"indeed. I'm honestly surprised that bakugo guy had so much anger and fury pent up", bearhead commented.

"which is why he'd be a perfectly good villain if he wished", kisa grinned.

"is that why you've also kept that todoroki here?", shigaraki growled, to which kisa just held the blue-haired male's hand, as it was a round table and they were beside each other.

"he chose to stay, I didn't force him", kisa honestly said, to which dabi was skeptical of that statement.

"anyways, himiko, I'm going to need you to get eri a flower girl dress, preferably in the color black or gold", kisa demanded, to which toga just enthusiastically nodded.

     "and—"

"where's kaoru?", a female voice suddenly asked, to which kisa just sighed as she turned around.

"is that how you talk to your older sister?", kisa teased, to which kimiko had only frowned in response.

     ever since the kasumi incident, kimiko had kept her distance from kisa, knowing full well that she would be next if she were to let kisa get any dirt on her.

     "anyways, he's playing with eri. don't bother him", kisa answered.

originally, kimiko had wanted to ask who eri was, but could care less, as eri was probably just another human that kisa had brought in.

"kaoru needs to come, father said so", kimiko persisted.

"why?", kisa casually asked, to which kimiko had slightly shuffled her feet.

     "it's mother's death anniversary", kimiko replied, to which kisa simply took a sip of oolong tea.

     "he's right around the corner", kisa said, to which kimiko had hastily left to go retrieve the boy, not wanting to be in the intimidating presence of her sister any longer.

     "how come you're not going?", toga boldly asked.

     "why would I visit the grave of a woman that I have no blood connection with?", the girl questioned as she took out a magazine and started flipping through the pages.

     the blonde girl then remembered that at kimiko's tea party, she had mentioned kisa not being a full blooded nine-tailed fox.

     "what do you think of using red spider lilies as the centerpiece for the tables?", kisa asked, sliding the magazine towards chisaki, inasa, and dabi, meanwhile the girl leaned on shigaraki's shoulder.

"if that's what you want", chisaki answered, to which inasa just nodded in agreement.

"you don't want roses instead?", dabi questioned.

     "why would I want roses? they're so cliché", kisa scoffed as she felt a tug on the sleeve of her kimono.

     the girl sat up as she saw little eri awkwardly standing there. obviously eri was not fond of chisaki nor kurono, hence kisa was the next best option.

     the girl had promised that she wouldn't harm her, and so eri believed her.

     "ah! since kaoru left, why don't you join us?", kisa smiled, to which eri hesitantly nodded.

     "eri, quit bothering her and come over here", chisaki demanded, to which the little girl flinched at the man's harsh tone.

     though before eri could walk over, kisa had swiftly swept the little girl off her feet and placed her snuggly on her own lap. 

     "I want eri here. look how adorable she is", kisa smiled, combing through the girl's somewhat tangly white locks.

     chisaki sighed. "fine".

     "and what's with this ragged clothing? we'll get you some pretty kimonos with some matching shoes", kisa smiled, to which eri just nodded, not daring to speak up.

     "I don't think that'll be necessa—"

     kisa frowned as she looked up at chisaki, who had immediately shut up, not wanting to cause the woman any displeasure.

     "in fact, let's go clothes shopping right now!!", kisa chuckled as she stood up with a fragile eri in her arms.

"you'll be paying, right kai?", kisa sweetly asked, to which eri worryingly glanced at chisaki, who seemed too done with life at this point.

"if you wish".