I.N.K. (Inu No Kaneko) | Original Kemonomimi Light Novel

Chapter 12: Meet the Hogoshas

"So Inu, you ready to meet my family?" Kaneko smiled back at Inu before continuing her focus on the road.

"Yeah! I'm so excited!" he exclaimed loudly as he wiggled in his car seat. Kaneko and Inu were off to meet her family for Thanksgiving. It was the first time Kaneko had ever introduced her son to them, though she'd told her mother about him many times.

"Good." Kaneko smiled at him in the mirror. Her heart fluttered whenever she saw him back there, her motherly pride over flowing with love.

After the long car ride, Inu and Kaneko made it to the small country house late in the night. Inu had fallen asleep and was completely passed out in his car seat. Kaneko's mom came out of the house with open arms, saying "hey hunny." she beamed, smiling and embracing Kaneko.

"Hey mom." Kaneko smiled, so happy to see the woman she hadn't seen in oh so long.

"Alright Kaneko, where is he?" her mom smiled, taking Kaneko's hands excitedly. Kaneko brought her over to Inus side door.

"Now remember, he's a bit...different," Kaneko said with a nervous smile but her mom replied very quickly.

"Oh I know, dog ears and tail and stuff, just open the door so I can see my grandson." Her mom smiled.

"Ha ha alright." Kaneko smiled as she put a finger up to her lips to signal her to be quieter since he was sleeping and her mom nodded. Kaneko opened the door, revealing the small boy laying in the seat, sweetly asleep. Her mom put her hands to her mouth in happy shock at how precious he was as Kaneko reached down to pick him up, her mom stopping her.

"May I?" Her mom smiled shyly but hopeful. Kaneko smiled and nodded, happy to see her mom's reaction to him. Her mom reached down with soft, sweet, caring, and experienced hands as she reached under his legs and around his back, lifting him and lettting him lean against her chest. Her mother smiled down at him, the same proud smile as Kaneko gave him quite often. They walked into the house and her mom put Inu on his bed. She smiled and brushed some hair from his face and kissed his forehead before walking to the door frame where Kaneko was waiting, smiling. Kaneko's focus stayed on Inu. Suddenly, she felt a pair of lips touch her forehead lightly. Kaneko looked up at her mother who had her hand placed on Kaneko's cheek. "Good job, sweetie." Her mom smiled proudly.

They went down to her dad, who was sitting on his chair watching the news. They embraced each other, so happy to see each other again. They talked about Kaneko's life in that year, the things they've experienced, but they mainly talked of Inu. They talked for hours until Kaneko joined Inu in their bed, placing her arm underneath his head. She smiled at him as she brushed through his hair with her fingers as he slept. "I'm so proud of you, Inu." She smiled before kissing his head and going to sleep, a smile painted gracefully crossed her face.

The next morning, Inu woke up, a new smell filling his nose as the aroma danced through the air. He wasn't at home, he realized very quickly. His eyes opened as he started to get nervous but saw Kaneko in front of him, calming his small heart. He loosened and smiled, but soon sitting up realizing he was in a new place to explore. Inu got up from the bed and went downstairs. He walked carefully down the chilly wooden steps, his bare feet slightly becoming cold. The brisk morning air filled the room as he walked into the dining room at the bottom of the steps, a new smell crossing his nose. He walked to his right, into the separate, smaller room that seemed to be a small dining room connected to the kitchen. He walked up to the counter and peaked over it into the kitchen. There stood a woman he'd never seen before; his ears peaked up in curiosity as he watched the woman cook. The woman looked up and smiled.

"Oh, good morning Inu." She smiled kindly. He yipped, surprised and ducked behind the counter. "Aw, don't worry hunny," the woman smiled, coming around the corner and kneeling in front of him as he stood there, back straight and his hands placed over his mouth, a bit unsure of what to do. "I'm your grandma." She smiled and Inu tilted his head, one ear plopping down to his head, now even more confused. "I'm your mommy's mom." The lady smiled at him kindly. Inu gasped, surprised, and looked shyly at her.

Inu giggled adorably. "Oh...hi," he said, playing with his shirt shyly, smiling.

Kaneko's mom smiled. "Would you like to come watch me cook? Maybe you could help a bit," his grandma said with a smile. Inu nodded, beaming, and they walked hand in hand to where she was cooking. She cooked for a while, Inu standing on his toes, watching her. He eventually lifted his hands up to her and she picked him up so he could have a better view. They finished breakfast and brought it to the table and she rung the small bell they had on the wall to signal breakfast was ready. A few minutes later, a man walked into the room and Kaneko ran down the stairs frantically in panic.

"Has anyone seen... oh, thank goodness," she said, thinking Inu had run off but instead found Inu in her mom's arms, hunching over and taking a deep breath to calm herself down.

"So, is this the little one we've heard so much about?" Kaneko's dad smiled, coming up to Inu with Inu looking up a bit shy. "It's okay; I'm your grandpa, but you can just call me papa if you'd like." He smiled at Inu

"P-Papa?" Inu said, testing it out and then sat up smiling, liking the word. "Papa... PAPA!" Inu beamed, arms now out to him and Papa taking him and holding him as Papa laughed. They ate breakfast together as they talked, Inu now warming up to them. They mainly ate, though Kaneko's mom and dad would ask him multiple questions. They spent the day inside: Papa talking about how when Inu gets older he could help him with hunting and tracking down the animals, and her mom showed him the joys of crocheting...though all Inu could really do was get tangled in the yarn. Everything seemed to be going perfect until that evening, when everything changed.

Kaneko's mom got out a scrap book of Kaneko when she was younger. Inu seemed to enjoy it so much. He loved seeing his mommy when she was younger. He seemed to love it until they got to one picture of her and her grandpa. "And this is your grandpa's dad." Grandma Hogosha smiled as she pointed to a picture of a man, a bit rounded with balding gray hair; he seemed an overall jolly man, but Inu jumped with a large growl and barked before running off screaming as he held his head, his ears pressed tightly to his forehead. His scream wasn't playful or laugh worthy, it was a scream of terror and utter fear. The kind of scream Kaneko had only heard Inu use during his worst nightmares, but it didn't make sense. The picture was taken a year before her grandpa had died...ten, years ago.

Kaneko ran upstairs and into the room where she thought Inu was, but he wasn't anywhere in sight. "Inu?" Kaneko said, very worried. She slowly started to hear sobbing coming from underneath the bed. Kaneko leaned down to see Inu in a fetal position, crying into his knees. "Hunny come out; everyone's worried about you." Kaneko smiled gently.

"No, not him." Inu said between sobs.

"Who, sweetheart? Who is it?" she said reaching out to him, touching his knee sweetly.

Inu tensed up as he started to full on bawl, now yelling. "That man, I know him. I know him! I remember, and I DONT WANT TO REMEMBER!"