Hoshi is shakes his head and tells him, "You do not have to show me your face if you don't want to."
Jikan's lips form in to a soft smile and he replies, "I want to, because my partner should know what I look like under this hood."
The moment he folds it back the young man's happy expression turns to shock.
"I know not what you were expecting."
Hoshi looks at the amazing dark blue hair that disappears in to the back of the hood, the cloaked man's eyes are the colour of a setting sun. They appear to have two pupils on either side of virtual one that lies in the centre. The one thing he cannot get over are the long black horns, that have light blue almost white tips, they sweep back over the top of the cloaked man's head.
"Wow those horns are amazing," says Hoshi as he strokes one.
Jikan holds him close. "I am so glad my appearance does not frighten you."
"No, not one bit. It is obvious when I saw your world you were not going to be exactly like me. Well, a more handsome version of me."
The cloaked man places his hands on either side of the lad's face. "What are you on about? You are a very handsome man. Never think otherwise."
Hoshi's eyes blink and he questions with a gasp, "Really you think I am handsome?"
"Yes, very handsome. Your looks though are not the only reason I have fallen in love with you, and you know that I love you for who you are."
The young man gives him a hug. "I love you too."
Jikan hears him yawn, he gently lies him down and whispers, "I should leave you to sleep."
Hoshi takes hold of his hand. "Please stay with me."
"What about your parents?"
The lad bites his bottom lip, "Ah."
The cloaked man smiles. "Ah, indeed," he says with a slight chuckle to his voice. "That is why for now it is best for me to leave."
They kiss and Jikan gets off the bed.
"Have a nice sleep and I will see you later," he whispers going on to give him another kiss.
Hoshi puts his arms around the cloaked man's waist. "I am so glad you are back. Please come and-"
Then a knock comes at the door and his father asks, "Son, who are you talking to?"
As the door begins to open in a blink of an eye Jikan is gone.
"See I wasn't talking to anyone, Father. It's just me sitting here reading."
"Reading aloud?"
"Yeah, I just got caught up in the story. Sorry, I will go to sleep now. Night, Father."
Mr Kobayashi gives him a pat on the shoulder. "Night, Son," he says and walks out of the room.
Hoshi lies back down and slowly drifts off to sleep, only to be awakened by his alarm. A hand comes out of the ball of quilt to smack the top of the clock to silence it.
The young man just cannot be bothered to move just yet. He flops over on to his back and begins to think, with the money he has been earning from helping Jikan, he could use it to get his own place. The problem is it would lead to too many questions as he has never been able to afford his own place on the money he gets from working at the monastery. The last thing he would ever do is make something up, because knowing his mother she would know straight away he is hiding something. All he can do is carry on as normal. The young man throws back the covers and goes on to get washed and dressed.
This morning his parents are both seated at the table, his father is not even reading the morning paper or looking at his mobile.
Mrs Kobayashi gets him to take a seat and begins to dish up the congee.
"Now, son, I want to know what you were really doing last night. We heard your voice along with another mans. Who was he?"
Hoshi takes a deep breath and answers, "He is just a friend."
Mother narrows her eyes at him. "Who came to see you in the middle of the night?"
Hoshi feels like he is being backed in to a corner and quickly replies, "Yes… he just really wanted to see me. Sorry, we just did not know how you both would take to finding him this morning in bed with me."
Mr Kobayashi clears his throat and asks, "So you were hiding him?"
"No, the moment you knocked he left. Sorry, he is just shy," replies the young man thinking why did I just say that? Jikan is far from shy.
"How did you get to know him, son?"
Hoshi knows there is no way he could tell them the truth, one they would think he has gone mad or think he is making the whole thing up.
Mr Kobayashi gives him that serious stare all fathers give their children when they want an answer.
The young man looks around the room and answers a moment later, "At work, which I really need to get to."
They all continue to eat their breakfasts and Mrs Kobayashi suggests, "Why not bring your friend home, so we can meet him properly."
Hoshi just smiles and quickly leaves the room. He trots back upstairs to brush his teeth and goes to use the loo before he heads back down to put on his boots and coat.
"Have a good day, son," calls his mother from the dining room.
"Later," replies Hoshi and leaves the house.
The young man is making his way through the freshly fallen snow to his work place when Jikan appears.
He offers his hand to Hoshi and asks, "Care to come with me?"
"You do not need to ask me twice, partner," replies Hoshi taking hold of it.
In an instant they are on the other side of town, all the young man can see is a set of giant dragonfly like wings sparkling like the surface of water in sunlight.
"Yānwù, what are you doing here again?" Jikan questions looking up at the creature.
The creature is an insect that looks half between praying mantis and half stick insect with compound eyes that reflect the world around him.
"Jikan, I was told by Taiyō where to find you. A door to my world is here. A door no one had opened. For this would is too small, too fragile. Just like your world. Please help me to close it before another of theses enters."
They see walking around Yānwù's hand is a large black cat.
"Wait, that looks like a puma," says Hoshi a little shocked. "They are not native to Japan and as far as I know there are no zoos around here either."
"No way, that is a Yè wù māo, in your language, night mist cat. They belong a disc world and always have a master. Its name should be on its collar."
The insect creature takes a look at the deep red collar around the cat's neck. "Ah, Bómù."
The moment he said it the cat's fluffy, smoky grey ears twitch in his direction and its dark green eyes stare up at him.
"Bómù, is that your name?" Yānwù asks in a slightly higher voice.
Hoshi finds this to be amazing, it seems to not matter where they are from everyone speaks the same way in a slightly high voice when it comes to a fluffy, cute creature.
"Mow, mow," chatters the cat tilting its head to one side then starts to lick its front right paw.
Jikan gives the cat's head a stroke and asks, "Bómù? Bómù, where is your master?"
The cat emits a soft growl like it is thinking. "Mow," it call a bit louder.
"What does its master look like?" Hoshi asks as the cat emits another loud mow.
"He will be taller than you, slender with golden locks, piercing blue eyes that have a hint of green to them. They always dress in a white robe which matches their complexion. Oh I should say their eyes are like the cats."
"I understand what you mean. There is a hospital nearby, I could make sure he is not there."
"That's a great idea, we will wait for you here, lad."
Hoshi nods and makes his way inside the hospital and asks the main desk if they had any new patients which match the description his partner had given him. The young lad is shocked to hear the lady informs him the man is in the plum ward on floor two.
Hoshi quickly makes his way to the word to discover the man is lying in the second bed. A doctor comes walking over to him.
"How may I help you?"
The young lad quickly replies, "This gentleman is a friend of mine, he has been missing since last night."
"Are you able to tell me his name?"
"Bómù," Hoshi quickly responds with a smile. "I am hopeless at pronouncing his surname."
"Ah, I understand when Chinese is not an easy language to learn."
The young man nods and emits a soft laugh. "Yep it sure is."
The doctor adjusts his glasses and steps a little closer. "I know from not just his eyes, but also his blood, this man is not from this world. Trust me I have treated quite a few people who are like him, not of this world. I never tell anyone. All I do is treat them and help them to return to their world. I am wondering if something big has followed him, or he has encountered something large. I say this because it is clear he has been grabbed by a large hand and squeezed. The poor man has four broken ribs a punched lung and bruising to his spine. If you know of a way to get to his world, we need one of his own doctors to treat him. I can only do what I can."
Hoshi takes hold of the sleeping man's hand. "I will see what I can do."
The doctor nods and reassures him, "I will keep your friend safe."
The young man performs a deep bow then makes his way back outside where he goes on to inform the others what has happened from the disc world.
Yānwù points a hand towards his chest. "I would not harm him… it sounds like he has followed someone from his world into mine and then here… why here?"
Jikan reaches in to the left pocket of his coat to bring out a crystal. "I will go to his world and find out," he says going to whisper something over the crystal.
Hoshi watches in amazement as a portal to the disc world opens. The land is covered in yellow grass with light blue to pink flowers dotted here and there. Over on the right are dark blue trees and the sky is an odd shade of honeydew with aqua coloured clouds.
The cloaked man is about to step through when he waits for the cat to enter who seems to wait for him.
"I take it, I cannot come with you?" Hoshi asks trying not to sound disappointed.
"You can, however, it is not advisable when you could be carrying something which the people of this world might not be able to fight. The same can be apply to you."
"Ah, you are right. Plus you know what to expect on this world, where I do not."
"Exactly. Right, I will be as quick as I can," informs Jikan going him a pat on the arm.
All Hoshi and Yānwù can do is wait in the cold for the cloaked man to return.
It does not seem long before Jikan returns with a man dressed in a pure white robe. All of his long wavy blood hair has been tied back and clutching the soap of a message bag.
"Hoshi, take him to Cuì… the one you found in the hospital," orders the cloaked man.
The young man can clearly hear there is a definite worried tone to his partners voice. He gives a sharp nod and heads over to the entrance with the nervous man following him.
When they are inside the lift the man in white smiles. "Fēngbào," he says pointing his hand towards his chest.
"Ah, that is your name, Fengbao. I am Hoshi," replies the lad performing the same action.
"Ho-shi… you… of t-this world?"
"Yes, I am," he answers going to show him through to the word.
When the man in white sees his fellow friend he dashes over and curtains are drawn.
This brings the same doctor over and Hoshi goes on to explain who is with the patient.
The doctors eyes open wide. "My that was quick."
"They have been looking for him. It is looking like someone is opening up doors to other realms and not closing them. He must have been trying to close the one here when this happened to him."
The curtains open and Fēngbào is now holding a semi conscious Cuì.
"Thank you for help. I… I take him h-home now."
The doctor nods and enquires, "Would you like me to get a wheelchair?"
"Doctor Tanaka I should have guessed it would have been you."
The doctor quickly turns around and performs a slight bow. "Jikan, it is good to see you."
"You too. By the way they do not need a chair, Fēngbào is just going to open a portal to their world."
"I understand. Gin da la un'un ta ma gin ma."
"Un'un sa ma yee rin na sa ma."
"He said to thank you for all your help."
"You are welcome," replies the doctor performing a shallow bow.
Fēngbào throws out his left hand and a ring upon his middle starts to glow. In a flash a portal to their home planet opens and helps Cuì to step through.
Then the entire hospital seems to shake and the lights flicker just as a giant scaly leg goes by the window.
Jikan puts out his hand. "Hoshi, we need to go."
The young man nods and they quickly make their way back to entrance just as the building shakes and a loud roar causes some of the windows to break.
"No, it cannot be?"
"It cannot be what, Jikan?"
"Hēi jiàn. All you need to know is we are going to need Yānwù's help to send that home."
When they get outside Hoshi looks up to see a monster like creature that is as black as the night with razor sharp teeth and claws.
The insect creature comes out from behind a tall building and the two titans seems to stare at either other. It is almost like they are waiting for the other to make their move.