“I’d rather they didn’t,” Jouno replies, but they both know that isn’t the entire truth. Jouno likes being needed, likes being the person people turn to when they require help, if only because he likes the praise that comes with it.

“But you signed up for it when you started following me around.” That’s also not the entire truth — it wasn’t as if Tachihara was given much of a choice when it came to following Jouno. The older kitsune had more forced him into recruitment than anything.

“Tell me, though — how have you been?” Jouno may not understand Tachihara’s fascination with humans, but he cares enough about knowing everything that he bothers to ask how it’s going.