Kido remembered often visiting a house in the forest with her big sister Ayano when she was little. They would follow the street until it entered the forest and from there on they followed faded trails and hidden paths, until they reached a river. Kido remembered that this was always her favourite part of their journey because the river shimmered and glittered in the warm midday sun like sugar sprinkled on the pastries she liked so much. After following the river for a while and then walking a few more snaky paths, they would arrive at a small, but very pretty house in the middle of a meadow in the woods. Kido remembered the smell of freshly baked bread.

They would be greeted by a young girl in a lovely blue dress and frilly white apron without fail, and spend the afternoon together until it was time to head back when the sun stood low in the sky. She remembered holding tightly onto her big sister's dress when they had left too late by accident and the sky had already darkened. Ayano would always give her a smile and whisper comforting words into the darkness. The path was dangerous and one had to be careful, but the older girl would simply wrap her red scarf around them both and confidently lead the way.

However, those were only memories. Her big sister was long gone, and just like Ayano's bright smile, their frequent visits to the small house in the forest had ceased. But still, Kido held onto those memories dearly. They were comforting, and even though it hurts sometimes, they never fail to put a slight smile on her face.

Kido was now a girl of sixteen years. Old enough to wander the forest on her own, and so she decided to pay that mysterious girl at the radiant river and the whispering trees a long delayed visit. That girl had to be lonely. And Kido was sure Ayano wouldn't want that. She was always intent on securing other people's happiness after all.

Taking a last look at the mirror in front of her, she readied herself for her journey. She wore a fluffy red dress and a white apron with colourful embroidered flowers on it. It wasn't exactly her taste, but her sister had always praised her looks whenever she wore dresses, and their mother always seemed in a good mood when Kido wore the clothes she had made for her. So she could put up with feeling a little embarrassed in this dress, if it made her happy. She put on her brown boots and, of course, her red hood.

The whole village knew Kido for her red hood and contrasting green hair. It was so eye-catching that most villagers called her 'Red Riding Hood' instead of her real name. Sometimes she wondered if they even knew her real name at all. Kido tied the hood's ribbon at her neck and quickly glanced at her reflection in the glass of the cabinet she was passing by in the hallway.

She wore a lot of red. It's the colour of a hero after all.

Collecting her basket with small presents and goods for the lonely girl in the woods Kido embraced her parents and said her goodbyes.

"So far, so good." She thought as she exited the village. As she stood before the forest she noticed a slight feeling of, what was it? Excitement? Nerviness? Fear? She knew of the scary stories the villagers told among themselves. Wolves will attack little children playing too close to the woods, bandits will steal your belongings and kidnap young women, and people will simply lose their way in the tricky forest and die of starvation.

She shuddered at the thought. At least there weren't any ghost stories. She could handle the rest, she was sure.

As she sat foot into the cool woods however, a strange feeling of security settled in her chest. The trees were dancing with the wind in a slow cadenced rhythm and the birds joined in with songs fitting of the atmosphere. So she walked for a while. And walked. And walked, and walked. And stopped.

Wasn't there a rustling just now?

She turned to look at the bushes surrounding the trail she was walking on. Her eyes narrowed, piercing through the leaves in an attempt to find any predators. She would make sure to give them a good beating if anyone tried to ambush her right now. Just because a girl is wearing a cute dress and carrying a basket full of sweets doesn't mean she's defenceless. Especially not Kido.

She didn't hear anymore movements, so she continued on her way, eyeing the bushes around her cautiously.

Snap.

"Who's there?" she asked sternly into the woods, alerted by the sound of a twig snapping. Sure, it could have been a harmless animal, but why take any chances?

Of course, no answer came. Who would be stupid enough to answer to someone they're trying to ambush. She felt a little embarrassed for asking something so senseless. Since she was sure no answer would come, she kept walking on. What else could she do in a situation like this?

A bump, a gasp and a hissed "Ouch!" had her jumping into the scrub she assumed the sound came from. A kick, a yelp, and in a matter of seconds Kido had pinned the ominous pursuer to the ground.

Serious charcoal eyes stared into widened golden ones.

Beneath her was a boy roughly her age, wearing an old light brown shirt and tattered black pants. He was barefoot and dirty and his choppy hair stood up in various directions, but what made him most peculiar were his wolf tail and ears. They stared at each other for a while. The boy was shocked he was caught in the act, while the girl was shocked that the boy before her was apparently not human. After a few moments of silent staring Kido decided to take action.

"Who are you? Hell, what even are you? And most importantly, why were you following me?" She glared at him.

"Hahaha! Oh man, looks like you caught me, huh? I should have been more careful.." the boy said with a nervous laugh. He quickly regained composure and his eyes took on a sharp edge, a grin spreading across his face that would put the Cheshire cat's to shame.

"My, those are a lot of questions, you know? You sure are a nosy girl, aren't ya?"

"Shut up!" Kido shouted, "Answer them right now, or I swear you won't know what's hit you."

"Huh? How am I supposed to tell you when you just told me to keep my mouth shut? You make no sense, girl." The mysterious boy chuckled.

And Kido straight out slapped his face for it.

"I said," she took hold of his collar and pulled him up close to her face.

"Answer. The. Questions." Her eyes were shooting daggers at him right now.

"H-hey! No need to get violent here, okay? Geez, why do I always pick the defiant ones?" he wailed and held his cheek in pain. Again, his face suddenly took on mischievous features, as he looked right into her eyes.

"As you wish, love. Who I am? You can call me Kano. What I am? Why, I am a werewolf, dearest. And why was I following you? Well, the answer to that is, ..."

With a swift roll to the side and a few coordinated movements he had her pinned beneath him and towered over her dangerously.

"The answer to that is, I was following you, because you're going to be my dinner tonight."

Kido could only stare in shock. Had he just called her dinner? As in, chop up, cook in a pot and serve on a plate, kind of dinner? She was completely taken aback by his statements. He was a werewolf? What did that even mean? And how the hell was he able to move so fast?
Her mind was filled with questions she couldn't quite get out of her throat right now.

"Oh my gosh!" the werewolf laughed. "You should see your face right now! Priceless!" Kano bubbled over with laughter, his strong hold on Kido's arms never even once faltering. Tears were already forming in his eyes and it made Kido angry. His laughter was so, so annoying.

She knew she was going to hate this guy. His claw like hands were digging into her arms, and it hurt. She struggled against his hold, the occasional curse slipping out of her mouth when her attempts were futile.

"Stop struggling already, it's no use." The wolf boy said in a playful voice. He leaned down until his face was right next to hers and whispered into her ear.

"Now it's my turn to ask the questions."

She could feel his breath disgustingly close to her face and shuddered.

"So!" he sat up again. "Since you seem to like invasive questions, I'm gonna give you some! And you," he jabbed a finger at her forehead, "will answer them all. Truthfully. Trust me, I know how to spot a lie."

Kido opened her mouth to protest, but was shushed by Kano's hand clamping her mouth shut. So instead, she growled at him.

"Ah, ah, ah! I didn't say you were allowed to speak just yet, did I?" he grinned.

"So, first question. What's your name? Why did you think walking alone in these woods would be a good idea? And what is in that incredibly tasty smelling basket you carry around with you? Now you may speak!" he removed his hand from her mouth, just to be met with a colourful array of curse words.

He quickly put his hand back on her face.

"This is going to be tedious for both of us if you don't cooperate, missy! Now be a good girl and answer the questions~." He removed his hand once again. Kido couldn't believe how cocky this guy was. The next chance she got she was going to wipe that smug grin off his face once and for all. But for now she would have to go along with what this guy wants, just enough for him to let his guard down.

"My name," she glared up at him, "is Kido."

"And I have some business to do in this forest, so get off me!"

"I see, Kido it is! And what kind of business does Kido have to do that involves a basket full of delicious pastries?"

God, was he nosy. How he figured out she was carrying pastries with her was beyond her.

"I'm visiting someone." Kido said through clenched teeth. "Now get off me! I still have quite a distance to go, so stop wasting my time." She made an effort to get up again, but he was still straddling her waist and holding onto her arms. He didn't seem to want to let her go any time soon.

An arrogant laugh escaped his lips. "Do you still think I'll let you escape? Are you dense? I already told you, didn't I? I'm going to eat you up." he smirked down at her, his face bursting with confidence and complacency. For a moment Kido actually felt a tinge of fear, that was until a low growl emitted right from the boy's belly and his expression shifted to one of embarrassment.

Kido saw her chance and quickly twisted her way out of his grip and, while getting up, landed a kick into his already aching stomach.

A sharp hiss and a yelp escaped the werewolf as he curled up and held his belly in pain.

"Ow ow ow, oh man, that really hurt! My own stomach betrayed me! And I was being so cool there, too.." All traces of the boy before her being a predator had vanished. He seemed pretty pathetic now, to be honest.

"Ah, it's no use then." Kano said while sitting up. He still held his stomach. "Just go, visit your friend. I'm no match for you in this state, am I?" He looked to the side so he wouldn't have to meet her gaze. The tips of his ears were twitching from embarrassment. That slip up of his must have really scratched at his ego if he was willing to let her go just like that, even though he'd been so intent on keeping her in place just a few moments ago.

She looked at his bony figure and something tugged at Kido's heart. She felt pity for the boy. Now that she got to examine him in more detail she noticed he didn't seem to be in an awfully good state. He was thin and dirty, and his arms and legs were full of scratches and small bruises. He must live here in the woods, Kido thought.

So maybe he knows the way? Or a short cut, maybe. Kido hated to admit, but she wasn't so sure of her surroundings anymore. Did she take the right path, or had the old one become overgrown with trees and bushes? The only thing Kido was sure of was that a guide of sorts would be helpful.

"Hey." She spoke up and the boy turned to look at her again.

"Let's make a deal. Kano, was it?" This seemed to spark his interest. All embarrassment gone from his face, he sported a curious smile and his ears perked up and his tail started wiggling from side to side.

"Listen, do you know a small house, somewhere here in the forest, that's close to the river? A girl lives there." There wouldn't be too many girls living alone in the woods, so that description would have to be enough.

He nodded his head. "Yeah, I think I know it. The one that always smells like baked goods, right?"

"Exactly." So he knew the way.

"So what's the deal? Do you want me to blow it away like the big bad wolf I am?" he chuckled.

"No, I don't. That was a horrible joke, by the way."

"Thank you. So, what's the deal then?"

"You'll take me to that place. No detours and no trying to eat me. And I'll let you have some of these." Kido held up the basket of pastries and the fruity smell of the small cakes invaded Kano's sensitive nose. He'd already smelled them before, but now with the basket so close to his face, he could feel his mouth watering. He was hungry. And he hadn't had a decent meal in a few days. Berries didn't really satisfy his half human, half beast stomach, and while he surely would prefer the tender meat of a rabbit, deer, or really anything else, a sugary pastry would fill the void in his belly just fine. It's been a while since he had one of those.

He eagerly nodded his head. Sure, he would have to put up with the feisty beast in front of him, but maybe that would make for an interesting memory. And who knows, if he played his cards right, he might still be able to catch her on her way back home and have a full-fledged dinner after all.

"Sure! I'll do it! Just gimme something to eat first, or I might collapse!" He put on a pleading face and dramatically covered his eyes with his arm. What a joker, huh?

She handed him some of the pastries and he literally devoured them. She'd never seen anybody eat so eagerly. Even at the annual village festival, where the men were drunk, the women were dancing and food was generously placed in the village's centre, people didn't gobble their food like him. And she always thought they were disgustingly piggish.

"You look like you didn't eat in weeks." She deadpanned.

"I did eat, juf not fo much!" he spoke with a full mouth. Kido slapped the back of his head, which caused him to choke a little. "Swallow first, it's unsightly to talk with your mouth full of food! Seriously, were you raised in the woods?"

She realized how dumb that statement was the second it slipped out of her mouth. Yes, of course he was.

He desperately tried to cough up a piece that got stuck in his throat while wheezing out choked laughter. After a few moments he managed to breathe and his mocking laughter echoed through the forest.

"Ha! Oh my god, that was a good one! And you say my jokes are bad!" he managed to say between giggles. He wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye to mock her further. "Wow, this is gonna be a fun journey, phew!"

Now it was Kido's turn to feel embarrassed. She quickly pulled her hood down to hide her eyes and turned her back to him. "A-anyway, let's just go! You're done eating, right? We've lost enough time as it is, we're lucky if we even get there before nightfall!"

She started walking ahead. As she thought, she had pretty much lost her orientation by this time and was fully dependent on the mischievous boy at her side. They had wasted half a day already. She remembered the journey to take one or two hours at most. But with that guy in tow and no idea where she was, she really just wanted to get to her destination before it got dark. That girl would surely let her stay the night.

"Since the house is by the river we should head there first!" Kano said as he closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate on something. Kido could see his ears twitching.

"It's this way." He said and pointed into the direction the river lay in.

"Did you find that out just by listening?"
"Yup!"
"I don't hear anything."
"That's because you're merely human, Kido."

Wow, way to be too full of yourself, Kido thought. But if it was in her favour, he could pull his bizarre werewolf tricks as much as he liked. Kido couldn't help but feeling wary about this guy though. He was a werewolf, he said. And as far as Kido knew, those were monsters. People who hide themselves among humans, and once full moon arrives, they turn into wolves and attack sheep, cattle and even humans. But he seemed to be more of a wolf-human mix than anything. She would need to find out more about him if she were to trust this guy.

After walking a while in silence, Kano decided to spark a conversation.

"So, you like red, huh?" His gaze scanned her from head to toes. With this get up it was sure people would assume she was some sort of red fanatic, she guessed.

"Um, yeah." She replied. "It's a nice colour. It means a lot to me."

"That's good! I once knew a person who liked red a lot, too."

What a strange statement, Kido thought.

Characters and Kangerou Project belong to Jin