They Say a Good Appetite Is a Blessing, but When the Blessing Gets Too Big, the Kid Has to Go

Night at the Kurosaki family home.

The whole Kurosaki family stood in the living room, staring in stunned silence at Wu Biao, who was sweeping through the food on the table like a refugee who hadn't eaten in a year.

Kurosaki Isshin quietly pulled Kurosaki Ichigo aside, his mouth twitching as he said, "Son, do you know how hard it is for your dad to earn money? Do you know how hard it is for a single father to raise three kids? And don't you know that my little clinic barely gets a customer once every few days?"

"..." Kurosaki Ichigo's mouth twitched. "What are you trying to say?"

"I can't afford to feed him!" Kurosaki Isshin stared at Wu Biao as he wolfed down the food. "At this rate, we won't even be able to afford rice. Do you really have the heart to let your two adorable, growing sisters go hungry every day?"

At that moment, Wu Biao looked up from the table and glanced at the whole family in confusion. "What are you all standing around for? Eat! Don't be shy. You don't have to treat me like an outsider!"

"..." The Kurosaki family thought, You should treat yourself like an outsider!

"You should treat yourself like an outsider," Shyarly blurted out, hoping the starving glutton would feel ashamed and leave.

But she'd clearly overestimated him. With Brother Biao's brains, he couldn't tell an insult from a compliment. "You're the ones being unreasonable. You really don't have to treat me like a guest. Come on over and eat."

Then, as if he'd just thought of something, he said with sudden realization, "Is it your custom to let guests eat their fill first? It's really fine. I don't think of myself as a guest, so you don't need to feel awkward either!"

"..." The Kurosaki family.

"You..." Shyarly was so angry she could hardly speak, but Yuzu tugged at her from beside her.

Shyarly glared at Wu Biao, then huffed. "I'm not eating!" With that, she turned and headed for her room.

Wu Biao blinked in confusion. "She seems angry. Why?" He tilted his head, thought for a moment, then slapped his palm. "Got it. She must be on her period. I heard women get really irritable when they're on their periods!"

Karin Kurosaki, already some distance away, stumbled. She spun around, her face bright red, glared at Wu Biao, then turned and marched into her room. With a loud BANG, she slammed the door behind her.

How could that be?!

Kurosaki Ichigo stared at Wu Biao, speechless. His sister was only twelve!

"Is that so?" Kurosaki Isshin folded his arms, looking thoughtful. "Now that you mention it, Shyarly has been a bit irritable lately. I guess she really is growing up. Should I go to the convenience store and buy her some sanitary pads? Hmm... I'll ask what brand she likes!"

As he spoke, Kurosaki Isshin turned to go after Shyarly.

THUD—

Kurosaki Ichigo spun around and kicked Kurosaki Isshin to the floor. He planted a foot on the back of his father's head, his expression murderous, and snarled, "You pervert!"

"I was... just... concerned!" Isshin's muffled voice came from the floor.

Wu Biao watched the father and son, then turned to Yuzu. "Is that how fathers and sons greet each other here?"

"..." Yuzu shook her head helplessly, her sweet smile still in place. "Just ignore them, sir. Would you like more rice?"

Wu Biao hastily shoved a few more mouthfuls into his mouth, then handed her his empty bowl. "Thanks. Another bowl, please!"

"Of course!"

Kurosaki Isshin had just gotten up from the floor. His face darkened. That was already the sixteenth bowl!

"Son, this guy... uh, what's his name?"

"Wu Biao!"

"What kind of name is that? Never mind." Kurosaki Isshin shook his head, then leaned close to Kurosaki Ichigo and whispered, "Son, are you sure you didn't pick up some beggar off the street who hadn't eaten in a year?"

"..."

Kurosaki Ichigo really wanted to say, Of course not.

But... even he wasn't sure anymore. Wu Biao had just eaten fifteen extra-large bowls of ramen at the ramen shop, and now he'd eaten all this too?

"Tell me, where did you pick him up?" Kurosaki Isshin watched Wu Biao eat, his heart giving a painful twitch. He glanced at Wu Biao's flat stomach. Where was all that food going?

Wouldn't he burst?

"I don't know either!" Kurosaki Ichigo shook his head. "He just appeared out of nowhere in front of me yesterday. I still can't figure out whether I was seeing things."

Kurosaki Isshin's expression turned serious. "Out of nowhere?" He turned to Kurosaki Ichigo and asked, "Tell me exactly what happened."

"I'm not sure, either. I just had this strange feeling, so I looked over there without thinking—and saw him jump out of thin air!"

Jump out of thin air?

Kurosaki Isshin couldn't help frowning. He knew his son had spiritual awareness, and that sensing strange fluctuations was normal. But the way his son described it sounded an awful lot like a passageway from Hueco Mundo to the Human World.

But this guy was obviously human, not a Hollow. So why had he appeared out of nowhere?

"Why are you suddenly so interested in this?" Kurosaki Ichigo asked, puzzled by his father's strong reaction.

Kurosaki Isshin's expression gradually grew solemn. He frowned at Kurosaki Ichigo and said, "Son, there's something I've been hiding from you. The truth is, my identity is..."

Seeing his father's grave expression, Kurosaki Ichigo couldn't help but grow serious too.

"...the captain of the Third Division of the Planetary Defense Force. I'm responsible for repelling extraterrestrial visitors—in other words, the invasion of aliens..."

THUD—

Kurosaki Ichigo kicked his father to the floor again, a vein throbbing on his forehead. "I shouldn't have thought someone like you was capable of being serious! Get your crazy ass to a mental hospital, you bastard!"

Wu Biao glanced up. "Mm. There they go again."

"Just ignore them." Yuzu's mouth twitched slightly, but she kept smiling gently, like a little adult.

"Oh!"

Kurosaki Isshin got back up again like a cockroach and pulled Kurosaki Ichigo aside to whisper, "Son, are you sure you want to let him stay?" His face twitched as he continued, "You know our clinic barely gets any customers in a whole month. Why would we need a helper?"

Kurosaki Ichigo sighed, but still said, "Look at him. He doesn't even seem as old as I am. It'd be so pitiful for someone that young to be wandering around. We should help if we can."

"I think the one who's even more pitiful... is me, for taking him in!"

"Just hang in there. When another job comes up, you can introduce him to it," Kurosaki Ichigo said.

Kurosaki Isshin sighed, but didn't say anything. His son had never asked him for much, so now that he'd asked this once, Isshin couldn't bring himself to refuse.

"Sir, please wait a moment. We're out of rice. I'll go cook another pot," Yuzu said in her gentle, quiet voice.

"..." Kurosaki Isshin and Kurosaki Ichigo.

"Son, I think... we'd better talk this over again!"