Kidou showed up early in the morning. By that time, Endou was up and fresh and put in his high chair waiting to be fed.

"Hello, hello! How is the number one baby in the world doing?" Kidou talked to Endou in a baby voice. Gouenji stared at this bizarre version of Kidou with a horrified expression.

"You don't have to do that. He can understand us just fine. " Gouenji then explained.

"I know but it's funny. " Kidou laughed as both Gouenji and Endou glared at him with a fed-up expression.

"So you're just going to come here and crack jokes while I'm stuck with all of the difficult tasks?" Gouenji complained.

"That's not true. I did do some research. " Kidou feigned seriousness but it failed. It was clear he was drawing great entertainment out of all of this. This annoyed both of them even more. Just then, they glanced at each other and the same idea struck them both.

"Have some breakfast with us. It's been a while since we all gathered in a place. " Gouenji offered.

"Okay sure. I haven't had breakfast yet anyway. " Kidou spoke nonchalantly as he took a seat at the dining table.

"Hope you don't mind, it's just some leftovers from last night. I made extra. " Gouenji said as he took out Natsumi's food and heated it up. He set it up nicely in a plate and put it in front of Kidou.

He then sat down as he and Endou both watched eagerly.

"So I began by looking into the details of Kageyama's accident..." He was talking as he absent-mindedly put the food in his mouth.

The next moment was chaos as Kidou was coughing and choking as Gouenji laughed and Endou giggled loudly slapping his hands on the chair's front.

"Natsumi was here?" Kidou asked in a hoarse voice as he downed a glassful of water. He then pushed the plate away.

"You should finish that. " Gouenji said as he smirked.

"As if!" Kidou immediately objected.

"That... wasn't a suggestion." Gouenji was still smirking.

"Or what?" Kidou asked.

"Or else, Endou will cry. "

"So...?" Kidou hadn't even ended his thought before Endou began his shrill crying again. Gouenji stuck his fingers in his ears and ducked as if taking shelter from a weapon.

Kidou was taken off guard and completely startled. It felt like an ambush. Kidou almost got scared the sound would shatter his glasses. He for sure wouldn't want anything bad happening to his glasses.

So he finally caved in too and quickly stuffed all of the food in his mouth with swift bites making his cheeks puff up.

He looked pale and sick by the time he finished getting it all down.

"Something's seriously wrong with you people." He looked at both of them who were watching it all with amusement.

"Anyway, " He began as he took heavy breaths to compose himself, "As I was saying, I looked into Kageyama's accident and apparently there is no record of what happened to him afterwards. "

"What can possibly happen? He obviously died. No one could have survived such a horrific accident. " Gouenji responded.

"Okay then why is the official declaration of his death not available? Why hide it?" Kidou argued, "I'm telling you, he's the one behind it all. He couldn't kill us so he is trying to render us useless. " Kidou turned to Endou and added, "No offense. "

"So now what? We need to find a cure soon. I don't know what to tell Natsumi. " Gouenji replied.

"First of all we should run some basic tests on Endou to see if we find any source of this anomaly. Maybe traces of a potion or something. " Kidou announced, "I know a doctor who can do this discreetly. Bring him to my house in an hour. " With that he left.

...

The tests were done and the doctor told them he would get back to them in two days. They couldn't do anything more in the meantime.

On his way back, he decided to spend some time at the park. With everything happening lately, he felt like his head was spinning. He was worried for Endou and he didn't know how long he could keep the secret from Natsumi. What would be her reaction if she found out? He didn't even want to imagine that.

He settled on a bench, facing the stroller towards him. He began watching a few kids at the distance that were playing soccer together and reminisced about the times he used to do the same with Endou and Kidou. It made him sad that they hadn't done that in a while, having been busy with their own lives and struggles and now he wasn't sure when he would get Endou to do that if ever at all.

Suddenly he was startled by a dog standing on two legs with the support of the stroller and was trying to lick Endou.

"Coco no!" A girl's voice immediately came from behind tugging on the dog's leash.

"I'm so sorry, she tries to lick everyone. We're thinking of sending her to a trainer." She said as she swiftly sat down beside Gouenji. He didn't respond.

She peeked into the stroller and smiled.

"Aww, he's so cute. " She commented.

"Thanks. " Gouenji responded in short.

"No really, you don't understand. I don't even like babies but your baby is adorable. I like this one. " She added.

Gouenji frowned in confusion. It was a weird thing to say he thought but didn't respond to it.

"You and your wife lucked out. Some babies are super annoying. But he seems kind." She added.

"I don't have a wife. " Gouenji responded without thinking.

"Oh no, what happened to her? You have to raise your baby on your own?" She sounded genuinely sympathetic.

"It's not my baby!" Gouenji suddenly exclaimed with a little annoyance.

"Excuse me?! What's that supposed to mean? Who are you?" She was alarmed now as she stood up.

Gouenji now realised what he had just implied. He quickly looked up, now seeing her face for the first time.

"Oh no no, I mean, I'm just not his parent." He waved his hands around frantically. The girl sat down again but still eyed him suspiciously.

"I know what you're thinking. Don't worry I didn't kidnap him. " Gouenji added, slightly amused. He then turned to Endou, "Tell her I didn't kidnap you. "

"I don't think he'll understand..." She was cut off in surprise when Endou actually giggled and responded.

"Oh my God! What a smart baby you have! Yah, I definitely like this one. " She was enthused.

"What's his name?" She then turned to Gouenji.

"Endou. "

"Hello Endou, I'm Kira. How are you? " She began talking to Endou in a baby voice.

"Don't do that. It's offensive. " Gouenji told her.

"Since when is a baby voice offensive?" She argued in surprise.

"It's not offensive in general but he finds it offensive. " Gouenji explained.

"You mean the baby? The baby finds it offensive?" Kira stared at him like he had grown two heads, "What does he know about the concept of offense? He's like what, 8 months old?"

"He's 24 actually. " Gouenji answered plainly.

"24 months? 2 years? Isn't he a bit small for that?" Now she was even more confused.

"He definitely has growth issues. " Gouenji replied.

"Ohh, I'm sorry. Maybe that's why he is weirded out by baby talk. " She reasoned.

"Sure, if it makes sense. " Gouenji shrugged.

She then peeked into the stroller again, "I'm sorry Endou. I won't do the baby voice anymore because you're not a baby. You're all grown up. " She then got up and gestured for her dog to get up too, who had been napping all this time.

"It was nice meeting you two. " She said before walking away.

...

When Gouenji returned he found Natsumi pacing around in front of the door. He immediately hid Endou's stroller behind a nearby bush and moved forward. Natsumi approached him with urgency as soon as she saw him.

"Why is your house locked?? Where is Moru?" She asked with worry.

Gouenji was at his wits' end as he fumbled for a response.

"Say something! Is he okay?" Natsumi urged.

"Of course he is okay! Why would you say that?" Gouenji immediately protested as he chuckled nervously.

"Then where is he?" Natsumi asked in a distressed voice.

"He...left. " Gouenji feigned casualness.

"To where?!" Natsumi yelled in surprise.

"To the training camp. He took the Raimon team to a training camp to teach them new techniques. There's a big match upcoming. " He managed to explain.

"Why didn't he meet me before going? He didn't even pack his bags. " Natsumi was even more confused now.

"Time is of the essence here so he couldn't. Besides, you can hand me his belongings. I'll be leaving today too so I'll take it to him. After today there'll be no one here so don't come okay?You would only waste time ringing the bell because there would be no one to open the door." Gouenji hoped he was convincing enough.

Natsumi pondered over it all with a confused face. Endou was so passionate about soccer when he was preparing for a match it was easy for him to forget everything around him. It wasn't too weird to think he hadn't had the time to get back home if they were running out of time.

"Okay, I'll bring his stuff in the afternoon. " She finally said.

As soon as she left, Gouenji rushed to the bush to get Endou. He had fallen asleep in the stroller.

...

The following day Kidou came with the results.

"Everything seems normal. " Kidou announced, "There are no traces of anything abnormal."

"Except the one glaring abnormality. " Gouenji commented sarcastically.

"I should probably try to find Kageyama." Kidou spoke pensively.

"Why are you so sure it's his doing?" Gouenji insisted again.

"Of course it's him!" Kidou said and then went and locked himself in his study again.

Gouenji sighed and made his way back. On his way home, he thought to stop at the park again and watch the kids' soccer match. Endou seemed to like it too. It was the only thing that kept his irrational behaviour at bay.

They had been watching for a while when he heard a voice he recognised.

"Is this the smartest baby in the world, again?" Kira was peeking in the stroller from behind the bench as she leaned on it, "Hello, Endou!" She waved towards him.

Endou smiled and waved back at her with his stubby arm.

"Hello to you too. " She then turned to Gouenji and waved at him. Gouenji only nodded in response.

She circled around and sat beside him. For a while they were quiet as Gouenji continued to pay attention to the kids' match. Finally, Kira spoke again,

"So what is the deal with this child? Why do you have him all the time? Where are his parents?"

Gouenji then turned to her with an amused expression, "Don't ask that. "

"That just makes me want to know more! " Kira interjected without missing a beat.

"Even if I told you, you won't believe me so there's no point. " He shrugged.

"Tell me, tell me. If you want me to keep it a secret I will. " She urged.

Gouenji got up and made his way towards the exit pushing the stroller in front of him. Kira instantly followed, making Coco wake up with a jolt.

"I shouldn't have said that. But most people would stop asking. " Gouenji commented.

"I know and I'm sorry it's none of my business. But I have a condition that makes me this way. " Kira replied.

"What's that?"

"Curiosity!" She exclaimed loudly, "You said it so suspensefully! You can't be implying there's a huge story to unfold here and then refuse to tell. "

"So it's my fault?" Gouenji said and then thought over it, "But that's just how I talk, all the time. " He said casually.

"No! You must drive people crazy. " She sounded bothered.

"Not really, no one's mentioned this to me before." Gouenji answered. He then peeked into the stroller, "Are you hearing this? Is she right?"

Endou shrugged in a way to indicate he couldn't defend Gouenji because he agreed with her.

"What?! Why didn't you say anything?" Gouenji exclaimed.

He glanced at Kira again and found her staring at Endou wide-eyed.

"H-he shrugged. I have never seen a baby shrug. That was weird. " She spoke in astonishment.

"And you keep talking to him in full sentences. Like he's a grown up. " She added.

"I told you he's 24."

"24 months is still not too old!" Kira argued, "Something is really strange here and now I can't rest until I found out. " She then turned to Gouenji with a lot of expectations, "Let me observe your baby."

"Again, not my baby. " Gouenji corrected.

"Yeah, okay, let me observe the baby that is in your possession for some reason." She rephrased.

Gouenji only answered with a slight careless shrug and began walking again. He had bigger things to worry about at the moment and he didn't care for anything else.

They walked out of the park and passed some shops and kiosks. One of them was of keychains and charms. Endou spotted a keychain in the form of a soccer ball and began making noises, pointing at it.

"No, I'm not buying that for you. Grow up and buy it yourself!" Gouenji told him annoyedly.

"Why would you deny him such a simple thing?" Kira objected instantly, "You're telling him he can have one in several years when he grows up?"

"Or next week. " Gouenji muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing. Anyway, I'm not buying it. " Gouenji began moving again but Kira didn't.

"That's very rude, you know?" She said as she made her way to the kiosk to buy it. Gouenji sighed and reluctantly followed. She hung it in a place where Endou could see it. He began hitting it delightfully watching it oscillate.

"Unbelievable, dude. You don't have to act like this." Gouenji shook his head in disappointment.

"Let him be! What else is he supposed to do at this age?" Kira objected again.

They had barely taken a step ahead when he saw Natsumi walking in their direction. He panicked again and quickly hid behind the kiosk pulling the stroller and Kira along with him holding her close. The sudden movement startled Coco and she let out a bark.

"Calm your dog please!" Gouenji urged in distress.

"Coco, no! Shh! " Kira instructed and then addressed Gouenji again, "Why are we hiding?"

"Because that's his wife. She can't see us. "

"Your wife?"

"No! I told you I don't have a wife!" Gouenji exclaimed, "His wife! His!" He pointed downwards at Endou.

"What?"

"What?"

"Did you say his wife?"

"No I didn't." Gouenji had now realised what he had said.

"Why am I hiding? I don't know her. "

"Oh, that's right. " He said as he let her go with a light push. Kira stumbled out of the hideout as Natsumi passed by admiring the contents of the kiosk fleetingly. She didn't notice anything else and walked away uneventfully.

"Sorry for all that. " Gouenji answered sheepishly as he walked out of the hideout.

"No, yah, it's fine. " Kira mumbled trying to hide the fact that she was blushing.

"Why were we hiding from that lady?" She asked again once she regained her composure.

"Don't ask that. " Gouenji said once again and walked away leaving a dumbstruck Kira behind.