"The more I look into it, the surer I become that it's Kageyama's doing. " Kidou stated pensively as they sat around the table at Gouenji's house, both of them having tea while Endou was given a bottle of milk.

Gouenji didn't respond and quietly listened as he didn't have anything to say other than the fact that he still didn't believe anything Kidou was saying. Kidou rambled on,

"Now if we could just locate him and find out what kind of invention he has that can have such an effect on a person we can also look for a way to find the medicine for reversal."

Gouenji calmly took a sip of his tea and then finally spoke up, "You're going to have to do that alone 'cuz as you see, my hands are full. "

"Can't you find some time?" Kidou asked.

"And leave him where?" Gouenji pointed at Endou with agitation, " It's already hard-work taking care of him which, thanks to you, is all on me. "

"Fine, fine, I'll do it myself. " Kidou said reluctantly.

"We should hurry though because I can't tell how long I can keep this from Natsumi. " Gouenji added, "I bought us some time by telling her Endou and I are at a training camp. "

"Hmm....maybe if I just..." With that Kidou got up and walked out abruptly. Gouenji quietly watched him go but didn't try to stop him. At this point, he was used to his antics.

"So, it's just us now. " Gouenji sighed as he looked at Endou as he took the empty bottle from him. As soon as Endou's hands were free he began playing with the keychain again.

"You really love this, huh?" Gouenji said as he was reminded of Kira once again.

"She really likes you. I wonder what would she think if I told her the truth. " Gouenji spoke in amusement, "Should I tell her?" He smirked.

Endou protested by crying loudly and flailing his arms.

"Don't tell me you're actually beginning to enjoy being a baby!" Gouenji exclaimed. He then pondered over it, "I guess it's been a long time since you had a stress-free life and now you're getting just that. " He then rolled his eyes, "You and Kidou both seem to be having a great time, at my expense. " He sighed.

Endou shrugged and giggled.

...

Later that evening, they were at the park again. Endou was moving his big eyes around with curiosity.

"Are you looking for Kira?" Gouenji said but before Endou could convey his answer they spotted Kira coming towards them.

"I was hoping you would be here. Hi Endou!" She enthusiastically waved at him. Endou waved his small hand in response.

"Are you enjoying the keychain? Do you like soccer?" Kira asked him.

Endou responded by hitting the tiny ball. Kira laughed as she continued watching him do that for a few moments.

Gouenji remained silent throughout their exchange feeling out of place. When Kira was done she finally looked up at him.

"Hi to you too. Now stop pouting. " She said.

"Wha-I wasn't. " Gouenji tried to protest.

"No need for excuses. I know you were feeling left out. " She chuckled.

"No, I don't care. Why would I care?" Gouenji looked away.

"Okay then. " Kira abruptly answered and directed her attention at Endou again.

But after a while, Gouenji began feeling bored. He tried to discreetly glance in their direction again to see what was going on. He was immediately caught by Kira who was staring in his direction waiting for him to do just that.

"I knew you were feeling left out. " She commented deadpanned.

"Dammit!" Gouenji stomped his feet on the ground and began walking away.

"Don't curse in front of the baby!" Kira called out as she followed him, pushing the stroller.

She had only taken two steps further when a soccer ball came flying towards them. She couldn't move and only screamed and covered her face bracing for impact but it never came.

When she looked up again she realised Gouenji had intercepted it in time and sent it flying back. The ball directly went into the goal as all the players watched it unmoved.

A teenage boy came running up to them and began apologizing profusely.

"Just be careful next time. " Gouenji commented in his usual stoic tone and let him go.

He then immediately turned around to see if Endou was okay as well as Kira. He found her staring at him, awestruck.

"That...was... amazing. How did you do that?" She exclaimed breathlessly, "You saved us!"

Gouenji didn't respond with anything other than his classic smirk and began walking again, taking control of the stroller this time. Few minutes went by in silence as Kira walked beside him.

"By the way, thank you. " She spoke again, "For saving me. Or else, that ball would have definitely dislocated my jaw. " She laughed at her own sentence.

"Then I'm glad I saved your pretty face. " Gouenji commented nonchalantly.

"What? You think my face is pretty?" Kira was caught off-guard.

Gouenji fumbled for a cover-up, "No, I mean, it's an expression. I was being sarcastic. I'm sleep deprived, I don't know what I'm saying. He was crying all night. " He fired all the excuses he could think of.

At this, Kira bent down to level with Endou and feigned a whisper, "Cry tonight too then maybe tomorrow he'll tell me he likes my smile. " She looked up at Gouenji as she said so, smiling purposefully.

She went her own way leaving them standing in the middle of the street. Gouenji was taken aback by everything that just happened. He watched her leave with astonishment and then turned to Endou who was smiling mischievously.

"You are going to cry tonight, aren't you? That was all the encouragement you needed. " Gouenji sighed tiredly.

...

Kidou left that day and didn't return for several days. Gouenji kept waiting for him to show up any day or at least call and update him on the research but nothing happened.

In the meantime, Endou's tantrums kept increasing. He had completely settled into his new form and was taking full advantage of the situation. He had become good friends with Kira as well and he demanded to be taken to the park almost everyday.

"I have to admit, I never thought I'd be friends with a baby. But he is different than most. " She said as she pushed the keychain lightly as Endou clapped his hands together delightfully.

"Too bad I only get 15 minutes with him. First time I am friends with a baby and I don't even get to play with him. " She complained.

Gouenji, who was looking away from them, then turned to her. He looked utterly exhausted as he moved his head as if it felt so heavy to him.

"You are more than welcomed to come over and play with him as long as you like. " He spoke in a bored voice. He just wanted some time to relax and be by himself.

"Really? You don't mind?!" Kira exclaimed happily.

Gouenji shook his head.

"Can I come over now?" She chirped again.

"Sure. " He answered quietly.

So Kira accompanied them back to Gouenji's house.

"Woah! Your house is so pretty. " Kira exclaimed as she walked in and looked around. Gouenji smirked in response as he shifted Endou from the stroller to the high chair. Kira pulled up a chair and sat facing him.

Gouenji prepared the baby food and brought it to Endou. This was a time of conflict every single day as Endou made accepting every morsel a herculean task. Gouenji didn't understand why he did that even though he understood this is what he had to eat.

But this time, Endou didn't create a fuss and quietly accepted the meal.

"You're quiet 'cuz she is here, huh?" Gouenji remarked. He then glanced at Kira who was watching their exchange with interest.

"Why don't you do it? " He tried to hand her the bowl. At this, Kira's face fell and she became nervous at once.

"M-me?No, no. I don't." She shook her head briskly.

"Why? "

"I-I don't do that. I can't." She was scared as if she was being asked to perform a dangerous stunt.

"Why not try it? It's not rocket science. " Gouenji insisted.

"No, I will not. " Kira refused firmly.

"I thought you liked him." Gouenji was confused at her response.

"I only came here to play with him. I can't do anything more. Besides, you seem to have the hang of it. You're doing fine. " Kira responded.

"Why does everybody think that?" Gouenji muttered with a sigh.

After Endou was fed, Gouenji prepared tea for himself and Kira.

"He will sleep now. " Gouenji commented as he glanced at Endou waiting for him to doze off so he could shift him to the bed.

"You should sleep early too. You look exhausted. " Kira remarked.

"Babies are tough to take care of. " Gouenji then pointed at Endou with his thumb," And this one especially likes to mess with me. " He chuckled.

"Aww, but he is so calm. That's why I like him." Kira defended him.

"Calm? You should have seen him back then, he was anything but. "

"Back when?" Kira asked.

Gouenji stared at her for a while contemplating whether he should finally tell her the truth. He ended up deciding in favor of telling.

"Okay, so, here's the thing, you know how you keep asking me about why I have him?" He began.

Kira became attentive when she noticed he was about to end her curiosity. She nodded implying she was following.

"The truth is, he is my best friend. He is 24, or, was but he got turned into a baby. I don't know how but we're trying to figure it out. "

He waited for Kira to grasp everything and anticipated her reaction with curiosity.

Kira pondered over it quietly for a while. She appeared lost in thoughts for several moments. Gouenji couldn't guess what her reaction would be.

But he did not expect her to smile and then slowly burst into laughter loud enough to have an echo.

"I don't entirely get that but I can tell it's supposed to be funny." She said between laughter, "Your jokes are weird. I like that."

As she kept laughing, Gouenji couldn't help but stare blankly at her, not knowing how to respond. He didn't try to insist further that he was telling the truth.

"When will you really tell me the truth? You had me believing that you were going to answer me for real. "

Gouenji shrugged nonchalantly with a careless smile.

Kira kept looking at him for a while, her lips stretched in a grin ever so slightly.

"What?" Gouenji asked. At this, she broke out of her trance.

"Nothing." She mumbled and looked away immediately.

Just then Endou made a soft noise directing their attention towards him.

"So you're finally sleepy." Gouenji commented softly as he picked him up and carried him to the bed. Kira followed them curiously.

"Why don't you have a crib?" She instantly asked when she saw the arrangement of pillows on the bed.

"I just thought anyday..." He stopped himself, "anyway...maybe I'll get one. "

"I'll come with you. This is fun. " Kira instantly invited herself.

...

The following day Gouenji made his way to Kidou's house wondering what had made him go silent on the matter. He was directed to Kidou's study where he was seemingly spending most of his time lately.

Gouenji knocked and waited for Kidou to respond. He could tell he was inside because he could hear the sound of books being put on the table and pages being turned.

"Kidou? It's me. " Gouenji called out, "What are you doing?"

"Go home. I'll see you tomorrow. " Kidou answered from inside.

"It's already been long. Just let me in. " He then tried to turn the doorknob and realised it wasn't locked. The next moment, he was in.

He did not expect the scene he came across. The study was beyond recognition with files and papers strewn around haphazardly. Gouenji couldn't immediately spot Kidou so he called out to him again.

At this, Kidou stumbled forward from a corner, stepping over some papers in the process. He looked even more exhausted than Gouenji which in turn surprised him a lot.

"What is going on here?" Gouenji asked loudly to catch Kidou's attention.

"I've got it, I'm so close. I'll find him, I'll find him." Kidou rambled senselessly.

"Who?" Gouenji asked, same as before.

"Kageyama! I'm sure he is alive. I'll track him down. " He rambled again.

"And what if he didn't do this to Endou? Then we will have wasted all this time. Don't you think you should look at alternate explanations too?" Gouenji reasoned.

"What happened to Endou?" Kidou looked at Gouenji with surprise.

"Oh my God, did you forget?!" Gouenji exclaimed in disbelief, "Then what were you looking for?" He took him by the shoulders and shook him.

"Kageyama?" Kidou responded in confusion.

"But why?!" Gouenji hoped the question would make him remember.

"'Cuz he's evil and we must stop him?" Kidou guessed.

Gouenji looked at him in disappointment, "When was the last time you slept?" He asked. Kidou began thinking, staring blankly at nothing but after several seconds still didn't answer.

Gouenji sighed and let him go, "You need sleep." He muttered and walked out.

...