The town of Sakai, 1585 CE

"My, what a sweet child you are!" exclaimed elderly neighbor Shinobu as she pinched Ichiro's cheeks with her calloused and swollen fingers, causing enough pain that his eyes began to water. "You'll grow up to be a handsome fellow for sure!"

Such praise meant nothing to the eight-year-old who felt as if his life was about to flash before his eyes. "Mama..." he whimpered, glancing at the tall woman to his right in desperation. "Help..." 

Fortunately, his plea was heeded and Kaede reached out to hold Shinobu's arm. "All right, that's enough. Any longer, and my son's face will fall apart."

"Oh, my apologies," Shinobu said without much sincerity. "You should really blame yourself for giving birth to him. How can anyone resist such peachy cheeks?" 

"You may be right." Kaede relented. She rested her large hand against Ichiro's back and guided him back into their house, thus leaving Shinobu's excessive affection behind. Ichiro smiled up at his mother in gratitude.

"Thanks for saving me. I hate scary people like her."

"Of course." Kaede released her hand from his body. "But if someone ever threatens you and there are no adults around, just scream. I can't afford to lose you as well."

Any happiness Ichiro felt vanished as soon as he remembered how only last year, his younger sister and the closest thing he'd had to a best friend, was seized by a strange man right in front of him. He curled up his small fists. Stupid Isa. You should have screamed so mother and father could save you. Now I'm all alone. 

******

Ichiro first met Shinrokurō about a month later, though the encounter didn't go quite the way a child with any sense of dignity would hope. 

"Why do you have a boy's name when you're a girl?" Shinrokurō asked, immediately souring Ichiro's impression of him. 

"I'm not a girl," Ichiro snapped in the same petulant voice that made adults laugh at him. "I have balls."

"Oh. You're a very pretty boy then," Shinrokurō corrected himself. "How old are you?"

"Eight."

"I'm nine."

"No wonder you're taller than me," Ichiro commented before remembering how his father had told him the importance of making friends. "Can I play with you?"

"Of course!" Shinrokurō grinned. "I can even show you to my house! It's really big!"

As promised, the other boy's house turned out to be not just big, but enormous. The stone walls were as tall as those surrounding any castle, and almost every tree and plant in the garden would have made a suitable hiding spot if the occasion ever arose. 

"Wow." Ichiro stopped gaping and turned back towards Shinrokurō. "You must be like a prince."

"Not really. I'm the sixth son, and my mother is a concubine, so my father forgets about me sometimes."

"Oh, that's sad. I used to have a little sister, but she got stolen."

Shinrokurō blinked, then held out his hand for Ichiro to take. "Come to my room. I'll show you my pet beetle!"

After nearly running into a woman who was enjoying a walk around the garden, the two boys entered a small chamber situated at the very back of the house. Two futons lay on either side of the room, and between them stood a cabinet and a mounted cage that held none other than a shiny brown beetle with horns. 

"Here he is. I named him Kabuto," Shinrokurō explained in pride while setting the cage on the floor to allow Ichiro a closer look. "What do you think?"

Ichiro watched the beetle crawl to the other side of the cage and butt its head against the bars. "It's nice, but I've seen bigger ones in the countryside."

Shinrokurō became offended and snatched the cage away from Ichiro. "Well, I'd like to see you try! I wager you five mon that you won't find a better beetle than Kabuto!"

"You bet I will!" Ichiro shouted back, indignant that his new friend didn't believe a word he had said. "I just need to leave this town for a while!"

"Then it's settled!" Shinrokurō beat his fist against the floor. "Meet me again in three days!" 

"All right!" 

The shoji door behind them flew open as a handsome woman with painted eyebrows and lips came in to confront the boisterous state of affairs. Her strong chin was identical in shape to that of Ichiro's new friend. "Shinrokurō! What did I tell you about neglecting your studies and befriending the poor?" she scolded while baring her dyed black teeth. 

Shinrokurō stood up and returned the cage to its place on top of the stand, then gave a bow of repentance and uttered words that must have been rehearsed over a hundred times. "It won't bring me success or help to win father's favor. I'm sorry, mother..." 

"Exactly." The woman's glaring eyes shifted to Ichiro. "You. Please leave this house, or I'll throw you out myself."

Ichiro hurried to his feet, for his own parents were scary enough and he did not wish to add to his troubles. He ran towards to the open door, and the way Shinrokurō's mother winced made it clear that she was repulsed by the very sight of him. 

Still, Ichiro couldn't bring himself to feel turmoil when he had a score to settle by finding the biggest beetle possible. He just needed to sneak out of the house when his mother was busy and then return home before she got too suspicious. 

Which the more he thought about it, was a plan doomed to fail. 

******

Author Notes: 

- The mon was the main currency of Japan from about the early 1300s to the late 1800s. 

- Shinrokurō's mother has blackened teeth because it was considered to be a mark of beauty and maturity in feudal Japan, especially among the wealthy.