Kurama gets two birthdays a year. His stepfather and other-Shuichi celebrate one, with nice new clothes, and aftershave (Stepfather is hopeful he'll ever get to need it; Shuichi is hopeful he'll get to steal it.) His friends celebrate the other, with wild fights and long runs in the forest, and meals of rice and inarizushi.

It takes him a long time to realize that his mother celebrates both, and the same way; a good meal, incense, and a prayer of thanks to the world for giving him to her.