Editing Takahashi Tomi (section)

===History===
Even though they show up in anime and manga, few Japanese actually believe there are Nekojin living among them. It helps that they learn from an early age to keep their ears and tails from being seen, and almost every other distinctive feature is only visible when they shift completely into their cat-girl or cat-boy form.

One town well outside Tokyo is home to a small community of nekojin who live among the normal humans. Due to the powers that are common among them, many find a place among the temples of the community, using their powers to serve others. Nearly thirteen years before a boy was born to this community. His mother was known for her visions, and when she first held him she looked up to his father and told him, "When he is twelve, you shall send him to Tokyo, you will know what High School to pick when the time comes. Keep my Tomi safe until then." She held her child the rest of the evening, then passed on in the night from an illness that had weakened her late in her pregnancy.

And so Takahashi Tomi grew up in the small town, surrounded by three older brothers and his father, living quite happily until the fateful day he first went to school. Two things happened on that day. He suddenly found himself surrounded by those strange creatures known as girls, and he began constantly earning among the highest academic scores in the school. He had made few friends outside his family before school and that now came to haunt him as many students took his scores to mean he must be too arrogant and prideful, that he was intentionally showing them up.

And thus began his complicated relationship with the girls of his class. While some of the other boys would stand up for him against each other, they did not want to gain the ire of the true bullies. At any time he could have shown his hidden features and powers. Revealing his claws, or lashing out with the raw magic power he was learning to control. But his family had drilled into him repeatedly that such things were not to be shown in public nor used against other children. So when he could not avoid the bullies he often found himself rescued by the girls of his class and sometimes even girls from other classes, who simply could not stand to see their quiet but cute classmate assaulted. While he loathes to admit it, the bullies did provide him useful training in enduring the most unpleasant of times. Giving him an inner will to keep standing when others would long since have fallen.

On his eleventh birthday the first dream came to him. Wandering what he came to realize was Tokyo, but a Tokyo that lived in fear. Before the terror could get to him a kind hand rested on his shoulder and a kind voice told him, "Not yet, there is still time to prevent this." After describing the dream he was told for the first time of his Mother's words. Over the next year he took his lessons, both at school and among the family, much more seriously. With only days before the deadline for the entrance tests would pass he had another dream. Standing before the gates of a school, staring at the sign and the students passing by. "This is where you must go my son. Here will be the heroes who will stop the terror to come. You must come here and protect them."

Despite making the fourth highest score on the exam, he almost did not make it in due to his age. The first letter to be sent did in fact deny him admission to the school. But despite this, when another student's family called to say she would not be able to attend, Tomi's paperwork had somehow ended up at the top of the stack. Reluctantly a second letter was sent giving him the good news.

None of his family could move with him, their duties remaining back in his home town. But one of his Uncles did know a priest whose temple was near the school. And the priest knew that one of the family's that often helped at the temple had just had a son move out. A week before classes started he arrived and met his hosts. Wondering how long he could keep his secrets from them. Wondering how he will recognize the heroes he has been told will be at school. Hoping desperately not to fail in the task given him.

But things should be better. This is high school now. None of the old bullies will be here. The students will all surely be excited to be this close to college and serious in their studies. Certainly he will stand out for his age, but surely only for that. Finally he can enjoy a community of scholars, and for once be the one doing the protecting. Right?