A cat person

“Moonlight drowns out all but the brightest stars.”

―J.R.R. Tolkien

…

The moment he heard Lunamor’s footsteps fading away... Hiro, for a lack of a better word, all but sagged down to his swivel chair as he removed his glasses with a sigh, instantly feeling drained.

…Hiro is just here to teach.

He didn’t sign up for this!

And God, he so desperately needed a drink–and no shit, that scene was fucking scary as hell. He almost thought he'd faint on the spot.

Lunamor’s way much younger than him and yet, like just about anybody, she scares the living hell out of him sometimes–and it wasn’t even because she has more than enough money to ask some professional hired killer to shoot him point-blank in broad daylight and no one will ask questions about it.

No, Hiro had a strange feeling that if Lunamor actually feels like it, she can and will personally destroy just about anyone with her own two hands should she be provoked hard enough.

That look in her eyes really rattled him.

...and this wasn’t even a good line of thinking nor was it a nice idea to entertain and Hiro sincerely hoped that it was just his imagination running wild again.

“Damn it, I’ll back-hand that bitch if I only I know she wouldn't snap my neck off!” Rachelle muttered angrily, almost to herself, her irritated voice instantly reminding Hiro that he wasn’t alone in his office again, “Professor, how on earth do you even put up with her?”

“Well, she’s not usually like that all the time,” Hiro said… and almost wanted to smack himself for that because why on earth is he even defending her?

Rachelle gave him a look, “For real?”

“Oh, you know, Lunamor. She’s just...” temperamental, self-entitled, rude, or insensitive? Hiro couldn’t find the right words to say without sounding unprofessional. So, he just shrugged, “Well, now that we’re that talking about her, did she do something in class? Oh, wait no... she didn’t start another debate, did she?!”

“Nah, she was absent for like, four days… I think,” Rachelle said, indifferently, shrugging, not seemingly bothered by Lunamor’s sudden absence and if Hiro didn’t know any better, he’d guess that she probably preferred that.

“No wonder you seemed so surprised to see her popping out of nowhere,” Hiro pointed out, chuckling as he fixed his glasses back into place.

Like a mushroom, he thinks.

“Yeah, well... I was caught off guard, okay?” Rachelle laughed, looking a bit sheepish. “Anyway, Professor Griffins also asked us about her. She was awfully curious as of why Lunamor suddenly decided to be one of the no-show students in class. Especially when she noted that Lunamor was very rarely absent when you used to be our professor.”

Hiro was… surprised to hear that.

He had seen Lunamor in the cafeteria from time to time, he had even confronted her about the rumors going on about them just a few days after all… and here was Rachelle telling him that Lunamor had been absent for four consecutive days straight.

That was ever since he had lost his class to Megan.

Does this mean Lunamor had actually skipped classes the other day too? (No wonder she was in no hurry to leave, unlike him) The brat was cutting class right in front of him!

But if that was the case, then why...

Why was she even still in school that time?

Still, Hiro was curious about what they told to Megan, what they thought of Lunamor. He had always known that they were kind of intimidated, probably even afraid… or annoyed, but they had never verbalized it, at least not in front of him. Now they were given a chance to speak up without repercussions–all because Lunamor wasn’t even there.

“What did you guys tell Megan?”

Rachelle frowned, “I mean, what’s there to talk about her? Lunamor doesn’t even speak up in class. She’s kind of a ghost that was just… there. It doesn’t really make a difference to us whether she’s absent or not.”

Despite himself, Hiro’s lips curved into a pleased smile which he expertly hid by pretending to read from Rachelle’s notebook. At least it shows that his old students were not the type to talk about someone behind their back, “Well… at least you guys were not wrong.”

“Yeah,” Rachelle scoffs, “She’s more of a cat.”

His gaze flattened, “A… cat.”

At the look on his face, Rachelle immediately spluttered in defense, looking completely mortified, as if she hadn't really meant to say that one out loud. “Y-you know what I mean, sir! Well, don’t get me wrong, she’s cute and all but like, seriously selfish and… and she comes and goes as she pleases without a care! See?!”

That’s… actually pretty on point.

Suddenly his head conjured up an image of Lunamor with cat ears and saying ‘nyaa’ in a completely monotone voice. And now that he thought about it, he couldn't quite keep the image out of his head.

…Huh.

That looks promising.

Hiro grinned sheepishly, “I like cats though.”

“Seriously?! Why?! I don’t get it!” Rachelle groaned, pouting unhappily as she crossed her arms, “Dogs are definitely way much better!”

Hiro smiles in amusement. “Not a cat person then?”

“Nuh-uh, not after one clawed at me...”

“You're missing out then,” he teased.

At least Megan was already made aware that Lunamor doesn’t bully her classmates… except today (does this even count?) because Hiro had absolutely no idea what set that girl off.

Hm, anyway.

He'll cross that bridge when he get there.