Chapter XLV.

When Gōjun arrived home, he was surprised to find that Kenren was out. Usually, the older male was always at home during the week-ends. 

After he had closed the front door and turned around, he looked at the small animal he was carrying in one of his arms. 

The latter pressed its eyes closed and mewed once, almost seeming to smile at him.

Dammit, Shunsui! What were you thinking?! 

Setting it down on the floor, he headed into the kitchen and saw that Kenren has left him a note on the refrigerator. The latter was informing him that he would be eating outside, but that he has prepared Inari Sushi for him and that it was in the microwave.

He really didn't have to do this! Gōjun said to himself, scratching the back of his head, his cheeks taking a small shade of red.

Just as he had finished serving himself dinner and had taken a seat at the table to eat the Inari Sushi, suddenly, he noticed that the little black ball of fur has entered the kitchen and was actually sitting at the foot of his chair, watching him with an expectant look.

'What is it?' he asked the small animal.

The latter mewed once.

Gōjun looked at his plate, then back at the animal. Is it hungry?

As if, it could read his mind, it jumped onto the table.

'Oi! Don't get onto the table!' Gōjun told it, rapidly, and jumping to his feet, he put it down on the floor again, before he went to rummage throws the cupboards to search for a bowl that could serve as the animal's recipient of food. He managed to find one that was not too large and not too deep.

He put a few slices of Inari Sushi in it and placed the bowl down on the floor. The small animal started to eat immediately.

Sitting himself down again, Gōjun started eating too. He was half-through his dinner when, little Yamcha started mewing again. 

'What do you want now?' he asked, grumpily.

The small animal gave him a few other mews, before it jumped onto the kitchen counter to enter the sink. 

'Oi, don't do that!' Gōjun exclaimed, and jumping to his feet to pick it up again, he placed it back on the floor. 'You're thirsty! Alright, I've understood!'

And very quickly, he started to rummage through the cupboards one more time and took out another bowl to fill it with tap water. But the animal didn't drink it when he placed the bowl in front of it on the floor. It simply sniffed the water, before it gave him a mew.

'What is it? You don't drink water?' he muttered. 'You want milk, maybe?'

As if seeming to understand his question, the small animal replied, with two other mews.

Holding his face with his hand, Gōjun took a deep breath and sighed. 'Alright, fine!'

He made for the refrigerator and opening it, he took out a bottle of milk and grabbing a sauce pan, he put the white liquid to heat on the stove. 

'Oh god! Why do I have to do this?! No, like really!' he grumbled, shaking his head. 

Remembering that cats have a very sensitive tongue, he didn't allow the milk to heat too much. He took it off the stove while it was still warm, and emptying the bowl of water in the sink, he replaced it with milk and gave it to the small animal. 

The latter lapped at it eagerly.

'Can I finish my dinner now?' he demanded, grouchily, and taking his seat back at the table, he picked his chopsticks up again to eat. 

By the time, he had finished, the small animal was nowhere to be seen anymore, but he could hear it playing with something in the living room. He could hear it running about and he could pick the sound of something rolling on the floor.

Grabbing his school bag then, which had been lying on a chair of the dining room for some times now, he decided that it was probably time for him to do his homeworks. 

It had been decided that tomorrow was going to be a compensation holiday, because one of the public holidays of the Golden Week has fallen on a Sunday, namely today. However, on Tuesday, everyone, including himself, would be back to school. 

It was about time to get to work.

***

When was the last time that I felt like this? This nervousness? This agitation? 

His heart was pounding in his chest, his hands were all sweaty, his neck tight, as he waited for the arrival of the only woman whom he has ever loved in his life. He had arrived in front of the restaurant before the appointed time, so much he couldn't stay in place anymore. 

When he finally caught sight of her, he stopped breathing completely, his heart fluttering in his chest.

'Konbanwa!' Katsura Hiō greeted, very shyly, as she approached him, keeping her eyes down, her cheeks red. 

The woman had clothed herself in a short, beige dress, which bore pink flower patterns on it, and she was wearing a thin, light pink coat that came off her waist. It was simple and elegant. On his side, the doctor and director had put on his best suit.

'Konbanwa!' he greeted back, with a sign of the hand.

'I'm sorry. I got late while getting dressed!' she told him, apologetically, squirming a little.

'No, you're right on time! I'm the one who came early!' he informed her, and they both gazed at each other for a whole minute, smilingly, before he led her inside of the restaurant.

Once they had taken seat at the table and passed their order, Katsura spoke again to tell him, very shyly, with a smile, 'So, you've become a doctor?!'

'Yes,' he replied. 'I followed in the steps of my father. And after his death, I took charge of the hospital.'

At this last part, she looked up at his face, her expression filled with anguish. 'I'm sorry. I didn't know that your father is no more.'

'It's okay,' he told her, reassuringly.

'And, your mother? How is she? I remember how much she was a gentle and kind woman!'

'She passed away only sometimes after my father!'

She gasped. 'I'm truly sorry. I shouldn't have-'

'No, it's alright,' he reassured her, again, this time, giving her a small smile. 'It's been many years now.'

Katsura lowered her eyes. She felt terrible. She was not here; she was not in Kokubunji to support him. He had to traverse that painful ordeal all alone.

'Katsura, I'm fine!' he murmured, softly, as he read her expression, and without really thinking, he placed his hand over hers on the table.

Instantly, the young woman looked up into his eyes again, her face reddening. 

His cheeks took a small shade of red too, and averting his eyes, he released her hand. 

The waiter came to serve them with their dinner by that moment, and after the man had left, they started to eat quietly.

'I have read all your novels!' Kenren declared, after a few minutes, and the brown-haired woman stopped eating dead, blushing madly.

'Oh my god, it's so embarrassing!' she said, wiping her mouth with the cloth in her lap.

'Not at all,' he contradicted. 'You've become a great author. Your novels are well appreciated. Especially for its blend of the supernatural with the romantic!'

She covered her face with her hand now, blushing even harder, if that was even possible!

'Thank you,' she whispered.

After that, they began to talk about the time they were university students and had lost each other in view. 

They had just finished taking desert and Kenren had paid the addition when, suddenly, the dark-haired doctor was approached by a fellow, though much older, practitioner, together with his wife.

The old couple spoke to him for only a minute to ask him about his health and if everything was running fine at the hospital, before they told him to pass their greetings to his son.

At the mention of a son, Katsura's heart skipped a beat, her expression changing, her eyes going wide.

'I will,' Kenren replied with a nod, after which the couple bid him and the brown-haired woman goodbye. 

When he looked at the latter again, it was to find her staring at him, breathlessly, her expression more than shocked.

'You told me that you're not married! You lied to me!' she gasped, and jerking to her feet, she ran out of the restaurant, in tears, and completely disheveled.

Kenren remained frozen for a second, before he sprang to his feet too to run after the brown-haired woman.

'Katsura, wait!' he called after her, desperately, and catching up with her, he yanked her gently to a stop by her forearm. 'I'm not married! You're misunderstanding me! I have adopted a son. And he's seventeen if you want to know!'

She flung around to look at his face in surprise, but also deeply embarrassed by her reaction.

He released her arm.

'I'm sorry,' she apologized, lowering her head and scratching the back of her head, sheepishly. 'I misunderstood you!'

'It's okay,' he said, smilingly, and lifting his hand up, he brushed the tears that had appeared in the young woman's eyes with his forefinger.

She looked up at him, blushing.

Just like Katsura, he too had tried to go out with other people in his life, but this has never led anywhere. And today, they were both still single.

Given her reaction when she had thought that he was married and had in fact lied to her, he wondered if it was possible that she still has feelings for him. He was certain that her returning to Kokubunji, his encountering her again, is the workings of destiny.

However, none of the two dared to talk about their time in high school; her feelings for him; his marriage proposal. None of the two knew how to address the subject.

'Katsura, do you think we can dine together again, tomorrow? And day after tomorrow? And the day after, as well?' he asked her, anxious for her reply.

The woman smiled and nodded, and they both gazed at each other again.

***

Gōjun had just finished doing all his homeworks when he heard the door of the living room open and then close. It was Kenren who was back. 

Putting his books in his bag, and closing it, he got to his feet and threw it over his shoulder, before he turned to the door to look at the dark-haired male as he walked in the doorway of the kitchen.

'Yo!' Gōjun greeted him, awkwardly, putting one of his hands up. 'You're returning home late today!'

'Yes,' the man replied, with a small smile. 'I was with a friend.'

A woman? Gōjun wondered, even if it wouldn't resemble Kenren.

'Gōjun, is it you who brought that cat?' the latter asked him, suddenly, taking a glance over his shoulder in direction of the living room.

Scratching the back of his head and averting his eyes, uneasily, Gōjun answered, 'Yes. Do you- Do you mind?' 

'Not at all!' the dark-haired male answered. 'As long as you take proper care of it, you ensure that it doesn't dirty the house, and you're careful about cat hairs, I have no problem. Also Gōjun, you don't have to ask for my permission! You're here at your own house!'

'Alright, thank you!' the teenager murmured, keeping his eyes averted, though not indifferent to the last words of the man. 'I'll go to sleep now. Good night.'

'Good night to you too!' the man replied, accompanying him to the doorway of the living room.

The small animal was still running about, and catching hold of it, Gōjun picked it up in his arms, together with the object it has been playing with. It was an artificial apple that served- or rather, used to serve- as decoration in a bowl on the coffee table of the living room. The animal has bitten it at several places, leaving countless holes into it.

Gōjun's expression turned awkward.

'I'm sorry about that!' he said to Kenren.

The latter shook his head and smiled. 'It's okay. You should think about buying it a few toys!'

At this, the teenager looked at the animal's face. It pressed its eyes shut at him and mewed once, as if agreeing. 

'Right!' he uttered, after which, he carried it up to his bedroom. 

Setting it down on the floor of his room and putting his school bag away, the young man disappeared into the bathroom for a moment to take a shower. When he stepped back into the room, he froze when he saw that the small animal has put itself comfortable on his bed.

'Oi! You're not sleeping on the bed, you bag of fleas!' he groaned, and hurrying up to it, he picked the animal up under his arm, and moved to his cupboard and the other furnitures of the room to try to find something that he could use as the small animal's bed. 

When he didn't find anything, he entered the bathroom, still searching, until his eyes fell onto the basket that he usually uses to keep his clothes. It was not too big, but quite spacious.

Bringing the basket to his bedroom, he set it down on the floor a good distance away from his bed and laid a folded bed sheet at the bottom of it, before placing the small animal in the bed he has prepared for it. 

'There you go!' he said to the small ball of fur, before he jumped onto his bed to lie down on his back with one of his arms crooked under his head. 

The small animal observed him for a minute from where it was sitting in the basket, before it came out of it to jump onto the bed with him.

'Oi, what are you doing?!' Gōjun cried, lifting it off him with both his hands from where it has landed on his belly, while sitting up at the same time. 'You're not sleeping on the bed with me! I've made for you your own bed!'

And on these words, he jumped to onto his feet again and went to place the small animal back into its basket. 

'You stay here!'

As he started to make for his bed again, the young man paused down for a second to take a glance in direction of the animal to check that it was not following him. It was still sitting where he had placed it, but has tilted its head slightly to the side now, as it watched him, trying to appear agreeable. 

Looking back to the front sulkily, Gōjun went to throw himself into his bed once again. 

A few minutes had ticked by when, the animal jumped onto his stomach one more time.

'Oi!' he groaned, in a sit. 'I told you that you're not sleeping on the bed with me, you bag of fleas!' 

And picking the small ball of fur up once more, he went to place it into its basket, but immediately, the animal gave him a mew, and jumped out of it. 

'You must be kidding me!' he exclaimed, raking his hand though his hair, unnerved, before he resolved to bring the basket closer to his bed. 

He set it down on the floor at his bedside and placed the small animal in it.

'I think that you should like it better now!' he said, as he sat himself down on the edge of his bed to observe it so as to be sure that it didn't move from there.

Oh, God! What am I doing taking care of this animal? It's all Shunsui and the Princess's fault!

Tossing his legs onto his bed then, he lied himself down and closed his eyes to sleep, only to be awakened a few hours later by the feeling of two pairs of small feet on his belly. His eyes blew open and he sat half-upright to find the small animal sitting on its hind-legs on his stomach.

Gōjun's face scrunched up. He was fully unnerved now.

'I guess that I don't have the choice!' he said to himself, and grabbing the small ball of fur up by its scruff, he put it in its basket, and picked the latter up altogether, with the small animal in it, to carry it to the door of his room.

He set the basket down outside in the corridor, just in front of his door, and turning back around, he closed the door, leaving the small animal there, only for him to get into his bed again.

He heard the animal let out a few mews outside of his door, but after a few minutes, he could not hear it anymore, and guessed that it must have gotten tired by now and must have fallen asleep into its basket. 

Gōjun had closed his eyes for hardly half an hour after that when, unexpectedly, he felt a small shift by his side on the mattress. The teenager, who was now sleeping on his stomach with his hands dug under his pillows, perked his head up instantly. 

He was astounded to find the kitten sitting by his side on the bed and watching him. 

'It's not possible!' he exclaimed, in disbelief. 

How did it come in? 

There was no other way in than through the window! And his room was on the second floor of the house!

Picking the animal up in his arms, he made for the open window to look downstairs. He had no idea how such a small animal could have climbed such a height! It was startling!

Scratching his cheek a little, he stared at the animal for a moment. 

If he allowed it to stay, he knew that it wouldn't allow him to sleep by climbing onto the bed with him incessantly.

'Sorry, but you're sleeping outside!' he said to it, in a decided tone, and carrying it back to its basket in the corridor, he made sure to close both the door of his room, as well as the window, before going to sleep this time.

Another half an hour later, he had barely fallen asleep when, he heard a knock on his door.

Kenren?

He went to open it and found the dark-haired male standing there, in the corridor, holding out to him the small, black animal by its scruff.

'It jumped through my window to get into my bed!' the man told him, in a blunt tone, his eyes sleepy.

'Sorry!' Gōjun apologized, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. 'I think it'd be better if you sleep with your windows closed for tonight!'

The man nodded once, and handing the small animal over to the teenager, he returned to his own room.

Gōjun looked at the animal in his arms and taking a deep breath, he exhaled, 'What a pain!'

Putting it into its basket one more time, he headed for his bed, certain that this was the last time that he was being disturbed for the night. 

However, a few minutes after he has entered into his bed, he heard the animal clawing at his door, and mewing, seeking entrance.

He decided to ignore it. And, indeed, as he expected, it stopped after some times. Just as he concluded that it must have really gone to sleep by now, and had been about to close his own eyes to sleep too, he heard another knock come onto the door of his room. 

It was Kenren again. He was standing outside of the door, holding the kitten out to him by its scruff.

'It was scratching at my window!' the man informed him.

Gōjun held his face with his hand, and exhaled, in annoyment, 'Yare! Yare! What a little monster!' 

Looking at the man again then, he apologized, 'I'm sorry. I'm going to keep it in my room. It's just that it keeps getting into my bed with me.'

'Eh?' Kenren uttered, and he decided to try to help the teenager out. 

Entering the room, he put the basket in a corner that seemed quite cozy to him, and placed the animal in it, asking it in an authoritative voice to sit still.

The small ball of fur looked at him for a second or two, before it jumped out of the basket to make towards Gōjun's bed.

'What did you expect?' Gōjun asked him, cynically. 'It's not a dog!'

'You're right!' Kenren giggled, in embarrassment, before he had an idea. 'How about we check on the internet about ways to educate cats? I'm sure that there must be many other people in the same situation!'

The teenager's eyes widened at him. He found it to be a great idea.

'Of course! Why didn't I think about it?!'

And on this, Gōjun grabbed his laptop, and the two males sat down on the floor to do some research on the internet together.

***

On Shunsui Shigeizumi's side...

The reddish-brown-haired young man took a glance at the sleeping faces of the three women who were lying by his sides on the hotel bed, before he sat up carefully and moved to sit on the edge of the mattress, tugging a bed sheet along with him to cover his lower parts. 

Reaching out for his box of cigarette and lighter- which were resting on the table at the foot of the bed- he picked them up in his hands, and opened the box of cigarette to bring one to his mouth, and light it up.

Setting the box and lighter back onto the table, then, he took a large puff on his cigarette, and lifting him eyes thoughtfully to gaze at the ceiling.

Gōjun, you who are so scared to care about others and be cared for, for fear of abandonment… I'm sure that that small animal can help you open your heart up a little to others…

He had taken two other large puffs on his cigarette when, he felt a pair of hands moved over his chest sensually from behind, a female voice telling him in his ear, 'Shunsui, come back to us!'

Stubbing the end of his cigarette and smiling, he looked over his shoulder at the three women who had awakened, and were waiting for him to go for another round, and without any delay, he moved to join them again.

Thank you for reading!

Glossary

Konbanwa - 'good evening'