Kiku loved his morning walks because of how much of a routine it was to him. Every morning, around eight o'clock, he would get his sun hat and walk down the path out of his house and into the park's gardens with a fresh breeze blowing a sweet scent of morning sunshine and flowers. When his hourly walk was done, he would go back home and return to his work with great inspiration in his heart and mind.
However, one morning in particular took him offguard when he woke up and felt a strange sense that today will be different somehow. He had no idea how he knew this or why this feeling came to him, but he took it on like a good omen and got ready for the day like always. After bidding his pet cat Kuro good morning and putting his straw sun hat on, he stepped out and casually made his out for his daily stroll.
But what caught him off guard was something...strange.
Kiku was walking down his usual path going straight from the entrance to the large park's bride taking him to the gardens where he would bask in the lovely colors and delightful scents surrounding him. Kiku occasionally stopped and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere; he would bend down on his knees, regardless of the dirt stains he received, and smelled a flower with a content sigh.
This usual, normal routine of his was interrupted when Kiku opened his eyes and saw a cat's round body amidst the flowerbed. Kiku pushed some of the flowers away and examined the cat snoozing peacefully in the daffodils. But then, Kiku noticed the cat's black body was moving up and down as though he was being lifted...almost as if something below it was breathing!
Kiku jolted on his feet and saw something bizarre: a man's body covered in flowers with a cat on his face!
"Wh..what?" he blurted to himself.
Overwhelmed with confusion, Kiku worried the body was a dead person's. He hadn't seen any blood anywhere and since the cat's body was moving...the man was probably breathing, right? Kiku wondered if he should do something about it...
Then, Kiku heard a tiny meow from the cat and looked down, seeing the cat stretching itself with a purr and jumped out of the flowers and onto the sidewalk. The cat saw Kiku and meowed at him with a questioning look. Kiku froze, confused of the strange scene he was in and was puzzled how to get himself out of it without panicking anyone around him.
Taking one step up and forward, he prepared for a quick walk out of here when suddenly, and loudly, the cat meowed for his attention and even took their paws onto Kiku's leg, stopping him from moving. Kiku tried shaking the cat away in gentle slips, but the cat refused to let go, its mysterious determination prowling Kiku for him to wait just a little longer.
The cat's action was proven useful because they heard a stirring yawn from the gardens, it's voice soft but melting like sweet honey. Kiku took his gaze away from the cat and
"Hello there,"
"Um..."
"I'm probably scaring you, aren't I?"
"More like confusing me, actually..." he admitted sheepishly. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I was sleeping here one day like always when I saw you walking down the path, taking in all the beautiful things around you and sometimes sniffing my hair or the flowers-"
"I was smelling your hair?"
"...and leave me all alone, wondering who you were. I decided when you come over, I'd get up and ask your name. But I keep falling asleep, and cats get on my face and block my vision." The cat meowed an inquisitive meow and jumped over to Hercules' lap, rolling itself around for comfort. "My name is Hercules, and this is my cats I actually own, Athena." Hercules looked up and gave a warm, peaceful smile. His eyes were heavy from his nap but the colors enchanted Kiku to stare on, into them like a reflection of one's self.
"You...have more than one cat?"
"Yes, I have a lot of pets. I work in an animal shelter for abandoned animals and often come here to check if there are any living here. It's good for business because the park manager doesn't like animals roaming around his park and I have a strange ability in attracting animals. Sometimes I keep a few of those who aren't adoptable.'
"That...is nice..." Kiku answered, astonished of this man's calmness.
Hercules' lips curled delicately, "Thank you. So...what about you?'
"Me?"
"Yes," he said, "I still want to get to know you, but if you want to keep walking I don't mind."
Even though this man-Hercules-was a strange one, Kiku sensed an interest in him and judging by how he was trying to talk to him-in the oddest way possible-Kiku was...generally "Well, I always take my walk, but I think we can chat while doing so."
"That sounds great."
Hercules and Kiku smiled at the thought, their feet taking way down the path while the cat followed their trail happily.