Author's Note

I am basing this story purely off the anime, so I'm sorry if you like Kyo and Toru together, but I have paired her with Yuki. Things may change based on how my readers react to this story, but I'm hoping you can come to enjoy my telling of it. I have paired Kyo with a very strange OC, and I plan on making him have some challenges to face to get close to her. He will often go to Toru or Shigure for advice on how to deal with his emotions and curious crush on the OC. His relationship with Yuki will also hopefully get better. But we shall see. It's all up to you readers. Let me know what you want to see.

I was about to head to class when I saw Rintori Nakunishi in the mudroom at her locker. I don't know why I looked over at her. Probably because I heard her sniffle. I glanced over, and saw that she was crying. Her hands hid her face, but I knew she cried. It was strange. Rin was one of the tough girls around school. I mean, you would almost believe she was a Soma, the way she behaved.

For one thing, Rintori had shockingly blue hair. She claimed she hadn't dyed it, either, although I've never gotten close enough to her to look at the roots of her hair and see if she was telling the truth. She's also got it cut so short as to appear to be a boy from behind, although everyone knows who she is. Her eyes are practically silver, and the shape of the irises are so unusual, you'd almost think she wasn't human. I mean, her irises were shaped like crescent moons, and you couldn't see any signs of a pupil in her eye, although she wasn't blind. Then there was the way she dressed. She absolutely refused to wear the girl school uniform. Instead, she chose to wear black cargo pants and a black long sleeved shirt with the shoulders cut out. On her feet, she never wore the traditional shoes, either. She was always sneaking around in a pair of black and purple creepers.

Rintori was a new student here this year. It was my third year in high school, and only her second. Still, she was in advanced classes, so we had a few together. I'd seen some of the teachers and student council members get after her for her appearance, and all she ever does is glare at them. So, naturally, when I saw her crying, I knew something major must be up. I mean, what could possibly make a girl like her cry?

"Rintori? Rintori Nakunishi?"

I heard another sniffle, and watched as she wiped angrily at her tears before turning around to face me. "What do you want? You're Kyo Soma, aren't you? A lot of the girls talk about you all the time. You and your cousin, Yuki. So what could you possibly want with me?"

I was taken aback a first, but I quickly regained my cool. "Nothing, I just thought I'd ask if you're okay. You're over here crying by yourself. I mean, where are your friends, anyways?"

"I don't have any friends. And you need not be bothered with me. You don't even know me."

"Well, if you don't have any friends, who else is going to check on you?"

"Nobody. That's the point. Now leave me be."

"Why?"

"Because I don't feel like being made fun of for who I am again today. I'm already upset as it is."

"Why are you crying, Rintori?"

"It's none of your business, so shut up and leave me alone!" Her head snapped up from the floor as she said this, and I could see the puffy red circles around her eyes before she shoved me back into a wall.

When she saw my look, my notice of her expression, she turned her back to me and started to walk away. So, granted, what I did next was stupid. But I do a lot of stupid stuff, so it should hardly have been a surprise. I ran after Rintori, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her to me in a hug. Not a moment later, there was a poof of smoke, and then...I was a cat. Again.

"What was that for, you idiot?" Rintori turned around, looking for me. I mewed to get her attention, and she looked down. "Hey, little guy. I don't suppose you know where that annoying idiot went? He just hugged me without asking. Can you believe that? And he doesn't even know me. Why would he go and do something like that?"

Okay, I admit it. I've had a bit of a crush on Rintori for a while. I hadn't told her or anyone else that, though. I mean, at one time, I thought I had feelings for Toru. But...well...Toru isn't really my kind of girl. Neither is that damn girl, Kagura. Besides, Toru is with Yuki now, and that's okay. We're better off as friends. But, well, with Rintori, I'm hoping she can come to understand me, and accept me as I am, as Toru has done. But this is the first chance I've had to even attempt to get to know her.

"Wait a second...why are you in a pile of clothes? And why do these look like Kyo's clothes?"

Rintori knelt down next to me, and I started trying to scamper out of my clothes so I could run, but she untangled me herself and picked me up. I didn't know what to do. "You're kinda cute, little guy. Yup. You don't have a collar, but that doesn't mean you're a stray, does it? You could be anyone's cat. But you really are adorable."

Great. She's a cat lover, and she absolutely loves my zodiac form. That doesn't help me get around the fact that we're at school, and as soon as I change back, I'm going to be naked. But I can't tell her about the Soma curse. She didn't see me transform, so we're safe for now. But why did I have to be an idiot and hug her? I hissed in my frustration, and Rintori was startled, dropping me. There was another poof, and I ducked behind a row of lockers.

"Hey, kitty. Where did you go?"

The bell tolled, and Rintori glanced at one of the speakers in the ceiling. She glanced around once, then hurried from the mudroom. I leapt for my clothes and put them on in a rush. Then I ran after Rintori.

"Hey! Rintori!" She glanced back, and paused, seeing me. Then her gaze turned to a glare.

"Tell me something, Kyo. Why did you hug me? What gives you the right? You don't know me, or my pain. So why would you do that?"

"Because I've been told that's a way to comfort people. I may not know your pain, but when a girl is alone and crying, isn't it someone's job to try to comfort her, even if they don't know her?"

"I wouldn't know. No one has tried to comfort me before. Well, anyways, don't so it again. It wasn't needed. The cat was more help than you."

"And what if I'd been the cat?"

Rintori's face was puzzled for a moment, and then she laughed. "You're weird, Kyo. Who would ever think that they could be a cat? Well, I'll say this. If you had been that cat, I would thank you. That cat made my day a lot better."

I considered carefully before speaking again. "Tell me, Rintori. Do you...know the tale of the zodiac?"

"Well of course I do. I mean, I guess this isn't something most people know about me, but I like to read a lot. I write poems too."

"And...what do you think, about that story?"

"I was born in the year of the pig, but I've never really liked the pig. I always liked the cat and the dog."

"And why do you like those two?"

"Well, because of the meanings given to those particular animals, of course. In general, I've always liked cats and dogs, but the meanings in their zodiacs have always seemed to be a lot like me."

"That's good to know. And what do you think of the rat?"

"He's cruel and spiteful. I mean, why would he trick that poor cat like he did?"

"That's something I've always wondered myself. But I have an older cousin that lives with me...I mean, well, you seem interested in the zodiac. I don't supposed you'd like to come and talk to him? He likes the dog, too."

"Well, I don't really know where you live. And I've never been to another person's home. I really probably shouldn't, anyways. I've got...someone I have to see after school."

"That's no problem. We can go see them first, and then I can walk you back to my house. Sound like a plan?"

The terror in her eyes couldn't be matched. She shook her head fiercely, backing away. "I really can't allow that. I'm...I'm sorry."

"Can't you please skip it, whatever it is, just this once?"

"No."

"Fine. I'll wait for you at the front gate after class. When you can, meet me there. Then you can come over. Is that alright?"

"I guess that would be okay. But I can leave whenever I want. And if I don't show up at all, don't be surprised!"

"I won't be! I don't even know why I'm inviting you anyways!"

"Kyo Soma, Rintori Nakunishi. Shouldn't you both be in class?" A teacher was coming towards us.

"I would already be in class is this idiot hadn't hugged me without permission."

"A hug is hardly anything to be worried about Rintori. Besides, if the touch was unwelcome, I'm sure you would have made it clear to Kyo that it wasn't. Get to class, please, before I have to write you both up."

Rintori threw a last glare at me, then slipped into the door she stood next to. I walked off to my own homeroom, shared with Toru and that damn rat.