Summary: An one shot of how Kyoko is coping after she leave the Apostles of the Stars.

Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat the manga or anime, but I do own a grey tubby cat named Tigger!

"Kyoko-san, I have been hearing a lot of good reviews of you from the other teachers! Ah, you really have come a long way since your truanty days, eh?" Kyoko's form teacher happily grins as he stabs his cigarette butt onto the ash tray. "Keep up the good job and you can get an 'A' soon!" He thrush a piece of pop quiz exam paper with a "C+" grade written in bold red ink towards his to-be star student.

Kyoko took the paper back and thank her teacher, "Yes sir! I'll be going home now. See you tomorrow, Sensei!" It has been a month since she had return to her normal high school life. Looking at this 16 year old teenager with short raven hair and a typical high school uniform, it is hard to believe she hold the Tao mystic power of Heat, and is ex-member of the murderous terrorist group, Apostles of the Stars

The Chronos have make good of their promise to leave her alone, while she too keep her promise to Blacku-sama. In fact her new motto in life is 'No matter how angry I get, I will not kill anyone.'

A short walk to the train station
A short ride on the train of five stations
A short ride on the shuttle bus towards her rented apartment.

"I'm home!" Kyoko cheerful greet upon reaching home. Kuro-neko turns around to look at her mistress and it will deftly jump onto her shoulder. Kyoko grin ear to ear and rub her cheek against her little cute black cat with enormous white eyes and start to babble on.

"Ne ne, Sensei say I'm getting good impression from all of the teachers! Isn't it great? And I got a C+ at pop quiz! Don't you think I did pretty well? I think I did pretty good, after all I haven't been studying in like ... months? Now all I have to do is to study more and I'll get my past straight A+ grades in no time! Ne ne! What shall we have for dinner?"

Kyoko stood alone in the sparse apartment. Her parents have not seemed to return to Japan from their business trips yet. You could almost cut the silence with a butter knife.

"OH! I just remember! I just send a sms text to Blacku-sama on the train just now! I wonder if he has reply yet." Kyoko start to rummage into her white sling bag, pulling out various textbook and Japanese confectionaries. Her hand closed over on the familiar handphone and she pull it out with flourish, various handphone decoration in form of a teddy bear and shiro-neko swinging madly. She quickly look at the mini LCD screen, hunger for her idol's contact.

You have no new messages

A small lump appears on Kyoko's throat. Blacku-cat starts to nudge Kyoko's calf. Kyoko took a while to reply to the cat, "I'm all right! Ah, I know! Blacku-sama must be busy! In fact, I bet he must be chasing after some baddies right now!"

Kyoko go into her room and land onto her bed heavily. Kuro-neko daintily jump from her shoulder onto the best rest and mew in protest over the rough mannerism. Pushing herself to face the ceiling wall, she stare at the phone, willing it to ring. She then notice the handphone decoration Shiro-neko

... which Sheldon bought for her.

The curious man with round glasses and tall hat, Kyoko remember the times they're together, whether they traveling to look for new member or resting at headquarters. Kyoko thought of the times she will sit by the side of the pool, splashing her feet in the cold water with Sheldon and her sweets beside her. Sheldon would always listen to her chattering, acknowledge with a nod or a single 'yes'. Many times, she tries to call him but his phone line is down. Blacku-sama and Rinslet the bimbo does not seem to know where have he gone too.

Why did he leave me alone?
Why didn't he tell me that he's leaving?
Where did he go?

Am I that unnecessary?

Kyoko abruptly push herself up to a sitting position. "No Kyoko! It's precisely this way of thinking that got you into Apostles of the Stars! I have to pull myself together!" She fiercely thought to herself. She tiled her head to look at her pet, "Say, would you like to join me to check the mailbox? Maybe we can buy some groceries too! and dinner too!"

Kyoko quickly change into more casual clothes of a starry design hooded jacket and her favorite short skirt. With a purse within her pocket and Kuro-Neko on her shoulder, she hmm a popular song as she took the elevator to the first floor.

At the lobby, Kyoko open her mailbox and to her delight, there are three letters. Kuro-neko purr into Kyoko's hair as she rips the letters open. Advertisement, bill and ... Kyoko's eyes lit up, her mom!

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Dear Kyoko,

Hello, enclosed is two cheques. The first cheque is for the landlady.
Please give it to her before the end of the month. The second
cheque is for your spending.

yours sincerely,
Mom
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Kyoko's mouth set into a straight line. 4 months of zero contact ... ... ... and this is the only letter with less than ... forty words? Not even a "How are you doing?". Kuro-neko rub his mistress cheek and Kyoko gingerly touch her beloved pet. At least now she have a companion.

"Come on now, let's go."

A short walk straight ahead.
A shortcut through a crowded children park.
A short walk through the crowded shopping street.

Kyoko left Kuro-neko on a tall brick wall in front of the supermarket. Kuro-neko look at it mistress with his wide white eyes, before its mouth open wide, showing off his fanged mouth.

"Keke, have a nice nap! I'll be back in a while!"

Kyoko enter the supermarket, took a basket and began her shopping. A bottle of green tea, some chocolate biscuits and can of cat food went into the basket. Kyoko reach into her pocket for her shopping list, but end up fishing out her mom's letter instead. Her eyes faded to a blank gaze. No. II of the Chronos might recognize the eyes of the killer at the graveyard.

They didn't notice Kyoko's truant from school for weeks.
They didn't notice Kyoko absence from home for months.

More and more items are thrown into the small basket: M&Ms, strawberry Pocky sticks, family sized chocolate bars, larges bags of potatoes chips of different favours, microwave pizzas, instant ramens, frozen cakes, frozen pies, boxes of icecream, packets of fruits, whipped creams, more cat food, more bottled drinks...

A sudden snap make Kyoko came to her senses. One of the plastic handle broke under the weight of her impulsive shopping and her items scatter all over the supermarket tiled floor. Other shoppers help to pick the drop items, and one of the staff came over with a trolley to store all of the items. A soft lump appears in her throat.

Even strangers treat her better then her family and friends.

"That will be 25,000 yen. Would you like to deliver to your house?" The part time cashier politely asks.

"Yes please. Could you please pass me that bag for me to carry?" Kyoko point one of the smaller bags.

"Certainly, now please fill in your details and we'll deliver your remaining groceries by tomorrow." The cashier hand her a form.

Trying to make a conversation, the cashier comments, "Wow, look at all these snacks! Are you going to have a big party? Your parents must be out of town for you to host this party, right? You're such a lucky girl, my parents would scold me to death if I am to host a party like yours!"

Red fiery mists cover her eyes. Kyoko look up from her paperwork and stare at the cashier. A 25 year old man, his hair short and black, his drooping eyes are quite cute, the stubble on his chin make him look grown up. Kyoko's eyes gazed down to his name tag. "Haru, is it?" She abruptly pulls his apron so he forcibly land against the counter towards her. Kyoko too lean forward, their face a mere inch away. He could feel her feathery breath on his face, their lips almost meet. "I always love kissing." she drawls.

With that, Kyoko make her first move. In the full view of the surprised evening shoppers and shocked supermarket staffs, she kiss the cashier straight on the mouth. Surprised, the cashier could only stand there like a stone statue, his mouth open in gap. Kyoko's tongue mischievously sneak into this stranger's mouth and teased her partner tongue. Slowly Haru warm up to Kyoko and begun his lusty tongue dances of his own.

... ... ... Kiss of death...

Suddenly Kyoko remember the day when she saw the child Blacku-sama for the last time.

Ne ne! Black-sama, I promise to you, no matter how angry I'll get, I'll never ...
I believe in your words.

Her pocket began to vibrate and a soft handphone tune rang out, Black-sama theme song. A sudden realization pierces her desire to kill and she push the guy with unnatural strength, a added effect of her Tao's powers. The poor sod flew over two counter aisle before crash landing into the tower of toilet rolls.

"Well then, I'll be counting on you then! Jia ne!" Kyoko salute the cashier before running off, leaving the cashier bury underneath rolls of cheap toilet paper. Kyoko run out of the supermarket and grab Kuro-neko. Her cat could only half blink in sleepy haze as his mistress carry him through the shopping streets, the crowd of shoppers already thinning out.

Kyoko stop at the children park, it occupants too returning home for dinner. Panting for breathe, Kyoko sit at one of the bench at the park. She quickly check her handphone.

1 miss call

Kyoko press some of her handphone's buttons, the LCD screen soon showing the log of missed calls. She already know who is the person behind the missed call.

1 miss call : Black-sama 17.16pm

A large grin began to spread from ear to ear. Kyoko quickly press her speed dial - the number to her No 1 idol.

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"What the hell are you doing? How dare you violate that young girl?" The manager schreech at Haru who is still dizzly lyingat the middle of the toilet paper rolls. Yellow liquid start to spread from his groin and drip onto the floor, staining the surrounding toilet paper. The staff who are originally helping to pick the scatter toilet rolls, quickly took a step back from the foul stench. "I thought I'm going to die..." he squeaks in daze.

"The hell? You're fired!"

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Kyoko swing her only plastic bag of mircowave bento, recounting the conversation over and over in her mind. (Of course Kyoko control the whole conversation most of the time, while Train could only got some words in edgeways)

"Why don't you pick up a after-school activity or a part time job? This way, you won't be bored."

"You know what, Kuro-neko? Maybe I will join the rifle club and practice shooting. After all, I always got the trouble of missing my target ne." Kyoko smile and tickle Kuro-neko's chin. The pet starts to purr in content.

Even though Blacku-sama may not there in person or always answer her sms messages , she knew she will be always in the place in his heart.

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Author notes:

I love Kyoko, I think my own personability is quite similiar to her. When she is all cheerful, she too hide a sad past under her smile. I really wanted to make a Kyoko X Sheldon fic but I do not know how it turns out this way, haha. The poor cashier is based on my ex-boyfriend, who I really love to see him bury under a mountain of toilet roll.