An anime was playing on the television and Koneko seemed to be immensely enjoying it. She turned to see if Zenko was enjoying it as well and beamed when she saw the other girl's eyes fixed upon the screen. "It's good, right?! Sensei said it was really good so I watched it and it's my favorite now!"
"It's okay," the other girl replied, crossing her arms. As much as she was enjoying it, it was clear that there were other things she would rather be doing. "Hey! Murasaki, my brother said you would take us out to eat! When are we going?"
Noriko was sitting at the table with the two younger girls, slouching and staring down at the screen of her cellphone. It had only been one day since she had witnessed Kyona's horrific injury and it was still haunting her. She had left the ranch as quickly as possible, carrying the grey-haired girl on her back and racing to get her to the hospital. A shiver ran through her as she remembered the feeling of Kyona's severed arm. She had clutched it close as she ran, hoping that the hospital could reattach it if she got there fast enough.
"Hey, Nya-chan. Still thinking about yesterday?" Saitama asked as he came out of the kitchen. He saw her slouching and settled next to her, rubbing behind one of her feline ears. "You're worried about Kyona?"
"I just…hope they were able to reattach her arm," she said very quietly. Neither of the young girls knew about what had happened the previous day. Noriko had thought it best that Koneko not know what her birth father had done. I need to keep her away from Kyou. If he's capable of doing that to his own twin sister, there's no telling what he might do to Koneko if she upsets him. I'm not safe, either.
The male hero lowered himself a little so his eyes met the catgirl's. "You did everything you could. I mean, you're not a surgeon; you can't guarantee that they could reattach it or not. You did the right thing by taking her to the hospital. Some heroes might've just left her there."
"Grey Kyona did not go into the hospital. Mumen Rider saw her running away after you left," Genos spoke up from the kitchen. Though it seemed to be ignored by the other two heroes.
"If I left her there, he might have killed her." Her tail settled limply across her lap and she sighed. "She's evil though. And crazy. She hurt Genos and-"
"Yeah, but you know there's something good left in her. I know you do or else you would've finished her by now, right?" He ruffled her hair and smiled. "Hey. I'm hungry. Let's go get some food."
"What're you guys talking about? You keep saying something about reattaching something." Koneko was now looking to the older heroes, an eyebrow raised.
"What do you want to eat?" Saitama asked, trying to redirect her attention.
"Hn…could you take them by yourself? Sorry. I just don't really-"
"I've got it, Nya-chan." He stood and started for the apartment with the two girls. "Hey, Genos. Are you staying home, too?"
The blonde stuck his head out of the kitchen, frowning. "Master Saitama, do you mind taking Koneko and her friend on your own?"
"It's fine. I'll bring you guys some food when I get back." He paused for a moment, giving Genos a knowing look as the cyborg glanced at Noriko. "Don't make a mess."
Her left ear twitched as she overheard this and then heard the apartment door open and close. A heavy sigh escaped her as she fell backwards onto Saitama's futon, her stomach aching with guilt. So Grey-san left the hospital? Where did she go? Is she alright? What if she bleeds to death? Damn it! Why do I care if she's alive or not?! But I don't want her to die! Why does this bother me so much? She closed her eyes and crossed a forearm over her face, hating the conflict that she now felt. On one hand, caring about the villain showed that she was human. It was normal to worry about people, especially when they were as injured as the girl was. On the other hand, Kyona was evil and most certainly insane on some level. She was obsessive. She was cruel. She was powerful. But what if Saitama's right? What if there is some good in her? Mumen Rider said that she confronted Koneko once, but didn't hurt her. She actually complimented her. And Grey-san is always careful not to actually kill those around me. So that means…there has to be some good in her, right?
The futon dipped beside the catgirl as Genos joined her. He was a little confused as to what was going on, but more than anything he was just glad for a moment alone with his girlfriend. Her free hand was at her side and he slowly reached over to lace his fingers with hers. "Are you thinking about Grey Kyona?"
"I hate that I'm worried. But what if she never got help?" Her voice was very soft, her heart beating fast as she felt the cold metal palm against hers.
"Do you want to look for her?"
"I…hn…it would make me feel better, I guess. If I can find her, I'll know if she's okay or not. I did try to call her phone this morning because I wanted to know if they had reattached her arm, but she didn't answer." Noriko shifted her arm away from her face, slowly opening her eyes. She pushed herself to sit up again and looked over at Genos. "Sorry. You don't mind going with me, do you?"
Soon enough, the two were walking to the hospital. The biggest worry was that Kyona had run away from the hospital and collapsed somewhere nearby, bleeding to death. They searched the surrounding area, scouring alley ways and the various bushes in the nearest park. Noriko grimaced as she tried again to call the girl's cellphone. When Kyona failed to answer, she put her phone back into her pocket with a sigh. "Hn. You don't think Kyou tracked her down to help her, do you?"
"I do not think that Grey Kyou would have a change of heart so quickly after maiming his sister. If he does find her, it will most likely be to finish her off." He saw her fur puff up in alarm and put a hand on her shoulder. "I am certain that she went somewhere that she knew she would be safe. I believe that she, her father, and Kenta are still wanted by the Hero Association. There is a good chance that she returned to their hideout to nurse her own wounds." Genos paused to study her expression. Still seeing a deep despair in her features, he decided to voice his final opinion. "Noriko. Your worry for her safety stems from a sense of guilt and a sense of empathy for her brother's betrayal. Am I wrong?"
Her feline ears drew back and she absently toyed with the bell on her white leather collar. "No…you're right. I just can't help but feel like there's something I could have done to stop Kyou from cutting off her arm. And I know what it's like to be betrayed by someone that you thought you were close with."
"I remember you saying that before Kenta murdered your family, he befriended you and engrained himself into your life. I am sure that your betrayals are on different levels, but I can see why you would sympathize with Grey Kyona. It is good to care for her safety, but you must remember that she is your enemy."
"That's true." Noriko's tail flicked side to side as she reflected on his words. "Genos. How sure are you that she went somewhere safe?"
"I am almost absolutely certain."
She shoved her hands into the pockets of her hooded sweatshirt and felt her nicked ear twitch. "Hn. Saitama probably told you all about the Sonic incident yesterday, right? So we should probably hurry home before he makes another appearance." The catgirl started walking down the sidewalk, but her arm was caught in a metal grip that stopped her. When she turned her head, she saw that he was frowning. "Genos?"
"I will fight him if he tries to interfere." Seeing the perplexed look on her face, his frown deepened. "Noriko, it has been a while since we had a date. Master Saitama reminded me of that this morning and I intended to ask you tomorrow, but the opportunity has presented itself. We are on a date now."
"Hnn…are you sure you want to do this right now?" Her eyes widened when he drew closer, bringing his face within inches of hers.
"This is what I want to do. Right now. Where do you want to go, Noriko?"
Blushing faintly, she shifted her green eyes away from his black and gold ones. "Um…I guess maybe we could get snacks at the convenience store?" Noriko's tail began to curl at the end as the two walked down the sidewalk. He's right though. It's been a long time since we had an actual date. She could feel the heated glares of middle-aged women and teenage girls as they passed people on the street, but ignored them. A small smile took form on her lips as she felt herself relaxing little by little. He's right about Grey-san, too. She's smart. She wouldn't run from the hospital if she had no hope of being saved. I'm sure everything will work out.
The clerk greeted the two heroes with a nod, his face turning pink when he saw Noriko. She walked to the snack section and started looking through the selection, not surprised in the least when the clerk walked over to ask for an autograph from both of them. He was shaking a little as he handed her a pad of paper and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Um, so, you know. That one guy. That ninja. I heard he got out of prison the same time you did." He saw her nod. "I mean…you're okay, right? Some of the regulars here said he got thrown in prison so he could…" The clerk trailed off when he saw the way Genos was glaring at him.
"What are you trying to say?" the cyborg calmly asked.
"He w-wanted to get her alone. But it's kind of well-known that he likes her."
"Who is it well-known to?" Genos persisted. "And what else are they saying about her?"
The clerk was now sweating heavily and accepted the notepad back from Noriko. "I-I don't mean anything by it. It's just what the regular customers say. They say he has this weird relationship with Samurai Catgirl. I guess he told some guys that she was his because they were going to hit on her. B-but I mean, she's dating you, right? So really, you shouldn't even listen to the rumors and-!"
"She does not and never will belong to that pervert. Do I make myself clear?" The blonde saw the clerk nod once. "Tell them that the next time you overhear those rumors."
Noriko watched the clerk hurry back to his counter and tilted her head. "Genos, you didn't have to intimidate him. He didn't start-" A cold metal finger hooked beneath the leather of her collar and tugged her toward him, staring down into her green eyes and making her blush pink. "G-Genos?"
"Do you remember what I told? It has been several weeks, but I remember telling you-"
"Y-you said…that if you saw me with another guy…that you'd take me in front of them and annihilate them. Hn. But I'm not with another guy." Her tail whipped back and forth behind her anxiously. She could feel the clerk watching them curiously, nervously, and it only made her blush more vibrant. Genos is mad. Is it what the clerk was saying? But he knows I'm not with Sonic! If I was with Sonic, would I really be here right now?! Her back pushed against a shelf and his metal frame pressed against hers.
Genos leaned down so his face was close to hers. There was no warning before his free hand moved behind her, cupping the curve of her bottom to draw her lower half closer. She made a small sound of alarm and he took the opportunity to cover her mouth with his. The girl jolted a little, but soon her arms wrapped around his neck and she kissed back. He knew that the clerk was still watching them. He knew that the other customers were now looking as well. It was exactly what he wanted. In this moment, he was making a display of claiming her.
Noriko's heart beat fast and hard in her chest as he squeezed her bottom. She subconsciously ground her hips into his, no longer concerned with anyone else in the convenience store. Though she could feel their stares. She knew exactly what he was doing and found it sort of cute. All it took to make him jealous was the insinuation that another man liked her. Breaking the contact between their lips, she lowered her gaze and blushed red. "Hn…sh-should we take this back to the apartment?"
"Our date is not over yet." He pulled away as if nothing had happened, leaving her slightly confused. Genos turned toward the shelves to look once more at the selection of snacks, but watched her from the corner of his eye. Her perplexed expression filled him with a strange blend of satisfaction. "Do you have everything that you want for our date, Noriko?"
She grabbed a few more bags of snacks and walked up to the counter with him at her side. It was awkward to face the clerk again so soon, but it was necessary. She kept her eyes averted, wary of how the customers throughout the store were now looking at her. "Hn. So how much is it?" she quietly asked.
"Uh….f-for you…900 yen. J-just because you're a regular. Th-the manager wouldn't want me to charge you too much because you bring in more customers and…" He trailed off, seeing the cyborg hero's hand move to the catgirl's lower back. "Um…yeah…so…" The catgirl bit her lower lip as color rushed to her cheeks. "Y-you okay?"
"H-here." She nearly threw the money at the clerk and rushed out of the store, fighting back a yowl. When Genos put a hand on her back, she had expected it to end there. Instead, he moved lower and rubbed the spot just above the base of her tail. The weakest spot on her body that was guaranteed to always make her yowl with pleasure. She panted, standing on the sidewalk in the sunlight as she tried to regain her composure. That was when she felt a painfully familiar gaze upon her.
"Nya-chan? What's up? You're looking kind of…" Realization overcame Saitama's eyes as he saw her blushing and then saw Genos come out of the convenience store. "Oh. So you guys are doing your date today? I was coming back to drop off some food. Koneko wanted to walk Zenko home by herself and I guess Mumen Rider is picking her up to patrol after that."
"Master Saitama. You can put the food in the refrigerator and we will have it later." Genos held up the bag of snacks that Noriko had left behind. "We will be home late."
The bald hero raised both eyebrows. "What? You have big plans or something? There isn't that much to do in City Z."
The catgirl bit at her thumbnail in anxiety. "Hn. Don't ask." Her eyes widened when she felt an arm wrap around her waist.
"We are going to have a good date. I have researched date scenarios in manga and anime. Out of all of the dates that Noriko has ever been on, this will be the best one. I can assure this because I have done extensive research and-"
"That's great, but I don't really care. I'm heading home. Don't be out too late."