A/N: Whoops, I had forgotten where I was up to. :)

And to the lovely Guest reviewer, first of all thank you so much for your reviews. Tangled Web is actually Takumi (spoilers but I doubt it matters after not updating in so long - though it's next on my to do list after Achilles' Heel's last two chapters) but this is actually light Koizumi (well established by this stage). :)

The Curse of the Cat

086. Bone

Shopping for presents wasn't something Koichi often did, and when he was looking for one it was normally for a woman: his mother or, before her death, his grandmother. So trying to find a present for someone he barely knew, was a year older and male, was proving to be quite a challenge. Especially since anything that looked remotely promising wound up being either too cheap and therefore inadequate or too expensive.

He wanted to get a book, but had no idea what sort of books the other would like, and the downtown bookstore seemed to have run out of everything save their horror collection. He debated the magic tricks isle, but they didn't seem like adequate presents, and anything mechanical-related was either over his head or too expensive for his allowance. And it wasn't like he knew what size the other wore to give him clothes…and that exhausted what he had learnt about the other boy in that long game of monopoly.

His eyes fell on the collection of IQ puzzles in a small shop tucked away in a corner of town. Somehow, he got the feeling the older boy would enjoy them…although he felt he was being a little judgemental presuming that from one meeting. Certainly nothing Zoe had ever said (not that he knew her for all that long either) implied JP would like IQ puzzles.

He selected one that looked at first sight like a cube with multiple cubes within it. It was like the one he had – his favourite that his grandmother had gotten him at four – but unique in its own way.

Now that he thought about it, he didn't think he'd ever seen a duplicate of his puzzle either.

He counted out the yen in his pocket, and found he had just enough.

087. Chalk Dust

Takuya coughed as he accidentally dropped the duster and got chalk dust in his mouth.

'Yuck,' he spat. 'Why did we get stuck with cleaning the blackboards?'

'Be glad we're not scraping gum off the desks,' Koji shot back, scrubbing at the board with a soapy sponge. 'Remind me again why I'm here with you?'

'How about you remind me why I'm here first?' the other shot back.

'You're proud of the fact that you can't keep track of your detentions?' Koji asked, incredulously. 'What in the world do your parents say?'

'Dad says to stand up for what I believe in,' Takuya shrugged. 'Mum would rather I don't get into so much trouble. If it's a fight with someone, she'll ground me, hoping I won't get into another fights in the near future and set a bad example for Shinya…but I think it's honestly too late for that.' He laughed sheepishly. 'He said though that Tommy stopped him from beating some bully up.' A chuckle escaped as he shook his head. 'How about your father though? What has he said about the sudden increase in detentions?'

'Nothing, because I haven't told him yet.'

088. Manuscript

Koji realised that afternoon that he really should inform his father before his next report card was issued…or the school decided he'd had one too many detentions and decided to call home.

When that thought entered his mind though, he realised how little he really communicated with his father. And, at that moment, he decided to try and change that. Maybe it was because of the friends he had made. Four wonderful friends. And how the Cat was nothing like he'd imagined – and he hadn't, funnily enough, needed Zoe or Tommy to tell him that. The kid looked more like an adorable little kitten than the monster the Sohma family had labelled him as. In all honesty, Koji had felt sorry for him at first glance, as sickly as he was…and with the fate that awaited him.

He forgot soon enough though, with JP teasing the pre-emptive couple…for both of them claimed not to have crushes on each other, but apparently both mothers agreed otherwise. And all the mad scrambling with them playing monopoly again, this time with eight players at Tommy's place. He wasn't sure why they were playing monopoly so often – except Takuya claimed to be broke as he wasn't getting an allowance till the month was over, and JP had spent his on some new mechanical gadget and nobody even thought to as Koichi whether he wanted to go after having not watch a single western film or cartoon.

But all that just led up to the fact that he and his father hadn't talked in quite a while, and it was a talk long overdue. Sadly though, he was getting the feeling that he needed a script…and preferably a burn-proof recipe too, as he managed to burn his first recent attempt at cooking dinner before the housemaid cleaned up his mess.

Now that he thought about it, she cleaned a lot of his messes.

089. Ink

Kousei pocketed his pen long enough to unlock the door, and then it was back in his hand, scrawling down the details being relayed to him by the phone tucked between his shoulder and ear. His eyes were focused on the paper as well, repeating the information to make sure he had it down correctly; it was alright though, as he knew the house like the back of his hand and Koji, if he was home, would be either on the couch in the living room or in his bedroom.

So sure was he of that that he did not expect to walk into his son standing in the entrance hall.

090. Perfection

Kousei blinked. Koji returned that with a blink of his own. The voice on the phone thankfully got interrupted on his own end, mumbling he would call back soon to continue their one-sided conversation.

Kousei was more than happy to agree, as the same words had almost escaped from his own mouth.

'Is something the matter?' he asked immediately, phone going back into his pocket…along with scraps of paper he would need to sort at some point. 'You're not sick or anything, are you?'

The last time Koji had gotten sick – which was quite a few years ago – had been a mini-apocalypse.

'No.' Koji shuffled his feet. 'I just…I got detention.'

Kousei stared at him. 'Detention?'

'And…umm…I made some friends too.'

His father blinked. 'I assume this friends of yours had something to do with your detention?'

'Detentions actually,' Koji admitted. 'And I tried to make dinner but I burnt it and Satomi had to help clean up, and I won't be home Sunday because JP's having a sleepover –'

'I believe you're suppose to ask your parent before you agree to sleepovers.' Kousei shook his head. 'But slow down; I'm having trouble following the rest of what you've said.'

Mainly because Koji didn't get into trouble – except with him – and Koji didn't have friends last time he checked. Which was admittedly a while ago, what with a frosty wall and work piling up between them.