Clarity was both a curse and a gift. It had been obvious from the start, really, and Kinu didn't know why her mood dampened when Shinpachi hadn't come out of the Yorozuya behind her. Maybe it was because he was always so nice, and that made her like him. She hadn't thought much on it before. Just that he was a boy around her age. A little younger. She'd always thought that the stuttering and bowing were signs that he was shy, but interested. Maybe he was just uncomfortable.
She returned to her shop, headphones pressed into her ears to drown out the sound of people going about their lives. Existing. It was far more comfortable to lose the sensory overload of her surroundings and just think. As she slipped her key into the lock, Kinu was relieved to find the house empty. She changed to her usual black yukata. Planned to keep the day casual, and comfortable. When she reached the storefront again, a group of cats were pawing at the door; eager to greet her, and she was just as pleased to see them.
They were probably hungry.
Looking at her guests, the girl dug into the pantry for a can of cat food. It was her little secret. She would sneak a few cans into her grocery shopping, and stash them away behind other food. So nobody would know. It wasn't wasted money; the cats needed something. Even if most of them did have families, Kinu wanted to be a part of them.
Old and young, the felines flocked around her ankles as the bell of the door tinkled overhead, and Kinu couldn't help but smile at the small sea of fur. Careful to step around them, she placed a large plate on the ground and the moment she cracked the can open, a chorus of voices bleated up at her. The girl murmured to her group, low and calm. Nothing worth remembering, but they always greeted her with the same eagerness.
As she stood, she counted their heads. Eight. The whole group. They swarmed the plate, scarfing the food down, but the older tom cat caught Kinu's attention. Only one of his green eyes was open. The other was crusted shut, but raw. Red. The chestnut fur around it was nearly black with dried blood.
That didn't look good.
He had to be at least ten years old, and he hadn't been hurt the last time Kinu had seen him. She hesitated there; looking at him as he ate. Carefully walking backwards, Kinu eased back into her shop. She kept her eyes on the cats until she was inside, then rushed behind the counter to grab a large towel. She didn't know how badly he was injured. Didn't want to get scratched. When she returned to the cats, the wet food was almost gone, and Momo was nowhere to be seen. Rushing out into the middle of the dirt roadway, Kinu kept the towel between her hands, ready to grab him. She glanced through the people passing, and honed in on the brown tail weaving through them. Ran after him. The moment she was almost to him, he sprinted away, and turned down a concrete pathway between buildings.
Kinu followed, turning right at the end, only to find him leaping onto a wooden fence. Pulling herself up, the girl waved her arms to steady herself as she tiptoed across the fence-line and found her footing. She moved as quickly as she could, but slowed when he jumped onto a low roof overhanging a window.
She had to catch him.
Testing the roof, Kinu eased her foot onto it. It seemed sturdy enough. She made quick work of crossing it, and branched onto another wooden fence as wide as her palm. When she'd slowed down, Momo had done the same. Maybe she could grab him if she kept calm. Snuck up on him. On all fours, Kinu slid her knees and palms across the barrier under her. Inched towards the brown tom cat. She kept her towel low, and he stared at her with his one green eye. As if he knew.
"What on earth are you doing?"
Nearly jumping out of her skin, Kinu's eyes snapped to the familiar dark haired man that looked to be just as surprised as she was. The cat leapt from the fence, into the yard, and darted past Takasugi, and Kinu reached for him.
"Momo!" Jumping down behind him, Kinu ran straight past Takasugi. Flat out ignored him. The man stepped back as she passed, then turned to glare at her as she squatted down with the red towel out; completely focused on the cat.
"Oi, girl. You can't be here."
Kinu glanced at him, deadpan aside from her narrowed eyes.
"He's hurt."
Looking at the cat, Takasugi paused. Missing an eye. He'd never seen a solid brown cat before, let alone one exposing his hideout and leading girls that had no business being there into his yard. Takasugi took a step towards the cat, and he backed away. Darted under the wooden porch, quickly followed by the girl; looking under the steps.
"Momo!" She called his name, leaning down to peer into the dark abyss he had disappeared into. When Kinu started to reach under the steps, the belt of her yukata was grabbed and she was dragged back.
"Don't go down there." Cold as she had ever seen the man, he glared down at her. Possibly angry that she had climbed into his yard. It was sparsely decorated. Mostly rocks, with a few patches of grass and larger stepping stones leading to the porch itself. Nothing outright illegal in sight.
The girl was completely unaware of herself; chest and face to the ground, posterior in the air. If somebody came outside and saw this. Well, Takasugi wasn't going to let that happen.
"But…" Staring back up at the man, Kinu sat back on her legs. Had some decency. "Vet…"
He only caught the two words, but she'd said something between them, far too low to hear. Instead of waiting around and letting the girl shimmy under his porch, Takasugi walked up the steps and went inside.
Kinu stayed in place, waiting for either the one eyed man or cat to come back. The man was the first. He knelt at her side, a tin can of tuna in his hands, and popped the top on it. The familiar sound of the feline dinner bell echoed around them.
Kinu kept her eyes on the darkness under the porch. The one yellow glimmer shining at her, then she scooted back as Takasugi placed the can in front of her. A hand grasped her shoulder, pulling her away from the opening and to her feet. She stumbled behind Takasugi as he dragged her up the steps and onto the porch, leaning over the edge to watch the can. They sat in silence, neither daring to give away their position. When a brown head poked from under the porch, Kinu grabbed the man beside her and tugged at his arm. As if he couldn't see it for himself.
Momo walked to the can of tuna. Sniffed it. And just as he started to eat, Takasugi grabbed the scruff of his neck and plucked him from the ground. That simple. He supported the limp cat with his free hand and held him towards the girl at his side.
She wasted no time in wrapping the towel around him and cradling him into her chest. Her fingertips grazed the cat's head, and it laid there. Stared up at her. Comfortable. As Takasugi eyed the girl, she met his gaze and did something he didn't expect. She smiled. It was only a breath of relief, but he didn't think he'd ever seen her do such a thing. If she had, it had never been so clear.
"Thank you."
It wasn't a monotone. Her voice shook, and her eyes glistened as she lowered her head to the cat's.
Averting his gaze, Takasugi pushed himself to his feet.
"Uh, it was no trouble at all… Come on."
Kinu peered up at him, face wet, but expressionless. She rose, still holding the cat in both arms, and Takasugi slid the porch door open. He watched as Kinu slipped her sandals off and stepped into the house, then he picked her shoes up to lead her out.
It was only logical. She couldn't climb the fence like that. Kinu followed him through the hallway, past the kitchen and bedrooms, and though he watched the girl for any sign of ulterior motive, her full attention stayed on Momo. Kinu barely looked up at all until a woman's voice cut through the quiet.
"O- Oi! You!"
Takasugi turned as footsteps raced towards them, and Kinu's entire frame when rigid when the woman in the adjoining hallway slowed. He couldn't see Matako from where he stood, but the girl behind him quickly wiped her eyes and glared at the woman, then covered her cat's head.
"Get that toy out of his face."
"What the hell are you doing here? And ew. What's wrong with that flea bag?" Matako moved forward, and Takasugi caught sight of the barrel of her gun. Stepped back between Kinu and Matako to put a halt to the confrontation before it started.
"Shinsuke-sama!" The woman's eyes went large and she quickly lowered her pistol. "I- I didn't see you. I thought… It looked like she was alone- so-"
"The flea bag needs a vet. We're just passing through." He glanced back at the girl behind him, but it seemed she had checked out from the conversation the moment he'd stepped in. When he started to walk again, Kinu didn't hesitate to follow. Takasugi could feel Matako's gaze on his back the rest of the walk to the front door, and when it closed behind him, he could have sworn the blinds over the window moved. Watching.
He didn't look back.
It was gutsy of Kinu to have spoken to Matako like that. In the cab, Takasugi glanced down at the girl. Not crying, but still fully focused on the cat in her arms. To react to a gun in her face the way she had; he didn't know what sort of secrets she was keeping, but he wanted to. She hadn't been afraid of him either until he'd nearly stabbed her. The girl either had a death wish, or was plain stupid. She looked harmless.
When they entered the vet, Kinu let go of the cat for the first time since she'd gotten him. Only to let the doctor look at him. When asked about the cat's medical history and for any details on him, she froze up and shrugged. Didn't have any information. And Takasugi took it upon himself to announce the obvious.
"It's an alley cat." He stared up at the brunette holding the cat, and she nodded once. Seemed content with the answer.
"You do realize that you'll still have to pay for the medicine and treatment, right? If we don't get paid, we keep the animals until somebody can buy them. Cover their expenses."
Kinu didn't move when the woman spoke, and Takasugi leaned back in his chair.
"She can pay. Just take care of him." He ignored the look the girl gave him as the vet left the room; taking Momo with her. They waited in silence. Takasugi pulled his phone out to play snake, and Kinu did nothing but twiddle her thumbs. After about ten minutes, the girl's small voice broke into the room.
"But… I can't pay. Maybe it's okay... If they keep him he'll get a home, and-"
"Nobody is going to adopt him. He's too old. People want kittens, not war hardened tomcats." Sighing back to the girl, Takasugi pulled his pipe from his sleeve. He filled it with a pinch of new tobacco, and sparked it as he turned back to her. "He's not even cute. He looks like he's been in a bar fight every night for the past twenty years."
"He's cute…" Kinu murmured back, head down. "He's very good at being a cat, too…" What did that even mean? Takasugi eyed the girl as she shifted in her chair. "If I can't keep him, I just want him to be okay…" She wiped at her eyes again, and he tore his own away from her.
Why had he willingly gotten involved in this? He could have just let her out the door and stayed home. It was none of his business. Maybe it was the way the girl had looked at him. When he'd handed the cat to her, it was as if he had saved her life; unadulterated gratitude. He'd never seen anybody cry over a stray cat before. Only people that would laugh at somebody for wasting their tears. But here, in this pristine white room next to the girl, Takasugi gained a tiny sliver of faith in humanity itself. He would never admit it.
Would never speak of the moment again, lest it be tarnished with unwanted opinions and statements. When the vet returned to the room, cradling a limp, sleeping, Momo in her arms, she walked to Kinu and placed the cat in the towel they had brought him in. Takasugi excused himself from the room. Went to the front desk as the doctor spoke with Kinu. He paid. Without saying a word, and slipped back into the room, mostly unnoticed. Could have passed it off as a bathroom break if he needed.
Kinu walked to his side, cradling the cat, and holding him up for Takasugi to see. Dark black stitches stretched from the cat's nose to the outer corner of his eye. It had been unsalvagable. They walked from the room, and for the first time, Takasugi placed his hand on the sleeping cat. Ran his thumb behind its ear. Instead of letting Kinu stop at the front desk, he ushered her past, and out of the door.
"They'll send a bill if needed." He'd told her, and she had been dense enough to believe him. Or at least, didn't question him. The entire ride back to the neighborhood, Kinu kept the cat in her lap, but she let Takasugi pet him.
"I'll keep him until he's healed…" The girl murmured, not bothering to look at the older man. "They said he's drugged and will be disoriented…"
Takasugi nodded once, but didn't speak. He almost hadn't realized that Kinu was sitting so close to him. It wasn't until her head tilted onto his shoulder that he noticed. Then he caught the cab driver grinning back at him through the rear-view mirror. Openly glared back at the man, because that's not what this was. He had the wrong idea, and Takasugi hadn't been doing anything to prompt the girl into this. Initially, Kinu had been at the other window, but now she was in the middle seat. Right by his side. It had been convenient to pet the cat, but now, he was more focused on the girl. She didn't latch onto his arm, though. Didn't intrude into his space more than barely leaning onto him, and it wasn't entirely unpleasant, he could admit that. It was only misleading to onlookers. Like the driver. It felt as though they had ridden a roller coaster; on the edge of their seats waiting for news on that cat.
"What's it like to have one eye?"
Her question came out of the blue. Takasugi found the girl staring straight up at him. Still on his shoulder. Her dark bangs had fallen out of her face, and he noted that the bruise under them had lightened. It was the first time he'd gotten a good look at the girl under the sunlight. Her hidden eye was a tad darker than the other. Easy to miss.
"It's probably easier if you lose it early." He tapped his teeth against his pipe, staring at the cat. Kinu watched as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. "It'll be an adjustment period for him. But he'll make it. He's strong."
The girl nodded against him. Didn't say another word until they were out of the cab and in front of her shop. Instead of immediately speaking, Kinu took a step towards Takasugi. She leaned up, and pressed her lips into his cheek. Completely innocent. He didn't move as she resituated the sleeping cat in her arms, and shifted on her heels.
"Thank you… Takasugi-san."
He didn't speak as the girl turned and went into her store, holding the red bundle in her arms. Didn't move for a few moments as he ran the peck through his mind. There was nothing wrong with that, right? It was a completely meaningless display of gratitude. Nothing to even think about. He started towards his hideout, eyeing the empty plate by the door of the shop as he passed. It wasn't a kiss. That was normal for women, he thought. They always did things like that.
The girl was more normal than he'd expected. She was only quiet. Lonely, maybe. But it seemed she had a normal range of emotions, and a normal response to just about everything, aside form leaning more towards the sensitive side. With the cat, at least. As he let himself through the front door of the hide out, Matako and Kawakami peered up at him from the floor cushions. Both of them had cups in front of themselves, and a small container of sake. Day drinking.
It looked as though they expected something from Takasugi, but he didn't stick around to see. He took his kissed cheek back to his room, and refilled his pipe, thinking. He wouldn't have minded if it had been on the lips.