(Chapter 10: Meet Mochi)
"Are you going straight home again, Kira?" Yumi watched with curious eyes as Kira put on her shoes.
"No." And her friend reached out to take hold of her hand. "Come with me, Yumi. I'm going to pick up some classical CDs for Rukawa, he's so tired of his old ones. Do come with me!"
"I can't." Yumi looked regretful as she ran a hand through her red hair, a sparkle in her eyes. "First basketball practice today, all of us are going to watch. I think Hasashi Mitsui, he's number 14, is just my type of guy. I can't stand to miss his first practice. Why don't you join us?"
"Oh, I know basketball starts today, that's why I must get Rukawa something to cheer him up. He must be so unhappy that he won't be attending with everyone today."
"I wouldn't be so sure." Yumi remarked, giving Kira an impertinent snicker. "Knowing Rukawa, he'd climb out the window to avoid you to escape to basketball practice."
"Well, I won't let him." Her friend retorted. "He'll have to stay in bed. You didn't see how cut up he was, Yumi. I was terrified, but he was already unconscious so I couldn't faint, or we'd never get home."
Waving to her friend, Kira took a deep breath of the fresh spring air, and without minding the stares around her, jogged toward the busy store on the street.
She took half an hour, browsing, listening, and upon selecting several wonderful CDs, she paid for them and walked out the store. It was a relief to be an ordinary girl again, wondering about the street of the town, shopping and treating herself to various fattening snacks. Sipping on an especially delightful drink, she rounded the corner, and stopped, her eyes widening and the ambrosial drink immediately forgotten.
"Oh!" She dropped her bookbag and knelt down in front of the bookstore, for placed upon its steps, was a box of kittens, all bright-eyes, healthy, and extremely adorable.
"They don't have a home, miss," the keeper of the shop poked his head out door and grinned. "So if you'd like one, or two, feel free to take them home."
"Oh, I most likely will!" She gasped, cuddling one of the small creatures under her chin. Placing him back, she looked up with a far away look in her eyes.
"Wouldn't Rukawa like one of these!" She whispered to herself triumphantly, remembering how Rukawa loved animals, but couldn't have any cat because Buster wouldn't allow them on his turf. The golden retriever was rather protective of his master and had already killed two kittens that had resided at his house.
Kira's heart was set, however, and one of these kitties must be taken home. It could stay at her house, and make no difference since Rukawa was constantly in and out of her house as if he was his own. But out of the seven, Kira couldn't decide which one to take home with her.
While she was deciding, one of the little gentleman creature had already decided that this pretty girl was going to belong to him. Kira felt two small, soft paws wrap themselves around wrists. She looked down into the sweet face of the cream colored kitty.
He yowled loudly, as if announcing that she belonged to him from this moment on. And she did, for Kira's heart was won by the determination seen by the sensitive girl in the feline's eyes.
He slowly made his way up to her face by hooking her claws onto her uniform and soon, he wrapped his little paws around her neck tucked his sweet face into the crook of her throat. His enormous green eyes gazed into Kira's with such intelligent serenity that Kira knew at the moment she had find the other guy of her dreams.
Now, while Kira was busily trying to run home with her new responsibility in her arms, Rukawa Kaede had escaped from his bed prison and had biked to school, for he refused to stay home on the first day of basketball, and it no longer mattered what Kira would do to him if she found out, he's got to go. When a guy's mind was made up like that, there's no stopping him.
However, he still wished to make it back home before she comes back. Girls, he learned, are still to be feared when they are mad. So, meeting his team for the year, giving out some necessary information, and shooting several hoops, Rukawa hastened home.
Fortunately, Kira had not been home yet, when he got home. With the speed of lightening, he sped up the stairs with Buster barking at his heels, and slammed the door to his room and proceeded to change out of his street clothes.
Unfortunately, as soon as he shut the door, he could hear Kira heading up the stair.
"Rukawa! Oh, Rukawa, you wouldn't believe what I've got for you!"
Rukawa panicked, for he was half-undressed and if she enters now, there would be humiliation all around. With all ideas out of his head and his voice refusing to project, number eleven of the basketball team could only throw himself against the door.
"Don't come in!" He ordered once his voice returned to him. Flying across his room and tossing himself in bed, pulling the covers up, he, then, invited her in with a more calm tone.
Kira came in, her eyes flashing with so much merriment that she did not question his queer behavior at all, but thrusted something into his face.
"Look, Rukawa! Isn't he the sweetest thing you've ever laid eyes on!?" She was breathless and her hair was disevlished, but looked more charming than ever in Rukawa's eyes. That is, if he didn't find himself staring into a pair of green eyes instead of blue.
"Meet Mochi!" Kira beamed.
Mochi took one looked at Rukawa…
…and yowled loudly of his approve.
"Mochi?" Rukawa repeated, lifting his eyebrow. But Kira was only too glad to show the meaning of the name behind the feline.
"Yes! Look Rukawa." She tossed the kitty into Rukawa's lap, and proceeded to pull him with her gentle fingers in all directions in every way. Mochi didn't complain, instead, letting her do as she wished and allowed his body to recoil back in such a comical way that Rukawa laughed out loud.
"Isn't he just like a mochi?" Kira gasped gleefully. "I pull him this way and that, and he just pull himself back like a mochi. He is yours, Rukawa! You can keep him at my house, but, oh, isn't he sweet?"
"Yes." And picking the kitten up, Kira watched as Rukawa cuddled the tiny creature in the large palms of his hands in the gentlest way she had ever seen. The same talented hands that had sent dunks and the most intricate three-pointers into hoops looked just as natural holding the miniature life in his hands. But suddenly, her sharp eyes caught sight of something that made her cry out in the most dreadful manners that made Rukawa's heart stop,
"Oh, Rukawa!" And as he ducked his head shamefully and tried to resume an innocent air, she fired with a wounded look. "You've been to the school's basketball team! Oh, how could you!? When your body hasn't healed yet?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." He insisted stubbornly, but Kira jerked his hand up, and he realized his mistake, for that traitorous wristband was like a white surrendering flag, showing the truth in broad daylight upon his arm.
He gave up then, and refused to argue. Crossing his arms against his chest with Mochi hanging off a strand of his hair and nibbling on his ears, he declared, "I'm fine."
Kira threw up her hands, her feet ready to stomp, her eyes flashing, and her lips ready to deliver a good scolding, when she laughed. She laughed until tears came to her eyes, pointing at the droll Rukawa decorated with Mochi.
Rukawa blinked, wondering to himself the sanity of the womankind, when something bright flashed before him, making him see stars. When he could see again, all he saw was a camera, while the beholder waved it tauntingly.
"Blackmail, Rukawa. It's a Kodak moment." And as he lunged for the treacherous object, she fled from him, squealing.
And even though his stomach ached from all the exercise, his pride wounded from the cat, his eyes hurt from the camera, there was never a better moment in Rukawa's life as he chased Kira around the house, purposing not catching up, feeling that at last he belonged to somebody and that somebody cared.
However, good times never lasted long. For three weeks after Mochi was introduced to this little family, it was Mochi no more.