9/14

The previous night, Haru's had eyes practically bulged out of her head when she spied the silver tags clinging to the lost cat's collar.

Morgana

And on the back:

Akira Kurusu

(080)****-****

It was almost enough of a coincidence to laugh, but Haru was too concerned with the poor kitty's well-being to muster up much of anything. She immediately pulled out her cell phone to text the number, supposedly belonging to the same boy she had met earlier that day.

HARU: Hello, is this Akira Kurusu?

HARU: Do you have a cat named Morgana?

The response was quick.

AKIRA: Yes and yes.

AKIRA: Why? And who is this?

She nibbled on her lower lip while typing out her responding message.

HARU: This is Haru Okumura.

HARU: We actually met earlier today.

AKIRA: Wow. How weird is that?

She wasn't quite sure if she was supposed to reply to that, but decided to anyways.

HARU: I found your cat and brought him to my house.

HARU: He was wandering around Shibuya.

AKIRA: Thank you for that.

AKIRA: Is he okay?

She glanced over at the kitty sprawled on her bed, looking pretty exhausted. He had only let out a few meek meows throughout their time together, mostly nestling into her loose embrace as well as the comfy cushions adorning her bed.

HARU: I think so.

AKIRA: Could we maybe meet before school tomorrow? And I can get him back?

She furrowed her eyebrows.

HARU: Before school? But then won't you have to take him to class?

AKIRA: Yes.

Is that a regular thing for cats? Haru wondered. To go to school with their owners?

AKIRA; Is the rooftop fine?

Haru's father sneezed as she passed by his mostly still figure sat on the living room sofa the following morning.

"Bless you," she murmured purely out of politeness, quickly moving past him to get to the front door.

"Wait a minute, Haru," her father commanded, wiping at his nose wearily with an embroidered ebony-colored handkerchief. "Ugh, my allergies have been acting up all night…"

She stopped in the doorway, a cold trickle of guilt running down her spine as she remembered that her father was allergic to cats.

There was a cat inside her bag.

"Things are still going well with Sugimura-san?" her father asked, not even pausing for a response before continuing. "I'm sure you've heard about the media rising up against Okumura foods recently. You needn't worry. The Sugimuras will help me regain the public's trust before I begin running for office."

"That's… good to hear." Haru nodded listlessly, her eyes wavering towards the door. She didn't want to be late for school...

"Anyways," her father abruptly switched the subject with a light cough. "I just wanted to let you know that I have arranged for you to move into Sugimura's house in a few weeks time. Don't trouble yourself with packing, it will all be taken care of."

Haru's eyes widened, her mouth becoming slightly disconnected. "I - what?"

Her father narrowed his gaze. "Is there an issue?"

"I-I, um…" Haru really just needed a moment to think. Her head was swimming, knees trembling and knocking against each other entirely without her consent. "I just thought that, um… wouldn't we wait until after the wedding? To move in, I mean, because, um…"

"Isn't that how young people do it nowadays?" her father dismissed her concerns with a single wave of his hand. "Besides, Sugimura-san proposed the idea himself."

Of course he did… Haru thought grimly, biting her tongue.

"Well, that's all I had to discuss with you. Go off to school now," her father sneezed again, dialing a number on his cell phone and holding it up to his ear as Haru slowly walked past him.

Moving in with Sugimura…? The single phrase repeated itself over and over in her mind. If that were to happen, she would really never be able to hang out with Akechi again… her entire life would become more controlled than ever before. What she ate, who she talked to, what time she slept… all those things would likely be monitored and manufactured to her fiance's liking.

Everytime Haru was with Sugimura she was heavily fortified. There were layers upon layers of defensive armor she had built long ago to withstand his assaults, so that his cruel words and crude remarks never quite reached her heart. But she could only keep that wall up for so long before she was eventually stripped bare, and there would be nothing else to protect her.

If they were to move in together... there would be no excuses of having to go home to study for school, having to tend to the single plant resting on her nightstand, having to boil tea for her father…

One of her few solaces would be completely spoiled: the privacy and security of her own home.

"Thank you so much for this," Akira Kurusu said kindly as Haru approached him on the school rooftop, Morgana idly resting in her arms. Haru attempted to transfer the cat from herself to Akira, but the kitty simply digged its body further into Haru's and looked away from Kurusu. The boy let out a deep sigh. "I hope he wasn't an inconvenience?"

"Oh, it was no problem at all," her voice lacked the usual bounciness it possessed, still reeling from the unfortunate news she had heard just earlier that morning. "Come on, kitty, don't you want to see Kurusu-san again?"

Kurusu sighed, extending a hand to caress the top of Morgana's head. "I know you're still mad at me, but don't give Okumura-san any more trouble. We can talk things out, with everyone else, too…"

Haru smiled. It was funny to see him interacting with the cat like it could actually speak.

Morgana meowed back, almost as if in a clear response. The cat startled wriggling out of her grasp. Haru set him gently on the ground and he made a bee-line for Kurusu's bag, which was promptly opened up. She was surprised to see the kitty hop right inside, making himself comfortable in the space desperately lacking in notebooks or schoolwork of any kind.

"That's so funny," she said. "Morgana wanted to sit inside my bag, too."

Kurusu chuckled. "He does that. You can call him Mona-chan, by the way. It's kind of a nickname."

"Mona-chan," Haru repeated. "That's so cute."

Kurusu nodded, glancing around as if he was trying to think of something to say.

"So you're friends with Akechi-kun?" Haru's curiosity got the best of her, the end of her question sounding rather eager.

Kurusu only looked half-surprised. "Friends… Did he tell you that we were?"

She thought back to their conversation the previous day, screening it in search of the word. "Um… No, I don't think he did…"

"He's charming, isn't he?" the boy shot her a smirk just as the first warning bell rang, indicating that they should begin making their way to class. "I should warn you, Okumura-san. Be careful around Goro Akechi."

The cat Morgana let out a soft meow in one last goodbye, swinging around in Akira Kurusu's messenger bag as he opened and closed the door leading to the school stairwell.

Haru's head swam.