Black Cat, White Dog

Chapter 3: I Can't Go to Senpai's House

By: ScribblingBear

School seemed to fly by that day. Before I even realized I had gone through multiple classes, it was time for lunch. Unlike yesterday, a few of my classmates stayed in the room to eat today. Most of them didn't pay me any mind, so it didn't bother me. I was completely set up and ready to eat when I heard the banging of tables and chairs being moved around just before Adam sat down in front of me.

"Told you I'd be here."

He set his lunchbox on his desk and opened it. As soon as he did, the scent of freshly cooked beef and steamed vegetables filled the room and nearly made my mouth water. Looking down, I saw at least three thick slices of what looked like steak, steaming broccoli and corn, and a small mound of rice. How this stuff managed to smell like it had just come out of the kitchen was beyond me.

I certainly wasn't jealous, due to my own lunch of grilled chicken and sliced carrots. There wasn't nearly as much food on my end, but I was sure it was just as good.

Adam took a look at my lunchbox and nodded. "Much better. Looks good, Gokou-san."

After taking a bite of the chicken, I started nodding. "It is. Though nothing like yours. You must really like cooking, don't you?"

I must have caught him off guard, because he had a mouth full of food when I asked him the question. It took him a moment to swallow, and he smiled.

"Definitely. If I had never met Mihng and Yatsu, I'd probably be in Italy studying to be a chef."

I looked up at him after downing some carrot pieces. "Italy?"

Adam started chuckling. "It's a long story. Don't worry about it." The man shoved a spoonful of rice into his mouth with a grin.

To be quite honest, watching him eat was forcing me to fight back giggles. It was a very comical sight, indeed. "Do you intend on having lunch with me every day?"

This boy continued to amaze me; there was no sign of that rice by the time I had finished speaking. "Indeed I do," he then leaned back in his chair and turned away from me, "no matter what people say."

I didn't even notice the two girls that had been watching us until I looked in the same direction as Adam. They fell silent as soon as he turned around, and their faces were bright red. He stared at them for a moment before waving and turning back to me.

"I'll be here every day. After all, if you'd curse me for missing today, wouldn't you curse me in the future as well?"

Hearing that brought a little smile to my face. "You are correct."

Before my mouth closed, it was flooded with the taste of delicious, perfectly cooked broccoli. Seeing Adam's hand so close to my mouth made me rather red, but the food I was being fed was almost godly.

"So? What do you think?"

Once I had gulped it down, my smile grew. "I would feed this to the great denizens of the black abyss themselves. This is just broccoli, how did you make it so tasty?"

My friend started chuckling, winking at me as he took a piece himself. "That's a secret."

I just rolled my eyes. After a moment of silence, I realized that this was a great opportunity to tell Adam the truth. Unfortunately, just like the previous times, I found myself incapable of doing so. Instead, I opted for a question.

"Senpai, why are you trying so hard? For me, I mean."

Adam just looked at me for a few long moments, then turned his gaze to the window. "Why, huh? Gokou-san, I've said it before: I care about you. We've been friends for three years, and while it may feel different to you, to me you're still the same person who gushes about Maschera, is afraid of heights, and loves sushi even though it gives her stomachaches. Regardless of whether or not there are computers between us, you'll always be one of the best friends I've ever had. That's why I try so hard. I want you to be happy."

Were it not for the fact that my mouth was full, my jaw would have dropped. Yes, he had said these things before, but something about actually hearing it now just made it feel so different. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I felt warmer.

"I see. That... that means a lot to me. Thank you."

"I've told you already that there's no need to thank me. It's natural for me to care."

I couldn't help but stare at him. Even through his glasses, I could see a softness in his eyes that put my mind and heart at ease. For a brief moment, I completely forgot about Kyousuke and Kirino. Then Adam spoke again.

"Say, Gokou-san, how would like to come to our place tomorrow? It's the weekend, so we don't have school. Weird how we go for two days and then get another weekend."

The carrot in between my lips nearly fell out. "Tomorrow? At your house?"

After wolfing down his last piece of steak, Adam smiled. "Yeah! Saori-chan's gonna be there, too. Obviously my two nerds will be there, but Mihng does have errands to run that day. So? You think you'll be joining us?"

His proposal left me frozen in place. As nice as it would've been to visit my friends over the weekend, it would also have been incredibly awkward. Not only that, but Mihng would probably find some way to get me to tell the boys about the real source of my pain. It didn't really matter much, though. Looking at Adam's happy smile was making harder and harder to decline with each passing moment.

After taking a look at his near empty lunchbox, I let out a sigh. "I suppose the rest of that broccoli could persuade me to come."

Immediately, Adam set the three remaining vegetable stalks in my lunch box. "I will make you this meal if you come over."

"Then I will be seeing you tomorrow. Do you have a specific time you'd like me to arrive?"

"Does noon work for you?"

"It most certainly does."

"Great!" Adam stood up, taking his lunch box with him. "Sadly, I have some things to take care of, so I won't be able to walk home with you this evening."

Of course I wasn't going to let him know I was a little disappointed, but I was. "I see. Well, do what you must. You know I'm fine on my own."

"I know you are." He turned and headed towards the door. "See you tomorrow!"

"Farewell.". Once he was gone, I looked down at my desk and was instantly reminded of the broccoli waiting for me. I poked a piece in my mouth just as the bell rang to end lunch.

The rest of my classes flew by as well. As expected, my walk home was a tad bit lonely. Moments like these always made me think of Kyousuke, so I decided to try and send a text message to Mihng. I ended up telling her that I was too nervous to tell Adam the truth. I was expecting some kind of crazy response, but got nothing even after I had gotten home.

It was only after dinner had been cooked and eaten and my sisters put to bed that my phone began to ring. Luckily it was right by my bed.

"Hello?"

There was no need for an introduction from this person. "I never said you had to tell him right away. Look, Gokou-chan, just tell him when you're ready. Adam told us you were coming over tomorrow, so we can talk about it then, okay?"

"I'd rather not speak of it at all, but something tells me you'll hound me for eternity."

"Oh, I will. Plus, you have to see the sheer magnitude of otaku... ness... whatever, that is our house." I heard her giggle after she said that.

"Is that so?"

Even though I couldn't see her, I could just feel the nod she probably did. "We have a massive gaming setup, multiple shelves of manga and anime DVDs, figurines and toys everywhere, it's amazing and beautiful."

I found myself unable to keep from smiling while Mihng went on and on about her house. "Oh, what were those errands you had to run, if I may ask?"

"That? Oh, I need to personally deliver a few albums to some people, then pick up groceries. Luckily, all the delivery addresses are on the way to the store."

I tilted my head despite Mihng not actually being here. "You do personal deliveries?"

"Mhm! I just find it a nice little thing to do for fans now and again. Anyway, I need to get going now, okay? Goodnight, Gokou-chan!"

"Right. Goodnight." I hung up and set my phone down.

As things were right now, the idea of getting sleep was almost laughable. I was excited about tomorrow afternoon, but also a little anxious. This, coupled with the small, but ever present memories of my ex-boyfriend in the back of my head, made for a mental cocktail of sleeplessness. Tossing and turning didn't help, but sleep was always a strange thing. I woke up before I even realized I had fallen asleep. After shaking myself a little, I was coherent enough to climb out of bed and drag myself to the kitchen.

Tamaki and Hinata were sitting in front of the T.V., but immediately turned to me when they heard me coming. Hinata was the first to stand and make her way to me.

"Good morning, Ruri!" My sister wrapped her little arms around me with a smile.

I gave her a soft pat on the head. "Good morning, Hinata. Are you hungry?"

"Mhm, yeah! Can we have scrambled eggs today?"

My little sisters always made me happy. I couldn't help but smile when looking at the excitement on her face.

"Of course! I'll start cooking, go play with Tamaki until it's ready."

"Okay!" The small girl ran off into the living room again, allowing me to start up the stove and get ready to cook.

"Hey."

I was stirring eggs in a frying pan and frying rice when I heard the voice behind me. "Good morning, Tamaki."

The girl walked up beside me and tapped my shoulder. "Who were you talking to last night?"

"Oh, you heard me? Just a friend. I was invited to her house today, so she wanted to talk to me about it."

Tamaki leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. I knew her well enough to know that whatever she was about to say would be a joy to answer.

"You get another boyfriend yet?"

Despite having expected a difficult or awkward question, hearing that still made me jump.

"What? No! Why would you even ask that?"

"Because I want to know. You're going to someone's house, you're talking to people again, and you're not gloomy and mopey like you were a few days ago. You got over the first guy and found another one, right?"

"No! I probably won't ever find another boyfriend, even if I wanted to."

My sister pursed her lips. "Aw, why not? Are you still hung up on Kousaka-san?"

"Tamaki, please stop. I don't want to think about him right now." After a bit more work, I deemed the food ready and began to fill the three plates I had set out. "Hinata, breakfast is ready!"

"Okay!" After a moment, the smaller girl walked into the kitchen and inhaled deeply. "Ooh, it smells so yummy!"

I had to give Tamaki a pointed look before she'd go back in the living room to sit. Once both girls were sitting I set their food in front of them. We all folded our hands, said our thank yous, and began to eat. Like usual, the older of my two sisters was the first to comment, mainly because she was the first to actually scarf something down.

"Wow, sis! How do you always manage to make even the plainest stuff so good?"

I couldn't help but smile when I saw the two girls so happy. "It's just a talent, I suppose."

After breakfast I washed the dishes and decided to clean up around the house for a bit. When that was done, I had to get a bath ready for the girls, take one myself, and get ready for my visit with the others. I was actually put much more at ease by a phone call from my mother after I finished my bath. Both of my parents worked so hard for us, but she told me was coming home early, so I didn't have to leave Tamaki and Hinata in the house all day. Sometimes I wondered if they knew just how much I worried about them every day, even when they were at school.

Before I knew it, there were only ten minutes left before noon, so I said my goodbyes to my sisters and left. The walk to the trio's house didn't take as long as I expected it to, but the thoughts racing through my head probably distracted me from what was going on around me. As I got closer to their door, I could hear shouts getting louder and louder. I rang the doorbell, heard someone shout "Coming!", and was greeted by Yatsuhashi at the door.

"Oh, hey, Gokou-chan! Long time, no see. Sorry I haven't come to see ya; I've been a little busy."

Despite being a little creeped out by his choice of honorifics, I still smiled. It seemed he was worried about upsetting me by not being around, at least.

"That's quite alright, Tiro-san."

The tall young man moved aside and held his arm out towards the interior of the house. "Please, please come in. Saori-chan's already here."

He didn't even need to tell me, as I was now able to hear two voices shouting. One was definitely Makishima, and the other, I'm sure, was Adam.

Once I walked into the living room, my eyes widened. All kinds of anime and gaming posters covered the walls, a massive computer with three monitors sat near the back wall, three big couches sat before a huge television set that had all the latest gaming consoles hooked up to it, and there was a very fancy looking table between the two. It looked like mahogany. Very expensive.

Each corner of the room had shelves loaded with toys and figurines on them as well. Even Makishima's main space looked like a "casual's" room compared to this. "Casual" is the correct term, yes? Of course, the room was made complete by my two friends shouting at a game I didn't recognize.

When Yatsuhashi came in behind me, he let out a whistle. "Our special guest is here!"

Immediately, the controller was dropped, the dog hat came off, and both of my friends greeted me with warm smiles. Adam was the first to say something, though.

"Hey there! Glad you could make it, Gokou-san!"

I gave him a courteous bow. "It would be rude to deny a friend's invitation, even if he is just a human."

Just as he has before, Adam went right along with me, grinning as he spoke. "Careful who you call 'human'. Sun consorts see it as an insult."

All I could do was grin while Yatsuhashi gave Saori a very confused look. As expected, she just laughed it off.

"It's wonderful to see you again, Miss Kuroneko."

We bowed to each other before I looked at the screen. "Is this what the yelling I heard was about?"

Adam chuckled. "I let Saori-san try playing this game. It is very difficult. I mean, this is from the same people that made a 'Prepare to Die Edition' for one of their games. Saori was fighting the DLC of this game's final boss. Orphan of Kos is brutal. She's already died three times."

"I see." While hesitant, I picked up the controller and sat down on the couch between the two of them. "May I try?"

All three of them said the same thing at the exact same time. It was actually slightly creepy.

"Go for it!"

They weren't exaggerating when they spoke of the difficulty. I took a moment to get used to the controls, but soon learned that this game was about reading enemies and out predicting AI. I was jumping and rolling all around, chipping away at the boss's health. I died once, then two more times in fights where I reached its second form. However, the fourth try was a success, and everyone cheered when the boss died.

Adam even put his arms around me, causing my face to grow hot. "Wow, Gokou-san, that was incredible!"

"It was nothing, really. Simple games like these are nothing to a being such as I."

I was talking big, but the hug I was receiving currently had my full attention. On one hand, I felt I was starting to visibly blush. On the other hand, I didn't want to be rude and ask him to get off me. Luckily, I was saved by a beeping coming through a doorway to my left.

"Whoops, that's the food. I'll be back in a second!" Adam hopped up off the couch, ran towards the door, and slid into it. It reminded me of when I used to slide on hard floors in my socks when I was young.

Almost immediately after he left, the front door swung open, and Mihng walked in with a bag full of groceries. "Hey there, everyone!" She then paused, looked at me, and her smile grew. "Gokou-chan! Saori-chan! You made it!"

Before I could even respond, Mihng put her arms around Makishima and myself. "It's so good to see you both!"

"Hello to you as well, Mihng." I wanted to say more, but Yatsuhashi cut me off.

"How'd those deliveries go, babe?"

After her hand was firmly planted against her face and dragged down, Mihng groaned. "Will you stop calling me that?"

He started laughing. "Sorry, sorry. But seriously, did everything go well?"

Mihng nodded, vaulted over the sofa, and landed down beside Saori without a sound. "It went very well. Dude, meeting fans is so much fun! We're still a small band, but I met this one girl that was practically jumping up and down when I came to the door. I even signed the album for her."

Saori began poking the other girl's cheek. "What's the name of the band? You never told us."

Yatsuhashi snapped to get our attention. "Mach 3. We all knew we wanted to include the number three in the name, and when it came up, we all just kind of did the silent nod." The man started grinning and leaned on Mihng's shoulder. "Now then, what's this about a girl? Was she cute?"

"Oh, she was cute." Soon after Mihng spoke, Yatsuhashi found himself on the ground with a red mark in the center of his face. "Oh, but her boyfriend was even more good looking." After that, Mihng let out a purr. I had weird friends.

The blonde boy looked up at her with a raised brow. "Wait, but I thought you..."

He never finished his thought, but after realizing that Mihng had had her arm around Saori since she hopped onto the couch, he didn't need to. I knew exactly what he was going to say.

I cleared my throat in the hopes of easing the currently awkward mood. "So... is there an occasion that brings Saori and me here?"

"Indeed there is!" We all turned to the doorway that Adam had gone into, only to see him standing there with an apron on. "Lunch is ready!"

My eyes widened as I stared at him. "Did you really bring us here just to make us lunch?"

He just shrugged. "Not just lunch, no, but that's part of it." My friend then beckoned us all to follow him. We were led into a much bigger kitchen than my own. While most of the walls remained white and devoid of anything that could pass as "otaku", there were a few small figmas on the sink and counters, and all the coffee mugs on a little rack next to the door featured anime characters on them.

Immediately, I was drawn to the strong scent of meat, cheese, and vegetables. When I turned towards the aroma, I saw the large, mouth watering pizza sitting on the little island in the center of the room. There were also various cheeses and spices on the counter closest to their table.

Adam struck a pose, positioning himself low to the ground with his arms out towards the pizza. "Ta-da! A supreme meat n' veggie pizza better than any you'll find in a store. These used to be a staple back home."

Before anyone could say anything, Mihng jumped in front of us and squealed. "Oh my glob, you made your pizza! It's so good!"

I couldn't help but nod. "It does look quite tasty. The fact that you went through all this effort for us is very flattering."

While the glare from his glasses hid part of his face, it wasn't enough to completely conceal the red becoming more and more visible. It was... kind of cute.

"Aw, stop. Only the best for my great friends." He paused for a moment before a smarmy grin grew on his face. "And Yatsu."

All of us, including the butt of the joke himself, started laughing a little.

"Hey, come on man! Why you gotta do me like that?"

I heard a little giggle from Makishima as she nudged the young man. "With speech like that, I'd never believe you were Japanese."

He just rolled his eyes. "Anyway, it's time to eat!"

Their table seated eight, so there was plenty of room for all of us once we sat down Adam and I were on one side, Mihng and Saori on the other, and Yatsuhashi sat at the edge. We all said our "thank you"s, dug in, and immediately began showering Adam with praise for his cooking. Even I was a little excited.

Eventually, I tugged on his shirt to get his attention off all the blush inducing words. "I love to cook, and take great pride in my food. Adam, this puts anything I could ever make to shame."

His eyes widened and he began waving his hands in front of him. "What? No, no, no! You're cooking's great, Gokou-san! Don't put yourself down like that."

Saori gave him a thumbs up. "Complimenting her even as she's praising you? My, what a gentleman."

Everyone who didn't have food in their mouths started laughing. I had begun to eat to distract myself, though. The rest of lunch went similarly, with everyone taking turns joking about my friendship with Adam. While embarrassing, it also brought back memories of the Kousaka siblings. These ones, however, were much... nicer. For the first time in a long time, I was recalling good times I had with the two of them. Saori being here helped, too.

Finally, the meal was finished. Mihng stood up, pointed at everybody one at a time, and cleared her throat. "Okay, get out now. It's cleaning time, so back to the other room."

The boys immediately got up and left, Makishima made her way out after the other woman shot her a glare, but I remained seated.

"I'm helping." I don't think I could have said that more flatly if I had tried.

"Excuse me?"

"I said," I stood up, pushed my seat in, and grabbed some of the dishes, "I'm helping."

My friend stood there, staring me in the eye, before smiling. "I can already tell I can't stop you. Come on, then, let's get started."

They actually had a sink that was big enough for both of us to work in. Most of our dish washing was in silence, but eventually, Mihng decided to break it.

"Gokou-chan, why are you afraid to tell him?"

Being asked that made me freeze despite the plate in my hand. "...Because it's my fault. That man chose his sister over me because I let him. Because I had to move, I felt leaving him would be less painful. He had already made his choice when I realized I was wrong and asked for him back."

The woman let out a sigh. "I can understand now. To be honest, I wouldn't blame this guy for being upset but... still. With his sister? That's just wrong."

I was speaking through gritted teeth now. "We all knew. It was clear that they both had feelings for each other, but I... but I..."

Tears welled up in my eyes before I could finish my thought. "I should have never let him go."

"Oh, Gokou."

I soon felt the warmth of an embrace and gave in, shoving my face into Mihng's shoulder. Luckily, I never made much noise when I cried. At least a few minutes must have passed before I felt I was done letting go. I finally nudged away from Mihng, dried my eyes, and set the last plate on the drying rack.

"Are my eyes red?"

Mihng put her hand on my head and smiled. "A little. Still cute, though."

Her compliment managed to make me smile, but not for long.

"You certainly are a charmer, aren't you?" That sweet, feminine voice from the other room was unmistakable.

The minute Mihng heard Saori, she bolted towards the living room. Following close behind, I was greeted by the image of Saori's hand softly sandwiched between both of Yatsuhashi's. Despite the nervous grin on his face, I could imagine his expression as he was wooing Mihng's crush.

Immediately, the man let go of my friend's hand and held his own out. "Hang on, Mihng, it's not what you think!"

Without a word, Mihng pulled him off the couch and began dragging him away. "Adam, go ahead and start without us."

Adam, whom I just noticed sitting on the couch, waved to them. "Don't kill him!"

There was plenty of space between Saori and Adam, so I took a seat and looked to him. "What did she mean by 'start without them'?"

With a grin, Saori picked up a couple of boxes off the table. Some of them were games, others were movies. "This was Miss Lo Fey's idea. She proposed that we all hang out for the day again."

"Oh, I see. I don't think I know any of these titles, though." I did recognize one of the movies, but watching a romance would be... awkward, at best.

Adam raised his brow. "Do any of them look interesting to you?"

Truth be told, the games and movies themselves didn't really catch my eye, but I was just the slightest bit eager to spend more time with these friends, so I reached out and grabbed a multiplayer platformer. As far as I knew, those were always good for laughs.

As soon as Adam saw me pick it, he grinned. "This oughtta be good. Is that what you want to play?"

I simply nodded. "Yes, it looks fun."

Adam nodded, got everything set up, and grabbed controllers for the three of us. When we first began playing, we were quiet and breezed through the levels with ease. However, as things got more difficult, we were more vocal. By the time we were at the final stages, we were laughing and groaning and half shouting.

"You sure look like you're having fun."

We all spun around to see Mihng and Yatsuhashi leaning against a wall behind us. "I'm surprised you didn't drive each other nuts by throwing each other in lava."

I heard a chuckle from Adam. "You're the only one who plays like that, Yatsu."

Yatshhashi took a seat beside Saori, and Mihng sat next to Adam. The woman smiled, pushing him against me.

"Are you gonna try and beat it?"

"Uh... yeah, I guess."

Despite my efforts to move away, Makishima refused to scoot, resulting in me being pressed up against Adam, both of our faces turning red, and everyone else giggling and laughing.

"We teasing too much? Come on, you two are cute." Mihng grinned at the two of us. This must have been their plan all along.

Saori reached over me and pat Adam's head. "I have to agree. You're already so close, I'd believe you two were a couple."

I began grumbling, but Adam stood up. He sat on Mihng and leaned back, forcing her against the couch and making her flail her arms.

"I am the squish!"

Adam crossed his arms and leaned forward to let her breathe. "Don't do that. Couldn't you see how uncomfortable you made Gokou-san just now? Not cool."

The two girls began apologizing, but Yatsuhashi leaned behind Saori and whispered to me. "Adam's a guy that will always have your back, ya know?"

With a nod and a smile, I turned to the man currently squishing Mihng. "Yes. I'm very grateful for a friend like him."

"Good. Hold on to him, Gokou-chan. People like Adam are rarer than you think."

As he drew back, Yatsuhashi tugged Saori's arm to grab her attention. That got her to scoot over so I could make room for Adam again. Once he noticed there was space, he sat back down and put his hand on my head.

"Don't worry, Gokou-san. They won't be pulling stunts like this again."

When I looked past Adam, I saw Mihng bowing to me. "Forgive me, Gokou-chan. I thought it was all in good fun, but I didn't think my teasing would actually bother you."

"It... it's fine. Thank you for apologizing."

Adam opened his mouth, but a clap to my left got everyone's attention first. Saori was holding up the movies with a big smile on her face.

"Now that that's settled, why not relax and have some fun?"

Everyone shared her attitude, so the game got replaced with one of the movies. Then another. By the time we were at the third movie, I was so sucked in that I didn't even realize that I was leaning on Adam. Eventually, he gave me a nudge and pointed to my left.

Saori was in a similar position to me, though the look on her face told me she knew full well that her head was on Yatsuhashi's shoulder. We both had to bite our lips to keep from laughing. Adam gave me another nudge before leaning his head to the side. It took me a moment, but I did actually return my head to where it was.

Three movies and around six and a half hours later, we all agreed that it was time for us to wrap it up. Saori and I helped the others tidy up a bit before saying our goodbyes. Saori hugged all of us, bowed, and went out the door, but I stood at the door with far too many thoughts racing through my mind.

"Gokou-san?" Adam tapped my shoulder. "Are you feeling alright?"

It took a few moments for me to decide whether or not I was, and I also made another decision. "I'm fine, but I have a request for you all."

The three of them tilted their heads when I turned to face them. "From this day on, I give you all a special privilege. I would like you to address me by first name. Call me Ruri."

All three of them smiled. Adam put his hand on my head again, a touch that, for some reason, felt very warm. "You got it, Ruri."