It had been some time since the CEO of Tanimoto Conglomerate had caused the heir of the Phoenix Alliance to lose sight of her prey. But no matter; Renka was eventually able to corner History's Strongest Disciple once more, ensuring that he wouldn't escape her desperate claws… through the use of food!
Yeah, everyone knows that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Or so her mother drilled within her mind, in between bouts of "how to act like a proper lady" and instruction on several methods of seduction. She definitely got to put her skills to the test by dragging Ryozanpaku's disciple out on a forced picnic...
… Only to be met with disappointment, as Kenichi informed Renka that her cooking just wasn't as delicious as Miu's. "Still good, but Miu's is great!" or something to that degree — whilst being naive the entire time as to how he was breaking feline's heart with every syllable he uttered. After all, It's not as if he said her food was offensive or of poor quality, and the latest book he read, How to Be a Good Friend, described that the best companion was a truthful companion.
The tree that Renka tore out of the ground in a fit of rage… would politely disagree with Kenichi's newfound values. Oh, the irony… a gardener prematurely ending a plant's life.
The disappointments kept piling up; her convoluted schemes to woo Kenichi had not been going as planned. Renka sat atop the edge of a building, fuming about the matter. Just then, the perfect distraction arrives: a familiar boy with flaxen locks strolling beneath her. Maybe digging up her grudge against him will make her feel better.
Oh, look. He's already noticed her, but continues to walk away, as if she were an insignificant gnat. The nerve of him! Already sour from her previous shortcomings, Renka made the decision to call out to him. It was time to pick a fight.
"Oi! It's you again, huh?! With your fishy intentions!" her shrill cry carried through the wind, ensuring that she could not be ignored once more.
Tanimoto's head hung low as he turned towards the sound of her voice, visibly irritated within two seconds of their interaction.
"I could say the same to you, kitten," his droll response cut through the air.
A vein pulsed in Renka's temple. Did he just—?!
"Kitten?!"
That warranted a garish leap off the side of the building, Renka promptly landing in front of him with a violent windstorm. If the prince were a lesser man, he'd likely take the opportunity to snatch a few peeks at the inevitable upskirt. Alas, he seemed wholly unaffected.
"You know, I don't trust you one bit!" The feline declared, her finger extending towards him — just to make her point with extra oomph.
Natsu's narrow pupils followed her movements, his features remaining stoic throughout her antics. "I don't trust anyone. So what of it?"
"... Then I don't trust you around Kenichi, either," she retorted, taking a step forward to close the gap between them. Without any sense of personal boundaries, she made sure her burning gaze bore straight into his. Usually, enemies she dealt with would back off at this tactic — even prolific members of the mafia.
But not the Hermit, who stood his ground, blankly staring back with little regard for her mock intimidation.
"I don't want that idiot around me."
"Oh, really? Because it doesn't seem like you mind him too much! And if you touch him—"
He simply inserted a finger in his ear as he pulled away from her, uninterested in such shallow threats. What a meaningless show on the cat's part. It's clear she has nothing better to do, he figured. But such thoughts were swiftly interrupted when Renka attempted to wallop his face with an open palm—
"HEY! Are you listening to me, pretty boy?!"
Lightning fast reflexes had caught her impulsive action, snatching her wrist before tossing it aside. His apathetic demeanor began to crack, revealing his hotheaded persona within. "What the hell is your problem?!"
"What the hell is yours?! All that killing intent — pretending like you didn't know what I was talking about — acting all innocent and kind? How could Kenichi ever talk to someone like you?"
After all, he seemed so pure! Why does he hang out with this jerk?
"I wonder the same thing." Seeing little reason to stay put, he swiveled 180 degrees and began to walk away, but was fully prepared for her to stop him. She's the persistent clingy type, made clear with how she continually pesters Shirahama. And now, that idiot's dumped the problem in Natsu's lap. Hopefully it wasn't going to be a lasting trend.
"You could never understand," he muttered beneath his breath. The reasons for why he played this part, for why he donned the mask at school. This troublesome girl had no right to know, and even if she did, it's unlikely she'd understand the complexities of such decisions. Look at her: clearly a dumbass.
"W-what—? What couldn't I understand?! Just— … just stay away from Kenichi, baka!"
Gah. That pathetic excuse for an insult shouldn't bother him, but it does. He stops in his tracks to peek back at her.
"How about you tell him to stay away from me yourself, 'baka'?"
Renka promptly envisioned her attempting something of the sort, but knew that Kenichi seemed to value this bizarre blonde more than her. After all, they're always seen together, roaming through the school halls. And yet Kenichi always mysteriously vanishes whenever Renka tries to make her move. With their relationship in its current state, it's unlikely that Kenichi would even listen to such advice from the cat. And who was she to dictate which friends he could keep? Even if that's… exactly what she's doing right now… but, well! Yelling at this jerk was okay, she surmised. Attempting to control Kenichi seemed a little more off-limits.
"Fine! I will!" she called out, bluffing about her intentions. "Take your two-faced personality somewhere else, blondie!"
A scoff escaped his lips. "Go find yourself a scratching post, kitty cat." He had the nerve to wave farewell while he walked away.
"Nyah—! I'm not a cat!" she retorted, grabbing the first item in her midst: a dumpster. Showcasing the strength of the Ma family's hellish training, Renka proceeded to hurl the oversized trash bin towards the boy.
Instinct and a looming shadow alerted the Hikaken practitioner that something was coming for him, and a swift duck avoided what could've been a painful injury. Just because his shitty master wasn't around anymore to chide him on his broken body… it didn't give him a free pass to shatter his bones over trivial things.
That fucking cat.
The sound of maniacal, catty laughter and jingling bells could be heard in the distance, gradually fading with every second.
He could've let it go. He could've let this treacherous event slide.
But no. That'd be an insult to his pride.
Keeping with the current spirit of "trash," Natsu strolled over to an alleyway to acquire a metallic trash can lid, honed in on the distant bells, and flung the lid like a razor frisbee.
A subtle, incoming "whoosh" informed Renka of an approaching threat, and she smoothly sidestepped Natsu's retaliation as the lid crashed up against the brick wall. But not before creating a sizable rip on her dress, right through the torso. That was a new qipao, too! So much money wasted…
"You!" Her pointer once again directed to the smug blonde in the distance. "I'll kick your ass!"
The sound of her screams soothed him, his complacent grin forming into a princely smolder. And once the enraged girl darted towards him, a flashback appeared in his mind: Fūrinji cooing over adorable kitty Ma on the school grounds shortly after a fight for Kenichi's affection. All hostility had dissipated; Renka seemed to revert to some strange, animalistic traits.
How did Fūrinji achieve that? Maybe if he just…
… rubs the top of Renka's head.
Immediately, she froze, emerald pupils enlarging. Pigtails twiddling. And his sickening simper grew, fingers trailing down beneath her chin to scratch affectionately.
"Awwww. Is the little kitten upset?" he mocked, all the while Renka helplessly purred, lips curled into a pleased smile.
"N-nyaaaah!" With her pigtails bouncing up and down, she began to nuzzle the boy's hand.
… Oh, god. She's actually kind of cute like this. A perturbing thought that crossed Hermit's mind, finding conflict and repugnance within his current actions. And yet, he can't seem to cease staring into those glittery cat eyes. His tolerance for adorable things decreased by 25%. She begins to claw at his shirt; his tolerance drops by another 10%. He needs to stop soon, before he entirely breaks.
… He cleared his throat. "Ahem. All right. Tanimoto has to go home now."
Why the hell is he referring to himself in the third person? That annoying "pet-talk" was rather contagious.
"Tch. See ya, Kitty Ma."
One last scratch under her chin before he set off, departing the area hastily before the cat came to.
Reverting back to "human form," Renka glanced around the empty area. No sign of the prince.
"... H-hey—! What the—?!"
Strange, mixed feelings engulfed her sensibilities, and before she knew it, rosy pink cheeks had dominated her facial features.
And from atop a building, Tanimoto gave her one last glance before departing. Some part of him had become aware that he may have actually enjoyed her company in some sick, twisted way. That, in itself, was unsettling.
"Damn her..."