AN: This is an example of how To Zing Or Not To Zing might have gone if someone had initiated contact sooner.

Scholarship

Haru was sitting next to her bed, staring at hands that no longer resembled her own. A fine coat of toffee-colored fur covered every inch of her skin, save for the padding on her palms and bottom of her feet. Flexing her fingers gently made a sharp set of claws ease out of her fingertips, and relaxing her hands made them retreat once more.

"What am I going to do?" the teenager asked herself yet again in a hoarse whisper. 'What is Mom going to do when I tell her?'

She'd have to, there was no getting around it. With her new allergies, it was only a matter of time before her mother noticed something was off if Haru didn't take over all the cooking. She took in a long, staggering breath at the idea of how her mother would react to her daughter's predicament, or how close she had come to losing her only child.

Haru's heart pounded wildly as that horrible twenty-four hours flashed again through her mind. She reached behind her and grabbed at the quilt covering her bed as if it were her mother's hand, since Naoko was out on a date with Fumio at the moment.

"It didn't happen," she assured herself angrily. "I made it home, I'm safe. I just… need to learn to control my new impulses. I made it through puberty, I can handle this." 'I hope.'

Maybe some silly internet videos would calm her down. Haru forced herself to relax and reverse her mental adjustment until her fur retreated, and her face took on the shape she had known for most of her life. She gave herself a harsh shake before crawling over to where she kept her laptop and getting comfortable on her bed with it.

"I guess I can check if I have any emails first," she sighed without a lot of enthusiasm. She'd already burned through her homework during detention earlier the same day, and most of the emails she received were from stores making sure she knew about this or that sale.

As suspected, the unread emails were all from places she had bought something, even her favorite… her old favorite restaurant was doing a special event that week. She heaved a sigh about not being able to eat out again before clicking on the emails she wasn't interested in reading.

Just as she was clicking 'trash', a new email popped up. Haru blinked while staring at it.

Baron von Gikkingen Subject: The CK incident.

Haru's heart felt like it stopped in her chest. She blinked again while staring at the subject line, trying desperately to think of literally anything else she knew about that had those initials. "Cats have email?" she whispered in disbelief since she hadn't exactly seen a lot of technology in her brief visit to the Cat Kingdom.

She almost trashed that as well. If there was anything she had learned about last month, it was to be wary when a feline reached out to her. But she had been curious long before becoming part cat, and she just couldn't wrap her mind around one of the kingdom's residents trying to tap out an email with their blunt paws.

Dear Miss Haru,

I hope this email finds you in good health and better spirits than you were in last month.

Please forgive me, for I'm not well-versed in speaking to humans. I am the Head of the Werecat Society, and we were having a conference the same night you were in the Cat Kingdom. Although there is bad blood between cats and werecats, a good friend of mine has maintained a leak in the King's security footage, and he was gleeful while showing us the tail end of your excursion there.

I don't think I have the right words to express how impressed I was with your skill and accuracy. It is not often that a human is invited to the Cat Kingdom, and it is quite difficult to get in unless you know exactly that you're doing. I hope you will be willing to indulge me in the full story, because I refuse to believe that anyone that has the patience to make such interesting bombs could be in such a foul humor all the time.

Haru cringed at that part, since she knew she probably overreacted to the king's proposal.

This is not a criticism, mind. Please take this as my wish to understand things from your perspective, because I'm greatly curious as to how and why you were led to such a predicament.

Also, I hope you will consider a full scholarship to my college after graduating high school.

Haru couldn't resist a sharp intake of breath and reread that line again.

You see, my great-great grandfather started a town in the Black Forest for monsters that were born human and need somewhere to grow accustomed to their new skills and way of living, and a college soon became a necessity so that we could provide for ourselves without rousing suspicion from humans. I am well aware that you are human once more, but you still went through a change from your encounter with the Cat Kingdom, even if its marks have left you by now. So you still understand how many of the newer monsters feel while becoming acquainted with their new bodies.

Haru unconsciously flexed her hands again, turning her fingernails into claws once more.

I hope you will consider accepting the scholarship. If you will forgive me for saying so, I don't believe I would regret making a friend out of you. It's not every day you lay eyes on a real-life Honey Lemon.

Kindest regards,

Baron Humbert von Gikkingen III

Haru sat back as her heart pounded again, but this time with hope. "Could this be real?" she dared to whisper aloud before pinching herself on one cheek.

No, she was awake. The young woman read through the email again and again, realizing that this 'Baron' just might be the answer to at least her biggest problems.

He could teach her about being a cat. He respected her as a scientist, even after seeing how bad her temper could flare.

"Just where's the Black Forest?" Haru muttered to herself while looking it up in another window.

Germany. It was the forest that inspired many of her childhood fairy tales according to the three websites she looked at while thinking it over.

It didn't help that pictures of the Black Forest were taking her breath away. Would it be as beautiful in person?

She wouldn't have to hide her real nature if she accepted. She could have someone to talk to about that night instead of trying to forget that it ever happened. Someone that could help her understand this strange second puberty. The first person since her father to truly support her dream of becoming a chemist, since even her science teachers would rather focus their energies on the boys over her. All she'd have to do is hang in there until graduating next year, and she wouldn't be on her own anymore.

"… I don't have to be alone through this!" she nearly wept while going back to that email and hitting 'reply'.

Dear Baron,

I can't tell you how delighted I am to accept your offer, because thanks to the Cat Kingdom, I now qualify for your monster college…

ooOoo

"Haru-san?" an unfamiliar low voice asked from behind her, making the schoolgirl stop in her tracks. The tone was almost a nervous purr.

She had to fight back the urge to growl that he still didn't get the hint. But now that they were alone on the sidewalk, the schoolgirl turned around to glare at him. "Your name?" she asked flatly.

"I'm Neko Tsuki, and I think you'll find that-" he introduced himself while bowing, but she wasn't in the mood to hear out the rest of his prepared speech.

"Answer this simple question, Neko. What do you think Baron will say when I tell him of your blatant disregard of my boundaries?"

He started like someone had stepped on his tail. "B-Baron?!" he gasped in horror. "But he said he wouldn't approach you until next year!"

Haru narrowed her eyes at him dismissively. "That's not answering my question, Neko. What do you think Baron will do when I tell him that you won't leave me alone?"

He gave her another fearful look before turning tail and running the other direction.

Haru smirked at his cowardice before turning back to her path and pulling out her phone. Hey, Baron? I know this is a petty thing to bother you with, but Neko Tsuki has been hanging around my school since lunchtime in hopes of talking me into a date, despite my clear signals that I'm uninterested. When he tried again for the third time just now, I used your name to make him run for the hills. I'm sorry about using you as a weapon.

She sent it off and continued on the way home. 'Odd. From the way Neko said that, you'd think Baron was planning to ask me out.' The brunette flung her schoolbag over one shoulder as she thought about that.

If asking her out was Baron's plan, Haru had to say that she was fine with his way of winning her over. Of course, she was basing her opinion on the fact that he hadn't made a single pass at her since making contact. Plus he was more than sympathetic that she was still a bit wound up from everything that had happened that night, and was just fine with being a supportive friend at the moment.

Haru tapped her thumb against the handle of her schoolbag, still thinking over what might happen if Baron did make a pass at her after graduation. Finally, she shrugged it off and cheerfully waited for her turn to cross the street. "Who knows? At least he's willing to wait if that is his plan."

Which still meant there was no point in worrying about it now. He hadn't so much as sent her a picture of himself to lure her in with.

She was nearly home by the time her cell phone pinged with an answer. She wasted no time pulling it out and checking her friend's reaction.

You don't merely have my permission to use me as a weapon. You have my insistence. I will take care of Neko, and feel free to let me know if anyone else tries to harass you.

"Like that will ever happen," Haru giggled while typing out a response. I am sorry about bothering you about this, but I'm really grateful to have your help. I'm grateful for you.

Haru sent it off before realizing that the text might have sounded a little too intimate for friends that were still getting to know each other. "Crud, I overdid it," she fretted even though it was the truth.

Having a werecat for a friend was really helping her through this strange transition, but that didn't mean-

Another text cut her off.

I'm grateful for you, too. I just can't stand the thought of you getting hurt. Tensions are running high now that Dracula and his usual gang blew our cover, and the last thing either side needs is a monster being an idiot.

Goodness knows there's enough humans for that, Haru couldn't resist answering with a snicker before walking into her home.

"Glad you're home, Sweetheart," Naoko called without turning away from her sewing machine. "By the way, you've got some packages on the counter."

As Haru laid her eyes on the two flower bouquets waiting for her, she realized that she might be giving Baron more names, after all.