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𝟐𝟐 || 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓 ||

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Takemichi and Keisuke fell into a routine: every Monday and Thursday, the two boys would go to the hospital to visit Haru till he was discharged.

    From what little information Takemichi was able to get out of the tight lipped boy, Takemichi found out that he'll only be in the hospital for another three weeks and then he'll be set free. The curly haired boy couldn't have been more relieved! That bland hospital was practically sucking the life out of Haru with how nonchalant he's been lately.

    There's so many questions Takemichi wants to ask, but he can never find the strength to ask them.

    He doesn't want to anger or upset the injured boy by asking about his injuries or wellbeing; he already gets defensive every time Keisuke cracks jokes about his condition. What if Takemichi pried so much to the point that Haru won't want anything to do with them anymore?! He can't bear the thought of being casted out of Haru's life.

    To stop that from happening, Takemichi stays quiet about his condition. He makes sure his eyes don't linger too long on the bandages plastered on the corners of his mouth and tries to portray himself as someone who Haru can confide in anytime he wants.

    It seems to be working with the way Haru treats Takemichi like he's some sort of goddess that fell straight outta heaven (which is a little unnerving...), but at least Haru doesn't resent Takemichi for not protecting him Mikey's wrath.

    That's...another thing Takemichi has been having a hard time coming to terms with: the evil beast that resides inside Manjiro Sano.

    Takemichi still has nightmares about those soulless eyes; that blank face that promised nothing but destruction and death if anything were to get in its way.

    ...He's terrifying...

    What's worse, is that Mikey refuses to talk about it.

    Not that Takemichi is dumb enough to bring it up in a conversation, but the curly haired boy can't help but be frustrated with the way Mikey carries on with his life after hospitalizing on of their best friends.

    Does he really not care?

    What would happen if He or Keisuke stepped out of line as well?

    Would he deliver the same punishment?

    The thought sends shivers up the boy's spine.

    These forbidden thoughts have been invading Takemichi's mind for the past two weeks and he doesn't know how to deal with them. His mother is still clueless about what happened to Haru and Takemichi refuses to be the one who tells her about it. He doesn't want her to worry; after everything she's done to get them a nice home in a nice town with nice people, he'd hate for all of that hard work to have been for nothing. The last thing Takemichi wants is to move to another town away from his best friends...

    With a defeated sigh, Takemichi continues to swing his feet back and forth on the swingset, completely lost in his own thoughts.

    He would've liked to have hung out with Keisuke today, but he and his mom were out of town shopping for clothes.

    And, well, Takemichi could hangout with Mikey, but he's still a little shaken up over what happened...

    So here he is alone, sulking on a swing set, wishing—hoping for something to happen so he doesn't have to keep thinking about Mikey and his weird mood swings and the danger that comes along with being his best friend—

    "Hey stranger, have you seen a black cat anywhere?"

    OH THANK GOD!!!

    Takemichi's head snaps up, ready to thank the stranger for interrupting his dark thoughts, when his words get promptly stuck in the back of his throat.

    A boy stands in front of him with cropped blonde hair and catlike green eyes, eerily similar to Haru's. His pale skin is decorated with scratches and scrapes, a thoroughly exhausted expression painted on his youthful face. His clothes, that consisted of a Mario T-shirt and basketball shorts, were dirty and covered in mud.

    He...looks awfully familiar...

    "Have I seen a what?" Takemichi asks, too distracted by the boy's appearance to fully process the stranger's question.

    As if to make matters worse, the boy's face contorts into a look of frustration. "A black cat!" The boy exclaims. "He's this big, really soft, like to eat tuna every Tuesday—oh, and his name is Peke J!"

    Takemichi scrunches up his eyebrows, trying to think back to a time where he saw a black cat crossing the street or in a nearby alley way, but his mind pulls a blank.

    "Sorry, I haven't," Takemichi sighs in disappointment. "The last time I saw a cat was a few weeks back, but they were a brown and white colored cat..." Takemichi's words cause the stranger's face to fall.

    "Oh...well I'll just keep looking for him..." the boy says with sorrow laced within his voice. The blonde then starts to drag his feet away from the swingset, his shoulders hunched and pace slow as he hangs his head in defeat.

    Takemichi follows the boy with his blue eyes, a feeling of sympathy bubbling up inside his chest as he watched the stranger stalk away.

    There must be something Takemichi can do to make this right...but what?

    Before he can even process what he's doing, Takemichi jumps off the swingset and races towards the boy.

    "Hey! Wait up!"

    The blonde turns his head just in time to give Takemichi a confused look.

    "Huh? What are you—"

    "I'll help you find your cat!" Takemichi declares with a bright smile. He watches with baited breath as the stranger freezes up—green eyes going wide in surprise as he stares at the boy in front of him.

    "R-Really?" The stranger asks. "You'll really help me?"

    Takemichi laughs and inches forward, shortening the distance between himself and the stranger.

    "Well yeah! I love cats!" Takemichi exclaims with excitement. Once the words leave Takemichi's lips, the stranger's green eyes light up—sparkling with joy and happiness.

    "You do?!"

    Takemichi immediately nods his head. "Uh huh!" He answers back. "Me and my friend Kei-Chan go to the pet store every weekend to look at the pretty kitties!"

    "So—so you're like me!"

    Takemichi tilts his head.

    "Like you?"

    "Yeah!" The stranger shouts in excitement. "You're a cat person!"

    A cat person?

    "Uhhh...yeah!...I guess?" Takemichi mumbles, a bit confused by the new word.

    Is a cat person someone who...likes cats? Or is it someone who is a cat?

    Completely oblivious to the storm inside Takemichi's mind, the stranger steps forward and ruffles up the boy's curly black hair.

    "Nice to meet you, fellow cat person!" The boy greets with a wide smile. "My name is Chifuyu Matsuno!"

    Takemichi decides to worry about the questions later and gives Chifuyu his full attention.

    "I'm Takemichi Hanagaki!"

    "Cool—ready to go find the cutest cat in the world?"

    Takemichi beams.

    "ABSOLUTELY!!!"

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When Takemichi agreed to help Chifuyu find his pet cat, he expected to be pulled along on some grand adventure, like the ones he has with Keisuke and Mikey, but this?

    This is hell.

    They've been looking all over town for hours in the smoldering heat. Takemichi's entire body is drenched in sweat, his legs get heavier with each step he takes, and the urge to collapse onto the sidewalk is so, so tempting.

    Why on earth did he agree to this in the first place? Why did Takemichi have to like cats so much?!

    "PEKEEEE!!! WHERE ARE YOUUUUU???" Chifuyu hollers from beside Takemichi. Looking over at his companion, Takemichi takes note of how energetic he looks despite being out in the summer heat for hours on end.

    Where did all that energy come from?

    ...and where can Takemichi gain this kind of energy?

    "C-Can we take a break for a little bit, Chifuyu?" Takemichi's question is answered by a judgemental look.

    "A break?" Chifuyu asks, as if the word is completely foreign to him. "Why? I thought you wanted to help?"

    Who on earth said he didn't want to help?!

    "I do wanna help!" Takemichi exclaims rather quickly. "I just—"

    Think, Takemichi, think!!!

    "—need to recharge? So I can keep helping you look for peek J-"

    "Peke J."

    "Right! Peke J!" Takemichi corrects himself, growing more anxious by the second under Chifuyu's cold stare. "I just think a break could really help us!!!"

    "Hmmmm..." Chifuyu brings his hand up and rubs his chin thoughtfully, as if he's considering Takemichi's request. A bead of sweat rolls down Takemichi's forehead.

    After a few moments of just staring into each other's eyes, Chifuyu finally relents.

    "...I guess we can take a break..."

    Once the words are out of Chifuyu's mouth, Takemichi slumps down onto the hot concrete floor with a loud sigh.

    "YESSSSS!!!" Takemichi shouts with exasperation, earning a questioning look from the blonde boy. He can finally relax his poor stubby legs!!!

    "Hey! Get up Takimichi!" Chifuyu exclaims while nudging the tired boy with his foot. "We need to get to a bench!"

    "It's Takemichi!" The curly haired boy corrects with a glare. "—and my legs aren't working."

    Chifuyu levels him with an annoyed look.

    "Your legs were working fine a second ago..."

    "Well now their broken!"

    "...you're so lucky I don't punch cat people..."

    With that said, Chifuyu turns his back to Takemichi and squats down. "Climb on."

    Takemichi perks up. "Huh?"

    Chifuyu looks back at the boy and scoffs, his face turning red and flushed the longer he stays crouched in that awkward position. "I'm gonna carry you since your 'legs are broken'," he mocks lightly, causing the boy on the floor to pout.

    Chifuyu has no right to make fun of Takemichi! It's not his fault his legs magically collapsed and are refusing to move! Can anyone blame him? He's been looking for a black cat for HOURSS!!!

    Despite wanting to snap back at the blonde boy, Takemichi refrains himself from doing so. Afterall, It's not everyday he's given a free piggyback ride. He normally has to beg Keisuke or Mikey if he wants to be carried somewhere.

    Takemichi's pout quickly turns into a big smile as he clambers up to his feet. Without a second to waste, he flings his arms around Chifuyu's neck and wraps his legs around his waist. With a loud huff, Chifuyu lifts them both off the ground with his arms wrapped securely around his legs, keeping him from slipping off his back.

    "You're really light!" Chifuyu exclaims in surprise. "You weigh as much as a cardboard box!" Takemichi gasps at the comparison. How dare Chifuyu say such a thing!

    "No I don't, you liar!"

    Instead of snapping back at Takemichi, Chifuyu starts walking down the concrete while giggling like a maniac. Takemichi huffs out in frustration, but doesn't bother with reprimanding the boy for laughing. He's far too tired to do anything at the moment...maybe later he'll pay the boy back, but for now he'll just enjoy his few minutes of relaxation.

    "Hey um..." Chifuyu mumbles, successfully cutting through Takemichi's thoughts like a knife. "Thanks for trying to help me look for my cat..."

    Takemichi presses his face into the nape of Chifuyu's neck and smiles. "No problem! Helping you find your cat is ten times better than swinging on a swing set!" Takemichi expresses, feeling his cheeks heat up at the admission. "It was getting pretty lonely...so thank you for finding me."

    "F-Finding you?" Chifuyu repeats with a hint of embarrassment laced in his tone. "I didn't mean to find you! I was looking for my cat!" He explains flusteredly.

    Takemichi laughs at the boy's reaction and continues to nuzzle his face against the back of Chifuyu's neck. Behind the strong smell of sweat and dirt, Takemichi can pick up the scent of peppermint from the boy's hair.

    ...not that Takemichi is sniffing Chifuyu's hair or anything!!! His nose just so happens to be pressed up close to his blonde hair, that's all!

    Suddenly feeling a little flustered himself, Takemichi clears his throat and loosens his arms around Chifuyu's neck.

    "S-So!" Takemichi starts conversationally. "How'd you lose your cat, Peke J?" He asks while rubbing cheek against the skin of Chifuyu's bare neck.

    The curly haired boy doesn't notice Chifuyu tensing up from underneath him.

    "Well—He's an outside cat," Chifuyu begins. "Our apartment complex doesn't allow pets so he can only stay on our balcony when he visits! He always comes to the balcony around this time to eat dinner but he hasn't shown up! This is the first time it's happened and—" Chifuyu takes a second to take a breath and continues on with his rant. "I'm just worried...what if something happened to him? Like—like what if a car got him...or a tiger?!" The boy exclaims with fright.

    Takemichi tightens his arms around the boy's neck in what he hopes is reassuring. "I'm sure your cat is fine Chifuyu! He probably got lost." Takemichi's comment earns him a scoff from the blonde boy.

    "Lost?! No way!" He protests. "These streets are his home! That'd be stupid—and my cat's not stupid!" Then, very suddenly, he whips his head around and gasps.

    "ARE YOU CALLING MY CAT STUPID?!"

   H-huh?!

    "W-What?! NO!!!" Takemichi shouts, beyond confused by the turn of events. "I'm just saying that—that your cat might've gotten in the wrong alleyway or-or taken a wrong turn!!!"

    This, however, only seems to make matters worse.

    "My cat would never get lost in some alleyway!!!"

    "How do you know that?"

    "I just do!"

    Takemichi can't hold back the sigh that leaves his lips. Here he is just trying to ease the boy's worries and, of course, it blows up in his face just like everything else in his life. When will he ever catch a break? He just wanted to help find a cat for goodness sake! Not argue about whether or not a cat would be stupid enough to get lost!

    "Then maybe he's out hunting!"

    "Why would he need to hunt when I give him free food everyday?" Chifuyu asks, his tone getting more defensive by the second.

    "Well—cats like hunting! Maybe he's just having fun hunting with his other cat friends!" For a moment, it looks like Chifuyu is about to retort with something snarky, but he stops. He appears to be thinking it over with the way his brow scrunches up in thought.

    "Hmm..." Chifuyu hums as he continues to stare thoughtfully at Takemichi from the corner of his eye. "...you might be right, Takemichi..."

    Really? Might?!

    Takemichi groans in frustration. "About time!!!" He exclaims loudly.

    "I said might! You could still be wrong though..."

    Takemichi rolls his eyes at the boy's stubbornness. "Fine—wanna make a bet?"

    Chifuyu stops walking. "A bet?"

    The tired boy smirks in triumph. "Yeah! I bet six hundred yen that Peke is just out having fun with his cat friends! What about you?"

    Chifuyu is quiet for a few seconds before he relents, giving into Takemichi's antics. "Fine! I bet...I bet six hundred yen that Peke is...is in trouble!"

    "What kind of trouble?" Takemichi finds himself asking.

    "Uhhhh...the type of trouble he needs to be saved from!"

    "...like...?"

    "...like monsters?"

    "What kind of monsters?"

    "I—I DON'T KNOW!!!" Chifuyu blurts out in frustration. "STOP ASKING ME SO MANY QUESTIONS!!!" Takemichi busts out laughing at the boy's flustered state. He knows he probably shouldn't be laughing at someone who's currently carrying him (they could easily toss him to the ground at any given time), but he can't help it!

    This is the most fun Takemichi's had since the incident.

    Deciding to give the poor blonde a break, Takemichi points at a bench in the distance. "Hey! That's a perfect place to rest!" He shouts, drawing Chifuyu's attention from Takemichi to the bench.

    "Huh? Oh—yeah, hold on!"

    With that said, the boy starts dashing towards the bench, ignorant of the wide smile playing at Takemichi's lips.

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Takemichi's not quite sure how it happened, but while the two were chatting their lives away on the bench, the topic of Takemichi's friends came up.

    "You looked really sad when I saw you earlier," Chifuyu says offhandedly. "Like...your friends left you behind or something."

    Takemichi can't stop the way his shoulders bunch up defensively. "No—they didn't leave me behind!" He exclaims. "They're just busy...and I wanted to be alone for a little while."

    Chifuyu tilts his head and narrows his green eyes at the boy. It's terrifying how similar his eyes are to Haru...

    "You don't look like someone who likes to be alone." The observation causes the boy to go rigid.

    "How do you know that?"

    "Because I always see you with those kids who rule the playground across from my apartment!" Chifuyu explains. "I never see you alone—or by yourself! You're always with someone."

    So they live in the same apartment complex?

    Takemichi stocks the information away for later.

    "Maybe I was just waiting for them..." Takemichi says quietly, knowing full well that Chifuyu will see through his pathetic attempt at lying.

    "You weren't though," Chifuyu states as a matter of fact. Takemichi watches as the boy leans back against the bench, his green eyes never leaving the distressed boy. "I started looking for Peke really early this morning and I passed you multiple times. I didn't see your friends anywhere."

    Takemichi starts to clench his hands into fists.

    "Were you spying on me?!" He asks, trying not to wince at the sound of his voice getting higher. Chifuyu must have noticed it too with the way the corner of his lips tugged up.

    "No way! I'm not a creep," Chifuyu protests with a scoff. "But It's...weird to see you alone. Like—really really weird..."

    Despite wanting to refute the boy and reprimand him for his bold accusations, Takemichi knows he's right.

    Takemichi heaves out a sad sigh and throws his head back to rest lazily on the back of