The Curious Case of a Cat in the Daytime (maybe)

[windbreak]

It began, as Yosuke so often did, with a late-night text.

YO
Guess what i heard!
That bookstore in Okina from that one time, they moved locations so there's gonna be a biiiig sale on
U said u didn't have plans this weekend right? Wanna come with??
I swear i wont even try to tell people were on a date
PLZ???
plz

And that, with a little more back and forth wheedling, was that.

But the appointed time came and went like the watery sunlight on the steps of Yasoinaba Station, and Yosuke was nowhere to be found. In itself, this wasn't unusual. The unusual part was the lack of mildly hysterical phone call complaining about wild bears and bemoaning his lot in life to accompany it.

Only about twenty minutes later did a battered-looking yellow bike finally squeak mournfully into the parking lot, carrying an equally harried-looking figure - who, for once in his life, seemed to be pedalling at a sensible speed. How bizarre.

Comments

[windbreak]

"You're not even listening to me now, are y-...!?"

But then he cut himself off, wide-eyed - because the instant Chie loosened her grip on its neck, the cat saw an opportunity to try and launch itself through the air again.

[meatatarian]

"Wh-- hey!"

Nope. If the cat was going to be like that, Chie wasn't having any of it. Her reflexes were sharp, so the instant the cat tried to make a move, her hand grabbed back at the scruff of it's neck again. And this time, she opted to hold it in the air by only that handful of scruff, giving it a Look.

"I've had just about enough of this. Chill out, or I'm stuffing you in a backpack."

[windbreak]

At a safe distance, Yosuke watched the animal squirm for several long moments before he could convince himself it was safe to emerge from behind his bike and settle down again - relatively speaking, because he wasn't sure his heart rate was ever going to return to normal.

"Would a backpack be such a bad idea?" he suggested, trying not to sound as petulant as he felt. "If we keep screwing around with it out here, we're going to miss the next train too."

And whose fault would that be? Everyone's but Yosuke's, of course.

[meatatarian]

Ugh, what was she going to do with this cat... A backpack wasn't even really a feasible idea, because not only did she not bring one, it would mean that either their trip would be cancelled or they'd have to bring it along. And Chie wasn't about to carry a backpack full of angry cat for who knows how long.

"No way. We'd have to take care of it if we did that." Chie shook her head, frowning down at the cat again. What to do...

"Okay. This is your fault, so... go buy a peace offering or something. Get a can of tuna or whatever. Just hurry!"

[windbreak]

Yosuke almost flinched. "Dammit, I already said -"

"Meow," said the cat, murder glittering in its round green eyes.

Immediately shutting up, Yosuke glanced down to check his watch; the fact that the movement put his wrist in between the cat's claws and his face was a complete coincidence. About twenty minutes, if the train wasn't delayed... That seemed a little far for Junes, but he couldn't be sure that the corner store carried anything a damn fleaball would be interested in. Urgh, part of him was so tempted to abandon today's plans entirely and go hide in a closet.

"Eheheh, heh... be right back," he mumbled. Then, without bothering to unlock his bike again, he dashed out of sight. Maybe some distance would stymie the feeling of Chie's glare boring clean through his head.