As Shuichi Akai had said himself, he wasn’t interested in nearby events. With no missions these past few days, even Morofushi Akihiko had hardly seen him.
Truth be told, Morofushi Akihiko didn’t have much enthusiasm for festivals either. His undercover identity seemed to have buried most of the joys and sorrows that belonged to him as a human. In crowded places like this, he always felt out of place.
The black-haired, blue-eyed young man sat by a window on the second floor of the inn, watching as dusk fell and residents gathered one after another, all heading in the same direction.
Some wore casual everyday clothes, while others were dressed in yukata, their hair pinned up with beautiful ornaments and hairpins.
Their attire varied, but each face carried a lively, joyful smile. They were all looking forward to the event, their cheerful voices reaching Morofushi Akihiko’s ears from below.
Perhaps it was the peaceful atmosphere here, or perhaps the children’s joy had somehow transferred to him—but as he watched the scene, Morofushi Akihiko actually felt a flicker of anticipation, a desire to blend into the crowd.
This was rare.
It seemed only before the age of seven had he ever felt such a pure urge to join in the excitement.
Besides, he wasn’t someone who enjoyed noisy places, nor did he have any friends to go with.
Morofushi Akihiko simply watched from afar, habitually suppressing his fleeting impulse.
Just as he was about to look away, he suddenly noticed a shadow flash past a corner outside the window, followed by the drip, drip, drip of something crimson falling to the ground.
Morofushi Akihiko paused. He scanned the area briefly, then finally climbed out through the window.
His movements were light and silent, drawing almost no attention from others, who were all eagerly awaiting the evening festival and fireworks.
Morofushi Akihiko quickly made his way to the spot he had noticed earlier, crouched down, wiped his finger over the dried red stain on the ground, and brought it to his nose to sniff.
The smell of blood.
Was someone injured?
He examined the trail of droplets on the ground—it seemed whoever it was hadn’t gone far.
With that thought, he followed the trail step by step. His movements made no sound, and the surroundings were quiet, save for his own breathing.
After about ten minutes of tracking, Morofushi Akihiko spotted the swaying bushes and suddenly let out a sigh of relief.
The black-haired, blue-eyed young man crouched down, extending a hand toward the direction of the bushes, palm facing upward.
“You’re hurt, aren’t you?”
His tone was gentle. “The wound needs to be properly treated.”
They remained in a standoff for about two minutes, until a grimy black paw tentatively stepped out from the bushes. Morofushi Akihiko kept his position unchanged until another paw followed from within the bushes.
Slowly, a disheveled black cat cautiously emerged.
Its hind leg appeared to have been scratched by something.
Morofushi Akihiko watched it but still made no sudden moves.
Only when the black cat approached him on its own and began rubbing its face against the back of his hand did Morofushi Akihiko gently scratch under its chin.
He went to the nearest vending machine, bought a bottle of water, and carefully cleaned the area around the black cat’s hind leg, all while soothing it. “This might hurt a little, but it’ll be over soon.”
Perhaps sensing his goodwill, the black cat remained quiet throughout the process.
Just as Morofushi Akihiko finished treating the wound and wrapping it with a bandage—
"Boom!"
With a sudden explosive sound, fireworks bloomed one after another in the night sky.
The previously calm cat immediately bristled its fur, but Morofushi Akihiko swiftly scooped it into his arms before it could flee in fright.
The faint scent of sulfur lingered once more, but this time it brought liveliness and joy. The dazzling fireworks faded and bloomed anew, their descending sparks seeming to reflect in the young man's eyes.
He glanced toward the brightly lit festival not far away, then chuckled softly, speaking to the cat in his arms, which had already relaxed somewhat: "Do you want to join in too?"
"…Though it might be a bit crowded."
Holding the cat, Morofushi Akihiko slowly made his way toward the stalls. He walked at a leisurely pace, pausing whenever the black cat in his arms showed even the slightest sign of distress.
But the black cat remained calm the entire time. Aside from being startled by the fireworks at first, it later lazily nestled in Morofushi Akihiko's arms. Even as Morofushi Akihiko blended into the bustling crowd, the cat showed no signs of resistance or fear, occasionally flicking its drooping tail.
Morofushi Akihiko spotted a mask identical to the one worn by the little boy who had nearly stumbled a couple of days earlier. After a moment's thought, he didn't choose that one but instead bought the fox mask beside it.
It reminded him a bit of Zero, Morofushi Akihiko thought with a faint smile.
Once he put on the fox mask, all the gazes directed his way seemed to be blocked—Morofushi Akihiko suddenly felt a sense of relief, a smile curling beneath the mask.
As people around noticed the young man holding a cat, a few girls gasped softly, huddling together and whispering something. A few lively children also approached curiously, asking if they could pet the cat.
Morofushi Akihiko's voice, muffled by the mask, remained as gentle as ever: "You'll need his permission for that."
So, a little girl in front earnestly addressed the black cat in Morofushi Akihiko's arms: "Mr. Cat, may I pet you?"
Morofushi Akihiko chuckled softly.
Mr. Cat was quite generous. It didn't seem to have been injured by humans and showed no signs of distress around young children.
After the first little girl successfully petted the cat, more cat enthusiasts were drawn over.
Morofushi Akihiko hadn't planned to buy anything, but thanks to Mr. Cat, he found himself inexplicably handed various items.
"Cats probably shouldn't eat taiyaki," Morofushi Akihiko remarked helplessly.
The little girl's mother covered her mouth with a smile. "A little bit won't hurt. Besides, this is a gift for Mr. Cat's friend—Mr. Fox."
Morofushi Akihiko paused for a moment before realizing he was still wearing the fox mask.
"…Thank you."
He didn't refuse the kindness further.
And so, with that start, Morofushi Akihiko found himself holding an assortment of small treats. None were large portions, nor were they specifically purchased—they were all shared by people who wanted to feed the cat.
Morofushi Akihiko glanced at the cat's belly in his arms, thinking it probably couldn't eat this much.
So he could only carry the cat, his wrists laden with a bunch of festive snacks, not even having time to remove the fox mask, and returned to the inn in this peculiar outfit.
Morofushi Akihiko walked up to the second floor and happened to run into Shuichi Akai at the corner.
Shuichi Akai paused, his expression blank as he looked at the strangely dressed man before him.
A familiar voice sounded from behind the mask: "What a coincidence, Moroboshi-kun."
Shuichi Akai, using the alias Moroboshi Dai, remained silent for several seconds before speaking as if confirming something: "Midorikawa."
Morofushi Akihiko, holding the cat with one hand, suddenly realized why Shuichi Akai had reacted this way. He suppressed the smile on his face, then lifted his other hand, which was barely free, to prop the fox mask against the side of his head, apologizing politely and gently: "Sorry, I forgot about this mask."
Shuichi Akai: …That wasn't really the reason.
Shuichi Akai wasn't so incapable of recognizing his partner's physique; even with his face covered, he could identify him by his build, let alone the fact that he hadn't even changed his clothes.
It was mainly because the other's current appearance had surprised him somewhat.
The black-haired, blue-eyed man held a lazily sprawled cat in his left hand, the black cat's exposed hind leg faintly showing traces of bandages. At the same time, the wrist of the hand holding the cat was adorned with four or five small snack bags, the sweet and savory aromas of desserts and food slowly wafting from him.
The other hand, still holding the fox mask against his forehead, also had its wrist similarly hung with many small bags.
Before he could ask anything further, he heard the other ask with a smile: "The festival was really fun, and these snacks are delicious too. Would you like some, Moroboshi-kun?"
Shuichi Akai: "…"
Shuichi Akai: "No, thanks."
"What a pity." Morofushi Akihiko, uttering these words once again, genuinely felt regretful this time.
Carrying the black cat that was almost asleep, he slowly made his way back to his room, still carrying the scent of the festival.
Shuichi Akai glanced at his retreating figure, then looked at the message on his phone. Of course, it wasn't a coincidence that he had run into him; he really did have something to discuss with Midorikawa.
But it wasn't anything urgent. Recalling Kei Midorikawa's appearance just now, Shuichi Akai turned off his phone and returned to his own room.
Morofushi Akihiko knelt on the tatami, removing the small snacks from his wrists. The items weren't heavy, but they had still left faint red marks on his skin.
Meanwhile, the previously drowsy black cat nimbly leaped aside and began grooming itself.
Morofushi Akihiko started organizing his things, but in the process, he touched something cold and utterly out of place with the festive atmosphere.
—It was a gun.
Morofushi Akihiko paused, the unconscious smile at the corner of his lips vanishing instantly.
He shouldn't have gone to the festival.
But as he glanced at the fox mask set aside, Morofushi Akihiko lowered his eyes and ultimately didn't voice this sigh.
At least after returning, some of the negative emotions seemed to have dissipated, and his mood had lightened a bit.
Maybe it was a good thing.
Morofushi Akihiko no longer concealed his emotions. Remaining in a kneeling position, he thought for a moment before reaching out to the black cat again: "Was it because of you?"
The black cat stopped grooming itself and actively moved closer to rub against Morofushi Akihiko's hand, its tail loosely wrapping around his wrist.
Thus, the black-haired, blue-eyed young man finally smiled again, his upturned eyes carrying a genuine and gentle warmth as he stroked the black cat's head along the direction of its fur.
"Thank you."
Two pairs of strikingly similar cat-like eyes met, with the black cat looking up at the black-haired young man before it, staring into those blue eyes where vertical pupils slowly emerged from their depths. The previously quiet cat lifted its head and, as if in response, answered Morofushi Akihiko.
"Meow~"
Author's Note:
Me: Wrote a version (satisfied)
22: No, too soft (gave Morofushi Akihiko a gun at the end)
So mean, 22! Bourbon, President of the Love Scotch Association, sends a strong condemnation!