Chapter Text
“Geto-sensei, please take care of him for a while. I have a one-month travel trip with my grandpa. I won’t be able to take care of Sukuna while I’m gone.”
It was the last week of school before summer holidays. School had just ended for the day. Suguru’s mind was filled with question marks when he saw Yuji with a pink cat with red eyes in his office. Suguru kept his expression calm and asked, “How did you bring the cat into school?”
Yuji was hoisting the pink cat up by the cat’s armpits and the cat was just dangling there, like a long noodle of pink fluff. It was about as big as his white cat, Satoru, at home, possibly a bit bigger. Suguru wasn’t sure what type of cat he was. Suguru had never seen a pink cat with such interesting black markings.
Sukuna didn’t resist in the hold. But Suguru could see that the cat clearly wasn't pleased. Sukuna looked like he hated everyone and everything. It was a very grumpy cat.
Yuji smiled and said proudly, “I hid him in me.”
Suguru almost did a double take. What was his student even saying? His eyebrow twitched, “Pardon?”
“I hid him in my school jacket.”
In his jacket- How did no one notice? Ugh, monkeys… Suguru had no idea how Yuji managed to keep the cat calm and quiet in that limited space for the whole time. It had been many long hours. Seeing how silent that cat had been, Yuji was lucky that the cat was as it was and didn’t alarm anyone. Pets were not allowed in the school premises. Suguru could dish out punishment for this. But it was the last week and Suguru really didn’t want to deal with more work than necessary.
Suguru said, “And you’re asking me to look after him for a month. Yuji, there are other people you could’ve asked instead of your social studies teacher.”
Yuji shuffled and held the cat close to his chest, supporting Sukuna’s legs. Yuji said, “I don't know who else to ask. I only have my grandpa, and my friends can’t take Sukuna. You’re not just my sensei. You’re like… uh… my uncle.”
Yuji’s grandpa had known Suguru for a long time. After the death of Suguru’s parents, Grandpa had helped Suguru and looked after him. They had continued to keep in contact from time to time. Suguru had watched Yuji grow up. So technically, Yuji was right.
Yuji was not about to say the reason his friends wouldn’t take him was that Sukuna would try to scratch them whenever they were close. Sukuna didn’t like teens or kids. But adults should be fine, right? Yuji knew his sensei didn’t have kids. Sukuna also wasn’t acting up right now, even though he was held close to Geto-sensei.
Yuji pleaded with puppy eyes, “Sensei, please. Sukuna is a stray. I have been sneaking food to Sukuna without Grandpa knowing. I know Sukuna could survive on his own. But if I didn’t feed him, he’d be eating something nasty. I don’t want him to get sick.”
Suguru didn’t expect that. Suguru glanced at the silent cat and back at Yuji, “He’s not your cat?”
Yuji hugged the cat and mumbled, “I’d like to think he is.”
Sukuna yawned, otherwise he had no other reaction. Sukuna blinked at Suguru. Suguru’s decision was going to decide his fate for the next month.
Suguru really shouldn’t. But Yuji’s puppy eyes were almost impossible to say ‘no’ to. Sukuna was also the rarest looking cat he had ever seen. Why someone would abandon such a cat was beyond him.
After a contemplation that should’ve been longer, Suguru replied, “Alright-”
“Yes! Geto-sensei, thank you!” Yuji put Sukuna on Suguru’s desk quickly. Yuji petted Sukuna’s head, “Behave, Sukuna.”
Sukuna leaned back and tried to swat Yuji’s hand away. Yuji moved back his hand before Sukuna could. Sukuna lay down on the desk, unamused.
Not wanting Suguru to take back his word, Yuji hurried to the door, “Bye, I’ll head back home now.”
Yuji had rushed away, leaving the cat and teacher behind.
Well, that happened. Suguru looked at the door, before turning his attention back to the calm pink cat occupying his desk.
Suguru muttered, “Hope you and Satoru can get along.”
Somehow, he highly doubted that.
A fluffy white cat with blue eyes, Satoru, was sitting on his cat bed in the living room, waiting for Suguru to get back impatiently. Suguru should be back ages ago. Why wasn’t he back yet?
Finally, he heard footsteps outside the apartment. Suguru was opening the door.
“Suguru!” Satoru meowed in delight. Satoru got off the bed and walked across to the door with quick little steps. “What took you so long?”
Suguru got in, carrying a few cardboard boxes and some bags. After placing down the boxes at the side, he smiled and greeted Satoru fondly, “Hey, Satoru.” Suguru leaned down to give Satoru head scratches, earning the soft sounds of purring, before walking to take his shoes off.
Satoru rubbed himself around Suguru’s legs. Satoru did this every time his human was back home. Satoru liked his favorite human, and his scent. sniff sniff.
hm?
sniff sniff.
Why are there scents of other cats?!
“Have you gone to a cat cafe again? How could you! I’m the only cat you need!” Satoru meowed loudly, feeling betrayed.
Suguru could guess why Satoru was being so loud. Every time he interacted with other cats, Satoru would become very upset when he headed back home.
Suguru knew just the trick to calm Satoru down. He placed down the bags on the table in the living room and picked up the Satoru, holding him and letting him see inside some of the bags, “Look, I got you some new toys.”
So his human smelled like other cats because he had gone to the pet store? Satoru immediately quieted down and looked curiously. When Satoru squirmed, Suguru let him down on the table. Satoru poked his head into one of the bags and saw a mochi plush. Satoru took it in his mouth without a second thought. He tapped Suguru’s arm as a thank you. He jumped down the table, bringing it to his cat bed.
When Satoru looked back, Suguru already brought the other bag and the boxes to a spare bedroom. Though, the room didn’t have a bed anymore. No one used this room since Suguru’s parents had passed. It was mostly used for storage. Why was Suguru bringing the other toys to that room? What are those boxes?
Satoru set down his mochi plush on his cat bed and strutted to the spare room. Before he could get in, Suguru pushed him out with his foot and closed the door. Satoru stood outside, dumbfounded.
Meow meow meow? Excuse me? Rude much?
“Suguru! open the door!” Satoru scratched at the door and meowed loudly, requesting to be let in. To his dismay, Suguru ignored him. That didn’t deter Satoru. Satoru continued screaming at the top of his lungs.
“Let me in! Let me in! Let me-”
Moments later, Suguru opened the door slightly and looked down, “Satoru, it’s night time. The neighbors are sleeping. If you don’t stop, Fushiguro-san will bang at my door.”
“Just let me in. I want to see what you’re doing with those boxes,” Satoru meowed, though quieter this time. Satoru had no idea what Suguru was saying but he could guess it was a warning of sorts. Satoru looked up at Suguru with his bright blue eyes and patted Suguru’s leg.
So cute. Suguru didn’t let Satoru in because he didn’t want Satoru to mess around as he set up the new room. But he relented and picked up Satoru, taking him in. Suguru said, “I’ll let you take a look.”
In Suguru’s arms, Satoru checked out the room. It looked tidier. New Scratchboards, a cat litter box, a cat bed and a cat tree were added. The cardboard boxes were opened and scattered around. Oooooh, a new playground for him?
Satoru wiggled, trying to get down to explore. But Suguru didn’t let go. Holding Satoru with one arm, Suguru slowly kicked the boxes out of the room. Closing the door, Suguru got back out to the living room with Satoru.
Suguru put Satoru in one of the cardboard boxes. Suguru squatted down in front of Satoru and said, “That will be Sukuna’s room. You’ll have a new friend. He’s with vet Shoko right now. You’ll see him tomorrow after his check up and grooming.”
Satoru just put his paw up and played with Suguru’s weird bangs as he talked. Satrou didn’t understand nor did he care. Suguru probably wasn’t saying anything important anyway.
Suguru let Satoru play with it and chuckled, “Dumb cat.”
Suguru poked Satoru’s head and stood back up. He went to his own room. It was already very late. He had to take a shower and prepare to go to bed.
Satoru didn’t follow this time. Satoru preferred to stay in his cardboard boxes. He jumped around and played with his mochi plush for the night.
Why didn’t Suguru let him play with the new setup? Maybe because it was late?
Meow, whatever.
Satoru went to sleep, thinking Suguru would let him play in the room tomorrow.
However, Satoru had never been more wrong in his life.
Nothing could’ve prepared for the shock he felt the next day when Suguru returned home with a whole new pet carrier filled with the same unknown scent he smelt on Suguru yesterday.
Holding the carrier, Suguru explained, “Satoru, this is Sukuna. I’ll introduce him to you properly in a few days. He’ll stay in the spare room for now.”
Suguru hadn’t put down the carrier so Satoru couldn’t see the new cat. But Satoru could smell him. Satoru paced back and forth, tail flicking in agitation.
Who’s this homewrecker?!
Satoru didn’t know the new cat but he had already decided that he hated him.