Chapter Text
The cat's tail arched upward as it stretched, relaxing its stiff body after just waking up. Purring contentedly, it meticulously licked its paw, cleaning off every speck of dirt from its fur. Once satisfied with its cleanliness, the cat padded toward its owner's large bed, crouched slightly, then leaped and landed precisely on the stomach of the white-haired figure beneath the blanket.
"Ugh," the owner groaned under the weight of the cat, only to be met with a meow from the black-and-white tuxedo feline.
"Choki... five more minutes..." Nagi grumbled, his voice muffled with sleep. In response, Choki began kneading his belly while purring to lure his owner.
"Good Choki… Are you hungry?" Nagi asked, absentmindedly petting the cat with his eyes still shut.
Choki meowed in reply before hopping off the bed. Nagi sat up sluggishly, scratching his stomach.
"Wait... let me gather my soul first," he mumbled. But the cat ignored him, continuing to meow insistently.
"Right, right, anything for my little princess," Nagi sighed, dragging himself to the container of cat food. He poured some into Choki’s bowl, earning a soft meow of gratitude. With a resigned sigh, he gave the cat a quick pat on the head before heading toward the fridge, grabbing a jelly cup, and slurping it down lazily.
‘What should I do today…?’ he thought, booting up his PC. He checked his emails, still no response from his client about the project he was working on. So, naturally, he did what any responsible adult would do. He opened Valorant and started gaming.
Not long after, his phone suddenly rang. Without bothering to check the caller ID, Nagi picked it up.
"Hello, Nagi speaking," he answered, still clicking away at his game.
"Oi, Nagi, let’s play," came Chigiri’s voice.
"NAGICCHI, I MISS YOU! LET'S PLAY BOWLING!" Bachira's voice immediately followed, way too loud for a phone call. In the background, Isagi could be heard scolding him for yelling in public.
"What a pain, do you all not have anything else to do?" Nagi groaned, already regretting answering the call.
"Stop whining and touch some grass for once. We’re meeting at 3 PM, see you there," Chigiri shot back.
Before Nagi could even argue, the call ended.
With an exaggerated sigh, he checked the time, it’s 2 PM. Reluctantly, he shut down his PC and walked to his closet to change. Below him, Choki meowed, wanting to play.
"I'm sorry, Choki, I can’t play with you today. Be a good girl, okay?" Nagi said, ruffling the cat’s fur before refilling her food bowl and leaving some treats.
Then, he slipped on his shoes at the door, he glanced back. "See you, Choki. I won’t be too late," he assured before stepping out. Choki sat quietly on the floor, watching as her owner disappeared behind the closed door.
Choki was about to settle down on the bed when a sudden breeze drifted in. Her ears perked up as she turned to stare at the window, left open and forgotten by Nagi.
⟢
By the time Nagi finally arrived at the cafe Chigiri sent him, it was already past 3:30 PM. He had underestimated how crowded the streets would be, and now he was greeted with a chorus of teasing as soon as he stepped inside.
“Oi, Sleeping Beauty finally decided to show up,” Chigiri smirked, arms crossed.
“Did you take a detour through another dimension?” Isagi added.
Bachira dramatically wiped an imaginary tear. “Nagicchi, we’ve aged ten years waiting for you…”
“Traffic,” Nagi mumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Too many people.”
“Yeah, yeah, excuses,” Chigiri rolled his eyes. “Come on, the loser pays the games.”
Nagi groaned but followed them anyway.
“Don’t fall asleep mid-throw, Nagi,” Chigiri teased as Nagi lazily grabbed a ball.
“Too much effort,” Nagi sighed before casually rolling a perfect strike.
The group groaned.
“You’re the worst,” Isagi muttered, but he was grinning.
After a couple of rounds, they moved to play billiards, then they ended up at a diner, eating and chatting between bites of food. The easy banter, the occasional bickering, the comfortable chaos, it was nice. It had been a while since Nagi had this much fun, and despite the occasional headache they gave him, he was genuinely grateful to have them as friends. They had been know each other since high school and somehow stuck together, their bond strengthened through late-night Valorant matches and countless hangouts.
But today’s outing wasn’t just a random get-together, it was a distraction.
“Alright, spill it,” Isagi finally said, resting his chin on his hand. His sharp eyes flicked toward Chigiri, who had been stabbing at his fries a little too aggressively.
Chigiri huffed. “It’s nothing.”
Bachira leaned forward with a dramatic gasp. “Liar. You’ve been in a mood all day.”
Nagi, who had been half-listening while lazily chewing his food, raised a brow. “Kunigami?”
Chigiri clicked his tongue but didn’t deny it.
“Ohhh, what happened this time?” Bachira’s grin widened. “Did you two finally—”
“Shut up,” Chigiri snapped, his ears turning red.
Isagi smirked. “So it is about Kunigami.”
Chigiri exhaled sharply. “It’s just—he’s being so stubborn. Again.”
“That’s nothing new,” Nagi mumbled.
Bachira gasped again, even more dramatically. “Oh no. Did the two strong-willed boyfriends have a lovers’ quarrel?”
Chigiri threw a fry at him. “We’re not— whatever . Forget it.”
Nagi sighed, setting down his drink. “If you wanted to forget it, you wouldn’t have dragged us out today.”
Silence.
Chigiri grumbled something under his breath before sighing. “He just doesn’t listen sometimes. And I… I don’t know. I needed to blow off some steam.”
Isagi gave him a knowing look but didn’t push further. “Well, that’s what we’re here for.”
Bachira raised his glass. “To dragging Chigiri out of his angsty thoughts!”
The group clinked their glasses together, laughter filling the air. The tension in Chigiri’s shoulders eased just a bit.
They stayed out until around 10 PM, the night stretching on with more drinks, more playful jabs, and more laughter. By the time they decided to call it a night, they were all a little tired but undeniably content. The four of them walked together and chatted.
Nagi stretched, stuffing his hands back into his hoodie pocket.
“I’m stopping by the pet store,” he mumbled.
“Choki running out of food?” Chigiri asked.
“Yeah.”
Bachira gasped dramatically. “Nagicchi, you’re such a responsible cat dad.”
“Shut up.”
They split up after that, and Nagi made his way to the pet store, picking up Choki’s food and a few extra treats. As he walked home, carrying the bag lazily over his shoulder, he sighed. It was a good hangout. Yet, as he walked, his mind drifted back to Chigiri and Kunigami. If they hurt each other so much, why did they still love each other? He didn’t get it. Relationships were so much work. Too much effort for something that could be so painful.
He sighed. Whatever. It wasn’t his problem.
By the time he reached his apartment, he had already pushed the thought aside. He kicked off his shoes at the entrance.
“Choki, I’m home,” he called lazily. But he got no response from the cat.
Nagi frowned. Usually, Choki would trot over to greet him or at the very least, flick an ear in acknowledgment from wherever he was lounging. Probably asleep, he figured, and headed straight to the bathroom for a quick shower.
By the time he stepped out, steam curled in the air, fogging up the mirror. He grabbed a bottle of water from his desk and took a sip, pausing. The room was unusually quiet.
He glanced at Choki’s food bowl. It was only half-eaten. Strange. If Choki had been left alone, the bowl would've been empty by now.
A small unease crept up his spine as he scanned the room. “Choki?” he called out, peeking under his desk. No cat. He checked the chair, under the bed and still nothing.
That’s when he felt it. A faint chill in the air.
His brows furrowed. ‘But I haven’t turned on the AC…’. A sudden sneeze shook him, and as he rubbed his nose, his eyes landed on the window.
It was open. Nagi stared at the open window, blinking slowly. A breeze slipped in, rustling the curtains.
Choki was gone .
He exhaled through his nose, rubbing the back of his head. Well. It wasn’t like Choki had fallen from a skyscraper. His apartment wasn’t that high up, and there was a tree just outside the window. If anything, the little troublemaker probably just climbed down and was wandering around somewhere nearby.
It wasn’t Choki’s first time sneaking out like this. The little rascal had done it before, always slipping back inside when he felt like it, usually after an hour or two, like some spoiled prince returning from his evening stroll.
Still, he should at least check. Grabbing his phone, Nagi shoved on his slides and stepped outside. The night air was cool against his skin as he took the stairs down, hands stuffed in his hoodie pocket. The apartment complex was quiet, save for the occasional sound of a distant car or a muffled TV through someone’s window.
“Choki,” he called out lazily as he walked toward the small park nearby. He wasn’t expecting an answer, obviously, but he figured he’d try.
He wandered around the park, scanning the bushes and benches, occasionally crouching down to check under them. Nothing.
A cat meowed somewhere in the distance, but it wasn’t Choki.
Nagi sighed, tilting his head up to look at the sky. A few stars peeked through the city lights. He’d give it a few more minutes, and if Choki didn’t show up, he’d just go back and leave the window open. The little guy would probably come back on his own once he got bored.
Nagi made his way back to his apartment, his pace slow and indifferent. He left the window open, if Choki wanted to come back, he’d figure it out. The cat always did.
Too tired to even boot up his PC, Nagi just flopped onto his bed, sinking into the mattress with a long sigh. His body felt heavy, the warmth of the blanket pulling him into a state of half-consciousness almost immediately.
Tomorrow was Sunday. No work, no obligations. He could sleep in, wake up whenever, and most likely find Choki curled up beside him like nothing had happened. ‘ Yeah. That sounded nice.’
With that final thought, Nagi let sleep take over.
⟢
The morning air was crisp, sunlight filtering through the buildings as the city slowly came to life. The streets near the apartment complex were mostly quiet, save for the occasional hum of passing cars and the chatter of pedestrians beginning their day.
Nagi woke up to the sound of his alarm, not because he set one, but because the sun was too bright, and his phone was buzzing with random notifications. He groaned, turning over with the expectation of feeling a warm, purring lump pressed against his side. But there was nothing.
Blinking lazily, Nagi sat up and rubbed his eyes. He scanned the room, half-expecting to see Choki sprawled out on his desk chair or curled up in a sunspot near the window. Still nothing . The food in Choki’s bowl remained untouched from last night.
"Still not back, huh..." he muttered, rolling out of bed.
It wasn't the first time Choki had gone on a little adventure, but he always came back before morning. This time, however, was different.
After grabbing a jacket and slipping on his sneakers, Nagi headed outside to search. The apartment complex had a small park nearby, and he figured Choki might be wandering around there. He walked past the benches, the trees, and even checked under a few parked cars, calling out quietly,
"Choki, where'd you go?"
No response, no familiar little meow.
With a sigh, he shoved his hands into his hoodie pocket and looked around. That’s when he spotted something, black and white fur perched on the rooftop of a house just across the street.
"You've gotta be kidding me..."
Choki was lounging up there, tail flicking lazily like he hadn’t just given Nagi a mild heart attack.
Nagi stood there for a moment, staring up at the rooftop where Choki lounged comfortably. The cat wasn’t scared or desperate to come down, if anything, he looked perfectly at ease, tail swishing lazily as if this was his new favorite spot.
The problem was, Nagi had no idea how to get him back.
His eyes flicked toward the house. It looked completely deserted. No lights on, no movement inside. He stepped closer, trying to peek through the windows. The curtains were drawn, and the air around the place felt still, untouched.
He sighed, stepping back and glancing around. Someone had to know something.
A middle-aged woman passed by, carrying a grocery bag in one hand. Nagi approached her, hands still shoved into his hoodie pockets.
"Uh, excuse me," he muttered. "Do you know who lives here?"
The woman blinked at him, then at the house, before recognition flickered in her eyes.
"Oh, the Mikage house? The owner’s out of town. He left a few days ago."
Nagi’s brows furrowed slightly. "When’s he coming back?"
"Tomorrow or the day after, I think," she said, shifting her bag to the other hand. "Why? Something wrong?"
Nagi glanced up at Choki, who was now licking his paw, completely indifferent to his predicament.
"My cat's on the roof."
The woman followed his gaze, then let out a small laugh. "Well, that's unfortunate."
Nagi said nothing. He just exhaled slowly.
The woman gave him a sympathetic look. "I guess you’ll have to wait until the owner gets back. Unless you can find another way up."
Nagi nodded absentmindedly as she walked away, then looked around again. ‘Another way up?’ The house was two stories tall, and there weren’t any obvious ways to climb.
He circled the building, checking for anything that might help, a low fence, a tree, a ledge. There was a large tree near the side of the house, its branches stretching close to the roof. So, breaking into the house was definitely off the table. Not that he would actually do that. Maybe .
He eyed the tree near the side of the house. Climbing up was technically an option, but the last thing he needed was for someone to report a suspicious guy sneaking around an empty home in broad daylight.
He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling through his nose. Fine. If he couldn’t get Choki down himself, he’d at least make sure the idiot cat had food.
Nagi sat down under the tree, pulling out the cat treats he’d bought yesterday. He shook the packet slightly.
“Choki,” he called. “You hungry yet?”
Choki flicked his tail but didn’t budge.
Nagi poured some treats onto the ground where Choki could see them. He even placed a small bowl of water from the bottle he had in his bag.
“Come get it whenever you’re done being dramatic,” he muttered, leaning back against the tree trunk.
Nagi ended up sitting under the tree for a while, watching Choki stretch lazily under the sun, completely unbothered. Every now and then, the cat would flick his tail or glance down at the food, but he made no attempt to come down.
"You're really comfortable up there, huh?" Nagi muttered, tossing a small pebble into his palm.
Choki meowed in response, but it was more of a lazy acknowledgment than a cry for help.
Nagi sighed, resting his head against the tree trunk. He could wait for a bit longer, but there was no telling if Choki would actually decide to come down on his own. And since Reo wouldn’t be back until tomorrow morning, it wasn’t like he could just knock on the door and get this over with.
He checked his phone. Already past noon. He hadn’t planned to spend his entire day cat-watching.
“Choki,” he called again, trying one last time. “Seriously, just come down.”
The cat stood up this time, stretching his front paws forward before sitting back down.
Nagi clicked his tongue. “You’re messing with me.”
Another sigh. He picked up the empty snack packet and stood, brushing off the back of his jeans. There was no point staying if Choki had no interest in coming down. At least he had food and water.
Still, walking away felt wrong.
He glanced up one last time. “Fine. Stay there,” he muttered. “I’ll come back later.”
Choki blinked at him, tail curling around his paws.
Nagi turned on his heel and started heading back to his apartment. He’d check in again in the evening. If the cat was still there by nightfall, then, well, he’d figure something out.
⟢
Later that night, after making sure Choki still wasn’t home, Nagi found himself back at the house. The street was quieter now, dimly lit by streetlights, and the occasional passing car. He stuffed his hands into his pockets as he approached the tree, tilting his head up.
Choki was still there.
The cat was curled up, his white fur almost blending in with the pale moonlight, tail flicking lazily. He didn’t look distressed. If anything, he looked like he’d claimed the roof as his new kingdom.
“Unbelievable,” Nagi muttered. He didn’t even bother calling for him this time.
Just as he was considering whether to climb the tree or just give up entirely, a familiar voice called out.
“Oh, you again.”
He turned his head and saw the same woman from earlier—one of the neighbors he had spoken to when asking about the house. She was carrying a grocery bag this time, probably just getting home from shopping.
"You're still trying to get the cat down?" she asked, eyeing him with mild amusement.
Nagi sighed. "He's stubborn."
The woman glanced up at the roof, spotting Choki immediately. "Well, at least he looks comfortable," she said with a small laugh. "You know, I could try reaching out to the owner for you. They might be able to do something about it."
Nagi raised an eyebrow. "You have their contact?"
"Not directly, but I know their family. I could let them know a cat is hanging out on their roof. They might come back sooner if they hear about it."
That sounded better than just waiting around for morning.
"Yeah, that'd be great," Nagi said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I'll call them now," the woman offered, already pulling out her phone.
As she started dialing, Nagi glanced up at Choki again. The cat yawned, completely unaware of the trouble he was causing.
“…You better appreciate this,” he muttered.
The woman ended the call and slipped her phone back into her pocket. "Alright, I let them know. They should be back tomorrow morning, around 08.00AM."
Nagi nodded, relieved. At least there was a clear end to this whole situation.
"Oh, and don’t worry about food," the woman added. "As far as I know, the owner leaves some up there for strays. Your cat will be fine for the night."
That was weirdly convenient.
"Cool," Nagi mumbled. "Thanks."
The woman gave him a knowing smile. "No problem. Good luck with your little troublemaker."
With that, Nagi turned and started heading back to his apartment. He wasn’t in the mood to stick around any longer, he had done what he could, and Choki clearly wasn’t starving or suffering.
By the time he got back to his room, he flopped onto his bed with a sigh. The window was still open from earlier, a habit he refused to change despite tonight’s chaos. He stared at it for a moment before rolling onto his side, mumbling to himself.
"Be back by morning, you idiot."
And with that, he shut his eyes, letting exhaustion take over.
⟢
Nagi woke up at 7:00 AM, marking the earliest morning he had ever woken up. He grabbed a jelly from his refrigerator, then washed his face and brushed his teeth before heading to the house.
He waited briefly before a limousine pulled up, and a boy with purplish hair stepped out. Nagi was slightly surprised by the arrival of such a car.
"Hello, are you the cat owner?" the purple-haired man greeted him with a bright smile.
Nagi was momentarily stunned, then gave a small nod. "That’s right," he said.
The man extended his hand. "Nice to meet you, my name is Mikage Reo. You can call me Reo."
Nagi shook his hand in return. "My name is Nagi Seishirou. Nice to meet you too."
"I'm sorry for making you wait. Truly unfortunate that I wasn't here yesterday, so you have to take your cat now," Reo said as he stepped through the gate, which his driver had opened for him.
"No, I should be the one apologizing. My cat caused you trouble and even made you come home earlier than planned," Nagi replied.
"Haha, don’t say that. Cats just love to wander around," Reo chuckled lightly.
Nagi stared at him for a moment, he found it refreshing .
They made their way to the top floor, where Choki meows loudly the moment the door was opened. Without hesitation, the cat leaped into Nagi’s arms, meowing insistently as if scolding him.
"Huh… why are you the one lecturing me?" Nagi muttered.
Reo only laughed at the scene. "Glad to see the cat is safe. May I know the name?"
"Her name is Choki. Say hi, Choki," Nagi said, lifting one of Choki’s paws to wave.
Choki obediently meowed in response.
Reo let out a small laugh. “Choki, huh? That’s a cute name.”
Nagi hummed, scratching the cat’s head absentmindedly as Choki nestled into his arms. “Thanks.”
Reo glanced around the rooftop. “I actually leave food here sometimes for stray cats. Guess Choki found his way here because of that.”
“Figures,” Nagi mumbled, watching as Choki rubbed his face against his hoodie. “He’s got a talent for finding free food.”
Reo chuckled. “Smart cat.”
For a moment, silence settled between them, not uncomfortable but lingering. Nagi shifted his weight, thinking he should probably head back now that he had Choki, but—
“Since you came all the way here this early,” Reo said, breaking the silence, “want to have breakfast first?”
Nagi blinked. “Huh?”
Reo grinned. “I feel bad for making you wait. Besides, I’m kinda curious, what kind of owner has a cat that is as chill as his?”
Nagi sighed. “Choki runs off sometimes. Not like I can stop him.”
“And yet, you still came looking,” Reo pointed out, amusement clear in his voice.
Before Nagi could argue, his stomach made a quiet but undeniable protest.
Reo smirked. “Sounds like a yes to breakfast.”
Nagi groaned. “Fine.”
Reo clapped his hands together. “Great. Come on, let’s eat.”
And just like that, Nagi found himself following Reo downstairs, still half-asleep, still cradling his cat in his arms like a lifeline, and somehow agreeing to an unexpected breakfast. His mind was foggy, still caught between the remnants of sleep and the pull of the present moment, but Reo’s voice had a way of cutting through the haze, compelling him to keep moving forward.
Reo had a naturally bright aura that seemed to light up the space around him, effortlessly filling the silence between them. Before Nagi knew it, the conversation had started to flow. It wasn’t just about the usual topics, like cats, Nagi’s routine, the latest gaming update, Reo’s words had a rhythm, an ease that made everything seem lighter, even the mundane details of their lives.
As the clock struck noon, Nagi decided to head back to his room.
“Let’s meet again later. I’d love to get to know Choki more, cause this house doesn’t allow to have a cats,” Reo said to Nagi as he walked out the gate.
“If that doesn’t bother you,” Nagi replied.
“It won’t, haha. I love animals with fur,” Reo grinned.
Nagi simply nodded and waved at Reo while carrying Choki, making his way back to his apartment. Nagi walked and thought that he felt that today wasn’t a pain.