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Usually, a black cat crossing your path is supposed to be bad luck. And yet, as Rindo looks from his phone back to the scramble crossing for the fifth time in the past minute, he desperately wishes for one to appear.
Granted, Shoka isn’t any black cat. She’s-
Well, Rindo doesn’t really know what she is to him. When she told him she’d been his closest friend of 3 years the entire time, he didn’t even have time to process it. Really, it’s hard to process anything while your friends are being killed before your eyes and all you can think is this is all your fault, this is all your fault, this is all your fault-
He’s crying again. A teardrop lands on his phone screen. He really should change his wallpaper- a group photo he took with all the Wicked Twisters, eating together before their showdown with Shiba. It feels mocking to him now. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t save everyone.
Half-heartedly, Rindo checks his contacts, goes down to “s”. Still no Shoka. Still no Swallow, either. He’s checked a thousand times already, but still hoped this one would be different.
Rindo gets a text from Fret. Or really, several texts are more accurate. His phone’s on silent, he doesn’t want to get his hopes up when he hears his ringtone.
Fret: heyyy rindude everyones planning to meet up 4 boba @ bubblevision come w us pleaseeeeeeee
Fret: pleaseeeee i promise itll be fun
Fret: pleaseeeeeee rindo i miss youuuu ;w;
Fret: [crying cat sticker]
Fret: [crying cat sticker]
Fret: [crying cat sticker]
Fret: im ok with going somewhere else just please come get something with us
Rindo: sorry. phone was muted. ya thats fine ill b over soon
Rindo can’t say he’s looking forward to meeting up with his friends, (granted, he can’t say he’s looking forward to anything except finding Shoka right now) but he supposes it’ll be a nice distraction, at least.
It was not a nice distraction.
The table feels too empty without Shoka there. The clerk recognized their group and pulled up an extra chair to the table, before quickly realizing it wasn’t needed. That shouldn’t be anything. She couldn’t have known what had happened to Shoka. But it doesn’t make it hurt any less.
It’s quiet at their table. Usually, Rindo can barely get a word in when everyone’s all together, but now, he could ramble as long as he wants. Even Beat can’t think of much to say. Everyone orders their drinks in silence, and Rindo remembers how much Shoka likes this place. Used to like, he mentally corrects. She told him once how she’d always come here after getting her fortune told by Kaie.
Rindo hasn’t eaten all day, but he barely has an appetite anymore. He’s been too absorbed in his own head to feel his own hunger as of late.
“Hey Rindo, are you ok?” Neku’s comforting hand on his shoulder is what breaks Rindo out of his trance.
“I… I’m not sure.”
Rindo is not okay. He knows this. He doesn’t want his friends to worry. They all have their own things to worry about right now that are infinitely more important than him.
“Well, if you need my help or just need to talk, I’m here for you, Rindo. All of us are.”
Rindo mutters a quiet “thank you” before running out of bubblevision and into a nearby alleyway.
“Wait! Rindude—“ Fret begins, reaching out towards Rindo. He’s pulled back by Beat and Neku before he can chase after his friend.
“Best to give ‘im some time to cool down,” Beat says. He keeps going, but Rindo’s too far away to hear his voice.
Rindo does not deserve his friends. They tried to get his mind off of things and get him to take care of himself for once and he treats them like this. He rests against the alley wall before sitting down, putting his hood up and mask down so he can cry.
Rindo misses Shoka. Misses that he could have had a chance to get to know her, with all her secrets out in the open. And now, he’ll never get to see it. Never get to finally meet up with his best friend, running off of the train station into their arms. Not even get to walk hand-in-hand through the streets of Shibuya, catching rare monsters in FanGO on their way to get something to eat. And maybe, he’d even get to tell her the way he’s felt about her, and how he’d maybe even like to be more than friends.
“No, it’s a bad idea to think about it.” Rindo reminds himself, but it’s already too late. His fingers clench into fists, nails digging into his palms to try and curb his thoughts. It’s not working, and Rindo panics, until his knuckles brush against something soft. He opens his eyes back up, and is greeted with the sight of a small kitten in his lap.
It has black fur, with bits of white at the feet, belly, and face. Its left ear is notched and it stares at him with cloudy gray eyes. Rindo didn’t know it was possible, but this cat looks exactly like Shoka. The cat allows him to scoop it up in his hands, holding it in a gentle hug. It’s ok with the gesture for a couple seconds, til it raises its front paw and taps Rindo on the nose.
Rindo’s so stunned by the action he stops crying. The cat’s wiggled out of his grasp now, but now it’s rubbing its face against his hoodie instead. It isn’t withdrawing when Rindo starts petting it, and he absentmindedly wonders if he could take it home.
Rindo pauses when he hears footsteps approaching. Fret lets out a heavy breath before he speaks. “Listen, I’m really sorry I threw this on you Rindo, I should have been more careful with the spot I picked.”
“‘s fine.” Rindo isn’t making eye contact with him. It’d hurt too much if he did.
“No, it’s not! I wanted to do something nice but it just ended up—wait, what’s that in your lap?” He walks closer, and experimentally reaches a hand out towards the cat. “Aww, what a cute little guy! Looks like someone likes you, Rindude!”
The cat pops its head out of Rindo’s arms, sniffing Fret’s hand curiously. It pauses before it bites down on his outstretched finger.
“Yikes! Seems like they don’t like me very much… But they’re so cute, I can’t stay mad at such a cute little guy!” Fret stays back this time, and the cat continues to nuzzle against Rindo’s hoodie.
“You know, if it likes you so much maybe you should take it home? Might get your mind off Shokie for a bit,” Fret suggests.
Rindo glances down at the cat. It was pretty cute, and he could use something to do instead of just waiting around all day. But at the same time, a pet was a big commitment and he didn’t really have the time or space to take care of—
“You need this, Rindude! It hurts to see my best friend depressed like this!”
Rindo sighs, resigned to his fate as a cat owner, “…Okay, okay. I’ll bring the cat home with me.”
Bringing the cat home turned out to be a very good decision. Fret had helped him buy the essentials for the cat at the pet store, and Rindo just finished setting it up at home. He was pretty sure Joshua was joking when he said he put Shoka on the street with the rest of the strays, but having a cat to keep him company made Shoka’s absence hurt a little less.
And when Shoka finally comes back, maybe it isn’t the picture-perfect reunion he’s daydreamed about, but it being real makes it infinitely better. Rindo doesn’t let go of her hand for the rest of the day, scared she’ll disappear again if he does.
“Wait. You seriously adopted a random stray cat because you missed me so much?” Shoka says. The cat’s in her lap, tail swaying happily. “You’re such a dork, Rinrin.”
“…Sorry, I just really missed you.” Rindo looks away, a little embarrassment showing on his face.
“I can tell, dummy. You’ve been clinging to me ever since I found you,” Then, more quietly, “not that that’s a bad thing.”
“What was that last part?” Rindo asks, leaning in close to Shoka.
“N-nothing!” Shoka replies, flustered at his sudden closeness. “You must be hearing things!”
“I guess this is nothing too, then,” Rindo wraps his arms around Shoka, holding her close. She reciprocated his hug, hands clasped together on his back. Honestly, Rindo would be content to stay like this forever, and probably would if the cat wasn’t currently pawing at his leg for attention.
Rindo steps back to pick the cat up off the floor. “What, so I’m not your favorite cat anymore?” Shoka pouts, pulling the saddest face she could.
“No! I mean- of course you’re my favorite cat, Shoka! …My favorite person too.”
“Aww, what was that last part again?”
“...nothing.”
“Sure, Rindragon, real smooth. If I’m really your favorite, though, you gotta prove it!”
“…how?”
“Keep holding my hand, dummy!”