Tasuki and Chichiri just done their Sunday grocery shopping and were on their way home after ordering a takeout of sushi bento. Chichiri was, as usual, getting his piggy back ride on Tasuki and passers-by were watching in fascination not only at the sight of a real life man-cat, but also at the fact that Tasuki was able to withstand Chichiri’s weight.
“They still don’t get it that you weight just as much as a normal adult house cat does now, do they?”
Chichiri mewed in reply. He found their ignorance rather amusing too.
“We should’ve gotten some sake to compliment this bento, but we have to finish drinking the beer in my fridge first…”
As Tasuki continued to chitchat with his pet, Chichiri saw at a distance their fourth floor neighbour Hotohori coming home from the opposite direction. Chichiri grinned at the sight of him, his kitty mind beginning to work through its sockets. Without warning, Chichiri got off Tasuki’s back and ran up towards the nearest tree and stayed there. Tasuki yelled for him to come down but he refused to budge.
“Hey! You baka neko, what’s gotten into you? You chasing invisible squirrels or something? Get back down here!”
“Nande, Tasuki-san?” Hotohori came over to see what the commotion was about.
“Ne, my neko suddenly jumped off me and almost flew all the way up to that tree. I dunno what’s gotten into him just now. Like he’s chasing some invisible non-existent prey or something.”
“Ah, the famous man-cat Chichiri,” Hotohori looked up to see Chichiri mewing back at him on the tree with a mischievous grin on his face. “Looks like the tidbits you scrounge up from us still not enough to slow you down, huh?”
“He eats practically as much as a human does,” Tasuki rolled his eyes.
“He’s still a neko after all, and neko-s have moods,” Hotohori grinned as he rolled up his sleeves. “Let me see if I can persuade him down.”
So saying, he opened his briefcase and fished out a slightly oily brown bag. Inside were a half-eaten burger and a few pieces of French fries. He widened the brown bag and held it out for Chichiri, coaxing him to come down. Chichiri eyed at the food and sniffed at the air for a while before jumping down to get it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t smooth landing. He dropped on his head and sent him falling face first onto the ground. Tasuki exclaimed in horror and quickly picked Chichiri up before his pet crushes him further to reach for the bag of food.
“Gomenasai! Gomenasai! Daijobu deska?” Tasuki apologized profusely as he helped Hotohori up on his feet.
“Daijobu, daijobu,” Hotohori said as he patted himself off the dirt. He handed the brown bag to Chichiri and he gladly accepted it.
“Bad neko! Bad neko! I seriously don’t know what’s gotten into him. He’s reckless, yes, but never like this,” Tasuki shook his head in dismay as he watched Chichiri in his arm chewing at the half-eaten burger.
“Moods, Tasuki. Neko has moods. Man-cats are of no exceptions.”
“What’s all the commotion about…Ah! Konbanwa, Tasu-chan!”
Tasuki sweatdropped. He didn’t need to turn around to know that the flirting voice belonged to our resident transvestite Nuriko. Tasuki greeted him back with a fake smile plastered over his face. For once, though today, Nuriko aimed for Chichiri first. He fussed over him and baby-talked to him like some little four-year-old kindergartener, saying things like ‘kawaii’ and ‘kakoe’ and stuff like that. Tasuki was only too glad to let Chichiri be the center of attraction as long as Nuriko did not focus on him. Chichiri was glad to entertain him only because he always had kitty biscuits in hand for him to feast on.
As Tasuki let Chichiri be Nuriko’s rag doll for a while, he caught a glimpse of Hotohori staring intently at Nuriko. He thought he saw a hint of admiration and fascination in his eyes as he watched every move Nuriko made. A flush of pink went across his cheeks and a small smile creased on his lips. Tasuki turned to Nuriko who too oblivious and too engrossed in tossing Chichiri up in the air to notice Hotohori ogling at him like he was the most beautiful person in the world. Tasuki decided to bring Hotohori back to reality.
“Oi, Hotohori-san. Daijobu ka?”
“Huh?” Hotohori’s face looked as if he had just woken up from a dream. “Ah, dai…daijobu. Err…I gotta go now. Got loads of paperwork to do. Sayonara, Tasuki-san, Nuriko-san, Chichiri-chan.”
“Sayonara, Hotohori-san!” Nuriko waved him goodbye without looking at him. Tasuki watched as Hotohori disappeared into the apartment and began to wonder what that was about. When Nuriko gave Chichiri back to him and started flirting with him, he noticed that Chichiri was also facing the direction of the apartment, looking at Hotohori getting into the lift and stealing a glance at Nuriko before the lift door closed shut. The man-cat was having this rather mysterious smile on his face and seemed as if he had something in his mind.
Another look at Nuriko and Tasuki began to understand what Chichiri was trying to do.
After an hour of trying to get away from Nuriko, Tasuki and Chichiri returned to the sanctuary of their home and enjoyed their sushi bento and beer (well, only Tasuki could drink it). He eyed suspiciously at Chichiri munching away at the salmon sushi and fried egg and thought that if he didn’t get his suspicion off his chest right now, he’s gonna freak out. After downing some beer, he asked, “Chichiri, what exactly are you trying to pull?”
Chichiri mewed questioningly in reply.
“Don’t play dumb with me. I know what you’re up against. You’re trying to pair Hotohori and that transvestite together now, aren’t you?”
Chichiri gave his master an ‘Oops, I’m busted’ grin.
“I knew you were up to something when I saw you looking at Hotohori weirdly,” Tasuki chuckled and clapped Chichiri on the back. “I thought I recognized that look on his face when I accidentally caught a glimpse of him staring at Nuriko like some kind of celestial princess. You don’t think that he’s actually in love with Nuriko now, do you?”
Chichiri nodded in reply, a large smile on his face indicating his seriousness.
“Man, that’s one twisted guy if I’ve seen one. I mean, being way too beautiful and yet not have a girlfriend in one thing, but to be in love with a person who’s friggin’ gender confused? That is so weird!”
Chichiri mewed, giving him a ‘So? Are you gonna help me pair them up or what?’ look.
“Hmm…if I pair them, I might lose out some of the free benefits I’ve earned from him…” Tasuki began to consider the options. “But then again, if I don’t pair them, I won’t be able to rid myself of his blatant flirting and might end up under worse situations if I offend him…Hmm…”
Chichiri mewed at him impatiently, wanting him to hurry up and make up his bloody mind. Tasuki took a long sip of beer before belching and said, “Chichiri my friend, fetch me a pen and paper. We’re officially playing the role of Stupid Cupid!”
--:--
Hotohori rubbed his temples and cracked his knuckles after long hours of staring and typing away on the computer. Being a businessman does has its downside, especially when you’re not exactly in the top, and in Japan, when you’re not in the top, paperwork is what you mostly have to face.He took a sip of green tea and leaned back on his armchair. His mind began to drift to that fateful afternoon when he helped his sixth floor neighbour Tasuki get Chichiri off the tree. He had his share of looking after cats back when he was in high school, and he knew enough to tell that Chichiri was in one of his moods again. He had to admit the first time he saw Chichiri, he was rather fascinated. He didn’t think he would see a real-life man-cat since everyone had been talking about it getting popular in the market. He heard that his boss and his boss’s assistant having one but he had never seen one face to face. He envied Tasuki for able to buy Chichiri under a birth defect discount when he couldn’t afford one for himself yet.
But that wasn’t the main issue. The main issue was that he got to see his crush Nuriko. He didn’t think he would meet him today. He would be able to catch a few glimpse of him or have a short chat with him whenever he had the chance, but honestly he rarely got to see him often. Today when he got to see him more than just two minutes was like heaven to him. He had never told anyone before but he had a secret preference for men, preferably those who are tough and happy-go-lucky like Nuriko. His family had pressured him to get married and carry on the bloodline, but he simply had no interest in girls. That was until he met Nuriko. He was caught in the middle of an outlaw gang asking for money from him during his early days in the working world back then. He would’ve showed off his karate moves he learnt in high school had he not been wearing his business clothes. To him, getting dirty was like telling him to jump off a cliff. And that’s when Nuriko came in. He fought them in his party dress without as much as breaking a sweat and told him to be careful before joining his awaiting girlfriends to their party. He thought in disgust at first for being saved by a drag queen, but when he met him again at a bookstore, he was wearing his normal jogging sportswear yelling loudly at a man who was trying to photograph a girl’s underwear with his cell phone and punching the lights out of him. Hotohori soon knew that he had found his one true love, and when Nuriko had a vacancy at the Rekka-Shin Apartment, he immediately moved out of his previous flat to stay there, may it be an unlucky number or not.
He knew Nuriko was originally a male, but his decision to turn his back on his old-fashioned family and pursue his dreams of being a pure woman fascinated him. He loved the way he walked around like he owned the place and his outspoken attitude. His strength made him wonder if he was a sumo-wrestler or a body-builder, minus the muscles. He soon found out that he loved him too much to care whether he would turn into a real woman or not, as long as he knows what’s inside that counts. Yet, despite his career walking around talking in front of high-profile clients and doing presentations in front of the board of directors and colleagues, he couldn’t muster up the guts to confess to Nuriko about his love for him.
Out of the blue, he heard a scratching noise on his window. He turned to see that it was Chichiri at the fire escape stairways scratching at the glass with something in his mouth. Hotohori smiled and took out a plate of leftover noodles he had for dinner for Chichiri to eat.
“Konbanwa, Chichiri-chan,” Hotohori said as he opened the window to let the man-cat in. “Here for tidbits again?”
This time, Chichiri didn’t go for the food. He held up the thing he had in his mouth for Hotohori and let out a muffled mew. He noticed the thing in his mouth was an envelope sealed with a red heart-shaped sticker on it.
“Nandeska, Chichiri-chan? For me?”
Chichiri nodded. No sooner did Hotohori take the envelope from Chichiri’s mouth than the man-cat ran off and out of the window in a split second. Hotohori didn’t even have the chance to ask him where he was going or was he going to stay for his leftover noodles.
“That neko seriously has mood swings,” Hotohori smiled as he shook his head. He opened the envelope and opened the letter and read what was in it:
Dear Hotohori-san,
How was your day? Sorry I didn’t pay attention to you this evening. I was too caught up with playing with Chichiri. That little neko is so darn cute! Anyway, I was wondering if you’re free this weekend. I tried asking Tasu-chan to hang out with me downtown but he said he was busy with his current construction project, and since I know you better than anyone else in this apartment, I was thinking maybe you could come with me.
So, what do you say we meet up? I hope you’ll say yes. I’ll be at the park near the Kanagawa MRT station waiting. If you don’t show up then, I get the idea. I won’t force you. But I hope you’ll come.
Sincerely, Nuriko
It took Hotohori about five minutes to actually digest everything that he had just read. Did Nuriko, the love of his life, just asked him out for a date? He knew about Nuriko’s outspokenness, but he actually asking him out on a date? This was like a dream come true! He had always wanted to ask Nuriko out, but he didn’t think it would end up the other way round. He began fantasizing what the weekend would bring: probably having a romantic lunch together, then a nice horror movie where Nuriko would hold him every time there’s a horror scene, then a walk in the park under falling autumn leaves where they’ll share a passionate kiss, then Nuriko inviting him into his home where they’ll share a fiery night together…
Hotohori slapped himself before he went too far with his imagination. He began rummaging through his wardrobe trying to find the right clothes to wear for the date that weekend.
--:--
Nuriko was in his bedroom hitting at the punching bag that hung just at the far corner. He heaved a sigh of relief after his punches reached to 300 times. It was a habit he had ever since he started his previous career. Before he was a cosmetics product seller and the landlord of Rekka-Shin Apartment, he was a kick boxer, which was a career which has been passed down from generation to generation for all the males in his family. He tried really hard to please his family as he was the only one among his siblings who had the right strengths and traits to cope with the world of kickboxing. He had an elder brother and a younger sister, but his elder brother was diagnosed with a rare heart disorder that forced him to stay away from any strenuous activities, and since his sister is not allowed to pursue a kickboxing career, he was the only one left.He had realized what his true gender was when he watched his sister gussying up for a friend’s wedding dinner. Curiosity overcame as he asked his sister to teach him how to apply makeup and wear a dress lent by her. He posed as his sister’s distant cousin to attend the dinner and no one knew the difference whether he was a boy or girl. It was fun at first as he put on makeup and followed his sister around doing her girly activities whenever he was free from his kickboxing tournaments and competitions, but as time went by, he began to realize he wasn’t meant for kickboxing at all. He noticed the small hints of fascination to some of the cute guys he was about to fight, which almost cost him his medals and titles. He began to realize that he was more at ease with himself when he’s in female attire than when he’s in male attire. He felt as if being tough was not the thing for him anymore. It felt more of a self-defense method than an actual good career life.
There was no surprise that his family went berserkers when he broke it to his family that he wanted to quit kickboxing and pursue a more feminine career and lifestyle. His sister wasn’t too shocked about it, but his parents were. A heated argument between him and his parents ensued. In the end, he decided to leave home, severing all ties with his family. He found Rekka-Shin when it was at its worst condition and bought with all the prize money he had saved throughout his kickboxing career. He then had to start from scratch; depending on the rent he received every month and his salary as a cosmetics product seller to support his current lifestyle and for the sex-change surgery he planned to undertake. His sister secretly helped a little bit at first by putting some of her money into his bank account every month, but Nuriko finally decided that he do this on his own. The habit of body-building still continued though, and it proved itself useful whenever annoying people he didn’t like flirted with him.
He soon heard a scratching at his window. He turned to see Chichiri scratching the glass wanting to be let in. He opened the window and asked, “Konbanwa, Chibi Chiri-chan. What have you got there?”
Chichiri let out a muffled mew as he handed an envelope in his mouth to Nuriko. As soon as he took it, Chichiri took off like a speeding bullet, catching the transvestite by surprise.
“A-re…? Anno…I was going to feed you biscuits…Omae…” Nuriko sighed as he closed the window. He was expecting to spoil Chichiri some more so that he could give Tasuki a better impression. He had always liked Tasuki when he applied to rent one of his homes in his apartment. There was something wild and untamed about this guy that he was rather fond of. Maybe it was because of his previous line of work that made him have this thing for wild, bad boys. The rest of his tenants were too docile for him to be noticed, and he was determined to do anything in his power to capture and keep Tasuki’s heart. As he opened the letter and read the content, his heart skipped a beat as it went like this:
Dear Nuriko-san,
You were so busy playing with my Chibi Chiri and I was so hungry to have my dinner that I’ve forgotten to ask you if you’re free this weekend. So, are you free? I don’t have any new construction projects for now and I was wondering if you’d be free to go hang out with me. Catch a movie or something maybe. Meet me at the park near the Kanagawa MRT station and we’ll see where we can go. I look forward to see you.
Sincerely, your Tasu-chan
“He loves me!” Nuriko exclaimed as he hugged the letter and planted kisses on it. “He’s actually in love with me! That boy! He didn’t have to be so shy! Of course I’ll go!”
Needless to say, he immediately rushed to his wardrobe to decide what to wear for that day.
--:--
“Are the letters given out?” Tasuki asked as he waited in his bedroom for Chichiri to come back through his window. Chichiri mewed and nodded, signaling everything had been done according to planned.“What were their reaction? Anything short of excitement and happiness?”
Chichiri hugged himself and kissed at the air, signifying that both parties accepted the proposal.
“Sugoi! Now we’re definitely going to have some fun!”
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