Deceiver: For Curry-chan who cheered me up, and I need to update and finish some fanfics already. Anyone else finished reading the new novel spoilers? Prayers to Kano guys. Prayers to Kano.

Also I'll be updating Our Past to Our Future next, then try to finish At the end of this Route before the anime is out. So stayed tuned! I need motivation! It cures my writer's block!

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Chapter 5

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"Let me get this straight," Momo said after trying to digest everything Kano just explained to his friends. They were all gathered around the table, with her trying to not facepalm while Mary played with Kido's hair. "Yesterday morning you woke up to Kido, your pet cat, turned into a human girl with her cat ears and tail. Not only that, she can't even talk normally and you don't even know how it happened?!"

The blond shrugged. "That's the gist of it. Except Kido knows what's going on, but…" he glanced his cat-girl for a second, only to see angry scribbles of 'I'm not telling you' on the notebook they used last night. After finding out what her owner was like outside this apartment, Kido got mad and did not want to say why she was like this in the first place. As if she was going to tell this idiot she became a human for him!

"Kido looks mad," Mary said once she finished braiding Kido's hair and used a thin, pink ribbon to tie it at the end. Everyone could see that.

"Why though? Because I shoved you into the closet?" Kano leaned towards her, but Kido just shoved him away. This made Seto smile a bit.

"Well, at least she looks well," he said. But Momo gave him a look.

"But isn't this a problem?" everyone turned to her. "I mean, she's not a cat anymore. And I doubt looking after her as she is now is the same as looking after a cat."

Kido wanted to say she would only stay like this for more than a month, but then she would have to explain how she knew.

"And is it even okay to leave her at home every day like this?" Mary added in. "With Kano going to college and work, Kido would be lonely."

I can still take a nap and go for a stroll if I want to.She wrote back to her.

"I have to say, you're a pretty fast learner," Seto commented, but he was frowning. "But being a human is different from being a cat. It is not healthy to just stay indoors all day."

"And as if you can go out like that!" Momo pointed out to the clothes Kano threw on Kido yesterday morning. "No offence, Kano-san, but if Kido wears this out on the street, she'll look like a hobo."

"Hey!"

"That's why this is kept indoors," the blonde girl went on as if she wasn't interrupted. "Between you two it's fine, but to the world outside: no. And the best thing you can do is to at least hide those ears and tail of yours."

She had a point. Both Kano and Kido glanced at each other, wondering what to do. The blond had a collection on caps Kido could wear but it would be uncomfortable to have her ears flattened like that all day.

"I have a parka you can use. Hold on," Kano got up and went towards the closet again, digging out his collection of clothes. Kido and his friends stared after him, waiting. "Here it is!" Kano came back with a black short-sleeved parka in hand. At the sight of it, Kido's eyes lightened up a bit, making him smile. "Do you like it?"

Like was an understatement. When Kido started living with Kano and messed around his clothes to use for her bed, she loved that particular parka the most. It was unique compared to the other tops he had. The hood had three white circles on each side, and the entire thing could be worn inside-out, making it white with black circles instead. Kano loved this parka too; he took care of it and certainly did not like it when she used it as her kitty bed.

"I'll lend it to you if you don't ruin it," Kano teased before putting it on Kido. The girl stared at, before getting her pencil and notebook again.

Are you sure?

"Yeah, Kano, you sure about this?" Seto asked as he eyed the parka in hand.

He nodded. "Sure. Why not?" he put the black hood on her and sat back to admire how she looked. Everyone had a look as well, only to see a slight shape of her cat ears formed inside the hood but it looked convincing enough. And besides…

"Oh my gosh, Kido looks so cute!"

While the girl gushed, Kido pulled the hood lower to her blushing face and made a low 'Meoooooow…' sound. The boys laughed at them before Kano got back to the closet.

"Any idea on how to hide her tail then?" Seto asked once the girls stopped.

"Maybe a long pair of pants that's not too tight…maybe one of these?" Kano pulled out a couple of jeans before turning back to the cat girl. She took them and gave them a good look over.

"If Kido is going to go out, she'll need more clothes," Momo said matter-a-factly, and an idea hit her. "Maybe we should take her with us on our shopping trip!"

"Meow!?" Umm…no, I don't think that's…

"If she's going to go out, she will need new clothes," Seto added in. "Also she needs to know what the outside world is like."

I'm neither a kid nor a shut-in, Kido wrote in irritation. I go out on walks sometimes when I was a cat.

"That is true," Kano backed up.

"Yes, but she can go to more places now," Seto said. "She can look around new places rather than staying in the neighbourhood all the time. She can take this slowly first until she can go out on her own whenever you're busy."

"Huh…" He had a point. She was worried about not finding the right person for Kano here, but if she could go to more places, why not?

With a nod from her, Momo stood up and announced, "Okay! Let's do this!"

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Ignoring how cramped the bus trip was and how hard it was to resist letting her tail unfurl under the left leg of the jeans she wore, Kido was stunned by how everything she heard of from Kano was so much more real. There were so many people about doing so many different things; big ones, small ones, short ones, tall ones. Some running, some chatting, some drinking or just sitting back. The department store had so much more of them, and Kido nearly couldn't catch up. Especially when she tried to stick close to Kano and when the other girls dragged her to different shops to try on some clothes.

They did get clothes she needed. Some shirt and pants that actually fit her properly, a few bras and underwear (Momo's insistent), and tried to make her wear some dresses. Kido really liked the first dress she wore, but when she saw Kano staring at her with amused eyes, she refused.

"Oh, c'mon, Kido-san!" Momo whined. "It looks wonderful on you!"

My ears and tail would be showing, so no!

That was her excuse, but the other excuse was that it was expensive. Kano had to help her pay everything and she felt bad, even when he said not to worry about it. Being human was a lot more troubling then she thought.

Those thoughts stayed with her while they had lunch together. That and she couldn't help but enjoy the fast food Kano sometimes takes home. She would think again before hissing at him whenever he ate these things called burgers and French-fries at home.

"Where do you think we should go next?" Momo asked excitingly after finishing her watermelon, strawberry and Fanta mixed drink.

"I want to see the pet shop!" Mary bounced in her seat.

"Sounds good," Seto piped up. "What do you think, Kido?"

She gave it a thought at first, but then Kano laughed. "Kido isn't really a cat anymore, so no need, right?"

"True…" At that, Kido gave Kano a sharp glare.

I want to see more things! she wrote to him.

He read it and gave her a look. "You sure?"

You've only taken me to the vet and that's it. She wrote.

"Kido sounds like a trapped princess," Mary murmured while she sipped her red tea. The cat girl spluttered at her comment, but Kano laughed at her.

"Oh no no no, I just thought Kido wouldn't be interested in cute animals when she's one herself." The cat girl had the biggest urge to swipe at her owner right now. "And besides, she doesn't like cat food anymore, so nothing to see in there, right?"

"She would really be human if she can talk and lose the ears and tail," Momo added. At that, Kido rolled her eyes. Being a cat sounds easier by the minute. More flexible than this body, really.

"Okay, we'll head over to the pet shop next then," Kano leaned forward to finish his drink. Kido finished the last of her burger, licking her fingers before quenching her thirst with her drink as well. They decided to finish their food as they made their way to the next destination.

While she staying close to Kano, Kido noticed there were some girls staring at them, whispering enviously. She thought that her ears or tail was showing and tugged at his clothes constantly until her owner noticed.

"What's wrong, Kido? The clothes not good on you?"

She shook her head.

"Maybe she started to get self-conscious on what she's wearing," Momo commented.

"It's alright, isn't it?" Seto patted the cat girl on the shoulders. "Your ears and tail aren't showing."

"I still want Kido in a dress…" Mary muttered in dejection. Seto just laughed and slung an arm around the small girl. Kido stared back at them, blinking before they got to their destination.

Both Momo and Mary squealed once they saw the kitties and puppies through the window and raced towards them. Seto followed after them, while Kido followed Kano closely from behind. Once close enough, she saw a lot of children, including the girls, tapping on the glass for the small animals' attention. Some responded, some didn't, others played around or still napping.

Kido kneeled down in front of one of the windows that had the least people around. She saw the kitties wrestling with each other, while one of them slept in the corner. A hand reaching out, she pressed it to the window, watching silently as she remembered the day Kano picked her up off the street. She was only a few weeks old and was sure was about to die from the cold and starvation. But he saved her.

A staff suddenly came by and picked up the sleeping kitten, and Kido saw it being handed over to a small child, who hugged it as it woke up. She was snuggling against its soft fur, then looked up at someone whom Kido presumed was her parent, and said thank you. Staring at them, she turned back to where Kano was, who was chatting with Seto and laughing at his jokes.

He…didn't have to take me in…but he did anyway… she thought while her fingers curled into fists. He already had to look after himself and have his problems, but he chose to save me anyway. While no one was watching, she took out her notebook and, after giving it a good thought, she wrote down some words for him. But after she did, she wondered how she should give it to him.

"What are you writing?" Kido jumped and turned back to see Kano grinning behind her. Seeing his eyes on the message she wrote, she quickly hid it away from him. "Hmm…was that for me? Let me see."

No way! Kido quickly jumped back and tried to get away from the blond's advances, but no matter how hard she tried, he was always close to her. She was about to smack him, hand raised and she brought it down, but Kano caught it easily.

"No hitting in public, Kido," he scolded her before snatching the notebook out of her hand. Kido only had one second to be shocked before she realized Kano was reading the small message for him

Thank you

For taking care of me, I mean

She could feel her face heating up when Kano turned back to her, eyes just as wide. She wanted him to read this later, like maybe after she slipped it into his pocket or something; but no, he had to read it here and now.

"Aww, Tsubomi actually appreciates me taking care of you!" he swoons before glomping his pet. Kido let out a horrified squeak before trying to pry Kano off her. Everyone was watching, some kids were laughing, especially their friends. She could final say thank you for his kindness and this was what she gets!

"Oh…Shuuya?"

Both of them stopped what they were doing and turned to where the voice came from. A girl, older than Kano, was staring with surprised brown eyes while gaping at them. Kano pulled back, just as surprised as well.

"Ayano nee-chan!"

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Deceiver: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand there you have it! :D Hope you enjoyed this chapter!