(F/N) hurried down the street. She needed to do some grocery shopping, and she'd prefer to do that before rush hour, when the streets would be crowded with various people she would rather not have to deal with.
"Ah, (L/N)-san."
Crap! Someone I know!
She looked over her shoulder, and saw probably the last person she'd expected to see.
"Ho-hozuki-san?"
He bowed to her. "I want to thank you again for letting me see the baby koala."
(F/N) froze. "Ah...uh...okay..."
Hozuki raised his head, and leaned closer to her. "Are you all right?"
She took a step back. "Uh...yeah."
He drew back, brows furrowed.
"If you insist. Now, as for what I was talking about before, if it's all right with you, may I take you out somewhere as thanks?"
Wait, 'go out?' Does he mean dinner?
Dinner...with this guy...someone I barely know...I had plans...I don't want to...what do I even say? Help...
"Okay."
Dammit, mouth! That's not what I wanted to say!
Now having no other choice, she followed Hozuki through the streets, wondering if her anxiety would make her nauseous enough that she could use it as an excuse to leave.
~o0o~
The place he stopped at was not what (F/N) expected. It wasn't a restaurant. It was a cat café.
"Kitties!" (F/N) screamed. She ran inside on her own, leaving Hozuki to pay the fees as she collapsed into a mountain of cushions with a couple of plump cats.
"You're an interesting person," Hozuki commented as he sat across from her. He pulled a cat into his lap, stroking it gently. "You were very tense on the way here. Now you're laughing."
"Ah..." (F/N)'s face reddened. "I'm actually very shy...but when it comes to animals, I gain a lot of confidence. I just know a lot about them, you know?"
"I understand. It's your area of expertise, like Kiki with her broom. Once you lose it, you'll have nothing left, and experience a catastrophic emotional breakdown."
"Shut up!"
He picked up the cat in his lap, which lifted its head to sniff his chin.
"This one is friendly," he commented.
"It's a Bengal," (F/N) explained. "I read about them once. They were bred to be friendly, but have the markings of wild cats. They're intelligent, but have a lot of energy. Some owners take them on walks like dogs, or get giant hamster wheels for them."
"You have a good memory." Hozuki turned to the cat. "I wish there were more workers like you."
(F/N) tilted her head. "Come to think of it, you mentioned before that you work with animals."
"Sometimes, yes." Hozuki set the cat down. "It's a rather big company. You've probably heard of it."
(F/N) racked her brain for any answers for the hundreds of questions that came to mind, but found none.
"I'll take your word for it."
~o0o~
(F/N) didn't know how long they spent at the cat café, but by the time they stepped outside, it was dark.
"Hozuki-san, um..." (F/N) trailed off, but he patiently waited for her to continue. "Could you...I—I live in kind of a dangerous neighborhood, so could you...walk me home?"
"Of course," he replied. "I'm sorry for keeping you out so late."
"It's fine."
She walked by his side, head down, wringing her hands incessantly. As they neared her apartment complex, the streets got darker and darker. That's when she noticed a homeless man that she recognized on the side of the road. (F/N) hurried over to, and pulled a few dollars from her wallet.
"Here," she said, handing them to him.
The man grabbed them. "You're always so kind! Thank you so much!"
Moments later, another one of her neighborhood's homeless approached her.
"Excuse me, miss, can I have some?"
She smiled. "Of course. Here."
One by one, numerous people approached her, each with the same request. Each time, she smiled, and gave them a little money. By the time they reached her neighborhood, she was sighing at an empty wallet.
"Is this normal for you?" Hozuki asked.
She chuckled. "Yeah. My friends always tell me that someday, someone is going to take advantage of me."
"That's probably true. I see it all the time."
(F/N) resisted the temptation to ask him what he did for a living. It didn't seem like he wanted to talk about it.
"I don't care if someone takes advantage of me," she admitted. "As long as I help people and animals, I'm happy. Is that strange?"
"Not at all. You're a typical candidate for Heaven."
She raised her eyebrows. "Heaven? I guess it would be nice to go to Heaven."
By then, they'd reached her building. She stopped, and bowed to him.
"Thank you for walking me home. Will I see you again at the zoo?"
He returned the bow. "Of course."
YOU ARE READING
Sacrifice--Hozuki x Reader (Hoozuki no Reitetsu)
Fanfiction(F/N) is a hardworking zookeeper who can't seem to say no to anyone. One day, she winds up befriending one of the zoo's regulars, a strange man named Hozuki. She likes him very much, but she can't seem to shake the feeling that he's not a human.
