Perfecto (Kozume Kenma)

Kitty Boy

Writer: I wanted to call this chapter 'Cat Boy' but when I researched the competition it turns out there was an actual fanfic called exactly that so I was like hmmm...

I'm what most people may call a 'cat person'. Personally, I'm pretty sure there's no such thing, as seven times out of ten cats just want to be left alone to sleep and laze around, and I wouldn't be surprised if they don't even like it when people stroke them; they probably find it annoying. The other three times are just when they're hungry or thirsty, specifically just hungry or thirsty.

Cats carry out life as efficiently as possible, wasting as little energy as they can. Unlike me, they don't care what humans think of their superior lifestyle.

I admire them so much.

Anyway, back on topic. Many people- it wouldn't be exaggerating to say everybody I know- keep calling me 'cat person', 'cat boy', 'Katma', 'Neko-man -wow, our school's named after you!' and an equally stupid assortment of other cat-based names. Especially my best friend Kuroo, just because I'm lucky and happen to be there during the three times out of ten when a cat's about to die from hunger or thirst.

Eitherway, even if Kuroo keeps mockingly saying "Come on, she likes you" and tries to pressure me into petting a cat, I'll keep trying not to, no matter how soft, sleek or cute it looks, because no matter how much I tell myself it'll like it, it might not.

However, when I was younger, I didn't understand this.

-Some years before-

'Hey! Throw the ball already!'
Kuroo, my one and only friend back then, had always been into volleyball. I hadn't had any practical experience with it before so when he would persistently ask for us to go out and play, I would silently insist that we stay inside and play video games like usual.

I had my reasons not to want to play. Besides feeling overall indifferent about the sport- any sport- whereas I actually enjoyed playing video games, which didn't involve feeling frustrated about not being able to physically do something, and, even worst, getting uncomfortably exhausted and sweaty, even back then, I tried not to draw attention to myself or give people any reason to bully me or argue with me about anything- even normal conversations were tiring. And doing sports wasn't exactly on my top ten list of priorities right then because of this.

However, Kuroo was being unusually persistent even for him. He probably knew that I wouldn't be able to continue making vague excuses such as 'I'm tired from school' or 'Mum said I should do homework' forever, and that I was finding it tiring and even a bit stressful to continue to keep up the argument. If I just gave in now, it'd save me so much stress and time...

Okay, one more try, then- giving my dark-haired smirking friend my most displeased, uncooperative expression, with my eyebrows sliding as vertically far apart as they could, my eyes scrunched down to slits until the tormentor was a hazy smudge and my lips trying their best to imitate broken twigs, I opened them begrudgingly and concentrated what felt like physical pain into my words-

"I don't wanna."

I didn't particularly care, in that moment, whether I sounded like a righteous brat or not, although I knew that Kuroo wouldn't mind. He wasn't like that, he cares about me, probably, but of course...
As if on que, his facial features instantly twitched into that irritating smile- if you can call it a smile- that I knew so well. He grinned maniacally and crosses his arms in front of him.