Clawed & Flawed: A Nekoma Story

Chapter 5

Sunday – 4.30 A. M.

The indigo sky was still scattered with sprinkles of stars though the light pollution of the lively city dampened the sheen. Shiro found it hard to go back to bed after managing to sneak in five hours of slumber. The foreigner unpacked the cardboard boxes hoping to find some snacks or instant noodles. But the box was filled to the brim with bottles upon bottles of yogurt drinks instead.

The sleepy teen hobbled out and sat on the porch railing after changing into a hoodie and track pants; sipping on the room temperature beverage. The lonely child dangled their feet while watching the tranquil view of the neighborhood. The wind chime hanging over the patio canopy jingled as the mellow wind blew over it. The teen decided wearing a cap to keep their hair from flying over their face.

Woosh∽

A tall shadowy figure dashed across the sparse house fence, though they made a brief eye contact somehow. The runner stopped and took a few steps backwards to double take what they had just seen.

"Chocolate milk senpai?" Shiro exclaimed.

"Eh? Shiro-kun?" the senior walked over closer to the gate.

"I didn't know you ran this early in the morning."

"I-it's just you... I thought there was a demon sitting on your front porch. Your legs weren't touching the floor either. You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Wait there, I'll join you. Let me just get my shoes. Here, catch! Sorry it's not cold," the junior chucked a bottle over the fence.

Kuroo caught it mid-air though his eyes were fixated at his junior's change in appearance.

"Sorry for the wait. Drink up, it's good for your digestive system," his companion locked the gate.

"Why are you up so early? Are you still having trouble sleeping?"

"Yea, more or less. I got hungry, but my tyrant of a parent only packed me a box full of yogurt drinks. I would go to a convenience store, but you know how bad my sense of direction is."

"Hahaha... We can drop by a 7-11 before going back. I'll bring some home cooked meals for lunch later."

"You're spoiling me. I'll go get groceries once I'm done with organizing the house. You've helped out so much in just a day, I feel bad."

"Hey, you can just cook me something in return someday. It's no big deal. I can't possibly imagine how I would manage if I was in your position."

"So, how long do you jog for in the morning, generous-senpai?" the junior brushed a long strand of silver fringe behind their ear.

'Here he goes again with the weird nicknames,' Kuroo smiled as he threw the empty bottle into a garbage dump.

"Hmm... Maybe about an hour. We can stop by the park and watch the sunrise before making our way back," the captain suggested.

'How long is his hair? I've never seen him without that cap, but that fringe looks pretty long. Could he be a second Kenma? Something about his soft and gentle tone is bothering me. Maybe his voice isn't fully developed yet. Or maybe he's not a guy after all. No... no... I'm just overthinking it again.'

"Is this the park?" his running partner stopped.

Kuroo almost missed it if Shiro hadn't pointed it out due to the distracting questions. He couldn't bring himself to take a peek at his junior's chest out of respect. What if there really is something there? Coach will kill me if he knows. His heartbeat was still relatively high although he had been sitting for a few minutes.

'Right! If the coach knows that Shiro is not actually a guy, he would've told me about it. He wouldn't have left me alone last night. Yes, that's it. He's just an underdeveloped teenage boy and I'm just being ambitious with my creativity,' he tried to convince himself.

"Sleepy-senpai? Did you hear what I just said? What's wrong? You're awfully quiet," the kid waved their hand in front of Kuroo's face.

"Huh," he snapped back and blinked in confusion. "You said something?"

'Damn, he knows when I'm being reserved too. He might actually be a half-decent setter,' he clenched his jaw.

"You know, maybe you shouldn't go running this early if your head is still in the cloud. It's dangerous. You might get run over by a car or something."

"Geez, I do this every day. I was just thinking of what to cook for breakfast," he bit his lower lip; a tell whenever he lied. "What were you saying?"

"Your hair. I thought you gelled it up for practice. But it looks the same right now. Did you not wash your hair last night?"

"Excuse me?! I wash my hair and shower every night before I sleep. I just happen to squish my wet hair with my pillow when I sleep," the offended captain gave the junior a noogie.

"Agh! Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I was actually impressed."

Kuroo sighed, "Why did you even think I would style my hair like this? Did you always have your hair long when you played volleyball?"

'Yes, this is my chance to take a stab in the dark and confirm my suspicion.'

"Hmm... I used to have short hair, but they got in my way. I figured if I grow it long enough, I can tie it up and that's a better solution to my problem. Then I got carried away and only cut my hair once a year. Why? Is my fringe bothering you more than your own?"

The tall high schooler smiled and smacked his junior's back, "Urk... I told you I woke up like this. Now that the sun's up, let's go get something for breakfast."

"Ouch, why do people keep on hitting me? Are the balls not enough?" Shiro grumbled before following behind.

The two managed to grab a handful of ingredients for breakfast as Shiro piled cups of instant noodles, seasonings, condiments, and snacks into the basket.

"Just because you're not playing volleyball anymore, doesn't mean you can just eat whatever you want," Kuroo picked up a bag of potato chips and looked at the nutritional values.

"My parents are paying for them anyway. I can always share them with guests when they come over. They sent me here and gave me tons of money; wishing it could replace their attention."

A small part of Kuroo's heart felt the pain. Growing up with his grandparents ripped him off the joy of spending a colorful childhood with both parents.

"In that case, put those back. I'll recommend you some of the healthier alternatives and must-haves."

The tall captain filled up the basket with a huge variety of treats and household essentials. He waited by the cashier with a big grin; satisfied and proud. They both carried the grocery bags and walked out of the store before Shiro started to run; challenging Kuroo to a race.

"Hey! You brat! That was unfair! Do you even know the way home?" he hurriedly tailed.

"Not really, that's why you better come quick! This is still part of your morning run you know," the white-haired teen teased and looked back to meet the captain's gaze.

He smiled and caught up with Shiro in no time, "Don't underestimate your senpai."