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These days Hoshi seems to close up even more than usual, only really ever speaking when spoken to, and even then, conversations with him don’t seem to last very long.
Gonta knows he isn’t trying to be rude — sometimes Hoshi needs time to himself and sometimes he just isn’t in the mood for talking and that’s okay. Everybody needs different amounts of alone time, and being alone makes some people feel better even; it’s true, Saihara told him so!
Only sometimes Gonta thinks Hoshi doesn’t truly like being alone, and he’s just punishing himself for something he did, or maybe he’s doing that thing again where he doesn’t think he deserves friends, which is the worst because he absolutely, positively does.
He deserves so so many friends and it’s not just because he’s patient and reliable and nice and smart and good at giving advice; but because he’s just such a genuinely great person to have around, and whenever he’s there, Gonta has reason to believe that everything will turn out okay.
So he doesn’t want Hoshi to think badly of himself, doesn’t want Hoshi to be sitting somewhere all alone and thinking that nobody cares. Gonta may not be very smart but even he knows that it’s terrible to feel that way, and it’s his job to be supportive and be there for him when he needs it, especially if he’s not in the best of places.
Thus, as he’s always prepared to do when one of his friends are sad, Gonta makes it his mission to find a way to cheer him up.
At first, he asks around, but none of their classmates claim to know Hoshi well enough to know a surefire way to lift his mood. They all appreciate him, of course, but Hoshi is a reserved person and doesn’t talk much about himself, and everyone just seems to be happy that Gonta’s making an effort.
Akamatsu suggests a concert. Amami suggests rock climbing. Harukawa suggests darts. Ouma suggests a theme park. Iruma suggests something that doesn’t make any sense.
Nothing seems to really click though.
Gonta may not be the brightest bulb in the shed or the sharpest of the sharp objects in the kitchen or however it is the sayings go, but the suggestions all feel impersonal and, well, vague.
In the end, his best option actually lies with Saihara who suggests the library because it’s quiet and because Gonta can show Hoshi his favorite books about bugs, and Hoshi can give him his own recommendations if he wants. It's a good idea, and Gonta is confident going in, he really is.
Hoshi even looks surprised, almost as though he is going to accept, but then Gonta must have said something stupid because he falls away.
Yes, ultimately, Hoshi ends up declining, framing it with the observation, “I know you’re just trying to be nice, Gokuhara. You’d much rather be out in the wild somewhere than cooped up in a library, right? You don’t have to accommodate for me.”
And Gonta can’t tell him that he doesn’t care about what they do as long as Hoshi is enjoying himself, because gentlemen are taught to be able to accept ‘no’ as an answer and move on from that.
Still, he wants to do something. Anything. He just wants to be a good friend, and a considerate gentleman that makes his friends feel better when they’re sad.
“Where can Gonta take Hoshi-kun to hang out? Just for fun?” He asks Toujou, because according to Ouma and Iruma, she seems to know everything.
And he’s not sure how it happens but Toujou decides, somehow, that Gonta’s question was a request?
A day after the “let me think about it”, she points out that a cat café opened down the street, and from her observation, it seems that Hoshi is fond of cats to some degree so an invitation is not entirely unwarranted, and here, I bought you tickets beforehand, no payback necessary, please do not shove money at me, alright, you are completely welcome, why don’t you try asking him to go with you, Gokuhara-kun?
So Gonta does, because if there’s anyone that knows anything, Toujou would be that person.
Gonta presents the tickets to Hoshi before class starts, not knowing when he’ll get the next opportunity, and Hoshi blinks up at him. “What’s this for?”
“New cat café opened recently! Wanna go with Gonta after school?” He smiles, because he’s been told that smiles are contagious, and because they’re nice.
Hoshi surveys him with a critical eye, and then, after a few seconds of mulling it over and Gonta holding his breath far longer than he thinks he should have – he accepts.
They enter quietly, and they must look a comical duo — one hulking in mass and one much much smaller, but the receptionist there smiles warmly at them and asks, “Are you here for the cat café? It’s just upstairs, don’t be shy.”
Gonta thanks her and starts to ascend the staircase, Hoshi trailing behind with small steps.
“Are you excited, Hoshi-kun?”
“At this point I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t, just a little bit,” Hoshi admits. “I just wonder…”
Gonta peers at him curiously. “You wonder…?”
“It’s nothing.” Hoshi says, shaking his head and rounding Gonta to reach the glass door, which he pushes open gently. “C’mon. Let’s go in.”
Gonta doesn’t know what he expected a cat café to be, but true to its name, there are a lot of cats. Big and small, varying degrees of fluffy and smooth, different colors too – some with patterns, some with distinct markings.
The one that’s leapt onto their table has a heart on its butt. It’s adorable. It's poofy. Gonta really wants to touch it. He glances at Hoshi for permission.
“You gonna try holding ‘im?” Hoshi asks, gesturing to the cat. He looks vaguely amused, and it makes Gonta's chest feel fluttery. He really hopes he isn't allergic to cats, because that would be very embarrassing.
He looks back at the heart-butt cat. The heart-butt cat blinks up at him.
“He’s so small!” Gonta whispers reverently, but not without excitement. His hands over just above the cat's head. “Can Gonta really hold?”
“You’re not gonna break him.” Hoshi says. “You’re a gentle guy, just hold him like you’d hold, I’unno, a butterfly or something.”
“Ah!” The cat paws at Gonta’s palm, batting at it like a toy. “Aahhh, Hoshi-kun!” He exclaims in wonder. “What is he doing?”
“Saying hello.” There’s something akin to genuine delight in his tone even if his expression doesn't change and it makes Gonta even happier than the kittens that have begun swarming Hoshi.
“Oh, here they come! They seem to like you!”
“Yeah…” Hoshi’s voice is lowered as he tries to stifle a chuckle. His hand sweeps gently over the closest few kittens, and they clamber onto his lap, pushing at each other in an attempt to be the sole kitten standing. “No idea why. All I’ve been doing is sitting here.”
“Maybe they sense that Hoshi-kun is a good person!”
Hoshi tenses a little at that. His gaze falls to the kittens in his lap and he steadies them – a total of three black furballs, soon joined by a fourth that tries to get onto Hoshi’s hat. He rolls his eyes and plucks the kitten off his shoulder, settling it in with the others.
“Say, Gokuhara… can I ask you a question?”
Gonta nods, expression open as he holds up the cat in his arms. Heart-butt, as he's affectionately dubbed the kitty, pats his paws all over his face. “Sure. What is it?”
"Well." Hoshi hesitates, gaze transfixed on the cat that's sort of attacking Gonta. He shakes his head before continuing. “Why’d you bring me here?”
Oh. Gonta wonders if he should tell the truth, but then he remembers that Momota said communication is very important and so decides there is no harm in doing so.
“To make Hoshi-kun happy, of course!”
Hoshi blinks. Once. Twice. “That’s… it?”
Gonta is confused. “What do you mean?”
“You don’t… want anything from me?”
“No?”
“Did someone set you up to this?”
“No! Gonta wanted to come here with you!” He’s hurt at the prospect – does he look that ingenuine? Is it his face? Did he mess up?
“... ah, sorry, I just…” Hoshi looks apologetic. “... didn’t really expect anyone to want to hang around me. ‘Specially since I haven’t really been present lately. As in, I’ve been here, but I haven’t really been here. Look, anyway, s’fine. Just a misunderstanding. You’re good.”
“Hoshi-kun, Gonta doesn’t want to step out of line or anything but are you okay?” Gonta asks, eyebrows knitting in worry. “Is there something bothering you?”
“Nah, I’m okay. I’m still working through some things, but I really am fine. Thanks for your concern.”
“Gonta’s not a smart boy, so he might not understand, but if Hoshi-kun wants to talk about anything at all,” Gonta smiles warmly at him. “Gonta is here.”
Hoshi can’t help but return the smile, even if he can’t quite look Gonta in the eye.
“Thanks, Gokuhara,” he says, petting the kittens in his lap. “I appreciate it.”
They spend the rest of their time in a much lighter mood, playing with the cats, sipping at overpriced drinks and at one point, Gonta convinces Hoshi to give each of the cats voices, and he’s so impressed that Hoshi ends up stunned by his enthusiastic applause, murmuring hurriedly that it’s not that big a deal.
“I’m going to be trapped here forever,” Hoshi murmurs as the kittens droop in his lap, falling fast asleep. “I’ll never be able to move again.”
“It’s a good place to be trapped in.” Gonta remarks, yelping as a cat tries to push their cups off the table. “No, kitty, no!”
“Heh, you’re right about that one.” Hoshi says, smirking. “Cats, food and chaos. Couldn’t think of a place I’d rather be.”
“Hoshi-kun, how do I stop him?”
“You don’t.” Hoshi replies. “Cats don’t listen to anyone.”
The cups tip off the table. The waiter apologizes profusely, cracking an exasperated joke about why they have to use plastic cups in the first place, and they wave him off, extending their sympathy with solemn nods of their heads.
By the time they leave, they’re laughing, and Hoshi shakes his head at the cats that try and follow them out. Gonta tells them he’ll come back for them later, and Hoshi tugs at his jacket, informing him that theft is bad, and generally frowned upon.
When they’re back on the streets, he adds that if Gonta really intends on taking the cats, then count him in.
Hoshi looks much happier than he did before, and Gonta is, too. He wants to do this more often – wants to see Hoshi smile, wants to hear him make funny voices for the cats, and teach Gonta everything he knows because he would listen to anything Hoshi wanted to say. He’s just so cool and down-to-earth and spending time with him today was more fun than he could have possibly anticipated.
He fiddles with his fingers, a tentative yet hopeful expression on his face.
“Hey, uh, Hoshi-kun?”
“Hm?”
“Wanna come back again sometime?”
Hoshi gazes at him for a long moment before he nods, a small smile touching his lips. “Sure, Gokuhara. That would be nice.”
Gonta feels that fluttery feeling again.