Work Text:
It was just a morning like any other. Yuu was eating a small breakfast with the television on in the background. As she bit into her apple, she half listened to the news story.
“Contrary to popular belief, shapeshifters do exist!” the man on the TV exclaimed. Yuu snorted, turning the television off. Sure it was fun to believe in magic, especially when your life consisted of owning a bookstore, but Yuu had to open up shop. She stood up, throwing the core of the apple away, and grabbed her keys and her bag.
As Yuu rode the bus into the city, she realized she forgot the book she was reading at home. Sighing, she sunk into the bus seat.
“You hear about what Touko Nanami said?” a person in front of Yuu said to another person. Yuu focused on the conversation as a way to pass time.
“What? What’d she say?” the other asked, leaning closer.
“She said she would date anyone that would get the key to her house!” The person, a boy wearing gloves, gestured with his hands wildly.
“No way that’s real. She said she wouldn’t date anyone. Why would she date someone that’s good at finding keys?” The other boy was wearing a cap. Yuu looked outside the window at the changing landscape.
“Catch is, the key is on a necklace around her cat’s neck.” The boy with a cap groaned, complaining about the catch. Yuu didn’t listen anymore, as she was in her own head. Sure, Touko was pretty, but would Yuu chase a cat for her? Yuu wasn’t one to chase animals anyways.
The short woman came to her shop, only to see a regular waiting at the closed storefront.
“Morning, Miss Nanami,” Yuu greeted as she unlocked the door to enter.
“Hey,” answered back the customer, smiling as she followed Yuu in. She waited for Yuu to turn on the lights before walking to another part of the store. It took a few minutes of Yuu checking stock before the woman was done shopping.
“I hear you’ve put a key on your cat’s chain,” Yuu said as she scanned the books. The woman laughed, putting a finger to the collar of her shirt, the chains on her wrist clinking together.
“Yes, it’s true.” The woman slowly pushed her money towards Yuu on the counter, putting her wallet into the pocket of her long skirt.
“Here you go. Have a nice day, Miss Nanami. Good luck in your quest for love.”
“Thanks, Yuu.” She lingered at the counter for a second before leaving.
On her way home on the bus that day, Yuu spotted a black cat walking around the city streets. Around its fluffy neck was a chain with a key. It looked like many men were trying to chase after it and capture the poor creature. Sighing, Yuu decided to get some shut eye on the way home.
The next day on the bus, the same two boys sat behind Yuu. Yuu stared at the words in her book, but strained her ears to hear the boys behind her.
“Dude, I heard a guy tried to shoot Touko Nanami’s cat,” one said to the other. It sounded a bit like the one with cap yesterday to Yuu.
“Now that’s dedication,” replied another boy, his voice sounding like the boy with gloves from the other day. Yuu scoffed. That poor, poor cat.
Today, rather than the woman, there was a black fluffy cat at Yuu’s storefront. She bent down to compliment it before ignoring it to open the store. As Yuu was about to close the door on it, it mewed at her. Squatting down, Yuu came to eye level with the cat.
“Hey. I can’t let you in because you’ll dirty up my books,” Yuu explained to the cat, staring back into it’s blue eyes. It meowed in defiance before walking in. As it slinked into the door past her, Yuu noticed a clinking chain with a key around it’s neck, before realizing the cat snuck into her store. “Hey, wait!”
The cat was sitting on the counter licking its paw when Yuu followed. Yuu sighed, walking over to it.
“Will you bother customers?” The cat mewed, shaking its head. Defeated, Yuu sat at the counter. “Fine. Just for today.” To rub it in for the short woman, the cat licked her hand. It was going to be a long day.
Yuu shut down the store lights. The cat followed her outside the shop, its head high. She reached down to pet the cat before starting to walk towards the bus stop. It kept following her. Yuu turned on her heels, looking down at the cat.
“What?” The cat bowed its head to Yuu. “Good day to you too. Now I’m going home.”
The cat meowed at Yuu when she approached the shop once again. It had been two weeks since her and the cat’s first visit.
“Yes, yes. Hello again, Miss Nanami’s cat. Now move,” Yuu sighed. She raised an eyebrow when the cat actually listened, but brushed it off. Like other times before, the cat sat on the counter, letting Yuu absentmindedly pet it as she did other store duties. Yuu hated to admit it, but it was nice.
Similar to a week ago, when Yuu closed up shop, the cat bowed its head. Yuu contemplated bowing back, but the cat came closer to her, still bowing its head. It was exposing the chain. She reached for it hesitantly, ready to escape the wrath of an angry black cat.
But it never came. The cat let Yuu slip the chain off, the key clinking.
“But I don’t know where your owner’s house is,” Yuu said, offering back the chain. The cat meowed before walking off into the city. Yuu followed, unsure but curious.
The cat led Yuu out of the city and into the nearby forest, eventually leading her to a small house. It was small, but surprisingly clean, with the plants on the sill still alive. On the door was a large lock. Yuu inserted the key, unlocking the door.
Inside, it was surprisingly nice. There were only two rooms, and they looked lived recently, as if someone had left that morning. A few dishes sat in the sink untouched and the clothes left in the closet were clean. As Yuu observed the house, the cat watched quietly. When Yuu turned to leave until the woman returned, the cat meowed. With Yuu’s attention, the cat sat still.
Then it glowed.
Watching in shocked silence, Yuu watched as the cat’s glowing silhouette turned into the familiar customer of her bookstore. She was wearing a collared shirt with a long skirt, an outfit she normally wore with a chain on her wrist. Yuu blushed as she remembered the situation they were in, along with the implications of the cat.
“Hello, Miss Nanami,” Yuu said as she watched Touko walk towards her.
“Hey, Yuu. It’s me,” Touko greeted as she grabbed Yuu’s hand, lifting it slowly. “Remember what getting the key meant?” Yuu shook her head, pulling her hand away.
“There’s something I still don’t understand.” Touko stilled, waiting for her to continue. “Why? Why lie about a cat?”
“Well, I have to use my shapeshifting abilities for something,” Touko laughed. Yuu snorted, covering her mouth. “Really though, it’s because how else would I know I could trust them? Why would I trust a man that would shoot my fake cat?” Yuu sighed, sitting down in a nearby chair.
“Does that mean you picked me?” Touko sat down in a chair next to Yuu.
“I always have, in a way.” Touko elbowed Yuu lightly. “I’m a loyal customer of your store after all!” Yuu laughed, putting a hand on the woman’s arm.
“And I appreciate you very much, I hope you know that.” Touko turned to Yuu, finding the distance between them close. She stared into her eyes, before asking her, “Can I kiss you, Yuu?”
“Go ahead.” Touko cupped Yuu’s cheek before kissing her quickly. Yuu started giggling when Touko pulled away.
“I guess your quest for love was successful huh, Touko?”