Chapter Text
Yuzuru and Shoma meet up at Ajinomoto’s Potions. Yuzuru arrived almost half an hour before their agreed time. In the shop, he sits upright in a vintage cane rocking chair, drinking three portions of newly flavoured power balancing potions in one go. (As these potions are never well-flavoured, their sales have been sluggish.) Just before Yuzuru was about to take the fourth portion, Shoma finally shows up.
Shoma is a gnome. The furniture in Ajinomoto’s is not quite friendly for his height. He carefully steps onto a leaf of magic beans to jump onto a stool. Yuzuru gazes at him with pity.
“Do you need a hand to hold you up?” Yuzuru proposes.
Shoma is choked with rage.
Yuzuru shrugs, smoothing out the wrinkles in his robe. He drinks up all the rainbow-coloured potions left in the bottle once he makes sure that Shoma is fine on the stool. He lays his chin on his own hand and melancholically looks at his gnome friend.
“Well, I am considering... a black cat.”
Upon hearing what Yuzuru has just said, Shoma widens his eyes. He takes a glance at the empty bottles and pulls down his eyebrows, wrinkling his nose without attempting to hide his disgust. He tells the bartender to make him a magic coke.
Shoma cleared his throat before starting, “Didn’t you say you would break the stereotype of a wizard having to have a black cat and insist on using that alchemical plushie as a magic companion?”
Yuzuru takes out a yellow plushie from his sleeve, feeling indignant at the injustice.
“Pfff, don’t even bring that up. God knows how those bigwigs in the International Magic Union were so prudish. They weren’t happy with me applying for the Grand Prix of Wizard last year, and this year they demanded that I bring a cat to qualify. I don’t understand why they couldn't see how cute Pooh-san is!”
While Yuzuru speaks in anger, the plushie sighs like his owner would do.
Shoma stares at the man and the yellow bear before his eyes, murmuring to himself, “Well, it doesn’t matter how cute it is. After all, an alchemical plushie is not a magical creature. It has no way to help wizards balance their magic powers during the peak period to prevent them from losing control.”
Shoma rubs his Fedora hat on the table with his fingers, hesitantly saying, “Alright, I do have the thing you need exactly. But you must know that binding a magical contract is a mutual choice. If you’re ready, I’ll call it out so you can get to see each other.”
Yuzuru applies a protective charm to create an enchanted sphere around them as quick as a wink. Seeing how Yuzuru braced himself for a magical animal, Shoma cannot help but roll his eyes.
“I’ve said it many times! Black cat is a magical creature. It is not as fragile as a house cat!”
“I know! Didn’t you forget that I won the Championship of the East Competition in Magical Theory?”
Yuzuru gracefully taps his robe with his wand, applying five cleaning and protective spells, and turns to Shoma with a sweet smile that urges him to continue.
Shoma is speechless. He frowns and puts his hand into the Fedora, warning in a cold voice, “Let me make it clear. Nate-chan is a shy kitty. If it doesn’t like you, I won’t give it to you.”