Chapter Text
Nekomata Okayu was not a student one tended to make note of. She usually slept in class and often did not engage with anyone else. There wasn't necessarily a reason for this; she simply just didn't have the energy for the type of high school girls she would have to be involved with. She wasn't a fan of the guessing game and highly filtered acting of the students she sees around her. And thus, she was happy alone.
So why in the world was the very opposite of her– the popular and friendly honor student admired by all, Inugami Korone– keeping the unimpressive loner Nekomata Okayu within her gaze?
If you looked the word 'perfect' up in the dictionary, a picture of Korone would be the first thing you see. You would have to be a literal rock to not know about this girl. Okayu didn't have anything against her, she simply was like every other popular girl the catgirl aimed to avoid.
If it was simply a gaze, Okayu could certainly manage. It felt a tad awkward, always being the one to cut off the eye contact with everyone's slice of perfection. But it was not just that one act– it seemed supernatural how often they ran into each other. But with Okayu's inherent skill of blending in to pretty much any situation, Inugami Korone herself was the only part of all this that stuck out to anyone.
But it wasn't all that bad for the cat. She didn't have to try any harder than normal, really. Being able to just exist lazily was precisely Nekomata Okayu' ideal, after all.
For Inugami, however, things were a bit more complicated. At first she didn't notice anything at all. She had far too many other concerns– from school to her social standing and whatnot. Eventually though, the presence of a certain kitten dug its way into her life, without the consent of either party. Nekomata Okayu ignored her, tolerated her, and didn't seem to care one way or the other. It didn't seem like she hated her or anything, but just seemed indifferent. Korone knew logically that this could not matter less. However, it ate at her more and more each and every day. The most unimportant and throwaway of conversations intrigued Korone.
"Hey~ you're Inugami Koro-san, yeah?"
"Ah, Nekomata-san! Good morning–"
"Mhm.. Sensei said I gotta turn in this form to you, yeah?"
"Ah! Yes! Thank you, Nekomat–"
"Cool~ See ya, Koro-san~"
Korone's face burned hot pink with blush. No one had spoken that casually with her in years. Hell, the girl even called her "Koro-san" right off the bat! Others call her that too, but Okayu seemed to say it so naturally it was as if nothing else was an option.
Inugami Korone would certainly have to get some answers– both about herself and her classmate.