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Kunigami nearly makes it to the training room when he’s blocked by a flurry of red hair and a piercing magenta stare.
"You're avoiding me again."
Kunigami swears under his breath. It’s been less than 48 hours since the Top 23 have been called back to Blue Lock and so far he's done a decent job of avoiding conversation with everybody. Though Bachira jumped on him near their lockers, and Isagi handed him a water bottle after practice, and Reo sat quietly next to him in the monitor room in the early hours of the morning when they both couldn't fall asleep.
And Chigiri…
The Red Panther has been chasing him down every corridor and around every corner at every opportunity, in a manner reminiscent of their NEL days but now even more persistent without the barriers of multi-national stratums. Kunigami flees with his tail between his legs each time, retreating to the cold, imposing walls of his room. At least I don't have to deal with roommates anymore. He thinks bitterly as he broods in solitude at night, away from the sounds of lively conversation and laughter and Raichi screaming across the halls.
Still, it seems he can only run for so long before the Panther catches up to his prey.
Right now Chigiri is standing between him and the door to the training room, hands on his hips and face twisted into a beautiful frown. Kunigami can see the hurt, confusion, and determination in those cherry-coloured eyes, and feels that familiar sense of guilt bubbling up inside his gut again.
"Move." He hisses through gritted teeth as he tries to step around his (very gorgeous) obstacle. "I need to train."
Chigiri seamlessly matches his movement, like they're fighting for the ball on the pitch. "No. I’m here for an explanation. You ignored all my messages during break and you've been bolting every time I so much come within 50 metres of you. I thought we were past this!"
Kunigami trains his gaze on the floor, responses flashing through his mind. I don’t know how to talk to you. I don’t want you to see me as I truly am, fragile and broken and built from nothing. I don't deserve your kindness. I should’ve messaged back. I wanted to hang out. I miss you. I miss us.
Instead, Kunigami numbly spits out, "It’s easier this way," and tries to shoulder his way past Chigiri.
Chigiri, however, refuses to back down. "Easier!" He exclaims indignantly. "Easier for who? Certainly not for you, cyborg Rensuke. Do you really think I can't see through you? Coward hero."
Something snaps. Kunigami growls in frustration and roughly grabs Chigiri’s shoulder. Chigiri’s eyes widen.
"Stay out of my way, princess. You're only going to get hurt."
With those words (and every muscle in his body screaming at him to backtrack), Kunigami shoves Chigiri aside and reaches for the training room door panel.
He hears Chigiri yelp and the bang of Chigiri’s body colliding with the metal walls. Something inside him twists with regret, but as he turns around there’s a POOF of pink smoke filling the hallway - and then silence.
Kunigami splutters and coughs, waving dust out of his face. When he opens his eyes, Chigiri is nowhere to be seen. "..Chigiri?" He tentatively calls out, a little dumbfounded. Chigiri’s fast, but it's a long hallway. There's no way he somehow dashed out of here in that time, unless Ego tasked him with learning close up magic over the break.
"Meow."
Kunigami looks down. Sitting in front of his feet, with its tail curled around its paws, is a cat. It’s adorable. Its fur is sleek and black, and its left ear is twitching ever so slightly. Kunigami wonders how a cat could have possibly gotten inside the facility, what with its iron prison walls and all. He makes eye contact with the cat. Something about its magenta eyes and its haughty, disdainful gaze seems awfully familiar. Suddenly, Kunigami’s throat feels dry. There's no way..
His head snaps back up, panic settling in his stomach. "Chigiri?” He calls out again, turning his head so fast he gets whiplash. "Chigiri! This isn't funny! If this is a prank Bachira put you up to, I swear - ow!”
The cat has leaned forward to bite the exposed skin of his ankle. Kunigami winces and looks back down, meeting its bored gaze.
"Meow."
Kunigami hesitates. "...Chigiri?"
The cat rolls its eyes and flicks its tail. Kunigami can practically hear it scoffing. Took you long enough, cyborg.
Oh no.
This can’t be happening. Kunigami’s brain splits off into a hundred different directions. His ex-teammate-slash-current teammate-slash-object of his desires (?? he isn't ready to unpack that one yet) is a bloody cat. An extremely adorable cat, but nonetheless, very much not a human. What the fuck. Did he do this? Is this a dream? Has whatever Ego injected into him during the Wild Card suddenly unlocked latent powers to turn people into animals?
"Meow." The cat - Chigiri? - is pawing at his sneaker, momentarily snapping Kunigami out of his trance. He gingerly bends down to pick up Cat Chigiri. Huh. Cat Chigiri fits perfectly in Kunigami’s arms, and his fur is silky and soft to the touch, reminding Kunigami of when he used to card his fingers through long red strands, gently helping Chigiri with his hair care after a hard-fought game...
Oh god . Soccer. Blue Lock. The team. The World Cup. Chigiri is their star speedster - He’s sixth in the rankings and is practically guaranteed a spot on the starting lineup. Ego and Isagi probably have a thousand plays based off of Chigiri’s abilities alone, and now all they have to work with is a cat barely bigger than a soccer ball. Fuck fuck fuck .
"I’m sorry." He blurts out, holding the cat up to his face. He can feel his heart pounding, like he's just sprinted the entire length of the field thrice. Cat Chigiri just slowly blinks and lazily waves his tail. "Fuck. I don't know how…I don't…Shit. Fuck. How come you're not more panicked about this?"
More blinking. Right. Cats don't talk.
Kunigami exhales. "Right. Okay. Everything is fine. I can fix this. Uh.” He glances around. Maybe there's something wrong with the walls? If he throws Chigiri against the wall again, maybe he could summon that pink dust back?
Cat Chigiri starts squirming in Kunigami’s grasp, as if he can read his mind. Kunigami struggles to keep a hold of his furry body. "Hey. Hey! Stop that, I’m trying to help you out here!" A glare. Those magenta irises really are magnificent. Kunigami mentally slaps himself. "Alright, fine. Um. Isagi. I’ll take you to Isagi. Isagi always knows what to do. Yes. Isagi will know how to fix things. Everything is fine."
Another unimpressed glare. Kunigami miserably thinks it's well deserved.
***
Isagi stares at him like he's grown another head.
Kunigami feels like an idiot. He's holding Cat Chigiri out in front of him, who is no doubt glaring daggers at Blue Lock’s ace. He watches helplessly as Isagi frowns and takes a closer look.
"You're telling me that’s Chigiri?" Isagi slowly says, mirth creeping into his tone.
"Yes.” Kunigami hears his voice crack pathetically but he's already too far gone to care. "I pushed him and then there was this pink smoke and then he turned into a cat and I don’t know what's going on or how to fix it. Please Isagi, you gotta help me."
"Alright jeez, give me a second. Wow, I think this is the most I've heard you talk since you came out of the Wild Card." Isagi mutters, scratching his head. He still looks doubtful. "Are you absolutely sure that’s Chigiri? This isn’t him playing a prank on you? Or just a stray cat that’s gotten in?"
"Yes!" Kunigami practically yells, on the verge of tears, startling the bundle of black fur in his hands. "Have you ever seen a cat with eyes this shade of pink??"
Isagi looks taken aback. "I suppose there’s a resemblance…but I hardly know much about cats to begin with! What am I supposed to believe - "
"Silly Yocchan, of course that’s Chigirin!" Like clockwork, Bachira pops up out of fucking knowhere and snatches Cat Chigiri out of Kunigami’s grasp. Cat Chigiri hisses and swipes his claws out at him, but Bachira just laughs and pulls Chigiri closer, scratching under his little chin. Kunigami fights the urge to smack him and take Chigiri back into his possession. "See? Kunigami’s right, it's in his eyes! And his attitude. You really are a panther, Chigirin! A cuter, smaller one, at least." Bachira laughs again as Cat Chigiri wiggles out of his arms and breaks out into a sprint across the training pitch. His yellow eyes light up with that signature devilish look. "A one-on-one huh? You're on, kitty!" He takes off after Chigiri, chasing the little black blur across the field.
Kunigami suddenly feels a wave of fatigue wash over him. He sinks down to the grass with his back against the wall, groaning as he smashes his head into his hands. Isagi awkwardly moves to sit next to him and pats his forearm. "There, there, big guy. I know you're worried for Chigiri, but I’m sure he's just gone off somewhere. We'll, um, help look for him okay?"
"We don't need to look for him. He's right there ." Kunigami grumbles. "The World Cup starts in a month and Chigiri’s a cat and it’s all my fault. What if he's stuck like this forever? What if I’ve ruined his dreams? Let him down again?" He feels his chest constricting, thinking of all the lingering touches and unsent messages and unspoken words between them. Of the possibility that he'll never hear Chigiri’s sharp tone or his melodious laugh again. That they’ve lost any chance to make things right. He wants to cry.
A delighted shout draws their attention back to the field. Bachira is showcasing his footwork, shifting left and right with the elegance and precision of a ballerina. At his feet, the cat feints to the left before cutting into Bachira’s right, dashing past the dribbler and hurtling towards the goal at a 44 degree angle, a perfect echo of that signature panther strike.
"Huh. Isn't that…" Isagi’s squinting at the field, eyes narrowed and deciphering every movement. Kunigami can practically see the puzzle pieces materialising into the air. "No way.” The blue-eyed striker breathes as the cat spins midair and sprints down the right wing, Bachira hot on his heels.
Kunigami drops his head back into his hands. Leave it to Isagi Yoichi to analyse the soccer prowess of a fucking cat. What the hell.
***
They're all sitting in a circle in the middle of the field as dinner time draws near. Isagi finally seems convinced of their current predicament, much to Bachira’s amusement. Cat Chigiri is happily stretched out on Reo’s lap, who had tripped over a brooding Kunigami on the floor and found Isagi and Bachira trying to block an insanely fast cat from hurtling into the goal. At least Reo believed Kunigami without question, proudly claiming that he could recognise Chigiri’s fussy attitude anywhere. The purple-haired midfielder is currently giving Chigiri belly rubs. Kunigami tries to contain his jealousy and looks away, only to meet Bachira’s knowing gaze. He swallows uncomfortably.
"So what's your plan to fix this?" Reo asks Isagi, as Chigiri cutely bats his paws at Reo’s jersey. Kunigami watches as Reo squishes one of Chigiri’s little pink paw pads and feels a vein pop out of his neck.
Isagi throws his hands up into the air. "I have absolutely no idea. Why does everyone think I can meta-vision a cat transformation?"
Bachira, who’s lying on his stomach, rolls around to boop Cat Chigiri’s forehead and then Isagi’s. "Well I might not have meta-vision, but the answer’s easy!” He sing-songs in that classic Bachia way of his.
Four pairs of eyes - 3 human and 1 cat - turn on him, each with a mixture of shock and curiosity. "Well?" Reo prompts as he continues petting Chigiri’s ears.
Bachira zones in on Kunigami and cracks a wide smile. Kunigami suddenly feels uneasy. He has a sense of where this is headed and he doesn't like it at all.
"True love’s kiss!" Bachira crows, making a kissing gesture with his hands. "Just like in the fairytales!" There's a solid minute of stunned silence.
"I think those are just children’s stories, Bachira." Says Isagi, but he looks at Kunigami thoughtfully.
" What? " Kunigami chokes out, his voice jumping an octave higher than normal. "I thought you said you knew how to turn him back! Don't give me that, Reo, what are you all looking at me for?"
"Well, it's gotta be you obviously. The hero saves the princess with true love’s kiss, breaks the curse, and they live happily ever after!" Bachira says all matter-of-fact, like he's proclaiming the sky is blue or grass is green .
"It’s worth a shot." Isagi muses. The room seems to shrink in on itself.
"No. No . We're supposed to find a practical way to save Chigiri, not some high fantasy bullshit! And who said anything about curses?" Kunigami’s face is heating up. He runs his hand through his hair, trying his best not to look at Cat Chigiri, and fights the urge to tear his hair out.
Reo tilts his head to the side, surveying their circle. "Kunigami, you said he disappeared in a flash of pink smoke and turned into a cat. It sounds like Bachira’s solution is very much within the realm of possibility here." Bachira pokes out his tongue gleefully. Kunigami wants to kill them all.
"You're all crazy." He huffs, standing up, desperate to escape their expecting looks. He swipes Cat Chigiri out of Reo’s lap, ignoring Chigiri’s meow of surprise and Reo’s protests. "I’m taking him to Anri tomorrow morning. She’ll have a scientific, logical way to get him back to normal. No kissing required."
After all, it’s not like Blue Lock has a shortage of machines that can fuck up your body beyond repair . His mind unhelpfully supplies as he marches towards the door. He can hear Bachira dissolve into giggles behind him as Reo and Isagi start whispering to each other. Cat Chigiri climbs up his body and settles himself around Kunigami’s shoulders like a fluffy scarf, the end of his tail brushing over Kunigami’s bottom lip.
Kunigami feels his blush spread to the base of his neck as he heads towards the weights room. Fools, the lot of them.
***
Kunigami works out his frustration in the only way he knows how - by pumping weights. Cat Chigiri curls up on the dumbbell rack, cracking one rose-coloured eye open to watch. If Kunigami puts in a little more effort to flex his pecs with each rep, that’s nobody’s business but his.
After an hour of that, Kunigami wordlessly moves on to his cool down stretches. Chigiri climbs down to settle on the mat next to him and starts dutifully licking his right hind leg. It’s adorable, and it’s a strangely familiar rhythm. Kunigami is reminded of their early blissful Team Z days, before the Second Selection and the Wild Card sent everything between the two of them crashing down. Before he fucked everything up and exchanged his superhero dreams for machinery and empty promises. He clenches his fists and hisses as he pushes himself further into the stretch, crossing the line from relaxing to burning.
Cat Chigiri’s head shoots up with a look of concern. His little forehead furrows, then he's padding over to Kunigami, whose face is scrunched up in concentration. Chigiri meows loudly and starts jabbing at Kunigami’s thighs and stomach. Kunigami blinks out of his haze and leans back.
“Oh, are you hungry?” A meow. Kunigami winces. “Shit. Sorry. I should’ve gotten something for you to eat earlier.” Another meow. Kunigami picks Chigiri and rubs the back of his ears endearingly. “I have no idea what that means, princess.” Chigiri huffs and retaliates by smacking Kunigami’s nose with his paw.
***
Kunigami sneaks some biscuits and dumplings from the cafeteria to his room. Cat Chigiri, who is splayed out in the middle of his bed like he owns the place, takes one look at the offerings and turns his little pink nose away haughtily.
"Come on." Kunigami protests, "I can’t exactly bring a whole tray back here without looking suspicious."
Cat Chigiri just stares at him without blinking. He reaches out and pushes the pack of biscuits off the bed in one swift motion. Kunigami sighs. “Look, I’ll feed you ok? Just please eat something, I don’t want you losing your strength.” He picks up a dumpling and holds it out towards Chigiri. Let me take care of you goes unspoken. Chigiri’s nose twitches, but he approaches and gingerly nibbles at the dumpling out of Kunigami’s palm. Kunigami pets Chigiri’s head and runs his hand over his back, relishing in the way Chigiri nuzzles into his touch. So cute .
***
Kunigami lies in bed, gazing up at the dark ceiling and going through his nightly routine of ruminating on all the decisions that have led him up to this point. Two new additions, though. One is the little black cat snoozing next to him on the extra pillow. The other is the night cream on his face. Cat Chigiri had found an unopened bottle in his room and unceremoniously dumped it at his feet like a housecat bringing a rat to its owner, then intensely stared at him with those big bright eyes until he had given in.
It’s comforting, to have another presence near him. Like a solid anchor. The room doesn't feel as suffocating, the cacophony of voices in his head not as loud. Still, there's that guilt and regret weighing on his chest, sinking into his bones and plaguing his mind.
"I’m sorry." He murmurs aloud, exhausted. Cat Chigiri doesn't give any sign of acknowledgement other than a twitch of his ear. Kunigami’s voice wobbles. "I’m not...good enough. For Blue Lock. For the team. For you." He can hear soft breathing next to him, feel the pillow dip with the rise and fall of a furry flank. "I could barely face my family when I went home. How could I, now that I’m like this? It was like they were walking on eggshells around me, like I’d shatter into a million broken pieces at any moment. And the worst part is, I think they're right. I thought…if i kept everyone, kept you at a distance, I could keep myself from breaking. Keep you from seeing me break." He feels the tip of a tail ghost over his ear and turns to the side, burrowing himself in the blankets.
Stupid. He thinks as he drifts off. I really messed everything up.
***
Kunigami dreams of the Wild Card. He dreams of endless halls and too bright lights. Of Ego’s spindly taunts. Of Noel Noa’s judging eyes. Of egoists and monsters and needles and wires and masks. Of his past self, falling into an endless abyss. Of his new body, clawing its way out of hell. Of a flash of red up above, far, far beyond his reach. And of his current, broken self crashing all the way back down.
He wakes with a jolt, chest heaving and sweat running down his back, and tries to steady himself through his heart hammering in his chest. The NEL is over. I made it through. I’m still here. He reminds himself over and over again.
It's not an unusual occurrence. On a normal night, Kunigami would go fight off the lingering nightmares with a run or a workout, then wince as he sees his worsening eyebags in the mirror afterwards. Tonight though, he comes face to face with two big magenta irises glowing in the dark and nearly suffers a heart attack.
Right. Chigiri is here. In his bed. As a cat. Who needs bad dreams when he's already trapped in a living nightmare scenario, goddamnit.
Cat Chigiri steps through the blankets and crawls onto Kunigami’s chest, settling himself in a loaf above his heart. Those pink eyes, filled with care and longing and something unspoken, blink once. Twice. You're okay. I’m here.
Kunigami slowly lays back down, blinks away his tears and brings his hand up to move over Chigiri’s back in long strokes. He’s so soft . His traitorous mind supplies as he tries to match Chigiri’s languid breaths.
Chigiri still has his eyes on him, just like he promised. To his pleasant surprise, a low purr fills the room, the sound blanketing over them like softly falling snow on his beloved beaches back home. It makes Kunigami feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
"Thank you, Hyouma." He murmurs, feeling exhaustion rushing back in all at once. He lifts his head to press a small kiss to Chigiri’s little furry forehead, before letting his head fall back onto the pillow.
The purring grows louder as sleep pulls Kunigami back under. He dreams of leopards and knights and endless fields, and that brilliant shade of red enveloping him in a tight embrace.
***
When Kunigami awakens, it’s to the sound of the Blue Lock alarm. Huh. He hasn't done that since the Second Selection. There's also a heavy weight on his chest. Blearily, he reaches his hand up to stroke that soft black fur, fingers moving through long, silky strands of hair - Wait, what?
Kunigami looks down. Staring back at him is a pair of familiar, beautiful, human magenta eyes. Attached to a familiar, beautiful, very human body and accompanied with a familiar, beautiful teasing smirk.
Kunigami bolts upright with a yelp, sending no-longer-cat Chigiri crashing to the floor along with the blankets. "Ow." Chigiri says hoarsely, rubbing his head where it knocked against the drawer.
"Sorry, sorry." Kunigami gasps, reaching down to help Chigiri back up. Chigiri smiles as he takes Kunigami’s outstretched hand, hauling himself onto Kunigami’s lap and locking his arms around Kunigami’s neck. Kunigami freezes. He's suddenly very awake, limbs frozen and glued to his sides.
"You're forgiven, cyborg." Chigiri says cheekily. Kunigami feels the tips of his ears burn. "Besides,” Chigiri continues with a shit-eating grin, playing with the ends of his orange hair, “You can always make it up to me by kissing it better." Kunigami’s face turns as red as Chigiri’s hair as last night’s events come flooding back to him. Fuck. I kissed him. Kind of?? Bachira was … right? Do forehead kisses even count?? Then it hits him like a semi-truck and he nearly passes out again. Oh my god I kissed him . I kissed Chigiri Hyoma.
"You better not tell the others about that, princess." He threatens weakly, trying not to combust as Chigiri pulls him in closer. This is the worst and best 24 hours of his life, he thinks.
"As long as you don't say anything about the purring." Chigiri quips. "God, that felt so weird. I still feel like I’m going to choke up a hairball."
"Was cute though. I liked it." Kunigami murmurs, staring at the expanse of Chigiri’s pale neck and the plumpness of his lips. "But I’m glad you're back to normal, princess."
Chigiri brings his face so close that their breaths ghost over each other. His right hand gently cups the side of Kunigami’s face, gentle and soothing. Kunigami’s brain short circuits. He thinks he's going to melt.
"Thanks for saving me, hero." Chigiri whispers, and drags him into a real kiss, human and soft and warm.