13 Chapter 13 Shoujo Effec

The mellow chirping of crickets in the warm spring afternoon lulled Duran in and out of a sleepy state as he trailed behind Kou who was power-walking ahead of him.

'Hey Kita-kun, I saw a stray near the station when I was coming to school this morning,' Kou called out.

'Huh, yeah,' Duran said absent mindedly. The shōujo effect had pushed his body to a limit. However, Kou's presence was able to keep him grounded and aware of his surroundings.

They came upon an alleyway, which was nestled between a bustling café and ramen house. Both places were full of patrons enjoying each other's company over bowls of steaming food, cake or cups of beverages. Sure enough. They found a young male cat lounging on top of a dumpster mid-way in the alley.

'Stay behind me. I'm going to try to chase it toward you. Catch it when it runs to you,' Kou whispered his strategy to Duran.

They gingerly approached it. Duran took a few steps back from Kou in preparation for the catch. He peered at the cat's fur, which seemed too sleek for a stray. It was all black save for a tuft of white streaking the top of its head like a Mohawk. It regarded them cautiously.

'Good kitty, nice kitty,' Kou said with soft tones and a maniacal glint in his eye. He crept slowly toward it, extending his hand.

The cat's orb like green eyes kept its vigilance on Kou's approaching hand. Its body tensed when his hand was almost on its back. In a flash, it leaped off the dumpster and went head on for Kou's face. Kou stumbled backward onto Duran.

The cat slipped past their legs and fled toward the eateries and crossroad at the end of the alleyway.

'Chikushō!' Kou cursed under his breath as they chased the cat inadvertently into the al fresco area of the ramen house.

'You kids! Get back here!' A surly waiter yelled as they turned tail to flee back up the alleyway.

'Sumimasen!' Duran cried out as he followed Kou's hunt.

They chased the cat to the other side of the street, barely dodging an oncoming courier worker on a push-bike.

Duran cringed when the worker screeched to a halt in their path and went flying, unceremoniously, over his bike. He landed flat on his face-butt in the air to the footpath. Envelops littered his body and the ground around him.

'Really, very sorry.' Duran frantically apologized and bowed as he helped the courier worker to his feet.

'Where you're rushing too?!' The courier worker snapped at Duran.

Duran bowed his head apologetically and gathered the courier's letters from the ground. He heard Kou yelling at him from a distance.

'Here. Very sorry again!' Duran rushed out as he shoved the pile of letters into the courier worker's hands and raced off down the street to Kou.

'I GOT YOU!' Kou screamed as he leaped for the cat as if his life depended on it. He gripped the cat's small, wriggling, body and yelped in pain from its desperate scratches to his skin.

'Hurry Kita-kun!'

Duran cursed, feeling the scratches to his arms as they gathered the fur they needed from it. He patted the cat the best he could, stirring up fur balls into the air and onto his hands.

He transferred the fur to a tissue,crumpling it to contain it and shoved it in his pocket.

'Got it!' Duran confirmed.

Kou released the cat. It escaped down the street and around the corner at lightning speed.

'Phew!' Kou panted. He tensed with guilt, realizing the mess they had left back at the ramen house.

They sprinted their way back to school, skirting the ramen house.