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"Great. So what do we do now?" Tenn asked, watching the spectacle from above.
"We could look for something to eat...?" Gaku suggested.
"We could play," Ryuu added, rolling onto his back.
Tenn shook his head and stared urgently at the other two. "I meant: how do we fix this situation as soon as possible…?"
From his position on the shelf, he surveyed the living room of their shared apartment, which was bathed in warm light from the evening sun. Everything suddenly seemed so... big.
"We can't stay like this after all. What would our fans say?"
Gaku and Ryuu exchanged worried glances before turning back to Tenn. "How are we supposed to do anything about it if we don't even know how this happened in the first place?" Gaku argued.
Tenn didn't know the answer to that either. Silence fell over them as each of them pondered their thoughts.
"Maybe this is a dream..." Ryuu muttered to himself, trying to find an explanation.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Ryuu, but I can assure you one hundred percent that this is not a dream."
"Why are you so sure, Tenn?"
"If I were dreaming this, Gaku wouldn't be here. For me, the time we spend together while awake is enough."
" Oi! What is that supposed to mean?!" Gaku immediately complained and straightened up. "Does that mean you dream about Ryuu, though? Then you better start dreaming about me too, stupid brat!"
Tenn ignored him, turning away and licking his paw pointedly. As if he would willingly admit that he did dream about both of his team members. Now and then. Rarely .
"Are you listening to me, Tenn? Hey!"
"Shut up, you're annoying," Tenn said, jumping down to his friends, with the urge to finally take action. "So we have no clues as to why all three of us woke up as cats today, right?"
"Right..." Ryuu and Gaku confirmed in unison, the latter still sounding a bit sulky.
Tenn sighed. This really was a mess. Especially since they didn't know how long this condition would last. However, he couldn't think about it any further, because suddenly a rumble broke the silence.
Ears pricked up, Gaku and Tenn looked around for the origin of the sound. When it resonated once more, their eyes fell on Ryuu, who avoided their eye contact, embarrassed.
"Ahaha, I um, haven't eaten since this morning..." He confessed sheepishly.
"Plan A after all!" Gaku exclaimed. "Come on, let's go get something to eat." Confidently, he padded off toward the kitchen. The other two followed their leader at a bit of a distance and eventually found him sitting in front of the refrigerator, looking up.
"What's wrong?" Ryuu asked, sitting down at Gaku's side.
"I'm thinking... how we're going to get up there and get something out," Gaku replied, staring at the door handle that was at an unreachable height.
"Ah! Umm, let me try!" Ryuu crouched down and zeroed in on his target. His pupils dilated, his muscles tensed, and his rump wiggled just before he leapt up against the handle.
With a crack , the refrigerator opened and Ryuu landed expertly on his four legs again.
Tenn and Gaku stared at him with wide eyes. "That was amazing, Ryuu!"
"Haha, you really think so?" Embarrassed, but happy for the praise, Ryuu watched as Gaku pushed the door aside with his head and looked inside.
"Hmmm, a lot of food in cans and jars. I hardly think we can open them like this, without thumbs..." He paused, continuing to rummage. "Oh! We also have a milk carton!"
Without further ado, he grabbed the cardboard packaging with his teeth, pulled the milk carton out of the door compartment, and dropped it to the floor in front of the others, where it came to rest on its long side. "Now. How do we get to the contents...?"
"Step aside," Tenn commanded, whipping out his claws. With the claw of his 'index finger', he slowly ran over the edges of the box and drew the outline of a rectangle. He then turned over the neatly cut-out side.
"As expected from Tenn!" Ryuu cheered, his mouth watering at the sight of the milk.
"Go ahead," Tenn encouraged him, glancing at their dinner. "You should eat something first."
Ryuu looked at them hesitantly. "Is... is this really okay?"
"Tenn is right." A sentence that was rarely heard from Gaku's mouth, which was why the other two looked at him in surprise. However, Gaku continued unperturbed. "You're the hungriest of us, so you start. Simple."
"Okay. Thank you very much. Itadakimasu!" Ryuu bent over the opened milk carton and began lapping up the delicious liquid with his tongue. He was so greedy that some drops splashed out.
Tenn took a few steps back as a precaution, while Gaku sat patiently at Ryuu’s side and laughed to himself. His eyes lit up as he watched their oldest member.
A few minutes later, Ryuu sat up again and licked his little mouth. "Waah, that felt good! Now I feel full." He had also nearly finished half of the pack by himself, but the other two didn't complain.
Carefully, Gaku and Tenn approached the leftovers and exchanged glances.
"You can go first—" They said simultaneously.
"No, you—"
"..."
"Okay, then I'll start—"
They both leaned down at the same time and bumped heads with each other. Ryuu had to pull himself together not to laugh out loud. As often as his team members argued with each other, they were still on the same wavelength.
Satisfied, Ryuu watched as the two grumbled and decided to drink at the same time, one on the right, one on the left. Unlike him, they drank slowly and in control, and for a while all that could be heard was the steady lapping.
Gaku stopped first and looked thoughtfully at Tenn. His long, white fur shone neatly and his bushy tail twitched rhythmically back and forth as he drank the last drops of milk.
If Gaku didn't know this was his friend, he'd think it was just a regular cat. That's how well Tenn fit the role. The idea was kind of ... cute.
Tenn noticed his stare and raised a non-existent eyebrow. "What?"
Caught off guard, Gaku shook his head. "Nothing. Just thought you were really into that milk ," he teased, trying to distract from his true thoughts.
"Is that so? Maybe you shouldn't stick your nose into everything," Tenn retorted. When Gaku looked at him questioningly, Tenn pointed his paw at the other’s face.
Sheepishly, Gaku ran his tongue over his nose and licked off the milk that was stuck to it.
"Now that that's settled," Ryuu began, having gotten into the habit of staying out of the playful banter between his partners.
"What do we do next?"
"I think we should split up and look for something that might be useful to us," Tenn replied. "Then we'll meet in the living room in half an hour."
The other two made confirming sounds and then each went their own way to a different area of the apartment.
Tenn set out to inspect the bedrooms. But other than the usual furniture and a few lost items under the shelves and beds where he usually did not go, he found nothing out of the ordinary.
Peering out the window, he just saw the last rays of the sun disappearing on the horizon and decided to return to the others.
But in the living room, where they were supposed to meet, only an empty room awaited him. "Gaku...? Ryuu...? Where are you?" Those unreliable adults... Tenn fretted inwardly and carefully padded through the silent apartment, his ears pricked up to listen.
Then he heard a rustling coming from the bathroom. Curious, he approached the open crack of the door and poked his head into the room. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a quick movement of gray.
Sure enough. Looking closer, he saw Gaku standing on his hind legs in front of the window, his front paws pressed against the glass and his tail flicking excitedly.
"What are you—" Tenn wanted to know, but he was immediately interrupted.
" Shhh! " Gaku hissed back. "There's an insect. I have to catch it!"
Tenn watched dumbfounded as Gaku sat down, followed the insect's movements closely so that his head went with it, before shooting back up and slamming his paw against the glass. After that, the whole process was repeated once, twice, three times ...
Impatiently, Tenn took a seat behind him. "You do know that the insect is on the outside of the window, right?" When all he got back was another 'shhh' , Tenn's patience finally snapped.
His eyes fell on Gaku's tail, which was still jerking wildly. And before he knew it, his own hunting instinct was triggered. Coupled with the desire to get one over on the other.
At the same moment that Gaku was about to hit the glass the next time, Tenn jumped on his tail and held it down.
Gaku felt an unpleasant urge to force it free again. But then a sudden pain ran through him.
"OUCH! You...! "
Tenn had used his teeth to keep his prey from escaping him. But Gaku would not put up with that so easily. "Just you wait... If I get my paws on you!"
And so began a wild chase across the apartment.
Gaku was persistent, but Tenn was no fool and took cover behind the furniture. Besides, he was very agile and good at dodging, despite his longer fluffy hair.
He was running out into the hallway when he saw Ryuu lying by the shoes at the front door.
Distracted, he didn't notice Gaku approaching him from behind. And from one moment to the next, he was lying on his back on the floor, pinned down by two gray paws. "Got you at last," Gaku said proudly, a smug look on his face.
"Took you long enough," Tenn countered. However, before Gaku could start another spat, he added in a seductive tone. "So, what are you going to do to me now?"
Gaku, only now realizing the position they were in, gulped audibly.
Ryuu's deep voice saved him from the awkward situation. "Don’t fight, you two." For some reason, Ryuu sounded deeply relaxed.
After a moment's hesitation, Gaku let go of Tenn and joined Ryuu.
"What are you doing here with the shoes, Ryuu?" He wondered as the older cat began rubbing his cheeks, whiskers and all, against a shoe. First one side, then the other, and then all over again.
"I don't know either but... somehow these shoes smell really good," Ryuu tried to explain his behavior.
"Oi, those are my shoes!" Gaku noticed as he looked closer.
"Ah, that explains it..."
"Why are you cuddling my shoes when the original is standing right next to you!"
Ryuu raised his head and paused for a moment to think. "The more I rub myself against Gaku's shoes, the more they'll smell like me, right?"
" Oi , then I'll mark your shoes, too!" Gaku decided and started rubbing himself all over Ryuu's shoes, spreading his scent on them. After a short while, he felt an unexpected relaxation set in. "... You were right, Ryuu. This is really pleasant."
"Right?" Ryuu and Gaku continued as if there was nothing else in the world but them and the shoes. "Hey, Tenn. Why don't you join us?"
I'm surrounded by idiots. Tenn thought. He had been watching the whole scene from a safe distance. "No, thanks. I think at least one of us should keep a clear head."
"Don't be a killjoy, brat, and—"
At that moment, they heard a noise from the front door.
The turning of a key.
But all three of them were home. And they weren't expecting anyone else today... Cautiously, they slipped into the shadows behind a shelf and waited.
When the door opened and the lights came on, a familiar manager stood in the doorway and called out in a distraught voice, "Gaku, Tenn, Ryuu? Are you guys home? I've been trying to reach you all day! Why aren't you guys answering your phones!"
"Hey, it's just Anesagi! Maybe she can help us?" Gaku whispered to the others. Tenn was about to object, but by then their leader had already left their hiding spot and was running towards their manager.
"Gaku, wait! What a fool, " Tenn cursed under his breath and ran after him, closely followed by Ryuu. They reached him just as he tried to call attention to their situation.
"Anesagi! Hey! We're down here! You won't believe what happened, but—"
Anesagi was taken aback when she saw the three cats and rubbed her temples in stress. "Oh no, what are you guys doing here? I told those three no pets , didn't I?"
"Meow? Meow, meow meow, meoow!" Sounded excitedly from the gray cat's mouth, and Anesagi frowned.
"Sorry, pussycat, but I don't understand feline." Unsure, the manager looked around the apartment. "Did the three of them just leave you here alone?"
"She doesn't understand us..." Gaku muttered in disappointment.
"I could have told you right away that this was a bad ide- uwah!" Tenn didn't get far with his lecture, as Anesagi suddenly grabbed him by the back of the neck and lifted him up.
It was painful.
Tenn's whole weight suddenly hung on a few muscles and fibers. But he couldn't fight it. His body was frozen. The transport immobility had set in on him, and Tenn felt as if he were trapped in his own body.
"I guess it's better if I take you to a shelter," Anesagi sighed wistfully, approaching the exit with Tenn in hand.
Animal shelter!?
No! That couldn't happen now. How would they ever get out of there once they were locked up? Everyone would think they were normal cats and eventually want to adopt them.
And Gaku, Ryuu, and Tenn would eventually end up in different families and never see each other again—!
I don't want to lose them...
Fear rose in Tenn and the closer they got to the door, without him being able to stop it, the more panicked he became.
"Gaku... Ryuu... help me..." Tenn whimpered desperately.
As if on cue, Anesagi suddenly let out a high-pitched scream and looked down at her leg, into which Gaku had mercilessly sunk his claws. But she didn't have time to shake him off, as something brown and tabby jumped at her out of nowhere.
In shock, she dropped Tenn, who luckily landed softly on his four paws.
"Ah, help! Have you gone mad!" She screamed, trying to fight her way free. But Gaku and Ryuu retreated on their own when they noticed Tenn was safe again.
"Are you all right, Tenn?" Ryuu, who had stepped to Tenn's side, asked anxiously. The youngest of them had quietly crouched down on the floor.
"I... Think so," Tenn answered hesitantly. The pain at the back of his neck was slowly subsiding, but his little heart was still pounding madly from the experience.
"Are you sure? You're shaking..." Without waiting for the answer, Ryuu snuggled close to Tenn and began carefully licking the fur on his head.
For once, Tenn accepted it without argument and looked up at Gaku, who had been watching them briefly and now stood protectively between them and Anesagi.
Silver eyes pierced into Anesagi's and Gaku's posture clearly meant: If you want to hurt them, you have to pass me first!
Gratefully, Tenn closed his eyes and let Ryuu take care of him.
I am safe with them.
No one would be able to separate them if they had each other’s backs.
Anesagi sighed loudly and shook her head. "Really. You... you remind me a bit of those three."
After letting the situation sink in, she couldn't bring herself to take the cats out of the apartment against their will anymore. "Alright, you can stay here for now . Until I have had a serious word with your owners."
With that, she turned on her heel, turned off the lights, and left the apartment the same way she had come.
Gaku gazed after her for a moment, then turned back to Tenn and Ryuu. "Are you sure you're not hurt?"
"Hmhmm," Tenn hummed.
"I'm sorry," Gaku admitted, ashamed. "It's my fault that you almost... That we all almost..."
Tenn opened his eyes. Now that the sun had finally set, the room was completely in darkness, but he could still see almost as well as he could during the day.
Gaku's ears hung low and he made a truly distressed impression.
"You acted rashly. That was reckless and stupid of you!" Tenn scolded him. Then his features softened. "But… I know you were just trying to help. And in the end... you protected Ryuu and me. Thank you... " He mumbled the last part barely audibly, but nothing escaped the others’ cat ears.
"Tenn..." Gaku looked visibly relieved.
"I think it's getting late," Ryuu cautiously spoke up and stood up.
"Aren't cats nocturnal?" Gaku replied, puzzled. But he understood when Ryuu pointed his head in Tenn's direction, who looked tired after everything that had happened. "Oh... Yeah, let's go to bed."
"Too far..." Tenn muttered, dragging himself towards the sofa. With the last of his strength, he managed to jump up the half meter and then lay down after turning in a circle.
"Cold..." He complained quietly, looking down at his friends, who understood the implied request and hurried to join him in his nest.
Ryuu snuggled against Tenn's back, while Gaku wrapped himself around Tenn's front. It was warm and secure. Satisfied, Tenn closed his eyes and snuggled into his partners’ fur. It wasn't long before he was asleep, purring softly.
Gaku and Ryuu exchanged glances over his back before affectionately watching their center sleep.
"Let's see what tomorrow brings," Gaku whispered after a while, resting his head on Tenn's back. "Good night."
Ryuu waited patiently until Gaku had also fallen asleep, and then stayed awake for a little longer to watch over both him and Tenn. Eventually, however, he could no longer keep his eyes open and joined them in their dreams.
The next morning, Anesagi entered the apartment again to check on Gaku, Tenn and Ryuu after her attempts to contact her idols had been in vain all day yesterday.
She was all the more surprised to find the three of them curled up on the sofa like cats.
Gaku was lying on his back, Tenn had sprawled across him, and Ryuu was encircling them both with his arms, holding them all together.
It was a miracle they didn't fall off the sofa.
Shaking her head, Anesagi pulled out her phone.
She certainly would not miss an opportunity like this.