The Kitten
by Star Mirage
Disclaimer - Slam Dunk belongs to Takehiko Inoue and etc.
Author's note: I'm very grateful to Patty Nixon for her proofreading the fic and the valued comments.
Part One
It all started because of a cat. The black cat. And this black cat was crossing one famous Tensai's way.
"Hey, you! Stop! Don't cross my way!" the latter cried out, stopping sharply. "Halt, stupid pet!"
But the black cat, with a wag of its tail, just sped up. Only when it had reached the opposite side of the street did it stop, sit down and looked at the red-head impertinently.
Boiling with anger, Hanamichi strewed various curses and damnations on the cat. . . But. . . With a sense of fulfilled duty, the black cat rose up, stretched itself and ran leisurely away.
Hanamichi was furious. Today just didn't start out right. First at all, he overslept. Then there was that cat that intentionally (in Hanamichi's opinion) crossed his path, when Hanamichi was running for dear life to get to school in time. Because he has a test in the first class today. . .
And now. . . What he should do now? If he makes a detour, he will be all the more late.
Hanamichi made his decision. Cursing the black cat, he continued on his way, crossing the line that was drawn fatefully across his way.
* * * *
His whole day was very unlucky because of that black cat. In other words, his day was screwed.
Hanamichi was late to school and he failed the test. Then he realized that he forgot his money at home, so to have lunch, he reluctantly had to borrow a few yen. Then he had a fight with the gang that had a problem with him and his Gundan for a long time already. Unfortunately, there wasn't any trace of Sakuragi's Gundan around, so he had to deal with the gang by himself. Then, during the basketball practice, he had his usual fight with Rukawa, but with an unusual result. Rukawa beat him to a pulp. Besides that, Gori carped at the poor Tensai more than usual and he forced Hanamichi to clear up the gym with one of his teammates on duty, and it was none other than that stupid kitsune. . .
The reason of all his misfortunes, Hanamichi considered (not unreasonably), was that black cat that had met him that morning.
"I hate black cats. I hate all cats!" the red-head boy muttered, going home.
As if to spite the poor Tensai, the black cat (an exact copy of the matutinal spiteful creature) ran out on the road before the red-head boy. Seeing the reason for all his misfortunes that day, Hanamichi bursted up.
"Stand still, you stupid cat! Don't do it again to me! Don't or I'll kill you!"
Startled by the burning in those dark, green eyes, the cat stopped for a moment, and then it did the same thing as the morning black cat. Namely, it ran across the road before the boy. Savagely swinging his bag, Hanamichi rushed after cat.
"I'll kill you, bastard! Once I get my hands on you, I'll kill you!"
Enveloped in the passion of the pursuit, Hanamichi didn't notice the suspicious actions of the cat, who stopped from time to time and waited for the red-head boy's approach, before running further. Running after the teasing pet, Hanamichi also paid no attention to his surroundings. Only after leaping a fence, did the red-head find out, that he is in one of the urban parks.
The sparse lanterns along the walkways, gave unreliable light, lighting mystical fires in eyes of the cat, who was sitting nearby. Well, these eyes were the basic guide by which Hanamichi found his adversary. Having thrown his bag on the grass, and crept cautiously up to the cat, Hanamichi smirked.
Jump. . .
"Gotcha!" joyfully exclaimed Hanamichi, feeling the warm fur under his hands.
At the next moment, he got a hard thwack to the head.
"Get your filthy hands off me, pervert!"
Hanamichi lifted his eyes and discovered, that instead of the cat, he held in his hands a thin girl in a black furry jacket and black jeans. Hanamichi drooped his jaw.
"Take your filthy hands off me!" the strange girl repeated, adding another thwack to the poor Tensai's head.
Hanamichi did as he was told. He let her go and flopped down on the grass with shock. The girl gracefully shook off her clothes and looked angrily at the redhead boy.
"Why do you hate the cats so much that you even wanted to kill me?" her green eyes gleamed in dim light wrathfully. "Do you think it's so easy to be a cat? Let's see what you'll say when you become the one of us!"
Perplexed, Hanamichi stared at the girl, not understanding what she was talking about.
Meanwhile, the girl raised her arms up and uttered, "I, Miamoor - the Queen of the black cats, foredoom you, Sakuragi Hanamichi, to take on a cat form for three days!"
She clapped her hands, and then banged Hanamichi on his forehead. Surprised, he flopped down on his back. Only upon rising, did he think of how this strange girl knew his name. He asked her about that, but instead of the words only a meow sound came from his mouth.
"What the --" Hanamichi wanted to say, but again he heard 'meow'.
After rising up from the grass, he looked at himself and . . . fainted.
~ TBC ~
© Star Mirage, 2000