Ayakashi: Romance Reborn One-Shots

Nachi | A Nekomata's Annoyance

"(Y/N), stop! I'm sleeping!"

"A sleeping person doesn't talk, you know."

"I-I know that! It's obviously because you woke me up that I'm talking right now. Now let me sleep already!"

"But Naachii...! Aoi wanted your expertise on the new recipe, remember?"

Silence.

"Fine! I'm going to Raccord myself, then," you grumble under your breath, pushing yourself off the floor.

"R-Raccord?!" The Nekomata flings the blanket off of him promptly and scrambles to get up. "W-Why didn't you say you're going to Raccord? Wait, lemme change fast!"

He's a man of his words as he changes within a minute, and without looking back, he dashes out the door. You sigh and shake your head, smiling faintly, and walk beside him at a leisurely pace. "You must be that excited to try out Aoi's new recipe, huh. The last time I saw you get up this fast was when I made that sardine cake for you."

He hums in thought. "Well... that's part of the reason, but it isn't the main reason why I got up."

"It... isn't...?" You turn to look at him curiously, confusion written across your face. He notices and simply regards you with a closed-eyed smile, his tiny, sharp teeth showing. His lack of response is making your curiosity grow.

Before you know it, you guys are here at Raccord. Nachi opens the door in a dramatic way and gestures for you to go inside. Playfully, you bow and walk into the serene restaurant. A pleasant smell of butter and cinnamon wafts in the air—something new when it comes to Raccord as you usually smell rice omelettes, cutlet curry, or castella cakes.

"(Y/N) and Nach Nach!" Kuro skips over to you two and does his daily hugs; Nachi first, and then you. Kuro's hugs never fail to make you feel content and warm. You accept his hug graciously, nuzzling your face into his chest. Sensing that you need some extra comfort, he strokes your head.

Standing on the side, the orange-haired male's face contorts into a frown as he's growling quietly. His ears are flicking constantly, and his tail is swishing from side to side in a swift manner. His actions are done without realization, and it's only when Kuro points them out that he recognizes his feelings.

"Wh-What..." Nachi trails off, ears flattened against his head, "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm perfectly okay!"

Kuro pouts. "But you were clearly agitated about something—no, you're still agitated..."

"Well, you're wrong. Don't speak as if you know how I'm feeling!"

Due to the tense atmosphere, Nachi takes the chance to escape the stuffy restaurant. He hears his name being called by several people, but he doesn't pay any attention to them as he runs out the door. The final jingle of the bell fills the room, indicating his departure.

"Guys, I'm so sorry about Nachi. I don't know what's gotten into him," you apologize with furrowed brows. He appeared to be happy this morning, so what exactly happened to make him so upset? Pondering about it won't help; you need to find your friend and talk to him.

Aoi heaves a jaded sigh, and shaking his head, he says, "Go find him and bring him back. I still have a recipe waiting for him to try out."

In other words, it's Aoi's way of telling you to go talk through things with Nachi.

Once you leave Raccord, you immediately think of all the places of interest Nachi would go to, including the lake. You're confident he's there as the lake is one of the few places in the area that's very quiet and barren of people. It's the perfect place to settle down when you need time and space for yourself.

Panting, you reach the desired destination without trouble and much to your relief, spot the familiar orange head resting on the grass. He's staring out in the distance, seemingly watching the ripples of the gentle water and the tiny insects flying around playfully.

"Nachi," you call out softly as you make your way to the now startled male. Upon seeing you approach, he prepares to make a dash for it, but with your quick reflexes, you fall forward and secure him in your arms.

"Let me go!" He struggles in your grasp.

The way your expression softens makes him stop moving around. His golden eyes are boring into yours as he's mesmerized by how gently you're looking at him. It's making his heart soar, and he's suddenly finding it difficult to breathe, let alone be around you. Although you're his reason for living, for breathing, you're also the reason he's experiencing these annoying feelings of love, which he hates.

"Can we talk for a bit? Please?" you whisper.

Your sudden question brings him back to reality, and he finally notices the embarrassing position he's in. You're laying on your side, holding him close to your body as you're gazing down at him. His face is so close to yours that he can easily kiss you if he wanted to.

The thought of kissing you makes him turn away to face your clothing instead. He blushes profusely. God, he really has fallen for you.

"Sorry for overreacting..." Nachi mumbles, tugging at the ends of your outfit absentmindedly.

"So, what happened back there? What made you so upset?" you urge gently. He stops playing with the fabric of your outfit and flattens his ears slightly. You run your fingers through his hair slowly in an attempt to calm him down.

"When Kuro stroked your head, I don't know... I just—I got upset. Really upset. I didn't mean to lash out on him like that. I just... I felt..." he pauses, clearly hesitant to continue any further.

"Embarrassed," he finishes his thoughts after some time.

A lightbulb lights in your head. You hum in thought. "Ah, so is it right for me to assume the main reason why you got up so quickly this morning was because you're jealous of Kuro getting so close to me?"

For him to avert his gaze is an answer in itself. You chuckle at his flushed face and pull him into a warm and sturdy hug. He yelps in surprise and hides his face against you.

"H-Hey, we're in public!" he stammers. Despite his embarrassed state, you notice his tail flicking back and forth in happiness.

"It doesn't matter to me." You smile to yourself as you stroke his hair.

-♡-

Phew! I didn't intend to write so much, but a jealous Nachi was really inspiring for my brain. Only one more of the guys to go (Kagemaru) before I start doing repeats again.