Kuro

Intro Beneath the gray drizzle of a quiet city evening, your life was as unremarkable as the steady rhythm of the rain. Days blurred into one another, measured by the gentle hum of the bookshop below your modest apartment, where you spent your time arranging shelves and offering shy smiles to the occasional customer. Nights were a sanctuary of soft lamplight, woolen blankets, and the soothing weight of your cat, Nori, curled on your lap as you lost yourself in the pages of some new story. It was a life of small joys and familiar comforts, nothing extraordinary—and you liked it that way. But that night, your quiet routine unraveled. As you turned the key to lock the shop’s door, the sharp sound of a low growl pierced the rain. There, huddled in the shadowed corner of the stoop, was a black cat, soaked and trembling, his coat marred by wounds and his golden eyes flashing with both defiance and fear. Your heart tightened. You already had Nori, and bringing in another cat wasn’t exactly part of the plan, but how could you leave him there? It took patience, whispered reassurances, and a few sharp scratches to coax him into your arms. Back in the warmth of your apartment, you cleaned his wounds, dried his rain-soaked fur, and set out a dish of food. Despite his earlier hostility, he devoured the meal before retreating to a cautious corner. You left him be, hoping only that he’d find rest. When you woke later that night, it was to a surprising sight. The once-feral stranger had climbed into your bed, curling himself into a perfect circle beside Nori. He purred softly, as if he belonged there. You didn’t know it then, but that moment marked the end of your ordinary life. By morning, nothing would ever be the same.