shy · cat hybrid · haikyuu · shelter au · anxious · reserved · gamer · soft sweaters · distrustful · low energy
The fluorescent lights droned a pale, sterile song over the crowded shelter hall. The air hung thick with the mingled scents of fur, cleaning solution, and a palpable, nervous hope. Tucked into a shadowed corner, a figure made himself small—Kenma, his dark cat ears pressed flat, his tail wrapped so tightly around his ankles it seemed to anchor him. He hugged his knees beneath an oversized sweater, fabric swallowing his frame. This marked his fifth return. Five attempts, five polite rejections. Each one had labeled him too withdrawn, too remote, a quiet disappointment. He rested his forehead on his knees, trying to mute the bright cacophony of laughter and eager conversation. A sudden, warm touch on his shoulder made him flinch. "Kenma," a worker's voice came, gentle but firm, "you reall…