My Childhood Friend Meows Under My Skirt. (GL) - Chapter 1

I thought something might flash through my mind before I died, but nothing came. I picked up the white cat that had dashed into the road, and when I looked toward the approaching truck, the vehicle was already inches from my nose. There was no time to think about what I wanted to say one last time, or what I wished I could have done, or what I wanted to eat; the silver body of the truck filled my vision, and then I was dead. I thought I heard a distant scream from Ichika, but it was probably just my imagination.

“Meow?”

I thought I was dead.

I blinked and realized I was lying on the slope of a forest, sprawled out like a frog that had given up on everything.

I sat up and looked around. The white cat I had been holding was gone. The trees creaked above me, and birds were chirping somewhere. Was this heaven? Was the trend in heaven these days to be in a forest?

Or perhaps it was hell. It might be that the entrance to hell is a seemingly peaceful place like this. But to go to hell after saving a cat would be too unfair. I think it would be better if Ichika fell into hell instead. If I had the right to transfer my fate to someone else, I would choose her without hesitation. I owe her that much.

While I was lost in these trivial thoughts, I finally realized where I was—Miyage Mountain. The only small mountain in town, not even a hundred meters high.

Just seconds ago, I had been at school, and now I was on Miyage Mountain. What on earth had happened? Why was I in a place like this? And where had the cat I was holding gone?

For the time being, I climbed up the slope and emerged in the grounds of a shrine. It was behind the main hall. Miyitai Shrine, which looked down on the town from its highest point. Although various places in town bear the name “Miyage,” for some reason, this shrine is called “Miyitai.” I don’t know why. It’s as incomprehensible as suddenly being transported to this place.

There was no one in the shrine grounds. I walked through and descended the stairs from the main gate’s torii. I passed a couple heading toward the shrine, probably tourists. After they stared at my face, they laughed for some reason, as if they found it amusing.

“Just as expected.”

“This feels like the town.”

The quiet conversation I heard from behind me made little sense. Did I have something stuck to me, like leaves? I hurriedly brushed myself off. The dirt and leaves that had clung to my hoodie and skirt fell away.

If only I had brushed myself off just a little earlier, I might have noticed the strange occurrence happening to me sooner. I could have avoided the cheerful smile from the elderly person who passed by.

I made my way down to the foot of the mountain. This mountain was also a castle ruin, surrounded by a moat. The surface of the water became a mirror for me. As I tried to cross the bridge, I suddenly caught a glimpse of my face reflected in the water, and my body froze.

Something was on my head.

Or rather, it was growing out of it.

I cautiously reached up, and soft fur brushed against my fingertips. As I continued to stroke it, I felt the bouncy texture of thin flesh. Each time I petted it, the ears sprang up instantly. Two cat ears.

“Why meeeeee!?”

I couldn’t hold back my scream.

What was happening? What was growing out of me? I had been suddenly transported several kilometers from school, and now I had cat ears. Was this a dream? Would I know if I fell into the moat and felt the cold water?

I regained my composure and looked around. There was no one else to see me. The couple and the elderly person who passed by probably thought it was just a costume or something.

“I can’t stay here…”

I had to leave. I needed to go somewhere no one could see me.

I quickly pulled up the hood of my hoodie and ran away. I felt like a fugitive on the run.

× × ×

When I got home, I took off the hood in front of the bathroom mirror to check again. I prayed that it had come off while I was running, but the ears were still firmly there. When I parted my hair, I saw they were attached securely at the roots.

Fur mixed with white and pink. I finally realized that they resembled the ears of the cat I had tried to save.

“What do I do? What do I do about this?”

Even as I muttered to the mirror, the reflection of myself didn’t answer.

The only thing that crossed my mind was a fragment of a rumor I had heard about this town for a long time.

“The cats that live in this town sometimes curse people.”

Oh no, I couldn’t help but let out a groan of despair. A curse? Is this a curse? After trying to help, why was I cursed? And why cat ears? Could it be that I would be like this for the rest of my life?

Was there anyone who understood this? Someone knowledgeable about curses? Or someone who knew about cats—. As for the former, I could only think of one person for the latter.

“…Ichika.”

I opened my smartphone. I thought about sending her a message, but then I remembered I had deleted her contact when we had a falling out.

What was Ichika doing now? Did she perceive that I had suddenly disappeared from that place? Was she out searching for me or calling the teacher for help?

If something happened while living alone, should I consult my parents first? But they weren’t close enough to come right away. The nearest person was my grandmother, who lived in the same neighborhood. She had told me I could consult her about anything, but I figured she was probably thinking about household chores, meals, or when I caught a cold—things like that. If I cried to her about suddenly growing cat ears, she would probably panic and end up taking me to the hospital in a frenzy.

So, in that case, the only person I could rely on was still…

“…I guess I’ll go. To her house.”

I remembered the location. If she hadn’t moved yet, I would be able to find it without getting lost.

I wondered how that cat junkie would react if I showed her. She would definitely scream. I had to prevent that at all costs. I needed to set the ground rules before revealing anything.

As I left the house, I instinctively grabbed an old hat I used to wear often and put it on as a charm. The ears made it uncomfortable to wear.

Feeling the ears move a few times inside the hat, I headed toward Ichika’s house.

(Extra Chapter 1 – End)