My Childhood Friend Meows Under My Skirt. (GL) - Chapter 2

The lively chatter of girls entering the restroom filled the air.

We exchanged glances. This was bad. There was no time to hide our tails. I could only imagine the expressions they would make if they found out, or what they might say. If this continued, it would be just like in the classroom, and Maki would become even more reluctant to attend school.

Before I knew it, I had grabbed Maki’s arm and we dove into a stall.

As we settled in and locked the door, I realized that the girls had entered the restroom. From the sounds, it seemed there were three of them. They had come to freshen up their makeup and immediately began chatting just outside the door.

Maki and I exchanged glances again. The proximity made us both look away. Any slight movement felt like it would lead to us bumping into each other, so we had to remain completely still. We had no choice but to wait it out. We absolutely could not make a sound. Oh no, I felt a sneeze coming on.

“(You idiot!)”

Maki managed to hiss in a whisper while immediately pinching my nose. Startled, I bumped my elbow against the wall, and a loud thud echoed. The girls outside paused their conversation for just a moment, but soon resumed their chatter.

Thinking it over, it was natural for there to be someone in a locked stall, and it wasn’t like we had to be completely silent. Maki seemed to realize this at the same time and released my nose. The moment she did, something—dust or air—rushed in and I couldn’t hold back a sneeze.

“Ha-choo!”

I let out a voice reminiscent of a sumo referee, surprising even myself. I felt like if I were to shout that in the ring, the wrestlers would start their match.

The girls outside noticed my sneeze and again stopped talking. Then they resumed. I wished they would leave soon. Were they planning to stay there until just before class started?

Then, as if something had struck her funny bone, Maki began to cover her mouth and curl up. Her shoulders shook slightly as she desperately tried to hold back laughter. I felt a twinge of guilt, but I remained surprisingly calm.

The girls’ chatter showed no signs of ending. With nothing else to do, I turned my attention back to Maki. Her short black hair, still sporting the same perm from years ago, framed her face. A hairpin shaped like a cat silhouette was clipped to the hood of her gray sweatshirt. She had always worn it like that since middle school. I was slightly taller than her, just enough that I could barely see the top of her head. Standing straight like this, I found myself looking down at her a bit.

After a year and a half, perhaps her appearance hadn’t changed much.

Except for one thing, the part that peeked out from under her skirt.

Even now, her tail continued to move. Sometimes it would stop, only to start swaying again as if searching for something. Maki was too busy trying to stifle her laughter to notice my gaze. She was completely unaware of the curiosity that was swelling within me, a curiosity that I found hard to suppress.

Just for a second.

Just for a moment.

I thought maybe I could get away with it and gently reached out my hand.

“Nhih!”

As I pinched the tip of her tail, Maki let out a high-pitched squeal. Startled, I quickly looked down and finally noticed my hand. With her hand still covering her mouth, she glared at me. Just like the ears that had sprouted recently, it seemed she was sensitive there too. And it was incredible. Even when touched, it felt just like a real cat’s tail.

“(Hey, stop that!)”

“(Just keep your mouth covered!)”

“(What are you saying…!?)”

I gently grasped and stroked the moving tail. Perhaps it was an unconscious reaction, but Maki began to lift her toes. What kind of sensation was overwhelming her? What would happen if I touched more? Would it come off easily like last time? No, in the end, it hadn’t come off; it had returned to Maki’s body.

Oh, I wanted to know. I wanted to know more.

It was undoubtedly Maki here, but at the same time, she was also a cat. Was it really okay to have this much time to touch a cat so freely?

“(Hey, you really need to stop…)”

“(I can’t hold back anymore.)”

“…!”

Maki grabbed my hand that was touching her tail, trying to stop me. I was confident I wouldn’t lose in strength, so I ignored her and continued forcefully. With each touch, I could feel her grip loosening.

“Nh, ku…”

Heat radiated from Maki’s body. Her hand gripped the hem of her uniform, and the tremors spread through her. She twisted her body, trying to escape, but there was no room to flee in the cramped restroom stall.

I pushed her down onto the toilet seat and held her there. Perhaps because I was bathing in her warmth, a strange sadistic urge began to blossom within me, completely unrelated to my original intent. I couldn’t stop. Even though I was aware of it, my hand wouldn’t cease its movements. Every time I touched her tail, Maki reacted again. And then—

“Hi, iu!”

Maki’s voice, resembling a scream, echoed through the stall. In my panic, I bumped my body against the wall and door, creating more dull thuds.

Finally, the girls outside completely halted their conversation. I could feel their gazes on us through the door. I heard the voices of the three girls.

“Hey, could this be…?”

“Wait, no way, since this morning?”

“Wow. So lively. Totally in puberty.”

They giggled, misinterpreting the situation, and walked away. We remained locked in the stall until their footsteps faded completely.

Maki was the first to open the door and step out. By the time I followed her, I had completely regained my composure. If possible, I wanted to close the door again and keep my distance.

Maki turned her back to me and said nothing. With her head down, I couldn’t even see her expression in the mirror. Hesitantly, I spoke up.

“Um, Matsuhara-san?”

No response.

“I mean, I’m sorry, I couldn’t hold back again…”

No response.

“I thought it was strange myself halfway through…”

Still no response.

“Please say something! I’m begging you!”

I bowed deeply, ready to prostrate myself if necessary. When I looked, the tail extending from her skirt was gently swaying.

There was a hint of her turning around, and when I cautiously lifted my face, I met Maki’s gaze.

With a cold expression that I hadn’t seen even during our falling out, and in a tone that conveyed no hint of jest, she said:

“For now, let’s go buy some needles.”

In the end, Maki changed into her gym uniform and hid her tail inside it, temporarily resolving the issue. I had brought her gym clothes from the classroom. Since she felt she couldn’t attend class, we decided she would leave early. I was allowed to accompany her.

On the way back, we stopped at a convenience store where I treated her to a lunch bento. I also offered her some snacks and juice. She told me she would contact me once she had the needles ready, and that was how we parted ways. I wanted to cry but held it back.

That night, I received a message from her. When I opened it, it read:

“The tail just disappeared. I’m feeling good, so I’ll hold off on the needles.”

Without sending any unnecessary emojis or stickers, I simply replied, “Thank you,” and closed the chat screen with Maki. Then I placed my smartphone down and howled in my room.

Yes! I’m saved!