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

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!”

As I stepped out of the entrance, Maki was just about to leap over the fence. With a silent landing, she momentarily looked like a real cat. I couldn’t help but wonder about the strain on her body from jumping down from the second-floor window. If she were to fall from a height that a cat could manage but would be unbearable for a human…

“This is bad, this is bad…”

I moved forward on all fours, still in my socks. Fortunately, it seemed that she couldn’t move as smoothly as a human, so she wasn’t as fast compared to a real cat, and it didn’t seem like the white cat had full control over Maki’s body yet.

I shouted “Wait!” several times, but Maki showed no signs of stopping. It was evening, and the residential area was gradually becoming busier. If even one person spotted her, who knows what would happen? The worst part was that Maki was wearing her school uniform. She would surely be identified immediately. What if someone recorded a video out of curiosity? She might not just skip school; she might never want to go outside again.

Maki turned a corner. Ahead lay a park. As I chased after her, she entered the premises and headed straight for the sandbox. The mere thought of a cat and a sandbox made me instinctively associate the two.

“She wouldn’t… use it as a toilet, would she?”

That was something I absolutely could not allow. To an outsider unaware of the situation, it would look like a high school girl on all fours using the sandbox where children played. Even if I explained that a white cat was involved, it would be a disadvantage in court.

As I rushed closer, the anticipated scenario did not unfold. Instead of using the sandbox as a toilet, she was greeting another tabby cat. They were sniffing each other’s noses, and the tabby didn’t seem to recognize Maki as a human. It was a genuine interaction between two cats who seemed to understand each other.

However, the danger was not yet over. Just beyond the park was a shopping district. If she made it there, it would truly be the end.

I scanned the park, but there were no people around. Well, there were two. A mother was hurriedly leaving, holding her small son’s hand. It seemed we had been spotted. But it was okay; we were still safe.

When I turned around, I noticed three cats gathering near the sandbox. They were part of the group that had been chasing Maki.

“Nyaa!”

Maki noticed the other cats and let out a high-pitched meow. It was clear she was trying to communicate. Following her lead, the cats quickened their pace. I had no idea what was about to happen, but I knew I had to do something before this scene became any more conspicuous.

“Maki-chan!”

Calling out, I pulled out the cat toy I had been playing with earlier.

I wasn’t sure if it would catch her attention, but Maki noticed me and the toy. She stopped interacting with the tabby and slowly approached. One step at a time, moving her hands and feet, not caring that gravel was sticking to her palms, she let out a small meow.

“Yes, just like that, keep coming.”

Once she got close, what would I do next? Carry her home? Would I even be able to? I probably could. It should be just about possible. I would likely have to hold her in front of me rather than on my back. That would be quite a precarious sight, but still better than a scene of a cat summit in the sandbox.

I waved the cat toy, shaking it with varying speeds to make it seem more lifelike.

Maki stopped, crouched down, and finally got into a pouncing position. I wished she would fix her skirt, which was hiked up to her waist.

“Come here!”

“Nyaa!”

Like a spring being released, Maki leaped at me. I was so slow to react to her speed that the cat toy I had been holding slipped from my grip due to the impact. It was easily snatched away. If she took it and ran off somewhere, that would be a disaster.

Without hesitation, I lunged at Maki, who was distracted by the toy. I covered her with my body as she struggled to escape, letting out muffled sounds of protest. After a few moments of resistance, I finally managed to lift her up.

“Alright, let’s—”

Our eyes met, and my words faltered.

I immediately sensed the human awareness behind those eyes.

Her ears and cheeks flushed bright red in an instant. I had seen this reaction before.

“Did you… come back? Are you Maki again, not just the cat? Um, if that’s the case, it would really help if you could not scream.”

“Higyaaaaaaaah!”

I was hit with a full-blown scream right next to my ear. She thrashed around more violently than a cat, and I lost my balance, tumbling down with her. The group of cats that had been gathering seemed to realize the white cat was no longer there and scattered in all directions.

Maki pounded the ground with her fists, as if trying to bury her parents beneath it, letting out groans of shame. Soon, I could hear her sobs. Though she usually seemed carefree, when cornered, her facade crumbled all at once.

“I can’t take it anymore, just kill me… just kill me already…”

“It’s okay, it’s still okay. We haven’t gone to the shopping district, and miraculously, no one has seen us. We’re safe, thank goodness, ugh…”

I was being choked.

For some reason, it felt like I was about to be killed. I struggled to free my hands, but she wouldn’t let go. Oh, she was really trying to kill me.

“Forget it, forget it, forget it, forget it, just forget everything!”

“Die…”

“There’s no way out except for you to die or me to die!”

Her attitude and expressions changed rapidly, just like a cat.

Maki came to school in the afternoon. I had thought she would take the day off, but she sat down at her desk without a hint of concern for being late. Then she began to exude her usual, unapproachable, dignified beauty. It was almost laughable at this point.

There was no opportunity to talk before the end of the day. I chased after Maki as she left the classroom and called out to her in front of the stairs. She still looked grumpy, but she turned around with less resistance than before.

“Can we talk for a minute?”

“I have to go shopping with my grandmother at five.”

“Just a few minutes. I have something I realized that I want to share.”

After a few seconds of thought, Maki climbed back up the stairs. She tilted her head up, and I understood her intention, following her to the rooftop landing.

During the morning when Maki was absent, I had organized the events that had transpired and formed a hypothesis. It seemed plausible, and it might help Maki in the future. So, I thought it would be better to report it sooner rather than later, stopping her, who was trying to boost her image as a caring granddaughter despite her delinquent behavior.

I showed her a scrap of paper from my notes that I had written on the rooftop. I began to read the contents aloud.

“I think there’s a sequence to how the curse of the cat that Maki is carrying manifests.”

“You even wrote a memo. So, what’s the sequence?”

“First, cat ears appeared. Then, I lost consciousness in the classroom.”

Following my words, Maki read from the memo.

“Um, then a tail appeared, and I lost consciousness again.”

“Exactly. So, so far, the phenomena have been alternating.”

“I see. Or perhaps the phenomenon of a body part turning into a cat occurs as a precursor to the white cat stealing consciousness.”

If we organized the phenomena so far, that process would hold. There wasn’t quite enough evidence yet to confirm the rule, but it was worth investigating.

Maki continued while looking at the memo.

“If this terrible curse follows the rules I just mentioned, the next phenomenon will be a body part turning into a cat.”

“Maybe another tail or cat ears, or perhaps something new.”

“Sounds good, I don’t think it’s wrong.”

With a strangely detached response, Maki roughly folded the memo and stuffed it into her pocket. She had always had a careless way of handling things, and even with a small piece of paper, that tendency was evident. The time spent together acted like glue, and her temperament and personality were not easily shed from her.

“Sounds good? Your reaction is so lukewarm. I thought it was a major discovery.”

“I told you before, but I’ve gotten a bit used to it lately. I can handle it calmly now, so even if I understand the rules now…”

“Masuhara-san, I don’t think someone who can handle things calmly would strangle another person.”

“I already apologized.”

“No, no, no, no, no, I didn’t hear a single word of that.”

She waved me off with a dismissive gesture. What a rude attitude. I’ve decided. By the time this exchange is over, I will definitely lower her favorability.

“I won’t let you go until you properly apologize.”

“I already told you I did. If you take the first letters of everything I said to you today since we met, it spells out ‘I’m sorry.'”

“…How can you think such a technical apology will work!”

She had indeed said that. From when she mentioned she had to go at five to the part where she said, ‘Sounds good,’ if you took the first letters, it did indeed spell out an apology. I had thought her expressions and responses were overly convoluted, but that was quite something. Just how much did she want to avoid apologizing to me directly?

“If you have no business, I’m leaving.”

“Ugh, nuuu.”

She started to descend the stairs, trying to leave. I thought about chasing after her, but I felt it would only make me look pathetic, so I gave up for today.

Just before she disappeared from sight, without turning around and showing no expression, Maki left me with one last remark.

“But, well, thanks anyway…”

That was a sly way to respond.