My Childhood Friend Meows Under My Skirt. (GL) - Chapter 3

After climbing the winding mountain path to Miyatai Shrine, the torii gate came into view. I waited for Maki, who was catching up, breathless from walking quickly.

As soon as we passed through the torii, I spotted Kimizu-san in the shade of a tree, holding a broom and practicing a golf swing. She was checking a video on her smartphone, which she had placed on the edge of the water basin, and hadn’t noticed us yet. It seemed she was planning to get into golf after her foray into matcha whisking and traditional Japanese dance. How many hobbies could one person have?

As I approached, Kimizu-san took another mighty swing. Her long gray hair swayed gracefully, pulled by the centrifugal force of her movement. Then, with a flourish, the broom slipped from her hands.

The broom fell nearby, and as Kimizu-san turned around, she noticed us.

“Oh, welcome! How have you been? How has it been since then?”

“I’m not quite well enough to be swinging a broom like that,” Maki said, picking it up and offering it back.

“They say the rotation of the hips is crucial. You can’t just swing with your hands. The grip is also quite tricky; it’s deeper than it seems.”

Tilting her head, Kimizu-san adjusted her grip on the broom. Then, as if remembering, she hurried to retrieve her smartphone, which she had left on the edge of the water basin. It seemed she still had a shred of shame or guilt after all.

“Isn’t it hard to swing in a hakama?” I asked.

“Ha ha, I can’t change into proper sportswear, you know. I’m at work.”

I doubted that a shrine priestess would be swinging a broom like that while on duty.

First, I needed to confirm whether she was a real priestess. I had a feeling that as we talked, I might get led astray or evaded, so I decided to ask directly.

“By the way, I thought the priest here was a man in his seventies?”

Kimizu-san answered calmly, showing no sign of distress.

“That’s right. There are two of us managing this shrine. The priest is the one who took care of me when I received the blessing of the cat. I call him my master.”

“And where is this master now?”

“He’s been hospitalized for a chronic illness for a few months. I try not to be out in public too much, but recently, I’ve had to come out like this more often.”

“I see.”

I wondered if she was just making up excuses or if it was the truth. If I asked for details about the hospital, would she become wary?

As she returned the broom to its intended use, Kimizu-san asked me, “How has your condition been since you started taking the medicine?”

“Not very good,” Maki replied simply, adding no further words.

“I see. The assimilation from the blessing might be progressing more than expected.”

“By the way, what happens if the assimilation progresses?” I asked.

Kimizu-san didn’t answer immediately, continuing to focus on the broom. After a few seconds, she seemed to come back to herself and looked at me.

“Assimilation is basically the act of the cat inside wanting to come out. Gradually, the frequency of this occurrence increases, and the time spent outside lengthens. Eventually, there will be a complete takeover of consciousness and clear changes to the body. You will become something that can no longer be called a human, nor will you be a cat.”

“…So, I’m going to die?” Maki asked.

“It depends on how you define death. Your consciousness may continue to exist. However, once you are completely taken over, it is very difficult to reclaim what was lost. I haven’t experienced that level of progression myself, so I can’t say for sure.”

The way Kimizu-san wielded the broom was surprisingly smooth and refined, as if it were an extension of her hand.

I decided to press further with my questions.

“Since starting the medicine, it seems like Maki’s condition has worsened.”

“…Are you saying the medicine is causing the phenomenon to progress instead?”

“Isn’t it?”

Kimizu-san paused her broom-swinging and thought. If I looked closely, it seemed she was seriously considering that possibility.

“I can’t say there’s absolutely no chance of that, but I think it’s unlikely. Have you noticed that no cats have come near this shrine? Simply put, that medicine has been imbued with a similar kind of power.”

Indeed, I had never seen a cat at this shrine. But I had assumed it was because they wouldn’t come close due to the moat.

“If there is a possibility, it might be that the white cat is resisting, making it seem like the phenomenon is worsening.”

“If that medicine doesn’t work, is there no other option?” I pressed on.

“There are alternative methods, but the approach would be different, so I can’t guarantee their effectiveness. In fact, the risks would be greater. The best course of action right now is to take that medicine.”

“What kind of risks?”

“I would get in a lot of trouble with my master.”

She only joked in response, providing no specific explanation. I wondered if she was genuinely concerned for us or if it was all just nonsense without any real reasoning. In any case, she insisted that we continue taking the medicine.

I wanted to ask a few more questions, but Maki turned on her heel and started walking away, as if our business was concluded. Kimizu-san saw us off as we descended the mountain path, telling us to contact her if anything came up. After we turned the corner and were completely out of sight, we both exhaled simultaneously.

“What do you think, Maki?”

“I don’t know. What about you, Ichika?”

“…I don’t know.”

It was hard to say whether Kimizu-san was truly trustworthy or if my doubts had been completely dispelled.

During gym class that day, Maki once again found herself the center of attention from her classmates. After a month of slowly restoring her presence to that of an average student since the commotion in the classroom, all her efforts were washed away in a single second of action.

The class was held in the gymnasium, where her classmates were engaged in various gymnastics events. The uneven bars, balance beam, vault, and mats were all set up throughout the gym. With a test coming at the end of the month, some practiced their weaker events, while others focused on their strengths, and some, adept at everything, managed to slack off just enough to avoid getting scolded.

As for Maki, she was diligently practicing every event, albeit with mediocre results. When I spotted her, she was just about to jump onto the uneven bars, and the other girls nearby were watching her with worried expressions. After a movement that was hard to tell if it was a forward roll or a backward somersault, she let go and fell onto the mat. Her movements were more indicative of someone lacking muscle than of athletic ability.

As usual, she didn’t engage in any conversation with her classmates, but as she passed by, someone kicked her heel with a disgruntled expression. It seemed they didn’t like that I was one of those students who could handle things effortlessly.

Keeping my distance, I was competing with Sakura-chan in separate events. So far, I had lost on the balance beam but won on the vault, mat, and uneven bars.

“Why don’t you join a sports club seriously? It’s such a waste,” Sakura-chan said.

“Hmm, it’s already May of the second year. Plus, I’m busy chasing after cats after school.”

“Speaking of which, you haven’t shown me many pictures lately. How about the neighborhood cats?”

Now that she mentioned it, that was true. I used to search for cats in every corner of the residential area on my way to and from school almost every day. Recently, the only photos in my folder were of a single subject.

“I have a lot saved up, so I’ll show you next time.”

“Oh, that’s fine.”

I deflected her question and moved over to the vault.

I saw that Maki was already in line ahead of me. As I weaved through the students sitting on the floor resting, it was soon Maki’s turn.

The gym teacher blew the whistle, and Maki took off running. She didn’t make the most of her run-up; rather, it seemed like her energy was dissipating with every step. For Maki’s honor, I decided not to watch the latter half.

I heard the sound of her hitting the springboard from behind, and at that moment, the students in line all let out a collective scream and cheer.

Sakura-chan beside me froze in place, captivated.

When I turned to look back, I saw Maki soaring through the air.

She effortlessly cleared the vault and soared far into the air. Without losing momentum, she grabbed the railing of the catwalk on the second floor against the wall. Another cheer erupted. The gym teacher dropped the whistle he had been holding in his mouth.

Before Maki could land after letting go of the railing, I instinctively took off running. I jumped down silently to the floor and was about to go on all fours when I grabbed her arm to stop her. The distance to the gym’s entrance was far too great. My eyes caught sight of the nearby sports storage room, and I instinctively headed there.

“Oh, this springboard is broken! The spring is messed up! That’s why she could jump like that; it was practically an accident! Are you okay, Matsuhara-san!? That was scary; let’s calm down for a bit over there!”

Still under the gaze of everyone, I entered the sports storage room and shut the door behind me. I could still hear the commotion outside. I wondered if that excuse would hold up. It didn’t feel like it would. In fact, it was far from okay. I would have to come up with a more reasonable explanation later.

“Argh.”

The cat, Maki, leaned against me and then collapsed toward the folded mat. I wouldn’t be able to leave the storage room until Maki regained consciousness.

So far, there were no signs of students or teachers approaching. The gym teacher’s whistle sounded, and the noise of the springboard continued. It seemed the class had resumed.

Maki began scratching at a nearby mat. The sound of her claws scratching grew faster and louder. Once she finished, she returned to me with a look of relief, as if she had just come home.

“Maki, you’re heavy.”

“Nyaa.”

She rubbed her cheek against me affectionately. When I petted her, she calmed down as usual. Occasionally, she looked around as if wary of something, then returned her gaze to me, scratching at me to be petted. To my surprise, a paw with pads appeared on her palm. The exchange of consciousness and the assimilation of a part of her body were happening simultaneously. It was a sign that the blessing was progressing.

There were about twenty minutes left until class ended. Would Maki return by then? I hoped she would stay quiet like this—

“Ichika.”

In that instant, all my thoughts vanished.

My name.

“…Huh?”