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

After leaving the Miyatai Shrine, we continued walking without a destination in mind. It was immediately clear that Maki, who was walking ahead, was not heading straight home, and I didn’t stop her.

Before I knew it, we had reached the edge of town. As we walked along the national highway, a wide park appeared beside us. It was a park we knew well. We passed by a sign that read “Miyage Town Central Park” and entered. Even on holidays, the parking lot was never completely full, and there weren’t many people around. Among the various areas, only the picnic space where children often played was filled with the sounds of laughter.

As we walked past people walking their dogs and others jogging, we made our way through the park. If we continued deeper, we would reach the hilltop that we used to frequent until middle school. The top of the hill was circular, with a large fountain at its center. If it hadn’t changed, there should still be well-maintained flower beds surrounding it.

From beyond the woods, the sound of the fountain began to reach my ears, causing my heart to skip a beat. Maki stopped there and sat down on a nearby bench. It seemed she had no intention of getting any closer to the hill. I felt a sense of relief, which I found slightly distasteful.

“Water.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m thirsty. Water. There’s a vending machine over there.”

“Ugh… just go buy it yourself.”

Groaning, I thought of at least three reasons I couldn’t refuse, so I reluctantly stood up.

I headed to the vending machine next to the public restroom, bought some water, and returned to find Maki pulling out a small bottle. I couldn’t tease her by asking if she had a stomachache.

Even when I offered her the water, Maki didn’t immediately open the bottle. After sitting beside her for about a minute, she finally spoke.

“I don’t love cats as much as you do.”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t dislike them, but if it came down to my life or theirs, I would definitely choose my own.”

“…I think I would end up doing the same.”

“I feel sorry for them, but I don’t think it’s wrong. It’s necessary. I don’t care if I’m seen as cold-hearted. If I’m hated for this, it doesn’t matter.”

“I wouldn’t hate you.”

And I wouldn’t.

Before I could respond, Maki opened the bottle and quickly swallowed a pill.

In the grassy area across the street, a parent and child began playing badminton. While watching them, I silently listened to the sound of Maki drinking the water.

The day after receiving the seirogan infused with divine power at the Miyatai Shrine, I received a message from Kimizu-san.

“During the initial phase, there’s a possibility that the white cat will resist and thrash about when it comes out, so I think it’s best to prepare some countermeasures.”

That was what it said. She also sent a selfie video of herself practicing a new Japanese dance routine, but I ignored that.

At the shrine yesterday, paw pads had appeared on Maki’s palm. The next thing to come would be the theft of consciousness. I needed to think of countermeasures quickly. What I could do was probably to create tools for that purpose.

To put my ideas into action, I fully utilized Sunday to gather materials. If I was going to collect cat-related items, there was no better place than this shopping district.

As I mainly visited craft supply stores and pet shops, I found the same poster posted all over the shopping district. It seemed to be for some kind of event, and as I got closer, the text jumped out at me.

“Disguise yourself as a cat during the week! Dress up as your original cat and stroll through the shopping district!”

It was an annual event held to coincide with Golden Week. For about a week during Golden Week, people could walk around the shopping district in cat costumes. Some stores offered discounts for those in costume. This town, which is also a tourist spot, becomes particularly lively during this time.

“If Maki walks around, she won’t even need a costume.”

Laughing, I decided to take a flyer. By the time I got home and reached my room, the flyer had somehow disappeared, but there was something more important than that. It was the countermeasures against the (expected) thrashing white cat. Every creature has something it dislikes. And when it comes to cats, I know a fair bit.

I had created various items to soothe and entertain cats, but this was the first time I was making tools to do the opposite. I thought I might feel some resistance, but surprisingly, my hands moved swiftly. Perhaps I just enjoyed thinking about cats while working with my hands. Of course, it would be best if I didn’t have to use them at all.

I became so engrossed in making the tools that I ended up working until three in the morning. Once I start on something, I can’t stop. I think it’s a trait I inherited from my mother. That same mother was busy planning a trip with my father for Golden Week. Unfortunately, I had two school days during that period, so I couldn’t go.

The next morning, I was woken up by a phone call at seven-thirty. Thinking it was Kimizu-san, I answered, only to find it was Maki.

“Come quickly! Hurry!”

“Uh, what happened?”

“It’s hard to explain, just come!”

Her tone was so urgent that I hurriedly got ready and left the house. I also packed the countermeasure tools I had just finished. What on earth had happened?

I pedaled quickly to Maki’s apartment. At the entrance, I turned the key and entered. I had been entrusted with a spare key just in case something happened. I had intended to attach my favorite cat keychain to it, but I never expected to use it so soon, so it looked rather plain.

I reached the fifth floor where her room was and pressed the intercom button at the door. No matter how long I waited, Maki didn’t come out. The door was locked, so I opened it without permission and stepped inside.

“Maki?”

“Over here! Hurry!”

The voice came from the bedroom at the back of the living room. I sensed something was off, even more than what I had heard over the phone. Without taking off my shoes, I dashed down the hallway.

I burst through the sliding door at the back of the living room and jumped in.

“Maki! What on earth is—”

I was instantly rendered speechless by the sight before me.

Maki was lying on the bed, her hands shackled.

She was sweating, her face flushed. The sheets were disheveled, indicating she had already struggled for a long time.

On the floor a short distance from the bed lay a transparent plastic case containing keys. I didn’t recognize it, but I instinctively understood it was for unlocking the handcuffs. She hadn’t been bound by someone else; she had tied herself up.

“…Uh, um, is this a new play?”

“Of course not, you idiot!”

Maki barked.

“To prevent myself from thrashing around after turning into a white cat while I was sleeping, I tied myself up. And as expected, it seems I switched places, and when I woke up, the keys had flown away. I can’t reach them, so grab the keys over there!”

“Even if being seen makes it more exciting, I really didn’t want to be called out like this right after an all-nighter.”

“Listen to me!”

I understood the situation. Kimizu-san had obviously informed Maki about the possibility of the white cat thrashing around. Maki had taken her own countermeasures. Cats can’t unlock keys. As far as I knew, they could only open windows that weren’t locked. Tying herself up with handcuffs was indeed a fairly effective measure. The only problem was that the keys had flown away to a place she couldn’t reach.

“Quick, unlock this!”

“Ah, wait, don’t move!”

“Hey, what are you doing with your phone out?”

“Don’t move! It’ll be blurry. I’m taking a picture to report to Kimizu-san. Look, she’s concerned about you.”

“You’re just playing around! You’re going to laugh at this later!”

I took one picture from each angle. It was perfect. The next time Maki came to my room, I would develop the photos and put them on the wall.

Clank, clank, clank, Maki protested, banging the bed frame and chains. It was so loud that I couldn’t help but pick up the case and take out the keys.

“You don’t need to rush.”

“I’m in a hurry, for various reasons!”

“Why?”

I asked, but she suddenly fell silent. When I tried to make eye contact, she quickly looked away. She was definitely hiding something.

As I heard the sound of sheets rustling and glanced down, I saw her squirming her legs. She was biting her lip, seemingly enduring something. That’s when I finally understood.

“Oh, you need to go to the bathroom. That’s why you called me so early in the morning.”

“Now that you understand, hurry and unlock me!”

“It’s a crisis for a lady, right? I mean, it’s a crisis for a human being. If a high school student wets the bed, it would be the end of everything. In that case, it can’t be helped. Hmm, the key isn’t fitting into the keyhole properly.”

“Are you doing this on purpose?!”

“No, no, that’s not it. My hands are usually pretty dexterous, but I’m a bit bleary-eyed from the all-nighter. I’ve kind of forgotten how to turn the key. Plus, there’s only one key, and if it breaks, it would be a disaster, so I have to be careful. Hmm, it’s not turning. Is this the wrong way?”

“W-What do you want…?”

She squirmed her lower body, pleading desperately. Finally, I managed to draw out the words.

“Will you forgive me for all the sexual harassment I’ve done touching the parts of you that turned into a cat? And also, will you cancel the penalty of drinking a thousand needles, which seems to be seriously on the table?”

“You’re taking advantage of this situation…”

“Oh, I’m suddenly feeling sleepy. Maybe I’ll take a nap on the living room sofa.”

“Do it! I forgive you! So don’t go! Unlock me right now!”

I turned back from heading toward the living room and returned to the bed.

Then suddenly, I remembered how to turn the key, figured out which handcuff keyhole to insert it into, and turned the key with just the right strength so it wouldn’t break. As soon as the handcuffs were released, Maki pushed me aside and dashed out of the bedroom. I heard the sound of the bathroom door slamming shut, followed by a moment of silence. It seemed she had made it just in time.

I might have gone a bit too far with the teasing. I suddenly felt scared. Should I leave the room before Maki, who had recovered, killed me? If I made her something like a bracelet to keep the keys from flying away, would she forgive me?

As I lay on the bed, lost in thought, sleepiness truly began to overtake me. The ceiling I was staring at gradually became hazy. I kept drifting in and out of consciousness, with the intervals getting shorter.

Just as I was about to close my eyes one more time and fall completely asleep, something cold touched my wrist.

“Uh?”

Snapping back to reality, I looked at my right wrist and saw I was handcuffed. Before I could resist, Maki quickly grabbed my free left hand and put on a second handcuff. My bl00d ran cold. Oh no, this is bad.

“Uh, Matsuhara-san? Ahaha, I have some things to do, so I really need to go home…”

“Don’t say that, just relax for a while. Let’s say, for about one or two hours.”

Her smile was terrifying.

“You’ve always been ticklish, haven’t you? Can I test if you still are?”

“Wait, I’m sorry! I got carried away! I won’t do it again! I’ll delete the photos! Please, unlock these handcuffs right now! Aaaahhh!”

In the end, I was made to scream until my voice was hoarse.