My Childhood Friend Meows Under My Skirt. (GL) - Chapter 4

Following the footprints I had left behind, I shortcut down the slope of the mountain path. I picked up speed more than I had anticipated, feeling less like I was descending and more like I was falling. I stumbled spectacularly just once along the way, but since I hadn’t twisted my ankle, it was no problem. I could keep running.

When I reached the foot of the mountain and crossed the bridge over the moat, I was suddenly struck by a strange sensation. For just a moment, I felt as if my body had lightly lifted off the ground. Could it be related to the magatama hanging around my neck?

Before I charged ahead on my bicycle to my destination, there was a place I had decided to stop by. Kimizu-san had said that if I were to face things alone, I would need to be prepared. I just happened to have something at home that could be useful for that preparation.

I jumped off my bicycle in front of my house. I didn’t even have time to set the kickstand. With a loud clatter, I caught the attention of my mother, who came to see what was going on. She looked at me, covered in branches and dirt, with wide eyes.

“What happened to you?!”

“I’ll explain later!”

“That’s the line of someone who isn’t going to explain!”

I dashed up the stairs and burst into my room. The necessary tools were all gathered in one place. I stuffed everything I could into a tote bag I had received as a participation prize from the local shopping district’s cat cosplay contest.

I hugged the bag as I left the house and hopped back on my bicycle. With that, I was ready. Now, I just needed to decide where to go.

“It might be worth looking for places not just where the white cat is, but where Matsuhara-san might go as well.”

There was no guarantee that the destination I was thinking of was the right one. I had spent countless moments with Maki in various places, yet when it came to meeting up, only one place came to mind.

If my smartphone were to stop working, if I had no phone or means of contact, but still knew we were supposed to meet, I would surely choose the same place. A location that only Maki and I shared.

I sped through the quiet residential area at night. There was no one passing by.

As I tried to cut through the Miyage Town shopping district, I turned right at the intersection in front of me, and that’s when it happened.

“Whoa!”

Suddenly, a shadow leaped into my line of sight from the open street on the right. I mismanaged the handlebars, scraped my bike against a fence, and finally lost my balance, tumbling down dramatically.

As I got up and tried to retrieve my bicycle, a black cat jumped onto the handlebars of the fallen bike. It was the very shadow that had startled me. Puffing up its tail as if to intimidate me, it stood its ground.

Then, one by one, two or three other stray cats leaped down from the fence and rooftops. Three more that had been hiding behind a telephone pole joined in. The group of cats bristled their fur and openly directed their hostility toward me.

So this was what Kimizu-san had meant by resistance. The white cat, Maki, might be giving orders to her companions to keep me at bay. If that were the case, then I must be heading in the right direction.

Stray cats began jumping onto my bicycle one after another. Just as I wondered what they were up to,

“Ah, wait, wait, wait!”

They brought their mouths close to the wheels and all at once bared their fangs and bit down. As they twisted their heads, I heard a loud hissing sound as air rushed out from the tire. They had successfully punctured it. Along with the anxiety of being delayed, I couldn’t help but be impressed by their unusual intelligence.

“Grrr!” a black cat growled, entering a battle-ready stance. Another stray cat followed suit, hissing at me. It wouldn’t be surprising if they attacked at any moment. Even the slightest movement could trigger their timing.

At my feet, a tote bag had fallen from the bicycle basket. Inside were the tools I had prepared for this situation. Would I be able to reach it in time?

As I tried to rise, putting strength into my legs, the gravel of the asphalt crunched slightly beneath me. That sound broke the dam of the cat horde.

The black cat charged forward.

I couldn’t hesitate.

I lunged for the tote bag and swiftly pulled out one of the items inside. At the same time, the black cat leaped. Its outstretched paw, with sharp claws, was aimed right at my face.

I aimed the gun I had pulled from the bag with one hand. It was heavier than I had imagined, and the barrel veered off target. I quickly steadied it with both hands and aimed at the charging black cat’s face, pulling the trigger.

“Meow!”

I couldn’t tell if it was my scream or the black cat’s cry that rang out.

The black cat, hit squarely in the face, miscalculated its landing and rolled away. Perhaps it panicked from the unexpected attack, flailing about in confusion.

“I-I’m fine! It’s just water! This is a water gun!”

I showed the gun I was holding, but of course, it wouldn’t understand. It was the largest water gun I had prepared at the shopping mall near the station.

Originally, it was one of the items I had prepared to suppress the runaway blessing of Maki’s cat. There were several other tools waiting for their moment to be used. This was my countermeasure.

Three other stray cats charged at me simultaneously. I shot water at them in order of their approach. I missed the first few shots, but hit all the rest. Just like the black cat, when they got splashed in the face with water, they lost their composure and began rolling on the ground. As one cat fled, it triggered a gradual retreat of the group. However, new cats were also gathering. Cats were coming toward me from the other side. Normally, this would be a scene that would make me drool with happiness, but right now, it felt so regrettable.

“I’m sorry! I’m in a hurry! I have to go!”

A few of them seemed to respond with loud yowls. If they gathered any more, I wouldn’t be able to manage. I gave up on retrieving my bicycle and decided to head on foot.

With the tote bag and water gun in tow, I dashed through the night in Miyage Town, chased by countless cats.

As I passed through the shopping district, the number of cats following me increased even more. It wasn’t just the ones I could see; I could sense their presence all around. The shuttered shops, devoid of any human activity, were now filled with cats. It was the complete opposite of the lively scenes during the day.

Seizing an opportunity, a tabby cat approached. I retaliated with my water gun, but the water didn’t hit at all. It was difficult to shoot while running. However, it seemed to have served as a deterrent, as the tabby momentarily backed off.

I was starting to run out of breath, but my legs wouldn’t stop. Even though it should have been exhausting, I felt like I could run forever. I didn’t want to regret later that I hadn’t taken this step.

I passed by the butcher shop that served my favorite “Miyage Cat Croquettes” and “Miyage Cat Menchi Katsu.” About halfway through the shopping district, a second wave of attackers arrived.

I readied my water gun and shot. This time, I hit on the first try. The startled cat jumped, causing a few others to tumble in a chaotic accident.

As I leaped over the rolling group, another wave charged at me. Distracted, I noticed two tortoiseshell cats approaching from the front.

What should I do? Which one should I aim at? If I focused on one, I wouldn’t make it in time.

Can I dodge?

No, that’s not it; I don’t need to dodge.

I’ll make them dodge.

In a flash of inspiration, I pulled out something I had prepared from the tote bag. A red ball, the size of a ping pong ball. I scattered it carelessly toward the pursuing group. Since it was made of sponge, it didn’t bounce much.

A few cats hesitated and moved away from the ball. But a second later, the group began to be drawn toward the fallen ball.

The cats started to fight over the ball. The scattered balls bounced here and there, causing the group to disperse. In doing so, I completely separated myself from the cats that were chasing me.

“Yes! Success! The catnip grenade worked!”

A handmade catnip-filled ball. Even though they had received orders to chase me, they couldn’t resist their instincts. I was glad it worked. It had taken me twenty minutes to make one. I had to hollow out the sponge and encase a catnip tea bag inside, which was particularly tricky.

I shot at the two tortoiseshell cats charging at me with the water gun. I hit one but missed the other. The two cats darted into an alley between the shops, successfully clearing the way. My hit rate was still unreliable.

Checking my water tank, I saw there was about half left. I wouldn’t easily find a place to refill. I couldn’t afford to waste it.

I managed to escape the pursuing group as I exited the shopping district. The wide road was easy to target and would likely be easy to spot from afar. I couldn’t afford to take too many detours, but I needed to choose my path carefully.

Returning to the residential area, I turned a few corners to shake off my beloved cats. Though I couldn’t see them, I could hear the sounds of footsteps all around me, traveling along the roofs of the houses. I wondered how Maki would express the current situation. She might complain, “Am I Ellen Ripley from Aliens 2?” and I could already envision myself retorting to her obscure metaphor.

Seizing the moment when I let my guard down, a cat leaped from a house roof like a missile. As a shadow brushed right next to my face, a sharp pain shot through my cheek. Today was a day I seemed to be getting injured on my cheek a lot. Illuminated by the streetlights, I realized the missile was a calico cat.

I aimed my gun at the attacking calico cat to fend it off. Just as I placed my finger on the trigger, another cat leaped onto my back. It must have been hiding in someone’s yard. I felt its claws dig in, and I instinctively bit my lip. It hurt a lot and was agonizing. But I couldn’t act recklessly. Love is so difficult.

I pulled out a catnip ball from my bag and brought it close to the other cat’s nose. The claws that had dug in loosened, and it quickly jumped away. The calico cat was also drawn to the scent of the catnip ball, pulling it away from my consciousness. As the ball rolled down the slope, the two cats chased after it and disappeared.

As I climbed the slope, I could see the high school I always attended. I circled around the school grounds, aiming for the path that led down the hill. I caught sight of the fence I often watched from during committee work. I briefly thought about Maki being at school, but there was still no sign of her.

Descending the hill, I spotted a wide space clearly separated from the lights of the houses and street lamps in the residential area.

Miyage Town Central Park.

Maki must be there.