Putting together Shishihara’s interrogation:
O-hagi isn’t the sweet rice cake eaten during Obon—it’s the name of the cat the boy owns. The “doctor” was a vet, and after getting shots, the cat’s carrier broke, letting it escape. Chasing it, the boy found the cat but lost his mom. Hence, current predicament.
I thought heading to the lost child center was priority, but the boy whined about the cat, so we searched first.
“So this is the spot… Let’s see?”
We arrived at a giant globe monument in the mall’s center. Crouching, I peeked between the pedestal and floor.
“…Looks like he’s still here.”
Deep inside, a cat curled up. True to its name, pitch-black fur, slightly plump.
Even reaching out, it was too far. No net would catch it. The cat would have to come willingly. Tch, O-hagi sure had guts to groom itself like a king while ignoring human efforts.
Even the boy’s pleas were met with aloofness.
“Maybe we should buy cat food?”
As I wondered if the drugstore had any,
“Fuh-fuh-fuh… Fu-hahahahaha!”
Shishihara struck a dramatic pose, arms crossed like a guardian statue. Crouching, I stared at her from below, half-expecting a robot to rise from behind. How long’s this robot anime thing going?
“No need for cat food. Let me handle this, okay?”
“Ah… Yeah. Right, I forgot.”
The boy was confused, but I understood. Shishihara aimed her hands at the black cat like a targeting cursor.
“C’mon out, O-hagi-chan! We’re the same kind! No need to be scared! I won’t eat you or anything~?”
“…That guy wasn’t scared to begin with.”
I couldn’t hold back and interjected, but the effect was immediate. The ohagi that shouldn’t have even glanced my way reacted with what could only be described as a human-like “Uwoh!” response. Its amber eyes gleamed in the dim light as it fixed its gaze on Shishigahara – you could practically call it a burning stare. The previously lounging creature instantly rose to its feet, showing not a trace of wariness as it approached her with light, nimble steps.
“There! Gotcha, O-hagi-chan!”
In the blink of an eye, Ohagi was in the arms of Shishihara. Ohagi, in her arms, is so obedient that it’s hard to believe how hateful he was just a few moments ago.
“Wait, wait, that tickles, ahaha!
Just like that, Shishihara scooped him up. The once-aloof O-hagi now purred, nuzzling his nose against Shishihara body, especially sniffing her flat chest (pheromones at work?). I felt weirdly annoyed. Confirming it was male made me even more annoyed. Shishihara’s guard was too loose, even if it was just a cat.
“That’s amazing, Onee-chan!”
Unlike jaded high schoolers, the first-grader was delighted. Shishihara, thrilled by his reaction, chuckled smugly. Even I, who knew about Werecats, felt like it was magic.
“Why are you friends with O-hagi?”
“That’s because… I’m a cat too, you know!”
A “what-the-hell” line, but the kid’s pure innocence made it stick.
“Thank you, cat Onee-chan!”
A polite kid.
“You’re welcome~… Ah, how about this guy?”
“Don’t. It’ll just humiliate me.”
Watching Shishihara lead the way, being a reliable older sister,
while in front of Saku senpai, she’s a dutiful underclassman, cheerful among classmates, and with me, a slightly insecure girl. Each role different but equal,
complementing others, holding the group together.
I thought, maybe she instinctively knows how to act. Like a baseball player’s routine, it’s second nature. If she tries too hard, it breaks—like a pitcher with the yips.
In short, Shishihara’s best when she’s herself. No need for image changes—
“Does that mean I’m siding with the Queen Bee Gal?”
“Ugh, Queen Bee?”
That’s why adolescence is such a pain. I was already fed up with this zen-like philosophical mess when—
“Sorry I’m late—Tsubasa-kun, Maon-san?”
I glanced at the nasal-voiced girl calling us, and there stood Saku-senpai dragging Hikami-sensei along. One in a potato-jersey, the other in a lab coat—the last duo I wanted to interact with. They were heading straight for us.
“Oh my, what’s going on with that kid? Did he get lost? The information desk is on the third floor…”
She caught on too quickly. This wasn’t even the agreed meeting floor. Obviously, she’d been watching us from a distance with that smug grin, but since she showed up after sensing trouble, I’ll let it slide.
“…Saku-senpai, stop.”
“Eh? What?”
“Could you not come any closer?”
I stood in her way, but Saku-senpai tilted her head, asking “Why?” I couldn’t possibly let her pass. Behind me stood a first-grade boy, pure and untainted by the world. If Shishihara were here, pairing her with him would’ve been a sweet scene.
But now that this innocent kid was replaced by a mature (??) woman, the mood shifted completely.
“If this kid’s preferences get warped, it’ll turn into a full-blown crisis!”
“What does that mean? Huh? What does that mean?”
As always, people belong where they fit. That’s just how it is.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
Later, after the lost kid’s announcement was made at the information desk, the boy’s mother was found easily, and Shishihara, the hero of the situation, received the group’s thanks. The climax of today’s new member welcome party had arrived.
At the station plaza where we’d gathered in the morning, the club president gave a final speech, then confidently declared,
“Hands here… yosh!”
Papapapaa! We ended the day with a botched group clap that was way off-timing.
Hikami-sensei muttered something teacher-like like “Go home straight,” then vanished toward the taxi stand. (As expected of a bourgeois.) I watched Saku-senpai head down the stairs, saying “Good job today,” while I stayed put. Though we were going the same way, I hesitated to walk beside her red jersey.
“…Ah-choo!!”
An anime-style sneeze rang out. Shishihara sniffled, rubbing her nose.
“Ahh, no good—pollen’s flying everywhere today. The meds I took this morning wore off…”
“Stop making it sound like a dangerous drug.”
“Relax, I brought spares… Wait, it’s not even 4 p.m. yet? Uwaa!”
Glaring at her thin watch, Shishihara made a ghostly death metal “bweeeh” face. She looked like a bored high schooler on the surface, but there was more to her than that.
“Um~… Komori-kun, Komori-kun! Are you free after this?”
“No, I need to go home and trim my nails.”
“You’re free! Great! Let’s just hang out. I’ll even help pick out stuff you wanna buy. Or maybe we could catch a movie?”
In short, she just wanted to kill time.
“Shishihara, let me say this, though—”
“What?”
“Escaping reality won’t solve anything. “
” ………… “
“On Monday, we’ll be back in class, enduring boring lectures. During breaks, we’ll chat with friends and act stupid. You can’t just reset or redo real-life relationships like they’re nothing.”
In short, she should stop being stubborn and make up with her friend.
“…I’m not escaping reality or anything…”
She bowed her head, not out of defiance but discouragement. The sniffles were probably pollen’s fault, definitely.
“I just thought I’d bond with the new group… Is that… bad?”
“Not really. I wouldn’t stop you if that’s what you wanted. But after hearing your story, I changed my mind.”
“Your story? About stag beetles?”
“Yeah. Let’s say someone you care about gets hurt by cruel words. Feeling upset or angry is normal, but not many people can speak up. Not many can say ‘Stop it.’”
“…That’s…”
“I could never be that cool.”
Lately, I’ve been reminiscing a lot.
Trying to avoid life’s unpleasantness is like sweeping trash under the rug—it’s what I’ve been doing. That’s why I had to say it: Don’t make my mistake.
“True friends like that aren’t easy to find. There are tons of people who’d kill to have them… So treasure it. That’s all. Later.”
I could feel an unnecessary comment slipping out, so I ran. Shishihara’s face sunk as she sniffled, more pitiful than ever.
The fact that her sadness hurt me a little was already weird enough.
——You’ve got plenty of good points already.
I was even about to say something disgustingly sweet.
“I’ve gone insane…”
Yeah, this isn’t my scene. If this were Saku-senpai, she’d handle it better. Guess I’m not qualified to carry others’ troubles.
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