Chapter 55: I Was Comforting You, Not Asking You to Comfort Me!
The two accompanied Yukinoshita to the [Cat] zone.
Although they had just discussed some rather scary things, it still didn't dampen their enthusiasm for playing with cats.
He also liked these cute animals, or perhaps most exorcists fundamentally liked cute things, as a form of recreation.
"Mm."
As they approached the [Cat] zone, Yukinoshita couldn't take her eyes off it.
Luke clearly realized: although Yukinoshita's stride length remained the same, her frequency increased, quickly reaching the sign for the [Cat] zone.
The [Cat] zone had some climbing frames where many cats were resting and playing.
Below, there were also some toys provided for the cats to play with.
Simultaneously, magazines, relatively less prone to damage than paper books, chairs, and tables were provided for guests, allowing them to enjoy the pleasure of reading while playing with the cats.
Of course, the most indispensable things were the detestable coin box and the limited daily supply of cat food next to it.
"Th-that, you guys go play first. I might be a bit tired, I want to rest for a bit."
Yukinoshita had already found the nearest cat, crouching down and gently playing with it using a scattered fluffy toy nearby.
Meanwhile, Yuigahama found a chair near the edge of the [Cat] zone and sat down.
Glancing at the engrossed Yukinoshita, Luke told Yuigahama: "With me here, you don't need to be afraid of cats."
"I-I'm not scared! J-just a little tired," Yuigahama quickly exclaimed.
"Is that so?" Luke asked doubtfully.
Within his line of sight, a pure white cat slowly strolled over to his side, gently rubbing its slender body against his leg.
"Animals seem to really like you," Yuigahama said softly.
Gently picking it up, he moved his position and sat next to Yuigahama, but she quickly scooted away.
"Hmm?" Luke cast his gaze towards Yuigahama.
"Could it be you're really afraid of cats?"
Her indescribable emotions flickered across her face, making it somewhat hard to grasp.
Yuigahama extended a finger...
"Af-afraid of cats? What are you talking about! H-how could I possibly be afraid of cats? I really like cats! Oh my~ S-so cute~ Meow meow meow~ Oh dear!"
She said so, but Yuigahama's timid movements and trembling voice clearly revealed her emotions.
"Meow~"
Moreover, as the white cat in his arms extended its chubby paw, Yuigahama fearfully retracted her outstretched finger rapidly.
"If you really can't handle it, you can play outside for a while. Don't mind us," Luke shifted the cat slightly to the side, reminding her.
"Th-that, actually, I'm really not afraid of cats," Yuigahama explained softly: "Cats are very cute, and I like cats too, but..."
"But, when I think about how cats will disappear one day, I somehow feel a bit, a bit sad."
Everything has its day of parting, dogs too.
uke wanted to remind her, but closed his mouth.
"I used to live in an apartment building, and it was popular back then to secretly keep cats."
Yuigahama, who was spirited just moments ago, suddenly seemed a bit downcast.
"I also kept a cat, but it was a stray cat I kept outside without my family knowing... So one day, for some reason, it suddenly disappeared... That's why I don't really like cats. Haha..."
Yuigahama forced herself to be cheerful, brushing off her childhood story with a laugh.
Is she worried about the survival of cats?
Or is she too sensitive emotionally, cherishing feelings too much?
Seeing his silence, Yuigahama quickly put on a smile: "Haha, don't mind me too much. Everyone has their preferences, right? Don't worry about me~"
"I had a similar experience before. Do you know about birds building nests?"
Luke started telling Yuigahama a story.
"Mm," she nodded.
So, he continued the narration: "When I was little, I forget if it was a sparrow or a swallow, because it was nearing summer, so the door was often left open during the day."
"One day, a bird suddenly flew into my house, circled around the ceiling, flapping, and quickly chose a spot on the corner of an external pipe below the ceiling to build its nest."
"Birds build nests very quickly. It soon completed the basic shape, and maybe after some more time, the nest would have been finished."
"But because it was summer, to prevent mosquitoes from entering, my family bought a mesh door curtain."
"And then that bird, which had flown out to find materials, couldn't get back into the room because of it. It could only perch on the clothesline in the yard, looking at the inaccessible house, constantly flying around outside."
Yuigahama grabbed his sleeve, saying softly: "That feeling must have been very uncomfortable."
"Of course. Whether it was letting the bird's hard work go to waste, or the emotion of parting, it was all unpleasant," Luke nodded affirmatively.
"So I used tantrums and rolling on the floor to demand my parents take down the curtain."
"And then?" Yuigahama pressed.
"Of course, I got a beating!" Luke gave a thumbs up.
"...What? I thought it would be a happy ending?!"
Yuigahama lowered her head dejectedly, speaking listlessly.
"Can't be helped. Parting always happens."
Luke flexed his fingers.
"But precisely because parting makes people sad, that's why we must strive to cherish a relationship now."
"...That's true too. So don't worry about it anymore."
Yuigahama thought for a moment, gave him a gentle smile, and patted his back comfortingly.
"..." Luke glanced at her.
"I was comforting you, not asking you to comfort me."
The scene fell silent.
Yuigahama looked at him in surprise, blurting out: "So you were comforting me—!"
"..." The scene fell silent again.
He really wanted to swear.
Was his storytelling ability that bad?
This idiot was truly disheartening.
Luke speechlessly tossed the cat to Yuigahama.
"Ah—!"
Yuigahama caught the cat, her legs starting to tremble uncontrollably.
"Watch this!"
Luke stood up, glancing at Yukinoshita.
She was currently hugging her knees, crouching on the ground, a gentle smile on her lips, softly stroking a kitten, occasionally fluffing its fur.
However, because there were other customers around, she didn't make 'meow~' sounds today.
Seeing her deeply engrossed look, Luke suddenly felt a bit reluctant to act.
But, only a little.
Who let her always mock him...
Clap clap.
Luke clapped his hands lightly.
Just like the scene in the [Dog] zone before, Yuigahama saw the lazy cats suddenly lift their large, cute heads as if summoned, even the one in Yukinoshita's arms did the same.
The kitten Yukinoshita was petting suddenly turned its ears and quickly escaped her embrace.
Yukinoshita, seeing this, also turned her head back and saw Luke merged with various cats.
...
(PS: I will post more chapters soon.)
---
Read More With Pictures (30+ Chapters In Advance):
Replace '@' with 'a' on your web browser.