It was a wooden box.
On its worn surface were the faded characters for "offering," revealing its original purpose—it had once been a donation box for shrine visitors to drop coins into as they prayed.
But that was long in the past.
Now, in this abandoned and forgotten shrine, the box—cracked open with a hole in its side—served a very different purpose.
It was a home.
A home for four cats.
Hirakawa Tetsufumi stepped closer and looked inside.
There they were.
One adult cat, and three tiny kittens.
The mother cat had likely once been white, but life on the streets had dulled her fur into a dirty gray. As for the kittens—one was white, one black, and one a mix of both.
All three were fragile.
Their fur was sparse, their tiny bodies still damp, their eyes barely able to open. They huddled close to their mother, trembling faintly, clinging to her warmth.
"They were just born… weren't they?"
Hirakawa spoke softly, already certain of the answer.
"Yes."
Amamiya Yoru nodded beside him.
"So the reason you've been late these past few days… was because you were coming here?"
"Yes."
"And today… you skipped school because they were being born?"
Yoru placed her hands gently on the edge of the box, her eyes fixed on the kittens.
There was no hesitation in her gaze.
Only pure affection.
"When I came this morning, I only meant to take a quick look. I had already promised you, Sensei. But when I was about to leave… the mother cat started giving birth."
She paused, her voice soft.
"So I stayed."
Of course she did.
Hirakawa didn't know what to say.
He glanced at her.
Her attention was completely captured by the kittens—the way their tiny paws flailed weakly in the air, the way they squirmed blindly against their mother.
A small, satisfied smile formed on her lips.
He had intended to scold her.
Even if there was a reason, skipping school without a word was still unacceptable.
But then again
How was she supposed to explain it?
"Excuse me, I need to take a day off because a stray cat is giving birth"?
Even saying it in his head sounded absurd.
As for her mother…
There had to be a reason she wanted to hide this.
"Is it because your mother doesn't allow you to keep cats?"
He asked it directly.
"No."
Yoru shook her head gently.
Hirakawa blinked, slightly surprised.
"Then why?"
This time, she didn't answer right away.
Instead, she suddenly leaned closer to the box and let out a soft sound.
"Meow~"
It was a gentle, adorable imitation.
Even cuter than the kittens themselves.
Hirakawa glanced at the mother cat, who had just let out a long yawn.
So that was why.
After mimicking the cat, Yoru turned back toward him.
Her expression was calm.
Serious.
"Because my mother would definitely say yes."
Hirakawa froze.
He couldn't understand.
She loved cats, didn't she?
And if her mother would agree, then that should be a good thing.
"Why do you say that?"
Yoru looked straight into his eyes.
Then she smiled.
It wasn't a troubled smile.
It was warm.
Gentle.
The kind of smile that felt like it belonged to someone who always put others first.
"My mother is allergic to cats," she said softly. "But if I asked her, she would still agree. She always does."
Hirakawa felt something tighten in his chest.
"So if she found out… she would blame herself for not letting me keep them."
Her voice was light.
Almost casual.
"I don't want to make things difficult for her."
There was no resentment in her words.
No sadness.
Only kindness.
Only consideration.
Her eyes shone with a quiet, almost unreal purity.
At that moment
Hirakawa genuinely thought:
This girl… must be an angel.
He stared at her, unable to speak for a long time.
He had expected something painful.
Something heavy.
But instead, what he found was warmth.
A quiet, gentle warmth that lingered in the air.
"I see."
That was all he could manage to say.
"Yes."
Yoru nodded, then turned her gaze back to the box.
"This is why I asked you to keep it a secret from my mother."
Hirakawa let out a small breath.
"Well… it was supposed to depend on your reason. But I have to admit—this does convince me."
"Really?"
"Yes. I promised you. I won't go back on my word."
He almost said "contract" again and caught himself just in time.
Yoru nodded happily.
Then silence fell between them.
Inside the quiet shrine, surrounded by trees, the dim light filtered through the leaves above.
The only sounds were the soft scratching of tiny claws against the wooden box and the gentle licking of the mother cat as she cleaned her newborn kittens.
It was peaceful.
Too peaceful to disturb.
Hirakawa found himself reluctant to break the moment.
And yet
They couldn't stay like this forever.
A breeze passed through the trees, rustling the leaves with a soft whisper.
Finally, he spoke.
"Amamiya."
"Yes."
"What are you going to do about them?"
That was the real question.
And this time
She didn't answer.
No matter how warm the moment was, reality remained.
The shrine wasn't a suitable place for them.
And if Yoru kept coming here every day, skipping class and worrying everyone, that couldn't continue either.
Normally, the best solution would be simple—
She would take them in.
But that wasn't possible.
They both knew why.
"Maybe… we should find someone to adopt them."
He said it gently.
Yoru turned to look at him.
Her eyes were soft.
Painfully soft.
There was something in that gaze that made it hard to breathe.
If they were adopted
She wouldn't be able to see them every day anymore.
Of course that was what she was thinking.
Hirakawa gave a bitter smile.
"There's no other way. But if one of your friends adopts them, you could still visit."
Yoru lowered her gaze slightly.
Then she shook her head.
"I don't have anyone."
Her voice was quiet.
Lonely.
"I don't have anyone."
Hirakawa fell silent.
He didn't need to ask.
He already understood.
She meant exactly what it sounded like.
No friends.
But why?
He looked at her again.
She was undeniably cute—almost childlike in appearance despite being a high school student. Her soft, rounded cheeks still carried a hint of baby fat, and her bright eyes seemed to shimmer with life.
Anyone would think she'd be popular.
And her personality
She was kind. Thoughtful. Gentle enough to hide her own feelings just to protect her mother.
There was nothing unlikeable about her.
Unless
He recalled it.
That strange, almost forceful way she had made him agree to the "contract."
Hirakawa slowly frowned.
It felt like he was finally beginning to understand where the problem lay.
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