The social phobia substitute will not dream of the band girl

He is lost!

Although he can be regarded as one of the biggest local bosses in Tokyo today, it does not mean that he is a "local". In fact, in the past two years, except for the need to go out for work, he basically stayed at home. After his body recovered, the amount of exercise he did in the past six months was more than the total of the past few years.

"Never mind... let's go."

"Meow~~"

Pingxin decided to start. Since he had no plans for the day, he might as well just wander around. Maybe he'd see something interesting. Even if there was nothing to do, it was still a good way to relax. Some might think aimlessly wandering is a waste of time, but as long as it relaxes and entertains oneself, it's a productive use of time. The same goes for playing games, reading novels, and listening to music.

After sensing Ping Xin's meaning, the little black fur ball named "Sheriff" also squatted on his shoulder, like a loyal and devoted guard dog, although in fact she was actually a cat.

......

...

..

Ping Xin, who was kind and gentle by nature, sometimes gave people a special feeling, and this feeling was even stronger in small animals like cats and dogs. Because they were lower than humans, they were more able to perceive people's good and evil. However, this phenomenon seemed a little too intense today.

"..."

"Meow~"

"Meow meow~"

"Meow--"

It was cats, groups of cats, all following Ping Xin!

Cats I know, cats I don't, strays, domesticated, long-haired, short-haired—the variety you might not even find in a pet store is as complete here. Even kittens barely two months old, still unweaned, would purr and slink over to take a look. Even the cats in the pet store would perch against the glass, staring intently at Ping Xin, wondering if he was carrying some mysterious four-character medicine that would be chased by felines.

"...Okay, that's it." Ping Xin turned around and clapped his hands. He hadn't expected so many people to follow him after just a few side streets. If he walked out onto the main street, he'd definitely be surrounded by onlookers. "Those who have homes go home, those who don't... wait here for a moment. Those who aren't feeling well come over first."

He couldn't just ignore these little creatures, and he would respond seriously to any kindness shown to him, so he immediately contacted the shelter. They had previously taken care of stray cats near his home, so they were quite experienced. Before they arrived, Pingxin took advantage of this opportunity to give these kittens a quick vet check.

Hmm...what's the urban medical god script?

But who wrote "veterinarian"? Could it be Fury? But these little guys can't even be called Fury.

"Meow~?"

"...It's okay. Now line up. Those who are weak will be given priority."

"...What are you doing here?"

"What for? Probably acting as a barefoot veterinarian... Where did you come from?"

There's a humanoid cat among a group of cats... a little girl who looks like a cat?

Let’s not talk about why you can blend into the cat group without any sense of incongruity and not be regarded as an "alien" by them. Where did you come from? How could you even ignore the power of ripples?

"...There."

The little girl with white hair and heterochromic eyes pointed at the cement pipe where Ping Xin sat. Ping Xin had just spotted three pipes piled in an empty field, like something out of Doraemon's dream. He had excitedly sat on them as if he had seen the Iron Throne, but he hadn't expected a large cat to hide inside... a strange little girl.

"What's your name, little boy? How old are you and what grade are you in now?"

Pingxin regretted the words the moment they left her mouth. Wasn't that the tone and rhetoric of a kidnapper or something even more suspicious? If she pulled out the alarm, things would be very difficult to resolve. He wondered if the police would allow the cat to be present when they collected evidence...

"..Rakuna, 12 years old, 6th grade."

"No, that's why you shouldn't answer every question a stranger asks!... Shouldn't the East Country's education in this area be pretty good? Why are you so lame today? What if I'm a bad guy? What are you going to do?"

Pingxin touched the head of the little girl named Rakuna, and unexpectedly, even her hair was a bit like a cat's hair, soft and fluffy and very comfortable to touch.

"Are you a bad person then?"

"No, that's not the case... Are you talking to me because you think I'm a good person?"

"if not?"

Speechless.

Could it be that this strange little girl also possessed some kind of keen intuition, like a real cat? Regardless, Ping Xin was happy... The adult world was too complicated, even the words and actions were filled with truth and falsehood. The comments from the innocent mouth of a child were often sharp and to the point.

Being able to gain the trust of children at least shows that he is doing a good job in styling management (real)

Slightly pushing aside his bangs that were obstructing his view, Pingxin thought about getting a haircut later. Meanwhile, the little black cat Sheriff sitting on his shoulder was looking at Yukina curiously. Could it be that even cats couldn't tell if she was a human or just a larger cat?

If that's the case, then it really is——

"Interesting woman..."

Maybe it would be better to say "interesting girl"? But it's not bad either~

"Want to touch it?"

"Um......"

Stray cats were unhygienic and could carry germs harmful to children, so he was referring to the little black cat, Sheriff, on his shoulder. The kitten, normally shy of approaching anyone but him, showed interest today and leaped onto Rakuna's hand, much to her surprise.

"Speaking of which, why are you here alone? Your school should have been over by this time, but I don't see any parents around you."

"......ah--"

It seemed that she finally remembered something after being reminded, and Rakuna finally showed some emotional fluctuations, but her face still lacked more expressions, and she was concentrating on looking at the sheriff in her hand.

"You didn't... run away alone?"

"...cat."

Rakuna raised the little black cat in her hand and showed a wave of "cat strips" form. Tom and Jerry never lied to me.

But it seems...could it be that the cat following me attracted her here?

Ping Xin, 16 years old, is currently struggling with the issue of raising a child.

Chapter 30 Guitar & Grandma

Ping Xin learned from Rakuna that her parents were busy at work and she was silent after returning home alone. I wonder if she remembered herself walking home alone in the past. Ping Xin decided to spend this time with her. It seems that although she is very close to Ping Xin and has no guard against her, she is more interested in cats. After all, a man is not as fun as a cat.

While waiting for the shelter's staff to arrive, Hiranobu treated some injured and sick kittens. Seeing Hiranobu's uniqueness, Rakuna was a little surprised, but that was all. Perhaps it was normal for children to see adults possessing powers and doing things they couldn't understand, or perhaps she simply didn't care much about such things.

"...I'm hungry." An hour later, the people from the shelter had taken away all the cats in need of rescue. After there were no strangers around, Rakuna, who had been playing the paw-touching game with the little black cat Sheriff for a while, suddenly said.

He's been playing for so long, so when he's tired, he needs to eat, and maybe even take a nap. He might look like a cat at first glance, but no matter how you look at him, he's still just a child...

"Then let's go get something to eat."

“Matcha Parfait!”

He actually likes things with matcha flavor. This kid seems to have a lot of personality when it comes to eating.

"Okay, okay, let's go have some matcha parfait now... By the way, besides your parents, do you have any other relatives around here?"

"Grandma's shop is nearby."

"Then let's go there later."

Matcha Parfait~

"Good good..."

Just like when he held Nel, Hirayuko let Rakuna sit on his left arm, and the black cat sheriff jumped onto his right shoulder. Vanilla was still "undercover" with Liyin, but today Hirayuko actually picked up a new white "kitten". Sometimes things are so coincidental and interesting.

......

...

..

Cats are known for being quite heartless. They may approach humans out of curiosity, but they often don't stay close for long. This is why many people find that a stray cat they regularly feed has suddenly vanished, and they think they've established a relationship only to be betrayed. This is what people perceive as heartlessness and cold-bloodedness.

But Hirayuko doesn't see it that way. He believes animals' sensibilities are simply different from humans', and cats are no exception. Just like Kaname Rakuna before him, after paying the price of two matcha parfaits, he finally learned her full name. While this doesn't have any practical significance... it does mean that the two of them are no longer just ordinary strangers, but have a relationship where they know each other's names, right?

Even though stray cats will leave when they want to after eating, Ping Xin doesn't care.

There is no such thing as getting something in return without giving anything, and this is especially true when it comes to relationships.

At least today I helped a "lost" little girl and learned that she was very interesting. It is enough to know that there is such a person in this world, a "cat girl" named "Kaname Rakuna".

"Speaking of which... What do you usually do when you're alone at home? You can't be running out every day, right? It's dangerous to run around like this all the time, right?"

"...Guitar."

Perhaps because she was talking about something she was interested in, Rakuna's eyes lit up. Before, she had been looking aimlessly, like a cat observing. After the matcha parfait was served, her eyes also lit up, but there was a difference between the two.

"Guitar? ...are you good at it?"

"Ah."

"I see... Kids your age usually play with others. Don't you want to join them?"

"Boring guys... Guitar, interesting." As if feeling something was wrong, he asked Rakuna to take two more bites of the matcha parfait, then thought for a moment and said, "Matcha parfait, delicious."

So what exactly do you think is wrong?!

Heishin could probably imagine that this child would be popular to some extent, but because of his "personality", he couldn't get along with others. If he couldn't interest the cat, at most, it would come to him and eat and drink for free, just like that habit.

"Your hands...if you look closely, you'll see calluses all over them. That's really impressive."

This is not a compliment, because for ordinary "enthusiasts" it is already good enough if they can master a few chords and practice a few songs. Being able to practice to the point of making calluses shows that Rakuna has practiced for a long time and with high intensity. It is really amazing that an elementary school student can practice to this level.

"Grandma is more powerful."

The pride and elation were clearly visible, even more so than when she was discussing the matcha parfait and guitar. It seemed she simply loved that grandmother. Wasn't an old lady playing guitar too rock 'n' roll?

No, it seems like there's someone like that among the people he knows...

If that's the case, then the attitude he showed when he called Rakuna's parents just now makes sense. Otherwise, how could they let their daughter play with a strange man? Looking at Rakuna's white hair, Hirayuko had a rough guess in his mind.

"Since you say so, Nakagura, you must be really amazing... But weren't you practicing guitar at home today? Did you really get attracted by the cats and run out?"

When she heard this question, her mood obviously dropped, and even the hand holding the spoon stopped.

"I'm done eating..."

"I see... So it's about eating—"

I thought something happened at home, but you told me you're done with the matcha parfait! ?

Because of her height, it was difficult for Rakuna to scoop up food with a spoon while sitting on the chair, so she put the food on the chair and held it while eating, so Hiraishin couldn't see.

"...stare--"

"Children who eat too much sweets are prone to tooth decay and will not be able to eat afterwards, so it's not a good idea~"

As Rakuna watched eagerly, Hirayuko ate the mousse cake in front of him in two bites. For some reason, it tasted even better than usual. So Rakuna became bored again and leaned over the table to stare at the sheriff standing on the table.

"Meow~" The little black cat named Sheriff rarely spoke on his own initiative.

To be honest, when this person and the cat were present at the same time, Ping Xin could never tell who was the real cat. In Ping Xin's opinion, who could understand what both sides said, the kitten Sheriff, who was less than 3 months old, was more like the older sister.

"Since the Sheriff has said so... then let's eat a little more."

"!"

"But no matter what you order, you can only order small portions, and you have to make sure you eat well when you get home. Can you do that?"

"Uh-huh."

"That's fine, but before you order, I'm still curious...why did you come out here?"

Pingxin was very curious. What could have happened that could make her abandon her favorite guitar and run outside instead of practicing?

Judging from the previous conversation, she wasn't the type to run around without permission. There had to be another reason besides the cat. If we didn't find that reason, she might run around again, but she wouldn't necessarily be as lucky as she is now.

Even though they may not have any more interactions with each other in the future, Pingxin still wants to find out that "reason".

after all--

"Now that you know this, you can't just sit back and do nothing..."

Chapter 31 Encounter & Friends

"So that's what happened...your guitar was broken so you were bored, and then you saw me 'walking the cat' and ran out." After paying nearly a thousand yen, Hirashin finally learned from Kaname Rakuna the reason why she, an elementary school student, was running around outside.

"Um......"

Thinking of her broken guitar, Kazana's mood darkened, but she brightened up again after taking a bite of her small parfait. Then, she felt down, then happy again... This "complex" state of mind continued until she finished eating, and the speed of her mood swings surprised even the little black cat sheriff beside her.