I open my mouth, letting the heat of my hot cheeks escape. At any rate, now that I know that sheās looking forward to the date, we have to decide where to go. I can decide on your own, but since the two of us are going out together, I want Saito to enjoy herself as well.
[Thatās rightā¦ Hmmm]
Saito moved her gaze upwards, as if she couldnāt think of anything, and continued to hum. Then I suddenly remembered that Saito is a cat lover. Since that was the case, I decided to suggest a place that came to mind.
[Then, how about a cat cafe?]
[Cat cafe! Ahā¦ yes, I think thatās a good idea!]
At my suggestion, she raised her voice and her face lit up for a moment. But she soon came to herself and returned to her usual demeanor, with her cheeks turning crimson with embarrassment.
Sheās trying to be calm, but itās obvious that sheās excited. Saito tries her best to hide her excitement, which made me chuckle.
[You donāt have to hide anything, okay?]
[Itās childish to be so innocently happy about something you love]
[Really? I thinkā¦. Itās really cute]
[C-Cuteā¦? please stop that already]
Apparently, Saitoās reaction earlier was embarrassing for her and she didnāt want to touch on it anymore. She then turned away, saying nothing else.
[Well, thatās fine. So, you want to go to the cat cafe? Saito, you like cats, right? The last time we went home together, you were looking at the cat and looked like you had a good time]
[Yes. I would like to go to a cat cafe. Iāve always wanted to go there. Even so, you know I like cats]
[Wellā¦]
How could I forget the part where she tried to talk in cat language? Even now, when I remember Saitoās appearance at that time, I canāt help but smile because itās so adorable.
[Maybe the next time you speak cat, theyāll respond]
[Eh!? F-Forget about that!!]
I teased her a little and she turned red in the face as she scolded me. She puffed out her cheeks and glared at me. But it didnāt scare me at all; in fact, it made me want to play with her even more. Well, I donāt know what sheāll say if I keep teasing her, so Iāll stop.
[Come to think of it, you did say you had a cat once]
[Yes, theyāre gone now, butā¦]
[No pictures or anything?]
[Wellā¦ I believe it was in my room. Would you like to see it?]
[Yes, please]
[Iāll be back in a minute]
After saying that, Saito opened the closed door and entered the next room. She forgot to close the door and left the door open, so I can see part of the inside of her room. I wasnāt sure if I should look, but my curiosity at seeing it for the first time got the better of me and I peeked inside.
The overall color scheme was white with neatly organized shelves and desks. It was very clean, though not girly, and I thought again that she was a very serious girl.
After looking at it, I suddenly noticed something on the desk. It was a photo frame. It showed a slightly younger Saito and what appeared to be her mother. However, her father wasnāt in the picture.
(ā¦ā¦)
Saitoās mother, whom I saw for the first time, was very beautiful, just like her. When Saito grows up even more, she may look like her mother in the photo. It was similar so I could make expectations for the future. The father wasnāt in the picture, perhaps because he took the picture. That orā¦
Iāve never met her parents, nor have I heard of them. But, from what I know, I can guess that thereās some kind of situation going on in her family. Well. It doesnāt mean that itās a topic that can be touched lightly. I put the thought away in my mind and looked away from her room.
After a while, the noise of her searching stopped and Saito came out of the room with a thick album.
[Sorry to keep you waiting. I couldnāt quite find it because it seemed to be in the backā¦ Whatās wrong?]
[Nn? No, itās nothing. More importantly, the cat, I think its name was Cocoa? Let me see. You mustāve been proud of that cat]
[Alright then. This cat here is Cocoa]
When I change the subject subtly, Saito puts the album on the desk with a sparkle in her eyes. She opened it and showed me a page with many pictures. There, we see the transition of her cat from a kitten to completely grown up.
In one photo, heās lying face down. In another, heās tilting his head in a confused manner. Another one showed him playing with a toy.
[Heeee, itās definitely cute]
[Right? It was my best friend]
[ā¦I see]
Looking at her side profile, I saw Saito looking nostalgic, perhaps remembering her cat. Her fleeting smile was so beautiful that I admired it, and that made my heart tighten inexplicably.
Long wait, I know, I got this a bit overdue, but itās here.
Now that this is out, Iāll be putting out a new project soon. hopefully it isnāt sniped first however.