After talking with the cat for a while, Saito gently reached out her hand. The moment her thin white fingertips touched the catās body, she let out a cry of admiration.
[W-Wow! Itās so fluffy! Itās so soft, Tanaka-kun!]
The cat being petted seemed to feel good and was sitting meekly. Saito watched the cat with sparkling eyes and gently stroked the catās body. Saito seemed to be enjoying herself so much I couldnāt help but be curious.
[Are they that soft?]
[Yes. It feels like a blanket and makes me want to stroke it over and over again. Come on, Tanaka-kun, try it]
[S-Sure]
Having hardly ever touched an animal, I hesitated for a moment, but Saito strongly recommended it, so I gathered my courage and reached out nervously. Slowly, I moved my hand closer to the cat, and just when I thought my fingertips would touch the fluffy fur.
[Mreow!]
[Uwaa!]
The sudden reaction of the cat caught me off guard. I hurriedly retracted my hand, but it kept staring at me, apparently not liking me. Saito spoke softly to the cat as she stroked it.
[Neko-san, itās okay. Tanaka-kun is a good person, you know?]
She spoke in a soft tone of voice, but the cat stared at me without letting its guard down. When I quietly stepped back, it curled up with its eyes closed and returned to its comfortable position of being stroked by Saito.
Saitoās gaze wandered between me and the cat, her eyebrows lowered in a slightly annoyed manner, and her words spilled out weakly.
[What should I doā¦]
[Donāt worry about me, Saito, just pet them for me]
[ā¦I understand]
For a moment, she opened her mouth to say something, but instead, she just nodded. I guess she thought it was unavoidable, since they were animals and there was nothing she could do about it. She looked at me with concern several times, but she gradually changed as she focused on the cats and seemed to be enjoying herself.
While watching Saito, I tried to approach another cat. They didnāt like me earlier, but that wouldnāt necessarily be the case next time. Besides, I was interested in what Saito was so crazy about.
When I approached the cat, which was sleeping a short distance away, its eyes opened as if it heard my footsteps. It looked straight at me, and when our eyes met, it turned and walked away from me.
(Why is itā¦)
I didnāt know why, but the cats seemed to hate me, and I couldnāt even touch them, let alone pet them like Saito did. I tried to get closer to various cats, but in the end, I didnāt get to touch any of them.
Haaah. I returned to Saitoās place with my shoulders slumped. As I trudged back, I found an enviable scene.
[ā¦.Youāre incredibly popular]
[Yes. For some reason, theyāve been gathering here]
Saito looked around at the cats surrounding her in a somewhat bewildered manner when I pointed out Saitoās situation.
[Did any of the cats let Tanaka-kun touch them?]
[No, not a single one. When I approached them, they all moved awayā¦. Well, thatās fine]
I put on an act, showing a wry smile, but in reality, I wanted to touch at least one of them. With so many cats here, itād be nice to touch one at least, but I hear thatās not easy to do. I was a little down, but I was satisfied with the fact that Saito was enjoying herself. It was when I thought soā¦
[Nyaa~]
I felt something tugging my legs, and looked down to see a pure white cat rubbing itself on me.
[Waaa! What a beautiful cat!]
[Youāre right]
The other cats had beautiful fur, but the one in front of me was so shiny and glistening that it reflected the light in the room. Its round eyes were adorable and it seemed friendly.
[Cmon, Tanaka-kun. Hereās your chance. You can go and touch her now]
[Y-Yeah]
It was the first time I was approached by a cat, and I was confused, but at the sound of Saitoās voice, I slowly reached my hand out. I was worried this time would also be a failure, but contrary to my beliefs, it was quiet and easily let me touch it.
[Ohhhh~]
The first time I touched the catās fur, it was very soft, and I could feel a hint of warmth from its skin behind its fur on my fingertips. When I rustled and stroked the cat with my palm, I could feel its smoothness even more, and I understood why Saito loved it so much.
After I finished petting it, I stroked under its chin like Saito had earlier. Then, the white cat squinted its eyes pleasantly and began to make soft purring noises.
[Itās so cute!]
[Fufu~. Tanaka-kun, have you finally found the appeal of cats? Youāll know how cute they are when you hold one in your arms]
[In my arms?]
[Yes. Go on, try it]
[No, but I donāt know how toā¦]
[Really?]
[Yeah]
Saito looked surprised. But she soon came up with something, and her voice was cheerful.
[Then, Iāll show you how to do it, then you do it yourself. Youāll fall in love with the charms cats have]
She smiled happily with her mouth turning up. It seemed that she wanted me to be a prisoner of the cats, which I guessed she planned because she was a cat lover. Well, even if that was her intention, itās a welcome one, so I nodded and her eyes sparkled.
[So, what do you want me to do first?]
[Iāll show you how to do it once, and you can watch]
Saying this, Saito reached for the cat she missed the most. She put her hand on the catās side and gently lifted it up, then picked it up with one hand on its waist.
[Did you see it?]
[Yeah]
[First, place both hands at the catās sides and lift it up. Then, after you lift it, switch one hand so that it rests on the catās hip, and youāre done]
She explained it to me as if it was very easy, but of course there was no way I could do it after seeing and hearing it just once.
[Hmmmā¦ First isā¦]
I tried to do as Saito did, but I couldnāt lift it properly. Saito made a new suggestion to me.
[Hmm, I think itās still too difficult for Tanaka-kun. Ah, I know. Iāll take Tanaka-kunās hand and teach him]
[O-Oh?]
When I couldnāt quite understand Saitoās words, she quickly walked behind me.
[Now, pass your hand through the catās armpit]
Apparently, she was going to teach me from behind. I did as I was told and slowly reached out my hands, and Saitoās white hands were gently placed on both of mine.
[S-Saito?]
The sudden act made my voice rise unintentionally. Then I heard Saitoās serious voice.
[Whatās wrong? Cmon, please concentrate on the cat in front of you]
[Y-Yeah]
Apparently, Saito was unaware of the current situation because sheās focusing on the cat. I managed to keep my composure at Saitosā attention and lifted the cat.
[Ah, thatās good. Thenā¦]
I thought I heard Saitoās words of praise, but then I felt a soft touch through the clothes on my back.
[Eh, hey, Saito!?]
[What is it? Pay attention. You need to give your cat a proper cuddle before she hates it]
As if to reprimand my questioning, Saito moved my arm and arranged it in the form to hold a cat in the proper embrace. I couldnāt think of anything to say, so I did as Saito, who was very serious, asked me to do and I managed to hold the cat.
[Itās finally done. Iām glad youāre able to hold it properly, Tanaka-kun]
I could hear Saitoās contentment over my back as she held me in a hugging position from behind. I was glad that the cat holding went well, but this was not the time for this. I could still feel something soft touching my back. I couldnāt take it any longer and told her without a second thought.
[Saito, can you please step away? That. Is pushing against me]
[ā¦Eh?]
I heard a stunned, dumbfounded voice from behind. I then heard an even higher voice soon after, as if she understood what I meant.
[U-Uh, uhm, this isā¦.]
With an impatient voice, the body heat I had felt finally disappeared. The faint pressure in my back also disappeared, and I knew that Saito had moved. I let out a sigh of relief that the situation had changed for now. I continued to catch my breath and turned back to Saito.
There was Saito, her face bright red, her arms covering her body. She turned to me with a downcast look and our eyes met.