Chapter 15: Koumei-san

That night, Emma is dreaming of when she is still Minato.

Maybe it’s because she kept thinking of cats during the day, she dreams of when she is little.

The cat Minato kept in her childhood was a calico cat, Koumei-san. It has the same age as my older brother, so it’s an older cat for Minato and Peita.

Whenever Minato returned home from elementary school, it would lie down at the house gate to welcome her. When I said, “I’m home~” it would move its one ear as a greeting. After that, it would ignore me.

But whenever I fought at school or had a hard time, don’t know if it could understand, it would add a “Meow~”.

That’s right, at a difficult time like this, Koumei-san was there. It was forbidden to keep pets in the house, so I went out to the garden and cried next to the soundly sleeping Koumei-san.

Minato hated school. When I think about it now, it wasn’t like I was bullied, nor I had no friends. I just really hated it.

I was scared of various things. The playground equipment at school, dodgeball during breaks, the labrador retriever, Love on the way to school, everything was scary.

Being afraid of things that ordinary children find fun, I couldn’t do things well.

・・・

Minato was crying in the dream.

It wasn’t in the garden she was crying, and there was no Koumei beside her. She was crying alone in a forest that’s forbidden to enter because it’s dangerous.

……I remembered. On this day on the way home from school, Love, who was usually leashed, slipped out and ran towards Minato.

The dog itself was probably saying, “Play with me~!” while excitedly running to Minato, but Minato franticly ran. Because the area was too rural, I didn’t meet anyone on the road to ask for help.

I ran and ran, and sometimes were caught and I jumped away, then I ran away again, and when I entered the forest, the dog didn’t come chasing after me.

From there on, I sobbingly cried because I was scared all along and couldn’t move, but it was getting darker and darker. The light penetrating through the forest gradually disappeared, but I couldn’t move.

If I got out of the forest, the dog might chase me again, but the forest itself is already scary. I also don’t know how to go home. I ran to the forest in bewilderment, so I don’t know where I am right now, I don’t even know the direction of the exit.

I was scared and afraid, and I can’t put strength into my legs. Tears overflow and blur my vision.

I could only cry.

I was anxious, scared, fearful, and at that time.

Aaoo

Aaoo

There was a cat’s cry.

Aaoo

Aaoon/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

T/N: If you’re curious how it sounds like, it’s number 7 howl and yowl.

It’s like a mother cat’s cry looking for its kitten.

The crying sound is gradually approaching.

I would tremble if it were signs of a dog, but I love cats. Moreover, this voice is…

“Meow~”

When I heard a meow nearby and lifted my crying face…

There’s a calico cat Koumei-san in front of me.

“……Koumei-san?”

“Meow~!”

“Did you come to pick me up?”

“Meow~!”

Koumei-san, who usually hates hugs, jumps to Minato’s laps and licks her messy face…

*lick* *lick*

A cat’s tongue is rough, so it’s kinda hurt, but Minato laughed softly. I like cats. And I super-like Koumei-san.

“Thank you, Koumei-san.“

It feels like laugh and energy came back to the anxious, scared, and hopeless Minato.

“Meow”

Koumei-san separates himself from Minato and begins to walk.

As if to say ‘follow me’, Koumei-san walks, looks back to confirm Minato is there, then walks again.

Even though I was scared until I can’t move, now I’m alright.

I wipe my tears and stand up, then follow behind Koumei-san.

Without getting lost, Koumei-san passed through the forest and came out to a street that Minato knows.

The dog who followed after me until I entered the forest is also gone.

I’m not scared of the dim road when I’m with Koumei-san.

When I got home safely, Mom only said, “You’re late today.”

Even though I just had that scary experience and felt like the end of a little adventure, I was disappointed.

(T/N: disappointed that her mother’s reaction was only that)

At dinner that day, my older brother Wataru tells a shocking truth.

“Today… Koumei-san fought with the labrador Love.”

“Eehh?!”

The whole family raises their voice. Koumei-san, an ordinary calico cat, and Love, a labrador retriever… Even their physiques have a considerable difference.

“Is Koumei-san alright?”

Peita worriedly says.

Wataru makes a serious face…

“Koumei-san… had an overwhelming victory over Love…”

Love literally curled its tail and ran away.

“Eehh?!”

The whole family raises their voice again.

“Now that you mention it, Koumei-san is the cat boss around here…”

“Love is a pet dog… but Koumei-san grows up half-stray…”

“Koumei-san, amazing!!”

Only Minato laughs in her heart as the family utters surprise and praise to Koumei-san.

To think that Koumei-san took down my enemy for me…

After that, when Love meets not just Koumei-san but also me, it will start running away with its tail between its legs.

Author’s note: The three siblings call Koumei with the honorific ‘-san’