The first time I ever spoke with Minami Chinatsu was in the autumn, under a large tree just inside Sakura Hill Park, which sat halfway up a slope.

As the name suggested, the park was adorned with beautiful cherry blossoms in spring. But by late autumn, after summer had ended, it was usually deserted, with hardly any sign of life.

In that quiet place, I noticed a girl in a school uniform crouching down—a girl who looked familiar. Worried she might be ill, I stopped and hurried over.

“Um, Minami-san? Right? Are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?”

“Huh? Oh, um…”

Startled, she looked up and turned toward me. Recognizing my face, she seemed surprised.

“Sato-kun…? Wait, are you out running?”

She must have noticed from my outfit that I was in the middle of a jog.

I nodded and replied, “Yeah, since I’m not in any clubs, my body would go out of shape if I didn’t do something. I live nearby, so when I have time around this hour, I run around here.”

“That’s weird. If you’re going to exercise anyway, why not just join a club? I mean, you’re clearly not someone who hates exercising.”

“Well, I’ve got my part-time job… but that’s not really important right now. Minami-san, you weren’t sitting down because you felt sick, were you?”

“Huh? Oh—”

As she stood up, I noticed a small cardboard box beside her. Cradled against her chest, which I’d overlooked before, was a tiny…

“A kitten?”

“Yeah, it seems to be a stray. It looked really weak.”

She told me how she had heard it meow only once, and when she went to check on it, it was already barely moving.

“My mom is severely allergic to cats, so we can’t keep it, but since I found it… I couldn’t just leave it here, so I’ve been wondering what to do.”

She usually wore a cheerful smile. We didn’t interact much, so I didn’t know her well. But her presence brightened up the class atmosphere; she had a sunny aura.

To be honest, I never intended to get involved with her much. But after seeing her with such a sad and forlorn expression, I felt an urge to help her, as if I couldn’t just walk away.

++”Think, feel, and just give it a try.”++

That was advice I’d been given repeatedly that past year. So, I thought for a moment. The answer came quickly.

“…Alright, I’ve got it. First, let’s take the kitten to a vet. I can’t promise anything long-term, but I can keep it at my place for a little while.”

“Huh?”

Minami-san widened her already large eyes even more and stared at me in disbelief.

“What? I mean, It’d leave a bad taste in my mouth if I just leave it here, right? Besides, I can take care of it for now, but we’ll still need to find someone who can adopt it.”

I think Minami-san is cute. The boys in our class said they’re lucky to be in the same class as her, and her name occasionally came up during co-ed PE classes. She was never absent from the boys’ vulgar “who’s your type” discussions.

Well, I had never joined in those conversations myself, but I fully agreed that she was cute.

She belonged to the group of girls who, if ranked, would be considered the top of the social ladder. Yet, she interacted with both boys and girls who might be left out, without discrimination, and never flaunted her looks or abilities. At least from what I’d seen, she was the picture of a well-liked, good-natured girl.

So, when such a girl stared straight at me like that, I couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious.

Trying to escape her gaze, I pulled out my phone and quickly looked up a nearby vet clinic. I dialed their number while Minami-san stood there, slightly bewildered by my sudden actions.

I explained the situation to the receptionist and made an appointment. For some reason, they praised me for being thoughtful enough to call for a stray cat. I felt a little guilty since I wasn’t the one who found it, but I smiled back at Minami-san.

I’m used to putting on a smile from my part-time job.

“Good news—they said if we go now, they can see it. They asked if it had any vaccinations or how old it is, but we had no idea, so I said we’d just bring it in. If it’s sick, they’ll give it medicine, and if it’s malnourished, maybe an IV drip? I’d like to stop by my house on the way to grab my wallet and withdraw some money at the convenience store, so sorry, but could you come with me?”

Since my house was close by, I added, “I can’t really take a kitten inside a convenience store, so I hope you don’t mind tagging along.”

“Yeah, of course… I mean, I’m the one who found it. I’ll do my best to find someone to adopt it, but—huh? Is this the kind of person you are, Sato-kun?”

“—I’m suddenly really worried about how I’m perceived…?”

“Well, because, um… you’re being very kind!”

“Now I’m even more worried. Like I said, it’d leave a bad taste in my mouth if I just jogged away after seeing this. I mean, how cold-hearted do you think I am?”

“True! Yeah, I guess that’s fair. But still, we’ve barely ever talked, and yet you saw me sitting down here and immediately came over to check on me.”

“Isn’t that normal?”

“That’s what I mean! You calling that normal is what I mean by kind!”

For some reason, her voice got a little louder, like she was getting upset. She didn’t need to turn so red and get worked up over it.

I wasn’t exactly particularly noticeable, but I didn’t think my communication skills were that bad. Still, it seemed like I had a long way to go when it came to talking to girls.

“Haha, sorry about that. Anyway, I’m sure the kitten isn’t in immediate danger since it meowed earlier, but we should still hurry. So could you follow me? You can hold the kitten, and I’ll carry the box.”

With that, I started walking back the way I’d come, leading Minami-san.

She nodded, still looking at me curiously.

“Hang in there, we’ll get you to the vet soon.”

“Meow.”

“Oh… Sato-kun! It meowed!”

“That’s a good sign. I think it’s probably weak from hunger, but I hope it’s not sick.”

Walking behind me, talking to the kitten in her arms—which, though weak, was making small sounds—Minami-san held a kitten with beautiful white fur.

We left the park, turned right up the hill, and walked down a narrow path that led to my neighborhood. My house was in a part of the residential area where you could tell the houses were built with the same design—mass-produced, some might say, though that sounded unflattering.

There was no garden, and in the parking space next to the entrance, currently without a car, my bicycle stood alone. It was a four-bedroom house with a living room, dining room, and kitchen. Each room wasn’t large, but Dad made sure each family member had their own private space.

My parents, who had gone on a “house viewing” date, fell in love with the price and layout at first sight, which led to us moving in the middle of my third year of junior high. I didn’t want to transfer schools with club activities and entrance exams looming, but since it was within commuting distance by train, I was able to keep attending my old school, which was a bit of a running joke at the time.

“Just wait here a second. Actually, do you want to come in? I’ll just grab my wallet real quick, but I also want to grab a jacket since I won’t be running anymore.”

“Oh, then I’ll wait at the entrance. By, uh, about taking care of the kitten, shouldn’t you tell your parents? Should I at least greet them?”

“It’s fine. Also, it’s just me at home right now, so you don’t have to worry.”

“I see, casually bringing a girl into his empty house. This really changes my image of you, Sato-kun. Kind and a ladies’ man? Or secretly a playboy?”

“Haha, that’s a hit to my image.”

Laughing together, I unlocked the door and invited her in.

Saying “Excuse me,” she looked around curiously as I left her in the entryway and hurried upstairs.

Just beyond the entrance was the staircase; up and to the left was my room.

I picked up my wallet, which was lying on the floor next to my discarded school uniform, and threw on a jacket. When I hurried back downstairs, I found Minami-san sitting at the entryway, softly talking to the kitten.

++No wonder she’s so popular.++

There was something about her that wasn’t just cute—it was charming. Her way of keeping just the right distance, making you feel comfortable without being overly familiar. It was subtle, but she had a knack for it.

Still, I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something was off, though I couldn’t put my finger on what.

++Well, whatever. We have barely talked before today, after all.++

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we go? Aren’t you cold, Minami-san?”

Glancing at her in her short skirt, I couldn’t help but ask. Although it was far from winter, it was getting chilly as the sun set.

“Hmm? Even if it’s cold, it’s okay—it’s cuter this way.”

Holding the kitten with one hand, she playfully lifted the hem of her skirt ever so slightly where my gaze had fallen.

My eyes darted away, and she laughed softly. “It’s okay, I’m wearing short leggings underneath.”

“Well, I don’t know exactly what those are, but I don’t have the courage to look directly.”

“Are you a gentleman, or just shy?”

“I’ll take ‘gentleman,’ thanks.”

We shared a light-hearted laugh as we stepped outside and I locked the door.

!next

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