What brought Eriri out of this absurd sense of déjà vu was the doorbell shortly after. The two cats Murakami Yuu had bought earlier were delivered by special vehicle at the agreed time, along with a whole bunch of various cat supplies.
According to the pet store employee's earlier explanation, the two little ones suddenly coming from a familiar environment to a strange place might be somewhat unadapted at first. It was normal for them to have shy and anxious reactions, specifically manifested in hiding under beds or resisting the owner's approach.
But after a few days of getting acquainted, this situation would improve.
However, the actual situation was completely different from what she said. The evidence was that the two little ones excitedly ran around from room to room the instant they entered the house, like lords inspecting their territory.
They finally came to Eriri's side one after the other, without any wariness, standing up straight along her legs while extending their little paws asking to be held.
"Yuu... what's with these... these two angels?"
Eriri's face naturally couldn't refuse these two cuties. She reached out to pick them up and place them on her lap. Her previous gloomy mood was swept away, her eyes showing the radiance of being healed by adorable creatures.
"I thought living alone was cold and lonely, so I bought two cats. It looks like it was the right choice. The time spent with them in the future should be very pleasant."
Murakami Yuu arranged the cats' daily necessities and sat down beside Eriri with a cat teaser wand.
"By the way, the brown one is named Hedgehog, and the white one is named Pigeon."
"Eh?"
Eriri's first reaction was that Murakami Yuu was joking, but seeing him just continue teasing the cats without saying anything more, she realized he was serious.
What difficult-to-describe names.
Eriri chose not to complain. Although the cats were cute, there were more important matters at hand. She had many questions about Kiso Yukina, and now that she was alone with Murakami Yuu, it was a good opportunity to resolve her doubts.
"Yuu, um... you and Kiso-san seem to have a very good relationship."
Eriri teased the cat on her lap, her gaze lowered, opening the conversation in a tone similar to casual chat.
"Mm, it's indeed not bad. After all, we've been in contact for quite a long time since we met. On Sundays she also comes to my house, and I teach her some cooking techniques. I promised her before that I'd help improve her wifely skills."
Murakami Yuu successfully lured Pigeon out from Eriri's embrace with the cat teaser wand. Coming to his side, he also held it on his lap like Eriri, gently stroking Pigeon's chin.
"Every Sunday?"
Eriri didn't notice her voice pitch had risen.
Murakami Yuu thought seriously.
"Not exactly. If either party has something on Sunday, this arrangement would be cancelled, then continued the next week. There's no mandatory meaning to it."
"I... I see..."
This answer didn't satisfy Eriri. The doujin artist's highly imaginative brain began working, and based on the information Murakami Yuu provided combined with the scene, many images emerged that made her feel irritably upset.
Such as the inevitable physical contact between the two in the kitchen, the warm atmosphere of dining together, and the casual conversation between them leaning on the sofa afterward.
Wasn't this cohabitation life in a certain sense?! Maybe they'd even held hands and kissed.
Eriri froze there, her thinking stagnant. Even the cute Hedgehog in her arms no longer appealed to her.
Having already developed to this extent, what did she have to compete with? The other party happened to be that recognized unattainable flower, surpassing the average level of ordinary women by too much in every aspect. That stage performance at the school festival even gave her an idol's halo.
As for herself, perhaps the only things she could firmly surpass the other in were drawing skills and family background, but these were completely useless for solving the problem.
Silence.
What brought her back to her senses was Murakami Yuu's action - he reached out without warning and patted her head.
Eriri didn't quite react at first, not even showing the bashful reaction she should have, responding like an outdated, sluggish retired computer mainframe.
"Although I don't know what you're thinking, the Hedgehog in your arms is very dissatisfied with you neglecting it. It's already rolling around in your arms acting cute, hoping to attract your attention."
Murakami Yuu reminded her.
Eriri woke as if from a dream, hurriedly grasping the other's little paw and shaking it back and forth to start interacting again.
Murakami Yuu watched her actions and chuckled softly. Eriri looked up and accidentally met his gaze in the air. The shy emotions she hadn't displayed earlier due to her delayed reaction now emerged all at once.
Her heart also beat violently accordingly. Her face flushed as she hurriedly averted her gaze, but after making this action, she felt puzzled.
How strange. Why did I react so embarrassingly?
A competitive emotion surged up. She looked up again, this time choosing to proactively meet Murakami Yuu's gaze. He seemed somewhat surprised for a moment. This reaction made Eriri proudly raise her chin - this counted as winning back a round.
But very quickly, Murakami Yuu's gaze returned to its usual calmness, stopping on her face without avoidance, looking both focused and casual.
Imaginary scenes began to emerge. In Eriri's eyes, many flowers that only appear behind handsome male leads in shoujo manga were appearing behind Murakami Yuu.
Eriri's momentum weakened while her face became even redder, but she didn't want to avoid it and stubbornly chose to maintain eye contact.
Murakami Yuu seemed to think of something, suddenly raising the corner of his mouth. He slowly lifted Pigeon from his embrace and placed it where their gazes intersected. Grasping Pigeon's paw and waving it at her, his face carried ill intent while his voice lowered, incredibly gentle:
"Call me mommy~"
"Meow meow~"
As if truly understanding Murakami Yuu's words, Pigeon made a baby meow with a similar intonation.
Eriri blankly pondered the deep meaning in Murakami Yuu's words for a while. When she reacted, her face instantly turned completely red, an exaggerated shade like a red apple.
Like being shot in the chest and unable to control it, she froze in place, even her breathing frequency slowing down.
The emotional transition from relatively calm to completely flustered took only a brief instant.
The completely undisguised teasing voice made Eriri's heart tremble. She couldn't even speak a response normally.
What was most terrible was that she actually had a momentary impulse to respond to Pigeon just now.
"You... you're an idiot?!"
Seeming to feel her reaction was too intense, Eriri quickly added a final note while turning to look away, raising her pitch and lightly "hmph"-ing.
Murakami Yuu maintained his smile without responding, just looking at Eriri motionlessly.
At this moment, her eyes contained shyness, vivid enough to intoxicate one's heart.
...