A cat wandered through the dark city night, rain pouring down all around.
"Hungry… I'm so hungry. Cold, tired, and these wounds hurt so much. Where am I even going? What am I searching for?"
Yunako, with her injured paw, walked slowly along the sidewalk before slipping into a narrow alley.
"I'm so sleepy. Maybe I'll rest here. I don't care if it's comfortable or not… I just want to sleep, even for a moment, after days without real rest."
She found a pile of cardboard boxes and curled up inside them.
"It's a little comfortable… but this cold won't go away with just a pile of cardboard."
Yunako gazed at the dim ceiling of the alley.
"I miss my master's lap… haha~ We always slept together. Those really were the happiest moments."
Her vision blurred, eyelids heavy, but then a voice rang out—a little girl calling her name, running closer.
"Yunako… Yunako… Yunako, I finally found you!"
Struggling against her fading sight, Yunako tried to look at her.
"That voice… why does it sound so familiar?"
"Yunako, where have you been? I've been searching for you for weeks! Oh, I brought food for you…"
The girl knelt, speaking tenderly to the injured cat.
"I know! She's my master's younger sister. Did she really run away from home just to see a cat like me? After my master died, her mother's attitude toward her changed…"
The girl pulled out food with trembling hands.
"Yunako, I brought your favorite. Please, eat. I know you're hungry."
Yunako sniffed the food but remained lying down, too weak to rise.
"My favorite food, huh? Actually, it's not. But… this was the very first meal given to me when I was small—when I first met my master. That's why it matters."
The girl kept talking, tears threatening to fall.
"Yunako, why did you leave home? I know my mother drove you away… but don't worry. I'll protect you. I'll try my best, because my brother loved you so much. And because of that, I'll love and protect you too."
"She's crying…? Ah, maybe because she lost the brother who always cared for her. Now the only connection she has left is me—her brother's cat."
"Come on, Yunako, eat the food I brought…"
"I am hungry… but this sleepiness is far stronger than my hunger."
"Yunako, are you okay? Please wake up…"
"You wouldn't understand, little one. I'm just… so tired. Maybe I'll sleep a while, then eat later."
"Yunako! Yunako! Wake up, please!"
Her voice grew faint, fading into silence.
"Maybe this time… I'll finally have a peaceful sleep."
Yunako's consciousness slipped away. The girl's sobs echoed—she had realized her beloved brother's cat was gone.
But Yunako thought differently:
"Strange… I don't hear her anymore. Has she left already?"
Then came the voice of a man.
"Stay strong, my love. Just a little more, you can do it!"
Yunako was startled.
"Whose voice is that? It's so dark… but I hear a man speaking?"
A woman's strained voice followed.
"Push, dear, just a little more!"
"Yes, Mother… I'm trying!"
"Stay strong, my love."
The voices crowded around Yunako.
"So noisy… but I don't have the strength to open my eyes. Where is my master's little sister? Why don't I hear her anymore?"
Then a cry of relief:
"The baby is finally out!"
But then—
"…Wait. What is this? Something else is still coming out!"
"What's wrong, Doctor?!" the man asked in panic.
"This… this looks like intestines!?"
The woman gasped, horrified.
"What?! Are you saying that's my intestines?!"
Her body weakened, trembling.
"Think positive," the man said quickly, "maybe it's just the umbilical cord."
But the midwife shook her head nervously.
"No… the cord has already been cut."
The woman screamed.
"Then it's really my intestines!?"
She fainted. But the midwife looked again—then froze.
"Wait… no. It's not intestines. It's… a tail."
"A… what?!"
Hours later, the chaos quieted.
The couple stared at their newborn with disbelief.
"Darling… did you… cheat with a beast?"
The man flared up.
"What nonsense are you saying?! You're the one who was pregnant! Of course this child is mine!"
The grandmother calmed them both.
"Enough, you two. No fighting."
They looked again at their baby—born with a small, furry tail.
"I never imagined our child would have a tail," the wife said softly, cradling her baby.
"Are you sure you're okay with this?" the husband asked, voice heavy.
"Of course. She's our child. How could I hate her for something like this?"
He smiled faintly.
"I don't hate her either. I'm just… worried about her future."
"Then we'll protect her. We'll love her, just like her older siblings."
Their moment was interrupted by two children rushing into the room.
"Let me see! I want to see my baby sister!" a little girl squealed, hopping with excitement.
*"Hey, don't get too excited!" her younger brother scolded.
"I'm just happy! I finally have a baby sister. You should be happy too!"
The grandmother shushed them gently.
"Quiet now, your mother is still tired."
"Sorry, Grandma…" the two apologized, then leaned close to see their new sister.
Meanwhile, Yunako stirred inside the newborn.
"What is happening? So many voices I don't recognize… and I don't understand their language. Still… maybe I should open my eyes."
Slowly, she opened them.
A family stood around her, smiling warmly.
"Am I… adopted into a new family? Where is this place? A village? There are no lights, only candles…"
The father chuckled.
"Hello, my little jewel~"
"What is this man saying? Ugh, and why is he smiling like that at me?"
Her gaze shifted.
"Hmm… she looks like me. The face, the eyes, the mouth… all beautiful and charming, just like me!"
Her new siblings bickered immediately.
"Don't compare her to yourself, sis!"
"Huh?! What do you mean by that?!"
*"Stop it, both of you," the grandmother scolded.
The room filled with warmth and laughter. Yunako felt tears welling up.
"Why am I crying? Is it because I finally have a home again? This warmth… it feels just like being with my master. I… I feel truly happy. Strange. Why am I like this?"
But soon, she noticed her hand.
"Wait… why don't I have fur? Where's my paw?! Did these humans… shave me?! Hah! I'll claw you all—"
But her body betrayed her—sleep pulled her back down.
*"She's fussy again," the father said.
*"It's fine. I'll put her to sleep," the mother whispered, rocking her gently.
Yunako drifted away once more.
Months later…