After putting her indoor shoes into the shoe cabinet, Kanna Hiiragi stepped outside, her cheeks still flushed, feeling both embarrassed and helpless. Kazuma went to the sink to rinse his mouth and, naturally, took the opportunity to wash his hands as well.
After that, the guy started looking at me even more strangely.
"Huh? Is that Akane-chan?" Kanna Hiiragi, who had just come down the steps, noticed a girl squatting beneath a large tree in front of the teaching building and immediately waved. "Isn't she home yet? Akane-chan—over here!"
Hearing the call, the girl turned around, waved back with a smile, but did not stand up.
Kazuma recognized her immediately. She had a beautiful face, short flowing hair, and an alarmingly voluptuous figure that surpassed even Kanna Hiiragi's. It made one wonder what she had eaten growing up—or whether she had matured far too quickly.
This girl, Akane Nanao, also appeared to be a student from Class B.
However, since she didn't have a wish list, Kazuma Sato instantly lost interest.
"Kazuma-kun, wait a moment. I'll go say hello to my friend."
"…"
"Can you hurry up? My stomach is still growling," Kazuma complained, rubbing his belly. Suddenly, he noticed a small kitten near the flowerbed ahead. His eyes sharpened, and after a brief moment of thought, he followed it.
"Akane, you still haven't gone home yet? Wow! What an adorable kitten~"
Kanna Hiiragi let out a cheerful, spring-like cry.
"Meow~"
Akane Nanao was staring quietly at the dirty little kitten in front of her. The black kitten didn't look very old—probably only a few months. She wondered whether it had been abandoned and become a stray. Its thin, bony body looked pitiful.
It was obvious that it was malnourished.
Such a small, weak kitten couldn't compete with adult strays and clearly hadn't eaten properly in a long time.
"I still have club activities. The baseball team's training isn't over yet, so I can't leave," Akane Nanao said. "I just found this stray cat here." When she mentioned club activities, her tone darkened slightly, but Kanna Hiiragi didn't notice.
"Meow~"
"By the way, Kanna, why are you with Kazuma-kun…?" Akane Nanao glanced at Kazuma Sato. She didn't know him well, but she recognized him as a classmate. Seeing her friend walking together with him surprised her.
"Don't tell me you two are dating?" she exclaimed.
"How could that be?" Kazuma's eyebrow twitched as he retorted instantly, letting out a cold laugh. "With this perverted woman—waaaah!!"
Kanna Hiiragi quickly covered Kazuma Sato's mouth, forcing an awkward laugh. "Haha… haha… it's nothing like that. Kazuma-kun and I just ran into each other."
You promised to keep it a secret—don't tell anyone!
Faced with Kanna Hiiragi's frantic glare, Kazuma finally shut his mouth. Then, however, he began wiping his lips repeatedly, causing Kanna Hiiragi to stomp her foot in anger.
"Kazuma! Didn't I just wash my hands?!"
"There's still a taste."
"No way! You idiot, Kazuma!"
Kanna Hiiragi was on the verge of tears. She felt like this man always had some inexplicable fixation on her hands.
"Kanna…?" Akane Nanao found their interaction increasingly strange.
"Um, Akane, I still have something to do with Kazuma Sato-kun, so we'll be leaving now…" Afraid that her embarrassing past might be exposed to her best friend, Kanna Hiiragi tugged nervously at Kazuma's sleeve, ready to leave.
"Wait."
Kazuma stopped her.
He walked over to the little black cat and squatted down. Akane Nanao looked at him in confusion, wondering what he intended to do.
"This little guy is hungry," Kazuma said flatly.
"Oh? Really?" Akane Nanao hadn't noticed. It wasn't that she lacked observation—her mind had simply been elsewhere. "But I don't have any food."
"It looks so pitiful. It must get bullied by other stray cats all the time," Kanna Hiiragi said, leaning closer. "I don't have anything either. What should we do?"
"It's fine. I have something," Kazuma replied, blinking. He pretended to rummage through his pocket, but in reality, he took out a hidden item from the system—one of his beginner rewards.
"Rice balls?" Kanna Hiiragi and Akane Nanao exclaimed at the same time.
The Momotaro Rice Ball was the item Kazuma had obtained from his first lottery draw. He couldn't say whether he'd been lucky or not. It was useless to humans and of limited value to him for now, but its effect was undeniably powerful: any animal that ate it would become friendly toward him.
"Little one, this rice ball can fill your belly. But the price is losing your freedom and becoming my pet. How about it?"
The kitten obviously didn't understand his words—neither did Kanna Hiiragi or Akane Nanao.
Perhaps drawn by the scent, or perhaps because hunger had dulled its wariness, the kitten slowly approached. It lowered its head to sniff the rice ball in Kazuma's hand, then looked up at him.
Its clear eyes showed a trace of innocence before it began nibbling.
"Meow~"
After just a few bites, the Momotaro Rice Ball took effect immediately. The kitten's caution vanished, and its gaze toward Kazuma changed completely, as if he were now separate from everyone else around him.
With light, kittenish steps, it walked to his feet, rubbed against his trouser leg, and let out an affectionate meow.
"Meow~"
Kazuma picked the kitten up. It didn't resist at all, curling obediently in his arms and rubbing against him, clearly recognizing him as its owner.
This sudden change stunned Akane Nanao. She had tried to pet the kitten earlier, only for it to dodge her, yet its attitude toward Kazuma Sato was completely different.
"It's because Kazuma-kun fed it," Kanna Hiiragi said. Unable to resist its cuteness, she reached out as well—only to be dodged again.
"Why won't you let me touch you?" Kanna Hiiragi complained bitterly.
"You're ugly."
"Kazuma, put your hand on your conscience, look at my face, and say that again!" Kanna Hiiragi planted her hands on her hips and lifted her delicate chin defiantly.
Kazuma stared at her for a moment before turning away. "Your personality is questionable."
With a forced smile, Kanna Hiiragi leaned closer. "We've only been in school for two months, and we weren't even close before. How do you know I'm a bad person?"
Kazuma rubbed the kitten's head and casually placed a hand on her shoulder. "Kanna Hiiragi, you're a pervert. Isn't that reason enough?"
"I—am—not—!"
Watching them bicker while Kanna Hiiragi flushed red with embarrassment and indignation, Akane Nanao murmured to herself, "What exactly is the relationship between these two? They don't seem like ordinary classmates at all…"
"Just now, you—"
Before Akane could continue, a boy in a tracksuit jogged over—a member of the baseball club.
"Shoya, are the club activities over?"
"Not yet. Coach tougou said we need extra training for the prefectural tournament," he replied apologetically.
Akane Nanao's expression darkened, whether from disappointment or simply from hearing the coach's name.
...
..
.
[image] Akane Nanao