After My First Love Who is My Classmate Became My Family, My Childhood Friend Became Really Sweet to Me - Chapter 19

Childhood Friend/Angel-chan /Mia

One day, after Hinata moved in to live with me.

Usually, me and Hinata go to a nearby grocery store to buy our groceries before we go back home. I usually carry all of our groceries and Hinata walks by my side, but today I’m on my own. Since Hinata has many friends who often asks for her advice, she rarely goes home straight after school. The sunflower goddess is very busy lately.

I sometimes got invited to hang out with my friends and Yarihara, but today isn’t the day. After all, I need to buy ingredients and seasonings for Tsukino’s meal. Hinata also told me to buy some for her as well.

As I was heading home after shopping, I suddenly stopped to look at a familiar girl in a nearby park.

It was Tsukino, sitting on a bench dozing off.

I Immediately found myself nervous for a moment.

After all, it was only two weeks after the day Tsukino confessed her feelings to me.

…well, that doesn’t mean that our existing relationship will fall apart. But still I can’t deny that I was becoming self-conscious about it.

“Hey, Tsukino.”

“…Yuto? Did I fell asleep?”

I shook Tsukino’s shoulder to wake her up, but she just yawned drowsily.

“Thanks for waking me up. I stayed up late studying last night.”

“It’s okay if you want to take a nap, but you’ll catch a cold if you sleep outside during this time of the year. Your house is just right there, why don’t you just take a nap in your room?”

“I know but… What should I do? I can’t move.”

She couldn’t move? Don’t tell me, was she injured?

As I was worrying about her, I noticed something in Tsukino’s lap.

It was Mia, an adult tortoiseshell cat with a collar on her neck. She was napping comfortably and peacefully on Tsukino’s lap.

“Maybe the reason you can’t move is…”

“I was playing with Mia and she fell asleep on my lap. What should I do?”

She even looked at me with such earnestly troubled eyes.

It was a little hard to say, but why didn’t Tsukino just move her out of the way? …it can’t be helped.

While Mia was sleeping, I sat down next to Tsukino.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Mia. Does Tsukino still play with Mia?”

Mia is a cat we met when we were in elementary school, she is owned by an elderly couple who live in the neighbourhood of this park.

“Yes, every time I come home from school, I go to the park to see if Mia is there. Sometimes I even go to Shimizu-san’s house to feed Mia.”

“Oh, I see. Tsukino has always been fond of cats. You used to ask me to accompany you and come to this park to see Mia when we’re at elementary school.”

“Well, my apartment is pet-prohibited. Sometimes Yuto complained when I ask him to accompany me, but he never refused to.”

“I was worried that Tsukino might go to the neighbouring town to look for Mia.”

Come to think of it, I’ve became Tsukino’s caretaker ever since then.

“Well, I guess Tsukino just loves cats that much. I’ve never had a cat sleep on my lap before, I envy Tsukino a little bit.”

“Yuto loves cats that much as well? …then, should I be a cat?”

“Hmm?”

What did she mean by ‘be a cat’?

When I was puzzled, Tsukino made a cat-like gesture and meowed with her usual expressionless face.

“Nyan.”

“…”

Well, I was in trouble then.

Should I poke her cheeks? Or should I laugh at her? While I was puzzled thinking what should I do, Tsukino was still making cat noises such as ‘Nyan’ and ‘sha’. Her expression seemed to be expecting something.

As a test, I tickled her neck with my finger, just like what Tsukino always do to Mia.

“Nyaa…”

She squinted her eyes pleasantly, as if she was a real cat.

Wow, she was really cute.

“No, wait! What are you doing out of the blue?”

“Yuto said he was jealous of me. I thought it might satisfy him a little.”

“I’m not sure what to say. But Tsukino is Tsukino, she isn’t a cat.”

Then, Tsukino posed her hand like a cat’s paw and she began to press my knee as if she was massaging it.

“…what are you doing?”

“Imitating a cat. When a cat spoils a person who is very close to her, she rubs her paws like this, you know?”

She copies what Mia usually does to her perfectly, it was really amazing.

Only Tsukino can imitate a cat as perfect as this.

Perhaps because Tsukino was pressing my knee, Mia who had been sleeping in Tsukino’s lap woke up and stretched herself out gingerly. She let out a single ‘Nyan’ sound, got off Tsukino’s lap, and started to walk away.

“Mia, she walked away… well, I hope I can see Mia again.”

“If it’s Tsukino, I’m sure Mia will come back her. Well then, I think it’s time for us to go back. I’m going to Tsukino’s house to prepare dinner.”

“What’s for dinner today?”

“Mushroom hot pot. I had a mushroom dish the other day and it was really delicious, so I wanted Tsukino to have it too.”

“Yay, that’s sounds fun.”

Her facial expression was still emotionless in spite of what she said. The imbalance between what she said and her expression was somewhat amusing.