"Meow!"
As Nohara Sato stepped into the club room, he faintly heard a cat's meow. He glanced around the otherwise empty room but didn't see any trace of a feline intruder.
Did I imagine that?
He rubbed his temples. Maybe he'd spent too much time cuddling cats yesterday?
Shaking his head, he turned toward the lone figure seated in the corner and greeted her, "Good afternoon, Yukinoshita-san."
The clubroom was quiet, none of the light music club members had arrived yet. Only Yukinoshita Yukino sat inside.
As always, she was tucked into a corner. But unlike before, there was now a desk in front of her, and rather than reading with the book in her lap, she sat properly, posture upright.
"Good afternoon," came her usual cool reply.
After greeting her, Sato walked to his usual seat and sat down.
"Meow~"
Hmm?
He raised an eyebrow. If the first sound had been his imagination, this one definitely wasn't.
Is there really a cat in here?
Setting down his commuter bag, Sato stood up and carefully scanned the room. His sharp gaze missed nothing.
The music area, the tea counter, the storage corner…
Nothing?
He frowned and glanced up at the ceiling. Was the sound coming from an attic gap? Or maybe from outside?
"Meow~"
This time, the moment he heard it, his eyes locked on Yukinoshita Yukino.
She sat, as ever, perfectly composed and focused on her book, seemingly lost in her own world.
But… Sato noticed her ears were slightly red.
His gaze dropped to the desk in front of her.
The meowing stopped but inside the drawer was a furry little form, lying with one paw draped over the other. A small creature looked up at him with big blue eyes.
Seeing his gaze, the kitten let out another soft cry.
"Meow~"
"Sorry!" Yukinoshita suddenly stood up and bowed slightly, her fair earlobes tinged with pink.
Sato walked over as she gently took a snow-white kitten out of the drawer.
He looked at the little fluffball and asked with a puzzled expression, "This is...?"
Yukino hesitated, then said softly, "I found it on the way to school. Someone had left it in a box… it was probably abandoned."
"So…?"
"It was raining. I felt sorry for it and brought it with me. I couldn't take it to class, so I left it in the clubroom, just for now. I was going to take it home after school, but then..."
"But then I walked in?"
Sato chuckled as he gently played with the kitten, which Yukino had placed on the desk.
Compared to the cat Rikka had handed to him yesterday, this one was smaller, pure white with not a single speck of other color. Its big blue eyes were bright and curious, and its little tongue gently licked Sato's fingers while its tiny pink paws batted at his hand.
So cute~! ★
Sato couldn't help but smile, his eyes softening.
Yukino, watching him, had a faint sparkle in her eyes.
The kitten pushed at his fingers with its paws as he rubbed its belly.
"This isn't a big deal. You don't have to be so tense, Yukinoshita-san…"
Truthfully, it was the first time he'd seen her look so awkward, surely a rare sight, especially in a private academy like theirs.
She remained quiet, standing beside him. Bringing a pet to school violated the rules, and bringing it into the clubroom or a classroom was worse.
Even as Yukinoshita Yukino, she felt uncomfortable now that she'd been found out.
"Are you planning to keep it?"
At that, Yukino finally spoke again.
"No..."
"Huh?"
Sato was a bit surprised.
She sighed and looked at the kitten with visible reluctance. "My apartment doesn't allow pets."
"I see..."
Sato nodded in understanding.
Bringing the kitten to school had been a moment of soft-heartedness. But taking it home would mean continuing to break the rules.
Yukino might occasionally make small missteps, but she wasn't the type to live in defiance of the rules.
"So what do you plan to do?"
She shook her head. She hadn't thought that far when she brought the kitten in.
Silence fell over the room.
Then Sato spoke:
"How about… I take it in?"
Yukino blinked in surprise, her gaze lifting to meet his.
"This…"
She bit her lip, clearly conflicted.
Still playing with the little white fluffball, Sato smiled.
"It's fine. I just adopted a cat yesterday anyway. One more won't hurt. They can keep each other company."
"What do you think, Yukinoshita-san?"
Upon hearing that Sato was willing to adopt the kitten, it was as if a weight lifted from Yukino's shoulders. The confident Yukinoshita Yukino returned.
She bowed slightly.
"If that's alright, then thank you. Sorry for the trouble, Nohara-kun."
"It's nothing. Does it have a name?"
"A name? No…"
She looked a bit lost and shook her head.
Sato stroked his chin in thought. Then, a name surfaced in his memory.
"My other cat is called Chocola. How about we name this one Vanilla?"
"Chocola and… Vanilla?"
Yukino blinked. Though the names were simple, they somehow felt charming when paired together.
"I'll leave it to you, Nohara-kun."
Sato looked down at the kitten and smiled.
"Alright, little one. From now on, your name is Vanilla."
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(Author's note: Don't get the wrong idea :P)