"So the cat can play guitar too."
Kikukawa Kyo casually shortened cat-like girl to just cat and observed Raana's reaction. If she didn't like the nickname, Kyo would take it back immediately.
But Raana didn't seem to care much. It was as if she was already used to people calling her a cat. She blinked at Kyo, thinking for a moment, as if debating how to refer to this person who had just called her a cat.
Since Kyo had given her a nickname, Raana wanted to come up with a simpler one in return.
"…Water?"
"I don't think that sounds very cute. Actually, it doesn't sound like a name at all."
Kyo followed along smoothly, unfazed by Raana's overly direct and simplistic train of thought—something that might have caught a more normal person off guard.
But Kyo wasn't exactly normal herself.
She had no trouble understanding the odd logic of someone like Kohane, with her dreamy thought patterns, or Mutsumi, with her blunt, taciturn ways.
So dealing with someone like Raana—who was not just direct but also had the pure, instinct-driven energy of an animal—was practically effortless.
"Hmm…"
Raana let out a soft, gurgling noise from her throat, closing her eyes in thought. She didn't seem entirely satisfied with her choice either.
Watching Raana wrestle with something as simple as a nickname, Kyo couldn't help but chuckle.
Compared to the people she'd been dealing with lately—some full of little schemes, others with their own peculiar issues—talking to this pure little cat was probably the most relaxing moment she'd had all week.
Well, besides chatting with her sister, of course.
Taking a sip of her freshly made cappuccino, Kyo set it aside and turned her attention to the counter, scanning for matcha powder and other ingredients.
Raana had mentioned matcha parfait earlier. She must have really wanted one.
Since she was still busy trying to come up with a name for Kyo, might as well make her one in the meantime.
Judging from how familiar Ririko was with both Raana and her family, she probably wouldn't mind treating this little runaway to a small matcha parfait.
And if not, Kyo could always just pay for it herself—money wasn't an issue.
But after rummaging around for a bit, she still couldn't find any matcha powder.
Come to think of it, the equipment behind the counter was mostly for making coffee. Non-coffee drinks were probably made in the back room.
Kyo glanced at Raana, who was still deep in thought.
Her short, silvery-white hair bobbed slightly as she worked her brain extra hard—until, finally, she just flopped forward onto the table.
It was like her head had grown heavier from thinking too much, and she was now letting the tabletop bear the burden for her.
"Cat, don't run off."
"Mm."
Kyo gave a casual warning, and Raana gave an absentminded reply—without even lifting her head. It was just her overworked brain reflexively responding.
With that, Kyo pushed open the door to the back room—only to see Ririko in the middle of her phone call.
What caught Kyo off guard, though, was how stiff she looked. She almost seemed nervous, like she was speaking to a superior.
So… is Raana's parent the strict type?
Kyo could already imagine it.
Looks like the cat's in for a scolding when she gets home.
Heh, can't relate. I got my guardian to call in my absence like a proper boss.
Kikukawa Kyo wiped away the imaginary tears from Raana's eyes, hoping that the matcha parfait she was about to make would at least lighten the scolding she was bound to get later tonight.
At the very least, she should enjoy her meal first.
Ririko was still on the phone when she noticed Kyo walking in, giving her a questioning look.
Kyo mouthed her request softly, "Can I make a matcha parfait for Raana? She really wants one."
Without pausing her conversation, Ririko gave an OK gesture and pointed out where the matcha powder, cream, and other ingredients were stored.
Parfaits weren't exactly a drink, but VA-11 HALL-A served them, and Kyo had made them before—though she rarely ate them herself.
Once the parfait was finished, Kyo hid it behind her back and walked back to the counter, looking down at Raana from across it.
"Did you come up with something yet?"
She grinned at Raana, who had completely overworked her brain and was now lying face-down on the table with her eyes shut.
"If you can't think of a name, then let me introduce myself first—I'm Kikukawa Kyo."
"Raana."
The little cat immediately followed up with her own introduction. Then, as if she had suddenly struck gold, she pointed at Kyo with a proud expression.
"Kyomizu."
"…That's just my name with a cutesy little prefix."
Kyo rolled her eyes.
"What grade are you in, Cat?"
"Middle school, third year." Raana held up three fingers.
"So you're younger than me by a year, and you're the one calling me 'Kyomizu'?"
"Mm. Kyomizu."
Raana seemed completely set on the name, unwavering.
"Well, I don't really mind, but you shouldn't be this casual with just anyone, you know? Some people might think you're being rude."
Raana gave a little shake of her head, showing no signs of actually listening. Then, she glanced at the cappuccino Kyo had set aside and suddenly remembered something.
"Matcha parfait. Want to eat."
"Greedy little cat." Kyo chuckled, then leaned in, lowering her voice like she was revealing a big secret.
"If you close your eyes, I can make a matcha parfait appear in just one second."
"Really?"
Raana squinted at Kyo, scrutinizing her to see if she was bluffing. She even leaned in slightly—before abruptly sitting back down.
"…Don't like water."
That sudden statement came out of nowhere.
Kyo instantly realized that Kyomizu was Raana's nickname for her, so she didn't misunderstand the meaning.
So, just like how I see her as a cat… she sees me as water?
Was that why she had been so unwilling to come near Kyo earlier?
A mental image popped into Kyo's mind—a cat stubbornly refusing to step into a bath.
Most cats did hate water, after all.
Raana's behavior had always been cat-like, and once you paid attention, it was easy to see the resemblance.
But me, like water?
That was a little harder to grasp. What exactly does a person have to do to make someone else think of them as water?
Or was this just part of Raana's animal-like intuition?
"You're not lying? If I close my eyes, I'll get a parfait in one second?"
"Of course."
With Kyo's confident assurance, Raana couldn't tell if she was being tricked or not.
So she simply shut her eyes.
If I get tricked… she thought, even if I hate water, I'm definitely scratching Kyomizu a few times for this.
Raana made that vow to herself.