"Meow~"
The sound came from under the bed simultaneously as Alistair looked over, identifying the source of the gaze.
"Is that your cat?"
Anna Komiya followed the sound and saw the small black cat slowly crawling out from under the bed.
Well, that bath was for nothing. She went and roamed under the bed.
Alistair looked at Little Black emerging from beneath the bed, thinking helplessly.
"Yes, this is Little Black, the one I mentioned."
Alistair crooked his finger, and Little Black obediently walked over, was caught by Alistair, and scooped up into his arms.
She's quite clean. No dust, unlike what I imagined. Is the space under the bed that clean?
Alistair looked her over and was surprised to find Little Black much cleaner than expected. He then considered Rina Komiya's secret identity as a hot chick streamer. Perhaps she kept her gear in boxes under the bed, or maybe something else. After all, Mr. Komiya wouldn't check her closet, and Yuria Komiya even less so. So, the items might have been kept directly in the closet. The clean under-bed space might just be because it was recently cleaned. It didn't matter; it was none of Alistair's business.
Alistair didn't care about the state of Rina Komiya's room. He was primarily here to find Little Black. Rina Komiya could wait. He would get to know her and find a chance to clear the shelves of this little slut later. It was better to take things one step at a time since the current situation wasn't entirely clear.
Perhaps because she had always been a hikikomori (shut-in), Rina Komiya was somewhat timid in real face-to-face communication, unlike online, where she could speak more freely since no one knew who she was.
Rina Komiya clearly paused, watching Little Black jump onto Alistair. She looked like she wanted to say something, but hesitated, opening and closing her mouth. In the end, she silently watched Alistair walk out. Aside from her initial, reflexive question about Alistair's identity, Rina Komiya didn't utter another word. Anna Komiya was already used to this, so she didn't find it strange. Rina Komiya had always been poor at socializing; girls were barely manageable, but boys were a lost cause.
"Rina-chan, what's wrong? Do you want that cat too?"
After Alistair left, Anna Komiya turned to Rina Komiya and asked. As an older sister who had lived with her for a long time, Anna Komiya naturally knew Rina Komiya was acting unusual. The only link at the moment was Little Black, so she naturally asked about the cat.
"That cat... she's so intelligent. I really wanted her."
Rina Komiya recalled the moment the cat ran in, startled her, and then locked eyes with her. The animal's lively and cunning look made Rina Komiya almost think it was a person.
However, there were no cats as intelligent as humans in this world. Even the cat beastkin in the demi-human districts were humanoid intelligent beings, not complete cats. This one was clearly a cat, and that lively intelligence might just be a natural talent.
Based on this thought, Rina Komiya wasn't afraid of the cat; instead, she instantly fell in love with her. However, she wasn't sure if the cat had an owner because there was no collar or tag to prove she was claimed. Pets with owners usually had tags. Although this pet didn't have one, she was clean and had soft fur, and there was a slight scent of water and soap, suggesting she had an owner. But without any form of ID, it was also possible that an animal lover had taken care of her.
She had already considered that the little creature might have an owner, which is why she hadn't stopped Alistair. Alistair's strong sense of purpose clearly indicated he was the owner, even if it was a bit regrettable.
Rina Komiya sighed internally. This was the first time she had ever wanted a pet so much, but it already belonged to someone else.
"It's fine, it's fine. My relationship with Koyasu-kun is decent. I can take you to his house sometime and let you pet the cat."
Anna Komiya also found the kitten quite appealing just now, but that was all. She didn't have the usual girl's fervent love for pets, but she didn't dislike them either; she was generally neutral. This cat was one of the rare little ones that left her with a good impression.
"Decent? Just decent is enough to go to his house?"
Rina Komiya noticed a key detail and stopped thinking about the cat. She looked at Anna Komiya with interest. Her sister, Anna Komiya, had always been the school's all-around excellent female representative, and publicly, she had Yuta Tobata as a boyfriend. Now she had another 'good friend' with whom she had a close enough relationship to visit his house. The hidden circumstances made Rina Komiya contemplate deeply (curiosity).
It proved that gossip was still a human instinct. Upon hearing something interesting, Rina Komiya stopped dwelling on Little Black's departure. She had only slightly wanted to adopt the cat, but now that she had juicy gossip, the kitten was immediately forgotten.
"Uh... I just said that casually. It was just to keep you from being sad."
Anna Komiya instantly froze. She had just spoken carelessly. Luckily, she could make an excuse. Otherwise, the image she had cultivated would have collapsed.
"Really?"
Rina Komiya looked at her sister with suspicion. She felt Anna Komiya wasn't telling the truth, but she likely wouldn't get anything more out of her, so Rina Komiya gave up.
"Yes, I just recently got to know him. I only said that to comfort you."
Anna Komiya rolled her eyes and said so, though she felt a strange nervousness inside. Fortunately, it wasn't visible on the surface.
"Let's assume that's the case then."
Rina Komiya stopped pressing the issue. There was no way to ask more, so she simply moved on.
"Alright, let's go downstairs. Mom should have dinner ready soon. We can eat in a little while."
Anna Komiya gently patted Rina Komiya's arm and said, then turned and walked out.
Rina Komiya nodded, but her peripheral vision suddenly caught the R18 drawer under her display cabinet, which was open. She immediately froze. She was a hikikomori, but she maintained a relatively normal appearance in front of her family. Now that the R18 game drawer was open, Rina Komiya wasn't sure if her sister and that Alistair Vance had seen it. Her sister seeing it was a minor issue, but if Alistair saw it and spread the word, she would face social death at school!
Oh, hell! I'm doomed!