The warm spring sunset spilled into the quiet corridor along the window sill, as if laying out a golden carpet.
After leaving the Supernatural Research Club's clubroom, she walked alone through the empty hallway, accompanied only by the sound of "tap tap" footsteps.
Yukinoshita, however, did not feel lonely. On the contrary, she preferred the quiet environment.
Because it was helpfull in thinking.
Thinking, that is the secret by which humanity has come to stand above all other living beings.
'A silent, deserted afternoon is the best time to ponder profound philosophical questions. Like the end of the universe, or the meaning of human existence.'
'...As if.'
She couldn't forget, absolutely couldn't forget.
Whether her eyes were open or closed, that stunning face always lingered in her mind.
Yukinoshita had already been trying hard to divert her attention, but her hippocampus clearly had ideas of its own.
'The pursuit of beauty is indeed human nature, and emotions born from beauty will eventually transfer to another object when a more beautiful one appears.'
'Such feelings are, without a doubt, fake, and extremely shallow.'
Yukinoshita patted her face, trying to snap herself back to reality.
It was at that moment that a rustling sound suddenly came from not far away.
Yukinoshita returned to her senses, and only then realized that, at some point, she had walked into a secluded garden.
The sound came from behind a nearby shrub.
Yukinoshita didn't want to meddle in other people's business. Although she had trained in Aikido and knew a bit of martial arts, her physical strength was rather poor, she wasn't athletic.
If something truly happened, relying on Aikido alone would hardly be enough to protect herself in a dangerous situation.
But…
"Meow~ meow~"
A faint meowing sound, seeming very weak.
Yukinoshita stopped in her tracks instinctively, suddenly unable to move forward.
As a devoted cat lover, her affection for cats had already reached a hopeless level.
Though her mother strongly objected to keeping cats, so she never had one, she often came to the garden to feed stray cats.
'Such a faint meow, could it be injured?'
'I have to check.'
With this thought in mind, Yukinoshita walked toward the source of the sound and soon arrived at the shrub.
She parted the messy branches, and the moment she saw the small figure curled up in front of her, she instinctively held her breath.
'It is a kitten.'
It looked not quite fully grown yet, kind of like a silver shaded breed, with silver-white fur all over, not a single trace of impurity.
Only its paw pads were tender and pink, the kind that made people want to reach out and touch them.
Judging by its appearance, it was undoubtedly extremely cute, but Yukinoshita's gaze became serious.
The kitten's hind legs seemed to have been bitten or torn by something, a bloody mess, extremely horrifying.
Just looking at it made her feel pain. With such a serious injury, it had to be treated immediately.
Yukinoshita took a deep breath and softened her voice, "Kitty, don't be afraid, I'm here to help you."
Injured cats were prone to stress reactions and might attack anything approaching indiscriminately.
Yukinoshita did want to help the injured kitten, but she couldn't just pick it up directly. Getting scratched was no joke.
First, she had to soothe the kitten's emotions, at least confirm that it wouldn't attack her before she could take action.
The kitten did seem afraid, its small body trembling slightly.
But it showed no intention of resisting. As if it had intelligence, it quietly stared at the unfamiliar human in front of it with big, glistening eyes.
It didn't bristle or hiss, so obedient it made the heart ache.
Yukinoshita tentatively reached out a hand, 'Good, the kitty isn't showing any sign of attacking.
"Meow~", Hearing this meow that sounded like a plea for help, Yukinoshita finally couldn't hold back anymore and carefully picked up the kitten.
Then she hurried to the nearest pet hospital, paid the fees at lightning speed, and waited anxiously.
.
.
.
.
A long while later.
A female doctor in a white coat walked out of the examination room and gave her a small nod, "It's been basically treated. Judging from the marks, it looks like it was bitten by some animal. Fortunately, you brought it in just in time."
"As long as it's okay," Yukinoshita was relieved and quickly asked, "Can I go in and see it?"
"Of course you can," The female doctor stepped aside, a bit emotional, "The kitten you brought has a really good constitution, and it's very obedient. It's the first time I've seen such a sensible cat."
During the wound treatment, it didn't make a fuss at all, as if it knew these humans were helping it. It didn't resist in the slightest.
Compared to those Hakimi cats that make a scene just from getting a bath, this one could be called a legendary, supreme cat.
'It really is well-behaved,' Talking about this, even Yukinoshita couldn't help but smile.
But she quickly restrained her expression and turned to walk into the ward, seeing the kitten whose hind legs had already been bandaged.
When it saw her enter, it meowed and a flash of gratitude appeared in its green pupils.
'Was that just an illusion?'
She had a feeling that this kitten's intelligence was a little too high.
Yukinoshita shook her head, tossing those strange thoughts away, then found herself troubled.
Though the kitten's wound had received basic treatment, it would definitely need time to rest and regular bandage changes.
In this situation, there was no way she could let it continue wandering.
A kitten with an injured hind leg and difficulty moving simply didn't have the ability to survive in the city.
But if she were to adopt it, her mother would be a huge problem.
Although she had already moved out and lived alone, her sister and mother would occasionally drop by to visit.
If they discovered that she was secretly raising a pet…
Just as she was lost in thought, she suddenly felt a wet sensation on her fingertips, making Yukinoshita instinctively lower her head.
Turns out the kitten lying on the bed had, at some point, struggled to move closer and was now sticking out its pink little tongue, licking her fingertips gently.
Such an affectionate and sensible kitten, to a cat lover, it was like an SSR-grade rare card.
Yukinoshita's gaze gradually became firm.
———
There are always some things that are hard to make up your mind about.
But once decided, it becomes very easy.
When she left the pet hospital, Yukinoshita had a big cat carrier in her hands.
The kitten was curled up inside. Perhaps it was the relaxation after the rush of survival, it was now sleeping deeply.
It was the first time the girl was raising a cat. Amidst her joy, she couldn't help buying a ton of pet supplies: a cat bed, a cat tree, cat toys, cat food, cat treats…
She ended up buying so much that it was hard to carry it all alone, so she just left her address, the pet hospital would arrange a delivery later.
'Yukitan's wound is no big deal for now. Just needs a few more bandage changes and it'll be fine.'
'Mm… Spaying should be planned soon too, but that can wait. Let's focus on recovery first.'
By the way, "Yukitan" was the name Yukinoshita had given the kitten.
Back at the hospital, she had already carefully checked. There were no little lychees hanging under Yukitan, so she was a little lady.
Looking at the small life sleeping soundly in the cat carrier, Yukinoshita's lips curled slightly, "From now on, let's get along well."
[T/N: Ahoy~ brothers and sisters, check out my latest novel, "One Piece: The Living Devil", an EVIL MC on the Grand Line with devil fruits, danger, and lust. If you're hooked, don't forget to drop a Powerstone and add it to your Collection—every bit of support keeps the journey alive and the story blazing forward]
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