Chapter 53: The Girls at the Cat Café
"Honestly, that clueless boy is so dense all the time. I hinted so obviously, and he still didn't get it at all. I'm really worried about him!"
Grumbling about the absent someone, Nia picked up her coffee and took a slow sip, finally managing to calm down a little.
"Ahaha~ Satoru-kun can be like that sometimes~ He usually seems so clever, but then he gets all confused~"
"But I think, deep down, Satoru-kun is a pretty serious person~ It's understandable if he didn't catch some hints~ But when it really matters, he becomes incredibly reliable~"
"Mm, Big Brother gives off a very reassuring feeling."
"Hey now, don't start praising him just because he's not here. Are you all going to defend him even in his absence? You're spoiling him too much!"
However, after hearing the responses from the three girls around her, she couldn't help but roll her eyes slightly in exasperation.
Every single one of them treated Satoru as if he were some kind of treasure.
Although they usually teased and joked about him, the moment he wasn't around, they were the first to defend him.
Could they really not stand anyone saying a single bad word about him?
This "fan purification" was just too extreme.
"N-No way~ We're just speaking our minds~ Thinking about it carefully, Satoru does sometimes speak without filtering his words~"
"Y-Yeah! Satoru often says things without thinking, and some of the stuff he says is so lewd and perverted!"
Of course, before any cards were laid on the table, this kind of "fan solidarity" was quite fragile—easily shattered with one blow.
After hearing Nia's teasing, Mei and Asahi, who had just been defending someone, immediately switched sides and started listing Satoru's flaws.
Only Mukuro remained silent, quietly eating her pastry.
But this was probably because she hadn't even picked up on the teasing tone in Nia's words.
Instead, she just kept eating quietly, her cheeks puffing up adorably, which made Nia chuckle and gently stroke her cheek before patting the golden cat ears on her head.
...Yes, they were indeed cat ears—fluffy and incredibly pleasant to touch.
Not just her; almost everyone in the private room had put on cat ears and tails, looking utterly adorable.
Although they were from the new district, they hadn't worn them for their own sake. The real purpose was actually for...
"Miss Tokisaki, did you see that little interaction between those two kittens just now?"
"Mhm~ I saw it, Miss Ayano~ The way they high-fived with their paws was absolutely super cute~!"
...getting those two to wear them.
Hearing the conversation between the two black-haired girls crouching in the corner, intently observing the little kittens, Nia and the others couldn't help but glance over and break into slightly amused, wry smiles.
While kittens were undoubtedly cute, it was rare to see anyone as obsessed as those two.
Kurumi and Ayano—both could be called cat fanatics.
Kurumi had always loved cats, but due to Sawa's situation, she hadn't had much time for them. Now that it was over, she could finally indulge in regular cat cuddling.
As for Ayano, she was too proud to admit it. This time, she only "reluctantly" wore them because everyone suggested coming and she heard about the "30% discount for wearing cat ears and tails" promotion.
In her own words, it was absolutely not because the kittens were too adorable that she wore them!
Even now, while hiding in the corner and quietly exchanging insights with Kurumi, her fellow enthusiast, she kept her voice hushed, trying not to be overheard.
But in reality, everyone could hear her clearly.
Not just Spirits like Kurumi and Mukuro, but even Mei and Asahi could hear every word.
Of course, no one said anything—everyone had known about this for a long time. Only Ayano stubbornly denied it to save face...
"Was that earlier moment properly captured on camera?"
"I'm not sure. Although I specifically brought a DSLR and set up my phone for timed shots from two angles, plus Kurumi-san's camera, making three of us shooting together, there might still be blind spots."
"..." xN
Did she actually intend to deny anything at all?
Seeing this black-haired, straight-haired girl placing her right hand on her chin with a serious expression, earnestly discussing such matters, everyone couldn't help but feel somewhat emotional.
What was even more exasperating was that Kurumi actually nodded with complete seriousness.
It seems that in the eyes of cat lovers, some things are truly completely different.
"A-anyway, Nia-chan, what were you implying to Satoru earlier?"
So to ease the awkward atmosphere and prevent Ayano from noticing them secretly watching, Mei quickly changed the subject.
"Nothing much. I was just hinting that I gathered his harem together to properly enhance the sisterly bonds between everyone, making it easier to coexist harmoniously in the future~ Unfortunately, he didn't catch on~"
"Pfft!!" x2
But when they heard Nia's words, Mei and Asahi both couldn't help but spray the coffee in their mouths directly onto each other's faces!
Wh-what kind of talk is this!!!!
----------
For advance chapters join my Patreon.
[email protected]/Aarvan