CHAPTER 444: CHAPTER 315: THE CAT’S OBSERVATIONS

The azure sky, the narrow streets, the crisscrossing power lines.

In the crowded Tokyo City district, a little girl picked up an orange cat in front of a vending machine.

Aei held its front paws with both hands, her little head swaying left and right in front of its placid eyes, seemingly puzzled:

"I feel like Cat-chan, you seem like my brother."

Uesugi Cat didn’t make a sound.

"Hmm~ Could it be that Cat-chan has turned into my brother?"

You might not believe it, but you’re right, I am indeed your brother.

Sadly, Uesugi Cat could only meow and couldn’t speak human words.

"Aei! Ah~ seriously, how did you run all the way here?" A young woman with glasses, slightly chubby, holding a small red flag, ran up to the vending machine, one hand on her waist, the other against the machine.

Under the sun, the vending machine was very hot; the young woman yelped, quickly pulled back her hand, checked for injuries, and finding none, just had to put both hands on her waist.

"Teacher." Aei tiptoed and called softly, while the orange cat wagged its tail in her hands.

"You still recognize me as the teacher! How did you lose the group while walking? You gave me quite a scare, lucky you didn’t run far." The young teacher said with some irritation, but without meaning to blame her too much.

"Aei saw a cicada." Aei said.

"Summer cicada, indeed there are quite a few this weather, children do like to follow them, ah no no, why are we talking about this, hurry and come back with me."

"What about Cat-chan?" Aei held Uesugi Cat in her arms, looking at the young teacher expectantly.

The orange cat’s chin was white, its body was round, its tail drooped in mid-air swaying.

Apart from its particularly human-like expression, it was just a cute kitty.

"Uh... Cat-chan is very cute, but Aei, you can’t take it with you."

"Why not?"

"Because you met it on the way, it might be someone else’s Cat-chan."

"No way!" Little Aei pouted and hugged the cat, "He’s my brother."

The young teacher saw her reluctant face and knew trouble was brewing, her eyelids fluttered, showing a helpless look:

"Is Cat-chan from Aei’s house? The teacher should have taught you not to—"

"It’s from my brother’s house! Cat-chan has a collar just like Hanabi’s."

Uesugi Cat listened to the series of conversations in the little girl’s arms.

Collar...?

This is a pendant, not a collar.

But since the teacher was here, as her brother, he should also make a run for it.

"From your brother’s house?" The young female teacher stroked her chin.

"Yes!"

"Really?" Skeptical.

"Really." Firmly resolute.

"Alright then, alright," the young female teacher rubbed her forehead and shook her head, "Then Aei, you take Cat-chan, after we visit Ueno Zoo, we’ll head to Tokyo University."

"Yay! That’s my brother’s school!"

The young female teacher was quite surprised, "Oh, Aei, your brother is studying at Tokyo University?"

"Yeah, my brother’s in the seventh class of the liberal arts section three."

"Seems like it." Aei added, unsure.

"So, a humanities student," the young female teacher calculating something in her mind, further tested, "Little Aei, how old is your brother?"

"18." The cute voice.

"Is he handsome?" The female teacher’s brows and eyes showed some joy, so young! Perhaps a boyish young man or maybe a cold and handsome guy.

"Very handsome, lots of girls give my brother love letters, though he hasn’t accepted a single one."

Love letters, where did Aei hear about that? Uesugi Cat wags its tail in little Aei’s arms.

To receive so many love letters and reject them all, he must be really handsome!

"Aei-chan, can you introduce your brother to your teacher?" The female teacher could not hide her inner delight after hearing this.

"No, no, Ms. Hawata isn’t as pretty as Hanabi sister." Aei shook her head constantly.

So he already has a girlfriend, the young female teacher’s joyful heart was instantly doused with cold water.

As for a child saying someone isn’t prettier than them...

Innocent words from a child, just endure it and it’ll pass.

The young female teacher mustered a smile on her face, and then said to the whimsical little girl in front of her:

"So, Aei-chan, shall we go back with the teacher, after this we’re not only visiting the park but also Meiji Shrine."

Going to Meiji Shrine?

Upon hearing that, Uesugi Cat lost the thought of running away.

Hitching a ride doesn’t sound so bad?

"No." Aei stepped back with the orange cat in her arms.

"Why..?"

"Aei hasn’t had her drink yet."

"Drink, what drink?"

The young female teacher looked left and right, only to find a can quietly lying in the pick-up slot of the vending machine beside her.

She resisted the urge to twitch her cheek, turned to Aei, and said:

"Just take it and let’s go."

Uesugi Cat closed its eyes in Little Aei’s arms, from this incident, he knew even at school the teacher had a hard time managing her.

It probably wouldn’t be long before she gets her parents called in for causing trouble.

...

The sky was vividly blue, with leisurely drifting white clouds.

This reminded Uesugi Sakura of the light blue dress Hanamaru Hanabi wore a few days ago, she was fresh and beautiful like the ocean under the brilliant sunshine.

Of course, this wasn’t something he, as a cat, should be thinking about right now.

"Kids, get on the bus, get on the bus, it’s about to depart!"

When Uesugi Cat opened its eyes from a nap, he realized that the scenery outside the bus window had already started moving.

A bus full of children, it’s not hard to figure out what’s going on.