Hoshimi looked at the catgirl, intending to carefully check if there was any possibility of communication, and while he was at it, give the catgirl a quick physical check-up.
Yes, just a quick check-up...
...
Three minutes later, Hoshimi woke up with a subtle expression on his face.
At the same time, the little kitten in Yukino's arms also woke up. After stretching lazily, it seemed reluctant to move.
Seeing the kitten wake up, Yukino knew that Hoshimi must be awake too.
She turned her head to look at Hoshimi and asked, "Hoshimi, why did it take so long?"
"Kittens are cute. Petting them takes time," Hoshimi replied as he stood up, brushing off the dust on his pants while giving Yukino a subtle look.
Just now, he had confirmed two things:
First, the catgirl transformed from the kitten couldn't communicate—she could only meow.
Second, the catgirl's body was perfectly healthy and almost identical to Yukino's in every way.
"That's true, kittens are indeed cute," Yukino agreed, satisfied with Hoshimi's explanation.
"So, what should we do now?" Hoshimi asked as he picked up his phone.
Yukino looked at the kitten, thinking aloud, "I noticed that the kitten was scratched by a branch when it fell. I want to take it to a vet. Hoshimi, would you like to come with me?"
Hoshimi shrugged, "Sure, let's go."
"Okay, then you lead the way, Hoshimi."
"Hmm? Why me?" Hoshimi tilted his head slightly, wondering why he should lead when it was Yukino's idea.
"..." Yukino stared at Hoshimi, holding the kitten.
I don't go out much, so how could I know the way to the vet?
"..." Hoshimi sighed.
Alright, I'll lead the way.
Hoshimi took out his phone, used the navigation to find the nearest veterinary clinic, and led Yukino there according to the suggested route.
Half an hour later, they entered the vet clinic.
Another half hour later, they left the vet clinic.
And half an hour after that, they returned to the place where they had rescued the kitten.
Yukino placed the kitten back in the greenery and took out a small bag of cat food from her backpack, pouring it in front of the kitten.
"Meow~ Meow~" Yukino pointed at the kitten and imitated its meowing.
The little kitten, whether it understood Yukino or was just hungry, crouched down and started nibbling at the cat food.
Hoshimi stood by, hands in his pockets, watching the harmonious and heartwarming scene between the human and the cat.
"Hoshimi..." Yukino tugged at his sleeve.
"Yes?"
"...Nothing." Yukino opened and closed her mouth a few times before silently giving up.
She had originally wanted to ask Hoshimi to adopt the kitten, but it seemed he wasn't interested...
She knew that if she requested it, Hoshimi would probably agree.
But she decided against it. She was already very satisfied with today, and this kitten was already quite grown—adapting to being adopted might be difficult...
"..." Hoshimi knew what Yukino was thinking.
If she had asked directly, he wouldn't have refused. Taking care of a kitten wouldn't be too troublesome.
But his house was quite large, and if this little kitten decided to hide in some corner, it might take a day or two to find it...
That could be a bit inconvenient...
If Yukino didn't bring it up, he wouldn't suggest adopting the kitten either.
It wasn't that he didn't like kittens; he just wasn't that interested.
Moreover, with his dream abilities, he was genuinely worried that one day this kitten might end up putting a metaphorical "green hat" on Yukino's head.
If that happened, the situation would indeed be quite amusing...
"Hoshimi, let's go." Yukino reluctantly patted the kitten's head before getting up and taking Hoshimi's hand, ready to leave.
"Yeah, let's go home."
Not long after, they returned to their apartments. Hoshimi didn't go straight back to his place but instead stayed in Yukino's apartment, enjoying a dinner and spending some more time with her.
It wasn't until 10 p.m. that Hoshimi, faced with a blushing and exasperated Yukino, finally went back to his own place.
After Hoshimi left, Yukino leaned against the door, her body tingling as she slowly slid down to sit.
That rascal Hoshimi really knew how to push his luck, taking advantage of every opportunity.
At this rate, she wasn't sure if she could hold out until the end of high school...
...
Meanwhile, at Haruno's apartment.
After a long day, Haruno returned home and looked at the surveillance footage, feeling her heart nearly stop.
She collapsed back in her chair, staring blankly at the ceiling, as if she could see snowflakes drifting down from the sky.
At the same time, a sorrowful and haunting melody seemed to echo in her ears.
She could even vaguely hear her own voice, as if calling out.
"No!!!"
...
At the same time, in the Iwanaga family manor.
Kotoko Iwanaga, dressed in pajamas, sat at a table, one hand flipping through a book while the other swirled the liquid in a wine glass.
Under the light, the red liquid in the glass shimmered enticingly.
"Sigh~~"
Kotoko took a sip of the freshly squeezed grape juice, a look of contentment on her face.
Things with Hoshimi were progressing well, and it seemed that Yukinoshita-senpai was not a particularly strong competitor.
She was passive, tsundere, and too gentle—a combination that made her a weak contender in the game of love.
But there was one issue: Yukinoshita-senpai and Hoshimi lived in the same apartment building. Could there be any unexpected developments due to their proximity?
Kotoko thoughtfully swirled her glass.
The chances of unexpected developments were low—almost negligible.
Hoshimi didn't like to force others, and Yukinoshita-senpai was very reserved. Even if they lived close, it was unlikely that anything would happen.
With that in mind, the situation seemed stable.
The advantage was still mine.
...
That night, back at his own place, Hoshimi took out his phone and noticed that half an hour ago, Yui Yuigahama had sent him an email.
Raising an eyebrow, Hoshimi opened the email.
"Hoshimi-kun, are you there?"
Was this just a simple greeting? Or did she want to ask something but didn't know how to start, so she began with "Are you there?"
It was probably the latter.
Hoshimi quickly typed out a reply to Yuigahama.
"I'm here. Is there something you need, Yuigahama?"
After sending the message, Hoshimi put his phone back in his pocket, intending to head to the bathroom for a bath.
Just as he took a step, his phone vibrated.
A reply so soon?
Hoshimi took out his phone again, and sure enough, Yuigahama had replied immediately.
"Hoshimi-kun, I have a somewhat impolite question to ask. May I?"
===
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