I walked toward the entrance with Ayami still in her cat form, comfortably perched on my shoulder. Her soft fur brushed against my neck as she purred quietly.
As I reached for the door, my mother called out from the kitchen. "Hikaru, where are you going?"
I paused for a moment, not wanting to explain too much, especially with Ayami on my shoulder in her cat form. "Just going out for a bit," I said casually, offering a small shrug as I opened the door.
My mother gave a quick glance but didn't seem to probe further. "Alright, but don't be out too late," she reminded me.
"Got it," I replied, stepping outside with Ayami still lounging comfortably on me. As I closed the door behind me, I couldn't help but feel a little relieved that my mom hadn't asked more questions.
Now, with some space between us and the house, I turned to Ayami, who gave a contented stretch. "Alright, let's head to the mall. You sure you don't want to go back to the mirror world?"
She purred, a playful glint in her golden eyes. "Nah, I'm fine here. I want to see how real humans live," she teased, her tail flicking lazily.
I couldn't help but laugh a little as we walked down the snowy street. "You say that like you weren't once a human yourself," I teased, glancing at Ayami on my shoulder.
"Meow," Ayami responded in her cat form, flicking her tail with a little flick of defiance.
The snow crunched beneath my boots as we made our way down the street, the cold air biting at our faces. The world around us was quiet, the snowflakes drifting lazily from the sky and dusting the ground in a soft blanket of white. It felt peaceful, almost like the world was holding its breath.
Ayami, still perched comfortably on my shoulder, caught the attention of a few passersby who couldn't help but stop and stare.
"Ahhh, it's so cute! The cat's staying on your shoulder?" one of them exclaimed.
I gave a small smile, adjusting her slightly as she curled up even tighter, content. "Yeah, she's a bit of a handful," I said, trying to downplay the oddity of the situation.
Ayami flicked her tail again in response, clearly enjoying the attention.
As we continued walking, Ayami didn't seem to mind the attention. She even stretched out on my shoulder like she owned the place, purring contentedly. I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. It was strange, seeing this playful, mischievous cat on my shoulder, but somehow, it felt normal with her around.
"Hey, you're enjoying this, aren't you?" I asked, glancing at her as she glanced back at me with those golden eyes.
She gave a little meow in response, her tail flicking lightly. "Maybe a little," she teased, as if it was all part of the game.
As we neared the corner of the street, the small crowd seemed to thin out, leaving us alone on the quiet road. The snow continued to fall gently, coating everything in a layer of white.
We finally reached the mall, and I couldn't help but notice the slight change in Ayami's posture as we walked through the entrance. She had jumped off my shoulder earlier, but now, with a quick leap, she was comfortably perched on top of my head, looking absolutely pleased with herself.
"Seriously?" I muttered, shaking my head. "You couldn't just stay on my shoulder?"
Ayami, comfortably situated on my head, flicked her tail and purred in response. "It's a perfect view from up here, Hikaru-kun," she teased, clearly enjoying her elevated position. "I can see everything!"
Surprisingly, when we approached the security checkpoint, the guard didn't even raise an eyebrow. He gave us a quick glance but didn't question the cat on my head. Maybe it was the late hour or maybe he was just used to oddities in this mall, but the fact that we got in without issue was a bit of a shock.
"Looks like we're in the clear," I said with a slight laugh, half-expecting the guard to suddenly stop us, but he simply nodded as we walked past.
The mall was quieter than usual, the usual hustle and bustle of the weekend replaced by a more peaceful atmosphere, which suited us just fine. Ayami stretched lazily on top of my head, clearly enjoying the little break from her usual antics.
"Where to first?" I asked, scanning the rows of stores around us.
"Oh, they have ice skating here?" she asked, her golden eyes lighting up with interest.
"Ah yeah, I played with my friends here a few days ago," I replied, nodding. "It's a pretty fun rink, actually."
Ayami tilted her head, clearly considering the idea.
But then, a voice came from another direction, calling my name.
"Ara? Isn't that Hikaru-kun~?"
I looked around and saw Aoi. "Eh, Aoi-san? What are you doing here?"
"I just wanted to search for some clothes..." she said, glancing directly at the top of my head where Ayami was sitting. "A cat! That's cuteee! She's staying on your head!"
"Ah, yeah, she's been sitting on my head for a while now."
Aoi's eyes sparkled with amusement as she stepped closer. "I can't believe you're just casually walking around with a cat on your head. That's something else."
Ayami flicked her tail in a playful gesture, as if to say, "Meow."
"And what are you doing here, my junior?" Aoi looked back at me, raising an eyebrow.
"Just wandering around..." I shrugged.
"Ohhh... well, I should go now. Bye bye~" Aoi said with a playful wave before heading off.
As Aoi walked away, Ayami settled more comfortably on my head, her tail flicking in contentment. The soft sounds of the mall surrounded us—people talking, footsteps echoing on the tile floor, and the occasional jingling of a store's door opening.
"I'm hungry. How about we eat something?" Ayami asked.
"What do you want to eat?"
Without warning, she jumped off my head and, with a quick motion, transformed back into her human form. She walked beside me with a mischievous grin. "Let's buy some steak, and I'll pay for it."
"You have money?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course I do! I get a pension salary," Ayami replied confidently.
"Do they even remember you're still alive?"
Ayami shrugged nonchalantly. "No, they think I'm dead."
"That must be... quite the situation," I said, trying not to laugh.
Ayami shrugged again. "Eh, I don't really care. It's their problem, not mine."
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, I guess if you're paying for the steak, I can't complain."
"Good, because I'm starving," she said with a grin, her golden eyes sparkling mischievously. "Let's go get some meat!"
We walked through the mall, heading toward the food court where the mouthwatering scent of sizzling meat filled the air. Ayami seemed even more energized now, the thought of steak fueling her excitement. She strutted ahead of me, her steps light and quick, while I trailed behind, amused by her enthusiasm.
When we reached the steakhouse, Ayami wasted no time in making her choice. She confidently marched up to the counter, eyeing the menu like a seasoned pro. "I'll take the largest steak you've got, medium-rare," she declared, her voice full of authority.
The server looked a little surprised, glancing between Ayami and me before nodding and taking our order. "Anything else?" they asked, clearly trying to remain polite despite Ayami's bold presence.
Ayami glanced at me, then grinned. "A side of fries and a big salad," she added, turning back to me. "What about you?"
I hesitated for a moment, still taken aback by her sudden shift to being the one in charge. "Uh, I'll have the same," I said, amused. "Medium-rare, too."
Once the order was placed, we found a table by the window. Ayami sat down with a satisfied look on her face, her golden eyes gleaming as she looked out over the mall. "This is going to be good," she said, leaning back in her chair with a confident smile.
"Hey, I have a question," I asked, breaking the silence.
"What's it?" she replied, still smiling.
"Has anyone else tried to kill you?"
Ayami's eyes flickered for a moment before she responded. "Yeah, but I don't know who. I still haven't gathered enough information."
To Be Continue.