Hiroshi stirred awake when he heard a soft, melodic voice calling his name—or rather, the name he had been given in this world.
"Henry~~~"
He groaned lightly and opened one eye to see who was calling him.
"Nyaaa~ wake up!"
Blinking a few times, Hiroshi focused on the figure sitting on top of him. It was Riku. The sight was enough to wake him up fully—a beautiful, delicate catfolk boy with bright golden eyes and long, silky hair. This morning, his hair was loosely draped around him, and he was casually tying it into a high ponytail while his tail swayed playfully behind him.
"Oh… morning, beautiful," Hiroshi muttered, a sly smile appearing on his lips as he admired the scene.
"Nyaaaa~ wake up, Henry! Breakfast is ready~" Riku chirped, his cheerful tone making Hiroshi chuckle.
"You're not tired from last night?" Hiroshi teased, reaching up to brush a stray strand of hair from Riku's flushed face.
Riku blinked, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink, but his innocent smile didn't change. "Nyaa? I am… but…" He trailed off, his golden eyes sparkling as he flicked his tail playfully.
Hiroshi let out a low laugh, pulling himself upright with Riku still on his lap. "You really are full of energy, aren't you?"
"Of course, nya~!" Riku said proudly, puffing out his chest a little before slipping off Hiroshi's lap to stand by the bed. "Come on, lazy human! Breakfast will get cold!"
Hiroshi stretched and sat up fully, watching Riku's tail sway as he moved toward the door. There was an innocence about him, but Hiroshi couldn't help but admire how he moved with such natural grace and beauty.
"Alright, alright, I'm up," Hiroshi said with a grin as he swung his legs off the bed.
As Riku turned back to him, his eyes sparkled with mischief. "Hmm… don't take too long, Henry. Or maybe…" He tilted his head, his tone playful. "I'll eat everything first!"
"Don't you dare, Riku!" Hiroshi laughed as he got up, the warmth of their playful banter lingering in the air.
The morning sunlight filtered through the window, casting a soft glow over them as they headed toward the kitchen—one human warrior and one mischievous catboy, navigating this strange new life together.
After washing himself and still wrapped in a towel, Hiroshi searched the small room for his clothes.
"Riku? Where are my clothes?"
"Nya? I washed them~" Riku called from the other side of the room, his cheerful voice echoing through the space.
"Oh… you didn't have to do that," Hiroshi said, glancing back at him.
Riku appeared in the doorway, holding a small basket of freshly cleaned clothes, his tail swaying lazily behind him. "Hmm? I wanted to, nya~"
Hiroshi chuckled and shook his head. "You really know how a housewife acts, huh?"
Riku's ears perked up, and he puffed out his cheeks in a cute pout. "Nya? It's normal for me… and don't dream about it, nyaaa~! Males can't get married to males here!" He giggled, his golden eyes sparkling with mischief.
"You don't want to?" Hiroshi teased, stepping closer and bending down slightly to meet Riku's gaze.
Riku tilted his head, his playful grin softening into something warmer. "No~" he said with a little laugh. "But…" He stepped forward, his tail brushing against Hiroshi's arm as he looked up at him. "We can keep being like this… more than friends, nyaaaan~"
Hiroshi smirked and leaned in closer, his face just inches from Riku's. "More than friends, huh?"
Riku's cheeks turned pink, and his tail flicked nervously behind him, but he didn't pull away. "Y-yeah…"
"Sounds good to me," Hiroshi said, his warm and teasing deep voice reaching out to gently ruffle Riku's hair.
"Nyaaaan~ weird hyuman," Riku mumbled, his voice barely a whisper as he turned away. His tail swayed softly, showing his shy excitement.
While eating breakfast in the living room, Hiroshi sat comfortably with Riku perched on his lap, Riku's soft tail brushing against his arm from time to time.
Hiroshi leaned back slightly and asked, "You mentioned that centaur males are big yesterday."
"Nya? What about it?" Riku replied, taking a bite of his food, his ears twitching with curiosity.
"You said their… thing is big. But mine is bigger."
Riku tilted his head, blinking innocently. "Yes… why, nya?"
Hiroshi raised an eyebrow. "How do you even know that?"
"Huh?" Riku shrugged casually, his tail flicking lazily behind him. "Their males often walk around like that. They're centaurs. They don't wear clothes on their lower half, nya."
Hiroshi smirked, but his curiosity got the better of him. "Oh. And what about their females? Do they walk around like that too?"
Riku giggled, his bright eyes sparkling. "No, no~ Their females wear clothes and cover their backs. It's proper for them, nya~ Why ask? Nyaaaa~ You thinking about perverted things, Henry? Nyahahahaha~ weird hyuman~"
Hiroshi rolled his eyes with a groan. "Blergh. I'm not after the males. They've got muscles like me, right?"
Riku nodded, tilting his head thoughtfully. "Hmmm… yeah, nya. Male centaurs are super muscular. I heard it's their tradition to show their strength by not covering their bodies."
"But you said that, Henry." Riku's tone turned playful as he poked Hiroshi's chest. "You don't like males with muscles, but you did it with a male like me yesterday~"
Hiroshi laughed, shaking his head. "That's because you're different."
Riku blinked in confusion, his tail swishing nervously. "Nya? Different how?"
"You don't have muscles. Your body, your face—everything about you looks like a girl. No, scratch that, better than a girl." Hiroshi smirked and leaned closer to Riku, his voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "You're cute, beautiful, and irresistible."
Riku's cheeks turned bright pink, and he puffed them out in embarrassment, turning away. "N-nyaaaaaa~ weird human!" he muttered, his tail swishing furiously as Hiroshi chuckled, clearly enjoying Riku's flustered reaction.
"Nya~ you know what makes you even more weird, Henry?" Riku said, swaying his tail as he looked up at Hiroshi with a playful grin.
"Hmm?" Hiroshi raised an eyebrow, genuinely confused.
"You're the first hyuman to do that—" Riku gestured vaguely with his hands, his cheeks turning pink, "—to another race. Like me, nya~."
"Huh?" Hiroshi tilted his head, still trying to understand. "What do you mean?"
"Hmm?" Riku tapped his lips thoughtfully. "Hyuman males always couple with hyuman females, nya~. The same goes for all the other races—catfolk with catfolk, wolfkin with wolfkin, elves with elves, dwarves with dwarves, nya~. No one mixes!"
"Wait…" Hiroshi leaned forward slightly, his brow furrowing. "You mean no interracial marriages? No sex between different races?"
"Nya? You mean a hyuman having sex with a catfolk? Or a hyuman mating with a mermaid or something? That's unheard of, nya~," Riku explained with an innocent shrug.
"Ohhh…" Hiroshi leaned back, a grin spreading across his face as he tried to hide his thoughts.
Riku squinted at him suspiciously before breaking into a mischievous smile. "Nyaaann~ pervert Henry~!" he teased, his tail flicking playfully as he giggled.
"Hey, hey!" Hiroshi chuckled, raising his hands defensively. "I didn't even say anything!"
"But you're thinking it, nya~," Riku said with a happy grin, resting his head on Hiroshi's chest. "Weird hyuman~."
Hiroshi leaned back, smirking as he watched Riku's flustered face, his golden eyes wide and his tail flicking in agitation.
"Nyaaa~ weird Henry!" Riku pouted, lightly swatting Hiroshi's chest with his small hand.
"It's Hiroshi," he corrected, still grinning.
"Henry~~," Riku sang teasingly, sticking his tongue out.
"Haaaa… fine." Hiroshi sighed dramatically, then suddenly leaned forward, grabbing Riku by the waist and pulling him closer. He cupped Riku's face gently, tilting it up, and kissed him deeply and passionately, leaving the catboy breathless.
When they parted, Riku's cheeks were glowing red as he blinked rapidly. "Nyaa~ what was that for?" he stammered, his tail swishing wildly behind him.
"Hmm?" Hiroshi raised an eyebrow, his grin growing wider. "You asked for it."
"No, I didn't, nya~!" Riku exclaimed, puffing his cheeks indignantly.
"But you kept calling my name."
"I was just saying it!" Riku retorted, crossing his arms and looking away, his ears twitching.
Hiroshi chuckled and ruffled Riku's hair, earning a soft hiss and more pouting. "You're too cute for your own good, you know that?"
"Nyaaaa~ weird hyuman…" Riku muttered under his breath, but the small smile tugging at the corners of his lips betrayed him.
( End of Chapter )