The Cat Who Saved Books(15)

Rintaro grimaced.

“I’d like to welcome you with an ‘irasshaimase,’ as I do my other customers, so could you come in by the front door for once? That way’s supposed to be the back wall.”

“You seem strangely unperturbed to see me, Mr. Proprietor,” said the cat in its distinctive deep voice. Its jade eyes had that knowing gleam. “It’d be helpful if you reacted with a little more amazement. I would be much more amused.”

“I’ve been thinking about how you called where we went ‘the first labyrinth.’ That means there’s going to be a second one, right?”

“Such amazing powers of wisdom. Such penetrating insight! Guess that’ll save me the trouble of explaining.”

“Explaining what?”

“The second labyrinth. I need your help again.”

“You’re not . . . ?”

Rintaro glanced down the never-ending aisle of books.

“You’re going to get me to help you rescue books again, aren’t you?” he ventured.

The cat’s reaction was grandiose and far from humble.

“Correct!”

*

“Somewhere there is a man who steadily acquires books from all over the world, then chops them up into tiny pieces,” said the cat solemnly. “He collects books and then mistreats them horribly. We can’t let him continue to get away with it.”

Rintaro sat down on the stool by the cash desk and began to fiddle with his glasses. He was silent for a while, observing the tabby at his feet.

“What?” the cat protested. “Do you think staring at my face is going to make things better? Are you coming with me or not?”

“You’re pushier than ever.”

“You’d never do anything unless I pushed you. And I can tell you my life’s a lot easier if I don’t have to be pushy.”

The light in the green eyes seemed to get more intense. Rintaro thought it over a little while longer.

“Okay then.”

He sighed deeply.

“So I just follow you again?”

The cat seemed taken aback by the simple response. It narrowed its eyes.

“What a refreshing attitude. I thought you were going to start squirming like a little worm again.”

“Well, I may not properly understand difficult concepts, but one thing I learned from my grandpa was that you should always handle books with care. Helping people out may not be my forte, but when I hear that books need my help then I’m ready.”

The cat’s eyes widened a moment, then narrowed once more.

“Fine then.”

There may have been the hint of a smile, but before Rintaro could really register it, they were interrupted by the jingle of the doorbell. He turned to see a face peering in through the doorway.

“You alive, Natsuki?”

It was the peppy voice of class rep Sayo Yuzuki. Rintaro glanced at the clock and saw it was 7:30 a.m. She must have been on her way to morning band practice again. Rintaro went into a panic.

“Who’s this? Your girlfriend?” said the cat.

“Be quiet!” Rintaro hissed.

It was only two days since Sayo and Rintaro had tea together. Rintaro had only replied vaguely to her pleas for him to go back to school, and ever since he had stayed holed up inside Natsuki Books. Really there didn’t seem any reason to go to school at all at this point. But he always wavered whenever Sayo was there in front of him.

And in what was already such a delicate situation, for her to come and try to persuade him first thing in the morning while he was talking to a cat . . . Well, it was awkward, to say the least.

“Wh— What’s up?”

“Nothing’s up.”

Frowning slightly, Sayo made her way uninvited into the shop. Rintaro heard the cat’s voice whispering in his ear.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Proprietor. Only certain people are able to see me, and only under special conditions. Just act like I’m not here.”

Rintaro was skeptical, but there was nothing to be done.

“You didn’t turn up the other day, and it looks like you’re not coming today, either,” Sayo said.

“No. That’s not . . .”

“So you’re coming to school?”

“Today? Yeah, I haven’t—”

Seeing Rintaro was in peak waffling mode, Sayo glared at him.

“If you take another day off, I’ll have to bring your homework by again. The teachers are really worried about you, too. Do you realize how much stress you’re causing for everyone?”

As usual, she wasn’t holding back. She already had so much more dignity than Rintaro would ever have.

“Sorry,” Rintaro said.

“This isn’t about saying sorry. If you plan to come, then come. If you want to skip, just skip. I know your situation’s really tough right now. But if you keep wimping out on making any kind of decision, nobody will be able to help you.”

Sayo’s rapid-fire delivery style only made Rintaro feel worse. He’d believed that he was so unimportant, such a nobody, that his absence from school would go unnoticed, but the look in his class rep’s eyes told a different story.

A laugh came from just behind him.

“She’s spot-on. People are really worried about you. You clearly have more friends than you care to admit.”