The Cat Who Saved Books(16)

The tabby seemed to be enjoying itself a little too much, so Rintaro turned and flashed it a look. It paid him no attention, its furry coat shaking with laughter.

But to Rintaro’s alarm, Sayo let out a short gasp and looked down in the direction of his feet. Of course, that was where the poison-tongued tabby cat was sitting.

The cat froze, and there followed an extremely uncomfortable silence.

“Can you actually see me?” it asked Sayo, in a voice tinged with wonder. “And hear my voice, too?”

“A talking cat?”

The tabby started in shock. Sayo was looking straight at it. She then shifted her gaze to the faint blue light at the far end of the bookshop.

“Wh . . . What’s that?”

Rintaro followed her gaze. His hand slowly moved up to his glasses.

“Didn’t you mention something about certain people and special conditions?”

“Yes, that was supposed to be the case.”

The cat was unusually flustered.

“Well, this is a bit of a mess.”

“Natsuki?” said Sayo. “I’m seeing something really weird.”

“Well, that’s a relief. I thought it was just me.”

Rintaro’s casual response left Sayo speechless.

The cat, however, had already regained its usual composure. It padded its way over to Sayo and gave a deep bow.

“I’m Tiger the Tabby.”

There was surprising grace in its movement.

“Nice to meet you.”

The girl still seemed confused, but then in the next instant she reached out and scooped the cat up into her arms.

“So cute!”

Both Rintaro and the cat froze.

“What an adorable tabby cat! And how cool that it can talk!”

“Are you okay with this?” whispered Rintaro to his feline friend.

Sayo was quite taken with the cat and her delighted voice filled the shop. The cat, finding itself squished cheek to cheek with the girl, began meowing helplessly.

“So now you meow?” said Rintaro, with a sigh of defeat.

*

Girl, boy, and cat made their way down the center aisle with its giant towering bookcases on either side. The tabby took the lead, followed by Sayo, and Rintaro took up the rear. The cat stepped silently, Sayo had a light spring to her step, but Rintaro practically trudged.

“Sayo, you really ought to turn back.”

Sayo turned and glowered at Rintaro.

“What? So you’re the only one who can go on fantastic adventures with a talking cat?”

“Fantastic adventures . . . ?”

Rintaro tried again—this time with a little more trepidation.

“There’s no need for you to get involved in this stuff. It’s dangerous.”

“‘Dangerous’?”

Sayo gave Rintaro a hard look.

“So, Natsuki, you’re telling me to shut up and let a classmate keep putting himself in danger?”

“Well, no. That wasn’t what I meant . . .”

“Which is it? If it’s not dangerous, then it should be no problem for me to go with you. If it is dangerous, then it wouldn’t be a good idea for me to let you walk into it alone. Am I right?”

The phrase “straight as an arrow” was coined to describe Sayo Yuzuki, Rintaro thought. He admired her. Compared with the procrastinating, wishy-washy worrier that was Rintaro, Sayo’s argument was clear and persuasive. A weakling of a shut-in like himself couldn’t even try to oppose her.

“Give it up, Mr. Proprietor,” the cat interceded. “Whichever way you look at it, you’re going to lose the battle.”

“I admit I’m in the weaker position, but I don’t need to hear it from you, seeing as you’re the cause of the whole problem,” Rintaro said.

“Well, I guess you could say that. But she saw me. What can you do?”

The cat was throwing out its usual quick responses, but it didn’t have quite the same energy in its voice as before. It was still rather shaken by what had transpired.

“I can’t see into the future,” it continued. “I would never have guessed this would happen.”

“You always act as if you know what you’re doing, but in fact you’re just winging it, aren’t you?” Rintaro said.

“You were outsmarted by me, Natsuki,” Sayo butted in. “Don’t take it out on the poor kitty.”

“What are you talking about? ‘Take it out on’?”

“Well, aren’t you?”

“I’m worried about getting my class rep mixed up in this bizarre thing. I feel responsible, that’s all.”

“Of course it’d be a big problem if anything happened to me. But it’d be the same if anything happened to you, too, right, Natsuki?”

There was quick-wittedness buried in her seemingly casual tone. Seeing Rintaro tongue-tied, Sayo continued her verbal assault.

“You know, your personality’s not all bad, Natsuki, but I really can’t stand this part of it.”

And with that, she picked up the pace, bravely following the cat farther down the long passageway—the antithesis of Rintaro, for whom every action was done in fear.

The cat came over to him and cocked its head to look up at his face.