Home with Nero
"Ughhh..." The moment I stepped through the door, I dove straight onto the bed. The soft give of the pillow against my face drew a long, weary sigh from me as my exhausted body went limp.
'What's wrong, Master? Did something happen?'
"Ah, Nero... You're the only one who ever thinks of me like this, aren't you?"
I scooped up the cat who had leapt onto the bed and held her close, stroking her fur until the tension in my chest finally eased.
"Nyaang... nyang..."
'That tickles—ahh, hehe... Seriously, what happened?'
"Nothing, really. I've just been working too hard lately. Ah, when I take my next vacation, want to go house-hunting with me?"
'We're moving?'
"You never go outside, so you're stuck in this tiny place every single day... I want to give you somewhere bigger with a nice view. Of course, I'd like that too. Once we move in, I'll invite my parents over... Phew, I should probably let them know what's going on."
I still hadn't told my parents about the job. My plan was to take out a loan if I had to, find a decent place, and surprise them with an invitation once everything was ready. Lately my days had been nothing but getting stomped and kicked by the Field Team Leader until I was a rag, but on paper I was still a full-time employee at a major corporation. If I was going to do this, I wanted to do it properly—even if it meant carrying debt.
"Nyaang..."
'Nya... I don't mind cramped spaces, you know... But if you really want to...'
"When Nero has kittens one day, we'll need more room than this. Ah... that'd be cute."
'Huh...? Y-yeah, that... makes sense... By the way, Master, do you still remember?'
"Hm...? Remember what?"
Nero poked her head out from my arms, her voice carrying a strangely expectant tone as it brushed against my thoughts. Remember what, though...?
'You know, the promise we made... not too long ago.'
"Oh... right! Of course I remember!"
...What promise was that again?
'You totally forgot, didn't you...'
She was sharp.
"No, it's just—your voice is so nice I got distracted for a second."
"Nyauung..."
'Well, fine. But when you go look at houses, leave me out of it, Master.'
"Still don't want to go outside?"
'It's not that I don't want to... Anyway, just do it without me, okay?'
"Alright..."
Nero was still afraid of the outside world. Ever since the day I brought her home, she hadn't set foot outside this cramped apartment even once. I remembered it had been a late evening with pouring rain. After covering someone's shift at my part-time job, I'd been dragging myself home when the downpour started. Too tired to risk getting soaked and catching a cold, I'd reluctantly bought a cheap disposable umbrella at the convenience store. Come to think of it, that umbrella was still holding up pretty well.
I'd been cutting through a small park nearby when I first heard it. At first I thought it was just the rain, but something about the sound made me slow down. Her black fur had made her hard to spot at first, but as I got closer the soft mewling became clear. Soon I found Nero collapsed and badly hurt. Back then she'd been painfully thin, her fur sticking out in every direction. Now she was healthy and glossy—proof I'd been doing a decent job as her caretaker.
"Nyauung?"
'Why are you suddenly grinning like that?'
"Just remembering the first time we met. Back then, there wasn't a single day my hands weren't covered in bandages."
'That was...! I still feel bad about it, you know...'
Hearing such a cute apology delivered in that mature, feminine voice was oddly pleasant.
"You don't have to feel bad. You must've been terrified. Waking up in a strange, cramped room only to have some guy you'd never seen shove his face at you—I would've reacted the same way. I'm just glad we can actually talk now."
She flinched.
"Nero?"
For a moment she trembled in my arms, but then she calmly rested her head against my chest as if nothing had happened. Watching her settle into a comfortable position and close her eyes, I did the same.
"Yeah... let's just sleep. I have to go to work tomorrow..."
Wrapped in the warmth and steady heartbeat against my chest, I drifted off almost immediately.
*
"I told you, didn't I? This method works wonders. Hehe."
"Ughhh..."
I lay sprawled on the lab floor, letting out a sigh of pure relief without a shred of shame. After all, today I'd finally managed to control my ability right before the Field Team Leader's long, smooth leg could connect. For the first time, I hadn't taken a single hit. The grueling routine of shuttling between the lab and Undine's containment room was finally over, and even while lying there like a discarded rag, I couldn't stop the corners of my mouth from twitching upward.
I'd come to understand something history had always claimed: the rod was indeed an effective teacher. Not that I'd ever wanted to learn that particular lesson.
"The more I watch you, the more fascinating you become. After getting beaten like that every single day, how have you never once thought badly of me?"
Because our minds were linked, she could read my thoughts just as easily as I could sense hers. That was why she'd asked.
"Hmm... I wonder why myself?"
The Field Team Leader peered down at me with curious eyes before plopping down right beside my head, apparently forgetting she was wearing a skirt. The moment her toned thighs—and everything just beyond—filled my vision, I hurriedly turned my face away. She didn't look embarrassed in the slightest. Instead she chuckled and poked my cheek with her finger.
"Is that your male instinct kicking in? Cute."
"..."
I was the one who'd been shown something embarrassing, yet somehow I was the one feeling mortified. At least I hadn't been punished for peeking under her skirt—that was something.
"...Tch."
While I was still catching my breath, I heard the Field Team Leader click her tongue. Before I could figure out what I'd done wrong this time, the reason became clear.
Step. Step. Step. Step. Step.
"Good work, both of you."
The Team Leader was approaching from the observation room. That explained the tongue-click. Judging by her reaction, their relationship was clearly more than just professional friction.
"Good work? I had fun. Your subordinate makes for an excellent kicking target."
"To draw out such visible growth in his ability in such a short time—truly impressive work."
"...Hmph."
When the Team Leader didn't rise to the bait, the Field Team Leader spun away with a displeased expression and left the lab without another word. The hostility was so thick I could feel it—she couldn't even stand sharing the same air.
Still lying on the floor, I watched her retreating back until she disappeared through the door. Only then did I finally sit up. It felt a little pathetic to keep lying there when I hadn't even been hit today.
"We'll conclude the training here. As long as you're close enough to hear the other person's inner voice, you can now form and sever the connection at will. I'd say we've achieved our goal."
"...Phew, that's a relief."
"And... well, even though it was the best option available, I feel bad for putting you through so much because of my relationship with the Field Team Leader."
Wait—
"..."
Did the Team Leader just... apologize? I'd expected her to tease me about developing new kinks from getting stepped on by a beautiful woman, but this straightforward apology caught me completely off guard.
"...No, it's fine. Thanks to Undine, any injuries or pain disappear right away. Haha..."
"It's a little frustrating, though. Having to just watch while my cute subordinate gets beaten to a pulp..."
"..."
...Honestly, I'd feel more comfortable if she'd just gone back to teasing me like usual. This was the first time I'd been hit this badly since I was a kid staying out too late playing, and even if I didn't show it, it had taken a real toll—both physically and mentally. If it weren't for that strange, mind-clouding scent that filled my head whenever I got near the Field Team Leader, keeping my composure would've been nearly impossible.
"Well, since I put you through all that, you deserve some compensation, don't you?"
"Compensation... you mean?"
Just hearing her say she'd overworked me was already easing some tension I hadn't even realized was there, but offering actual compensation on top of that completely lifted my mood. I couldn't help feeling a little hopeful.
"There's only so much I can do within my authority as Management Team Leader, but... follow me."