A Cat's Bargain
"Don't be stubborn and come back tomorrow." Actually, I'd rather you stayed longer... but it's already gotten quite late...
"You don't need to worry about me. Besides, I can hear everything."
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Who, said, they, were, worried about you!"
By the time Nero raised her front paw high, I had already braced for the hit, but I didn't bother dodging. I knew she wouldn't strike hard enough to really hurt... Well, Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
"If you heard, then what, are you, gonna do about it..!"
Ugh...
"Ah... it hurts, it really hurts, you know? It actually hurts!"
Nero kept rhythmically mixing words into her assault while mercilessly pounding my head. I backed away for a moment to escape, and she sharply turned her head with a snort.
"Of course it hurts. That's why I hit you."
"I was just thinking about you..."
"If you're really thinking about me, then stop making me feel guilty and go home to rest properly."
I wanted to stay because I was worried about Nero too, and I didn't think she had any reason to feel sorry about this... but it seemed she simply didn't want to burden me further. Even though her true desire for me to stay was already completely exposed, she still refused to change her mind.
"Besides, that great person said they'd provide security while I'm here, right?"
"..."
When I glanced back, I spotted the Field Team Leader leaning against the wall beside the containment room door, arms crossed.
"Well, I suppose it's more like surveillance than security."
"...Will you really be all right? With the Field Team Leader, I mean."
"You heard what your president said earlier, didn't you? She mentioned that kid would take care of me too, right?"
Nero had deliberately raised her voice so it would carry. I could practically see the Field Team Leader's expression harden as she pretended not to listen.
"Don't provoke her too much..."
It wasn't concern for the Field Team Leader that made me say it—it was worry for Nero.
"I know. Her personality is a mess, so I'll tease her just enough and stop. If I push too far, she'll charge in without thinking. Shouldn't the cultured one endure it?"
Even this already felt like plenty of provocation... but it was still a relief. Contrary to my fear that Nero might be intimidated, she actually seemed to be looking forward to what came next.
...Was that really a relief?
"Haaah..."
A cool sigh slipped out into the night air. In the end, I couldn't withstand Nero's nagging and stepped outside. By the time I left the main building, the sky had already darkened.
Thinking I should head home, wash up, and get straight to bed so I could return early tomorrow, I checked the subway's last train time—only to jump at the sudden blare of a horn. A sleek red foreign car had pulled up right beside me without me noticing. Whether the engine was that quiet or my mind had simply been elsewhere, I hadn't heard a thing. Still, I immediately recognized the familiar vehicle.
"Get in. I'll give you a ride."
"Weren't you already off work? No... you didn't leave yet?"
"I was waiting for you. I thought you'd come out soon, but why are you so late?"
I climbed into the passenger seat as instructed. The fact that she'd waited all this time—long past quitting hour—made me feel oddly guilty.
"Put your seatbelt on."
"Ah, right—sorry."
I hurried to fasten it, but the apology got lost. There was more I needed to say than just sorry.
"I didn't get to thank you properly. I heard you contacted the president. Thank you. Thanks to you, really... haah..."
The memory of the Field Team Leader's finger on the trigger made my heart race again. Nero was alive and well now, which was why I could sit here at all. If the president had arrived even a moment later...
"No need to thank me. I couldn't stop it even though I knew what was happening. And the management team leader sometimes acts first and thinks later. After dealing with it a few times, my judgment was just quicker than usual this time."
"...I see."
"How much did you hear from the president?"
She asked calmly while keeping her eyes on the road. I couldn't stay still, glancing at her profile then forward again. Setting aside her peculiar personality, there was something strangely reassuring about this woman who was physically smaller than me.
"...You didn't hear anything?"
"Ah..."
Asking how much I'd heard probably referred to that side of things.
"I think I heard everything I could."
"Really?"
For that brief moment, her gaze seemed to waver. Watching the city lights slide across her face through the window, I nodded earnestly even though she wasn't looking at me. Whether she caught it in her peripheral vision or not, a faint smile touched her lips before she quickly suppressed it and continued.
"I didn't actually want you to get deeply involved in this side of things."
"I wonder if anything will really change just because I got involved, haha... Still, if there's anything I can help with, that's enough for me... um."
"There probably won't be anything right away, but you won't be able to stay completely at ease either, will you?"
She was right. Just like the first time I'd seen the mermaid beyond the thick glass wall, the president's words still felt unreal. Maybe that was why the danger hadn't sunk in yet.
"After finishing work and going home, it should have stayed a peaceful routine... but before I knew it, it turned into a battlefield full of hidden dangers. Even if you don't feel it now, the stress will keep piling up."
I should think of ways to relieve it too, for example...
"...?"
"Ah, and it was Nero, right? You don't have to worry about your cat for the time being. The president seems serious—she's banned the management team leader from that entire floor."
"Ah... yeah."
It felt like she'd been about to say something else, but she changed the subject so quickly that I noticed the slight awkwardness and chose not to comment.
"The Field Team Leader and the management team leader both... You must've been shocked by everything that happened, but when you get to know them, they're actually... um, not bad people."
"..."
She'd clearly hesitated before saying "not bad." In the end, she was probably worried my relationship with the team leaders would sour, but there was no need. I felt the same way.
"I know neither of them are bad people. As for the team leader... my head's a mess right now, but there must be a reason behind it."
It was a forced, overly generous comment, but I didn't truly believe they were bad people either. Right now resentment came first, yet looking back at everything they'd said and done for me, their personalities were just difficult to handle. Thanks to them, I'd adapted to this place and received a lot of help. Because of that... I intended to hear them out properly. Especially the team leader—there was a lot I needed to ask her.
*
Pushed out by Nero's insistent nudging, the counselor finally left the containment room. Only the two of them remained in the narrow space.
"..."
"..."
A tense silence hung between them until the black-furred cat broke it first.
"My throat's a little dry."
"..."
The Field Team Leader felt her facial muscles twitch, but she knew that losing her temper here would mean defeat. Silently, she walked over to a cloth-covered tray, grabbed a bottle of water, and set it down in front of the cat with a sharp thud.
It was a childish battle of nerves, but the opponent was no ordinary cat and the situation was far from ideal.
"How am I supposed to drink this? At least open the lid. Can't you see these paws?"
The cat showed off her short, fluffy front legs, then casually knocked the bottle over with a tap. She smirked as she watched the hardened-faced woman bend down to retrieve it.
Even after the Field Team Leader reluctantly opened the lid, the demands continued.
"What about a bowl?"
This time, at the request for a container, the woman finally snapped. A grinding sound of teeth echoed as the plastic bottle was crushed beyond recognition, its contents spilling across the floor.
"...Now you can just lap it up, can't you?"
"Is it really okay to treat me like this? I heard you were supposed to apologize to me."
Tsk. The Field Team Leader clicked her tongue, glaring as if to say she must be insane to apologize. Of course, the small cat wasn't intimidated in the slightest.
"Well, I don't actually want your apology either. So instead... though it's not really a substitute, can I ask for a favor?"
"No."
The black cat stared at the puddle on the floor, her voice trailing off. It was clear she wanted something from the woman in front of her.
"Haa... Unfortunately, because of someone, I used up all the power I'd saved over the past six months."
"..."
Until now the Field Team Leader had looked indifferent, but the next words were impossible to ignore.
"In this form, it's hard to even drink water by myself. I might have to keep bothering you, you know?"
Watching the cat nonchalantly lick her paw, the Field Team Leader could only sink into thought, realizing she still had an entire week left with this impudent creature.
