Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: When a Cat Feels a Sense of Crisis
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A really fun development just popped into my head.
The first time I met Ulpi, well... I was thinking of writing about a beastkin committing petty crimes just to get by.
That was part of why I tried talking to her and all that. The most fundamental reason was that I wanted to help, of course.
Senyora is shocked to see beastkin living even deeper in the gutters than she is.
She tries to help them but gets dragged into all sorts of incidents, and her mental state completely shatters.
Then she runs into Karen again and gets some help—that's where I planned to wrap it up.
But yesterday and today were just too memorable for me.
One unpleasant experience—no, maybe several.
And one promise I must never forget, one I won't forget, one I can't forget.
So this time, I have a feeling I can write a development that's more satisfying than ever before.
I got home and headed back to my room.
The sight that greeted me when I opened the door was Ranyori squatting in my bed without permission, but whatever.
She must've been bored. I'd been out since morning.
She'd burrowed her whole body under the covers, but when she heard my footsteps, she poked her head out.
Did she just wake up? Her hair's all messy.
"Yaaawn~"
She's yawning, too.
Ranyori just stared at me blankly without saying a word.
She's not yapping at me like usual, asking where I'd been.
Hmm, she's being quiet today.
Ranyori usually has two reactions around me.
Her default is high-energy chatter.
Or, very rarely, she'll get all calm.
When does the latter happen?
No idea. It's random. She goes by her moods.
Sometimes she gets fed up with the whole world, or other times she's super satisfied with it.
She's explained both to me, but I still don't get it.
Anyway, I just did my thing. Sat down at my desk.
Time to write. I was stretching and organizing the plot in my head when...
"Where'd you go...?"
"Uh... out for work? Research."
"Go well?"
"Found some solid material."
"Mmm, good job."
"? Yeah."
Oh, she approved.
Doesn't feel particularly good, though.
"What now?"
"Work, obviously."
"Anything Ranyori can help with?"
"Whoa, you offering first?"
"Ranyori already got paid upfront."
"When?"
"Earlier."
"From who?"
"Aren."
"...Me?"
"Yup."
"I did?"
"Yup."
When the hell did I do that? I don't remember.
"So, what...?"
"Gave Ranyori the best spot to nap."
"That was the payment...?"
"Aren's blanket smells nice."
"That's just detergent."
"Is it~?"
The best napping spot? My room? My bed? My blanket?
I don't get it. But if she's happy, whatever.
"Nyaa~"
Ranyori rolled around once on the bed.
Still wrapped in the blanket.
That's gonna wrinkle everything...
Like a sushi roll in the blanket, only her face sticking out.
Isn't that suffocating? She stuffs herself into tight spaces on purpose.
...Oh, right. Cats like that stuff?
Like boxes and such? But she's a cat beastkin.
"Revived~"
Ignoring my profound thoughts, Ranyori wriggled out from under the covers.
Left a balled-up blanket on the bed. Gotta fix that later.
"So, what can Ranyori help with?"
"Well, thing is..."
"Yeah?"
"Nothing, actually."
"Interest in Ranyori gone already?"
"Nah, I really don't need separate research for this."
This part focuses on the side characters, not the protagonist.
Something more important than detailing Senyora's actions.
"Ranyori knows stuff Aren doesn't, right?"
"Pass."
"Aww~"
"...What're you doing?"
"Tongue!"
"Not interested."
"For real...? I don't even show Arwen much."
"..."
"Thinking it over?"
"Drool. Close your mouth."
"Hmph."
"Why're you so pushy today?"
Her attitude changes a lot between when we're alone and when others are around, but not this much.
She used to freak out over prolonged eye contact.
"Aren said no research needed today anyway."
"True."
"So you'll reject any suggestion I make."
"...Yeah."
"Means I can throw all kinds of suggestions to fluster Aren with zero risk."
"Hey."
"Ranyori's a wild cat raised in harsh lands. Never misses a chance to pounce."
So she'll risk flustering suggestions because she can bail if I actually bite? No-risk trolling?
Man, she really is a glass cannon.
Fragile as glass, but cannon-sharp attacks sometimes.
Breach my defenses entirely at times.
"Not embarrassed saying stuff like that?"
"I'd run if Aren actually went for it. So what?"
"You didn't run before."
"That time, helping was the right call..."
"Ah."
She's surprisingly strict about distinguishing those.
"And this was just to tease Aren anyway, so the fun outweighs any shame. I can handle it!"
"Brag much?"
"Anyway, too much time passed. Next suggestion later~"
"Next time, you're dead."
Well... nice break before writing.
Head was overheating from stuff before coming home. Good rest.
Now, time to write. Grabbed my pen. Ranyori draped her head over my shoulder to watch.
She'll wander off once bored.
"Whoa, Aren smells weird."
Uh-oh.
"Aren's clothes have fur. Animal fur."
Oh, Ulpi's place was cramped. Must've rubbed off while I was there.
"Aren's panicking. Not an animal. A beastkin."
Should I deny it now or stay silent?
"Girl?"
...
"Twitched again."
Maybe I should just run?
"...Waaang!"
"Ow."
She bit my shoulder.
Ranyori surprisingly doesn't get mad about stuff like this.
Doesn't grill me either. Totally different from her usual whining when I'm busy and don't play.
She's doing the complete opposite.
"Am I cute, Aren?"
"Yeah."
"Cuter than other beastkin?"
"Yeah."
"Then no need to hang with other beastkin, right?"
"...It was just a research meetup."
"Again. Wrong answer."
She's gaslighting me with cuteness.
She sidled up, glued her cheek to my shoulder, and gazed up with big sparkling eyes.
Staring at that would've felt weird, so I looked away on purpose.
"Look at me, Aren. No avoiding eyes."
"It's intense..."
"Really? Does Ranyori overwhelm you that much? Hate it?"
"Didn't say I hate it."
"Then you like it?"
"...Yeah."
"Yup, that's it."
I answered reluctantly. Ranyori seemed pretty satisfied.
You know that saying? Cats survived because they're cute.
Not something to say in front of a cat beastkin, but she does it sometimes.
Whenever she senses any crisis, she drops all shame and goes full aegyo.
Why now, though...? She was fine with Arwen...
Feels like she's trying to monopolize my attention from other beastkin.
"Won't you let me explain?"
"Nope."
Quick answer. Gotta tread careful or get clawed.
"Sh-She's pitiful."
"Ranyori had it rough before Aren, too. You'd leave me worse off."
"Why would I leave?"
"I'd cry."
"Why cry?"
"...Tell me. Why's she pitiful?"
"Two years younger than us, for starters."
"...Ooh!"
"Has a little sibling, but family's dirt poor."
"Wanna help?"
"Yeah."
"Hmmm..."
Ranyori hummed thoughtfully. No clue what she's thinking.
"Aren, Aren. Ranyori's your first friend, right?"
"Of course."
"Your only friend."
"Yep."
"Closest friend. Right?"
"Right."
"Good good. Don't forget that later."
"No need—it's obvious."
"...Ahem! Okay! Aren, can I use that?"
"What's that?"
"Aren free-use coupon."
"After you use the two you have?"
"Fine. Pet my head instead."
"Sure."
"Heehee."
I ruffled her hair wildly.
Ranyori purred happily.
Phew, survived.
Short crisis, resolved. Now, seriously, novel time.
Plan: Introduce one character and one group.
The character: a dog beastkin.
And the group harassing her.
Why harass? Huge debt unpaid.
Why the debt? Not explaining.
What crimes? Not explaining.
Make 'em look squeaky clean on the surface.
Because I don't know the details.
Don't wanna hurt some innocent company because of me.
Just describe in detail what this company does.
Purely their operations, no negative spin.
Down to exact location.
Detailed enough to resemble a real one, but so what?
If it's truly clean, nothing'll come up. Right?
And for this volume, add that disclaimer.
'All characters and companies in this work are fictional and unrelated to reality.'
Didn't need it in volume 1—it's obvious.
But reiterate it here.
"This'll flow nicely."
The novel or reality.