A Cat's Morning.
A Cat's Morning.
I woke up early today.
"...Umm."
I tossed and turned a bit, then looked to my side. Seo Arin was still asleep.
Her breathing was steady, her body still.
"...She's sleeping."
I muttered quietly. I didn't really have any intention of waking her.
What if I woke her up for no reason and she got annoyed? Thinking that, I decided just not to wake her.
So, I gently moved the arm wrapped around me and slipped out.
It felt nice and warm, but I just came out because I wanted her to sleep a bit more comfortably.
The blanket and her body shifted slightly as I got out, but Seo Arin didn't wake up.
"...Thank goodness."
Feeling relieved, I let out a small breath, tiptoed, and left the room.
I could feel the sunlight trickling in through the window.
The living room was quiet. I hated this kind of quiet yesterday.
But now... well, it wasn't so bad.
However.
"...What should I do?"
Having nothing to do, I stood still for a moment before shifting my gaze.
Then, the items we bought yesterday caught my eye.
One of them.
"...This."
There was the towel I bought because I loved how soft it felt.
The towel I ended up buying two of after coaxing Seo Arin, who asked if one wasn't enough.
I picked it up with my hand.
"...Nice."
I muttered quietly and placed it on the floor with a determined expression.
Then, I raised both hands.
Kkuk. Kkuuk. Kkukkkuk.
"..."
Harder than before.
Kkuk. Kkuk. Kkuuk.
The sensation on my hands was so good I couldn't stop.
"I want to keep doing it."
Even as I muttered that to myself, I kept pressing.
Without any rhythm, I just started kneading away as my heart desired.
Then, I glanced around and leaned my body forward.
In a position that was almost like lying on my stomach—a so-called cat pose—I started kneading the towel pressed against the floor.
"...Feels good."
My eyes went slightly unfocused. I stayed like that for a long while.
A little later, I came to my senses and stopped my hands, but the towel was all crumpled up.
I cleared my throat at myself for not being able to control my greed, then started looking at the items we bought yesterday again.
"Something else, too."
The bag from yesterday's shopping.
I had put the Jewel Candy I was playing with back in the bag before sleeping, so I took it out again.
"...This."
Thinking about how pretty it was, I placed the sparkling Jewel Candy on my hand and brought it toward the light.
"...Wow."
The candy sparkled as it caught the light coming through the window.
It looked like a real jewel, so I played with it by tilting it this way and that.
I had never seen anything reflect light so brilliantly before, but it really looked like a jewel.
"...Pretty."
I muttered quietly.
I rolled it with my fingers, then held it up to the light again.
I rolled it again.
"...As I thought, it's too precious to eat."
I just felt that way for no reason.
So, after playing with it to my heart's content, I put it back in the bag.
"...Still nothing."
Once I put the candy away, my gaze naturally drifted toward the room.
The door was still closed, with no sign of opening.
"...Hmph."
I was a little sulky at Seo Arin for still not waking up, but I still didn't feel like waking her.
So I turned my head away again.
I was bored. So I moved around here and there, and among those things, I saw the sofa.
When I climbed onto the sofa, I felt the fluffy texture envelop my body.
"...So fluffy."
I sprawled out on the sofa. I laid my belly down and let my arms hang loose.
I could feel my tail swaying back and forth.
"..."
I stayed still like that for a few minutes. The sunlight felt good, and the sofa was fluffy.
Then, the remote control caught my eye.
"...Remote control?"
I picked it up and pressed a button. There was a TV in the house, but I had never touched it myself, so I was a little nervous.
Click.
As I pressed the button, the screen turned on.
"Ooh..."
The sound felt a bit loud, so I flinched slightly, but it was still fascinating.
A large animal with black fur appeared on the screen.
"...?"
My eyes widened a little.
"...That is."
Ears, tail, fur.
The valiant figure made of black color looked like me.
On the TV, they were saying that a Black Tiger had finally been discovered in the country.
"It looks like me."
It was fascinating, so I got a little closer.
I got off the sofa and went close enough for my face to touch the screen to start watching.
"...Hmm."
I scanned my body once, then looked back at the screen.
"...Could it be."
I thought for a moment. A cool-headed deduction based on rational thinking.
"Could I be a tiger too?"
It made sense.
I had heard that tigers were relatives of cats, and thinking that made me strangely happy, so I started watching the screen more seriously.
"...But."
That one is pretty cool.
I'm kind of...
"I have a more cute and petite feel."
I watched the TV for a few minutes and came to a conclusion.
"It must be because I haven't grown up yet."
Since we looked similar, I thought maybe it was just because I hadn't grown up yet.
It was a fact I learned later, but of course, that wasn't the case.
After watching the TV for a while, silence returned.
Sitting on the sofa and basking in the sunlight was only for a moment.
"..."
It was quiet. Occasionally, I could hear the sounds of people busily moving outside from the morning, but it was different from that.
"...I'm alone."
I muttered quietly for no reason.
It wasn't like I had spoken without realizing it.
I just had a strange feeling, so I muttered it.
I didn't like the quiet atmosphere, so I started moving again.
I tried hopping around on the sofa, and rolling around on the floor.
And I looked toward the room.
"...When will she wake up?"
There was no answer to my monologue, naturally.
Still, I couldn't take my eyes off it.
So I got up for a moment and went to the door.
"She probably hasn't woken up yet, right?"
I debated a lot whether to put my hand on the doorknob or not.
Then I thought about knocking to wake her up.
"...No."
I didn't want to wake her; I didn't want to see Seo Arin having a hard time.
So I just shook my head once and came back.
I climbed back onto the sofa. This time, I didn't lie on my stomach but lay on my side.
So I could see the room.
"..."
I stayed still. And I kept staring at the bedroom door.
"... Still, she's not waking up."
I don't know how much time passed.
But I just kept waiting.
I was a little bored, so I brought the towel from the bag again and started playing with it.
Kkuk. Kkuk.
As I started pressing it again, my heart felt a little more at ease; I pressed a bit slower than before.
"..."
As I kept playing on the sofa like that, my eyes started to close little by little.
Still, I hadn't fallen completely asleep yet.
"...When she wakes up..."
I muttered quietly.
"...I should be with her."
I fell asleep while looking toward the room in that state.
"...Ugh."
A little later, there was a small sound of tossing and turning inside the room.
My eyes slowly began to open. The familiar ceiling, the familiar room.
And
"...They're not here."
The space beside me was empty. They had definitely come into my room yesterday and slept with me, so when did they slip out?
I touched the warmth remaining on the blanket and thought for a moment.
"Where did they go..."
I muttered quietly and got out of bed.
Perhaps not fully awake yet, I dragged my slightly tired body, opened the door, and as soon as I stepped into the living room.
"...Hah."
A short sigh came out first.
The TV left on, the towel scattered here and there.
The bag rolling around on the floor.
And on the sofa.
"...There they are."
A small body curled up on its side.
Swaying their tail, they were fast asleep.
"...Really."
A sound that could have been a sigh or a laugh escaped my lips.
"You're such a handful."
I approached quietly. Careful not to wake them, keeping my footsteps as silent as possible.
I stood beside the sofa and looked down at their sleeping face.
"...You sleep so well."
They must have made such a mess of the room earlier, yet they were sleeping as if nothing had happened.
Even though it was a little annoying.
"Ha.."
My hand moved first; I carefully moved my hand over their head and stroked it lightly.
Soft hair brushed between my fingers.
"...Still."
Quietly, adding a mutter to myself.
"Looks like you had fun playing."
My gaze turned back to the living room once more.
The traces of the mess were still there. The towel, the bag, the TV left on.
I could see that they had been wandering around touching this and that all by themselves.
"...I should start by cleaning up."
Even as I said that, my hand remained on their head.
"In a little while."
Even though it was something I could clean up quickly, I didn't move right away.
Just for a moment. Just for a very short moment.
I wanted to enjoy this state.
I was looking at the small being breathing quietly under the sunlight, stroking them once more for no reason.