Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: The Cat Family and Erika
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Come to think of it, today was the first day Erika and I were officially dating.
What the hell did we do all day?
Went into the mine, beat up monsters, swung pickaxes, sweated our asses off.
Is that what lovers are supposed to do?
'...This is just grinding.'
Sure, we flirted a bit here and there, but given the setting, it was far from romantic.
A date splattered with blood and dust?
'This isn't a date!'
It's our first day as a couple. At the very least, we should grab some dinner.
"Erika. You hungry?"
"Yeah, a little."
"Then let's go eat. I'll treat you to something delicious."
"Sounds good! Where to?"
"Hmm... How about the Cat Baking in the Hearth? You said you like it there."
"Oh! Right. I'm a regular! The food's amazing, and the owners are super nice."
"Perfect. Let's go there."
"Okay! But... look at me..."
Erika glanced down at her clothes.
Her mining work clothes were caked in dirt, blood, and all sorts of fluids—absolutely filthy.
I wasn't much better off.
"Yeah, good point. How about we head to our lodgings, clean up, change, and meet back here in an hour? In front of the restaurant."
"Sure! I'll get all dolled up!"
Erika bounded off toward her boarding house, full of excitement.
Prettier than she already is?
She could get even prettier, huh.
When we met up again in front of the Cat Baking in the Hearth, Erika was wearing a clean dress that resembled a simple sundress. The light, airy fabric in pure white amplified her innocent charm to the max.
Her long black hair, braided loosely to one side, gave her a neat and elegant look that suited her perfectly.
"Lee Jun, have you been waiting long?"
"Nah, I just got here."
"Phew, good! It took me a while to pick an outfit. What do you think? Does it look okay?"
Erika spun around gracefully, her skirt fluttering.
"Yeah, you look stunning."
"Hehe, glad you like it. It's traditional clothing from my village. I don't get many chances to wear it, so it just sat in my closet."
"You'll have plenty of chances from now on."
"Yeah! I love that!"
A large wooden sign hung in front of the Cat Baking in the Hearth, depicting a cat clutching a wood-fired pizza with its front paws.
As we arrived, a massive furball was sprawled out beside the entrance.
About the size of a large dog—big enough that you could believe it was a tiger cub. Its fluffy fur gleamed with a healthy sheen, and it lay on its belly, yawning lazily. It looked like it had the world at its paws.
'Cute.'
Why are big dogs and cats always so cute?
Even fat ones are adorable.
Humans get called pigs for a little pudge, but they get loving nicknames like chubby kitty or pudgy pup.
Born with noble blood, huh? Not fair.
Strangers might think it's the shop's mascot cat.
"Welcome. Good to see you again, Miss Erika."
The giant cat licked its paw while greeting Erika, its voice deep and rumbling.
I'd had my illusions shattered when I first heard it yesterday.
"Hello, boss! Nice weather today, huh?"
"Indeed. The warm sunlight is perfect for a nap."
The cat purred contentedly, basking in the sun.
That furball was the husband of the shop-owning couple.
Beastkin offspring take forms based on the moon phase at conception.
Closer to full moon? They come out as quadrupedal beastkin like him.
The farther from full moon, the more humanoid—half-moon conceptions yield those suspiciously furry half-human, half-animal types.
New moon or close? Just ears and tail, like cosplay.
The beastkin lore in Abyssal Miner was modeled after real-world ones, so it's identical.
It resembled the chunky beastkin designs from a classic game 30 years back, sparking a retro boom for a while.
Still no sequel, despite fan demand.
"Oh? And you..."
The cat boss eyed me lazily.
"Weren't you the one who stopped by yesterday looking for Miss Erika?"
"Ah, you remember?"
"Of course. Can't forget someone asking after our favorite regular. Nyahaha."
Nyahaha. Cat beastkin laugh for the first time.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Lee Jun. Guess you'll be seeing a lot of me."
"Likewise. Come on in. We've got some fresh fish today—really delicious."
We entered the shop under the cat boss's escort.
Ding-a-ling.
The interior glowed with warm lighting over natural wood tables, dotted with cute cat decorations everywhere.
Being beastkin-run, plenty of beastkin patrons were around: dog-eared ones, full-on bear types, tail-waggers.
Just looking at them was healing.
"Welcome! Table for how many?"
A bright voice came from the counter.
Turning, a near-human beastkin with just cat ears and tail greeted us warmly.
The kind that'd make furries scream, "This isn't furry!"
Black bob haircut with a white streak accent on the right bangs. Big cat ears twitched atop her head, and her tail swished behind.
Must be the daughter, since I hadn't seen her yesterday.
"Two, Nyami."
"Whoa? Sis Erika!?"
Nyami, huh.
Looks like they're close.
"Long time no see. How've you been?"
"Good! You? Haven't seen you lately—super busy?"
"Yeah, a bit. Oh, introductions. This is... my boyfriend, Lee Jun."
Erika introduced me shyly with a smile.
Her slit pupils widened at "boyfriend."
"Boyfriend?! Sis, you got a boyfriend?!"
"Y-yeah... that's how it happened."
"Whoa, awesome! Congrats, sis! Hi! I'm Nyami, the boss's daughter."
"Nice to meet you, Nyami. I'm Lee Jun. You look just like the boss..."
I started with the usual polite "you resemble your parents," but...
Do they?
One's a straight-up cat, the other's a human with cat ears and tail.
"Hehe, first time seeing sis bring a guy. Nice to meet you! Nyah!"
Whether it was common or not, Nyami greeted us politely and led us to a table.
Sitting down, I peeked toward the kitchen. A suspiciously furry cat beastkin was cooking away.
That must be the wife.
You might worry about shedding fur into the food, but beastkin blood magic handles that—no loose hairs.
'Wait a sec.'
That wife... is married to the massive quadrupedal cat husband outside.
Which means...
Glance.
I spotted Nyami bustling about.
They have a daughter, so obviously they... you know.
'Is a humanoid cat beastkin and quadrupedal cat beastkin coupling bestiality or not?'
Philosophical, anthropological question.
Same species, so biologically fine, but visually... uh.
She's humanoid too, even if cat-like.
"Lee Jun? What're you thinking so deeply about?"
Lost in profound thought, Erika was staring at me.
"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just... nice atmosphere, smells delicious. Thinking about food."
"Right? Their pizza's the best—fresh from the wood oven."
"Sounds good. Pizza it is?"
"Yes! And the pasta's great too. Like seafood cream pasta?"
"Love it. One pizza and one pasta, then."
Nyami brought water after we ordered.
Her straight-out-of-manga look had me staring at her cat ears and tail as she poured.
'Cute.'
Then I felt a prickly glare from the side.
Turning, Erika was pouting and glaring.
"..."
"What's up, Erika?"
"...Does Lee Jun like cat ears and tails? Like Nyami's?"
"Huh? Uh?"
Jealousy?
Cute when she's jealous.
But straight-up agreeing...
[Yeah, super cute, love 'em]
...NG.
Denying it flat-out...
[Nah? Not cute at all?]
...Rude to Nyami, and Erika'd call BS. Anyone can see she's cute.
'Burn, synapses.'
I racked my brain harder than ever, dredging up Hunter Gallery threads on soothing jealous girlfriends, clever comebacks, romance manga lessons, shoujo tropes.
Truth is always singular.
Acknowledge first.
"Well, yeah, they're cute."
"Knew it!"
Then pivot hard.
"But you're cuter to me, Erika."
"...Huh?"
"No ears or tail needed—you're way prettier and cuter. No comparison."
"Ah... u-uh... Liar. You were staring at Nyami's tail earlier."
"Just novelty. How could I notice another girl with such a pretty girlfriend right here?"
"...Really?"
"Totally."
"Hehe..."
Erika wriggled happily.
Dodged that one.
Gotta watch my gaze from now on. Harem romcom protags deal with this constantly? Terrifying.
Soon, our food arrived.
The wood-oven pizza radiated heat, wafting crispy crust aroma and nutty cheese. Steam rose from the seafood pasta.
"Whoa, looks amazing."
"Right? Let's dig in!"
"Eat up, Erika."
"You too, Lee Jun."
Lifting a pizza slice, cheese stretched endlessly—generous load.
One bite: crunchy outside, chewy inside, toppings blending perfectly. Tomato sauce cut the richness.
Decent even compared to real-world food.
Pasta, twirled on fork, clung thick with cream sauce.
Pop in mouth: bouncy shrimp and clams. Fork wouldn't stop.
"Wow, this is good."
"Told you! Delicious, right?"
"Yeah. I get why you love this place."
We chatted, fed each other bites, wiped sauce from lips—did the cringey couple stuff—then finished.
"Ugh, so full."
"Me too, ate tons. My treat tonight."
"Nah, I'll get it. Guy pays on dates."
"Pfft, outdated. And you bought that chicken from your hometown last time. My turn."
"Still..."
She paid in the end.
Good girl.
At the counter, Nyami looked down. Was smiling earlier, now ears drooped, tail limp—totally mopey.
Forced a smile when she saw us.
"All done?"
Trying to sound cheery, but voice flat.
On the way out, Erika glanced back worriedly.
"Lee Jun, did you see? Nyami looked really upset..."
"Yeah. Something wrong?"
"She's always so bubbly. Never seen her like that. Hope nothing bad happened..."
"Wanna ask?"
"Can we? Might be rude..."
"You two seemed tight. Friends worry. Plus, maybe we can help."
"True. Hang on!"
Erika dashed back in.
"Nyami!"
"Sis? Not gone yet? Forget something?"
"No, but... everything okay? You've looked down since earlier."
"Oh... well..."
Nyami hesitated, then sighed deeply.
"Actually... we might have to close the shop."