Vol 1 Chapter 2 (2/2)
“Nayuki, it’s fine One day, when you grow up, there will definitely be a y You can then take care of cats”
“Really?”
“Yes Of course”
I had no evidence, but I nodded just to comfort her
“Yay…”
Though crying, she showed a smile
That kitten was finally adopted by a kind, old wife and husband
The sad thing was that there was no cure to cat allergy even now, but Nayuki’s love for cats hadn’t changed any bit
Despite being allergic, she thrived to feed the stray cats
Not only cats, but also birds having fallen fro froory
And she was now taking care of a dissentious boy who had vague memories…uh?
“What the hell”
I laughed in a low voice of ht
Nayuki must have looked at me because of my voice, but I remained composed and waved at her
“I’m back~~”
Nayuki returned late today Even when she had club activities, she wouldn’t be as late as returning when Akiko had prepared dinner
“Hey, what happened, Nayuki?”
“Nothing…”
“But isn’t your face red?”
“I told you it’s nothing”
Watching television at the living rooes at the kitchen
“It’ll get good quickly…ayychu…what’s for dinner?”
Her nose was red and puffy, her eyes teary
I immediately knew the reason of her poor state
Cat’s fur was stuck on her uniform and skirt
“Dinner is wonton soup”
Akiko touched Nayuki’s forehead Telling her it was fine, she took off her hand
“I like wonton soup Let e my clothes”
Sneezing repeatedly, Nayuki clihtly
“Hey”
I called her from behind
“What’s wrong? Yuichi”
Nayuki stopped and turned around in front of her door
“Brush it with a brusher when you’re done changing”
“…”
“If you don’t, you’ll get allergic again”
“Yuichi, good eyesight…”
“This isn’t what I mean”
“Okay, I’ to brush it Thanks”
It wasn’t the first day she derailed the topic
“U”
“Yes Close from the place ere When I approached it, it didn’t run away and let me pet it It wasn’t unhappy when I held it in my hands too”
As if re touch of the cat, she closed her palms in front of her chest and closed her eyes
“Warm, and soft…kitty…”
I could i down her face
She would have purred along with the cat, forgetting she was a hu ecstatically
“I’m really sorry”
“For what?”
“I proy, yet there isn’t”
“…ah…you res, in the past’
I nodded, and she smiled
“It’ll be great if I can remember them bit by bit”
“Um…wait, so don’t talk about me for now”
I lightly patted her head Letting out a sound ‘It hurts’, she pressed her head with her hand
“Um…anyway, it doesn’t y”
“Why?”
“Because whether I’ic doesn’t affect my love for cats”
“I see”
I felt a feeling al Nayuki
If I were Nayuki, I wouldn't touch cats if I couldn’t, even if I love theic to cats, despite loving theh I hate cats and anything about them
Nayuki didn’t think or put too ardless in the past or at the present; she was very honest and direct to the things she love
…to me, as well, probably
I felt I could start to understand the sophisticated feeling I held towards her
“Oh, by the way,”
Nayuki went into her roo she had to use both hands
“You wanted a powerful alarht? I don’t use this very often, so it can wake you up at the spot”
“I don’t need it now”
Maybe an alarm clock of that size would only be harmful to my heart
“Is that so? Okay”
“That one is fine”
“That one? Which?”
“Um…that one with your voice”
“Of course!”
Sparks flashed from her eyes Did I worry too much?
On the following day, after school
“Your club activities are suspended today, right?”
“Yes”
“Then, why don’t we go to the shopping district today? I said I didn’t want to, but it’ll be quite a hassle to find the CD shop by myself”
“Sure, let’s do it”
“Are you two going out together?”
Kaori seeawa smiled mischievously
“We didn’t really plan to go just by ourselves”
“Do you want to go too, Kaori and Kitagawa?”
“I have a part-time job”
“I’ll pass today”
Kaori s I could sense her smile was the smile she put on when I first introduced myself
Soon after leaving school, the two of us parted ways froawa
The shopping district was having the winter special sale, bustling with noise and excitement
“This shop sells the a”
“This is the best ramen shop in the whole street”
Familiar with the shops, Nayuki was a local indeed
She even knehere the CD shop that was so hard to find was And I found the new album I wanted to buy
Then, she stopped in front of a café named ‘A Hundred Flowers’
“Yuichi, the strawberry parfait here is super delicious!”
“Okay”
“It’s really delicious The strawberry parfait here”
“…okay”
“The strawberry parfait here is yummy”
“I know, I know! Let’s go in!”
“You have to treat me, Yuichi”
“Wuu…”
I couldn’t say no since she had lead the way
With dark brown floors, silk tablecloth, and hanging flower circles, this was certainly a shop girls would like
Although embarrassed, I casted awaystrawberry parfait happily
“Strawberry jam and parfait You really like strawberries, Nayuki”
“Yes I love them…so can we order one more?”
“I don’t have enough money today”
“I-If you have enough money another day, will you treat me? Say yes”
Nayuki’s senses grow sharp at things related to strawberries
When we left the shop, Nayuki said she wanted to have a look at the clock shop So I waited for her in front of the shop
At this moment, someone patted my shoulder from behind
“Nayuki?”
Turning around, I sainged bag, a jacket, and mittens There wasn’t any taiyaki today
“Good afternoon, Yuichi”
“Oh, it’s just Ayu”
“Ugu…you’re so rude”
”I was thinking—it couldn’t be Nayuki”
I was facing the door standing, so Nayuki couldn’t have possibly gone to
“Na…yuki?”
Ayu said the name she hadn’t heard before and titled her head
“Is it food?”
At thisof stuff
“That’s Nayuki Do you want to try eating it?”
“Ugu…”
“Yuichi?”
Nayuki looked at Ayu and I, back and forth
“Oh, this is Ayu Her occupation is taiyaki thief”
“Ugu…that hurts”
“Taiyaki thief?”
“N-No I will apologise to that old ry back then”
“Back then?”
I then explained to Nayuki of how I met Ayu
So now I introduce Nayuki to Ayu
“This is ether with”
“Living together?”
“Yes Now”
“I see…”
Ayu looked at Nayuki with a htenment
“Okay, can I call you Ayu-chan?”
Nayuki entered the conversation
“Sure Ayu-chan works fine”
“You can call me Nayuki-chan too”
“Help, stop it, no”
I interrupted [1]
“What a shame…”
Nayuki shrugged
I compared Nayuki and Ayu
Nayuki: has a sli a peaceful dream
Ayu: has a sht eyes that swirled with energy
Although they ree on my rudeness and chatted happily
“What are you going to do now, Ayu-chan?”
Ayu’s eyes lost its glamour instantly
“Is there so?”
“I-I a here”
“So to buy?”
“No So I lost I plan to look for it every day before I find it”
“Let’s look for it together, shall we?”
Ayu shook her head Her sly weak and superficial, astonishi+ng me
But it was only for a moment
“So it’s time we leave Ayu-chan”
“See you”
“Yes, see you Nayuki-chan, Yuichi”
Ayu regained her smile when she left
“Ayu-chan is so cute”
Nayuki said, e had walked near our house
“But she’s a freak”
“I don’t think she wants you to call her that”
“Hey”
“You said you o for the first time Is it true?”
“Yes What about it?”
“I think I’ve heard of her Aboutwith Ayu before…or probably just her name”
“…”
What Nayuki was saying probably had to do with my lost memories
To ask why, I had a nostalgic feeling when I first met Ayu
“I really o”
But I still reckon I had only met her for just a short time
The doors ofslowly, and it wasn’t all that painful a thing When I find y Nayuki had to cats, I feel a lot better
But I can’t for Ayu, at least not now
There was soto Ayu
Akiko seemed to have returned ho the door
“We should have invited Ayu-chan for dinner”
“Yes”
I deliberately changed the topic
“Oh, what did you buy at the clock shop?”
Nayuki looked amused of my question and smiled
“An alarm clock”
“The heck?!”
Weren’t there enough alarm clocks in her room?
“You won’t get up even if you have more alarm clocks, Nayuki”
“I bought a big one today, so it’ll be fine tomorrow”
Nayuki nodded in confidence
“I’ you This is the reason your room is stuffed with alarm clocks”
“Eh…”
I a to wake up! Nayuki said, but I reckon that impossible
Of course, what happened tomorroas exactly as I had expected
Translation Notes
Ju cute and s as Nayuki