73 Something Shady (1/2)

Sensing food nearby, Tarou grabbed the grain and held it firmly.

He knew the scent and but he couldn't remember what it was. The mouse shelled the seed in a flash and took a large bite without hesitation.

\”Sunflower seeds!\”

Tarou brought the seed closer to his nose and sniffed before taking another large bite.

\”Do you like this food?\”

Tarou, who had a greedy look on his face, nodded.

\”Is it delicious?\”

Tarou nodded several times while sinking his teeth on the snack.

\”What do you think about Serket?\”

Tarou barely heard the question because he was too focused on the loud munching sounds — it was music to his ears. Tarou looked up when he heard the human's voice and blinked.

\”My boss is the best!\”

With two paws reaching up, the mouse pleaded with Barca by wearing his most adorable look.

\”More!\”

Tarou caught a whiff of the same yummy snack but it was gone in a second. Remembering how Barca dangled it for a long time before giving in he immediately jumped to grab it. But before he could reach it, the snack moved away.

\”Foood!\”

Tarou couldn't get the taste of the sunflower seeds out of his head.

The fresh taste...

It was all he could think of.

The one he just tasted was more delicious than any food he tried.

\”The cat fought with Serket.\”

Barca's voice was gentle like usual but Tarou gave him a blank look.

'What's wrong with this human now?'

Tarou looked at the man with pitiful eyes.

\”Humaaaan...\”

\”Why?\”

Tarou's head shifted to the right.

\”I want more food!\”

The small insistent squeaks echoes inside the room.

Tarou looked up at the human in front of him. When he sensed the grain dangling in front of his nose he jumped at the chance and bit hard. He tasted something odd — like raw meat tinged with a unique taste.

Tarou felt a sudden force that propelled him backward, forcing him to almost fall off Barca's hand. With some luck, the little mouse kept his feet firmly on the human's palm. Tarou heard Barca hiss and when he looked up, he felt the man's intense gaze.

With his brain clicking in place, Tarou focused on the familiar taste on his mouth.

'Did I just...'

Tarou rubbed his eyes while trying to get a sense of the human's mood but everything appeared normal. He looked at Barca again but his blurry sight made it impossible to assess the man's mood. However, he could hear the man's even breathing and nothing else and caught a whiff of a mild coppery scent.