LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 8: Were you waiting for me?
Mika walked slowly towards her apartment building. When she saw its familiar boxy shape and straight gray lines, she stopped for a moment.
Why does it feel like I was away for ages? It's only been one night, hasn't it?
Mika sighed, shaking her head. The building stood unchanged, but everything felt off. So much had changed in one day for Mika, probably more than in her entire life before yesterday. The world outside, the one she had always known, now felt unfamiliar, as though the ordinary was no longer so ordinary. Her apartment building, its faded gray walls previously always soothing in their stability, now felt like something that no longer belonged to her.
Her mind kept drifting back into her visions.
Why did Kaito try to protect Aiko? Why did Tatsuya try to harm her?
With a quiet breath, Mika pushed forward, trying to shake the odd sensation of detachment.
As she approached the stone fence near her building's little parkette, she caught sight of a slight movement on top of the fence, making her heart jump. There, slowly getting up and stretching its back, was the cat with the black and white face.
It sat exactly where she'd left it the other day, its eyes locked on hers as though it had been waiting for her return—no, expecting her.
Mika's mind raced with a flurry of thoughts, each more confusing than the last.
Has the cat been waiting here all night? Why? Has it been waiting for me? Does it know who I am? Why is it waiting for me?
Mika halted in front of the cat, who was expectantly gazing back at her—unblinking, almost as if probing her very soul.
"Good morning," Mika said, without thinking.
The cat shook its head and jumped down to the pavement.
"Were you waiting for me?" she asked softly, her voice tentative, almost unsure of what she was really asking.
The cat raised its head, its deep blue and green eyes locking with Mika's. There was a warmth to its stare, an almost… friendly recognition.
It feels like he's saying "yes".
Mika blinked, shaking off the strange sense of understanding that settled over her. She felt an inexplicable pull toward the mysterious animal.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" Mika asked, lowering herself to meet the cat's gaze. She felt the weight of its presence as it studied her.
The cat tilted its head slightly to one side. Even though the motion was subtle, it was deliberate and felt almost human to Mika.
How can a cat's gaze be so incredibly intelligent? If I didn't know better, I'd swear he understands everything.
"Are you hungry?" she asked.
Just then, the cat gave a slow, deliberate lick of its whiskers, its gaze never leaving hers, as if answering her. Mika's heart skipped a beat.
He understands… He understands more than I realize.
"You are? Then would you like to come with me?" Mika asked, her voice quivering slightly under the cat's all-knowing stare. "I'll see what I have at home to give you."
Mika got up, and so did the cat, ready to follow her.
"Let's go, then. Follow me."
Still dumbfounded, Mika led the cat to the entrance to her building. They walked through the lobby toward the elevator.
"Are you okay with elevators?" Mika asked as the doors opened. "Do you want me to hold you?" The cat looked up at her again, and didn't object when she reached out to pick it up.
When they got to the third floor, Mika was about to put the cat down when she heard her name. Mika turned, a little startled to see her neighbor, Seiji, standing in the hallway, his messy hair slightly damp as though he had just come from a quick errand or a shower.
Seiji's eyes widened when he saw the cat in Mika's arms. "When did you get a cat?" His tone and gaze seemed more curious than usual to her.
Mika forced a smile, but the unease churning in her stomach only grew. "Oh, hey Seiji. It's my new friend."
Seiji lived on the same floor as Mika. He had lived in the building with his parents even before Mika moved in. He was thoughtful and helpful, and always polite whenever Mika met him in the corridor. Always looking a little shy or embarrassed, it seemed.
"When did you get it?"
"We just recently met," replied Mika, confusing herself and Seiji. The cat gently pushed off her hands and jumped onto the floor.
"It's so cute," said Seiji. "And the color–most unusual."
There are other things about this cat that are much more unusual than its color.
The cat in the meantime looked from one side of the corridor to another and then at Mika, as if asking in which direction to go.
"Yes," Mika said, trying to keep calm. "Look, Seiji, he's a little hungry… so… I'll talk to you later, okay?"
Seiji, still looking puzzled, nodded. "Okay... See you later, Mika." His smile slipped slightly, but his tone was still friendly.
"See you."
Mika led the cat to her door and let it inside.
"I think I have some fish you might like," she said aloud, after she closed the door. "And I'll get more cat food later today. I'm sorry, I didn't expect you to visit."
The cat seemed at ease. Upon entering the living room, it looked around, curled up, and started licking itself.
He likes it here!
Mika looked at the clock.
Oh no, time flies! I have to hurry and get things ready before Matsuda-san gets here!