Chapter 1: Justly, Kamakura Knows Everything


I stirred and slowly opened my eyes. They looked up to a light blue sky filled with clouds lazily flying overhead. Two buildings to the sides of my vision obscured me from seeing an otherwise wide, open sky. Wait, what? Why am I surrounded by buildings? Unnaturally huge buildings for that matter. Didn't I return home to Komachi with Kamakura and…

As I quickly tried to recall what happened to me the day before, an unfamiliar voice called out to me.

"Oh, awake already? Didn't expect you to rise early on a weekend."

The voice came from behind me, but seeing as I was for some reason on the ground, I slightly tilted my head back on the pavement, an overly familiar figure entering the top of my sights upside down.

It was Kamakura, the Hikigaya household pet. He was standing on what appeared to be a few empty crates, peering over and looking down at me from where he stood. His memorable green eyes looked at me speculatively and…was that a grin on his face? Also, why did his size somehow seem a lot closer to myself than usual?

"Kamakura…?"

I voiced my deliberate confusion. Was that Kamakura just now? Nah, no way. Cats don't communicate through Japanese. They go, like, meow and stuff. Yeah that's about right. I must be going insane to think cats can spontaneously begin to speak coherent tongue. And I'm sure if they did, owners would only hear phrases such as "feed me" or "pay attention to me", and perhaps the occasional affectionate one-liner "pet me, peasant" while proceeding to make threatening gestures with their claws because they deliberately didn't use the scratch post so they could send such messages. Wait, where did that come from? I had no such experience of that. Kamakura was a very well brought up and civil entity…

…That was unless you rolled your face into his stomach just to annoy him which would then provoke him to make sure he wasn't in the same room as you for a couple of minutes…or hours…or days…

Maybe he picked up that grudge habit from being around my little sister all the time. Then again, he'd always be there around you the moment you filled his food bowl. Cats really are jerks.

I let out an exasperated sigh. Maybe that's why he ran away. At least he's smart enough not to outright abandon his owners. Wait a minute…

"Hey, you sure you're not dead? Can I have your room?"

My eyes finally widened in surprise and I immediately attempted to flip my body upright, although I wasn't anticipating that I had magically become super light. Have I not been eating enough? I felt the front of my torso meet with the ground much like my back had earlier. My arms sprawled out in front of me from my stumble, seeing something completely unimaginable. My arms weren't covered in the usual black long sleeves of my Sobu High uniform. Instead, it was a sleeve of dark-grayish stripes with…paws at the end of them?! Oh, I'm pretty furry too. Huh.

I picked myself up, feeling my lower legs had mysteriously become level with my arms. I sat down the lower portion of my body and raised my arms, looking down at my now fur-covered body. I was no expert on cat breeds, but I seemed to be a mackerel tabby. Don't ask me how I know. Let's just leave it at the fact that I browse through various things in the book store when I get the proper free time on the weekends. Where is Yukipedia when you need it?

To the right of me against a wall was a large shard of broken glass that I hadn't noticed yesterday till now. Just how dark was this alley near nighttime?

Under normal human circumstances, this chipped off piece of broken glass would've served no purpose, but as something now relative to its size, it served as a full-body mirror for me. Following the pattern that were on my arms, my entire body also appeared to be donning the same theme. I turned myself around multiple times in the mirror examining myself as if I was checking out a recently tailored suit, going to a fancy party full of stuck-up snobs and people who thought they were above the general populace. Ah, that's a bad example. I would never get invited to something like that.

Then I examined my face. Still retain the dead fish eyes, huh? Well at least it's more fitting on a cat, right? My iris didn't seem to expand in the slightest compared to my cat's green ones. In fact, my eyes looked like they were just copied and pasted onto my now furry visage. But what surprised me most was that atop my head was still that lazy, single strand of hair— my precious ahoge. Truly a marker that I was a family member of the Hikigaya name. Runs in the family, ya see? A trademark if you will.

"You done being a narcissist yet?"

My ears adjusted themselves in the direction of the now familiar voice. My head slowly turned towards Satan's furry hand servant, seething anger visible in my eyes. My vision zoned everything out and only focused on his figure. I'd imagine they were slits right now. He hopped off the crates and landed with his two front paws, approaching me with a slight skip in his step towards me whilst his tail waved freely in the air. He nonchalantly sat himself before me. It appeared we were the same height, too.

"You're taking this rather well, master."

Okay, that last part was definitely forced out. I didn't say anything and continued to force out all my anger on him. Visually.

"I'm sure you're full of a lot of questions."

Yeah, no sh*t.

He showed his teeth with a cheery eye smile. Somehow I was able to percept that as one. Could use some work, but who am I to talk about smiling?

"So? Ask away!"

Ugh, Kamakura, please don't do that again. That totally just reminded me of Hayama and his dumb 'nice guy' persona that he constantly puts up as a front. The mere thought of Kamakura being related to Hayama in the slightest evaporated my anger towards him out of disgust. I couldn't live with someone as fake as that. I heaved a sigh once again.

"…What is going on?"

"I cannot answer that."

He answered so fast…and with a smile. I stood there blinking, completely dumbfounded. Wasn't he supposed to help me?! I instantly began barraging him with questions out of both spite and confusion.

"Where're the two cats from earlier?"

"I cannot answer that."

"Why did you run away (from me)?"

"I cannot answer that."

"Did you open the front door?"

"I cannot answer that."

"Did Komachi set me up?"

"She did not."

"Howdid you turn me into a cat?"

"Use your imagination."

"How can I understand you?"

"We're of the same species now."

I then started to question him out of sheer stubbornness rather than for intel on my whole situation. Just to get behind that fur-faced baiter. But he wasn't letting up, the smile still plastered on his face and his answers coming out smoothly as soon as my questions reached his perked ears. It was even more irritating that he continued that theme of omnipotent one-liners. After an entire minute of my pointless questionnaire, half of which I don't even remember the answers to, I momentarily stopped and took in a deep breath. Doing this won't get me anywhere. I looked at Kamakura with one eye, his eyes completely zoned on me. I tried to see what his true motives were, but it was rendered useless as these glorious dead fish eyes were merely used to understanding human body language, not cats. The only cat I understood was Kamakura. I'll adjust in due time. I at least knew that wouldn't be too hard. Seriously, where was Yukipedia when you needed it? He tilted his head at me, rather cutely might I add, eager to know my next move as I visibly calmed down. Hey, don't do things like that. I might forgive you.

"What is my purpose for being a cat?"

My cat's eyes suddenly widened in interest and as if it weren't already there, he smiled.

"That, detective, is the right question."

I stayed silent, signaling him to continue.

"…Fulfillment."

Huh?

"Huh?"

"It's what you seek, isn't it?"

Quit fooling around with me, Kamakura. Cat's aren't supposed to be cryptic. They're supposed to be direct without a care for the other party's feelings coupled with blatantly stating their desires that isn't already world domination. Seeing my lack of a response, he swiftly hopped back on the pile of crates and turned his back towards me, looking up at the sky whilst bringing his paw to his chin as if in thought.

"…Something genuine, ya see?"

He winked at me after stating that, his mouth breaking into a smirk after seeing my shaken reaction. That bastard…just how much did he know? Putting that aside, I slowly questioned him further.

"And…how do I go about that?"

"I cannot answer that."

"…"

…Is this really Kamakura? I didn't know why I started questioning it until now, but everything leading up to this moment has been strange for an indoor housecat. He was a reserved and rather lazy companion, mimicking yours truly. The very fact alone that he ran away from home already arose many questions. However, I ridded myself of the thought wanting to truly asses the matter at hand. Right now I had to convince myself that I really was in this convoluted situation. My mouth twitched, but before words could come out, he started again.

"It's not so much a "how do I go about it," but a "how shouldI go about it.""

Isn't that, like, the same thing? I opened my mouth to speak again, but once more he interrupted me.

"You have three questions remaining."

What? Seriously? I smother you in a sea of endless affection and you give me a limit on how many questions I can ask? Cats really are asses. Maybe I used up my 'inquiry charges' too quickly back when I was asking him blind questions in a futile attempt to annoy him. However, I got the feeling that it was more a constraint of time rather than a matter of how many pointless things I asked earlier. Which in that case it'd still be my fault. Perhaps that single minute I spent wasting our time was the underlying factor that would seal my fate. I'm never going to do that again though; it's both annoying and tiresome. So, only three questions, huh? Better ask meaningful ones…

"How long will I stay a cat?"

"Until you reach fulfillment."

My eyes widened at that statement. Then they widened even further upon true realization. Luckily I stopped myself from asking him if he was insane, thus wasting a question. Yeah, as if I'd make a mistake like that. I could feel my face scrunch up in frustration briefly. So he's basically telling me I'm going to be considered MIA until I figured everything out?! Komachi and even my parents would begin to worry about my absence! I couldn't imagine anyone else truly missing me aside from my sister, and if she didn't, I might as well commit seppuku with pure sadness as my blade. Seriously, I wouldn't be able to continue living if that fact ever came to be true. Even the thought makes me want to die! I sighed, readying my next question.

"Can you teach me how to be a cat?"

He tilted his head and brought his paw back up to his chin. It wasn't completely out of correlation to my dire situation. I had to be able to maneuver in this form, something I had zero knowledge about. Even basic tips on walking to running and jumping would be extremely helpful. The quicker I could move around, the quicker I could probably find some hellish solution. Hopefully I don't hack up a hairball before then. I wouldn't want all the disappointments in my life to take physical form come from my esophagus.

"What a truly strange question. Heh, that's expected of you though."

I didn't understand what he meant, but briefly after saying that, he hopped off the crates once again and stood directly in front of my silently brooding self. He slowly started to lean in towards me with wide, unwavering eyes. My instincts kicked in and I felt myself reel away from the increasing lack of space. Without actually moving from my position, that is. Woah, is my cat trying to steal away my first kiss? I'm sorry, but that belongs to Totsuka. As soon as he backed me to the point where I was just about to fall over, he brought up his paw and—

"Boop."

Huh? What was that? As soon as he finished…that, he allowed me to reclaim my personal space. I touched the area he blessed me on as if in reminiscence. My nose. I gave him a questioning look. He gladly replied with a smile, though I couldn't make any sense of it.

"The instincts will kick in when they are required. Now you have one question remaining."

At that moment I slowly asked the question that's been bugging my mind since this ordeal, hesitation dripping off my words.

"…You're…not really Kamakura…are you?"

The Hikigaya household pet shook his head and closed his eyes, the same smile stuck to his face.

"It's your final question, and now you finally ask that?"

He smirked, and I could already guess what he was going to say.

"I cannot answer that… Nyahaha! The Monster of Logic suddenly turns into a cat and that's your last question?"

My cat continued to laugh at me and I could feel my brow twitch in annoyance. Or was that my dignity disintegrating? I get the strong feeling that this was all just solely for his amusement. He stopped his laughing and brought his paw up to his eye as if he was tearing up, only to burst out laughing some more. That laugh is definitely going to haunt my kitten nightmares until I turn back. I'd better not sleep then; easy solution.

Although I couldn't completely understand everything, it was obvious that I had to piece together everything. And very soon. I couldn't survive long without seeing Totsuka's smile for a few days, you know! Kamakura's paw made contact with my shoulder, shaking me from my thoughts and staring at me with a warm smile. Uwaa~ I think my cat is bipolar.

"You'll find it, master. Now the finishing statement."

"Sure, let's hear it."

I think I may not care anymore at this point. This was already surreal as it is.

"You cannot go home until you find that genuine completion."

"…Is that it?"

"Oh? You're reacting to this rather well, considering you may not be able to see Komachi for a while!"

I felt the obvious fact pluck at my heart strings, but I still needed a period to register everything that was going to soon become inevitable. I inhaled deeply followed by an exasperated sigh so as to prevent myself from crying. I think I barely got by, but my breath had exited out shaky. Ah, my Komachi points will definitely go down the drain within a few days' time.

"Welp, I'm leaving now. Fair well on your journey, Hikigaya Hachiman."

And with his final words, I could feel the wind cling to his back as he ran passed me and out of the alley into the busy street, nearly making a man trip over his own feet. And there, I saw his figure disappear right into the light of the day, likely returning home…without me. It was abrupt, but I felt as though everything my cat had said was set in stone. I think I just fell all the way to the bottom of my household's social ladder. Bringing my eyes off the ground I looked up at the clouds and lazily watched them pass. It was like looking at how slowly my life was going before now. My ears twitched to the busy street in front of me and provoked me to go forward. I stopped just before the light touched my paws, staying within the shadows. The people of Chiba were going on with their much more energetic lives. Wow, I am incredibly small. I am truly just a small piece of the world now, but that's implying I already wasn't. Perhaps I could manipulate some old cat lady and go for the lifestyle I've always desired.

I chuckled to myself at the thought. That was a pretty good joke, and seeing as I've laughed at my own joke, I've definitely raised a flag of going down the path of turning savage. Of all the animals I ever wanted to be, I wanted to be a bear.

"Woah, what a weird cat."

Some inconsiderate passerby said as they passed by my particular alley. I felt my brow twitch once more in displeasure. Animals have feelings too, you know, and my ruined weekend didn't help to brighten up my mood either. So even as a totally cuddly creature praised throughout the internet, I'm still seen as a creep? The world really is ruthless.

Breathing in the fresh air of my hometown, I took a step into the light and went along with the flow of the street.

My life had been thrown into an event I never asked for.