"I warned you to not overexercise yourself, Hisssao" —said the Nurrrse.— "From now on, until you learn your limits, you'll go to the track only in Emiow's company!"

Hisssao really couldn't complain: it was indeed his fault. But the obstacle course, essential for any cat wishing to stay in shape, was something new. Jumping from platform to bar to rope was so fun and easy he couldn't help doing it a little more, and a little more, until his heart skipped and he had to spend half that morning at the infirmary. Emiow could have moderated him, but her legs were with a problem on the jumping springs and she had to take them to maintenance, forcing her to skip that morning's exercise.

After a brief stop by his room to get his books for the day's lessons, he was again walking the pathways of Yamaneko High School, on all four legs, like everybody else. The Felis sapiens evolved from a primitive feline who developed opposed thumbs and two foldable phalanges, making it able to hold objects and start a culture. Such hands were also employed on walking. And, thanks to some anti-adherent property of their "palms", no dust from the ground seemed to stick to them – a great help on keeping their belongings clean.

Being a cat had some advantages, like being able to jump to avoid bumping into Emiow on the corridors, like what almost happened to Hisssao just now. Hanging from the ceiling, he said "Hi! Have you…", to which Emiow shouted another "Hi!" without stopping, adding a "See you at the roof!" He would've to wait till lunch to ask if she had fixed her paws.

At class, he made a head bow to Mikitty and Haneko, receiving another one and a smile from both. Good to see Haneko was opening herself more —some days ago, she would've hid herself behind the next friend or chair around. She seemed almost convinced she was still pretty, despite the fire that cost her the fur on her right side. After all, cats are more into smell than sight!

After Mr. Mutourkish's lesson, the lunch break alarm ringed, and Hisssao was putting his material back into his backpack in order to go out when Felilly came in, her presence filling the room, her nose, ears and whiskers almost fully compensating her lack of vision. She, him and Haneko went out together, chatting about his second week at school, before the girls stopped by a nearby door, the one for the tea-with-milk-room, where they used to have lunch at. They asked him if he'd join them in their meal, but, as Hisssao already had an appointment, he had to decline, but not without setting a lunch together for the next day.

While the roof was pretty harmless for the average cat, there were risks for the students with a low sense of balance, so it was closed until the safety net on the ground was fixed. Not that it would prevent some obstinated students from bathing their bellies on the midday sun.

The first thing Hisssao perceived after getting through the roof access door was that he wouldn't need to ask Emiow about her legs' springs: the vision of her jumping from tables to benches to ground and back was a satisfying enough answer.

Soon, their friend Ring Tailzuka got through the door, higher than everyone else due to her erect walking, a necessary measure to make up for her missing front paws. Although she had a pair of prosthetic ones, they were a pain to put on without help, and she used them only to alleviate her occasional backache from her standing position. Curiously, the hours she spent painting with her rear paws, mouth and tail had never brought any problem to her spine.

She joined the duo in sharing an Emiow-prepared meal of rice and fish, and soon the three were enjoying the usual cat pastime of chatting and sunbathing with a full stomach. This ended soon though, as the lunch bell announced it was time to go back to class. With a stretch and a yawn, Hisssao and the catgirls got up and said their farewells, not before Emiow made him promise to meet her at the obstacle track next morning.

At class 3-3 door, Hisssao got a fright from a sudden cry of "HISSSCHAN!"

It came, of course, from Manxsha, the Student Council's second in command, with her high-pitched voice and pink-dyed fur. Right behind her was the Council president, Savanne. Born deaf (and myopic), she pushed her glasses next to her eyes and started to sign, in a silent language that included paw gestures and tail, ear and whisker moves. "I'll need a sign language course if I'll hang out with these two", he thought.

Fortunately, they still had Manxsha: "Sacchan is asking if you could help us with some artwork after class. We're making posters for a 'Don't scratch your nails on school property' campaign." "Dinner is on us! Say yes, pleeease!~~~"

So he said. And, around eight o'clock, they were leaving the Student Council room, quite tired, but well fed with a sardine and anchovy noodle dinner in their bellies. – In spite of the Council having only the two girls as permanent members, in this world they never had much trouble in finding volunteers: given a cat's natural curiosity, eventually somebody put his head through the door to see what they were doing and soon was recruited to whatever they needed done.

"You know, Hissschan, since you've helped us so many times, you could officially join the Council..", said Manxsha, rubbing her right side on him, then turning around and doing the same with her left. The "cat way of life" turned impossible the traditional Japanese interpersonal distance.

"We'll see.", he answered. "I'll give you an answer by the end of the week." Probably he'd join, thwy were fun company, but why make it easier to them?

Some walking and some chit-chat later, they parted ways at the dorms buildings, after a "See you tomorrow". Hisssao quickly walked to his bedroom (he still had homework to do!), thankful for having not met Kenjiji and his rantings about dogs and mice infiltrated in the school, disguised as cats in a conspiracy to take over the world. (Anyone who tried to explain those animals were irrational met the tradicional "Aha! That's what they want you to think..." answer.)

His hopes, however, were crushed, as he heard a loud "HEY, MAN!". He spent the next fifteen minutes with an exasperated expression, listening about how the Council president must be a dog, because she never talked, "...so it meas she speaks in that high notes only dogs can hear. So, she..."

"She can speak, Kenjiji!", cut Hisssao in a mid-tone between monotonic and impatient. "She only chooses not to because she's deaf and is afraid she can sound strange to others. It happens to several deaf people."

"That can't be! How'd she hear the high notes of her pink partner-in-crime?"

That was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back! With a "Wow! It's reeeeally late! Gotta go! 'Night, man!", Hisssao sprinted towards his room, not forgetting to lock the door.

Fortunately, no one knocked. Maybe, just maybe, that'd be a night without incidents. His homework was a piece of —tuna— cake, he took a glass of milk, then went on a Kenjiji-free trip to the bathroom to brush his teeth and, back at home, had his tongue-bath and jumped into his sleeping box with a good book to read ("Mousie on a Hot Tin Roof", suggested by Nyuuko the librarian). "I think I was wrong.", he thought. "Probably I'll like this school!" Moments later, he started to hear the relaxing purring mantra which soon would lead to sleep...

(Scratch, scratch!)

"Hey, Hisssao!", said Mikitty's voice from the window, "Wanna hang up with us at the roof?

"What about tomorrow's classes?"

"C'mon! Emiow and Haneko are there, too!"

"Hmmm... Sure, why not?" Life was too short, even if a cat has seven, or nine of them. Like any good cat, he jumped through the window to celebrate the night.