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The Kawasaki Saki rehabilitation program started the next day forth.

After school, I went to the clubroom where Yukinoshita was waiting imperiously. "Then let's begin."

Yuigahama and I nodded at her words. Oh, and for some reason, Totsuka was there too.

"Totsuka, you don't have to force yourself to be here." I mean, it was extremely painful having to put up with Yukinoshita's tyranny. No doubt he was only here because she had given him the death glare.

But Totsuka shook his head with a smile. "No, it's okay. I heard about what happened too. Plus, I'm interested in whatever you and the others do, Hachiman… I'd like to go out with you guys if I'm not getting in the way."

"I‐I see. Then… please go out with me."

I said the 'Please go out with me' part reflexively like a charming hunk. See, the thing is, what else can you say when he grabs the sleeve of your jersey, looks up at you with upturned eyes and says he wants to go out with you? I was taking charge like a manly man!

Since club activities were suspended during the midterms, the schoolyard was empty after school. Besides us, there were the fellow students who were studying individually inside the school, as well as the Kawasaki Saki‐types who were getting lectured for being late. (By the way, you got called to the staffroom for a lecture if you were late more than five times in a month.)

Hiratsuka‐Sensei had probably pinned Kawasaki Saki down and was giving her a thorough talking‐to as we spoke.

"I did some thinking and I believe that Kawasaki should solve her problems by her own hand," Yukinoshita declared. "There is little risk if she picked herself up with her own strength as opposed to being forced to do so by someone else, and there is almost no chance of relapse either."

"That makes sense, I guess," I agreed.

This isn't just limited to delinquents, but when other people comment on your actions, it's really irritating. For example, if someone close to you tried to tell you what to do, you'd start to feel resentful of them. An easy way to think about it is when your mother says to you just before an exam: 'How about you get off your arse and study?' In response, you're usually like, 'Oh, geez! I was just about to do it! Oh whoops, there goes my motivation.'

"Okay, so what are we actually going to do?" I asked.

"Have you heard of animal therapy?"

Animal therapy is, to put it simply, a type of spiritual therapy that involves petting an animal in order to reduce one's stress levels and to bring out one's positive traits. As Yukinoshita explained the gist of it, I could hear Yuigahama giggling. But in my opinion, it wasn't really a bad way of going about things. From what Taishi said, Kawasaki was once a straight‐laced and kind‐hearted girl. This might be the impetus to bring out her kind‐hearted side.

But there was one problem.

"Who's providing the animal?" I asked.

"About that… does no one here own a cat?" Yukinoshita asked.

Totsuka shook his head glumly in response. Aww, couldn't I keep him? He was just so cute. He's super effective!

"I have a dog, is that okay?" Yuigahama pointed her little finger and her index finger up and made a hand sign with her thumb, middle finger and ring finger.

"Cats are more likable," Yukinoshita insisted.

"I don't really get the difference…" I mumbled. "Seriously, what scientific reasoning do you have?"

"None in particular." Yukinoshita neatly avoided my gaze. "In any case, dogs are a no‐go."

"So does that mean you don't like dogs? That's adorable."

She glowered at me. "I never said anything of the sort, I believe. Please stop jumping to conclusions," Yukinoshita said testily.

Yuigahama was the one who jumped to conclusions. "No way, Yukinon. You hate dogs? How could you?! Don't you like cute animals?!"

"…you feel that way because you love dogs, Yuigahama‐san." The tone of Yukinoshita's voice had suddenly become flat.

What, did she have some kind of trauma involving dogs or something? Did she get bitten by one in her past? Meh, if she didn't like it, I guess I shouldn't push it. For now, I was just gleeful that I knew one of Yukinoshita's weak points.

"We own a cat," I said. "Is ours all right?"

"Yes."

With Yukinoshita's approval under my belt, I rang Komachi. I could hear some weird music in the background. What was with that cheesy music? Why was this chick's cell phone singing?

"Yeeeees, this is Komachi!"

"Oh, Komachi. You at home right now?"

"Yep, I am. What of it?"

"It's about the cat. Sorry, but could you take it to our school?"

"Huh? Why? Ka‐kun's heavy, so I don't wanna."

Ka‐kun is the name of our cat. He used to be called Kamakura, but because that was too much of a mouthful it got shortened at some point. His name was derived from how round like a kamakura he was.

"Er, you see, Yukinoshita said to bring him."

"I'll be right there." The phone suddenly cut off with a beep.

(…huh? Why did her attitude change as soon as I mentioned Yukinoshita? She'd been so reluctant when I asked!)

I closed my phone, satisfied she would come. Our high school was well‐known in this area, so she probably wouldn't get lost coming here.

"She said she'll be right here," I informed Yukinoshita. "Shall we wait outside?"

We waited outside the school gates for twenty minutes, upon which Komachi appeared with a carry casket in hand.

"I apologise for calling you out here," Yukinoshita said.

"No, no, I'm happy to do it for you, Yukino‐san," Komachi answered smilingly as she opened the lid of her carry bag.

Kamakura was enshrined inside. He scowled at me openly with a 'Huh? Whatchu lookin' at, punk?' sort of look on his face. Not the cutest of felines.

"Aww, he's so cute!" Totsuka said as he stroked the cat. Kamakura twisted his body as if to say, 'Hey, hey, calm down! Hang on a minute! Not my stomach! Anywhere but there!' He was totally at Totsuka's mercy. Me too. You're not special.

"So, what are you gonna with him?" I held Kamakura by the scruff of his neck once Totsuka handed him over to me. (Incidentally, that is the wrong way to hold a cat. The right way is to cradle it in your arms.)

"We'll put him in a cardboard box and leave him in front of Kawasaki‐san," Yukinoshita explained. "I'm sure Kawasaki‐san will pick him up if her heart is moved."

"She's not an old‐time banchou." If she thought delinquent = cat lover, then she had another thing coming. What a sheltered way of thinking.

And really, we didn't even know Kawasaki that well, so there was no guarantee such an indirect method would even work.

"Now then, I'll bring some cardboard." I motioned to give my cat to Yuigahama, who was right next to me. But she took a step back in alarm.

…just take it already. I tried again, this time calling out her name as I held Kamakura out. Again, Yuigahama swerved to avoid him.

"What the hell…"

"Oh. Er, uh, it's nothing!" Yuigahama said as she extended her arms nervously. Kamakura eyed her hands and let out a meow. With a flinch, Yuigahama dropped her hands.

"Could it be… you're not good with cats?"

"H‐huh?! O‐of course I'm good with cats! In fact, I love 'em! I‐I mean, c'mere, little kitty. Meow meow." Her voice was shaking. Not that there was really any reason for her to be afraid.

"Komachi, I'll leave him to you." I handed Kamakura over to Komachi. As I did so, Kamakura suddenly let out a purr as if he was in a good mood. Shit, I'm hated even by cats. "Well, I'm off."

There was probably some cardboard in the office, I figured. Cats had boxes they liked and boxes they hated, but our cat was okay with most varieties. Oh, and our cat loved plastic for some reason, and he was often chewing on the plastic wrappings of my comic books. I had to wonder if it was seriously that appetising.

Come to think of it, where was I going to even get a plastic bag? As I paced around, wondering how I would please my cat, Yuigahama caught up to me quickly.

"Um, you know. I really don't hate cats."

"Hm? Well, I don't really care either way. Yukinoshita's the type who hates dogs, you know. I don't really like bugs myself." Or human beings, for that matter.

"No, I mean I really don't hate cats. I think they're cute."

"So? You got a cat allergy or something?"

"That's not it… you see, my cat ran away, y'know? That's why I kinda get sad about it."

Yuigahama spoke meekly, the exact opposite of her usual cheerfulness. There was a wistful look in her eyes. Her walking pace slowed, and naturally I slowed down with her.

"I used to live in a multi‐apartment complex, you see. It was really popular to hide a cat and raise it in your apartment."

"That's the first I've heard of that…"

"That's what it was like for kids who live in an apartment! You can't keep a pet in an apartment, y'know? So I kept a stray cat without telling my parents. But at some point, it went away…" Yuigahama trailed off.

And thus, she got bad at handling cats.

Yuigahama laughed in her usual sheepish way. I wondered what her younger self had thought of that separation. Perhaps she had thought it was such a cute cat and they got along so well, so she might have been at a loss over why it ran away. It must have felt like a betrayal.

But the girl she was today knew why. I heard that a cat leaves its owner when it's about to die. Given that, I wondered how the grown Yuigahama looked back on her parting regrets. Perhaps she was full of regrets

That was only my speculation. The truth might be a different matter altogether. But even so, I thought Yuigahama's sadness and her kindness were genuine.

Silently, without uttering a single word to each other, we carried the cardboard between us. It wasn't even that heavy.

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-WG