I, Who Was Reincarnated as an Evil Character With Cheat-Level Stats in an Eroge, Will Live Freely in This Life
We immediately entered the shop and tried to check in at the front desk, but it seemed like this place had self-check-in.
Since it was a holiday, the price was a bit higher than on weekdays.
Well, there seemed to be a high school student discount, so it was around the mid-1000 yen range per hour.
Apparently, there was also a set maximum price. Until closing time, it wouldn’t go over 3500 yen no matter how long you stayed.
If you stayed here all day, it’d be a pretty good deal.
โUm, I’ll pay my share properly,โ
Miku said as she looked at the monitor.
Kana was like that too, and I’m sure Saki would be as well. Plus, I knew Miku didn’t like being treated unilaterally either, but today, I really wanted to pay.
I came here intending to do so anyway, and above all, it’s our first time hanging out togetherโฆ Not that I’m thinking anything grandiose like โToday, I absolutely must!โ or โI’m prepared to do this!โ but since it’s a special occasion.
โNo, I want to treat you today. That’s why I came.โ
โโฆO-okay. Well then, I’ll take you up on that.โ
โYeah. That’d be a big help.โ
After confirming Miku said that, we finished the self-check-in together.
โAlright. Let’s go then.โ
โY-yeah.โ
She started walking, but perhaps because the time to interact with the cats was approaching, Miku seemed restless. She stopped and said.
โT-these kitties are hereโฆโ
Miku was looking at photos. Along the hallway leading to the room where the cats waited, photos of the cats likely residing at this shop were lined up in a row.
Each cat’s breed. Cat breed? I guess that’s what it’s called? I haven’t really heard it much, but anyway, the cat’s breed.
Then their gender, name, and birthday were written down.
โLooks like it. Want to look a little more?โ
โN-noโฆ I’m fine.โ
โGot it. Let’s go then.โ
โYeah.โ
โ
And so we arrived at the place where the cats were waiting.
It was more of a large space than a room. I didn’t know exactly how many there were, but dozens of cats were walking around or sleeping.
Plus, there was incredibly stylish furniture, chic music playing, and manga, PCs, and home game consoles always available. It seemed like a comfortable place to kill time or relax.
The atmosphere was so pleasant that, beyond just playing or relaxing, if you didn’t mind the price, it seemed like a great place to get work or studying done efficiently.
The shop also had several different areas. There were separate rooms with beds for resting, and another space where you could buy drinks and snacks.
This was my first time here too, but it had way more to offer than I’d imaginedโฆ
As I marveled at this, I looked over at Miku. She seemed eager to play with the cats but was also conscious of her surroundings, fidgeting restlessly.
Of course, we weren’t renting the place out exclusively. Besides us, there were several other customers, and naturally, staff members too.
Since they either work at the cat cafe or come here on their days off, they’re probably all cat lovers like Miku. I don’t think she needs to worry about it.
Seeing this, I glanced around and decided to head to a spot that looked less crowded.
โLet’s go sit over there for now.โ
โY-yeah, okay.โ
Saying that, Miku and I sat down on two chairs placed facing each other.
โYou can play with the cats, you know?โ
โโฆN-no, it’s justโฆ I don’t reallyโฆโ
Miku responded modestly to my words, but at that very moment, a cat leaped onto the table where Miku and I had been sitting.
โMeow.โ
โโฆR-Roll-chanโฆโ
โMeow, meow.โ
Miku said that while staring at the cat.
Roll-chanโฆ That must be this one’s name?
She only saw a few photos earlier, yet she knows it so wellโฆ Honestly, even I’d have trouble remembering it right awayโฆ
โUmโฆ Is that this one’s name?โ
When I asked that, Miku hurriedly replied.
โY-yeahโฆ I just happened to remember it.โ
โYou remembered it well.โ
โN-no, it’s nothingโฆโ
Miku said that, blushing.
โHahaha, hey Miku. I kept quiet about it, but honestly, I already knew you liked cats, so you don’t need to hide it every time. You can get even more excited about it.โ
โโฆHuh?โ
โNo, I mean, I already know you like cats.โ
โH-how did youโฆ Wait, could it beโฆ!โ
Miku asked why, looking embarrassed, then seemed to realize why I knew and said that.
โWell, yeah, that’s it.โ
โY-yeahโฆ Kana and Saki, right?โ
โExactly. I asked them myself. I asked them to tell me all about the things you like, specifically for today. I don’t really get why you’re hiding that you like cats, but since I asked them to tell me, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t blame them.โ
โI-I wouldn’t blame themโฆ I wouldn’t blame them at allโฆโ
โI was just wondering, but isn’t liking cats nothing to be ashamed of? Why hide it?โ
When I asked that, Mikku paused for a moment before answering.
“โฆWell, I’ll only tell you because it’s you, Seito. Actually, when I was in elementary school, a stray cat wandered into our school. When I tried to play with it, the boys in my class made fun of me, saying it wasn’t โcoolโ for a girlโฆ Then the boys spread it around and made fun of me even more, so I started hiding it. I was just a kid back then, and I was embarrassed to be laughed at like that by everyone around meโฆ Well, it’s ancient history now, and I don’t really care about it anymore. I just stopped telling anyone about itโฆ Not that I’d hide it from you, Seito, it’s just that I never had the chance to talk about it. It’s the same with Saki and Kana โ I don’t keep secrets from people I trust.”
I see, so that’s why you started hiding it.
Looking at Miku now, she doesn’t seem bothered by the past, so she probably doesn’t care that much. But the memory of being mocked and feeling embarrassed definitely remains. It’s not exactly a trauma, but that’s why she started hiding it from anyone but her close friends.
But she says she doesn’t want to keep secretsโฆ yet when I asked if she liked cats when we got here, she kind of dodged the questionโฆ
โThen why did you dodge the question when I asked if you liked cats when we got here?โ
โW-wellโฆ I was justโฆ really nervousโฆโ
โNervous?โ
โY-yeahโฆ I mean, it’s the first time Seito and I have hung out alone, and I never expected you’d bring me to a cat cafeโฆโ
Now that she mentioned it, she did seem pretty tense while we were walking today.
ใ
As I was thinking that, the cat on the table jumped onto Miku’s lap.
Miku looked startled for a moment, but her expression softened immediately and she started petting the cat.
โHahaha, that one’s really taken with Miku. Her name’s Roll-chan, right?โ
“That’s right. Her name is Roll-chan, and she’s a girl. She’s a Munchkin breed, and her birthday is April 5th.”
Seriouslyโฆ I thought it was just the name, but she remembers all that? She’s way more into cats than I imagined.
โRemembering all that in an instant really shows how much she loves cats.โ
โI do like cats, but I only remember this much about her. I only glanced at that photo for a second, and she was the first one I saw.โ
Miku said happily, gently stroking Roll-chan.
So that’s how it was. But matching looks and names at a glance is impressive. I couldn’t do that.
โRoll-chan looks happy being petted by Miku tooโฆโ
โYeahโฆ It’s been since elementary school since I’ve properly interacted like thisโฆโ
When she said โsince elementary school,โ she probably meant since the time she mentioned earlier.
We weren’t exactly interacting much on rainy days either.
Actually, if she liked cats that much, why didn’t she ever consider getting one? Surely her family knows she likes cats, or at least she wouldn’t need to hide it. If she told them, she could have gotten one secretly without her family knowingโฆใ
โSo then, you never thought about getting a cat?โ
โI did consider it, but in the end, it didn’t work out.โ
โDid your parents object?โ
โNo, it wasn’t that. Both Mom and Dad said they’d get one if I asked. But after going to the pet shop a few times, we found out. Dad has a mild cat allergy. It wasn’t like that when he was a kid, but apparently some people develop it as adultsโฆโ
โCat allergies, huh? That definitely makes owning one difficult.โ
โYeah, it does. Apparently, with enough effort and precautions, it might have been possible. But honestly, I felt bad putting them through that much troubleโฆ So, I guess that’s why I asked Saki about it. After that, I started watching cat videos a lot.โ
Maiban