Looking down at her furry paws, she couldn't help but feel a bit conflicted.
Knowing that she could freely change back later and that there was no need for various worries or concerns, the feeling brought by the current situation was not fear but rather a faint sense of interest.
She had always been extremely fond of cats, and now that she had turned into one, there was no reason not to study it carefully from a first-person perspective.
Especially the cat's tail…
Yukineko stood up and stared at the tail raised high behind her.
The feeling of controlling a body part that originally did not exist was truly quite peculiar.
She began imitating the cats she had seen in cute cat videos, spinning in circles on the bed while chasing her tail, then lazily rolling over before finally flipping onto her back and hanging her head over the edge of the bed to observe the room from an upside-down perspective.
"Meow meow meow~"
Yukineko was having too much fun and instinctively let out a laugh, but what came out was a soft and milky meowing sound.
Ah~ I can't help it. I really am adorable.
She quickly stood up again and mimicked what she considered to be an endearing cat gesture, using her hind leg to scratch behind her ear.
It was still early, only a little past six o'clock. There were still several hours before Chisato would arrive today, so she couldn't waste this time.
A sudden idea popped into Yukino's mind, and she quickly made up her mind.
After several attempts, she finally managed—with some difficulty—to move her phone from the nightstand to the living room sofa.
After pressing the record button, she propped the phone against a sofa cushion to keep it steady and then began her uninhibited display of cuteness.
After all, she wanted to leave a memento.
She thought.
That night, past ten o'clock, Chisato arrived as promised. After waiting for a short while, Yukino opened the door and invited him inside.
They had done this many times before, and both were used to it, so there was no unnecessary politeness.
"How was it today?"
"As I expected, I turned into a cat a little past six in the evening. Every time before transforming, there's a noticeable wave of drowsiness that hits me.
But this sensation has a gradual process of increasing intensity, and I can resist it with willpower.
The maximum duration of this resistance seems to be around thirty minutes."
"Well, that's another thing we've confirmed. I'd say it's good news—at least the transformation isn't instant.
Even if it happens, it gives you a warning beforehand, so you'll have time to react in case of any emergencies."
Chisato briefly considered it before summing up his conclusion.
"That's true. It does make me feel more at ease."
Yukino nodded in agreement.
After exchanging a few more words, they both fell silent.
Although Yukino's impression of Chisato had improved somewhat over time, their conversations had not changed much on the surface.
They attended different schools, and the only people they both knew were Iroha and Haruno. But they couldn't just talk about those two all the time—that would feel too strange.
Thinking back, Yukino realized that even in the Service Club, most of the conversations were initiated by Iroha or Yui.
Only then would she occasionally join in. If they didn't speak, she spent most of her time silently reading.
"There's no more coffee. I ordered some online, but it'll take a few days to arrive. Is it okay if we have black tea today?"
"Thanks. I'm not picky. Even plain water is fine."
Chisato thanked her and accepted the black tea she handed him. After blowing on it gently, he took a small sip and complimented the taste.
Since he would be staying for a while, he didn't want to waste time.
Chisato sat down at the table, took out a set of practice papers from his bag, and began working on them.
Meanwhile, Yukino sat on the sofa a short distance away, sipping her tea in small sips while silently observing him as he focused on his work.
For the past few days, they had spent their time like this.
Chisato would enter, exchange a simple greeting, and Yukino would prepare a drink for him. Then they would each focus on their own tasks.
When the time was right, Chisato would take his leave, and Yukino would see him to the door. That would mark the end of their day.
It had only been a few days, but Yukino had already learned a lot about Chisato.
First, his academic performance. On Monday, when he took a book out of his bag, a test paper accidentally fell onto the floor.
Although Chisato quickly picked it up and put it away, Yukino, with her keen eyesight, had already seen the scores—perfect marks in English, Math, and Japanese, the three major subjects.
Though she was somewhat surprised at the time, she had already heard Iroha say, "Suzumiya-senpai's grades are insanely good," so she had been mentally prepared and could accept it.
But starting from Tuesday, Yukino noticed things gradually becoming more absurd, slowly exceeding her understanding.
That day, in just twenty minutes, she watched as Chisato hand wrote the lyrics to three songs.
She had even paid close attention to the time—it had only taken a little over ten minutes in total.
How did she know they were lyrics?
Because while writing, Chisato marked musical notes on the lyrics and hummed along to the rhythm.
After finishing, he immediately took a photo of the lyrics with his phone and sent it to someone.
Soon, he received a call.
Chisato answered it without hesitation, even though Yukino was right beside him.
The call was brief, just a few words exchanged, but from his responses and the faint voices coming from the phone—
phrases like "Thank you very much," "One million yen per song for now, plus future royalties," and "Looking forward to working together"
—Yukino quickly pieced together what had just happened.
He had just sold the songs he had written.
Watching Chisato hang up with a nonchalant expression, Yukino couldn't help but wonder if he was deliberately putting on a show in front of her.
Just like how, back in elementary or middle school, certain overly energetic boys would do strange and attention-seeking things to get her to notice them.
She kept that thought in mind.
Then on Thursday—yesterday—when she went to school, she overheard some classmates talking about a new hit song while wearing earphones.
Usually, Yukino wouldn't remember idle gossip for long, but today, she paid special attention.
Because the title of the song they were discussing was the same as one of the songs Chisato had written on Tuesday night.
Immediately, she searched for "Brave Shine" on her phone.
It turned out to be a newly released track by a female singer backed by Suzuki Entertainment.
The song had shot up the charts overnight and had even been selected as the opening theme for a new hot-blooded anime.
Scrolling down, she found the credits for lyrics and composition.
Listed there was the name "LGQL."
She quickly realized—it was the initials of Chisato's name. (Suzumiya Chisato = 凉宫千里= Liánggōng qiānlǐ = Lian Gong Qian Li = LGQL )
This was enough to prove that on Tuesday night, Chisato was not just putting on an act in front of her.
He had truly relied on his own abilities to sell three songs in less than twenty minutes.
On Thursday, during the lunch break, Yukino, in a rare moment, did not eat or read immediately after arriving at the Service Club.
Instead, she took out her phone and played the song [Brave Shine], listening to it three times before Iroha and Yui arrived.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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