Chapter 3:

Safe point and just be together

Save a cat, but be your girl S1

After Akuro warned about the approaching drone, the atmosphere in Soutarou's house became tense. The curtains were tightly closed, all the lights turned off. Shin and Soutarou rushed into the basement—a small hidden room that Soutarou usually used to store tools and food supplies.

Akuro remained on guard in the attic of the house, his sharp eyes watching through the gaps in the wood.

From a distance, a low buzzing sound began to be heard. A drone circled above their house, its red sensor light flashing. The drone hovered for a few minutes, sweeping the surroundings with its camera and night lighting, but found no movement.

After a while, the drone flew away—disappearing among the dense trees.

Shin, who was still hiding in the basement, slowly began to calm down, although his breathing was still heavy and his body was shaking from the trauma.

Soutarou stared at him calmly, waiting for the drone to completely leave before going back upstairs and opening the floor covering.

---

After the drones left and things calmed down again, Soutarou slowly opened the floor covering. He bent down and signaled Shin that it was safe. Shin stepped out with careful steps, still shaking a little. The dim light from the oil lamp was turned back on, illuminating the small room.

---

Soutarou: (closes the basement and locks it again)

"It seems like they're not sure you're here yet... but they could come back."

Shin: (sits down slowly on the chair, hugging himself)

"My heart is still pounding... I think they're going to catch me."

Soutarou: (pours warm water into a cup and gives it to Shin)

"Drink this first. It'll calm you down a bit."

Shin: (takes it with shaking hands, then looks at the cup)

"Thank you... I've always run away... and I've always been afraid..."

Soutarou: (sits in front of him, in a gentle tone)

"You're not wrong to be afraid. You've survived this far."

Shin: (stares into Soutarou's eyes)

"I... have lost too much. I'm not even sure I can trust this place to be safe..."

Soutarou: (looks down slightly, then nods)

"I understand. But as long as you're here, I'll take care of you."

Shin: (holds the cup tighter, voice almost a whisper)

"I... don't know what to say..."

Soutarou: (smiles softly)

"No need to say anything now. Get some rest. We'll think about our next move tomorrow."

---

# 2

The loud roar of a helicopter began to echo from a distance, breaking the silence of the night. The vibrations made the window panes vibrate softly. Shin reflexively clenched his fists, his body stiffening in the chair. Soutarou stood up, walking slowly towards the tightly closed window and only peeking out a little through the gap.

---

Shin: (with a trembling voice)

"That's... the sound of their helicopter, right?"

Soutarou: (nodding slowly, his eyes focused on the sky outside)

"Yeah... but why did it come back so soon?"

He squinted, trying to catch the shadow of the helicopter. Suddenly, from the helicopter's speaker came a loud voice, like a military order being broadcasted throughout the area.

Speaker (from the helicopter):

"The target old house has been identified as a potential hiding point. If there is no response within three minutes, we will begin the demolition to verify the target's existence."

Shin immediately stood up, his face pale.

Shin: (panicked)

"They want to... blow up this house?!"

Soutarou: (still calm, but his voice is heavy)

"They just want to see if you're here... if this house is destroyed and you show up, that's their answer."

Shin: (biting his lip, his voice soft)

"I only brought disaster to this place..."

Soutarou: (turning to him quickly)

"Don't say that. You're not wrong."

Shin: (lowers his head, hands shaking)

"What are we going to do?"

Soutarou: (sighs, eyes fixed out the window)

"We can't face them head on. But we can outsmart them."

---

Soutarou quickly runs to an old closet in the corner of the room and starts taking out a few things—a worn blanket, old clothes, and a few bottles of chemicals he kept for his little experiments. Shin just stares, still confused, but his eyes follow Soutarou's movements anxiously.

---

Shin: (confused and anxious)

"What are you doing…?"

Soutarou: (arranging something on the table)

"If they want to blow up this house, we give them an illusion. Something that will convince them that the house is empty."

Shin: (quietly, almost whispering)

"...But what if they still get suspicious?"

Soutarou: (turns his head quickly, then says firmly)

"Then we don't have much time. But before that happens, we have to create a distraction."

He mixes a little of the ingredients from two bottles and pours it onto a piece of cloth, then throws it into a small fireplace on the side of the room. The fire burns quickly and produces thick smoke.

Shin: (covering his nose)

"Smoke?!"

Soutarou: (nodding, hurriedly opening the cover of the hiding place)

"This isn't an empty house if it's full of smoke, right? They'll think there's a short circuit or a fire. Let's hide down here again."

Shin: (quickly going downstairs)

"But... are you sure this will work?"

Soutarou: (after closing the space slowly)

"I'm not sure. But I won't let them touch you, Shin."

Outside, the sound of the helicopter gets closer, and the sound of the speakers comes back, counting down. Behind the floor space, Shin and Soutarou hold their breaths...

---

# 4

Inside the basement, the air starts to get stuffy as thin smoke starts to seep in. Shin hugs his knees, trying to calm down, while Soutarou presses his ear to the wooden wall to hear whatever is happening above. The sound of the helicopter's rotors is still whirring loudly outside, it's clear they haven't left yet.

---

Shin: (coughs, whispers softly)

"The air... is getting hard to breathe..."

Soutarou: (turns his head quickly, voice soft but firm)

"Hold on a little longer. They're still up there..."

Shin: (bites his lip, holds his breath)

"They... don't believe we're not here..."

Soutarou: (covers his mouth with a cloth, then gives it to Shin as well)

"Use this. I heard the sound from the speakers earlier... they're probably waiting for something."

From above, a soft sound could be heard—like a door opening. The helicopter remained in the air, but the sound of shoes hitting the wooden floor could be heard faintly.

Shin: (whispers softly with a pale face)

"They... are coming in...?"

Soutarou: (eyes widen slightly, presses index finger to his lips to signal silence)

"...Don't move. Don't make a sound."

The footsteps were heard only for a moment... then silence. The seconds felt like minutes. Then the sound of the shoes faded away again, and the door closed.

Soutarou: (very quietly)

"Maybe they just did a quick check..."

Shin: (still shivering, whispering)

"I can't take it... I'm so scared..."

Soutarou: (touching his back gently)

"I'm here, Shin. We'll get through this."

---

Guard 1:

"Get in formation. Make sure no one is left behind."

Guard 2:

"Ready. Ventilation is filled with smoke. Beware of small fires, it could be a trick."

Guard 3:

"I'm going to the back. Check every corner."

Guard 1:

"If there is no sign of life in five minutes, we will begin the execution."

Guard 2:

"Detonation unit is on standby at the perimeter."

Guard 3:

"Hey, this floor looks weird. The wood is newer than the rest."

Guard 1:

"Write down the coordinates. We will install a thermal scanner here."

Guard 2:

"Okay, no body heat signature. They probably fled."

Guard 1:

"Don't take any chances. Follow orders: this house is destroyed."

Guard 3:

"Copy data, activate GPS tag. We are out."

Guard 2:

"Ready. Two minute detonation timer starting now."

Guard 1:

"All out. Check the final perimeter."

---

Inside the narrow hiding space, Soutarou closes his eyes and begins whispering softly, his fingers forming intricate formations in the air. The concealment spell he learned in his spare time is now being used for the first time in real life. Sweat drips from his forehead, and Shin can only stare silently, holding his breath.

---

Soutarou: (whispers softly)

"...Suminas... Revoir... Cavelight..."

Suddenly, the floor creaks slightly. A guard is right above him, looking up suspiciously.

Guard 3:

"Quiet. Do you hear that?"

Guard 1: (raises hand to signal for a halt)

"There's a sound. This way."

Guard 2 quickly raises his gun and points it in the direction of the sound, straight down. A few seconds later, one of the guards aims straight at the floor, right at Shin's head below.

Guard 3:

"Fire if there's movement."

Shin held back his tears. He almost closed his eyes, but remained silent, not daring to even take a breath. Soutarou gripped the ground beneath him tightly, forcing himself to stay focused.

Suddenly, from the side of the house, a loud knocking sound was heard. Akuro entered through a small window, then walked slowly with a relaxed gait, as if he were an ordinary pet.

Guard 1: (turns around)

"Bird...?"

Guard 2:

"Hawk... what's he doing here?"

Akuro, without hesitation, jumped towards the open socket, then pecked the dangling wire. Instantly, a small spark emerged from the contact, causing a burning smell and a brief short circuit sound.

Guard 3: (covers nose)

"Short circuit? So that was all?"

Guard 1: (activates communication device)

"Captain, no suspicious activity was found. It's probably just a short circuit. An eagle is inside, probably the previous owner's pet."

Captain (over radio):

"Copy. Abort detonation. If it's just a short circuit, we're not wasting resources. You guys get out of there."

Guard 2:

"Copy. Units are leaving now."

The guards slowly leave the house, while Akuro stares at the floor, then turns his head slowly as if to say, 'You're safe'.

Soutarou: (still whispering very softly)

"...Thank you... Akuro..."

---

The guards slowly retreated from the old house, the sound of their footsteps fading away, and the helicopter could be heard starting to turn backwards. After it was completely silent, Akuro looked at the window he had entered through, then with his beak opened the small hook. He flapped his wings hard.

The dust and smoke that filled the room began to be swept outwards. The room slowly felt fresher and a little sunlight entered through the gaps in the open window.

---

Soutarou: (coughs slightly, slowly opens the hiding place)

"...Akuro... you're amazing..."

Shin: (gasps for breath, but smiles weakly)

"I... am still alive...?"

Akuro: (stands in the middle of the room, flaps one more time then bows slightly as if saluting)

"Kaak!"

Soutarou: (pulls Shin out slowly and sits him on a wooden chair)

"We... are safe. For now."

Shin: (staring at the sky through the open window)

"I didn't think an eagle could be this smart..."

Akuro: (turns to Shin, then to Soutarou, then pecks at the water bucket and drops it on the floor, hinting at something)

Soutarou: (smiles slightly)

"He said we should clean the house. Because this house isn't just a hiding place... but a place to live."

Shin: (smiles slightly even though he's still tired)

"...A place to live, huh?"

Soutarou: (nods)

"From now on... yes."

---

Akuro jumps to the corner of the room and deftly pulls out a small broom with his claws. He starts sweeping the floor with his beak and wings randomly. Some dust flies up but some of it just gets messier. Shin watches in silence, holding back laughter.

Suddenly, Akuro pretends to slip dramatically, drops the broom in an exaggerated manner, and then lies on the floor with his wings facing up, like he's "fainted from work."

---

Soutarou: (raise an eyebrow)

"...Seriously, Akuro?"

Akuro: (chirps loudly as if laughing then pecks the floor twice)

"Kaak-kaak!"

Shin: (chuckles)

"Haha... he seems to be teasing you, Soutarou."

Soutarou: (sighs, looks at Akuro half-annoyed)

"I know what you mean. Don't act so diligent and joke around like that."

Akuro: (stands up again then imitates sweeping movements while looking at Soutarou sarcastically)

"Kaak!"

Soutarou: (takes the broom from Akuro's claws)

"I'll clean it up. Are you satisfied, Mr. Eagle?"

Akuro: (jumps onto the windowsill and nods in a wise-ass manner)

"Kaak!"

Shin: (still laughing softly)

"You guys are like a strange family... but cute."

---

Soutarou took a deep breath, then took the broom from Akuro's hand—or rather, claw. He stared at the floor of the house, which was covered in dust, ash, and wood chips from the tremors. The air was still pungent, but the open window helped quite a bit.

---

Soutarou: (adjusting his grip on the broom handle)

"Okay... if this house is going to be a place to live, it has to be decent first."

Shin: (sits down while holding a bandage in his hand)

"...I can help, even if I only use one hand."

Soutarou: (turns his head with a small smile)

"No need, you rest first. You're still recovering from the gunshot wound."

Akuro: (chirps briefly, then brings a rag in his beak towards Shin)

"Kaak."

Shin: (catch the rag and smile softly)

"Well, if it's just a rag like this, maybe it'll work..."

Soutarou: (starts sweeping from the kitchen side, grumbling softly)

"I can't believe... a house so full of history was almost destroyed just like that."

Shin: (wipes the window slowly)

"They don't care about the place. They only care about... what they consider valuable."

Akuro: (pecks a small bucket and pushes it towards them)

"Sis-sis!"

Soutarou: (nods at Akuro)

"Yeah, yeah, I'll fill it with water. Don't keep ordering me around."

Shin: (laughs softly)

"So you're his servant, not the other way around?"

Soutarou: (jokes, looks at Akuro with pretend annoyance)

"We've been living together for so long that he forgot who owns this house."

Akuro: *(raises his wings up, as if to say: "Of course I am.")

---

The cleaning begins. The old house begins to feel a little more alive than before.

#10

After a few minutes of cleaning, the atmosphere began to feel lighter. The dust began to clear, and sunlight shone in through the now clean window. Shin sat in the corner of the room, while Soutarou swept the last of the floor. Akuro perched on the doorframe, watching with a satisfied expression.

---

Shin: (stares out the window, slowly)

"Somehow... I didn't expect to see the sky again."

Soutarou: (pauses, then looks at Shin)

"Did you think you wouldn't be able to escape?"

Shin: (nods slowly)

"From that place... I think I'm dead."

Akuro: (makes a short sound, then drops to the floor, standing next to Shin)

"Kaak."

Soutarou: (smiles faintly)

"You didn't die. You... were just lost. And now you've found the right house."

Shin: (stares at him silently, then smiles faintly)

"...A house, huh?"

Soutarou: (nods, sits on the floor facing Shin)

"If you want, you can stay here. At least until you get better."

Shin: (low voice, almost whispering)

"...Thank you. But... are you sure I won't be a burden?"

Soutarou: (stares at him with gentle eyes)

"If you were a burden, Akuro would have thrown you into the sea from the start."

Akuro: (immediately chirps loudly as if offended)

"KAAK!!"

Shin: (chuckles)

"Hahaha... sorry, Akuro."

Soutarou: (laughs too)

"He gets offended easily, but his heart is kind."

---

The house slowly began to feel like a sanctuary.

# 11

Soutarou began to mop the floor of the living room, but his gaze occasionally glanced at Shin who was sitting, carefully cleaning the window glass. The afternoon wind began to enter, bringing a slight scent of wet leaves. Akuro was still perched on top of the cupboard, watching silently.

---

Soutarou: (grinning slightly, talking while continuing to mop)

"Besides... when else would I get a cat that can do this? It's not every day I get to see this."

Shin: (pauses, turns his head with slightly raised eyebrows)

"...What do you mean?"

Soutarou: (looks away slightly, teasingly smirks)

"I mean... a cat that can talk, wipe windows, has magic, and... has human-like expressions when it's annoyed."

Shin: (cheeks turn slightly red, frowns and points the mop at him as if to throw it)

"Don't treat me like a cute pet!"

Soutarou: (giggles)

"I'm just stating the facts. You're... unique. And kind of cute too, to be honest."

Shin: (turns his face back to the window quickly)

"...I'm not cute."

Soutarou: (still teasingly)

"Oh? But your ears and tail don't agree. They've been moving around for a while."

Shin: (quickly holding his tail with his hand, his cheeks getting redder)

"Shut up, Soutarou!"

Akuro: (chirping softly, as if teasing)

"Kaak."

Soutarou: (laughing more freely)

"I'm serious, I like houses this crowded."

---

The conversation became lighter, but it felt closer too.

# 12

Soutarou:

"By the way, let's wake up early tomorrow morning."

Shin:

"Why? What do you want to do?"

Soutarou:

"Take a morning bath with Akuro."

Shin:

"...Okay?"

Soutarou: *(grinning)

"Not only that. You're coming too. I'll bathe you."

Shin: *(stands up reflexively)

"WHAT?! No!! I don't want to!"

Soutarou: *(laughing freely)

"Hahaha! Your face is so cute!"

Shin: *(frowns, tail standing stiff)

"That's not funny! That's scary!"

Soutarou:

"Well, cats have to be clean too, right? Especially a special cat like you."

Shin:

"No water! No! No!!"

Akuro: *(chirps loudly as if laughing along)

"KAAK!!"

Shin:

"You guys are mean!"

Soutarou:

"Haha, relax... I was just kidding. But still wake up early, okay?"

Shin: *(mumbles softly)

"I'll hide in the closet if you bring a bucket..."

#13

Soutarou put the broom in the corner of the room and clapped his hands, shaking the last of the dust off his clothes. The house was much cleaner than before, although the smell of smoke was still faintly noticeable. Shin sat cross-legged on the futon, rubbing his still slightly sore arm, but his face was much calmer. Akuro was curled up on the windowsill.

---

Soutarou: *(stretches)

"Aaah... finally done. Cleaning like this makes your body sore."

Shin: *(nods slowly)

"Yeah... but your house doesn't look like a war zone anymore."

Soutarou:

"Yep. And since all the spare beds still smell of smoke, you can sleep in my room tonight, okay?"

Shin: *(stares at him warily)

"Eh? One room?"

Soutarou: *(nods calmly)

"Yeah. Don't worry, I'll sleep on the floor. You use the mattress."

Shin: *(tail wags slightly anxiously)