Chapter 5 : Cat, Noodles and Trouble

*Riiing riiing riiing riiing!*
The shrill and noisy alarm clock kept blaring incessantly, and after a few minutes, a hand finally emerged from under the soft blanket to turn it off. The person then removed the eye mask patterned like a black cat, revealing a pair of perpetually tired golden eyes beneath, and slowly sat up. It was none other than Kamiyama Rin.
"Mmm... Ah..."
Rin had just woken up from a late night’s sleep; it was now 6 a.m. on February 12th, more than a month since that day, and he hadn't seen that kid Annie again.
Rin stretched lazily, hearing the cracks in his bones as he extended his arms. Rays of rosy morning sunlight gently filtered into his room through the window, bathing him in light and signaling the start of a new day in bustling Tokyo.
Still groggy, Rin rubbed his eyes and shuffled downstairs in his wrinkled gray pajamas, his white hair long and tousled.
"You guys are up early, huh?"
Rin muttered, slowly approaching the cat tree. As he reached out his hand, a soft, fluffy creature with white fur suddenly leaped into his arms, making him cradle it.
"You seem a bit heavier, don't you, Shelley...?"
He said, stroking the cat's smooth, silky fur, feeling the comforting warmth of a small life snuggling against him. That simple sensation, though ordinary, brought him an oddly soothing peace. Shelley purred contentedly, "purr purr," in response.
Then, out of nowhere, another creature jumped onto Rin's head.
"Where were you hiding, Miji? I didn't even see you—short legs, but you're a pro at hiding!"
Rin chuckled as he addressed his Munchkin cat, with its pink nose and mixed white-and-gray fur that made it look like a walking cotton ball.
As if understanding its owner, Miji meowed back, "meow meow."
Reluctantly, Rin set both cats down and headed to the bathroom to freshen up and tidy his appearance. He then grabbed two new cat bowls, filled them with appropriate water and food for each, and set them out for the cats to enjoy.
Meanwhile, their lazy owner simply plopped down on a chair and poured boiling water into a cup of instant noodles.
*Ding ding*
Suddenly, an electronic doorbell rang from outside, reminding Rin of the first time he and Annie had met—just like this.
"Hold on... I'll be right there..."
As he sluggishly dragged himself to the wooden door, he felt something off, and sure enough, his intuition was spot on, because...
"Hi there! Mr. Kamiyama!!"
Yes, that voice—it was Annie Cross.
"Huh... Huh... HUH!!!"
The moment he saw Annie standing at the door, Rin nearly fell backward. Not out of joy, but sheer shock.
"W-What the hell are you doing here!?"
"Wait—how do you even know where I live!?"
Rin almost shouted but restrained his volume to avoid bothering the neighbors. He stared at Annie like she was an alien, his mind spinning like a top.
"Well... the organization assigned me to stay with you, that's why."
Annie gave an awkward smile, pulling out her phone from her pocket and opening her LINE chat with the organization's staff. She held it up for Rin to see.
Rin glanced at it briefly, then sighed, his forehead creased in irritation.
"Tch... That damn organization... I curse you all to never have peace..."
The curse repeated endlessly in his mind, darkening his expression like a storm cloud, radiating such killing intent that even the cats steered clear.
"Um... Can... Can I come in?"
Annie asked hesitantly. And just like their first meeting, Rin could only sigh and step aside to let her in.
"Come on in... You troublemaker..."
Stepping inside, she carefully removed her shoes and placed them on the entryway before proceeding.
"Hey, have you eaten yet?"
He asked lazily, already sitting back down and slurping his noodles without her noticing, his eyes glued to the cup.
"Aha... I haven't had breakfast yet..."
"Oh, right. Wait a sec."
With that, he wearily stood up, dragging his lazy body into the kitchen as if the short trip was an epic ordeal. He yawned widely, tears welling in his eyes, and rubbed them like a cat just waking up.
"Should still have water, I guess."
Rin muttered to himself. He lifted the empty kettle, shook it to check, then opened the lid. Not a drop left.
"Sigh..."
The sigh of a 60-year-old soul echoed in the kitchen. He stood there for a moment, as if expecting the water to magically refill itself. And, of course, no miracle happened.
"I'm seriously the laziest person in the world..."
Rin grumbled as he shuffled to the faucet. He turned the tap, filled the kettle, plugged it in, and waited for it to boil.
From the drawer, he pulled out a fresh cup of noodles, slowly peeled off the lid, and added the seasoning packets like he was brewing a family heirloom potion.
*Click*
The click signaled the water was boiling, ending the bubbling symphony.
"Alright... done."
Rin's hands moved swiftly: unplugging the kettle, pouring the hot water into the cup, sealing it, and placing it in front of the troublesome Annie.
"Wait three minutes."
He said, then turned to grab a glass of water before slumping into the chair across from her, gently stroking the little Munchkin's fur.
"You really like cats, huh?"
"Yeah, I suppose."
Rin replied curtly, his hand still softly petting Miji's back. Couldn't get any shorter than that.
Annie tilted her head, resting her chin on her hand as she watched him. She smiled faintly and said,
"You must like them a lot, then—you're raising two! Isn't there some special reason?"
"I don't know, probably just because I like them."
After that, he turned his gaze to the window, where gentle sunlight streamed in. His eyes seemed to yearn to reflect that light, shimmering with a hint of loneliness and chill. Even he wasn't sure why he stared off blankly—maybe coincidence, or maybe he was avoiding conversation, avoiding eye contact, avoiding pleasing others, and even... avoiding rejection.
"Or... maybe because I'm not good at being around people?"
"Cats don't ask questions, don't need chit-chat. They keep me company quietly, without all the noise... That's enough for me."
"You see it too—I'm a slob. I'm awful, toxic, always tired, messy, hard to live with. I'm basically society's trash. No one could stand living with me unless they're the same or straight-up crazy."
"But Shelley and Miji are still here... Lucky for me... they're not human."
Rin hugged Miji a little closer, as if clinging to something to keep it from vanishing entirely. Maybe he didn't want the people around him to die off either. With his other hand, he lifted his glass and took a big gulp, calm as if everything he'd said was just idle talk, not worth dwelling on.
"So... treat me like a cat too!"
Annie, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up, making Rin nearly spit out his water.
"Y-You... ARE YOU STUPID!?"
"Who the hell doesn't want to be human and asks to be a cat!?"
"Is your brain waterlogged, or are you just dim-witted!?"
Rin's eyes widened, veins bulging as he yelled without holding back, waves of anger crashing out uncontrollably.
"You're such a fu—"
Suddenly, a pale, slender, cold hand pinched Rin's cheek, muffling him into incoherent grunts.
"There, there—quiet down, or you'll bother the neighbors."
Annie smiled gently at Rin, as if she was already used to his temper. She softly released his mouth.
"It's been over three minutes... Eat up."
Rin had no energy left to scold her, slumping back in his chair like he'd been drained. Annie's stomach was rumbling, so she quickly snapped apart the disposable chopsticks, opened the noodles, and slurped them down as if it were the best meal of her life.
In less than a minute, the cup was empty, leaving only a bit of broth and the scent of spices. Rin gaped, eyes wide and mouth agape, blurting out again,
"Are you a pig or what? You ate that so fast!?"
"I'm Annie, not a pig!"
"Yeah, pig."