Kitten Time

“They’re so cute!!!” Miyuki was barely able to restrain herself from scooping up a few cats like a criminal swiping purses. Jin took her to Tokyo Mew, a nearby cat cafe. There were dozens of cats lazing about the room, some climbing the various cat trees and perches, others laying on their side in the middle of the floor.

Miyuki’s attention was grabbed by a couple fluffy black Siberian kittens wrestling in the midst of a circle of loveseats. By the looks of it, the two kittens were around four months old. She crossed over to the rest area, careful not to startle the little kittens.

She sat down on one of the cream-colored loveseats and observed the kittens from up close with starry eyes.

“Why don’t you try playing with them?” Jin asked while he walked up behind her.

“I don’t want to interrupt them. Look how cute they are, playing together,” her heart melted from the overload of cuteness that was being displayed before her eyes.

A woman in her late twenties walked over. “That’s Kiki and Sora. They arrived here two weeks ago.”

“Are they siblings?” Miyuki refused to take her eyes off of the adorable kittens that kept tackling each other.

“Yes, they’re brother and sister. Someone tried adopting Kiki the other day, but we had to turn them down because we want these two to go home together, and they weren’t looking for two cats,” the woman explained.

One of the kittens looked up from playing and spotted Miyuki sitting on the chair next to them. Still being attacked by the other kitten, it abandoned its design and padded up to Miyuki. “Mew!” Its tiny voice squeaked.

“Aww…” Miyuki leaned over to pick the little furball up and set it on her lap.

The kitten sniffed her fingers for a moment, then stuck its little tongue out to lick them. Meanwhile, the other kitten struggled to jump onto the chair Miyuki was sitting on. When it finally lifted itself onto the soft cushion, it pawed at the other kitten to let it know it wasn’t done playing.

Miyuki rubbed the first kitten’s nose with a finger, to which it closed its eyes and started to purr. “It likes me,” she giggled. “Is this one Kiki or Sora?”

“That’s Kiki,” the woman replied. “Sora’s the one trying to play with her still.” As she said, Sora continued batting at Kiki in hopes to play with her more.

“I’ll handle him,” Jin stepped away for a moment to grab a plastic stick that had a plush mouse attached to it by a long string and returned with the toy. The fake mouse crawled around the floor, instantly stealing the little tom’s focus. He left his sister and jumped at the mouse with tiny claws outstretched but was met with disappointment when the mouse flicked away at the last second.

Determined to catch the mouse, he chased after it, running circle after circle. Another cat—a ginger tabby— joined the hunt, pawing at the toy that flew overhead.

The kitten on Miyuki’s lap kneaded her autumn skirt while it suckled on the fabric. She stroked its back with two fingers, encouraging its loving behavior. “So adorable…” She sighed with affection. Her gaze flicked to the black kitten that chased after the toy mouse Jin dragged around. “Has anyone asked about adopting both of them yet?”

“Not yet,” the employee shook her head. “Are you interested in taking them?”

Miyuki watched the two kittens a little longer. Neither of them showed any sign of stopping their current course of action. “I’m thinking about it… They’re so cute, but I don’t have anything to take care of cats, and I live all the way in Akita…”

“Akita? That’s quite the trip. What brings you to Tokyo?”

“A friend,” Miyuki glanced over at Jin, who was still playing with the kitten and the other cats that continued to join in on the hunt.

“I see. You could buy what you need and come back another time to adopt them.”

She perked up as if she suddenly remembered something of the utmost importance. “I didn’t think about that! You’d keep them for me until I come back?”

“That depends on when you’d return…”

“I’ll be here next Saturday!” She almost jumped to her feet, but she remembered the kitten purring on her lap and held herself back.

“We can wait a week. Do you have any pets at home?”

Miyuki shook her head. “I’ve thought about getting a pet before, but I’ve been too busy to look for one.”

Jin stepped into the conversation, leaving the cats who were now being attacked by a playful black kitten. “You’ve been here for ten minutes and you’re already trying to adopt some cats?” He teased.

“How can I say no to this cuteness?” She motioned to the kitten that was still purring and kneading on her lap.

“They are pretty cute,” he agreed. “Are you sure you can take care of two kittens though? Aren’t you busy?”

“I am, but how hard can it be? Cats are independent creatures,” she said.

“You do have a week to decide,” the lady reminded her. “If you change your mind that’s okay. I’m sure they’ll still find a loving home.”

“That’s true… I’ll think about it. Given how cute they are, I’m sure I’ll still decide to take them,” Miyuki smiled. “How come you chose to come to a cat cafe?” She asked Jin.

“I thought you’d enjoy it. You’ve always had a soft spot for animals, even the less cute ones,” he answered.

“Bugs can be cute too,” she pouted.

“I’d have to disagree with that,” he said as he crouched down to pick up a small calico that rested calmly in his arms.

A buzz from Miyuki’s phone turned some of her attention away from the kitten that was still kneading her skirt. She pulled the device out of the inside pocket of her jacket and checked the new notification.

It was an email from the Idol Awards. She clicked on it and scanned through the message, her smile widening with each line.