Chapter 7: Mao’s Regret

At the very back of a narrow, dimly lit alley, Mao was crying.
She had sworn she would never do something like that again, yet in the end, she lost to her instincts and repeated the same thing.
That was why boys were no good—she had understood that all too well.

“Haruka-san, Haruka-san…”
Mixed with her sobs, she whispered the name of the one she loved.

Being held in her arms, having her head gently stroked, feeling her breath against her ear—every bit of it, all of it, had made her happy.

Clutching a piece of raw meat still on the bone in her hand, Mao tore into it with her well-developed canine teeth.
The sweetness of the flesh and the taste of blood were exquisite.

Whenever a human boy was nearby, she couldn’t help wanting to eat him.
That was why she had wanted to keep her distance as much as possible.
She had only wanted to live happily and peacefully with the girl she had fallen in love with.

—If I had properly turned him down back then, would I be with Haruka-san now?
As she found herself thinking that, tears welled up once more.

The cat ears growing from her head twitched.
With the sharply pointed claws of her fur-covered hand, she lifted the next piece.
Her pupils narrowed within her gleaming eyes, her blue-and-gold odd eyes shining with an eerie light.
She licked the blood dripping from Nezu’s flesh with her rough tongue.

Right now, Mao was the very image of a bakeneko.

The raw flesh of a boy really is delicious after all.
Lightly searing it has its own kind of flavor, too.

At Mao’s will, fire sprang to life and began roasting what had once been Nezu’s calf.

Before she knew it, she had almost completely devoured Nezu.
Perhaps because of the faint trace of guilt she felt, she couldn’t bring herself to eat the head.

When she lifted it and looked at his face, it was twisted in terror.
She had pressed her hand over his mouth, keeping him from making a sound, and then sank her teeth into his throat.

“I’m sorry… but if only Nezu-kun hadn’t been there…”

As she murmured softly, all that remained of the body was burned away and vanished from this world.
Mao’s form, too, had returned to that of a cute third-year middle school girl.

After having done something like this, she could no longer stay here.
There was no evidence, but it was known that she had been the last one together with Nezu.

She would surely be looked at with suspicion and curious eyes.
Her peaceful everyday life had been lost once again.

“Haruka-san… I want to see you again…”

Murmuring as she wiped away her tears, Mao disappeared from that day on.