Mamimi Does Not Dream Of An Office Job

"Please, Meow~ Sit down, Aoki-chan."
Fukuragi, who had stayed by my side for the entire walk to her home in the demon realm, gently gestured toward an open chair. For a cottage residing in a world of fire and destruction, it pained me to admit how cozy it was.

"Thank you for having me... Pardon my intrusion."
I bowed slightly, taking a seat on a creaky wooden chair. My eyes scanned the various decor and furniture used by the Neko yokai family. There were many golden Koban coins on the walls, as well as tables and chairs made from what I presumed to be bones of those brave enough to battle these Neko girls.

"My, my~ You aren't intruding at all, Aoki-chan~ Thank you for being my little sister's master, Nya~"
Fukuragi bowed her head low from the kitchen.

"Ah! Please, there's no need to bow! I'm more than happy to be showing Kissuragi-sama modern Japan!"
I returned my bow even lower.

"My, my~ Such manners, Meow."
Fukuragi giggled, her breathy, motherly voice sounding like a beautiful hymn.

"Tch, what the hell?"
Kissuragi watched our interaction with growing confusion.

"Meow! Meow! Meow!"
Three little mewls shook the house. From behind me, a young Neko girl in, what I assumed to be her middle school years pounced forward, toppling Kissuragi over with force.

"Nya?!"
Kissuragi shrieked, her tail puffing as the small girl landed in her lap.
"Aburagi?!"

The small girl, wearing a bright green yukata, clad in fluffy, beige ears and a tail, rocked Kissuragi back and forth. Her frame was even smaller than Kissuragi's, who I assumed was taking on the form of a high school girl with her shapeshifting.

The small girl's eyes were bright yellow, just like the other two Neko yokai.
"Kissu-chan! Nya! You're home!"

"My, my~ It seems Abura was eager to see her big sister after all, Meow~"
Fukuragi gently brought her palm to her cheek, seemingly enjoying the little reunion.

This was starting to hurt my head a bit. We had Fukuragi, the Maneki-Neko. She's a motherly elder sister with a kind heart and a mature personality. Then, we had Kissuragi, the mischievous and slightly carefree troublemaker. Lastly, I assumed this Bakeneko was going by the name Aburagi. She was a total nutcase! She's loud, hyper, and downright annoying... yet kind of cute?

"Did you bring any oil from the human realm, Nya?! Did you find any lamps for me to lick?!"
Aburagi shook Kissuragi back and forth, her claws digging into her sister's shoulders.

"Nya! Humans no longer use fish oil powered lamps, Aburagi! They have small, glass bulbs that glow even brighter than flames!"
Kissuragi, despite her discomfort, petted Aburagi on her head.

"No more fish oil? Meow... that's very saddening."
Aburagi hung her head low.

I had heard the folktale many times growing up, more so than most average citizens due to my study of yokai. Bakeneko have a rumor about indulging in the oil used to power Edo period lanterns, since they usually relied on the oils from sardines to burn.

"Aburagi-sama? While we don't use fish oil lamps anymore, we do still have fish oil readily available for cooking and medicines."
I smiled, leaning closer to help ease her distress.

Aburagi suddenly hissed, swatting at me with her claws.
"Nya! Stay back human! I have no interest in your deceiving words!"

"My, my~ Abura has always been wary of humans. Please, do not take offense, Aoki-chan, Nya~"
Fukuragi smiled, her hooded eyelids showing signs of amusement.

"Relax, Aburagi. That human girl is my master, so I want you to treat her with respect, Meow."
Kissuragi settled the overactive Aburagi with just those few words.

"Meow? Your master? Hm... very interesting. I preferred the witch!"
Aburagi pouted, puffing her cheeks and turning her head away from me with a huff.

There it is again. Fukuragi mentioned Kissuragi-sama's previous master earlier too. Now, Aburagi is mentioning the same witch.

"Nya, do not insult my master! She has divine experience when it comes to cuisine! Meow, I have never tasted anything as delightful as what Mamimi has shown me!"
Kissuragi puffed her little chest, seemingly proud to defend me.

Aburagi growled, narrowing her eyes as she sized me up.
"Meow... she does not appear to be very strong. If you say she is a culinary genius, I suppose I can accept that."

Fukuragi, who had made her way to the kitchen, was now slicing a pile of raw fish with her claws. The delicate, soothing motions lured my eyes into a trance as she spoke.
"Aoki-chan, Nya~ Why is it that you have come to our realm? Are you in search of a specific ability?"

She really is as perceptive as she looks.

"Something like that,"
My eyes followed her gentle slashes.
"Kissuragi-sama just kind of dragged me here without warning. I was telling her about my desire to find a new job."

"Meow? A new job, you say? Yes, humans often seek demonic powers in order to secure what they desire. Nya~ like the yakuza son who wished to be a kabuki actor~"
Fukuragi smiled, setting the raw fish neatly on four wooden plates.

"Um, that was the plot of a movie, Fukuragi-sama..."
Despite my words, I could feel my mouth salivating at the sight of the fish.

"My- my~ They've turned that tale into a film now? Nye-he~ I should head to the human realm to go and watch it~"
She gracefully slid four plates onto the table, inviting both of her younger sisters to come sit down for a meal.

"Nya! Sashimi, sashimi!"
Aburagi leapt forward, not waiting a single second before stuffing her cheeks full of various fish. For such a bratty girl, she somehow managed to look cute while chewing.

"Film? Nya, I am unaware of such words."
Kissuragi sat beside me, looking anxiously around the table for something.

Fukuragi noticed her state of confusion, softening her eyes and flattening her ears before saying,
"Ah, sorry, Kissu~ I forgot to pick up wasabi~ You'll have to do without~ Meow~"

"Nya? How am I supposed to enjoy sashimi without wasabi?!"

"Meow! Sashimi is yummy, even by itself, Kissu-chan!"
Aburagi, already with a mouthful, nudged her sister to cheer her up.

"Kissuragi-sama, did they have wasabi back in the nineteenth century?"
My eyes grew wide, and I immediately realized how foolish of a question it had been.

All three Neko sisters erupted into laughter, Aburagi clutching her stomach from howling too much. I could feel my cheeks heating up.

"Nya-ha-ha! Foolish Mamimi! Of course they did! We're talking about a root that's been around for thousands of years!"
Kissuragi shouted, unable to contain her own laughter.

I could feel my cheeks burning red hot as I silently plopped the fish into my mouth, unable to truly appreciate its flavor due to my embarrassment.

"Now, now~ We have to remember that Aoki-chan is from a different time than us, Nya~ She can still outsmart us when it comes to modern conveniences~"
Fukuragi smiled at me.

Praise Fukuragi-sama! She's so understanding that I could break down into tears and hug her!

"Now, Meow~ You mentioned your desire to find a new job? I believe I can help you, Nya~ But you must tell me a few things. What are your ambitions? What kind of work do you seek?"

I pondered her question carefully, plopping fish after fish into my mouth as I scratched my head.

To simplify her words, I think she's asking what my dream job is. If that's the case, I can't just say practicing magic. I suppose I've thought about drawing manga, but I would rather die than suffer the famous deadline stress. Other than that, maybe game development? No, I barely graduated college with a business degree; I'm not fit to make games.

"Oh!"
I exclaimed, as if a lightbulb appeared above me.

"Yes, dear?"
Fukuragi leaned a bit closer, smiling at me with those motherly eyes.

"I want to tour Japan! My dream is to make money by traveling and visiting places I wouldn't normally go! Back when I was in college, I didn't have the time or money to travel around with my friends, so I had planned to do it later in life... Maybe blogging would be an option?"
I looked at Fukuragi after my ramble. She was still smiling.

She wasn't ridiculing my dream; she was just smiling.

"My, my, Nya~ that's a wonderful dream, Aoki-chan. Very well, Meow~ You have my blessing~"
Fukuragi snapped her fingers together, a bright golden glow surrounding my body.

"Whoa!"
I shouted, looking at my glowing hands with wonder. My body felt warm and fuzzy, like tiny tingles of pleasure coursing through me; much more pleasant than the familiar pact with Kissuragi.

I trembled a few times, biting my lip as the warmth inside of me finally calmed down, returning my skin to its usual pale hue.

"Nya~ Best of luck to you on your journey, Aoki-chan~"
Suddenly, Fukuragi and Aburagi were gone.

We were back in my apartment, Kissuragi gulping down her final slice of salmon before looking around at my familiar room.

"Nya, I'm not sure what this blogging thing is, but if your new job involves traveling, that means we can get to Osaka faster!"
Kissuragi casually licked her tail, her leg raised in the air to bend her body at an absurd angle.

I smiled down at her, nodding my head.

It may be best to keep the concept of blogging hidden from Kissuragi-sama for the time being. That said, how do I even begin? Does Fukuragi-sama's blessing just automatically make me good at my job? I suppose there's only one way to find out.

"Meow? What are you doing, Mamimi?"

"I'm packing a bag! We head out to Mito tonight. We'll take the train!"
I hurriedly stuffed a few changes of underwear, skirts and blouses into a backpack, only taking along a toothbrush, a phone charger, and the necessary feminine hygiene products I would need.

"Mito?! That's in the complete opposite direction of Osaka! Nya! What is the meaning of this?!"
Kissuragi stormed over to me, looking ready to slap me if I didn't give her a decent explanation.

"Mito is close to the sea, which means fresher seafood and beautiful views for my blog! Consider this a trial run for Osaka! I need to test out Fukuragi-sama's blessing in a popular tourist attraction."
Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I could tell that the mention of seafood had piqued Kissuragi's interest quite a bit.

"Very well,"
she complied.
"Mito it is, Nya."