Into the Eyes of a Clowder

I couldn't help but nervously tap at the glass of barley tea in my hands. Senna still hadn't woken up, but according to the lady who offered to take us to her residence, there's nothing to worry about.

“She's only resting up. Nothing more, nothing less,” she assured me. This was the fifth time I asked, I believe.

We're currently at the residence of the cat owner who also happened to be Kiyoko's chosen candidate for that guy Shinosuke—the grumpy rich man we visited last time. Her house was a standard—2LDK I think. Anyway, it’s a relief not to go to another high-class mansion.

Back at the park, I was in a panic. Dialing the emergency hotline became a hurdle as my fingers always smudged through the screen. It's just so unexpected. One second, it's just a fine day then the next thing I knew…

A lady snatched my phone away, keychain and all. “Come,” she said and I had no choice but to comply.

The madam named Asako then proceeded to question me on the events prior to Senna collapsing and a bunch of stuff including my relationship with her. She seemed to ease up a little when I mentioned I was employed under Kiyoko. I didn't show any proof but it worked, I guess.

“Again, I'm really, really sorry if I'm a mess right now. This is… this thing is new for me.”

“I can understand. I may act calm since I know she's not in danger, but if I was in your shoes, I'd be worse. That reminds me,” She's fiddling the ring on her finger. “I trust you've been looking into matters with my husband?”

I was surprised she opened the topic before I could say it. Maybe she saw this as an opportunity to ask. But why go through me? “Ah, Mister Fujiwara Shinosuke was…” I trailed off. What was I supposed to say?

“I figured as much,” she said. “Aren't you curious why you've been left in the dark?”

“I… am just an employee…”

Thankfully, there's table between us or she'd see how hard I've been balling my fists. While it's frustrating to be left out most, if not all the details, I've come to the point of accept things like societal hierarchy and how human lives weren't equal. What irked me however, was the fact that I stopped caring.

Madam Asako straightened her back. “Excuse me Mister Tsukishima, but I cannot tolerate such weak-minded response from a cat person.”

“Eh? Cat...?”

“Do you wholeheartedly believe what you just said? No, no, look at me and answer properly.”

“I…”

She raised her hand and used the other to hold her head before I could answer. “Sigh, I'm sorry if I suddenly got worked up. It's just… I'm frustrated, anxious. That's why I wasn't simply comforting you when I say I can relate.”

“If you don't mind me asking, what happened?” I surmised throwing in that question wouldn't hurt now.

She shook her head. “Telling you about him wouldn't do much. What might interest you more is the thing the Hoshii does for generations.”

“Uh, they're really good matchmakers, right? I mean it's common for more powerful families to take the reins and have the men marry into them instead.”

“Well then, if they're that skilled, why aren't they as well known outside the prefecture? Even someone with a similar trade, like an astrologer, managed to be a celebrity even if it's short-lived.”

Astrologer? Only one came to mind. The unlikely marriage of some celebrity was predicted by that person. Posted on some obscure site, it's dismissed stupid—until she gave a crap ton of references about how certain alignments in the stars and whatnot made her sure that the marriage will inevitably happen and it'd be met by a fairly strong earthquake, along with a little dispute, among other things. I was young back then and didn't give much thought about some lucky guess made way before I was born.

Apparently, all of her claims turned out to be true and she's been a hot topic for a while. Unfortunately, it was dismissed again as a hoax when the astrologer failed to replicate her miracle. People were just like that. We remember, but the astonishment, the spark of awe after such an accurate prediction just wasn't there anymore.

“For nature, seeking the truth is nothing but a test of curiosity and perseverance, for people, however…”

Nothing could be considered true. What can be seen was a façade—a concept derived from insecurities and weaknesses. Behind the smiles were screams; every mask hid a story deep within.

Her expression dimmed. “Believe me when I say, Mister Tsukishima, those dating events will stop now that you're here.”

Her declaration sent chills down my spine. The madam wasn't joking nor was her mind addled with her personal issue… she's clearly, directly sending a warning of sorts. For what, I don't know, but as long as she's not suggesting I stop going then it's fine with me. Even if they turned into some sort of dangerous lineage, I'll definitely find that romance…

Regardless of means.

In the midst of the tense atmosphere, sounds came from the room where Senna rested. We left the door ajar just in case but the sound was too familiar for the owner of the house.

We found Senna playing with the cat.

A long sigh escaped me. I had a hunch she had a condition that's why seeing her awake… alive was a relief.

“Hm, Akito really is a cat person,” she said, swinging a catnip toy for the cat to play with.

“They aren't an Akito person though,” I squatted and tried calling over the feline. It simply looked at me for a sec and resumed pouncing at the toy.

“Perhaps it's due to your weak personality?” the lady said. “Cats, or my Meimei at least, is very dominating, so you should sort that out before trying to engage in any romantic conquests.”

‘Gah, for the love of… I know that already!’

Senna then showed me my smartphone which I’ve kinda forgotten at this point. The cat keychain was still there, but by the looks of things, the item piqued her interest. Guess it's safe to say I more or less understood the meaning behind that slight reluctance over handing my phone.

In the end, Senna did what I could not and shared what was happening so far. Since I came late to the mix, I missed more than half of the story. She said it's also about time I was informed so I'd be able to do stuff without messaging Kiyoko every now and then about what to do next. This girl really needed to learn tact among other things. It's not like I'm the only one being hand-held by Kiyoko here.

Anyway, Shinosuke and Asako had found each other agreeable and ultimately wed, but for some reason, he sent her back to her residence here and ordered her to never set foot on his house. It's been three years since then and Senna had been delivering the album to and fro until I came.

“Strange,” I said. “When I was there, it felt like it's the first time he showed that album to us. I mean, with the flow of conversation and such.”

Madam Asako threw me a glance. It might be important.

Senna felt her neck before answering. “It's… a negation. A counterforce to delay the inevitable. Akito, do you believe in fortune-telling?”

“It doesn't work for my needs though.”

“I won't go too deep into it but suffice to say if one possessed enough knowledge from a legitimate diviner then setting up steps to fiddle with causality is possible.”

Suddenly, I remembered the scene earlier. “So, do you mean that… the thing at the park…”

She nodded. “Good thinking. Letting you bite and then taking one myself are excellent examples. Of course, without knowing the future, everything falls into mere conjecture.”

If what she's telling was true, then it's like admitting I was living in a lie all along. Only moving at the mercy of those in control.

“We aren't gods, if that's what you're worried about,” the madam butted in. “To be honest, everyone is capable of affecting the future, to a certain extent, but it'd be stupid to let an intelligent person fail simply because everyone else had been doing rituals in order to pass the same exam. No person is allowed to tamper with the unknown inevitable the gods only have access to.”

“Yes,” Senna chimed in. “Treat this as an exaggerated analysis of our mundane lives.”

“But you and Kiyoko… you can do that stuff, right?”

“…”

The madam quickly salvaged the situation and redirected the topic on her case. However, I felt like my mistakes were only gonna get worse from now on.