Cat got your tongue?

Today is supposed to be my day off, but the mountain of homework in front of me says otherwise. I let out a deep sigh as I made my way towards my desk. I stare at the cat plushie in front of me as if it had any ability to help me. Having to do homework on a beautiful day like this should be illegal! Don't you agree? I grabbed it in my hands and made a nodding gesture with its small head. I'm glad somebody understands me!

I wonder if Hikaru will let me copy his homework. No, of course not! I'm sure he will answer any of my questions, but letting me copy every word? That's a no-no! Climbing Mount Homework is something that I must do on my own this summer. After a few hours of extreme mental effort, I managed to complete a few of my assignments by myself. I felt a sense of accomplishment as I leaned back in my chair. See? That wasn't so bad, was it, Akio? I guess with the right approach and mindset, everything can be achievable!

I suddenly hear the sound of chat notifications. Could this be the 3 Leaf Clover group chat? We're having another offline meeting today. And it's an important one. We will be discussing our social media strategies for Tiny Paws & Friendly Claws.

"Akio will be our cameraman!"

Rika's words from yesterday echoed in my mind. I was taken aback, but I loved her idea. We were also thinking of making a website, and since Hikaru is good at coding, he is perfect for the job. Yuki is going to open accounts on every major social media platform. She is also in charge of posting and interacting with users. As for Rika, our social media manager, she said she had a bunch of surprises for us. I guess we will have to wait and see.

I'm happy that Yuki will be joining us today as well! And I need to look the best I can if I want to make a good impression. Last night, I carefully planned my outfit for the day. I'll be wearing a bright red blouse with leaf motifs and navy chino shorts. As for shoes, a pair of casual white sneakers will complete my look.

I was the first person to arrive in front of the animal shelter. We don't have a specific location in mind for our meeting yet, but we'll see where things go from here. To my surprise, Yuki was the second person to arrive. She was very excited to see me as she waved from far away. I waved back and smiled to myself. Gosh, she's so pretty! Yuki was wearing a lovely yellow blouse paired with a short denim skirt. The summery look suits her so well! Also the flower pattern on her blouse gave a feminine touch to her overall outfit!

"Hey, Akio! How are you? Hope I'm not late!" Yuki said this while looking around for Rika and Hikaru.

"Oh! Don't worry, we're actually very early!" I replied with a big smile.

"Perfect! It means I have time to pay a quick visit to someone! Please wait here!" Yuki said as she walked through the animal shelter's front entrance. After about five minutes, she comes back holding something in her hands. That "something" was actually a tuxedo kitten! Oh, no!

"We've been so busy these past few days that I forgot to bring her back to you!" Yuki said as she brought the kitten closer to me. And I don't know if my eyes were deceiving me, but the kitten has gotten a lot bigger since the last time I saw her. I was intrigued—is this really the same cat we saved on that rainy day?

With no logical explanation, my hands instinctively reached for the kitten. Yuki smiled as she placed the cat gently in my arms. Two tiny golden eyes were carefully examining me. Then she attempted to pat my chest with one little paw. As an automatic response, I carefully caressed her head with one of my fingers.

"She really likes you! Do you hear that? She's purring!" Yuki was excited. And for the first time in my life, I've held a cat in my arms without fainting or wanting to run away. I was both fascinated and speechless. However, I took this opportunity to observe all the little movements she made. How precious! Right now, I can't tell if she's a kitten or a human baby!

"Hey! Are we interrupting something?" Rika's playful tone brought me back to reality.

"No, not at all!" Yuki said, greeting Rika and Hikaru. So they've arrived together again, huh? As I turned to speak to them, I noticed something suspicious. They're wearing color-coordinated outfits again. What's going on here? They were both dressed in pure white. Rika and Hikaru looked like a young, rich couple heading to play a game of casual tennis.

"All right, since everyone is here, I'm going to take the kitty back. Sorry, Akio! But don't worry, you can play with her tomorrow!" Yuki said, signaling me to give the cat back. I nodded, and I gently picked up the kitty and gave her to Yuki. As I watch her enter the shelter's entrance again, a question crosses my mind: Why do my arms feel so much lighter now?

"No way! You were finally able to hold a cat in your arms! I'm really proud of you, Akio!"Rika ran towards me and hugged me tight.

"Great job, Akio! You did it!" Hikaru applauded.

"Wait! Wait! Come on, guys, you know it's not that easy! I still need more time. It's not over yet!" I said, trying to break free from Yuki's grip.

"Still, it's a huge step! Those feline pheromones work wonders! It's like you were hypnotized!" Rika laughed as she finally let me go. Before I could protest, Yuki came back.

"All right, since we're all here now… Let's go!" Rika said, changing the subject.

"Where are we going?" I replied, confused.

"I know a place; just follow me," Rika responded confidently. As we were all following her, she began to tell us about her plans. She apparently spoke with Satoru, who is willing to offer us a small budget each month. Hikaru said he wants to help also, and he plans to find a good domain at a reasonable price and build an official site for the shelter.

"Short videos do well on social media right now. People are all over them! We must shoot at least two videos per day. One with dogs and one with cats. We also need photos." Rika looks at me like she is waiting for my approval.

"Yes, I think that's a great idea. I will be happy to help you," I said, giving a thumbs up. And it's not like I'm aware of trends, but I trust Rika's judgment.

"Great! I'm counting on you all! Aaaand that's it for now! I don't have anything more to tell you. I just wanted an excuse to go to karaoke with you all," Rika said as we arrived at the destination. We all laughed and agreed to join her. It's been a while since I've been here!

A giant red neon sign welcomed us in. We were greeted by the friendly staff and shown to our room. We each took turns choosing our favorite songs from the various genres available. Everyone cheered and supported each other's "performances." It's safe to say we were all off-key, but that's ok because the memories we made today are priceless!

We completely lost track of time as we sang until our throats hurt. Since it was getting dark, we didn't want the girls to go home by themselves. So I volunteered to accompany Yuki home, leaving Hikaru alone with Rika. Something is definitely going on between those two; I need to do some more snooping around!

Yuki's house wasn't far; it was only a 30-minute walk. I wanted to take this opportunity to get to know her more. In my head, I have a list of questions I've always wanted to ask her. From her favorite color to her least favorite perfume, I wanted to know everything. Will 30 minutes be enough?