Curiosity healed the cat

"Akio, please take me with you!"

Hikaru's words resonated across the room. We were both in Satoru's office today because I needed to complete the required paperwork for my move. I was going to trade places with Rika and look after the cats with Yuki, but after hearing Hikaru's plea, I'm not sure what to do anymore.

"Do you want me to leave so you kids can talk in private?" Satoru asked.

"I apologize for keeping secrets from you, Akio! The truth is... Rika and I have been dating for a few months now," Hikaru admitted, sighing deeply.

"Wow! Really? That's awesome! I'm so happy for you two! When I saw you wearing matching outfits, I knew something was up!" I said this, and Hikaru smiled.

"I told her you'd figure it out, but nooo, she didn't listen!" Hikaru rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, we decided to keep our relationship a secret for a few months because we were afraid things would not work out between us. We didn't want our special friendship to end because of Rika and me. But most importantly, we didn't want you to suffer because of us," he replied, his gaze fixed on the floor.

"You didn't want me to suffer? What are you talking about? I'm sorry, but you two are so dumb!" I said this before giving myself one of the biggest facepalms of my life.

"Yes, dumb, that's how Rika refers to me now," he mumbled while avoiding my gaze.

"I told her a few days ago that I wanted to break up. She told me that I was dumb and that I should rethink my decision. I thought we could pretend to be friends for your sake, but we failed miserably," Hikaru said, his hands covering his eyes.

"Wait, wait, wait. Why did you want to break up with her?" I was confused.

"Studying is important, but it isn't everything!" Satoru broke his silence.

"Back in my day, we didn't care about homework during summer break. We just wanted to go outside and play all day! Life is too short to care that much about school. Why are you so fixated on that?" Satoru asked.

"Well... I was always in the hospital when I was a kid. I used to get sick a lot. It was nothing major, just several kinds of allergies. My parents spent a lot of money and time on me, and because of that, I want to go to a good university, get a good job, and make a lot of money to repay them. I know I can't give them back their time, but I can compensate them financially." Hikaru spoke with his gaze fixed on the floor once again.

"You don't have to give up your youth to make money. No matter what people say these days, being a parent isn't a job. I have kids and grandkids, and I know what I'm talking about. A parent does these things out of love for their children, not because they expect some sort of payment from their kids later in life," Satoru explained.

"My parents didn't ask for anything in return; I am the one who wants to help them," Hikaru clarified.

"Take it from me. I've been married for a loooong time, and it still doesn't feel like I've spent enough time with my wife! For some reason, I can't seem to get enough of her presence!" Satoru smiled as he stared at a framed photo of himself and his wife that was sitting on the desk.

"YES, SIR!" Hikaru shouted this before standing up and rushing to the door. Before leaving the room, he tripped multiple times. Oh, my! I hope he reaches Rika safely! Satoru then turned his attention to me, and I covered my mouth to prevent the laughter from escaping.

"I-I..."

"Let me tell you a secret: you don't have to be good with words to tell her how you feel. You just have to be honest with your feelings and make your intentions clear. It's that simple!" Satoru explained.

"Yuki is a shy girl with a heart of gold! And you are a hardworking boy who cares a lot about the people around you. I think you two are a good match! Don't wait until another guy comes in and steals Yuki's heart away!" Satoru said. He rubbed his chin as he got up from his chair. He then retrieved a stack of documents from his desk and said:

"Let's make this short: do you still want to switch places with Rika?"

"YES, SIR!" I mimicked Hikaru's words. Then I began filling out the papers for my upcoming move. After 10 minutes, I was done. Before I could leave Satoru's office, he stopped me on my way out. He stood up from his chair and got closer to me. Satoru shook my hand and said:

"Good luck!"

Satoru's words of encouragement gave me wings! While I finished helping for the day, I really wanted to talk to Yuki before she left. As I made my way towards the cat zone, Rika and Hikaru were nowhere to be found. I hope they are able to work things out wherever they are right now! The sound of footsteps approaching made me excited. It was Yuki—just the girl I wanted to see!

"Hey! There you are! So I wanted to tell you that I've switched places with Rika! I'll be your new colleague starting tomorrow." I bowed and let out a giggle.

"That's awesome! But... did something happen?" Yuki looked at me, confused.

"Well, it's a long story. If you're free right now, I can tell you all about it!" I responded a little nervously. She nodded and smiled.

"Maybe we could look for Michi together while we're out, too! What do you think?" This time, I asked with more confidence.

"Sure! That's a great idea! Let me get changed, and I'll meet you outside!" Yuki responded enthusiastically.

I should get ready as well because I have a lot of things to tell Yuki! I've never confessed to a girl before, and I want to do it right! These next few hours might make or break our relationship!