Four Lucky Cats

I wish I had the ability to stop time just to stay in Yuki's arms for a little bit longer. But unfortunately, we both had work to do. The cats were getting a little impatient, and I didn't want to anger them. Especially not today! I gently let go of Yuki's embrace so we could continue our volunteer duties.

Things were going smoothly; it's like we were both in our own little world, just giggling and almost never breaking eye contact. I never knew relationships were this fun! After we finished feeding the cats, we had to clean up their side of the building. Suddenly, I remembered that cats are allowed to freely roam during cleaning time, which meant I had to be careful. I quickly glanced at Yuki as my anxiety started growing.

"Can I hold your hand?" I asked nervously, avoiding eye contact.

"Sure! I would love to!" Yuki smiled lovingly and extended her arm to me. I didn't expect her to be so daring! After that, I took her hand in mine and squeezed it tight. She giggled at my action, and I blushed.

"You're so cute when you blush like this," she whispered, causing my cheeks to flush even more. For some reason, she seems to enjoy teasing me this way.

"Yuki!! I'm a man! Men aren't cute!" I said, hiding my blushing face! It seems Satoru was wrong about her. I'm the shy one in this relationship!

"Yes, you are!" she pouted and squeezed my hand back.

"No! You're the cute one in this relationship! The debate is over!" I said, placing her hand closer to my lips and tenderly kissing it. Yuki blushed as she was taken aback by my action.

"That was payback for calling me cute!" I said, and she giggled.

"Ok, ok! You win! Now let's start cleaning! No more slacking on the job," she smirked, and I nodded.

As we made our way to the hallway to get the cleaning supplies, we bumped into Hikaru and Rika. Their gazes were drawn directly to our hands. Their eyes instantly lit up as they rushed to hug Yuki and me.

"Yeeeessss! Finally!" Rika shouted while jumping up and down. She was making quite the scene, and people were looking at us with interest.

"Congratulations, you two! How did it happen?" Hikaru asked while patting my back repeatedly. Yuki showed them the letter and smiled. However, she refused to let them read it because she wanted the content of the letter to be kept between the two of us.

"Akio is such a romantic, isn't he?" Rika gave me a mischievous grin when she spotted my flushed cheeks.

"You should have seen Hikaru; he confessed to me first! It's hard to believe—I know! He took me by surprise, too! Hikaru came to my house one day with a serious face and spilled everything. I was in heaven because I've had a crush on him for a long time, and I was secretly waiting for this moment!" Rika looked at Hikaru in a loving way. He crossed his arms and blushed. He wanted to say something, but he got interrupted.

"What are you thanking him for?" she asked, her head tilted to the side.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you; it's a secret just between us!" I smiled. She pouted, and I wanted to tease her back like she did to me!

"You're so cute when you pout!" I said, studying her reaction. She giggled and playfully punched my arm.

"Let's leave these two lovebirds alone for now," Rika said as she dragged Hikaru with her to take care of the dogs. We both laughed and went back to work.

As we were searching for the cleaning supplies, I took the opportunity to ask Yuki about the auction event. She informed me that this is an annual event in which employees, volunteers, and staff donate items for auction. It can range from handmade products to expensive collectibles. It's a fun way to raise funds for the shelter while potentially attracting new sponsors.

The hours flew by fast, and the number of adoptions was on the rise. And that made us all very happy! The power of social media is real, and I'm glad Satoru is starting to see the importance of a strong online presence.

Once we had completed our volunteer hours, Rika suggested we go out for ice cream to celebrate our new relationship. We all agreed, and we decided to visit a small ice cream parlor nearby. The place was small and cozy; it even had a few outdoor tables. We were thrilled to see so many different flavors. We each got two scoops of ice cream: Yuki picked the vanilla chocolate chip flavor, Rika chose the strawberry flavor, Hikaru picked the soda flavor, and I chose cookies and cream.

"Our friend group has now gotten bigger, and I'm so happy! However, we must make an important change," Rika said with a big smile. Hikaru nodded, and I stared at them, puzzled.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Starting today, the 3 Leaf Clovers group chat is history. We will now be called The Four Leaf Clovers!" Rika shouted, one fist in the air.

"If Yuki is okay with it, that is." Rika stopped for a moment and looked at her for confirmation.

"Of course I am! It's an honor to be included in your wonderful group! I've been admiring you from afar because I liked how close you were and how you were able to just be yourselves around each other." Yuki responded enthusiastically.

"You should have told us sooner! We would have loved to have you in our group!" Rika said. I then explained the origin of the name to Yuki as well as the entire story of our meeting.

I felt like I'd wasted time seeking four-leaf clovers on the ground when the luckiest, most beautiful flower had always been here in front of me! We continued chatting for a few minutes before bringing up the topic of the new event at the animal shelter.

"So about this auction…" Hikaru said.

"Yes, it seems fun from what Yuki told me," I said.

"I was thinking we should do an online auction this year. Less time, less money, and we could auction even more products. I'll pitch the idea to Satoru! And don't worry, I'll make sure the site won't crash," Hikaru laughed.

"I think that's a good idea. We'll talk more when we get home because I have some ideas of my own," I said, and they all agreed.

Unfortunately, we had to cut our meeting short since we all had plans afterward. I, however, didn't want Yuki to go home alone, so I offered to accompany her. There was still something important that I wanted to say to her. And I was still unsure if I should ask her this question so soon, but I wanted to test my luck today!

On the way to her house, there was a comfortable silence between us, and I took this opportunity to study Yuki's facial expressions. We've only been dating for a few hours, but I've already noticed a different side of her. She seemed more energized and carefree around us than usual.

"Today was a fun day, wasn't it? Thank you for accepting my feelings; you have no idea how happy you made me!" I said blushing.

"I had fun too, Akio! Thank you for choosing me! And thank you for including me in your friend group! They're wonderful people!" She smiled and squeezed my hand.

"Before you get home, I still have one important question to ask you," I said.

"What is it?" Yuki stared at me with interest.

"Do you want to go out on a date with me tomorrow?" I asked. Her eyes lit up, and she proceeded to hug me.

"Yes! Of course I want to!" she smiled and blushed.

"Really? I'm so happy! I'll send you the details later, ok?" I hugged her tight and said goodbye.

Now I just need to find a way to calm my nerves until tomorrow!