My Girlfriend Turned Catgirl (Part 3)

Allergies. 

I have stated before that I have masochistic tendencies.

It feels as if those casual remarks were true during certain times. 

Somewhere, someplace out on the grand scale of the universe was an upper-being who deemed that I should be the most physiologically unfit to carry out my philosophy. 

Hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. 

I found it ridiculous that I was allergic to nearly all animals. 

Mammalian fur and dander. Avian feathers. Reptilian scales. Not to mention typical allergens like dust and pollen. 

My immune system was a drama queen beyond the levels of the husky canine. Overreacting to anything and everything. 

Yet here I was, dedicating my whole life to being a zookeeper and avoiding humans. 

Irony was quite a funny thing.

I was thankful to the upper-being to an extent that my condition was mild. 

My allergist has done extensive tests since I was little. I was at near zero risk of anaphylaxis, a fatal reaction to allergies, but instead only stuck with troublesome symptoms.

Sneezing. Congestion. Itches and rashes. Epiphora. Cramps. Shiners.

Swabs of tissues rolled up my nose, permanent dark circles, and villainous red eyes did not do a load of good for my appearance.

There was never a need to care about how good and presentable I looked.

Until Yurime.

Humans are complex creatures.

Yurime was attractive by human social standards.

She had straight, glossy hair that I frequently heard was the envy of girls. Unblemished, clear, white skin. An upturned, button nose. Soft, angular eyebrows. Bright, pink lips. 

Beauty was in the eye of the beholder philosophically. 

Without superficialities, I found Yurime's eyes to be her most beautiful physical feature. 

They were a bright shade of blue. Large, round, and expressive. 

These traits combined gave her a soft and delicate look that she carried with poise.

Society was conditioned to vanity and superficiality. They were used to the patterns and standards of makeup, beauty treatments, and grooming products. 

People were quick to notice the sharp contrast between us. 

A graceful, demure beauty who matched with the sick freak. 

What was the predicable, rather almost certainly warranted result? 

We were prey to predatory gossip and attention. 

"Kazumio-kun. You really don't want to hang out with me?" Yurime repeated again. 

My eyes stared at the cloudless sky. 

I did not understand how things came to this. 

One year ago, I broke my philosophy to agree to Yurime's confession. 

That was as far as I was willing to go with human interaction. 

But I was naive. Inexperienced. 

I had not realised what troubles our relationship would bring.

Being the product of envy and jealousy, the innate evils of man, was what I wanted to get away from. 

The longer I spent with Yurime, the worse it got. 

Spring. The season of new beginnings. Romance. 

Was it worth continuing this relationship? 

I thought about Yurime and her reaction if I answered no. 

Her dejected back. Her lifeless eyes. 

She was such a silly simpleton. 

I remembered the reason I agreed to her confession in the first place. 

To learn more about her. How could a person be so silly and simple. 

I could not answer her with a yes. 

"No, I was just wondering why you have been acting strangely." 

All of a sudden, a storm cloud washed over Yurime. Her head bowed. Her shoulders shrunk.

She looked like an abandoned kitten in the rain. Fearful, bedraggled, cold.

I frowned. I expected her to brighten up. 

I listed everything that could be the source of her strange behaviour. 

"What's wrong? Another bad quiz? Cold weather? Loud noises? The rumours?" 

I was not expecting a feeble nod at the end. 

Yurime was not the type to blindly listen to degrading, self-centered rumours. 

"Don't listen to those rumours. They just want to discredit our relationship." 

Yurime looked up at me. 

"It is because of the rumours." 

The rumours this week were a particularly popular and revolting topic. It stemmed from an anonymous post that reached the top of the school forum within minutes. 

How unfitting I was with Yurime. 

The fire that was jealousy and envy started it. The selfish and vain delusions that only fanned those flames. 

I did not know why, but I felt as if I had swallowed a pufferfish whole. 

Tetrodotoxin. My heart was numb from it.

Yurime. 

Were you a toxic pufferfish all along? Was that why you seemed different?

I paused my steps. 

"... if you think that I am out of your league, then so be it." 

I should have known metaphors were not scientifically factual.

Spring. 

The season of new endings and heartache. Proven by contradiction.

I was ready to turn backwards and leave, when Yurime jumped.

"No! You know everything about birds! You're not a bad person!" 

The tetrodotoxin seemed to have resurfaced from my heart to my mouth. 

I could not relay a single word.

How was my knowledge of birds a redeeming factor?

This was a question beyond the realm of science. A question greater than a philosophical dilemma.

"... then what was it about the rumours?"

Speaking about the rumours again made Yurime's hair stand straight. 

She somehow instantly reminded me of a cat whose tail was stepped on. 

"Our relationship is not romantic at all! I thought you wanted to leave me!" 

Though Yurime pouted and looked aggrieved, her angry, accusatory tone said otherwise.

There was a sudden urge in my heart to comfort her. An instinctual one, like a predator encountering prey in nature.

"No. I like you. I like how you're different from other people." 

The moment I finished that sentence, I felt a weight loosen from my shoulders. 

I knew it was some philosophical epiphany. Some spiritual enlightenment. 

But I was also unclear how Yurime visibly shined against the morning sun. 

The ecstatic glint in her blue eyes was mesmerising. So was the bright, bubbly glow around her body. 

I did not have the mental capacity to further process my sudden awakening, for Yurime clasped my hand and began to run.

"I lied, Kazumio-kun. Let's not go see the cherry blossoms. We're going birdwatching!"