My Girlfriend Turned Catgirl (Part 4)

Haido River National Park.

It was without a doubt one of the finest destinations in the country to view the blooming cherry blossoms.

There were a few cherry trees around the school. But how could those lone-standing trees compare to Haido River National Park, a garden of thousands of cherry trees?

The cherry blossoms were an allergen of mine. I normally avoided them, no matter their beauty and charm.

I still had to admit that it was captivating to see the floral enchantment of billowy pink and cloudlike white petals.

They danced in the air and shimmered as they sank to the bottom of the pristine waters of the Haido River.

As expected of her, Yurime showed no signs of appreciating the tranquil spring bliss.

The sweet chirps and delicate flutters of the birds captured her full attention.

She even goaded me along with her.

"Kazumio-kun, look at that little one! Perched on that branch! She stands out with her green feathers."

"The warbling white-eye. They are easy to spot among the pink blossoms with their olive green colour. They get their name from the white ring around their eyes. They like to eat small insects and drink the nectar of the blossoms."

Yurime looked amazed.

"Wow~! Look! There, there, Kazumio-kun! Over the river! Two birds just dove into the trees!"

I shook my head.

"I didn't see them."

"They had pointy wings and a long pointy tail! Erm, they had dark blue feathers and a white belly, too! How are they so quick and agile in the sky?"

"They sound like barn swallows. Migratory and acrobatic birds. Their small bodies and long feathers help them swoop in the air. Their forked tails and contrasting blue-white colours help make them identifiable."

"Amazing~! They look like they're having lots of fun!"

Yurime held her look of amazement as she stood.

"I'm moving closer, Kazumio-kun! I want to see the swallows fly again!"

I rubbed my nose and followed behind her.

I found it strange that my congestion was acting up, but the thought did not linger long.

"Don't go too close to the river. You will get wet if you fall."

"Kazumio-kun! Kazumio-kun! There's a funny looking bird walking in the river!"

I stood beside her and looked in the direction of her excited finger.

"The river looks clear to me."

"Um, it's hiding behind some branches. Is it a duck? It's white and has legs like a pencil!"

I watched Yurime let out a series of foolish giggles.

There was the slightest curl that formed on the corner of my lips. This sight of her was amusing.

"Hehe~! How does it even swim or fly? I could catch it with those silly legs!"

"They could be a heron or an egret. What colour is the bird?"

"White! Pretty white feathers. The silly bird also has a pointy beak! Oh! I think I saw yellow feet on their pencil legs."

"Probably an egret, then. We're quite lucky to be able to see one."

"Egret, egret~! Comeee closer!"

Yurime continued to manifest the bird to head our way in her trance.

I gave a light sniffle and tried my hardest to not itch my eyes.

Ah. A weird, terrible time for my allergies to flare up.

But I wanted Yurime to have her moment.

Cleaning the pollen off my face and clearning my sinuses would have to wait.

We did not have to wait long.

The bird waddled to the other side of the river, across from us. It was an egret.

Her sharp vision never failed to impress me.

"You were right, Yurime. That's a little egret. You have such good eyes."

She stuck out her tongue sheepishly.

I noticed a flicker of hesitation pass on her face.

I immediately forgot all about my allergies.

"Did I say something strange?"

Her gaze darted away.

"Yurime? Yurime-chan?"

She mumbled an answer with her head hung low.

"Hey, Kazumio-kun, are there a lot of people around?"

I reassured her as convincingly as I could.

"Hmm? There should be no one around. We paid a hefty entrance fee and it is nearing closing hours. We are deep inside the park and most people should be buying cherry blossom treats and souvenirs at the shops. Why do you ask?"

"T-there's something I want to tell you, Kazumio-kun..."

I glanced around the park.

"... can it wait? I want to use the bathroom and clean myself. The cherry blossoms are not helping my allergies."

"N-no! I-I think I saw a rare bird! No, two rare birds in the waters! A pair of birds!"

That piqued my interest.

"Oh?"

Yurime grabbed my arm with two hands and pulled me closer to the rocky riverside.

I noticed she had inhaled a deep breath.

She forced her voice slow and careful, but I did not think much of it.

"Look downwards, Kazumio-kun. The pair of birds were small. They had mostly green feathers around their bodies, but their feathers covering the tail were bright blue. They looked like miniature parrots with a rosy-peach colour around their faces and chests..."

Yurime pointed downwards at the crystal clear river.

I did not see any parrots.

Not even anything remotely similar to birds.

Only our reflections were visible in the rippling waters, against the backdrop of the riverbed.

"Peach-faced lovebirds? They're native to the African continent, not Japan. And I don't see any parrots in the waters. It is just... ourselves."

"..."

Yurime fell silent.

I started to grow concerned.

For both her and myself.

Yurime was acting strange. Even by her normal standards.

My sinsues were starting to get congested. Pressure in the back of my nose that led to a headache.

There was no reason on why I was feeling dizzy.

"Yurime... ? Why aren't you speaking?"

She moved closer to me.

Too close.

I could feel her body press against mine.

I had a sudden, ever-growing urge to sneeze as my ears grew warmer.

Yurime was whispering in my ears.

"The lovebirds are us, Kazumio-kun. You're cute when you talk about birds."

She paused. Inhaled.

Her nose was so close to my face I thought she was inhaling my scent.

"It's our one-year anniversary and I want to confess to you again. You might be wondering why... this is the reason."

A pair of feline ears popped up on her head.

Something I instantly knew was a tail wrapped around my waist.

Oh, what in the flying pigs.

I could believe news that African parrots were migrating to Japan more than this.

Charles Darwin would be rolling in his grave if he could see what I could see.

This was not scientific.

"... y-you're a catgirl."

Yurime then leaned in for a forceful kiss.