9 09

It's a cat, not a dog!

09

Kawakami Ruoyi: "..."

A strange thought popped into my head.

Could it be that... Lucias actually prefer men?

That's why he's been constantly troubled and even did some foolish things.

She... thought she was being clever by posting a picture of a man, but ended up getting herself into trouble?

"Wow—" Hinata Natsumi couldn't help but exclaim as well, "This seems a bit exciting!"

"Meow-chan...why don't you just admit that the photo is fake?"

Kawakami Ruoyi: "..."

She keeps changing her story, sometimes saying she's a woman, sometimes saying she's a man, and then she keeps changing her story. No matter how you look at it, she's being treated like a freak!

Unexpectedly, it was the other party who sent an apology message first:

【sorry. 】

[It was Gogol who was being ridiculous.]

Upon closer inspection, the profile picture had also been changed back to the original one.

"It was all a misunderstanding." Ruoyi could only laugh and put her phone back in her pocket, then tugged at Hinata Natsu's arm. "Let's go, Natsu-chan, let's go to the restroom before lunch break ends."

"OK--"

In the bathroom, Ruoyi sat on the toilet. She couldn't resist taking her phone out of her school uniform skirt pocket and telling the Lucia people she wouldn't mind.

By the way, you're in college now, right?

【Hmm. What's wrong?】

"I've decided on my university major!" Kawakami Wakana said enthusiastically. "Sports medicine is the field of medicine that studies sports. Many people there work in rehabilitation programs for injured athletes!"

"Oh," the Lucia replied simply.

At that moment, Kawakami Wakana suddenly remembered the cello whose strings had been cut.

Speaking of which, it seems her friend's mother didn't approve of him studying music...

If she clearly wanted to study at a music academy but had to give it up because of her parents' opposition, then she probably wouldn't have much of an expectation for university life either.

She thought that even if it wasn't her ideal school and major, looking at the scenery on campus would surely cheer her up.

Fyodor frowned upon seeing the message.

This cat, after talking to him for so long, never mentioned wanting to see his living environment, why is it so sudden?

We can't just...

They were probably testing his real age.

Fortunately, Fyodor had made preparations in advance. At the end of August, he made a special trip to a liberal arts college in the city and took some photos. He then quickly sent them over.

"So beautiful!" the other person exclaimed.

It's a pity I still have a long time before I can go to university.

"How long?" Fyodor frowned.

Isn't she 18?

However, he didn't seem to care too much about it, and simply said:

Then you should study hard.

Especially since your desired major is related to medicine.

【I know!】 Miaozi sent a cheering cat emoji.

After that, Kawakami Wakana really did focus most of her energy on her studies. She even enrolled in tutoring classes. She was already a good student, and with the help of the Lucia people to practice her spoken English, by the time she was in her second year of high school, she could consistently pass her English exams if she didn't make any mistakes. Sometimes, she would even help Hinata Natsu review for exams.

The Lucias seemed to have already guessed that she had lied about her age, and in April when she entered her second year of high school, they did not ask her which school she went to.

After the final exams of the third semester of her junior year, Ruoyi was organizing her review materials and test papers from the semester when there was a knock on her door. After she was given permission to enter, her mother excitedly held up several promotional posters.

"Ruoyi, do you want to go anywhere during spring break?"

"After all, you and your classmates will be graduating students next year, and you may not be able to play as much as you want for the next year. Mom just received a bonus, and Ruoyi did well on her exams this time, so I want to reward you with a trip."

“Lucia…” Kawakami Wakana said subconsciously.

"What?" Mom tilted her head.

Kawakami Wakana immediately covered her mouth and said with a smile, "No, no—that's right! How about going to Kamakura? Natsumi-chan's older brother went there once when he was in high school, and I heard that the black onsen eggs there are super delicious!"

"Kamakura, huh..." Mom paused, taken aback.

Ruoyi knew very well why her mother was stunned.

After all, Kamakura, like Yokohama, is located in Kanagawa Prefecture.

From a young age, she had heard that Yokohama was a rather chaotic place. After all, the Port Mafia, the organization where mothers would threaten to "have them arrest you" if a child misbehaved, lived in Yokohama. When she was in middle school, there seemed to have been some major events that made the news, although Ruoyi now found that she couldn't quite remember them clearly.

She was just thinking of going somewhere else, like Tokyo or Osaka, when her mother smiled and said, "Then let's go to Kamakura. I heard Yokohama isn't as chaotic as it was a few years ago."

Ruoyi nodded obediently.

But I was very confused...

Why is it that when she thinks of travel, the first country that comes to mind is Russia...?

Perhaps in the future, she might have the desire to meet a Lucia, but it shouldn't be someone like herself now...

…………

The trip to Kamakura was very enjoyable. Not only did Wakana get to eat the black eggs that Hinata Shoyo had mentioned, but she also ate black ice cream. That evening, she soaked in the hot spring bath for the first time in a long time until her whole body felt warm before putting on her yukata and returning to her room.

After soaking in the hot spring for a while, you naturally want to drink something cold. But when she got back to her room, Kawakami Wakana realized that the few bottles of juice prepared in the room had just been finished.

So she immediately offered to go to the vending machine on the first floor to buy some drinks.

Unexpectedly, just as Ruoyi was still debating whether to drink Calpis or grape juice, she suddenly heard footsteps and the sound of men talking.

"Hey Anwu, you finally get a day off to have some fun, can't you just let work take its toll?" It was a lively voice. "You should take a break from get off work sometimes, right?"

The other voice was much calmer in comparison, but what it said made Ruoyi tremble.

"Get off work? I won't go to get off work unless I get off work."

Kawakami Ruoyi: "...?"

What kind of speech is this from a corporate slave?!

and……

She recognized the more lively voice as soon as she heard it, and when she turned around, she saw—it really was you, Dazai Osamu!

Dazai Osamu clearly noticed her and immediately waved with a smile.

"Long time no see! By the way, your hair seems to have grown quite a bit."

"Do you know her?" the bespectacled guy next to me asked.

Dazai Osamu nodded: "Yes! This child's name is Wang Yi. I met him when I went on a business trip alone."

Sakaguchi Ango: "..."

But Dazai always uses business trips as an excuse to travel around.

Kawakami Ruoyi: "..."

What the heck is Wang Yi?

"It's Ruoyi!" she reminded her.

Dazai Osamu nodded: "Yes, not a dog, but a cat." (1)

"..."

Perhaps feeling it wasn't appropriate to chat with a high school girl at this hour, Dazai Osamu briefly introduced Sakaguchi Ango, and the two of them turned around to buy and choose drinks.

As Ruoyi unscrewed the grape juice she had just bought and walked towards the elevator, she could faintly hear Dazai Osamu's voice.

"It's just a pity that Oda has five children and can't come with the two of us."

Oda Sakunosuke...? Wakai subconsciously repeated the name in her mind.

They must be colleagues who have a good relationship with them.

but……

Judging from Dazai Osamu and Sakaguchi Ango's appearances, they should be quite young. How did they become so close to a senior colleague who is a father of five children that they can call each other by their full names?

There's probably only one truth...

Back in her room, Kawakami Wakana casually sent Fyodor the photos she had taken of Kamakura that day, and also mentioned Dazai Osamu and the others.

Oh, right! I think I met a dad who's a father of quintuplets today!

Fyodor: "...?"

"You're a friend of the bandage addict!" Kawakami Wakana replied.

"You went to Yokohama?" The Lucia typed unusually fast this time.

【No.】 Kawakami Wakana quickly sent a few more photos. 【Didn't I tell you? I went to Kamakura.】

"That's good. Don't go to Yokohama unless you have to," Lucia said.

"...?"

Kawakami Wakana tilted her head in confusion.

Is Yokohama really that dangerous?

Even people abroad know about it.

…………

Mom said Yokohama is better now than it was a few years ago, and besides, Kamakura and Yokohama are just in the same prefecture. Kawakami Wakana thought this trip shouldn't be too "dangerous," until—

She sat in an office called the "Special Abilities Section".

Kawakami Wakai:? ? ?

Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?

All she remembered was that she was supposed to take the cable car today. But then the cable car was suddenly attacked by a strange, giant creature, and when she came to her senses, she was already in this place.

Ruoyi pinched her face several times to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

"Um, Kawakami Wakai-san, right?" The door to the room was suddenly opened.

Kawakami Wakana was taken aback when she saw the bespectacled man carrying tea in front of her.

Isn't this person... Ango Sakaguchi?

The one I saw at the hot spring hotel.

Ango Sakaguchi didn't make things too difficult for her; he simply told her to treat the place like a police station questioning witnesses. After asking a few simple questions, Wakana was allowed to leave.

The moment she stepped out of the room, Kawakami Wakana immediately found Dazai Osamu's social media account, which she hadn't contacted in a long time, and sent him a message.

So you and Ango-san were civil servants in a place called the Special Abilities Division?

[I don't know what this place is for, but Ango-san said it's similar to being a police officer, or at least a civil servant. Sounds so cool!]

[Author's Note]

(1) The female protagonist's name is a homophone of the Japanese word for cat, so Dazai Osamu created a dog bark, which is equivalent to someone being called Wang Miao, and then a friend jokingly saying that their name is Wang Wang.

Ango: I never expected to be exposed like this. I had no idea that Dazai had added his contact information.