Mandarin Orange, Kotatsu, And A Found Cat

I called out her name, but my mind couldn’t keep up with the situation, I had only seen this in fiction.
I wondered if this girl in front of me was really Mashiro.

“You’re really Mashiro, aren’t you?”
“Do you believe me?”
“It’s…well…”

I don’t think anyone could easily believe that their cat had suddenly turned into a girl. ……
But if I look at her actions she doesn’t look like she’s lying. I don’t even know why she would lie in the first place.
And it is true that I am somewhat convinced.

“If you don’t believe me, I can show you the proof.”

Mashiro made an offer to my half-convinced mind.
If anything, I’m more suspicious of my own mind now that I’ve seen the reality of Mashiro transforming into a person than I am suspicious of her being a fake.
Nevertheless, regardless of my feelings, if she can prove to me that she is Mashiro, then so much the better.

“First of all, as you can see, these ears and tail look familiar.”

She flicked her cat ears, which I had just touched directly, and then flicked her tail from behind.
Both of them were familiar to me. They had the same glossy white fur as Mashiro.

“Satou-san found me in a cardboard box on that snowy day. The next day, he gave me this name.”

Then she began to talk about the days she spent with me as evidence.
The day I met Mashiro for the first time, which I will never forget, and the daily life from then until today.

It was an event that only Mashiro and I knew about, and everything she said matched my memories.
As she recounted each memory with a gentle expression on her face, I was already convinced.

“Satou-san’s favorite food is white fish meat. As for what you like to do, you’ve recently become addicted to reading, haven’t you?”
“That’s right.”

I was a little embarrassed, but I replied.
It seemed that in all the time we’ve spent together, she’s gotten to know my hobbies and interests.

She turned from talking about her memories and started to tell me what she knew about me.
It was an itchy feeling to know that I was being watched and analyzed, but at the same time, I was happy.

“And you like younger women, don’t you?”
“Yes…huh?”

I affirmed it unconsciously, but felt weird and stopped just in time.
It was not just that I felt weird, it was that Mashiro had just made an unbelievable discovery.

“By the way, what’s the basis for that…?”
“There’s a book with a rather dodgy cover in the corner under the bed…”
“I’m sorry.”

I apologized, banging my head on the desk.
She was privy to things that I hadn’t told anyone else, not even Mashiro.

“And then there are the…novels in the cardboard box, along with several other such manga.”
“I believe you now, so please don’t give me any more…”

I stopped her words with the force of my tears as Mashiro continued to throw a series of punches.
It’s not that I necessarily like younger women, it was just that the books I happened to see and pick up happened to be in that genre.

She froze when I said the word ‘believe’, even though I was making excuses in my mind.
Then she asked me to confirm it again.

“Do you really believe me…?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s not realistic, but if you say so much, it’s as real as it gets….”

Of course I can’t believe that Mashiro has become human, but I can believe that the person I’m talking to is Mashiro.
Even if you asked me the reason, I can’t give a specific answer, but my senses are telling me so.

“Don’t you think it’s…strange?”

Suddenly, Mashiro asked to confirm something important.

“What do you mean by strange?”
“I’m talking about…my human form.”
“…? Well, it was a surprise, but I don’t think it’s strange.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Mashiro is still Mashiro. That doesn’t change.”

I don’t know what Mashiro’s intentions were in asking me that, but what I just said was true.
The fact that Mashiro has changed her appearance does not mean that she has become something other than Mashiro. She only looked different.

“Plus, both the form now and the cat look beautiful.”
“Please don’t make fun of me.”
“No, I was just thinking that.”
“—”

I tried to cheer up Mashiro, who seemed unsure of herself, but she didn’t take my words in stride.
Her cheeks turned red and she turned away. I was trying to cheer her up, but I wondered if I had offended her.

I didn’t mean to exaggerate or flatter Mashiro’s appearance in any way.
When she was a cat, I thought she had the most beautiful style and face in the world, and now, in her human form, Mashiro was as pretty as any person I’ve ever seen.

Mashiro was silent for a while, not making eye contact with me, but after a while she returned to her serious gaze and looked at my face again.

“Satou-san.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Umm, I’m…wondering if it’s okay if I stay here like this…?”
“Hmm?”

I was wondering what kind of question she would ask me, but she asked me something so simple and obvious.
The answer to that question is, of course, that it was really no big deal that she looks different now that I’ve sworn to raise her and protect her.

“It’s obvious. If Mashiro wants to be here, I’m happy too.”

To be honest, it was nice to hear such a thing directly from Mashiro.
I was afraid that Mashiro’s change of form might change our relationship and distance, but this might not be such a bad idea.

“As long as it’s okay with Mashiro, you can stay with me from now on.”
“Yes, thank you.”

It was very embarrassing to say this again, probably because Mashiro was in human form.
However, Mashiro’s face changed from the anxious look she had just given me, and she smiled back at me happily.

This was the beginning of a new life for me and her.