Mandarin Orange, Kotatsu, And A Found Cat

“Eh…”

I was asleep on the sofa after a meal.
Just after I came back from the dream world, I couldn’t help but let out a cry and open my eyes at the situation I was in.

Right next to me sitting on the couch. Or to be more precise, on my shoulder.
There was Mashiro’s face, with its pure white cat ears, shiny silver hair, and a cuteness that would make anyone turn their head.

Her silky hair and fluffy ears, both of which gently caressed my skin.
I had touched her cat ears a few times before she took human form, but I had never had the chance to touch her hair.
Unlike her ears, which were slightly warm, her hair was cool and surprisingly smooth.

Part of me wanted to keep touching it, but I slowly raised my head and pulled my face away to check the current situation.
I looked into her face without moving my body as much as possible so as not to wake Mashiro up.

She was sitting on the sofa with her head resting on my shoulder, sleeping quietly.
Her sleeping face was so peaceful during her deep sleep.
As I had started my nap, Mashiro, who was sitting next to me, must have fallen asleep before I knew it.

Since she had completely surrendered herself to me, I couldn’t thoughtlessly leave the scene.
I had no choice but to be her shoulder pillow…but, I was able to observe her sleeping face in return.

“Mm…mm.”

Mashiro was breathing slowly and calmly. She seemed to be well behaved even when she was sleeping; her legs were closed and her hands were laced on her thighs.
Mashiro’s face, so close that I could almost touch it if I moved my head a little, was really beautiful to look at up close.

When she was in her cat form, I had thought she was a pretty, beautiful white cat, just like in fiction.
And now, when I see her as a human girl, I feel the same way I did then.
Strangely enough, even though her appearance has changed, the “cute” feelings toward Mashiro have not changed at all.

I continue to watch her for a while without getting bored, but she doesn’t seem to wake up.
I had thought this before when Mashiro was occupying my bed, but it seemed that once she fell asleep, she was not easily awakened by outside interference.

Watching Mashiro not wake up so far, I felt a little bit of mischief coming on.
Just to be sure, I tapped her lightly on the shoulder and called out to her, but she still didn’t seem to wake up.
I’m a little lost at what to do, but I reach for her head first.

…Fluffy.

I didn’t need to feel it to tell. Mashiro’s cat ears are really fluffy.
I moved my hand to touch her hair as well. I gently stroked her head in the direction of her hair, as if I were caring for a child.
Mashiro’s cat fur was so pleasant to the touch that I couldn’t stop stroking it, but this beautiful silver hair was even more so.

I was completely captivated by her hair, and I found myself forgetting about the time as I continued to stroke it, until I looked out the window and saw that it was beginning to turn the same shade of red as Mashiro’s eyes.

On a weekday, Mashiro would probably start preparing dinner around this time.
Just as I was about to wake her up, she woke up.

“Mmm…”
“Good morning, Mashiro.”
“Good morning…”

Mashiro rubbed her eyes sleepily and answered in a mushy voice.
It looked like a cat being groomed…rather she was a cat.

“Ah…”

When Mashiro woke up a little while later, she realized that she was using my shoulder as a pillow, and let out a small cry.
When Mashiro pulled away, the place where we had been touching felt strangely cold and a bit lonely.

“I-I’m sorry…”
“Don’t worry about it. I just woke up too.”

It was a lie.
I can’t say that I’ve been taking advantage of Mashiro not waking up to enjoy the feel of her cat ears and hair.

“It’s already evening, do you want to prepare dinner?”
“Yes. I’m sorry I’ve kept you waiting.”
“No, you’re not. I’m blessed enough to have you cook for me.”

I’m currently in the strange situation of asking Mashiro to cook dinner for me.
But that’s not a disadvantage for me at all.
She cooked healthy and tasty meals for me every day. There’s nothing I can do about it.

As Mashiro headed for the kitchen in a hurry, I called out to her from behind.

“There’s no need to be in such a hurry, okay? Haste makes waste.”
“B-But…”
“I’d be more angry if Mashiro got hurt because she was in a hurry than if her dinner was late.”
“…Yes.”

I can’t help but think that Mashiro has a strong sense of indebtedness to me.
It’s not that I’m uncomfortable with it, but I often feel like I’m pushing her too hard because of it.
From my point of view, I’d like her to feel more at ease with me…and treat me like a family member who lives with her if that’s what she wants.

I don’t know if my feelings were conveyed, but Mashiro soon returned to her normal self.
…Now that I think about it, this may have been the first time I said “angry” to Mashiro.
Well, if Mashiro really gets hurt, I’m sure I’ll be angry with myself…

While Mashiro was cooking, the least I could do was prepare drinks and chopsticks, and she did the rest by herself.
I’m not sure how long it will take her to finish cooking, but it will be the same time as usual.

““Itadakimasu.””

Today’s main dish was ginger grilled pork. It was well seasoned with a light aftertaste and went well with the rice.
The other dish was a freshly made miso soup with new ingredients.
Ingredients, miso, and dashi. The ingredients, miso, and dashi are all well-balanced and harmonious, and a sip of the soup will spread a gentle flavor in your mouth.

“It’s really delicious again today.”
“Thank you very much. I’m glad it suits your taste buds.”

I will never forget to compliment Mashiro every day.
I’d like to thank her more than I can say, but I’m afraid that would annoy her.
It’s important to express your gratitude in words, but you should also be sure to thank her in the form of your own actions and gift.

“I’m sorry to be so abrupt, but do you have a favorite food, Satou-san?”
“Favorite food?”
“Yes.”

As I was thinking of something I could give to Mashiro, she asked me something like that to stop my thinking.

“Hmmm…not really, I like anything Mashiro makes for me though?”
“Nya…Well, I’m glad to hear that, but that’s not what I meant…”

By the way, Mashiro’s embarrassment when she was suddenly praised directly like this was extremely cute.
It was especially cute when her ears, which are always perked up, become flat and floppy. The onomatopoeia alone was as cute as this.

“For example, what do you usually eat for lunch?”
“It varies from day to day, but my favorite is the fried food bento from the convenience store.”
“Do you like fried food?”
“Yes, to a point.”
“…I see. I understand.”

Mashiro didn’t ask any more questions, and the conversation ended. She started to eat her food again.
I wasn’t sure what her intentions were, but she seemed to be in a good mood.

I continued to eat Mashiro’s rice, wondering a little.