Mandarin Orange, Kotatsu, And A Found Cat

 Chapter 79 The Cat’s Future And Past

A few hours after Mashiro invaded my bed saying she had a nightmare. I also went out in the early afternoon on my days off, but today I was spending it in a different way.

I say that, but what I do was just what I always do when I’m at home.
Watching TV, read a book, playing with my phone. But there was one thing that was different.

“Satou-san, doesn’t this look delicious?”
“It looks good, but what kind of meat is it?”

Mashiro turned the phone in her hand towards me and asked, and I looked at it and answered.
If that was all there is to it, it was the same old scene, but the problem was where she was sitting.

Mashiro, who was currently playing with her phone, was sitting between my legs on the sofa.
Her head was right in front of me, and every part of her body is wan contact with mine.

“It looks like this, but it’s just like regular chicken. It’s like a menu item that’s easy on the wallet.”
“Now let’s see if Mashiro’s cooking skill wins over it.”
“Fufu, what’s with that?”

Even in this situation, she was smiling as usual, and before I knew it, I was beginning to get used to the distance between us.
Of course, my heart must be beating faster, and I was very aware of it.
But just the fact that Mashiro was near me was enough to calm me down. After hearing about Mashiro’s dream, I feel even more so.

At Mashiro’s request, I promised her that I would stay with her all day today.
I didn’t go out, and she was always right beside me, no matter what I was doing in the house.

I was not the kind of person who misses human touch, but being in contact with Mashiro filled my heart with wonder.
It was not that I’m conceited, but at least she has forgiven That fact made me happy more than anything else.

“As expected, Mashiro’s cooking is the best in the world.”
“Doesn’t that means you live in a pretty small world, Satou-san?
“I’d like to say that’s not true…but it’s true that I haven’t been that particular about food my whole life.”
“There must be many more wonderful and delicious foods in the world.”

When Mashiro said these words, she looked a little buoyant and somewhat childish.
No, in fact, she might be a child. No matter how much better she was at housework than I am, she still looked like a high school student.
It was not surprising that she has a yearning or two for a world she has yet to see.

…This was just my own opinion, though.
Mashiro yearns for the world outside. It was not just the neighborhood of this house. It was not just a few stops away by train.
She would like to see a world farther away, a world that she has never seen before. That was what she was probably thinking. I suddenly thought of such a thing.

I noticed that Mashiro was staring at me with curious eyes, as I had been lost in thought for a while.
I quickly raised the corner of my mouth and smiled back at her, then placed my hand lightly on the smooth hair in front of me and patted it to disguise my lost in thoughts.

“But you’re right, it might not be fair if we don’t prove that Mashiro’s food is delicious after a thorough comparison with the rest of the world.”
“Satou-san, you keep saying that. Even if you praise me that much, you won’t get anything out of it.”
“No, there was a delicious dish at dinner this evening.”
“We couldn’t go shopping today, so I’ll make a retort curry.”
“…”
“I’m just kidding, don’t look so sad. I’ll make the best homemade curry in the world tonight.”
“Mashiro-sama…”

I placed my hands together to worship Mashiro, saying thank you. I’ve gotten used to Mashiro cooking my meals every day, but I always remember to thank her.
I don’t think I could ever go back to eating convenience store food after being served such delicious food every day. I was very much aware that my stomach has been gripped to such an extent.

When I saw Mashiro smiling happily at me, I thought about what I had been thinking earlier.
I’ve never been on a long trip with Mashiro, but that’s because she was somewhat naive and I was simply worried about her.
If we had the chance and she wanted to, I would like to go to the unknown world as she says. If this life lasts a little longer, I’d like to make it happen someday.

“Can I take a bath before dinner today?”
“Of course you can, but is there a reason for it?”
“…I thought that it would be better for me to relax with Satou-san after dinner.”

Mashiro looked a little embarrassed as she said this. When I looked directly at her, my heart involuntarily tightened.
She always caught me off guard because she says these things outright. I was tempted to stroke her head with my right hand, but my rational mind restrained me from doing so.

“Yeah, you’re right. Then I’ll go right in after that.”
“Yes. I’ll just go clean the bathroom first.”

Mashiro then got up and walked into the bathroom, looking a little regretful.
As soon as the door to the changing room closed, I felt my shoulders relax and leaned back against the sofa.

“Haaa…”

The tension that had built up in my body spilled out of my mouth along with the carbon dioxide.
…I wonder why Mashiro is so attractive. I can’t help but think about that, even though I’m not that old enough.
I have to protect her as a guardian but was so fascinated by her that I easily forget my will to do so.

This was probably the first time in my life that I have ever been so conscious of someone.
If I was still a child when I had this feeling, I might have just let it out to her.
On the other hand, the fact that I haven’t was proof that I was mature enough to do so.

“I wonder what Mashiro thinks about this…”

Needless to say, she felt the same way about me as I do about her.
This may sound like mere vanity, but this was what I heard directly from Mashiro’s mouth, so there was no doubt about it.

However, to think that there were more feelings than that was to be conceited.
I don’t want to believe it, but from my point of view, I might already be old enough to be her oji-san.
I don’t know what to do when she talked to me in such a suggestive and sweet way.

After another sigh, I stared at the door of the changing room where Mashiro had been.

This morning’s incident has made me realize once again that Mashiro was no different from any other human being, she was just a vulnerable and sensitive girl.
And how could one girl, so kind and cute, have been abandoned alone in a snowstorm? I thought again about what I had been trying not to think about for a while.

I think of her past, which I don’t know about, must have influenced Mashiro to become so anxious.
She was such a kind girl. At the very least, she must not have grown up in such a bad environment. And yet, that was how she ended up meeting me.

…If Mashiro was willing to do so, I would like to learn a little more about her.
What kind of people did she meet, what kind of life did she lead, and what did she feel? That was what I want to know and hear.
I can’t really explain it, but I have a vague feeling that I want to know more.