Mandarin Orange, Kotatsu, And A Found Cat

Ever since that day when Mashiro occupied my bed and I spent the night on the couch, I feel like I’ve gotten a little closer to her.
Though Mashiro still hasn’t opened up to me, she doesn’t mind when I approach her and pat her head.

She used to run away from me immediately, but lately, she has been responding adorably and squinting her eyes.
I don’t know what caused the change, but I would be more than happy if this house could become a place where Mashiro could feel at ease.

“Mashiro, you want some breakfast?”
“Nyaa~”

When I finished preparing breakfast for myself and Mashiro, I called her and she responded cutely.
This was another thing that has changed recently. I think she has learned her name, and now she responded frequently to my call.

I ate breakfast with Mashiro as usual, told her “I’m off” and then left.
As I got on the train and headed for the office, I was looking at a shopping site on my phone.

Since that day, Mashiro has stopped getting on my bed and has been sleeping in the corner of the room.
I’d like her to be able to relax wherever she wants, but I don’t think my body can handle sleeping on the sofa every night.

That said, Mashiro sleeping on the floor all the time was a bigger problem.
To be precise, she slept on a cat-shaped cushion I gave her, not the floor, but it was only a 100 yen store item.
I’d like Mashiro to use a bed as soft as the one I’m using.

I scrolled down the screen where a wide variety of pet products were lined up, but I couldn’t find anything that really caught my attention.
In the first place, it’s always better to see and feel these products in person.
It might be a good idea to look for some online and go buy them in person on a day off.

I thought and continued to scroll through the site.
Looking at it now, I realized that the things I had bought for Mashiro were only the bare necessities.
Toys such as catnip, cat towers, claw clippers, and so on. There was a huge variety of cat supplies on sale, including some that I was not familiar with.
I wondered if Mashiro would be happy if I bought her some of these toys in addition to her bed…

As I continued to stare at my phone in thought, I almost missed my stop.

After I got home that day, Mashiro and I were watching TV together as usual. There was a drama on TV that we had been watching a lot lately.
Of course, I have the right to the TV channels.
I don’t think Mashiro really cared about the content of the programs she watched, but I do make an effort to match her interests.

This was because, as we watch TV together every day, I gradually begin to notice the differences in Mashiro’s reactions.
It seemed that she doesn’t like noisy programs and would move to a quieter place if such programs are played.
On the other hand, she was always relaxed and at ease watching slow dramas, movies, music, and news programs.
The drama we are watching now was also chosen with Mashiro’s preferences in mind.

Just as the drama was approaching its climax, a perfectly timed commercial began to play.
I understand that this is a frequent occurrence, but I still felt disappointed.

Mashiro was also yawning and brushing her hair, seemingly bored.
As I was watching the commercials one after another, a particular commercial caught my attention.

There was a cute cat about Mashiro’s age on the TV, and, quite timely, it was a commercial for a bed for cats.
And the product, which looked familiar to me, was the same as the one on the site I was looking at on the train during my commute this morning.
The price was a little higher than the other products, but the appearance and material were better, and the ratings and reviews were more positive.

I had been eyeing this product for a while, but I didn’t expect to see it on TV commercials now.
I hadn’t decided which one to buy yet, but I thought it might be best to ask her anyway.

“Mashiro, do you want a bed like this?”

When I asked her that, Mashiro turned to me with a puzzled look.
I smiled back at her and motioned her to look at the TV.
The commercial was about to end, but at the end of it, I saw the cat sleeping comfortably on the bed again.

“Mashiro, you always sleep on this couch or on the cat-shaped cushion. So I was wondering about a bed like that.”

“You don’t have to hesitate, you know. Well, maybe it’s none of my business to begin with.”

I feel bad that I’m the only one using a bed, but I’ve decided that I’m not going to be cheap for Mashiro’s comfort.
Seeing her sleeping so happily in my bed makes me want to pamper her even more.

“If you don’t mind sleeping with me, you can sleep in my bed.”

In fact, if it were possible, I would like to sleep with her as my body pillow.
If she did that, I wouldn’t complain, but I wonder if that day will ever come.
While I was imagining a selfish future by myself, the commercial ended and the drama started again. Mashiro turned her attention back.

It was obvious, but I didn’t know how Mashiro felt when I asked her directly. Maybe she was simply taken back by the joke at the end.
Though I think Mashiro was at least not disgusted about the bed for her. …Maybe.

As the saying goes, I’d rather regret doing something rather than regret not doing something, so if I buy a bed and Mashiro doesn’t like it, so be it.
I don’t think it was a waste of money. The fact that I now know Mashiro’s likes and dislikes may be a plus.
As I watched the drama reach its climax, I thought about my plans for tomorrow.