"All right… what else should I put in my bag?" Arata muttered, checking its contents. "Oh, right, I need to bring some extra money for lunch… okay, all set."
He looked around his house. "Looks like I haven't forgotten anything. Yosh! Let's go."
Stepping outside, the house felt quiet.
"Seems like everyone's gone… well, doesn't really matter," he thought.
Walking toward the bus station, the clouds overhead were darkening.
"Uh-oh… looks like it's about to rain. Better take shelter at the station until it stops."
He sat down, letting out a sigh. "Man… I'm tired. Good thing I brought some water…" Arata opened his bag.
"Boo!"
"Waaah!" Arata jumped.
"Hahaha… you're so easy to scare," a small voice called from inside the bag.
"Hey! What are you doing in my bag?!"
"Yah… it's cramped and hot in here, you know?"
"No wonder my bag felt so heavy earlier…"
Just then, a girl ran into the bus station.
"Ahh… my clothes are soaked!" she muttered, shaking her wet hair.
Arata froze. Yume… His heart started pounding.
"Thanks… rain…" he whispered.
"Oh, hi Arata," Yume greeted.
"Ha!! You know me?"
"Of course! We're in the same class."
"Oh… right."
Yume smiled, watching the rain. "It's getting heavier…"
Arata simply nodded.
"Meow…"
"Eh! There's an orange cat!" Yume exclaimed.
"Oh, yes…"
"Is this your cat, Arata?"
"Uh… you could say that…"
"Wow, its fur is so beautiful… it must be expensive?"
"Not really… it has no price. I just found him on the street."
"What!!" The cat grumbled. "Tch… no price at all…"
"Hey Arata! How dare you say I'm worthless!"
"Waaah!" Yume gasped. "The cat can talk!!!"
She stared at Shiro Arata with eyes full of stars. "Amazing…"
"Hey, hey, what's your name?"
"Oh… I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Shiro Arata, Arata's guardian!" Shiro puffed out his chest proudly.
"Hey! Don't add my name in there!" Arata shouted.
"Pfft… hahahaha… you two seem so close already," Yume laughed.
"Ha! I'm not close to a mangy cat!" Arata muttered.
"Mangy cat!?" Shiro yelped indignantly.
"Hahahaha…" Yume laughed so hard she could barely breathe.
Arata watched Yume smile, feeling at ease. If only I could marry Yume someday…
The rain was starting to ease.
"Oh… maybe I'll go for a walk first," Yume said.
"Wait… looks like Arata wants to come with you," Shiro said.
"What!! Hey, that's not okay, Shiro. I might get in her way…" Arata protested.
"Get in your way? No, I think it's a good idea," Yume said with a smile.
"What!?"
"So… do you want to come along?"
"Yosh! I'd be happy to walk with you," Arata said, grinning.
Yume smiled back at him, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"Sorry, Tanaka… looks like I'll be having some fun for a while," Arata muttered.
"Ahhh… Arata takes so long," Tanaka groaned, glancing at the clearing sky.
Tanaka pulled out his handheld game and started playing,
Arata feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement as he walked beside Yume. The rain had finally turned into a gentle drizzle.
Arata walked beside Yume.
"Wahh… Yume smells so nice," he murmured softly.
"Hey hey, Arata, how can Shiro talk?" Yume asked curiously.
"Oh, I'm not really sure. Yesterday I saw him injured on his leg, so I brought him home to treat the wound.
Then, this morning, he suddenly started talking. I was shocked too."
"I don't even know how I can communicate with humans," said Shiro. "It just happened—I suddenly gained a power."
"What!! A power!?"
"Yes. I can move things—the ability to manipulate or shift physical objects using only my mind."
"Whoa… that's amazing! Can you show us your ability?"
"Of course."
The wind began to blow stronger, whistling through the air.
A single leaf floated gently in front of them.
"Fuuh…" Shiro blew lightly.
"Wow?" Yume gasped in awe.
"Tch, that's probably just the wind," Arata said flatly.
"What!! Hey Arata, don't underestimate me!" Shiro glared. "I'll show you!"
"Hahaha, you two are really funny," Yume said, laughing softly.
"Hey, don't embarrass me like that," Arata replied.
"No, I think you're amazing, Arata. You helped Shiro," Yume said with a gentle smile.
After their walk with Yume,
"Yeah… that was really fun," Arata said with a smile.
"I'm glad you're happy…" Shiro replied.
"Finally, we're home."
"I'm back!"
"Eh? Hmm… strange, I haven't seen Mom for two days now. Maybe she just went out for a while."
"Hey Shiro, come to the kitchen. Here's your food — I bought it earlier."
"Wahh!!!"
"I stopped by a shop with Yume, so I bought this as a thank-you gift… because if it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have had the courage to walk with her," Arata said, scratching his head shyly.
Shiro smiled.
"Hey Shiro, can you tell me how you knew my father?"
"Oh, Master Daiki, huh… He once helped me when I lost my mother. He treated me, took care of me. But after his death, because he was mur—"
Boom!
A loud explosion echoed from Arata's room upstairs.
"Tch… seems like that kid's not in his room."
"Oh…"
"Ehh…"
"Waaa!! There's a thief in my house!!"
"What!!! Hey, you kid!"
"Wait!" The man turned, glancing at a photo before aiming at Arata.
"Hahaha… so, you're Daiki's son, huh?"
"What!?" Arata gasped. "How do you know that!?"
"Arata, be careful! That guy's Catcher Cat!" Shiro shouted.
"What!?"
"I'll explain later! We need to find a way out now!"
"Oh? A talking cat, huh…"
"Don't run yet. I'll be eating with you two… right here in the kitchen," the man said with a wicked grin.
"What's all that noise downstairs?"
"Oh, General, it seems we've found Daiki's son!" one of the masked men shouted.
"Hey kid, be smart and surrender yourself quietly."
"Arata, there are five of them down there! Run, I'll hold them off!" Shiro hissed.
"Tch! There's no way you can take on five people alone, you idiot!" Arata shouted, grabbing Shiro.
"Eh!? Arata, what are you—!?"
Arata jumped through the kitchen window, landing hard on the wet ground outside.
"Let me fight them!" Shiro yelled.
"No way! There's no chance a small cat like you could fight five grown men. I won't let you get hurt!" Arata said firmly, holding Shiro close.
Shiro's eyes softened as a small smile formed.
"Arata…" he whispered.
"After him!! Don't let the kid escape!!" the men shouted from behind.
"Phew… looks like that creature's still alive…" Arata panted heavily as he ran through the alleys.
"Haaah… hah… looks like I've reached Mom's workplace…"
"Oh, Arata! It's been so long!" said an older woman, surprised to see him.
"Oh, ma'am! Where's my mom?" Arata asked, catching his breath.
"Eh… didn't you know? Your mother's been sick…"
"What!?" Arata froze.
"I heard a big man came here recently," the woman said, worried.
"A man? What was his name?"
"Hmm… I only remember one thing. They called him Catcher Cat."
Arata's eyes widened in shock.
"Catcher… Cat!?"
Without a word, he turned and started running.
"Hey, Arata!!" the woman called after him.
As the wind blew against his face, Shiro looked up from his arms.
"Arata… I know where we can find your mother."
Arata stopped mid-run, eyes filled with determination.
"Shiro… you know where!?"
Shiro nodded, his tail flicking.
"Yes… but it's a place no ordinary human can easily enter."