Clack.
"Tadaima (I'm home)~"
"Meow~"
Alistair opened the door, still holding the cat, and called out, not waiting for a reply. He used his left foot to push off the heel of his right shoe, then did the same to remove his left shoe, before slipping into his indoor slippers.
"Meow?"
The little cat in Alistair's arms raised its head and meowed. Its two hind legs dangled, seemingly confused as to why Alistair hadn't put her down yet.
"You can't step directly on the floor here. You've been wandering outside; how can I let you down without a bath? And after that, I need to take you to the pet clinic for a check-up and get your papers. Tsk, now that I think about it, it's quite troublesome."
Alistair looked down, meeting the little black cat's eyes. He used his free index finger to scratch her chin while muttering. Although he knew the kitten couldn't understand, Alistair still wanted to vent. He hadn't thought about how troublesome it would be when he impulsively picked her up.
"Meow..."
The kitten seemed to understand Alistair's words or mood, relaxing her entire body and sprawling in Alistair's arms, like a cat that had given up on life.
"Is Chiaki back? Or did she forget?"
Alistair walked towards the sink area and noticed some clothes in the basket outside the bathroom door. Among them was a bra that Alistair had personally taken off her, so he was certain this set belonged to Chiaki. However, he hadn't heard a response when he called out. Maybe the clothes were left there last night, but that was unusual; Chiaki never seemed to leave clothes behind.
Shhhk!
Alistair slid open the bathroom door and immediately realized the bathroom wasn't empty. Chiaki's clothes really weren't from last night; Chiaki herself was sitting in the tub.
"Hey, Alistair, welcome back~"
Chiaki was soaking in the tub with her eyes half-closed, looking very relaxed.
"It doesn't seem cold today. In fact, it's quite warm. You're back so early just to take a hot bath?" Alistair looked at the slightly steaming water and rolled his eyes.
"It's not cool outside, but it's cool in here. A hot bath in a cool place is the most comfortable thing, just like turning on the A/C to 18° with a strong fan on a hot day and burrowing under a blanket." Chiaki retorted without hesitation, offering a reason Alistair couldn't argue with.
To be fair, setting the A/C to 18° with a strong fan and covering up with a blanket on a hot day was incredibly comfortable. The main point was that feeling cozy inside the blanket was great.
"Alright, suit yourself."
Alistair shrugged and walked over to the showerhead. He put the little cat down and picked up the showerhead, preparing to wash her. Once she was clean, it would be easier to let her roam the house. Alistair also didn't want Chiaki's mother to lecture him, which would be troublesome to listen to.
"Hmm? You brought back a cat? Are you planning to adopt it?"
Chiaki opened her eyes, looked over at Alistair, and spotted the little black cat on the floor, asking curiously.
"What else? Bring it back as food?"
Alistair turned on the showerhead and sprayed water on the little cat. Surprisingly, the kitten very obediently accepted Alistair's shower, unlike other cats who would flee water as if their life depended on it.
"Adoption can be complicated. The paperwork is quite tedious, but Nagisa seems to have some connections. You could ask her for help later." Chiaki rested her chin on her clasped hands on the edge of the tub, watching Alistair and suggesting.
"Help? That's right, I have a secretary. I completely forgot! They say, 'The secretary does the work,' and I didn't even think of it."
Alistair realized his oversight after hearing Chiaki's suggestion. He was currently washing the little black cat, but as soon as he finished, he could make a call. He could also ask Hisako what approach she had taken to investigate Shouya Katase.
"Okay, you're all set. You can wander around freely now, just don't go outside."
Alistair used a new towel to dry the little black cat. Only when her fur was completely dry did he let her go.
"It can't understand you, so what's the use of saying that? But this cat is so well-behaved; it didn't even try to escape the bath. It must be trained. Alistair, did you see any form of ID, like a pet tag, on her?"
Chiaki looked at Alistair and felt he was a bit childish. Cats are rarely obedient, unlike dogs, which can be commanded after a little interaction. Although this little black cat looked lively and intelligent, a cat wouldn't change its inherent nature. After all, it was just a cat.
However, Alistair's current behavior made Chiaki feel a sense of familiarity, indicating that Alistair, despite his changes, was still the same Alistair. Before, Alistair could only tremble under her "winning" authority, but now he had been completely subdued by Alistair's rod. There was no helping it; Alistair's endless stamina and huge weapon forced her surrender.
"Wait, since when did you have a secretary? You never mentioned it. Did you join the Student Council? But I don't think the Student Council has a 'Secretary' position. Are you talking about the Treasurer? I remember the Treasurer is Sayuri Takamine. She seems quite aloof."
Chiaki suddenly recalled Alistair mentioning a "secretary." She wasn't aware of Alistair's experiences when he went out with Kasumi Haruno, so she didn't know he had an extra company. However, she knew Alistair wanted to join the Student Council, so she guessed Alistair had misspoke and meant "Treasurer."
"You know Sayuri Takamine?"
Alistair knew Chiaki was in the second year, but he wasn't sure which class. So, it wouldn't be too surprising if she knew Sayuri Takamine.
"She's in my class. She's very capable and is in the Gymnastics Club. She has a great figure and excellent flexibility, which many girls envy."
Chiaki explained to Alistair. Sayuri Takamine was considered very impressive in her class.
"It's a shame the school doesn't focus much on the Gymnastics Club. Although they have competitions, few people are interested, so the membership is low. Sayuri is probably the only one genuinely interested; most of the others joined hoping to get a figure similar to hers. You can imagine how disastrous the competitions are. Now, the Gymnastics Club is likely being maintained solely by her. The rest either quit or just slack off. No one could fix that situation."
Chiaki spread her hands, feeling sympathetic toward Sayuri Takamine's plight.
"Gymnastics Club?"
Alistair stroked his chin. He hadn't noticed this club when he looked at the club list because he had mainly focused on the large and medium-sized clubs. He hadn't checked the obscure clubs, mostly because they weren't interesting. But now, it seems even obscure clubs can hold surprises.