"Koneko-chan, want to come out and play?" a tall male student asked, his face twisted into a smug, lecherous grin.
Normally, Koneko would have rejected a guy like this without a second thought, but today, she nodded her agreement without the slightest hesitation.
"Seriously? Koneko-chan is actually coming?"
"Then count me in, too!"
"Me three!"
A crowd of boys began to swarm around her.
"You lot! What do you think you're doing?!" one of the girls in the class shouted, her voice laced with anger.
"None of your business. This is guy stuff."
"You!" The girl turned her gaze toward Koneko. "Koneko-san, don't go with them! They clearly have bad intentions!"
"Nyaa?" Koneko tilted her small head, looking as if she didn't understand a single word the girl was saying.
"Koneko-san...?" For a fleeting second, the girl sensed something was wrong with Koneko, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.
Right then, Issei came bursting into the classroom.
"Koneko!"
"Nyaa? Issei-senpai!"
In an instant, Koneko leaped toward him—a jump so high and graceful it was physically impossible for a normal human.
Stunned, Issei caught her petite body in his arms and wasted no time rushing out of the room.
The boys were left fuming, their "good luck" vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.
How did they know something was up with Koneko in the first place? It had been a fluke. The first one to notice was the playboy who had invited her out. He had been eyeing Koneko's cuteness for a long time, and since she had been acting strangely since the first period, it didn't take a genius like him to spot the opening.
---
"Nyaa~ nyaa~ nyaa~ Issei-senpai smells so good... I love it, nyaa~."
Koneko was clinging to Issei like an adorable koala.
An ambiguous, sweet fragrance tickled Issei's nose. If it weren't for his iron-clad willpower, he might have lost control and pounced on her right then and there.
What am I thinking? I promised I'd take care of her!
Issei quickened his pace until they reached the old school building.
"Koneko, let go of me."
"No, nyaa~. I don't want to be away from Senpai, nyaa~."
Her voice was cloyingly sweet and spoiled. Issei was nearly driven mad by how cute and seductive she sounded.
Koneko began to grow "wilder"—licking Issei's ears, sitting on his lap, and meowing playfully while showing off her petite, cute figure.
It was a monumental temptation. Any man who could survive this deserved a medal for being the most responsible, upright guy on the planet.
This "wild" behavior lasted for nearly an hour before it finally began to subside.
In the end, Issei managed to hold himself back, never once taking advantage of the situation to touch her.
Having released enough hormones, Koneko finally slipped out of her "mating season" state.
"Issei-senpai?" Koneko whispered, her head bowed in shame.
Issei took a deep, shaky breath and replied as casually as he could, "Good morning. Are you back to your senses?"
Koneko lifted her face, nodding with a shy, blushing expression.
'So cute!' Issei thought.
"Thank goodness. I was worried you were going to stay like that forever."
Koneko climbed down from his lap.
"I'm sorry for being such a bother."
Her eyes began to well up, looking as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
"Forget it. I don't mind being bothered by a cute junior like you."
"...But don't you dislike petite girls with no chest, like me?" Koneko asked, her voice trembling with a sob.
"Huh?! Why on earth would you think that?!"
"Because... Senpai rejected me even though I tried so hard to seduce you!"
Koneko began to cry silently, the tears finally spilling over.
'So she actually likes me... Dammit, how could I have been so blind? I always hated dense protagonists, and yet here I am, being one of them,' Issei lamented internally as he gently wiped the tears from Koneko's beautiful eyes.
"Listen, Koneko. I didn't reject you because I don't like you. You're adorable. No one can beat you in the cuteness department—not even Gasper."
"Really?" Koneko asked through her sobs, a glimmer of light returning to her eyes.
Issei nodded confidently with a reassuring smile.
Koneko stopped crying and moved in to hug him. Issei returned the embrace wholeheartedly.
Feeling his sincerity, Koneko's heart felt warm and full.
"...The reason Senpai rejected me... was it because of my sister's request?"
Issei froze. He looked at Koneko, then sniffed his own clothes.
"It's no use. You won't be able to smell her scent, Senpai. I'm different... because I'm a Nekomata, just like her."
To be continued...