“Yokodekida, Chichiri,” Tasuki toasted to Chichiri during dinner. As usual, Tasuki was the only one who could drink beer. Chichiri had to settle for milk instead. Chichiri mewed and lapped up the milk in his bowl.
“We make a great team, you and I. I didn’t think we could’ve pulled it off. I know it seemed harsh to pretend not noticing Nuriko’s change. I have to admit he…ie, she is pretty beautiful after the surgery, but I had to do it in order to get them together. I still don’t fancy having a transvestite for a girlfriend, if you know what I mean.”
Chichiri mewed as he slurped his dinner. Tonight it was soumen bento.
“Yokatta, at least she’s off my case now and I don’t have to worry about being stalked or being raised rent or thrown out of the window if I offended her. I can finally carry on with my life and date in peace.”
Chichiri mewed as he opened his mouth wide at Tasuki. Tasuki realized that the man-cat had already finished his bento and was asking for scraps. Tasuki sighed and offered him a few strings of soumen from his bento. He patted Chichiri’s blue head and said, “Yare, yare, I know what you’re trying to say. It was you who noticed Hotohori’s feelings when I could not. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve still be forced to become that she-male’s koibito ne. You’re the real dating hero here.”
Suddenly an idea clicked in his head. He turned to his man-cat and said, “Anno…Chichiri, speaking of dating, I’m beginning to think that this might be the perfect opportunity to start our own private business here.”
“Nyuu?” Chichiri looked up questioningly, not sure where his master was getting at.
“Souka! This could be our big break, Chichiri! This could be the way to earn extra bucks here! We could start a dating service! Like playing Stupid Cupid, but for a bigger scale of people! We could help out all the singles find their right mates and earn cash at the same time! With your sixth sense in telling people’s feelings and my business skills, we could become rich in no time! We’ll start a dating service called…err…maybe ‘Koibito Seekers’ or something and help out those unlucky in love! This is great! Sugoi! Kakui-ne! Why haven’t I thought about it before!”
Chichiri sweatdropped looking at his master being so enthusiastic all of a sudden. But he had to admit, his master was right. His job as a construction worker wasn’t much of a breadwinner anyway, and it’s about time he branched out and looked for something more worthwhile. And since he was making himself useful for his master, why not? He mewed and nodded in agreement at Tasuki’s proposal. Tasuki grinned from ear to ear.
“You’re in with me on this? Great! Then let’s get started with the business cards tomorrow! Yaruzo!”
--:--
The next day, Tasuki got busy. The first thing he did before going to work was go to a business card designer to help him design his business card for his new business. He named it ‘Yume Matchmaking’ and made about more than a hundred copies to be passed around among his co-workers and his neighbours of Rekka-Shin Apartment. He even gave some to Mitsukake the pet shop owner to help him pass them around among his customers. Within a week, aside from his personal dozen copies, he had given away all his cards.No sooner he gave them away than his first customer came to his doorstep. She introduced herself as Yui who was currently a student in Tamadai University, one of the elite universities in town. She said she have had a crush on her senior ever since she enrolled into the university but couldn’t get to him because he was the school idol and the university’s all-rounder student.
“Ah, the classic crush-on-school-idol scenario,” Tasuki rubbed his chin knowingly. He was dressed to impress for this job. Instead of his usual construction or casual clothes, he wore something that matched this business—a white T-Shirt inside a black leather jacket with black leather pants and black boots. He had a bling-bling the shape of a red heart with white wings around his neck and his hair was combed back smoothly. It was like a failed attempt of trying to imitate a modern-style Casanova, but it was the best outfit he could come up with on his tight budget.
“He’s very handsome and charming and everything. Even the boys in campus are crazy about him. Every time I try to go up to him, he would always be surrounded by both love-crazed men and women. He wouldn’t even think of giving me a second glance. It was as if I don’t exist in his dictionary.”
“Sodeska. Anno, do you have a photo of him that we can identify?”
“Here,” Yui said as she took out a passport-sized photo from her wallet. “I secretly stole it from the school magazine committee when they were writing an article on his academic achievement. His name is Nakago.”
Tasuki took a look at the photo and soon found out why Yui liked him so much. He was the typical blonde-haired, blue-eyed bishounen who was the envy of all men and the desire of all women. His blonde hair reached his shoulders and he had that cool, killer look and smile on his face that could melt even the coldest and hardest of hearts. Tasuki almost felt drawn by his blue eyes himself. He cleared his throat and quickly returned the picture to Yui.
“Shouldn’t be such a hard case. Let me send in the artillery for you.”
“Artillery?” Yui was surprised.
“The best Cupid you can find in the history,” Tasuki made an OK sign and called out, “Ne, Chichiri! Chichiri, come here. We’ve got a customer! Hayaku!”
Chichiri appeared from behind Tasuki’s sofa, mewing in reply. Tasuki picked him up and handed him over to an unaware Yui. Yui was speechless at first to be given the legendary man-cat her fellow classmates were talking about, yet she was brought back to reality by Chichiri’s smiley face.
“Anno…this neko…Why are you giving him to me…?”
“He’ll be your companion and your closest tomodatchi for now. You have to bring him around during the day and return him to me at night. Rental rates apply: 100 yen per hour. You will carry him around wherever you go and he will handle the rest. Oh, and before you take him out,” Tasuki reminded as he pointed at a rod-like pendant Chichiri wore around his neck, “you have press the top of this pendant. It’s a mini-camera and it’ll record everything he sees, hears and does throughout his services. Don’t worry. Whatever is recorded in there will not leave this room. Client confidentiality ensured.”
“Ah, hai. Demo…what can he…?”
“Trust me, Yui-san. He’s the best Cupid you can ever find. You won’t regret it.”
--:--
“Nandayo? Why do I have to carry you around all day? It’s not like you’re allowed in campus. You’re still a neko, after all.”Yui was muttering worriedly to herself as she carried Chichiri on her back. She was glad that Chichiri weight just as much as a normal cat does, but she wasn’t glad that she had to carry him around everywhere. She had to beg the lecturers to keep him in class during lectures with an excuse that the owner of Chichiri was out of town and that she had no one to take care of him at home. If it weren’t for her fellow classmates who backed her up just the sake of having a real-life man-cat in class, Yui would’ve ended up being thrown out and not come back to campus until the master takes Chichiri back.
“Yah! Nakago-san!”
Yui’s breath hitched as she heard the name of the person she yearned being yelled out. Just at the entrance of the university, there stood her dream prince Nakago surrounded, as usual, by men and women alike. They were all trying to curry his favour (probably even try to get into his pants) and sweet talk him into making him like them or even notice them. Yui felt left out in the background again as she watched the Nakago fans moving around him like ants around sugar. There was no way she could get close to him. She tried ever since she first saw him during orientation week when he played the school rep in welcoming the first years to their university life. She tried at every chance she got, but she never succeeded. Not once. It was a depressing thought, but probably something unachievable nonetheless. It was satisfying for her now to just be able to watch him from afar.
Suddenly Chichiri wriggled out of Yui’s hold and jumped off her back. He scrambled all the way towards the crowd, squeezed right through the surprised Nakago fans and leapt straight into Nakago’s arms, hugging his neck in a dead lock. Many protested and tried to pry him off Nakago but the man-cat stayed stuck there, refusing to let go. Yui was dumbstruck as she stood there, not moving an inch. What the hell was that man-cat doing?
“Anno, whose man-cat is this?” Nakago looked around as he propped Chichiri in his arms. “Please come over and get it. He’s making me unable to breathe.”
Chichiri turned towards Yui’s direction and smiled. Yui scowled; that man-cat did it on purpose! But he didn’t seem to want to leave unless she came over. She had no choice but to go. With her face blushing like mad, she walked up without daring to look at Nakago’s face and said, “A…Anno…Bokudesu…He’s my man-cat…”
“Well, would you mind taking him off me?” Nakago asked, smiling slightly.
“Ah…hai,” Yui said as she reached over to pull Chichiri’s shirt, trying to pry him off Nakago. “Hanase yo, Chichiri-chan. Hanase!”
Chichiri mewed in protest, still not wanting to let go. Those surrounding them were looking at Yui and Chichiri like they were going to tear off their throats for being so close to their idol. After almost ten minutes of prying, Chichiri still held on.
“Anno, gomenasai, Nakago senpai,” Yui apologized profusely. “I don’t know what’s gotten into him. I’m actually…err…taking care of him for a friend. He’s just acting so weird all of a sudden and…”
“Ahh, shikatanaiwa…” Nakago let out a sigh of defeat. “Neko-s usually feel territorial when they get used to one spot where they used to live. I guess I have that distinctive smell. Makes me feel like I haven’t showered in days or something. Ne, if we were to bring him home to where he used to hang, would it make him let me go?”
“I…I guess…” Yui replied, blushing like mad. She never got so close to him before, let alone talk to him. This was the first time she actually spoke more than a word to him face to face.
“Then it’s settled. I’ll walk with you home and see if he lets go once he sees your home.”
“Nani!” one of the Nakago fans exclaimed. “But…But what about tonight’s student council meeting?”
“It’s not like I’m gonna be gone forever. I’ll be here as soon as I send her home. Ikimashio, Yui-san.”
“You…You know my name?” Yui was taken aback. Nakago flashed his legendary killer smile.
“Who would forget the name of the most famous debater of Tamadai University?”
Yui felt like she’d be happy to die right here, right now. She never thought Nakago had known her existence. She thought she was as transparent as a brick wall, but it seemed that she had thought wrong. Throughout their journey home, they chitchatted and got to know each other a little better. She soon found out about a lot of things she never thought she knew from Nakago. He really was the all-rounder of the campus, yet at the same time he enjoyed a lot of other ‘normal’ things she would never thought associated with an all-rounder. Honestly speaking, she had expected him to be sort of a nerd.
“I heard that you’re going to be entering the upcoming State Debate next week,” Nakago commented as he still tried in vain to pry Chichiri off him.
“How…How did you know?” Yui asked, surprised at almost how well Nakago knew her moves in campus.
“I’m the President of the Student Council, I’m supposed to know,” Nakago chuckled at Yui’s funny expression. “So, am I right or am I mistaken?”
“Ie. You heard right. I’m going along with other fellow classmates to debate at the Tokyo Municipal Hall. That’s where all the debaters of every university will be there to fight for the state champion title. But then, of course, you know that.”
“Hai, but I like to hear it from you.”
Yui felt as if she was going to melt with blissfulness at the compliment.
“I’ll be going too.”
“A-re?”
“The Presidents of each university’s Student Council is needed to escort the reps of their campus to the Municipal Hall for the competition. So that means I’m going too. Guess I’ll be able to watch you firsthand in the debating presentation.”
“Ho…Honto-ni?” Yui could hardly believe her luck.
“Hai,” Nakago nodded, smiling again. When he felt Chichiri’s grip loosen and his sudden jump from him into Yui’s arms, he looked up and said, “Looks like we’re at your home. I was right; I did smell like your home to him.”
“Ah ha ha…Sodesune…” Yui sweatdropped as she saw her terrace home just ahead, with Chichiri nuzzling at her face and purring affectionately.
“What time is your class tomorrow?” Nakago asked.
“Err, I have one class at 9.00 a.m. and another at 2.30 p.m. Doushite, Nakago senpai?”
“Betsuni,” Nakago looked away at first, then stole a look at his watch and said, “Oh, I gotta go. My meeting starts an hour later. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow morning, OK? Sayonara, Yui-san.”
As she watched Nakago disappear out of sight, she was torn between wanting to slap Chichiri silly for making such an embarrassing act like that in front of her dream prince or kiss and hug him for bringing the gap between her and Nakago closer.
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