A Whisker Away: A Dog's Tale (ONGOING)

Whisker 4: Akio

Whisker 4 | Cat Mask Seller
[Neiko POV]

"Neiko-chan..."

"Neiko-chan~"

I slowly opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was the cat figure I saw earlier.

"W-where am I?" I asked. I'm still feeling dizzy, probably due to finding Kazuya...

"Kazuya?!" I shouted when I remembered what I'm supposed to do. "Where is he?"

"Didn't the dog answered you?" the cat figure said. I stared at him.

Is he...

"Are you the one who abducted Kazuya?!"

"Oi," the cat figure halted. "I'm here to help you, meow." He grinned at me again. "I'm not like the previous Cat Mask Seller!"

I stayed silent for a moment. No matter how I think about it, I don't understand a thing he said. What does he mean by Cat Mask Seller? And, previous? And... how is a cat like him able to talk to me so fluently?

I blinked twice, "Are you sure?"

I'm still growing suspicion over his character. I just met this so-called Cat Mask Seller and he seemed to give the type of troubling energy.

"How can you help me?" I continued. I remember Shiba said Dog Island. It's where Kazuya is. But, how can this Cat Mask Seller take me to that Dog Island if he is a cat.

I shook my head before he can answer, "Nevermind that." I stood up and cleaned my dress.

"Why, meow?"

"I don't need your help." I firmly said. I can't just simply trust someone I just met for the first time. He may take me somewhere else instead of going to Dog Island. Plus...

Mom may be worried of me by now.

"I'm leaving," I said before going out from the bushes where we were hiding.

"But, our agreement, meow."

I turned back, "We never had an agreement. I'll continue looking for Kazuya with all I can."

"I told you, meow. He's on Dog Island, meow!"

I ran away from him as fast as I could until I reached home. Outside, I saw oka-san with a worried face, waiting for my return. She instantly pulled me close and hugged me tightly.

"How are you, Neiko? Are you hurt? How is the search?" she asked continuously. I can sense how she's worried for me and for Kazuya. That made me smile a bit.

"No luck, oka-san..." I said hopelessly.

She sighed and told me to go inside and have dinner. It was already midnight yet she didn't say a word about how I was really late.

"Oka-san, how is father?" I asked to break the silence.

She was still washing the dishes before turning on me, "He's resting well." I just smiled from her response before gobbling up the food, realizing how I neglected the fact that I'm hungry from all the search.



"Yoshi," I called my cat once I got up in my bedroom. I saw her sitting beside the window, looking from a distance. She turned to come to my position and snuggled between my feet.

"How are you?" I asked sweetly. She just meowed back. "I'm sorry I'm not able to find Kazuya..."

I carried her and safely put her on my bed. As I sat beside her, she was really staring at me as if she was hiding something in her mind.

"Can you... still talk?"

She blinked twice. The moment Shiba talked to me is still fresh in my mind. If Shiba can, I'm wondering if Yoshi can do the same.