The Fourteen Years I Spent as a Cat

Chapter 7: The girly's exam and graduation

When the girly’s last sports day ended, it was the true start of her studies towards her university examinations.

She would study every day, and even when she came back home, she would lock herself in her room, continuing to study.

“Don’t… push yourself too hard.”

The woman says, worried about the girly.

The man took advantage of his continuous breaks to invite the girly out for a relaxing drive or an overnight stay. He went looking for lodges that allowed for pets so that I could go along with them. Even as excited and keen for the family trip as the girly was, she would always carry her flashcards with her, and take a look at them whenever she had the time.

The foe of summer, that is to say, the heat.

In the summer, the girly would pretty much only study in the living room where the aircon was usually on, and strongest. Since the man seemed to have also graduated from a famous university, he would help the girly out with her studies. The woman would always choose a good time to come in, signaling their break, bringing with her a cold dessert or drink.

Next to her, was the cushion I always used. Whenever she would get stuck somewhere in her studies, she would pat the one sitting next to her, me, and once she understood what she had been stuck on, she would turn back towards the table, rinse and repeat.

“Good work, Kuro.”

After the girly had left for an early bath, the man said to me, who was glancing at the notes, textbooks and worksheets laid across the table.

Even I, who would always take a nap in the afternoon, had started to pretty much only sleep in the early mornings and nights after the girly began her university exam studies. Since my body had gotten older, and aged, I would like a little more sleep, but it wasn’t like I needed a lot.

I wanted to do something for the girly.

I replied back to him with a, “You too.”

Apart from the mornings, the man would always accompany the girly to study regardless what day it was.

Speaking of which, it seems like he’s starting to get a few white hairs recently. And if I was to look real careful then, I could also see tiny wrinkles around the man’s gratified, and smiling eyes.

Seeing that the man seems to have also matured and aged, made me feel extremely emotional.

However, compared to me, the man was still young. With how old my physical body was, it was still reasonable for me to call him the young one.

Time has taken a toll on both of us huh, young one.

I say to the man, and let out a yawn.

Tying up her light brown hair, the woman came in with a refreshing-looking outfit called a one piece, and placed a glass with ice in it, in front of the man.

“It’s Darjeeling tea.”

“Thanks.”

The man gave a down-to-earth thanks, and took a sip. The woman let a graceful smile surface and called to me, “Come over here, Kuro-chan.”

I followed behind the woman who had come out. In the place where my dish for drinking water was placed, was a cool glass.

Inside it was a water and ice, and a clear sound rang out as the ice hit each other.

“Kuro-chan, you did great.”

I gave a heartfelt thanks to the woman for her care.

Giving the water a try, I felt relief for my dry throat.