Bee meowed and gently rubbed against Jinnai’s leg as he bent down to give her a friendly pat on the forehead.
“All right, all right. You were locked in, you poor thing,” said Jinnai, turning to leave the room with the cat in his arms.
“Please help me, too,” Shuta pleaded. “I can’t move.”
“What? Don’t be a brat.”
“Boss,” said Kōsuke. He peered down at Shuta in bed and laughed. “Didn’t I tell you that I also couldn’t get out of bed after the first day because my muscles were sore?”
“Young people these days are so weak. You’re too skinny. I’ll treat you to barbecue next time. You need to put on more muscle.”
Shuta didn’t want to eat barbecue later on. He’d rather do something about his sore muscles right now. He shook his body in an effort to rise, but it was hopeless. He heard Jinnai tut at him.
“Hey, Kōsuke, I’ll wait in the car. Get the kid out of bed.” He left the room, Bee still splayed in his arms.
Kōsuke helped Shuta to his feet and Shuta somehow managed to get dressed.
“Thank you, Kōsuke.”
“No worries. But you’re so lucky. I once pretended not to be home, and the boss kicked down my door and dragged me to work. I wonder if having a cat makes that big of a difference. Maybe I should get a cat, too.”
“That cat’s not mine. I’m just taking care of her for now.”
To reveal that he’d been prescribed a cat would only make things more complicated, so Shuta kept the thought to himself as he picked up the pet carrier.
“Oh, you don’t need that anymore,” said Kōsuke.
“But I’ll have to put her in this when I bring her home. I can’t carry her in my arms all the way.”
“A fancy pet carrier was delivered to the office first thing this morning. Along with some kind of fluffy cushion.”
“Oh…Isn’t that going a bit far? If they adore cats that much, they ought to get their own.”
He followed Kōsuke out of the room. He walked in a bowlegged stance.
“I heard they used to have one.”
“Oh, I see. I wonder if their cat died.”
“Maybe.”
“If so, they should get a new cat.”
Instead of spending money on a freeloading cat, it would be much better for the Jinnais to have their own. Whatever the case, for the time being, he still needed to take Bee to the office. If that would keep his boss from kicking down his door, so much the better.
“Our work today’s going to be even tougher than yesterday’s.” Kōsuke grinned.
Shuta shuddered.
Shuta carried Bee to the office every morning in the pet carrier Jinnai had bought. The sturdy, multifunctional, and stylish carrier looked much more expensive than the briefcase Shuta had carried while working at the brokerage firm. As soon as Shuta left Bee with Satsuki, the female part-timers at the office would surround her.
“Ever since this cat joined us, work’s been so much more fun. Let’s keep her in the office, Satsuki,” said one of the women.
“Yes, we should. She’s so gentle and friendly, even the boss approves. Bee-Bee, you’re so cute,” said another.
Even when the staff fussed over her, Bee remained unfazed. Sometimes, she’d rub up against them in a friendly manner; other times, she perched atop a shelf and refused to come down.
It was clear that when Bee was around, Jinnai was in a good mood. It wasn’t only Jinnai. Though she didn’t show it, Satsuki was also quite the cat lover. The fluffy cat bed sat at Satsuki’s feet, but Bee didn’t sleep in it. Instead, she buried herself inside the cardboard boxes piled up against the office wall, with her backside facing out.
Feeling somewhat guilty, Shuta said to the cat, “Bee, you’d be so much more comfortable on the bed instead of in that tattered box.”
“No way,” Satsuki said as she filled out a payment slip. “Cats only do what they like.”
“But you went to the trouble of buying her such a nice bed.”
“It’s okay. This also has a heating pad. It’ll get cold in a little while, and then she won’t want to leave it.”
The workday hadn’t officially begun yet, so the part-time clerks were still chatting among themselves, but Satsuki was already working at her desk. She was demanding but diligent.
It had been a week since Shuta had started working for the construction company. After about three days, the soreness in his body had subsided, but he was still exhausted. However, the pay was generous, so he would eventually save up enough money for the car repairs. But Bee had been prescribed to him for only ten days. By the time the weather turned cold, she’d be long gone.
“Did you use to have a cat?” Shuta asked Satsuki.
“We did. He passed away five years ago, but he had a long life. He was nineteen when he died. Remarkable, isn’t it?”
Shuta didn’t know cats could live that long. They must have taken good care of the cat, he thought. Well, if they love cats that much…
