Margot looked up with her tea-green eyes. It was as if she understood human language. But Koga was mistaken.
That night, Margot cried incessantly. Meow, meow, meow. It was useless to cover his ears or bury his head under the duvet. Should I kick Margot out of the room? Or should I try to sleep in the bedroom or living room? But he couldn’t do that after having made a big fuss about sleeping with the cat. As a result, Koga went without a wink of sleep for the second night in a row.
He gave Natsue a shock that morning when she saw him in the bathroom.
“You look terrible. If you’re not feeling well, maybe you should take the day off work.”
Koga groaned. “I have a meeting today, so I can’t take the day off. But please take care of Margot for me. I haven’t been able to do anything,” he replied.
“That’s fine, but be careful. You seem shaky.”
“I’m okay. I’m okay…” Koga laughed, his eyes rolling back.
Meow, meow, meow. I like it! I like it! Red panties, I like it!
Meow, meow, meow. I like that picture! I also like that red bra!
“Sir? Excuse me, sir?”
The voice came from somewhere in the distance. Koga smiled lazily. It’s too loud here. I’m busy liking things right now. He felt like he was floating on air. He felt so good.
“Sir!”
Someone was shaking his shoulders. Koga’s eyes flew open. A station attendant peered into his face.
“Huh?”
“Sir, we’ve reached the last stop.”
“O-oh no,” he stammered as he rushed to get off the train.
He stood dumbfounded on the platform of an unfamiliar station. He had meant to get off at the stop after Kyoto Station but appeared to have missed it. Feeling dizzy, he had hopped onto the local train to avoid the crowds on the express—that had been a mistake. He glanced at his watch, worried he might not make it to work on time.
“Huh?”
No, that can’t be. He rubbed his eyes. My eyes must be blurry from sleep deprivation. But no matter how many times he looked at his watch, it said the same thing. The large clock in the station indicated that it was past ten o’clock. He had traveled through Kyoto to Osaka and ended up in Hyogo Prefecture. He was seriously late for work.
He could see the blue sky from the platform, and the sun shone brightly upon him. This made sense; the sun was already high in the sky. He gazed up for a while, but time wasn’t going to turn back. With resolve, he made a call to his office. He had no choice but to lie about having to take the morning off due to a sudden health problem.
What a disgrace. And it’s all because of that quack doctor. Clenching his jaw in frustration, he boarded the express train back to Kyoto. He needed to give that doctor a piece of his mind. He transferred trains and dashed through Kyoto’s narrow streets to reach Nakagyō Kokoro Clinic for the Soul.
Chitose sat at the reception window, looking unconcerned.
“Mr. Koga, we provided you with a ten-day course of cat to take.”
“ ‘Ten-day course’? You’re speaking about it like it’s actual medication.” Koga gritted his teeth. “I know I’m also to blame for getting carried away, but thanks to Margot, I haven’t been able to sleep at all.”
“If you wish to change the cat, please speak with the doctor. Please proceed to the examination room.”
Koga swallowed his words in frustration at the nurse’s curt response. He didn’t like cold people like her. With a heavy heart, he walked into the examination room.
The curtains flew open and the young doctor entered, smiling.
“Hello, Mr. Koga. Seems like you got some good sleep.”
“What?” Koga had cooled off somewhat, but he felt his anger bubble up at the doctor’s lighthearted attitude. “What are you talking about? For two days, that cat has kept me awake with her constant meowing, and I couldn’t sleep a wink!”
“Not a wink, you say?”
“Yes, not a wink!”
“That’s strange,” the doctor said, cocking his head in contemplation. “Mr. Koga, your hair is disheveled, your clothes are wrinkled, and there are traces of drool around your mouth. Given your appearance, I’d have thought you’d been sound asleep until just a moment ago. Your complexion looks good, as if you’re well-rested…But I see, not a wink of sleep in two days. Is that right?” The doctor kept tilting his head in disbelief.
Koga stood mouth agape at the doctor’s observation of his disheveled, just-woken-up appearance. He should have looked in the mirror in the train station restroom before coming here. It was true that for several hours on the train, he had been lulled into a slumber so comfortable it made up for the sleep deprivation he had experienced over the past couple of days.
“How about your dreams?”
Koga was startled by the doctor’s question. “Wh-what do you mean?”
“Your dreams. You mentioned that you always heard someone’s voice in your dreams. Did the cat help you with that?” the doctor asked casually.
“That’s…”
Come to think of it, because he had been kept awake for the last two nights, he hadn’t been haunted by dreams. Before coming to the clinic, he had been plagued daily by nightmares of Hinako’s high-pitched I like its accompanied by mocking and scornful laughter.
The dream he’d had on the train had been unusually pleasant. He had been giving people thumbs-ups and I like its without resistance. Natsue, Emiri, Hinako, and the call center workers had all appeared in his dream. They had all smiled with delight as Koga voiced his approval.
