The three girls tossed their schoolbags aside and became completely engrossed. The kittens yawned and batted their tiny paws against their heads, looking absolutely adorable. The vacant lot was filled with vibrant yellow dandelions. Some had already turned into fluffy white puffs. The kittens appeared as fluffy as those white puffs.
Reiko was the first to touch the cats; she was the girls’ leader, and was bright and smart. She picked up one of the cats—so white and pure—from the box. Their friend Mami also picked up a cat. With both of her friends’ eyes saying It’s your turn, Megumi nervously picked up the last kitten from the box.
The cat was astonishingly light and soft. Its fur, so fine that it looked like it could be blown away, stood on end. It was almost entirely white except for a hint of black fur on one of its ears. Its nose was a faint shade of pink, while its eyes were large.
For a while, the three girls simply held the cats, but after a while, Reiko stood up.
“I’m going to adopt this cat.”
“What?” Megumi and Mami exchanged glances.
“Sure, I’ll take it in. I feel bad for them,” Reiko said. She looked down at her friends, who were still crouching. “I’ll beg my mom to let me keep it. You should both do that, too.”
“But…” Megumi, with cat still in hand, lowered her head. “I don’t think my mom would let me. Our house is small, and all.”
“You won’t know unless you ask. My mom works, you know. She’s a schoolteacher and busier than other moms.”
“That’s true, but…”
There were no pets at Megumi’s house. The closest thing was the rhinoceros beetle her little brother had brought home during the summer. Even that was left in an insect box by the front door, and who knew who took care of it. When she imagined her mother’s face, she knew there was no way she could bring the kitten home. But Reiko’s gaze was bearing down on her.
Mami stood up with determination. “I’ll adopt the cat. I’ll try asking my mom.”
“Mami, that’s so nice of you.”
“Yeah. I’d feel sorry for these cats if we didn’t do anything. If Mom says no, I’ll ask Dad.”
Megumi felt an invisible alliance forming between Reiko and Mami. She rose to her feet and made her own declaration. “I’ll adopt a cat, too. I’ll also ask my dad if my mom says no.”
“Really? Then let’s all take a cat.”
“Yeah, that sounds good. Let’s all take one.”
The joy of being acknowledged by Reiko filled Megumi with courage. The cat was stirring against her chest, but not enough to escape her grasp. Suddenly, she felt a sense of ownership over the cat.
“Hey, how about we name them?”
At Reiko’s suggestion, the three of them came up with names for the cats right then and there. Megumi decided to name her cat Yuki because it was, like its name, white as snow. It had some black fur on one of its ears, but Megumi found that endearing.
I’m going to look after Yuki. Megumi cradled the kitten to her chest.
When Megumi arrived home, she discovered that her mother, conveniently, was out. Taking advantage of the moment, she laid out a piece of newspaper inside the foyer and placed Yuki on it. Her younger brother, Yoshihito, who had come home from school earlier, stood at the top of the stairs, gaping in shock.
“Sis, are we getting a cat?”
“Yeah, we are. Isn’t she cute? Her name is Yuki.”
“Are you sure it’s okay? Mom’s going to be mad.”
Megumi glared at Yoshihito; he looked worried.
“Shut up!” she snapped. “Don’t worry, I’m taking care of the cat. You’re not allowed to touch her. She’s mine.”
Yoshihito immediately teared up at his sister’s rebuke. Her brother, only a year younger than she, was quick to cry.
“Oh, come on. You’re such a crybaby. Here—you can pet her.”
“Okay,” replied Yoshihito. He stepped into the foyer in his socks and crouched to admire the kitten. “She’s so small and cute.”
“Right?”
Together they gazed at little Yuki. Yuki was looking up at them, mewling as if she was complaining about something.
They heard a sound outside, and the front door slid open. Their mother, with grocery bags in both arms, was home. Her movements had become clumsy due to her protruding belly. In two months, another brother was going to join them.
Their mother let out a deep sigh. Then, her face turned pale. Her eyes had landed on the cat standing between Megumi and Yoshihito.
“Hey, wait a minute! What’s all this?”
Megumi was petrified by her mother’s sharp and booming voice. She had anticipated a mild admonition, but Yuki was so cute that she had naively believed her mother would be all smiles. Instead, she had responded with a fierce rejection.
“Go return it. Right now!” yelled her mother, bags still in hand.
“But, Mom, this poor little thing—”
“What were you thinking, bringing home a stray cat? We can’t keep it! Take it back to where you found it!” Her mother narrowed her eyes.
It wasn’t uncommon for Megumi to be scolded for not doing her homework or for fighting and hitting Yoshihito, but it was the first time she’d seen her mother this furious.
