“Oh, wow.” The words escaped Tomoka’s lips unconsciously. She couldn’t help but tremble at the cat’s cuteness. It rested its front paws on the door of the carrier.
The paw pads.
Each roundish white paw was adorned with four pink adzuki bean–sized bumps, and in the center was a small Mount Fuji–like mound. Despite its being fluffy all over, the undersides of the cat’s paws were fleshy.
The cat stared intently back at Tomoka with its blue eyes while flicking its paw back and forth. Let me out of here. That was what it seemed to be pleading. Tomoka reached for the carrier. Just as she was about to open it, the doctor returned.
“What is it? Is something wrong?”
“N-no. I didn’t do— I would never touch a cat without permission. I always do the right thing. By the way, what do you want me to do with this cat? Don’t tell me you think this will provide me emotional support or something.”
“Emotional support? That’s ridiculous. Cats don’t provide emotional support. They just sit there and do whatever they like. But they do say ‘A cat is the root of all illnesses.’ Or wait, was it ‘the cure for all illnesses’?” The doctor tilted his head.
Whether it was “root” or “cure” made all the difference.
“Oh no, am I still drunk? Anyway, cats can cure most things. In this bag, you’ll find supplies and an instruction leaflet—please make sure to read it carefully when you get home. This cat packs a punch right from the get-go, so don’t get startled. You’ll gradually get used to it. Ms. Takamine, are you listening to me?”
The doctor’s question caught Tomoka off guard. Her attention had been absorbed by the cat’s blue eyes. “Y-yes, I’m listening, of course. I always listen to people properly. So, I can keep this cat for two weeks?”
“Yes, you may. Now, take care.” The doctor smiled brightly.
Clutching the paper bag and pet carrier, Tomoka left the examination room. The nurse was sleeping with her mouth open at the reception window. How sloppy, thought Tomoka.
When she looked inside the paper bag, she found a cheap-looking bowl and a package of unbranded kibble. She decided to read the instruction leaflet.
Name: Tank. Male. Two years old. American shorthair. Feed moderate amounts of cat food in the morning and at night. Water bowl must always be full. Clean kitty litter as needed. Due to his energetic nature, it’s important to provide him with a sufficient amount of space indoors, and do remove any hazardous objects from his reach. He needs at least thirty minutes of exercise each day. If this is not possible, please equip him with toys so he can play alone. That’s all.
Tomoka raised an eyebrow. The cat in the carrier was fluffy. She knew only as much about cats as the average person, but no matter how she looked at it, this cat was not an American shorthair.
“How careless are they?”
Seething with anger, Tomoka glared at the sleeping nurse. This food, this instruction leaflet—all useless. I’m going to do my own research on how to take care of this cat properly.
The cat started to scratch at the door of the carrier. Tomoka caught a glimpse of his tiny paw pads.
She let out a sigh and rushed home.
Ten days later, Tomoka, Junko, and Mitsuki, the senior assistant whom Junko had somehow convinced to come back, were meeting about their new collection on the store’s second floor. They exchanged thoughts on the many sketches laid out on the table, each showcasing designs that varied in style and price point.
As Tomoka contemplated the sketch of a leather shoulder bag she had designed, she murmured, “What about a cat print?”
“Cat?”
“Yes, cat.”
“It’s not a bad idea, but won’t it deviate from our theme for this collection—‘everyday accessories for the working woman’?” asked Junko doubtfully.
Indeed. Tomoka looked at the sketches side by side. They were using soft, lightweight leather for the bag, and it was capacious enough to fit A4-sized documents. It could be decorated with feminine charms like fringe or tassels, and besides their store’s classic colors, they were producing the bag in a limited-edition dusty rose. A versatile style suitable for both professional and personal use. If a cute cat print was added to the design, it instantly became more casual and deviated from their theme. She understood that without being told.
“Exactly. It’s supposed to be a capacious bag that’s formal enough to take to a last-minute business meeting. Even in professional settings, women always carry a lot of things in their bags. Plus, it has to fulfill our ideal customer’s desire to be chic.”
“Yeah, that sounds good. So, among these design sketches—”
“What if we incorporate a cat print into the designs?” asked Tomoka.
The seriousness of Tomoka’s tone caused Junko to swivel around and look at her. “Oh, boy, you’re repeating yourself now. What’s the deal? Why are you insisting on the cat print?” she asked.
“Won’t adding prints or embossing make the bags less work appropriate? And a cat print especially feels too cutesy,” added Mitsuki.
Cats are too cutesy. That’s for sure. Tomoka bit her lip.
“You’re right. It’s too cutesy, way too cutesy…but what if we make the print monochrome?”
“It won’t work,” said Junko and Mitsuki simultaneously.
Tomoka frowned. “You guys don’t need to gang up on me. I get it. Let’s just stick to our original theme: everyday accessories for the working woman.”
She knew they were right. At the very least, she wasn’t going to be able to insert cats into this new collection. But her mind tended to wander in that direction, and she’d catch herself drawing cat ears and paw pads with the stylus of her graphics tablet.
And she noticed cats everywhere: TV commercials, the Internet, cat-themed merchandise. She hadn’t realized how this world was so full of cats until now. Her cat obsession had even led her to confuse a plastic bag stuck in some bushes outside the office for a white cat just the other day.
Junko seemed to have noticed the recent change in Tomoka. Just yesterday, she’d caught Tomoka going up to the plastic bag with a big grin on her face.
When Mitsuki headed downstairs to assist customers, Junko came up to Tomoka with a worried expression.
“Did you go to the clinic I told you about the other day?”
