“Excuse me?” said Shuta.
“Please wait in the examination room,” the nurse said coolly.
Shuta picked up the pet carrier and made his way past the sofa in the waiting room before settling into the cramped examination room.
He felt the weight of the carrier pressing into his lap. The cat couldn’t seem to sit still. He knew it wasn’t the cat’s fault, but still, he was seething. The curtains flew open and the doctor appeared.
“Oh, Mr. Kagawa. You’re back. What brings you around today?”
When Shuta saw the doctor’s good-natured smile, he exploded. “I’ve been fired! From my job! Because of this, this cat!”
He clutched the edge of the carrier. The cat must have sensed the tension, for she hissed threateningly inside the carrier.
“Well, that’s good to hear,” the doctor said, laughing a little.
Shuta’s eyes widened.
“G-good to hear?”
“Didn’t you want to quit your job? You’ve solved your problem. I knew this cat was right for you. She’s very effective.”
The doctor beamed with satisfaction while Shuta tried to regain his composure.
Nope. It’s stupid even to be taking this seriously. In the first place, I haven’t been treated for anything. But I should at least make my grievances known.
Shuta lifted the carrier from his lap and placed it on the desk.
“I never wanted to quit my job. I came to you for help because I didn’t want to leave. It’s a prestigious company!”
The doctor tilted his head.
“Did you not say working for your company was like working at a sweatshop?”
“All companies are like that. No company, large or small, is perfect.”
Shuta was astonished with himself for defending his lousy company. But this was what his friends had told him. It’s the same everywhere. At least you’re being well paid. You’re asking for too much, they’d said. So he’d told himself the same and had held out somehow. He felt depressed just thinking about it.
“It’s downright unfair. I was fired, just like that. What was the point of putting up with everything all this time?”
“Well…” The doctor looked at his watch. “My next patient hasn’t shown up yet. If you want to talk, I’m all ears.”
Shuta felt exhausted all of a sudden. This clinic was unlike any other. His cries of pain and tears did not even earn a superficial show of sympathy. But maybe this was preferable to a hollow pretense of concern. An inscrutable smile adorned the doctor’s face as he sat, legs crossed in front of him.
“There were no issues when I first brought the cat home,” explained Shuta. “Bee slept soundly. I fed her breakfast in the morning and went to work as usual.”
Yes. It had been only that first night Bee had provided solace. After that, it was a repeat of the usual. A toxic workplace wasn’t so simple for a cat to fix.
Cats were unexpectedly straightforward.
Shuta had smiled as he observed Bee eating her food. He’d wondered if he would wake up to find the room in utter chaos, but such concerns proved groundless. Shuta had found the cat curled up under the table. She hadn’t been up to any mischief. When Shuta got up, Bee immediately came over to him. Has she already grown attached to me after only one day? Or is she trained to be that way?
As he made his way to the bathroom, he noticed the cat trailing behind him.
“What’s up? Do you want some food?”
He looked down at Bee, who was rubbing her head against his shin. With her triangular ears flattened against her head, she nuzzled Shuta’s leg with surprising strength. Just a few hours ago, Shuta had been afraid to touch the cat for fear of being scratched, but he couldn’t ignore her now that she was being so affectionate.
He touched Bee’s forehead with his fingers and found it silky. What a peculiar texture. He’d imagined the cat to have fur like fine bristles on a hairbrush, but the reality was entirely different. As the cat looked up, their eyes met, and he instinctively retracted his hand in concern. But the cat stretched her neck and pressed her cheek against him, then burrowed more insistently into Shuta’s palm.
“Wow, you’re so soft and fluffy.”
But she wasn’t floppy like a stuffed animal. She was firm and solid under his hand. What does she feel like? A fluffy…tennis ball?
Her fur looked short, but her coat was thick enough to run his hand through it. Her undercoat was downy and white. Upon closer inspection, her topcoat, which had looked plain gray yesterday, revealed a subtle blend of brown that formed a gentle marbled pattern.
What a beauty you are.
Bee pressed gently but persistently until he gave her more pets. After a few moments on his hands and knees, he went to prepare her food and water before attending to his own needs. It seemed that having a pet disrupted the flow of one’s daily routine.
“Maybe it’s not such a bad thing.”
Shuta crouched down on his elbows to observe Bee up close as she ate. Thanks to a restful night’s sleep, he felt lighter than he had in a long time. But the desire to avoid going to work lingered.
But if I can make it through today…
That was his morning mantra. If he could get through today, tomorrow would be easier. He wasn’t going to quit.
