Bid her good-bye…
Dr. Suda had mentioned it on the day she adopted Chitose. Back then, she thought she was prepared. But she hadn’t been prepared at all. She was lonely, sad, and desperately holding on. It was only because Chitose had abruptly disappeared that she was able to avoid a painful farewell. Even then, after Chitose disappeared, Abino had clung on.
But now she was going to let go.
Abino closed her eyes. A calico with a bent tail. Shiny fur. The white blaze from her forehead to her snout. Chitose was proud and thoughtful. There was a strong determination in her eyes, and she was graceful even in the way she showed affection. When they were together, Abino hadn’t been able to utter any of this, even to herself, but she had so many things she wanted to say to Chitose.
We were together for only a short time, but I was happy. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. Thank you for coming to me.
I love you. I love you. Thank you.
Good-bye. I love you. I love you.
When she opened her eyes, she saw that the doctor’s eyes were closed. She thought he had deliberately remained silent to wait for her to calm down, but a moment later, he began to sway from side to side.
“Doctor?”
“Huh?” The doctor opened his eyes. “Oh, you’re done?”
“Y-yes.”
“I see. Great. Now you don’t have to come back here anymore. Take care.”
Abino left the examination room. The waiting room was empty. She recalled the numerous photos plastered on the walls of Suda Animal Hospital’s waiting room and the owners sitting alongside their cats on a long bench. While the owners would exchange only brief greetings, the cats in their carriers might have shared a deeper connection. Perhaps Chitose and Nikké had had a conversation of their own.
The nurse was seated at the reception desk. Abino gave a slight nod. As she was about to turn the doorknob, a voice called out from behind her. “You said ‘forever and ever.’ ”
“What?”
When Abino turned around, she saw that the nurse wore a composed expression but kept her gaze downward. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you forever and ever.” She then looked up and smiled thinly. “Take care.”
“Oh.”
She left the building, confused. When she looked up, she saw the blue sky high above her. As she walked down the alley, she placed a call.
“Hi, Yuriha. Mimita’s apparently going to be at a shopping mall in Kusatsu. I thought I’d head there now…Do you want to come with me?…But what about work?…Oh, you’re asking Mother?…Yes, sure. Let’s fetch him together.”
She made her way through the narrow alley and emerged onto the main street. The grid of roads had a way of disorienting her. She often managed to get lost, even on familiar routes.
But today she was looking toward the future. So she wasn’t going to get lost.
Nikké found himself alone in the narrow examination room. He sat in his chair, gazing up at the ceiling. This was where he was born and raised. Though it looked different now, he could never forget the scent. Back then he had had many companions, but he had eventually ended up all alone. He closed his eyes and quietly let the loneliness pass.
The curtains flew open. Startled, he almost fell off his chair.
Chitose shot him a cool, piercing look.
“What are you doing, Dr. Nikké?” she asked.
“I should be asking you that. Why are you still here, Chitose?”
“If I’m not here, who will handle reception? Who will take care of the cats? Who will look after you?”
“I’ll figure something out. Despite my appearance, I’m quite capable, you know.”
“Sure, sure, sure.” Chitose looked appalled. “If I don’t watch you, you’ll be napping constantly. Even with your cat prescriptions, you don’t put in much thought each time, do you? It’s worked out well so far, but what are you going to do if a cat with nowhere else to go isn’t welcomed in?”
“Don’t worry. I always observe the cats and the people closely before writing my prescriptions.”
“Is that true? Aren’t you relying on luck and intuition?”
Chitose acted like she could see through everything. Nikké looked down sulkily.
“That’s not— Anyway, your patient already came by, so you don’t have to worry about me anymore.”
“What are you saying? After all this time?” Chitose sighed deeply, looking exasperated. “Whether we like it or not, we’re a bonded pair, Dr. Nikké. I’ll stick around until your patients come.”
“Well, yeah, but…” He couldn’t stop his lips from curling into a big smile.
There was a noise coming from the entrance. Someone was calling out. Chitose glanced briefly through the gap in the curtains.
“Oh, looks like we have a patient. Hopefully, it’s the one with an appointment,” she said.
“I don’t think so. It sounded like a woman,” said the doctor. “Seems like word is spreading about us through the grapevine. I don’t even have time to nap anymore.”
“What are you saying? You were just napping a moment ago.”
