Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 13 13. Morning Run

When Masumi was in elementary school, he adopted a stray cat.

He said he adopted the cat, but in reality, he was just feeding it unilaterally. His father didn't allow him to keep pets at home, so he built a cat bed in a nearby park with cardboard boxes and blankets to take in the stray cat.

It was a black cat, thin and graceful, like a lingering dark cloud, coming and going without a trace, appearing only when Masumi fed it regularly.

It was a very wary wild cat that would keep its distance from human kindness. It took Masumi a long time to get it to let down its guard, and the cat would reveal its soft belly to him after it was satisfied.

I don't know when it suddenly disappeared.

For young Masumi, this was his first experience of separation.

He felt betrayed at first. He had taken such good care of it, been so close to it, and they had such a tacit understanding, so why did it just disappear like that?

This feeling quickly turned into worry, wondering if it had encountered some misfortune, malice from humans or its own kind, or an unexpected traffic accident.

When he grew up, Masumi heard people say, "When a cat feels that its death is approaching, it will quietly leave its owner."

The biological view seems to be that cats are particularly sensitive and defensive animals. In their genetic consciousness, when they feel weak and unable to deal with danger, they will seek out a place they believe is safe and secluded to hide.

Masumi could no longer remember whether the cat had any signs of death. Perhaps that was not the case at all, but he was still willing to believe this explanation.

Playing with a calico cat named "Tama" on a street corner with Rinone brought back these memories for some reason.

On the way back to the store, Masumi and Rinone didn't have any conversation.

All the way back to the stars in silence.

Recalling the conversation throughout the day and the girl's ambiguous "thank you" at the end, Masumi felt that he and Kamishiro got along quite well today and there was no longer the tension that they had when they first met.

After all, they are colleagues and live under the same roof. If the atmosphere is always tense, it will definitely be very painful.

But what did that thank you refer to? The secret to entertaining cats? Or perhaps accompanying her to the shopping mall?

The most likely thing is the renovation plan for the coffee shop.

Hopefully it will go well.

"..."

Having soaked in the bathtub for too long without realizing it, Masumi felt a little dizzy. He stood up from the water, drained the hot water, and cleaned the bathtub.

As comfortable as soaking in a bathtub is, cleaning it is also as painful.

After cleaning, Masumi stretched his waist and immediately picked up the bath towel to wipe his body.

As he smoothed his bangs to dry them, he realized his hair had gotten a bit long and was difficult to manage. Masumi figured he should go to the barber shop at the end of the month.

After drying his hair with a hair dryer, he changed his clothes, walked out of the bathroom and went straight back to his room.

It was around 9:30, still early, but I felt sleepy as soon as I fell into bed.

Masumi closed his eyes and took a shallow breath. The events of the day played in his mind like a series of film frames. For some reason, they were all trivial scenes.

When they came out of the parking lot near the hospital, they passed by a woman holding a bouquet of flowers. She probably thought that Rin and Masumi, who were carrying fruits, were of the same kind, so she nodded slightly and greeted them. Masumi thought it was not directed at her, so she did not respond in time.

I bought fried noodles and bread from the vending machine for lunch. The red ginger was too salty and the bread was a bit too solid. If I had known earlier, I would have bought a melon bun like Kamiyo.

There was a light novel on the bookstore shelf that I took a second look at because of its nonsensical title; while taking a walk in the evening, I saw an untied garbage bag on the trash can that attracted crows.

The movie, which was pieced together from fragments of life, passed by quickly, and at the end, the figure of Kamishiro Rin suddenly appeared.

He saw the profile of Kamiyo Rinone pulling at his arm as the bicycle passed by.

I saw the back of Kamishiro Rin'in, meowing at a calico cat under the streetlight.

what is this?
Masumi opened his eyes, and the moonlight filtering through the curtains allowed him to see the ceiling.

The figure of Kamiyo Rin seemed to be reflected in the glass, fluttering towards him like a butterfly among flowers.

Masumi was sure that he didn't have any unnecessary feelings, perhaps because the sudden change in his new life left a deep impression.

He closed his eyes again, composed himself, emptied his mind, and fell into a deep sleep.

◇

The next day, Masumi woke up very early. His cheek, exposed from the quilt, touched the cold air in the room. He half-opened his eyes and looked at the screen of his mobile phone.

6:22, Friday, April 4th.

Although the regular holiday is over, the week starting from today will be renovation days, so I still don’t have to work and can stay in bed until the workers come.

However, Masumi was the kind of person who found it difficult to fall asleep again once he woke up, so he no longer lingered in bed, but lifted the quilt and changed his clothes.

I went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. I looked much better today than yesterday.

The body also feels full of energy due to adequate sleep.

In order to make full use of this energy, Masumi decided to start jogging in the morning from today.

Just set a goal of... 10 kilometers!
I dug out my high school sportswear from a junk room. Even though five years have passed, it still fits me perfectly. It's just that it's a bit weird to be wearing it now that I'm an adult.

But let's just make do with it for now.

Masumi zipped up her red tracksuit jacket and did some simple warm-up exercises.

The cool morning air seeped in from my collar and caressed my skin.

There were few people on the streets in the early morning. Masumi felt that the morning atmosphere seemed to be stagnant. It was so quiet that he seemed to be able to hear the sound of the tide. It was not until he passed by a nearby small park and saw a few elderly people walking their dogs that he felt the deserted air begin to flow.

Passing by the bus stop, office workers in suits and ties were already standing on the platform in groups of three or four, with their heads hung.

Whenever this happened, he would think to himself that life is really not an easy thing.

After running for about twenty minutes, Masumi felt the heat deep inside his body. The T-shirt under his jacket stuck to his skin due to sweat. His thighs felt heavy, his calves were tight, and he was shivering constantly.

He took a deep breath, and the alveoli in his lungs expanded, draining the oxygen inside, making breathing painful.

I can't take it anymore. My body is so hot and my throat is so dry.

Masumi panted heavily, unzipping his jacket due to the sweat. He couldn't stop to rest immediately after the intense exercise, so he held onto his waist and walked slowly instead.

We walked along the gentle slope to the beach. The boundless Seto Inland Sea, illuminated by the morning light, appeared as colorful as soda pop.

Stopping in front of the vending machine, Masumi stared at the new fruit and vegetable juices displayed side by side with the promotional slogans.

Although I am curious about the taste, it is better to replenish water and electrolytes after exercise.

Masumi bought a bottle of Pocari Sweat like normal, unscrewing the cap and drinking. His thirsty body was gradually soaked in the water. The water that spilled from the corners of his mouth flowed down his chest, mixing with the sweat. He zipped up his pants again, thinking he might catch a cold.

Sitting on the bench to rest, Masumi rolled up his trouser legs and gently massaged his calves.

I have overestimated my ability a bit. I should reduce the distance from 10 kilometers to 5 kilometers. After all, there is still a long way to go.

The bottle of Pocari Sweat mineral water in my hand has become warm due to the warmth of my body temperature.

After resting for a while, he walked back to the vending machine and threw in a 100-yen coin. "Click", the vegetable juice in the paper box fell into the vending machine.

In the end, I still care about the taste of this drink.

"puff--"

I put in a straw and took a sip, and almost spit it out.

Masumi vowed never to be curious about new drinks again.

He glanced at his phone. It was 7:10. It was time to go back to the store for breakfast. Jogging back would take about half an hour.

Holding the lighter water bottle and vegetable juice in his hands, Masumi returned the way he came.

(End of this chapter)