The Strange Cat from Fuuto

What do you want?

"Chinchilla, Ragdoll, Siamese, Pharaoh, Tabby cat..."

She listed many different kinds of old men, but then she saw a look of weariness on Wakana's face.

"No need, Father. I'm not feeling well, I'll go back to my room first!"

"What a childish temper!"

The old man, with his hands behind his back, sighed helplessly.

Wakana went straight to Miku's room, but didn't see the person she wanted to see; the room was empty.

Wakana walked up to Miku's cat house, bent down and picked up Ichi's small clothes and saddle, staring blankly at the empty cat house.

The image of Miku speaking earnestly appeared in her mind, and his halting words echoed in her head.

..................

If one day...I...am...gone, what...what...would you...do...be...give up?"

"Are you...are you...looking for a...new generation...to replace...me?"

"How could that be? You're my family!"

"How could I just casually replace my family members?"

“Iggy, too… is… is the same!”

..................

"Is this how you feel, Miku?"

Wakana, clutching Iggy's saddle and clothes, sat on the thickly carpeted floor, hugging her knees.

A short while later, a low sob could be heard coming from the room.

"Then I'll leave him in your care!"

A gentle voice echoed in the dark room. Sherrard gave a soft "hmm" and then ignored it. Inside the box next to him was a thick layer of old clothes, and on the clothes lay a British Shorthair blue cat breathing evenly.

.......

The orange energy blast exploded violently, and in the rising flames, another blurry figure struggled incessantly, emitting painful cries.

"Iggy!"

Miku opened his eyes and wiped his wet paw pads with the old clothes he was wearing. In the dimly lit room, the simple furnishings could be vaguely seen.

The room was cramped and cluttered. A thick layer of dust covered the floor. Cobwebs were growing in the corners, and the windows were sealed shut with nailed wooden strips.

Miku, with practiced ease, jumped out of the cardboard box, walked to a nearby automatic feeder, pressed the button, and a handful of kibble fell from the feeder's spout.

He crunched on his cat food, occasionally taking a sip of water; his eyes, once full of life, were now dull and lifeless.

After eating and drinking his fill, he returned to the cardboard box, nestled in his thick old clothes, holding the dog tag on his chest, lost in memories.

"Are you just going to keep wallowing in this despair?"

Sherrard was standing in front of Miku at some point, his eyes, hidden behind sunglasses, showing no emotion whatsoever.

"What else...what else can we do?"

"Don't you want revenge on the Ensaki family?"

Miku wagged his tail but ignored it. He continued fiddling with the dog tag Iggy had left behind.

Sherrard left the room without saying a word, leaving Miku alone to continue fiddling with the dog tag.

Chapter 52: Wu Yan: Do you know how long I squatted outside the door to motivate you?

Miku, who was completely withdrawn, had no idea how long he had been there. He had no concept of time at all. He slept when he was tired, ate when he was hungry, and when he was awake, he continued to stroke Iggy's dog tag.

Miku stood in front of the feeder and waited for a long time, but not a single kibble fell.

"Tsk, you're done eating!"

With droopy eyelids, Miku casually drank some of the somewhat murky water from the basin and jumped back into the cardboard box.

Having shut himself off and closed himself off emotionally, he has now completely given up hope for his current situation!

Its fur was filthy and matted together, in some places even clumped together, with lice faintly visible. There was also some grime clinging to its rear end that hadn't been cleaned properly.

If it were the old Miku, she would have already jumped into the bathtub with a loud yelp.

Now, he doesn't care anymore!

They don't care anymore!

The EarthDrive and Sabertooth Memory were originally placed at the bottom of the cardboard box, but Miku, feeling a bit uncomfortable, tossed these two powerful items that he had previously valued highly aside.

It is now covered with a thin layer of dust.

"Squeak..."

The door outside was opened, and crisp footsteps approached. Miku, whose ears were merely tugged, rolled over and ignored it.

"Crack!"

"Splash!"

The plastic bag made a crisp, rustling sound, as if the newcomer had put something down. Then they sat down next to the cardboard box where Miku had been sitting.

"This is so unlike you!"

Kirihiko looked at Miku in the cardboard box with a smile and teased, "I remember you weren't like this before. You used to take eight showers a day!"

"Now, look at you!"

Even the stray cats rummaging through trash cans on the street are better than you!

Kirihiko's smile gradually faded as he looked at the cat in front of him with a hint of disappointment. Miku, however, completely ignored him, showing no interest whatsoever, not even in raising its tail.

"Miku, can't you cheer up a little?"

Kirihiko, who forcibly pulled Miku out of the cardboard box, snatched the necklace hanging around Miku's neck.

"Give it...give it back to me!"

Miku was very agitated when he saw his beloved dog tag being taken away by Wuyan. He opened his mouth and roared silently at Wuyan.

"Give it back to you?" Kirihiko stared directly into Miku's eyes. "You want it? Then beat me until I take it back!"

Kirihiko, who had thrown Miku to the ground, stood up and looked down at Miku. "Look at what you can do now?"

"You're like a piece of trash, slowly rotting and stinking here!"

Where did your former self go?

"Where were you when you were using my memory as a toy?"

"All you do now is eat and sleep all day long!"

Kirihiko, showing no mercy, loudly rebuked Miku without any consideration for her feelings.

"I've lost everything, just like you!"

"I lost my job, I lost my home, I lost my wife, I have nothing left!"

"Can you be any worse off than me?"

Miku lay sprawled on the ground like a lump of mud, tears welling in his eyes. His mouth opened and closed silently.

"Iggy is... is... gone, I... I... I have nothing left!"

"What else can I...what else can I do? Tell me...tell me...what else can I do?"

"Ah!"

Wu Yan threw the dog tag on the ground, walked to the door, and said to Miku with his back to her, "I've left you some food and drink!"

After leaving those two sentences, Wu Yan disappeared through the doorway, leaving Miku lying on the ground, tears streaming silently down her face.

Soon, the next day arrived. Feeling unbearably hungry, Miku picked up Iggy's dog tag, slowly walked to the feeder, stepped on it, and a slip of paper fell down.

"what is this?"

Miku unfolded the note, his eyes narrowed, and his body tensed upon seeing the information. He instinctively wanted to rush out, but then he paused, a hint of self-mockery in his voice: "What can I do now?"

Miku, chewing his cat food, made crunching noises. At that moment, he felt the cat food in his mouth was like pebbles, difficult to swallow. Miku glanced at the contents of the note again.

His eyes constantly revealed a range of emotions, including struggle, regret, resentment, and frustration.

In the end, it all turned into a long sigh.

"jingle!"

Miku placed Iggy's dog tag on the ground and stared at the relief of Iggy's head. He murmured to himself, "Iggy, I'm so sorry!"

"The moment I saw you, I knew I could never ignore you!"

"After all, you bear my shadow!"

"But I've put you in that situation again!"

"Am I really capable of shouldering this responsibility?"

The dog tag lay silently on the ground, offering no response. Sunlight filtering through the gaps in the wooden strips fell on the tag, reflecting a hazy glow.

"She needs me now, and I don't know if I'm up to the task!"

What do you think, buddy?

Miku kept Ichi, not only because he saw a reflection of himself in him, but also because, like Ichi, he was homeless and had to rely on himself. He couldn't depend on others, and he couldn't be naive and innocent!

Miku, stranded in another world, finds his family and friends gone. With no one to rely on, he initially acts cautiously. However, his ability to get closer to Wakana, who trusts him more and more, leaves him feeling lost.

His time at the Ensaki family's house was arguably the happiest and most carefree period of his life, which made him forget his original aspirations and intentions, and he spent his days just eating and waiting to die.

We have come this far thanks to the charity of others.

"We can't keep being so naive!"

Miku made up his mind: "It's always better to have your own destiny in your own hands!"