My love index is at its maximum.

"Am I dreaming...?"

Tsukasa Tazaki murmured something, took a deep breath, and felt a little dizzy.

I got up and crawled out of the bushes toward the light. I came to a slightly open area where a long, seemingly endless slope stretched out before me. At the top of the slope, a building that looked like a shrine torii gate came into view.

After tidying his clothes and brushing the grass clippings from his hair, Tsukasa Tazaki began climbing to the top of the hill.

It's unclear whether what's behind the torii gate is a private residence, a shrine, a sanatorium, or even a park or garden. On second thought, a place appearing in such an unusual location is most likely not a café.

As we passed through the torii gate, the temperature suddenly dropped.

Tazaki Tsukasa suddenly thought of something.

In Shintoism, the torii gate represents the entrance to the divine realm, used to distinguish between the divine realm where gods reside and the secular world inhabited by humans.

Anyway, there was nothing to be afraid of... He wrapped his coat tighter and walked into the shrine alone.

Only a single, tall mercury lamp illuminated the courtyard, casting a cold, indifferent light upon the main hall, the donation box, and the ema plaque. The figure's shadow stretched eerily across the gravel ground; all around was deserted.

It was just before dawn, and the courtyard was overgrown with grass. Some collapsed buildings were hidden among the grass and could not be seen. It was more like a wild field than a courtyard.

Tsukasa Tazaki walked toward the only intact worship hall.

An old worship hall.

The surrounding woods were dense and dark, with leaves rustling in the wind like restless ghosts.

The scent of grass and green leaves wafted through the night.

Tazaki Tsukasa took a deep breath of the fresh scent of grass and trees as he passed under two cherry trees in full bloom.

I looked up and saw Yae Sakura.

The emerald green branches were densely covered with pale red petals, weighing down the branches.

Tsukasa Tazaki entered the worship hall.

It was very dark inside, almost without any light. Water dripped onto the cold corridor with a pitter-patter sound. Looking far into the distance, a glimpse of light could be seen.

After passing through the long corridor, a platform comes into view.

It was still deserted.

A rusty suburban tram was parked there, and the wind carried a pleasant, nostalgic atmosphere, mixed with the soft sounds of conversation.

Tsukasa Tazaki looked over there.

Inside the guardhouse on the platform, several cats were whispering to each other.

“Don’t you think I smell human?” said a black cat.

"It does have a strange smell," an old cat agreed, sniffing the air.

“Actually, I felt it too,” another cat chimed in.

"That's strange, people couldn't possibly get here."

"Yes, of course."

"But it does smell of people."

"Let's go take a look."

"We have to go and see. No humans are allowed to sneak onto the train to Cat City."

The lead male cat waved its paw, leading a group of young cats out of the guardhouse.

Tsukasa Tazaki quickly crawled into the tram and hid under the seat.

The cats split into three teams and began searching every corner of the platform.

Their noses are very sensitive; they sniff the faint scents in the air, and their soft claws tread across the floor as they approach step by step.

A group of cats entered the carriage. Tsukasa Tazaki was lying under the seat, and you could see their sharp claws and paw pads as they slowly approached. They seemed to be excited by the scent of humans.

This world is not a place for humans to dabble in. If they catch that unlucky fellow, they will not let him leave unscathed.

Three cats, pawed on their paws, lingered next to the seat where Tsukasa Tazaki was hiding, sniffing intently.

"How strange." One of the large, glossy orange cats twitched its long whiskers slightly. "There's a strong smell, but we can't find anyone. They should be around here."

"That is indeed strange."

"Let's look somewhere else."

"But this is so strange."

So the three cats left, completely puzzled.

Their extremely light footsteps stepped out of the carriage and disappeared into the darkness before dawn.

Tazaki Tsukasa sighed, also feeling somewhat bewildered.

You have to understand that just now, he was practically nose-to-nose with a cat, so there was no way he could have missed it.

But for some reason, the cat seemed unable to see him.

Tsukasa Tazaki looked down at his wrist.

It was clear that the skin hadn't become transparent, and the three-colored knotted rope on the wrist faintly emitted heat.

Is this what it is...?

As I was thinking this, the tram suddenly started moving.

It was still dark outside the window. Tazaki Tsukasa's mind was hazy, and he gradually drifted off to sleep.

When I opened my eyes again, a beautiful river appeared outside the car window, with gentle green hills stretching as far as the eye could see, and at the foot of the hills was a strange little town that gave me a sense of tranquility.

The tram stopped here and remained there for a long time, seemingly with no intention of continuing its journey.

Tsukasa Tazaki had no choice but to get off the bus.

The station is so small it's almost unrecognizable. There are no station staff, so it's probably a very quiet station. On rainy days, drivers might not even see it and would just drive past it.

The square in front of the station is a small traffic island with a bus station and a few silly little shops.

The "people" walking on the street were all cats.

Cats of various colors and breeds were generally much larger than ordinary cats. Tsukasa Tazaki wandered aimlessly among the cats.

The cats shopped in stores, sang in restaurants, drank beer in pubs, sang "meow meow meow" cat songs, some played musical instruments, and some danced to the rhythm.

A winding stream flows by, spanned by a rustic stone bridge. The water is crystal clear, and Tazaki has reason to believe that the cats here can catch delicious trout in the river.

I wandered aimlessly all day, and dusk gradually fell.

The cats pulled down the shop's roller shutters, finished their work and business, and crossed the stone bridge in groups, returning to the town center.

Tsukasa Tazaki lingered in front of the stone bridge for a long time.

He didn't know where to go, and just then there was a large, old black cat at the bridgehead. After hesitating for a moment, he went up to greet it.

"Hello." The cat slightly raised its face and responded in a low voice with great difficulty.

There was nothing in sight, but it didn't seem surprised, and its expression remained normal.

"The weather is lovely!" Tsukasa Tazaki said cautiously.

“Ah, yes,” the black cat replied, then squinted its eyes. “But the good weather might not last.”

"What happened?" Tsukasa Tazaki asked.

The black cat shakily stretched out its front paw and pointed at the tallest building in the center of town: "The fairy who created Cat City is trapped by a demon. If we don't go to save her soon, this place will be destroyed."

Tsukasa Tazaki looked towards the town, where a castle was built halfway up the mountain.

Thank you, and I wish you well.

"You're welcome. I hope to have the opportunity to speak with you again in the future. It's been very interesting. Please come again in a few days. I'll be here as long as it doesn't rain, you blind sir."

"Okay, thank you so much. I'm very happy. Although I was very cautious at first about being able to talk to a cat, it seems I was overthinking it."

"That's understandable, cats come in all shapes and sizes."

"That makes sense. There are all sorts of people in the world, and all sorts of cats. Goodbye, Mr. Cat."

The black cat shook its front paw.

Tsukasa Tazaki crossed the stone bridge and headed towards the castle.

Then, the black cat transformed into an exceptionally large crow and flew away from Cat City.

As darkness fell, the castle was brightly lit, and a banquet was being held inside.

The guests are cats, of course. Apart from the owners, everyone else is a cat, even the waiters.

The crystal chandelier hanging from the dome cast a soft light into every corner of the hall, and Tsukasa Tazaki's heart pounded.

A beautiful, clear, and perfect fairy sat on the throne, wearing a white dress as light as gauze, with wide sleeves and a long, trailing skirt, like the lightest cloud.

is her!

found it.

Tsukasa Tazaki took a deep breath, and his emotions gradually calmed down.

Next, he will take the fairy and escape from this cat city, returning to the real world.

Just then, the fairy flicked her sleeve, and the thin veil swayed like white holy light. She stood up from the throne and walked down the steps, her clothes fluttering.

"Who has broken into my castle?"

She suddenly spoke to the front.

Her clear and transparent voice was still as moving as a mountain spring.

The banquet hall fell silent. All the cats looked at each other and then dispersed to the sides, afraid that the fairy would suspect them and kick them out of Cat City.

"it's me!"

Tsukasa Tazaki responded.

Many cats looked toward the source of the sound, but there was nothing there. Only the fairy stared at him, a smile curving her lips in the soft light of the crystal lamp, her voice like a gentle breeze escaping from her throat.

"You've finally arrived."

A pristine white dress, flawless skin, and shimmering black hair—all the perfect elements combined on her made her look as pure and fresh as snow on a mountaintop.