Lonely Rock for the Blind

He brushed his teeth and washed his face, running his hand through his hair to check how tangled it was, while using his other hand to comb down the curled strands.

“…Tsk…”

Gently smacking her lips, Nekayashiki Haru dipped her hand in a little water and pressed it on her hair, then used the comb to press it down again.

After confirming that it would not curl up again, Nekayashiki Haru nodded in satisfaction, put on his sunglasses, and walked towards the living room.

Ding dong————

The doorbell suddenly rang, and Nekoyashiki Haru was stunned for a moment and turned his head towards the door.

“…At this time?”

He tilted his head in surprise, but after getting dressed, Nekoyashiki Haru still came to the door and said softly.

"Um, please tell me what it is?"

"Me, Kitten."

The voice outside the door was lively and gentle, belonging to Ichichi Hongka.

Nekayashiki Haru's head tilted even more. Although he was puzzled as to why Ijichi Nikka appeared in front of his door on a school day, there was no way Nekayashiki Haru would just lock his childhood sweetheart outside the door like that.

The door opened with a click, followed by the sound of the other person's light footsteps.

Ah, it must be a nice day today.

Having such a thought for no reason, Nekoyashiki Haru turned his head towards Ijichi Nikka.

"You should be going to school today, why are you..."

"It's still early, there's still time before school."

Nekayashiki Haru was stunned for a moment, then asked.

"Then you haven't thought about whether I am asleep?"

"If you're sleeping, I'll wake you up."

"Ugh… so selfish."

Nekoyashiki Haru sat down on the sofa.

"So what do you want from me?"

"Nothing... Bringing you food."

Ijichi Hongxia put the lunch box on the coffee table in front of the cat house with a smile.

"…ah?"

Nekoyashiki Haru showed a puzzled expression.

"Any questions?"

"No...it's weird that you got up so early just to cook for me."

"What's so strange about that? I'm the one who cooks at home. Come to think of it, you haven't tasted my cooking."

"She's obviously my sister..."

Nekoyashiki Haru sighed.

"I can't help it. My sister is useless, so as her younger sister, I have to work twice as hard."

Ijichi Hongxia suddenly said this with an expressionless face.

"...Why are you speaking so fast and in such a cold tone..."

"Just kidding, okay, okay, stop talking about this and try it."

"…Um."

Nekayashiki Haru put his hand on the lunch box in front of him, but was interrupted just as he was about to do so.

"Ah! I didn't think it through. Wait a moment!"

Before Nekayashiki Haru could react, he suddenly felt someone sitting down next to him.

And she was so close that her body was almost pressing against him.

Clang.

I heard the sound of the lunch box being opened, and the next moment I felt something hot reaching my mouth.

"Ah—open your mouth."

"Wait a minute? Are you feeding me now?"

Nekoyashiki Haru asked.

"What else can I do? I'm here, why do you need to eat by yourself?"

Ijichi Nikka looked at Nekoyashiki Haru strangely.

"No, no, no, even though I can't see, I can still eat by myself, so..."

"I want you to open your mouth and eat, not to open your mouth and talk nonsense. Hurry and eat."

“…Why are you so irritable all of a sudden…”

"Come on, little cat, open your mouth, ah——"

"ok, ok, I got it."

Nekoyashiki Haru opened his mouth and stopped talking. After a while, a mouthful of hot food was put into his mouth.

“…Fried eggs?”

"Yeah, how's it going?"

Ijichi Hongxia asked expectantly.

“It’s delicious.”

Nekoyashiki Haru replied with a smile.

"Really? Really? Then there's nothing we can do."

Ijichi Hongxia chuckled, and the magnetic levitation corn flakes above her head began to shake.

"...I always feel like I'm being plotted against?"

Nekoyashiki Haru said with a strange look on his face.

"How could that be? I just want to say that there's nothing I can do. If you like it so much, it seems like I'll have to bring you lunch every day from now on."

"No, no, no, I don't..."

"Alright, alright, don't be polite. Why are you being polite to me? Haha."

“…You’re welcome…”

Nekoyashiki Haru said weakly.

"I really don't need it. That would be very troublesome for you."

"... "

Ijichi Hongxia looked at Nekayashiki Haru who was refusing in front of her and curled her lips in dissatisfaction.

The feelings have faded, really faded.

It’s not like I haven’t fed you before, why are you being so polite?

Didn't I feed you every day when we were playing house when you were little? You almost ate the playdough I gave you.

"Okay, okay, it's decided!"

Ijichi Hongka picked up another piece of broccoli and put it into Nekoyashiki Haru's mouth.

"Okay, open your mouth, close your mouth, open your mouth, close your mouth, smack, smack, smack... Chew your food thoroughly before swallowing."

"...What's wrong with you? I'm not a child..."

"Ha ha…"

He doesn't even eat his meal properly and yet he says he's not a child.

Ijichi Hongxia complained in her heart, and then, regardless of Nekayashiki Haru's slightly reluctant expression, she put the food into his mouth one by one in one go.

After a while, everything in the lunch box was finished.

"Good~ Kitty is awesome."

"…Hey, is this some kind of playing house game? Do I still have to call you mom?"

Nekoyashiki Haru sighed, but this sentence made Ijichi Nikka stunned.

"Ah... well, when we were kids playing house, there seemed to be no mothers or children, right?"

"…No, what does this have to do with now?"

"I mean, no, don't call me mom."

Ijichi Hongxia said with a slightly red face, then walked towards the kitchen with the lunch box.

"... "

Nekayashiki Haru's hands rubbed against each other slightly.

I always feel something is wrong.

She suddenly behaved like this. Although she knew from Sister Xingge that Hongxia always remembered her, didn’t she behave like this yesterday?

What the hell is going on…

in the kitchen.

Ijichi Hongxia looked at the big bag of bread next to her that she hadn't finished eating.

She smiled, then picked it up and put it in her bag.

The kitten doesn't need you, so let me get rid of you.

Ijichi Hongxia was humming a song while washing the lunch box.

Behind him, Nekoyashiki Haru slowly walked over.

"Um, Hongxia."

"Huh? What's wrong?"

“…I’m serious, it’s better not to come.”

"Why? You're not just saying it's delicious, but you actually think my cooking is terrible, right?"

"No...it's really delicious."

Nekoyashiki Haru leaned against the door frame.

"But...Hongxia, we've all grown up."

"!"

Ijichi Hongka's hand trembled, and then she looked at Nekayashiki Haru with dissatisfaction, but suddenly realized that this was not enough to express her dissatisfaction to him.

"So you dislike me?"

"Why do you always end up asking whether you dislike it or not?"

Nekayashiki Haru shook his head and continued.

"We haven't seen each other for a long, long time. Apart from childhood memories, we are completely strangers in other aspects... So, it's better to keep a little distance."

"... "

Snapped.

The clean lunch box was covered with a lid. Ijichi Hongxia sighed and then spoke in a resolute voice.

"No."

"Uh…"

"A kitten is still a kitten, and I am still me. So what if we haven't seen each other for several years? It's enough that we just met when we were kids."

Ijichi Nikka walked towards Nekoyashiki Haru and patted his chest gently.