Seven Nights

Cla.s.ses end at 6 in the evening. Even though it"s past summer solstice, the sun"s still high and it"s too bright to call it "evening". And it"s hot.

I walked on my way home, my body smelly and drenched in sweat from club activities. My typical, singly detached house is on the corner of a residential district 15 minutes by foot from school. While it is comparable with the old traditional houses of Shiraishi-cho, there are numerous new houses in Nanaobi. Our house, like most houses, was built by my father in 3 years with funds from a 30-year loan.

"I"m home--"

The smell of curry greeted me as I entered the entrance hall.

"I"m home. Is it curry for dinner?"

As I entered the living room, Mom"s voice from the kitchen greeted me again.

"Welcome home. You"re just in time. Please help me with dinner preparations. Ah, wash your hands before that. Take out the laundry, too."

"Ha-i."

I took my sports bag to the bathroom. Opening it, I took out my dirty tennis gear. As I threw them into the washing machine, the words "Ah-, table tennis ..."

Right now, I"m a rookie tennis player, but I was an active table tennis player in middle school. I had intended to continue playing table tennis in high school also, but the table tennis club was dissolved before I could enter high school, so I moved to the tennis club. I enjoy tennis as a game, but there are times I miss the ping-pong ball. That"s it for my side story.

"Mya-"

As I did my laundry, something purred at my feet. Mi-ko, a Siamese tabby, approached my shins.

"I"m home, Mi-ko. Have you been a good cat?"

Crouching, I held her just like holding a woman on both sides. As I kissed the cat just like kissing a maiden, Mi-ko too licked my lips with her rough tongue. What a cute cat.

Carrying Mi-ko, I returned to the living room.

"Hai, here Mi-chan!"

Mom placed a small dish with some cat food on the floor beside the table. Despite Mom"s sweet call, Mi-chan pretended not to hear it. She refused to let go from my leg.

"Uuu, when will she grow accustomed to me, I wonder ..."

I could only smile bitterly at her childish words.

"It"s too early to be depressed. It hasn"t been that long."

Today"s the fourth day since Mi-ko came to live in our house. She was originally raised in my childhood friend"s house, but circ.u.mstances forced them to relinquish her; my Mom took the cat in. I"m the only one in the house whose acquainted with the cat, and so she"s attached only to me.

"Only the first night"s a cheat, I wonder."

"But it"s great that I got along with her well. Just keep at it, and don"t lose patience."

"I"ll do that."

Mom laughed, as she returned to the kitchen. Just to make sure, I nudged the dish closer to Mi-ko.

Suddenly, a familiar tune sounded from the left-on television. A new movie was being introduced from the variety show. "Cosmo Wars Episode 3", the sixth from the world-famous science-fiction epic, will probably open to the public in the middle of the next month. A laser blade toy from said series even lies in my closet.

"Sakuya-, Can you clean up the tableware for me?"

"Ah, right, I"m on it."

Going around and avoiding a still-eating Mi-ko, I went to the kitchen.