Qiluo the Cat

She called over the waiter, ordered a caramel latte and a slice of cheesecake, and then turned to Lightweaver.

“A caramel latte and a slice of cheesecake, please.” Lightweaver closed her menu.

Meruru raised an eyebrow slightly.

She noticed that Lightweaver had ordered the exact same combination as her.

Was this choice a mere coincidence, or was it some subtle form of validation?

She didn't point it out. Once the waiter walked away, she leaned back in her chair, crossed her hands on the table, and looked at the white-haired Magical Girl sitting across from her with a fresh perspective.

Actually, since it was something Meruru always ordered, it probably wouldn't taste bad. That was why Qiluo had ordered the same thing.

Now, under the soft lighting of the café, Meruru could finally observe her in peace.

Lightweaver's white hair had a very faint silver-gray tint under the natural light, and the streak of red dye at the tips looked like an accidental brushstroke of vermilion on a white canvas.

Her facial features were sharper than the typical cute look common among transformed Magical Girls. Her clean, sharp facial lines gave her a cold, unapproachable vibe when she wasn't speaking.

But her eyes—in this relaxed state, they were much softer than they were in battle, and she was currently looking down at the tissue box on the table.

She was beautiful.

If she were willing to debut as an idol, the agency's scouts would probably stuff her pockets full of business cards.

But Meruru knew that the person in front of her would absolutely never stand under the spotlight.

“What is it?” Lightweaver suddenly looked up, catching her studying gaze.

“Nothing, I just think you're a bit different from what I imagined.”

Meruru didn't look away. Instead, she admitted it quite openly.

She picked up a sugar cube from the bowl, dropped it into her coffee cup, and stirred it gently. “I thought you would be more...”

“More distant?”

Lightweaver moved the sugar bowl aside to make room for the cheesecake the waiter had just brought over. “You mean more difficult to get along with, right?”

“N-No, more... indifferent. I actually thought you wouldn't accept my invitation.”

“Free coffee is free coffee.” Lightweaver picked up her cup and took a sip, the sweetness of the caramel dissolving on her tongue.

As she set her cup down, she noticed Meruru smiling at her. It was a very familiar smile.

She couldn't quite place it at the moment, but she felt slightly offended by it.

“What are you smiling at now?”

“Nothing, I just think the way you eat is completely different from how you fight.”

Meruru set down her fork and rested her chin on her crossed hands. “Has anyone ever told you that you're like a cat?”

“...No.” Lightweaver stuffed a bite of cheesecake into her mouth, deciding not to take the bait.

“You just haven't noticed it yourself. Cats are like that. They usually seem very cold and distant, but if you're genuinely nice to them, they'll rub against your legs while pretending they just happened to be passing by.”

Meruru watched as Lightweaver's brow furrowed slightly while she chewed.

Lightweaver's personality was practically nonexistent in the idol industry, but it was common among wild little animals.

Like stray cats.

On a rainy day, they would curl up in the driest corner they could find, using the smallest surface area possible to withstand the cold air of the entire world.

But if someone was willing to leave a bowl of warm milk under the eaves where it was sheltering from the rain, it would remember that person's scent and wouldn't avoid them the next time they came around.

“...I guess I just don't dislike you.”

Lightweaver stuffed the last bite of cheesecake into her mouth and rested her fork on the empty porcelain plate.

When she looked up, she saw that Meruru was still staring at her, the curve of her lips even deeper than before. She quickly averted her gaze, set her cup down, and lightly tapped her fingers against the edge of the table.

What was so funny? She was just telling the truth.

As for Meruru, she didn't dislike her, but she wouldn't call her particularly special either.

That familiar feeling washed over her again.

When a cat rubbed against someone, it never explained itself. It would simply walk past your feet, the tip of its tail lightly brushing against your ankle.

If you looked down at it, it would turn its face away, pretending it was just patrolling its territory.

If you reached out to pet it, it wouldn't dodge. It would only flatten its ears slightly and let out an almost inaudible purr from its throat.

Meruru resisted the urge to reach out and ruffle Lightweaver's hair. Her hand clenched on the table for a moment before she reached for her bag instead.

Lightweaver felt a bit annoyed.

A cat. A creature that rubbed against people's feet and relied on acting cute to get food.

Which of her eyes saw me rubbing against anyone?

I've been sitting right here from start to finish, maintaining a perfectly normal human social distance.

Besides, Meruru was the one who pushed the cake over first. It wasn't like I actively went over to snatch it.

I've done everything a cat can't do, so on what basis does she call me a cat?

If she ever mentions the word “cat” again, I'm posting that photo online!

“Oh, right. This is for you.”

She pulled two tickets from her bag and slid one of them in front of Lightweaver.

“It's for the special performance in two weeks. After my sister's last concert was interrupted, the agency decided to hold it again. This time, I'll be performing a duet with her on stage. This one is yours—it's right in the middle of the second row.”

The ticket was exquisitely designed. Silhouettes of Seina and Meruru were printed against a nebula background of interwoven light purple and pink, the two of them standing back-to-back in the center of a beam of light.

“The middle of the second row? This seat you arranged is way too conspicuous.” Lightweaver picked up the ticket and examined it.

“Because I knew you would come.”

“I never promised I'd go.”

“But you've already put the ticket away.”

Lightweaver didn't argue. She folded the ticket in half and carefully tucked it into her inner pocket.

Meruru watched her put the ticket away, feeling a sense of relief.

She had kept that ticket specifically for her. The seat was positioned perfectly so that someone on stage could spot her at a glance, without making the person sitting there feel like they were on display.

Now that the ticket was safely put away, she shifted the conversation to how Seina had recently obsessed over strawberry milk.