...
As the school festival came to a close, everyone indulged in a late-night meal and then returned to their respective homes.
Silence Suzuka had clearly forgotten what she herself had said. That night she did not walk with Lucian, but returned to the dormitory with Special Week and the others.
On the contrary, Meisho Doto said she needed to send little Dango home, and thus walked together with Lucian.
On ordinary days there would be nothing inappropriate about it, but only tonight, as Meisho Doto walked on the road with Lucian, her heartbeat was a little fast.
She held little Dango in her arms, yet her gaze kept glancing toward the cat ears on top of Lucian's head.
If only Trainer would always wear this headband...
"Ouch! (＞Д＜)ノ"
"Doto, what are you spacing out for? Don't look down while walking." Lucian heard a dull thud behind him and turned his head to look. It turned out Meisho Doto had bumped into a pole.
"It hurts.....〒▽〒" Meisho Doto rubbed her forehead as she spoke.
"Watch the road more. Is little Dango distracting you? Give it to me." Lucian took little Dango without allowing refusal.
For Meisho Doto, she was a horse girl after all. Who knew whether this pole had suffered any internal injury.
"I'll be careful..." The dim light cast a clear chill across her face. Meisho Doto lowered her hands, her voice pressed very low, carrying a trace of probing tension. "Nyan-kun-sama... can I call you that now?"
"Sure."
"Great! ヾ(´∀｀ヾ), Nyan-kun-sama~" The extremely easily satisfied Meisho Doto instantly bloomed with a brilliant smile.
"By the way, why does Doto want to use this form of address?" Lucian asked curiously.
"Because..... Nyan-kun-sama's outfit these past few days is just like a cat that has transformed into a human, isn't it?"
Lucian had anticipated this answer, but still felt it wasn't that simple. In the end it was still some kind of quirk, right?
He nodded thoughtfully and pondered, "It feels a little strange."
Was Meisho Doto developing a strong interest in him after he put on the uniform? In the end it was still linked to small animals~
"St-strange?? Sumimasen... I'll just call you 'Trainer'!! (︶﹏︶)"
"It's not strange about the form of address. It's just that Doto feels like she's treating me as a small animal." Lucian looked toward the little Dango in his arms. "Just like little Dango."
"Eh?! It's not like that, it's not like that! (*ﾟﾛﾟ)!!"
Rather than treating Nyan-kun-sama as a small animal, she preferred Nyan-kun-sama treating her the same way he treated small animals... but yesterday, stroking Nyan-kun-sama's cheeks had also been wonderful desu! (˵¯͒〰¯͒˵)
"Alright alright, no need to get so startled. I'm not blaming you~ Let's go."
Meisho Doto slowly calmed down. "Mm.. mm!"
...
Perhaps because she had slept a lot during the day, little Dango was especially lively tonight and refused no matter what to stay in her own little nest.
Lucian picked her up and placed her on the sofa, spreading her out into a "cat loaf," then threatened, "If you dare disturb my sleep tonight..."
Little Dango seemed to sense something in her heart, but the perception was wrong. She thought Lucian's head getting closer and closer meant he was going to kiss her, so she stretched out her paws and cupped Lucian's face. "Meow~~"
Lucian did not move away. Instead he stretched out one finger and scratched under her chin. Little Dango slightly narrowed her eyes and whimpered softly, her expression full of enjoyment.
Watching this scene, Meisho Doto unconsciously froze, for a moment not knowing whether to envy Nyan-kun-sama or envy little Dango...
But Lucian noticed that Meisho Doto was spacing out again just like on the road earlier. If he didn't stop her this time, what she bumped into would no longer be a pole, but his own head.
"Doto? Spacing out again!?"
"Sumimasen!! (｡＞﹏＜｡) I temporarily..."
Her voice paused. The moment she raised her head, she saw Lucian's face right in front of her.
When applying makeup it had also been very close, but that had always been a side profile, not facing each other eye to eye like this.
"What's wrong today, always spacing out." Lucian couldn't help stretching out a finger. The tip of his finger scratched under Meisho Doto's chin, neither too light nor too heavy.
The cat-mouth shape of her lips turned into a wavy line.
And Meisho Doto's eyes also narrowed slightly just like little Dango's. Her lightly trembling eyelashes looked like beautiful wings fluttering.
"Nnm..."
So this was the sound Meisho Doto made when her chin was scratched.
The surprised expression on Lucian's face flashed past in an instant and was replaced by composure mixed with a bit of teasing. He more naturally continued scratching under Meisho Doto's chin.
One finger, two fingers... finally, aside from the thumb, all the other fingers joined in.
The soft, warm skin under his fingertips yielded easily. Each slow stroke made her breath hitch. A faint pink rose on her cheeks as the sensitive spot was thoroughly spoiled. Her thighs pressed together slightly on the sofa, and a soft, involuntary sound slipped from her throat every time his nails lightly scraped.
"Meow~~!!!"
Little Dango suddenly cried out loudly for no reason, seemingly jealous because her privilege had been taken away by Meisho Doto.
And Meisho Doto also snapped back to her senses from that meow. She panicked and retreated, kneeling upright on the sofa. "Sumimasen! Sumimasen... Sumimasen....! d(ŐдŐ๑)"
Lucian narrowed his eyes a little. He didn't say anything. Instead, like holding a human toddler, he gathered little Dango into his arms.
As expected, he observed that Meisho Doto's previously flustered gaze froze for an instant.
"Aowu~~" The green-tea little Dango was whimpering again, this time clearly also enjoying it.
Lucian gently rubbed his cheek against her, but his eyes remained fixed on Meisho Doto the whole time. Seeing that she had completely zoned out, he had no choice but to speak. "Doto, why did you stop apologizing?"
"...Sumimasen." Meisho Doto withdrew her gaze. She was no longer as flustered as just now.
"Doto seemed to be enjoying it a lot just now?"
"Because... because the chin is sensitive. (⇀‸↼‶)"
"Oh~ so that's how it is." Lucian withdrew his hand and touched the cat-ear headband on his own head. "Does Doto want to take these things back?"
"No need to take them back. They're given to Nyan-kun-sama."
"But if they're left with me, I might throw them away tomorrow. I can't possibly keep wearing them all the time, right?"
Meisho Doto's two hands pulled at each other, but it seemed there really was no suitable reason to make Lucian keep wearing them.
Nyan-kun-sama's existence time was only three days...?
"Leaving them as a memento is also fine desu (⇀‸↼‶)." Meisho Doto said a little dejectedly.
"Doto, didn't I promise you something yesterday?"
Meisho Doto of course remembered it crystal clear. "Mm, Nyan-kun-sama said..... when we get home I can continue stroking your cheeks."
"Now I'm going back on my word."
"G-going back on your word? How can you..." Meisho Doto became even more aggrieved. Her originally straight shoulders also slumped.
"Because I want Doto to change the condition. Being rubbed on the cheeks feels weird to me. Experiencing it once is enough."
"How about Doto think of another one?"
"I... can I?"
Lucian raised his wrist and glanced at his watch. "Starting the timer now. If you haven't thought of one in five seconds, then forget it."
"Mado...!!!! I... I want that every time I come, I can see Nyan-kun-sama!!"
In her fluster, Meisho Doto blurted everything out in one breath.
...