Just as a certain work of fiction states, "Stand users are drawn to other Stand users." A more realistic way of saying this is that like attracts like.
Under the tree, the two stood facing each other, their gazes locked, as if Star Platinum and The World were using their powers at the same time. For a moment, time seemed to stand still.
The girl's eyes were like stars, her long black hair a natural cascade. She wore a white yukata adorned with plum blossoms, and a cat-embroidered sachet hung from her waist. Her features were perfectly balanced and delicate, her skin transparently white, and her pink lips were just right. The picturesque scene was imbued with a sense of mystery and coldness. The girl's aura was like a proud, cold plum blossom blooming alone in a chilling wind, beautiful to admire from afar but difficult to approach.
Their appearances were different, but in their hearts, a strange sense of seeing a mirror image of themselves was born. The only person who could give Hiratsuka Ryosuke this feeling was the girl in Yukinoshita Haruno's phone on the day of his elementary school graduation: Haruno's younger sister, Yukinoshita Yukino.
Yukinoshita Yukino was also observing the boy with her cold gaze, a strong sense of déjà vu washing over her. She wondered silently where this strange familiarity came from, as she had never met him before. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in her head. She remembered the news about the Gyokuryu Flag that her sister had shown her after returning from Fukuoka last month. Yukino noticed the lion crest on the lapels of his kimono. Lions were also felines, and she remembered that only one family in Chiba Prefecture used this crest.
Combining the boy's appearance, his aura, and the crest, she could guess his identity. At this age, there was only one person in the Hiratsuka family who could wear this kimono—Hiratsuka Ryosuke, the family's sole young master.
Yukinoshita Yukino noticed that Ryosuke was looking at her waist. She spoke first, her voice devoid of emotion, "It's impolite to look at a girl with that kind of gaze, Hiratsuka-kun."
"I was just curious why my cat would run so far to find you, Yukinoshita-san," Ryosuke responded calmly.
This was their first meeting in person, yet neither of them introduced themselves. They both seemed to know each other's names, and neither asked the foolish question, "How do you know my name?" Hiratsuka Ryosuke had been looking at Yukinoshita Yukino's waist because of the sachet she wore. Seeing Vanilla's state of obsession, he had a hunch about what was inside. But seeing the other cat's lack of reaction, he silently shook his head.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke's honest demeanor made Yukino realize her misunderstanding. She took the sachet from her waist and replied calmly, "Perhaps it's this? I added a lot of catnip to it."
Upon hearing this, Hiratsuka Ryosuke pointed to the other cat on the ground and asked with a poker face, "Then why isn't it reacting?"
The moment a topic related to cats came up, the corners of Yukinoshita Yukino's mouth lifted slightly. "Since you asked so sincerely, I'll tell you. Only about 70 percent of cats are interested in catnip. These cats can easily smell catnip from within 60 meters, and even farther with a tailwind. Your cute little white cat belongs to that 70 percent, and that chestnut-colored cat belongs to the 30 percent that aren't interested in it."
Hiratsuka Ryosuke didn't expect that his simple question would ignite this ice queen, causing her to speak so much at once. "Oh, and for a cat like yours, you should feed it more..."
Although Yukinoshita Yukino's tone was flat, her enthusiasm for talking grew stronger. As a cat owner himself, Ryosuke listened quietly, ready to learn from the girl's teachings. Time passed slowly, and the atmosphere of the two people and two cats under the tree grew warmer.
After talking for so long, Yukinoshita Yukino felt a little parched. She closed her eyes, put a hand to her lips, and cleared her throat. "That's about it. You, as a cat owner, should treat such adorable creatures with kindness."
She opened her eyes and looked at Ryosuke. She had always thought she was alone. When she first saw Ryosuke, she felt they had a lot in common. Now they had another shared interest—they were both cat lovers. The coldness she had initially shown was gone, replaced by a strange sense of recognition. It was as if a traveler who had long been walking alone in a solitary world had finally found another of their kind.
"Thank you, Yukinoshita-san. I should be getting back now."
"You're welcome. You can ask me any other questions you have about cats," Yukinoshita Yukino says, gently tucking a strand of her long hair behind her ear, her voice filled with confidence.
Hiratsuka Ryosuke crouches down, picks up his cat, and tells it seriously, "Vanilla, no more running off." The cat seems to understand its owner's grave tone and becomes more alert.
As Ryosuke prepares to say goodbye, he notices that Yukino's eyes are fixed on Vanilla. He stands up and lifts Vanilla higher, and Yukinoshita Yukino's gaze follows. He moves Vanilla to the left, and Yukino's gaze moves to the left without a single change in her expression. A strange feeling arises in Ryosuke's heart. It's like... he's using the cat named Vanilla as a cat toy to tease a cat named Yukinoshita Yukino.
Hiss~Could Yukinoshita Yukino be a cat in her past life? Her movements and eyes are so much like a cat's.
Yukino watches Ryosuke holding Vanilla, ready to leave. She looks reluctant to part, and the reluctance is mostly for the cute little white cat.
Ryosuke walks away but feels like a shadow is following him. He turns around and says to Yukino, "Yukinoshita-san, could you take your cat back?"
"Ah, this cat isn't mine. It's probably a stray from this area. My family doesn't allow me to have pets," Yukinoshita Yukino says, her eyes darkening. Thinking about her own family situation, she lowers her head, a lonely expression and an unreadable smile on her face. She feels a pang of pity for the stray cat on the ground. Since her family won't let her have a pet, she can only watch it continue to live as a stray. As for asking Hiratsuka Ryosuke, whom she just met, for help? She never even considered it. Since it was her problem, she shouldn't bother anyone else with it.
Meow meow~
At that moment, the cat in Ryosuke's arms, Vanilla, starts meowing. The chestnut-colored stray on the ground meows in response. Even without understanding their language, Ryosuke can hear the desperation and longing in their cries. He pets the little white cat's head and asks softly, "Vanilla, do you want me to adopt it?"
Vanilla seems to understand him perfectly. Her brilliant blue eyes suddenly light up.
Meow!
Ryosuke looks down at the little chestnut cat on the ground and sees it wagging its tail. It doesn't look like a cat at all, but rather a small dog in a cat's body.
Since I'm already taking care of one, what's one more? Ryosuke crouches down and pets the chestnut cat's head. The cat that was so indifferent to Yukino and even rejected catnip is now completely obedient to Ryosuke. This sight makes Yukino think, Could he be the reincarnation of the Cat God? Why do all these cats like him so much?
"Hiratsuka-kun, are you going to adopt it?" Yukino walks closer and asks Ryosuke. He nods.
"Have you thought of a name?" Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes light up, and her tone is no longer calm. When Ryosuke shakes his head, she says very seriously, "The white one is called Vanilla, so how about naming this chestnut-colored one Chocolate?"
Ryosuke looks at the cat on the ground, grasps the scruff of its neck, and lifts it into his arms. He looks into its shiny eyes and says calmly, "That's a good name. From now on, you'll be called Chocolate."
Meow~
Yukinoshita Yukino's lips form a faint smile. It's a small smile, but it's like the sun in early spring melting the snow.
Ryosuke holds both cats and walks side-by-side with Yukino out of the park and onto the main road. As they walk, Yukino's watery eyes continue to stare at the two cats in Ryosuke's arms. Even without making a sound, her lips form the shape of a meow. This sight only strengthens Ryosuke's suspicion, and he thinks to himself, I've really had a lot of encounters with cats lately. I met three of them tonight: Chocolate, Vanilla, and... Yukinoshita Yukino.