A few hours later, the work was in full swing once more. Mr. Arima-san, the uncle of the catgirl from Cat Coffee, came to give his youngest niece a helping hand. He worked as a carpenter, skilled with making wooden structures and carving detailed figures despite his huge fingers.
His niece, Sumiko, spent the whole evening messaging him about the Fest, her encounter with Kamini brothers, and their idea. He caught from her the excitement, and so he took a day off to help her and promote his boss' company at the same time. stall
Despite being rough around the corners, his sharp features melted under seeing the pictures of a cafe or photo-booth stall. Once he would finish helping with the Cat Coffee roof, he would stop by Reach For The Stars too.
With all the people around, nobody noticed a new figure entered the flow, heading back into the park, following Ueno.
Ueno finished her round around the Fest, getting information about the stands and what they would offer to get a head-start. To her tour list, she included House Of Terror, which looked more like a long tent.
Submerged into her work, she didn't notice students gave her curious glances. They noticed her attitude changed but didn't know how to react. It could be a charade.
The filthy rich ones gave her snickers and looked at her through their fingers. How could she lower herself to do manual work? It wasn't the drama that lowered her in their eyes, but the humble change in her personality. They no longer saw her as a proper company, distancing from her.
'My feet are killing me!' Ueno groaned in her mind.
She always ordered her lapcats to do the legwork, collecting the data she presented on a silver plate. Last year she missed most of the first day as she was shooting an ad, but she had a speech on the podium before the firework.
Thinking about it, she didn't have fun during the Fest. No stall caught her eyes or a game she wanted to try. She only acted on behalf of her mother.
Her stomach rumbled, reminding her of the menu from Cat Coffee and takoyaki with mini donuts as a dessert.
'Was the Summer Fest always this fun?' She couldn't wait to try painting on a rock or mask. 'I could try cat one.' She snickered. 'I wonder if I could fool the kittens into thinking I'm a cat too.'
The pain in her legs slowly stepped aside, as the girl flounced toward the Cat Hut, as she called it. Taiga waited for her, greeting her with loud meowing.
"How have you been?" She sat down, rubbing behind her ears. "You are hungry, right?" Ueno went inside the hut, watching where she stepped as the kittens demanded treats, pats, playing, and attention.
"No, pushing! There is enough for everybody!" They slowly accepted granules for kittens alongside the milk from their mother. She watched their diet to make sure they would be alright.
In between lessons, she studied how to take care of cats and kittens. She knew she had to bring them soon to a vet for registration and check-up. 'But what's next?' She watched them gather around the bowls.
'I can't take them home. Mother wouldβ' She shook her head as shivers ran down her spine. 'Maybe I can ask Freya-chan. Perhaps The Kamini brothers couldβ'
Taiga hissed, her fur bristling. In a second, she could pounce forward.
"Whaβ!"
Ueno yelped as her body flew backward. Thick fingers dug into her shoulder, yanking her from the hut. Her hands tried to grab on to something to stop the fall, but there was only an open sky for her to stare on.
Landing on her back, she shrieked as sparks danced in front of her eyes. Dirt stuck to her clothes, coloring them dark brown. Stones and pebbles dug into her skin, leaving their thin, white signature. Clumsily, she lifted her torso, focusing on the figure in front of her.
"Stupid cat!" a deep voice growled, kicking Taiga away from him.
"No! Taiga!" The girl hurried onto her legs, the reddening shoulder slowing down her progress. She almost dived toward the cat when the man captured her wrist. "Let me go!"
A hand landed across her mouth, silencing her voice. Her eyes widened.
"Finally recognizing me, huh, lady?" The leader of the Skull Gang grinned at her, his bad breath making her stomach squirm. She grabbed the hand, digging her nails with dirt under them into his flesh.
'What is heβ'
"Time to collect my paycheck." He licked his lips, and shivers ran down her spine. "She said you have it." His eyes darted towards her billowing chest.
'Did motherβ!' Tears spurted from her eyes. 'How could she?' Her grip on his arm loosened, her legs turned wobbly, that only thanks to him, she didn't collapse.
The kittens meowed behind them.
"Shut up, you vermin!" His growl didn't silence them, as they put more strength into each meow. "Dumb animals! I should stomp you!" He turned around, and a sharp pain shot through his knee.
All the fear.
All the numbness.
Everything in Ueno's body sprung into action, rocketing her feet under his knee. He let go of her, paying attention to his injury.
The girl dived toward the hut, sliding across the dirt instead. Her body shook, alarming her of the danger behind her. Yet she needed to crawl forward. He would stomp them to death if she would fail now.
Her vision blurred, reddening as blood splattered everywhere. Her mother's voice screamed as her high heels dug into the body of a kitten. Stomach fluids invaded her throat, and she had to spit it out, or it would eat her from inside.
"You bitcβ"
"Hey, jerk!" another voice roared, shattering the tension.