The results of the blood test would take a while.
Kiana sat on a bench in the waiting area, hugging Rice Cake and idly swinging her legs out of boredom.
Rice Cake nestled in her arms, also idly swinging its tail out of boredom.
The girl and the cat's movements were so perfectly synchronized they might as well have been copied and pasted.
Shu sat beside them, observing the scene, and was struck by that strange sense of déjà vu once again.
They really were so alike... but how could a person be so similar to a cat?
...
How could they not be? At least when it came to Kiana, Shu felt it was perfectly normal.
"Shu," Kiana, still swinging her legs, suddenly spoke up.
"Hmm?"
"Do you think Rice Cake is afraid of pain?"
Shu glanced at the kitten, who was currently squinting its eyes and yawning.
"I think so... It was screaming pretty pitifully during the blood draw just now."
"Well, screaming pitifully is because of the pain!" Kiana declared righteously. "It's definitely afraid of pain!"
Rice Cake let out a perfectly timed "meow," as if in agreement.
Shu was silent for a second.
"Then why did you ask?"
"I was just confirming, okay?" Kiana looked down at Rice Cake. "Don't be scared, Rice Cake. From now on, I've got your back. I'll never let anyone bully you!"
...Why did she say that as if he was the one who would bully Rice Cake?
Shu felt like he had just been subtly insulted.
Rice Cake nuzzled Kiana's palm and let out a syrupy sweet meow.
"Meow~"
Its voice was so soft and sweet it practically melted Kiana's heart on the spot.
"Shu, look! It understands!"
Shu watched the girl and the cat, his mouth twitching slightly.
He refused to believe Kiana couldn't see Rice Cake's differential treatment, but... as long as she and the kitten were happy, that was all that mattered.
"Yeah," Shu replied.
"Rice Cake, Rice Cake, look at that!" Kiana suddenly pointed at a poster on the waiting room wall.
The poster featured a massive orange tabby cat, so fat it resembled a mobile pumpkin. You could barely even make out its facial features anymore.
Beneath the poster were a few bold words.
[Feed Scientifically, Avoid Obesity]
Rice Cake followed her finger and tilted its head in confusion.
"Meow?"
"You can't get that fat in the future," Kiana told it seriously. "If you're too fat, you won't be able to run. And if you can't run, you can't catch mice."
Rice Cake's ears twitched, its lazy gaze suddenly turning sharp.
Shu speechlessly watched the two felines who had become instantly serious.
Ah... it's just like yesterday, when I scared Kiana by telling her she'd weigh over a hundred pounds in the future.
And had their household really fallen to the point where they needed a cat to catch mice? Shu didn't think they had a rodent infestation...
"But you don't actually have to catch mice. Big sis will buy you yummy food," Kiana said, also realizing they weren't in dire need of a mouser.
However, she was still very concerned about her weight. Shu's scare tactics from yesterday had genuinely terrified her.
"But you can't eat too much, either. You have to be healthy—"
And then Kiana started spouting a string of words related to "health," "dieting," and so on, as if she were trying to persuade Rice Cake, but more so admonishing herself.
Rice Cake's sharp gaze began to glaze over.
Listening to Kiana's rambling from the side, Shu was also getting tired... So Kiana could be this naggy, huh...
"Meow~" Rice Cake, on the verge of nodding off, let out a weak, pleading cry.
"What?" Kiana paused and looked down.
Rice Cake's eyes had narrowed into thin slits, and its head was bobbing up and down as if it were about to fall asleep at any second.
"Rice Cake!" Kiana shook it lightly in dissatisfaction. "Don't sleep! Big sis isn't done talking yet!"
Rice Cake reluctantly opened its eyes and shot Kiana a look of pure disgust.
Then it closed them again.
Kiana: "..."
The corners of Shu's mouth curved up again.
See? What did he say? Rice Cake and Kiana really were alike—they both wanted to fall asleep the second someone started talking...
Kiana caught a glimpse of Shu's expression. In a flash of insight, she realized what he was thinking, and her cheeks puffed out.
"No I don't!"
Kiana desperately wanted to teach Shu a lesson with some hard facts, but after racking her brain, the conclusion she came to was basically... an admission of guilt?!
No, she had to play dirty!
Kiana's face flushed red, but after a long struggle, she couldn't bring herself to just say "So what?!" She could only slump back against the chair in defeat, hugging Rice Cake.
Being unreasonable was just too difficult for a Kaslana... It was even harder than single-handedly cooking a full Manchu-Han Imperial Feast!
Rice Cake let out a soft "meow" from her embrace.
Serves you right.
Kiana glared down at it.
"Whose side are you on?"
Rice Cake looked back at her innocently.
"Meow?"
"Don't play dumb!"
"Meow~"
Puffing out her cheeks in frustration, Kiana lifted the kitten up to her eye level.
"Tell me, whose side are you on?"
Rice Cake reached out a paw and gently patted her cheek.
Then, it licked her nose.
Kiana couldn't hold it back any longer and let out a "Pfft" of laughter.
How could she possibly get mad over something so small?
"Alright, alright, I forgive you—"
She pulled Rice Cake back into her arms and gave its head a vigorous rub.
"Rice Cake, Rice Cake, look at that!" In the next moment, the ever-restless Kiana had found a new target.
This time, it was a cat tree in the corner of the waiting room, meant for the waiting cats to play on.
Rice Cake followed her gaze, and its previously swishing tail finally stilled.
Human!
I want to play on that!
Kiana, who had flawlessly read Rice Cake's intentions, stood up and carried it over.
Shu was dragged along behind them.
The cat tree was two stories tall, with various small toys hanging from it and a fluffy little nook at the base.
Kiana put Rice Cake down. The kitten first tentatively tested it with its paw, then shot up to the second level with a whoosh, as fast as a bolt of white lightning.
It stood on the second level, looking down at Kiana and Shu with its tail held high.
"Meow~"
How about that, aren't I amazing?
Kiana reached up, trying to touch it.
Rice Cake took a step back.
"Don't run—" Kiana stood on her tiptoes. "Let me pet you—"
Rice Cake took another step back. It was clearly in a playful mood.
Kiana was happy to play along, continuing to stand on her tiptoes and reach for it.
Rice Cake kept retreating.
And then—
Pat.
Rice Cake leaped off the other side of the second story, landing neatly on the ground. It landed perfectly on all fours, its form as graceful as a gymnast.
Then it looked back at Kiana.
That single glance was clearly filled with a hint of smugness.
Kiana froze for a second.
Then she burst into laughter.
"Shu, look! It's even showing off!"
Shu stared at Kiana and nodded seriously.
"Yeah... it really does like to show off."
There was a hidden meaning in his words, and it did not escape the incredibly sharp-witted Kiana!
"Huh? Are you praising me? Wait, or are you dissing me?" Kiana looked at Shu, uncertain.
Shu averted his gaze.
"I'm praising you."
Kiana narrowed her eyes.
She was going to glare at this bad man!
He was so mean!