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"Dummy, Blake, let's hurry to the park, okay?"
Goko Ruri's cheeks flushed as she hurriedly chased away the embarrassing images in her head.
"Let's go." Blake nodded. "Until we find that lost orange tabby, we can't relax for even a second."
"..."
The two quickly arrived at a small park nearby.
It was still early, so there were barely any adults around. Just a few elementary school kids playing on the slide and in the sand.
"Over there—two strays."
Blake had sharp eyes. With a quick glance, he spotted two cats dozing off in a corner of the park.
"Let's go sign a contract with them."
Ruri's eyes lit up instantly as she hurried over in small, quick steps.
Sensing someone approaching, the two stray cats stood up warily, clearly about to bolt.
"Don't go…"
Seeing her "workers" about to run off, Ruri panicked.
"Meow~"
"Meow?"
The two cats stopped at the same time, turning back in confusion, their round eyes staring curiously at her.
Blake: "..."
I thought you spoke human and they spoke cat… didn't expect you to just switch straight into cat language.
Still, he had to admit—Ruri's meowing sounded ridiculously cute.
Her voice was already soft like cotton candy, and now she was crouched down, holding her skirt, exchanging "meow meow meow" with two stray cats. The cuteness level was off the charts.
"Meow meow~"
Ruri could clearly feel Blake's strange gaze. Her face turned even redder.
No helping it—online, "Kuroneko" might be bold and unrestrained, but in real life she was actually pretty innocent. Meowing in front of a boy definitely crossed the limits of what her pride could handle.
(Steady…)
(Don't run!)
(For the 200,000 yen reward, I have to endure this embarrassment!)
She quietly clenched her fists, hyping herself up while fighting off the shame.
(Even if I have to split it with Blake, 100,000 yen is still a huge amount… Mom works so hard taking care of the family alone. I could buy her better hand cream… get Hinata the manga she likes… buy Tamaki some snacks… No matter what, I can't miss this reward!)
A moment later—
Ruri stood up, cheeks still flushed, arms crossed under her chest. She lifted her chin and struck a dramatic chuunibyou pose.
"I've already signed an employment contract with them. They said they'll rally their friends to help find the lost contracted beast… however…"
"However what?"
Blake kept a straight face, not teasing her despite how embarrassed she clearly was.
"They want payment in advance…" Ruri averted her gaze, speaking in a small voice. "They said foolish humans once offered them exquisite delicacies—after eating them, they felt overwhelming joy and bliss."
Blake looked at her, deadpan. "...Please translate that into human language."
"It just means cat food and treats," Ruri muttered. "We have to offer tribute first if we want their help. And once the job is done, we have to pay them again."
"Sounds fair." Blake nodded lightly. "Even cats deserve proper compensation for their labor. We can't expect them to work for free, or one day we'll end up strung up on a lamppost."
Ruri: "..."
While they were talking, the two stray cats had already run off in different directions, clearly going to call their friends.
"They've gone to gather help," Ruri said softly, pressing her lips together. "...Let's go to a convenience store first?"
"Sure. Lead the way, Ruri."
Since Ruri lived nearby, she naturally took the lead, while Blake followed behind obediently.
The walk was quiet.
Under Kuroneko's guidance, they soon arrived at a corner convenience store.
"So many canned cat foods…" It didn't take long to find the section. Half a shelf was filled with them. Ruri picked up a can and looked up. "How many should we get?"
"Let's start with five," Blake said after thinking for two seconds. "Being bounty hunters isn't a one-time gig—it's a long-term business… not 'long-term vegetarianism'… Anyway, cat treats and canned food are basically hard currency. Buying extra won't go to waste. If we don't get enough, we'll just have to make another trip."
"That makes sense."
Ruri nodded in agreement, adding a few more cans to the cart.
"Next, we need the treats…"
She walked ahead with her hands behind her back, while Blake pushed the cart behind her. As they grew more comfortable, her earlier stiffness faded, and her voice became noticeably lighter.
But after only a few steps, Ruri suddenly stopped.
Her slender brows knit together, eyes scanning the surroundings with suspicion.
"Why'd you stop?" Blake asked.
Ruri wrapped her left arm across her chest, spreading the fingers of her right hand across her face in an extremely embarrassing pose.
"I sense the presence of a magical creature."
Hey, by "magical creature," you don't mean the fish in the seafood section, right?
"Found it!"
Ruri suddenly stepped back, pointing sharply toward a corner.
"The source of the dangerous aura is right there!"
Blake turned to look.
The corner was completely empty. There was nothing there.
Just as he was about to say something, a tiny kid suddenly walked out from behind the shelf.
A little girl with a bowl-cut, a yellow cap, and a huge backpack—clearly a first grader.
"Eh—?!"
The moment Ruri saw her, she visibly panicked, like a mouse running into its natural enemy.
"Is something actually wrong?" Blake grew wary.
She looked like an adorable human kid, but the panic on Ruri's face was definitely real. Better safe than sorry.
Under Blake's watchful gaze, the small human child suddenly took a deep breath. Her chubby cheeks puffed up, clearly building up for something big.
"N-no, don't…"
Ruri raised a hand in panic to stop her, but it was obviously too late. All she could do was let out a despairing whimper.
The next second—
The little girl spun around, cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone, and shouted in a soft, childish voice:
"Mom, come quick! Big Sis is on a date with a boy!"
Blake: "..."
There were only the two of them in this aisle, so obviously, "Big Sis" meant Kuroneko.
So where exactly was the dangerous magical creature?
What kind of monster runs around yelling "Big Sis" like that? That's clearly her little sister!
"....."