After buying the bread, Tezuka Kunimitsu planned to take his younger brother straight home. However, as they walked, his brother suddenly stopped and stood motionless by the roadside. This startled Tezuka Kunimitsu because the last time Guo Yu stood still like this, he fainted the next second. The family had to rush him to the hospital for emergency treatment, and he stayed there for several months before gradually recovering.
So now, seeing his brother in a similar state, Tezuka Kunimitsu was worried that something might be wrong with his brother’s health again. He quickly asked, “Guo Yu, are you feeling unwell? Do you want me to carry you?”
“If you’re not feeling well, you must tell your brother, okay?”
“Don’t worry, brother,” Guo Yu replied seriously, “I’m not feeling unwell.”
He had just suddenly noticed a very cute little cat by the roadside and wanted to stop and take a closer look. You see, Ayana Mother never allowed him to get close to small animals before, fearing he might get hurt. So today, seeing the little cat by the roadside, he was really curious.
“Brother, look over there, that little cat is so cute.”
Following the direction of Guo Yu’s finger, Tezuka Kunimitsu also saw the gray and white little cat ahead. Its bright blue eyes indeed looked adorable, its fur was very smooth, and its body was plump, clearly not a stray cat.
“Yes, it’s very cute.”
But why did it run to the roadside? Could it be that the owner forgot to close the door, and the little cat ran out on its own? Tezuka Kunimitsu speculated.
“Right, right~” Knowing that his brother agreed with him, Guo Yu was a bit happy because he really thought the little cat was adorable. He really wanted to take the little cat home and raise it.
“Meow~” Perhaps noticing that Guo Yu was staring at it, the little cat suddenly walked over, seemingly wanting to get closer and rub against Guo Yu’s shoes.
However, Tezuka Kunimitsu was still a bit worried about the cleanliness of the little cat, so he directly pulled his brother behind him, preventing the little cat from getting closer.
The little cat seemed to understand Tezuka Kunimitsu’s resistance, meowing in protest but stopping a few steps away from Guo Yu.
“Brother, can I pet the little cat?” Guo Yu asked with eyes full of anticipation as he watched the little cat approach him. “I want to pet it; it’s really cute.”
“But…” Is this cat clean?
Tezuka Kunimitsu was a bit troubled by his brother’s request because he didn’t want to risk his brother’s health, but his brother seemed to really want to pet the little cat.
A house cat shouldn’t have bacteria, right? His brother just wants to pet it; it shouldn’t affect his health!
While Tezuka Kunimitsu was caught in his dilemma, he suddenly heard someone shouting from not far away, “Karupin…”
“Karupin…”
Hearing this voice, Tezuka Kunimitsu found it familiar, but he couldn’t recall who it belonged to.
However, Guo Yu immediately recognized the person as his good friend Echizen Ryoma, “Brother, I hear Ryoma’s voice.”
“It seems like he’s calling for Karupin?”
“Who is Karupin? I don’t know.”
Echizen Ryoma? With his brother’s reminder, Tezuka Kunimitsu realized why the voice sounded familiar; it was indeed someone he knew. So he smiled, patted his brother’s head, and shared his guess.
“Guo Yu heard right; this voice is indeed your good friend.”
“If I’m not mistaken, your friend might be the owner of this little cat. He probably accidentally got separated from it!”
“As for who Karupin is, let your friend tell you!” With just a few words, Tezuka Kunimitsu roughly guessed why the little cat was here, but he didn’t explain further because he thought it might be better for Guo Yu’s friend to explain.
“Huh? Is the little cat Ryoma’s pet?”
Hearing his brother say this, Guo Yu found it hard to believe. How could he coincidentally encounter Ryoma’s little cat by the roadside?
Is his brother joking? If what he said is true, then it’s too incredible, not scientific at all!
While Guo Yu was still in doubt, the next second, he saw Echizen Ryoma appear at the corner ahead. Unlike Ryoma’s usual calm demeanor, he now looked very anxious, his face slightly panicked, as if searching for something very important.
“Ryoma—” Upon seeing his good friend, Guo Yu immediately greeted him.
Hearing someone call his name, Echizen Ryoma was a bit puzzled because it was his first time here, and no one should know him. How could someone be calling him?
But as he got closer, he realized the person calling him was a familiar face, “Guo Yu?”
“What are you doing here?”
“My brother and I were just about to head home!” Guo Yu replied happily, “Is Ryoma also heading home now?”
“No, I’m looking for my cat. I accidentally got separated from it.”
Echizen Ryoma was a bit dejected. He had only come to buy something today, but Karupin followed him out. He lost sight of Karupin for just a moment, and now he didn’t know where it had gone.
Guo Yu was genuinely surprised to find out Ryoma was indeed looking for a cat. His brother’s guess was spot on, how impressive!
Admiringly glancing at his brother, Guo Yu quickly stepped aside to let Ryoma see the little cat hiding in the corner, “Is this Ryoma’s cat?”
“Yes!” Due to the angle, Echizen Ryoma hadn’t immediately noticed his little cat behind Guo Yu, but once Guo Yu moved, the obedient Karupin squatting by the wall was fully revealed.
“This is my cat!”
“Its name is Karupin~”
“Karupin, come here!”
Finally finding his beloved cat, Echizen Ryoma visibly relaxed, smiling as he introduced his little cat’s name to Guo Yu, then beckoned to the cat.
With his call, the little cat immediately meowed in response, then jumped into Ryoma’s arms, purring contentedly under his touch!
So cute. Guo Yu stood by, a bit envious, but without his brother’s permission, he didn’t dare to pet Karupin.
“Echizen, may I ask if your Karupin has received all its vaccinations?”
Noticing the longing in his brother’s eyes, Tezuka Kunimitsu couldn’t bear to let him down, so he inquired about Karupin’s health.
“Yes, it has.” Although not quite understanding why Guo Yu’s brother asked this, Echizen Ryoma explained, “We regularly take Karupin to the vet for check-ups. We’re very attentive to its health.”
“Is that so? That’s great!”
“You know, Echizen, Guo Yu’s health is quite fragile,” Tezuka Kunimitsu explained to help Echizen Ryoma understand his question, “But he really likes your cat and wants to pet it, so for his safety…”
“Yes, yes, I understand.”
“Karupin is very well-behaved, Tezuka-senpai, you can rest assured it won’t harm Guo Yu.”
Echizen Ryoma understood Tezuka Kunimitsu’s concerns, so he lifted Karupin’s paw to show its trimmed nails, “I just trimmed Karupin’s nails a few days ago; it won’t scratch Guo Yu.”
And with Karupin in his arms, he would keep it well-controlled.
Since the cat’s owner said so, Tezuka Kunimitsu didn’t stop his brother from interacting with the little cat.
Watching his brother happily petting the cat, his eyes turning into crescent moons, Tezuka Kunimitsu wondered if he was being overprotective.
If Guo Yu could be so happy just petting a little cat, then if he persuaded their parents to let Guo Yu have a pet, wouldn’t Guo Yu be happy for months?
“Guo Yu, do you really like little cats? Would you like to have one of your own?” So on the way home, Tezuka Kunimitsu asked Guo Yu.
“Huh?” Hearing his brother’s question, Guo Yu immediately got excited, “Can I? Can I really have a little cat?”
“Of course, but we still need to ask Mom, Dad, and Grandpa if they want another family member.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Then let’s hurry home, brother!”
Thinking about having his own cute cat soon, Guo Yu couldn’t help but feel happy, bouncing as he walked.
He had already thought it through. Once he had his own cat, he would give it a nice name like Ryoma did, and share Ayana Mother’s grilled fish with it. The cat would surely find the grilled fish super delicious!
However, when they got home and asked Ayana Mother if Guo Yu could have a cat, Guo Yu was directly refused by his mom.