“...Haa.”
It was the first time I’d ever seen Aria sigh.
Just watching from the side made me feel filthy, so I couldn’t imagine how much worse it was for her.
Apparently desperate to get the bastard out as quickly as possible, Aria brewed his tea at lightning speed.
“Here’s your tea.”
Normally, she would warn customers that it was hot and tell them to drink it slowly.
This time, she simply set it down and immediately turned away.
At that exact moment, the man shot to his feet.
Aria flinched and stopped halfway toward the kitchen.
“Heh heh. Don’t leave so fast. Keep me company for a bit.”
Then, out of nowhere, he reached for Aria’s arm.
I’d had enough.
I launched myself at him and sank my teeth hard into his left calf.
“Aaagh!!”
I bit down with everything I had, deep enough to make him scream, and he kicked at me.
But I was faster.
I jumped backward out of range. His foot swung through empty air, and he lost his balance and crashed onto the floor.
“Ghk...!”
“......”
Aria hadn’t gotten a clear look at what happened and just stared in shock at the sudden chaos.
Even so, instead of checking on the bastard sitting on the floor, she immediately looked for me under the table.
“Roro...? Are you all right? Come out here.”
“Ugh...! That damn cat just bit me!”
“...What? What do you—”
The man yanked up his left trouser leg as if to prove it, then ground his teeth in rage.
“That little bastard bit me! Can’t you see?! My leg’s bleeding!”
He glared at me like he wanted to beat me to death.
I glared right back.
“...I’m truly sorry. Roro normally never does anything like this....”
Even while apologizing, Aria put me first.
“I don’t know what scared him, but he must have been really frightened. Roro, are you okay?”
Apparently I’d been breathing hard without realizing it.
I calmed myself down, then answered Aria as she examined me with worried eyes.
“...Myaong. Wooong.”
I’m fine. You’re the one who needs to watch out for that bastard.
“So damn annoying.... Makes me want to throw that thing away....”
Aria was still bent down checking on me when the man muttered behind her and got back to his feet.
She straightened immediately.
Then she moved in front of the table as if shielding me.
The bastard approached her, still grumbling.
“Aria, you saw my leg, right? You’re seriously going to keep that damn cat after this?! Lock it up right now!”
“......”
“If this keeps up, I’m not coming back! Got it?”
One second he was talking down to her, the next he was using polite speech again. Apparently his brain couldn’t even decide how he wanted to talk.
He angrily jabbed a finger at me, but Aria answered calmly.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t lock him up.”
“What...? What did you say?”
“Cats can think with their little heads, and they have feelings too. In that sense, they’re no different from people. I think locking one away like that would be abuse. If having a cat here makes you uncomfortable, then I’d rather you not visit our teahouse again.”
Aria’s firm answer actually seemed to throw him off.
“Ah.... O-okay. Don’t lock him up.... But he bit me. What are you going to do about that? My leg’s injured!”
“I apologize for Roro biting you. I’m sorry. If you want, I’ll pay for your treatment too.”
Aria bowed deeply in apology.
He was trying to put his hands on you! Aria, you don’t have to apologize! That was self-defense!
I came out from under the table and tried to stop her, but Aria stubbornly kept her head lowered.
The man looked down at the crown of her head.
The corners of his mouth slowly twitched upward.
“Heh heh. All right.”
“......”
“I’ll forgive you just this once. You seem genuinely sorry, so I’m willing to let it go.”
You fucking bastard! God, I want to punch that face in!
“I won’t even make you pay for treatment. Instead, next time I come, talk to me for a while. There are a lot of things I want to know about you, Aria. You’re curious about me too, aren’t you?”
“...No, I’m—”
“I’ll come again tomorrow.”
He cut her off, gave her a sleazy grin, and left.
Aria’s face tightened quietly in obvious discomfort.
“HISSSSS!!”
What the hell is wrong with that disgusting bastard?! Die!!!
I hissed at his retreating back until he vanished from sight.
“Haa.”
At the sound of Aria’s deep sigh, I stopped hissing and looked up.
She forced a smile and spoke to me.
“It’s okay. You must have been really scared.”
“Mya-ma-mang! Myaaaang!”
Why did you do that?! I told you not to apologize!
A loser like that would keep pushing forever if you gave him even an inch.
Just imagining him coming back and pulling this shit again made my blood boil.
“...He seems strange, so don’t go near him from now on. All right?”
“Woowk, myang.”
“I’m worried you’ll get hurt, Roro.”
“MYAAAAAA!”
I wailed loud enough to shake the whole shop out of sheer frustration.
Worry about yourself first, pleeease!
******
After that day, the bastard started coming to the shop at the same time every evening to hit on Aria.
It felt like he deliberately waited until there was no one else around.
That stalker bastard could try something at any time, and I’m seriously supposed to just sit here and watch?!
I knew from the webtoon that he would eventually attempt a crime, get caught by the male lead, and be arrested.
But having to see that disgusting face every single day until then was seriously stressful.
It was like going to the police station and hearing:
“Well, nothing’s happened to you yet, right? Then there’s nothing we can do~”
It was fucking infuriating.
Maybe because I’d been on edge lately, I was starting to lose my appetite too.
I hadn’t known cats could get stress-induced gastritis.
“Roro. Don’t you feel like eating?”
“...Meow.”
When I didn’t even react to delicious meat, Aria’s eyes filled with concern.
“...There isn’t even a veterinary clinic around here.... What am I supposed to do?”
Hearing her mutter so miserably, I got to my feet.
Then I circled around her, meowing insistently.
I’m fine! I’m actually way more energetic than I look!
“Roro. You don’t have to push yourself. If you’re tired, you can just lie down.”
“Maong.”
“I’m sorry. I haven’t been paying enough attention to you.... Starting today, let’s close early and get some rest.”
Now that was good news.
If we closed early, Aria wouldn’t have to deal with that bastard either.
I immediately flopped onto the floor and started acting like a cat on death’s door.
“......Meow.”
“Are you that weak? Let’s at least eat a little. Okay?”
Aria looked so worried that I had no choice but to get up and try a piece of finely chopped meat.
Once I actually tasted it, though, it was delicious.
So I kept eating.
Only then did Aria finally relax. She stroked me, then seemed to make up her mind and headed somewhere.
A little while later, she came back from the storage room carrying some cord and a small wooden board.
Then she started making something.
[CLOSED]
It was a sign she could hang on the door.
The sun had only just begun to set, but Aria locked the shop, hung up the sign, and took me upstairs.
It was the earliest we had ever clocked out.
Should’ve faked being sick sooner.
I crawled into my little cat cave upstairs and settled down to rest.
It was my own private bed, stuffed with a thick cushion and lined with a soft fur blanket.
Ahhh. That’s the stuff....
I kneaded the fluffy blanket with my paws and let myself unwind.
Aria changed into comfortable clothes, sat in the rocking chair, and began reading a book.
An evening with actual free time.
This was the life!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Our peaceful evening was shattered by a sudden noise.
Someone was pounding on the door downstairs.
Aria jumped out of her chair.
“It’s okay. Stay here and rest.”
When I tried to come out of my little cave, Aria stopped me.
Then she hurriedly threw on an outer garment and left the room.
She closed the bedroom door so I couldn’t follow.
But I stood on my hind legs, hooked the handle, and pulled.
Opening doors was easy enough.
I scampered down the stairs.
By the time I reached the bottom, I could clearly hear Aria arguing with someone.
“I’m sorry, but starting today, we won’t be open in the evenings. Please go home.”
“What do you mean, suddenly doing this? I came all the way here....”
I spotted the straw-haired man standing in front of the shop.
“Aria, is this because of that cat? You’re avoiding me because of it, aren’t you?”
“That’s not—”
“It is! I show up and suddenly you’re closing! What do you mean it’s not?!”
He shouted and tried to force his way inside.
Aria attempted to stop him, but he overpowered her, and the door flew wide open.
The bastard walked toward Aria.
She backed away, visibly frightened.
“Heh heh. Sorry. Did I scare you? Don’t be like that. Women who play hard to get aren’t attractive.”
“...Wait, what are you doing? Let go of me!”
“You’re just playing hard to get right now.”
He finally crossed the line.
The bastard grabbed Aria by the arm and tried to yank her toward him.
I launched myself forward like a rocket off its pad.
With my claws fully extended, I slashed wildly through the air and unleashed an unholy shriek.
Startled, the bastard let go of Aria.
“HISSSRAAAAGH!! RYAAAAAAAGH!!!”
You fucking #$&# bastard, GET THE FUCK OUT!! Come any closer and I’ll kill you!!
The correct response to insanity was more insanity.
Once I put on the full demon-possessed, hysterical, batshit-crazy freakout show, even that psycho couldn’t bring himself to come any closer.
I might have overdone it, though.
I was out of breath.
When I opened my mouth and started panting, Aria quickly scooped me into her arms and tried to calm me down.
Put me down, Aria. I’m finishing this with that bastard tonight.