The GATE Academy [Please read description]

Chapter 23: Surprises

[Riku]

I woke up to a feeling of... Softness. That was the only real way I could describe it I guess...

"Meow," I heard a girl's voice call out to me amidst this soft darkness that I was in.

"Wha...?..." I groaned, it was too early for me to be awake, and even though we were going to leave for the trip early, my alarms hadn't gone off yet.

"Wakey Wakey, Riku!" That same, high-pitched, girly voice called out to me.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes as I yawned, stretching out my arms after I rubbed my eyes. I looked down besides me to see what was obstructing my view and...

"Good morning, Riku!"

Besides me was a naked girl with cream-colored cat ears and a tail, yes, I saw that much of her.

I screamed once as I backed myself up against the wall and hid myself under my blankets.

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"That was quite amusing, Riku," Keita commented as he broke the silence between the three of us who were eating Lucky Charms.

I sat in a silence more awkward than the others, eating my cereal in a much more quiet mood than normal.

"It's me Riku, Koneko!" The cat girl said to me, smiling brightly.

I didn't quite understand what happened, so Keita had to explain to me.

"I was up when it happened," Keita said as he leaned across the table and pointed at me with his spoon, "... Her transformation, that is."

I sat back in my chair and crossed my arms as I listened to Keita.

"It was quite an amazing transformation, actually, but that's besides the point. At around 2 this morning, my hibernation had been interrupted by a wind, a light wind, so it is understandable that you, being a heavy sleeper, did not wake up."

I looked at the ca-... Koneko, as Keita spoke, smiling lightly back at her, because, well, I guess she's still my cat and even if she turned into a cat girl, I still have to love her as a friend?

"When I 'woke up,' I saw in the middle of the room a flurry of golden and white tendrils of energy circling Koneko, whose cat form was slowly expanding into that of a human's. The process took an allotted time of 3 minutes. After the transformation, the newly transformed Koneko and I had a brief conversation before she decided to return to be with you."

"And you let her return to bed NAKED?" I groaned Keita, who simply returned to his cereal.

Koneko, who was now clothed in a white tanktop and some beige shorts I had found for her, tapped me on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry if me being naked bothered you, I don't know what makes humans uncomfortable," Koneko giggled, "... In my homeland, everybody walked around naked and no questions were asked, I see it's different here!"

I nodded my head and leaned forward in my chair to look at Koneko.

"So what ARE you exactly, then... Koneko?" I was still a little uncomfortable with calling her 'Koneko.'

Koneko smiled brightly, "I'm a bakeneko!"

I didn't know much Japanese, but I knew some things, "... So you're a 'stupid cat?'..." I asked her, unsure of why she would call herself that.

Koneko laughed and slapped me lightly on the shoulder, "No, that's 'baka!' 'Baka' means stupid, but 'bake' means monster!!"

I laughed smally, seeing my mistake then, "Sorry Koneko, I'm not very in touch with my Japanese side, as you can see..."