NekoPara Volume 1

Chapter 5: Time to Go Home?

"Regarding this situation," came Shigure's voice, "I want to respect Chocola and Vanilla's intentions. If Chocola and Vanilla agree with it, then I'll come get them." I was finally able to get in touch with her. Without any margin of negotiation space, I was struck down.

"But Shigure," I said, "even if you say that, I don't thick Chocola and Vanilla will."

"By the way, Nii-sama. Would you whisper this morning's sweet nothings to your little sister?" She asked.

"Don't make it seem like it's a daily ritual or something. In any case--"

"Ah, I'm sorry. Father is calling me, so I need to get going. I love you, Nii-sama. I'll talk to you later."  She said.

"Ah, wait! Shigure... Seriously?" As the ruthless buzz of the dropped call echoed, I stared at my cell phone. And here I thought that I could sort all this out if I could just talk to Shigure.

"Breakfast tastes good!" Chocola said munching on her food. "Master's breakfast always tastes so good, meow!"

"Chocola, there's some ketchup on you're cheek." Vanilla pointed out. "It's cutely artistic. I'll lick it off." She slurped the ketchup off her cheek. The catgirls in question were happily stuffing themselves with sandwiches. These sandwiches incidentally contained tomato, cheese, and lettuce. With an over-easy fried egg tucked inside all of that, it was a simple meal. Breakfast was pretty much like this.

"You two are definitely going home today, okay?" I asked them.

"Is it not fun having Chocola and Vanilla around, Master?" Chocola asked finishing a sandwich. "Chocola is a lot of fun, you know? With Chocola, it's a world-class level of fun!"

"Master was really looking forward to it last night too." Vanilla said swallowing her food.

"Stop with the deliberately misleading words." I sighed at their happy-go-lucky mindset. I took the opportunity to fill their empty glasses with milk. The eating habits of catgirls, were pretty much the same as those of humans, so that part was straightforward. Of course, what they liked and disliked depended on each individual catgirl.

"In the end, I wasn't able to get everything put away yesterday." I said. "Today, I really do have to start getting for the bakery's opening, too. That's why I don't have time to relax and play with you two. Be good girls and go home." I said that to them with a sandwich in my hand.

"Will Chocola being around cause problems for Master?" Chocola said putting her sandwich down on her plate, and just like yesterday, she looked at me with upturned eyes.

"Yeah, it's a problem." I answered her clearly.

"I see... So that's how it really is..." Chocola said as her shoulders dropped more than before. The ears which sat atop her head drooped downheartedly, too.

"Chocola..." Unable to make fun of anything, Vanilla could only look on with concern. The pain from last night, pricked at my heart again. I tilted the already-cooled coffee cup, as my emotions dulled, unimpeded by my judgement.

"Besides," Chocola said, "besides, Chocola... wants to be with Master." Her usually always perky ears were drooping. Chocola was speaking clearly under her own volition.

"If Chocola is here, then I am too." Vanilla said. "I think I want to be here, too." Vanilla's usually blank expression did not change. However, she showed me her strong determination. "I don't remember Chocola or Vanilla ever being this disobedient." That thought stayed at the back of my mind. But if I was going to be swayed by that, then I wouldn't have said this.

"... that. Understood?" I half said my thought.

"Hmm?" Someone was outside and ringing the doorbell.