Chapter 46: Three Orange-Haired, Two Happy Guests, and an Apartment Made for One

The day of the visit arrives. As it's the weekend we all have the day off, so I'm in no hurry to get ready for the day. That being said, that's no reason not to be anxious.

After waking, I crack open my bedroom window to gauge the weather, and I'm pleased to find a pale blue sky. It'll be a good day for a walk, but as my eye follows the horizon I spot some grumpy looking clouds rolling in. The forecast didn't mention anything about rain, and even when I check it again there's no mention of a storm. I hope it's just passing over.While I eat a breakfast of bread and nattō I check the route to Natsume's place again. It's not overly close but not overly far away. He seems to live in a nice area, too. Good for young people, salary workers especially. When it comes time to get dressed, I have a hard time figuring out what to wear. Usually I have no reservations about what's "appropriate" to wear out of the house. University is supposed to be a time to experiment with style and colour (hence my blue hair), but it's different when you're going to visit someone. "What kind of impression do I want to make this time?" I wonder to myself. Yes, Natsume and I have met before, but it's completely different going over to someone's house than going out to meet them for lunch. Home visits might sound more casual on the surface, but it's actually a big deal!I want to wear comfortable clothes, but nothing too comfortable that it looks like I don't have any style. I also don't want to wear anything that makes me look like I don't have a wardrobe. I've managed to replace the few articles of clothes I lost in the flood, but they're relatively plain and cheaply made. Now that I know the Asahina family are more on the upper crust, I suddenly feel so very average. I know stuff like that doesn't matter to Ema-chan, but what about her brothers? I know for a fact that the bratty brother was judging me that time...Not to mention, the times I've met Natsume last he was always wearing a suit of some kind. I'm beginning to wonder if the man doesn't own a pair of sweatpants.And to top all of that off, Natsume has a pair of cats. That means whatever I wear to his place will get covered in fur, possibly torn, or in the worst case scenario, pooped or vomited on. There's nothing like a good hairball to brighten everyone's day.After a good twenty minutes of trying to put together various outfits, I end up settling on a light blue romper over a white shirt. From the pictures, Natsume's cats are light haired, so wearing lighter coloured clothing means the fur will be less visible, and layering clothes can add depths to an outfit. It's casual and tasteful. I hold my hand mirror up on the table and survey myself. "This will do," I say to myself. Then it's time to go.I close the door behind me and lock up. "I'm leaving," I call to my empty room. The train station is busy. Now that it's June the heat keeps rising. In addition, we've been waiting for the rain to start falling. The early summer months are usually stormy, but this year it's a little later. A couple of my classmates have stopped carrying umbrellas because they believe the rain will keep holding off for another day. When I last texted Yusuke he said there's no point, since "it never ends up raining anyway." Even I've kept forgetting to replace the umbrella I lost in the flood.The route to Natsume's is straightforward, and I arrive at a tall, grey building. The light catches the large windows in the upper floors, blinding me with the glare. I shield my gaze and look around for Ema. She hasn't messaged me yet, so she must not be here.I message her, wondering if we should have planned where to meet up beforehand. But it hasn't been such a bad idea, standing outside a guy's apartment alone like some suspicious creeper...Bzzt.I check my phone. "Oh, good. She's here." I look up at the building. I'm not sure if I'll be able to see Natsume's apartment from here. "I guess I'll wait for her down here?" E: Just a moment. We'll be right down.I enter the first set of doors and stay put. Cool air trickles out from the main lobby. I wipe my forehead. The heat is intense even before noon. I hope Natsume has AC or we'll melt.Beyond a second set of glass doors an elevator opens. Ema steps out, smiling and waving like we haven't seen each other in years. She's wearing a pair of short shorts and a cute pink ruffled top. Despite the heat she's wearing knee-high black stockings with lateral diamond patterning. I stifle a laugh when I see strands of cat fur already sticking to the cotton.Behind Ema follows Natsume, who wears beige shorts and a green and white striped shirt. Green suits him, I think to myself. Kind of like how blue suits Yusuke."Mai-chan!" Ema exclaims as the glass doors slide apart. The two of us exchange greetings, asking how each other has been. "It's been so different without you at home, you know. I miss being able to talk to you every day.""Right?" I nod. "I miss talking to you outside of classes, too. It's been so quiet at my place that I almost miss having housemates. Ah, but don't tell your brothers I said that." We share a laugh.Natsume approaches, uttering a simple, "Hello", adding a "I hope they didn't bother you too much."I smile. "Your brothers were very kind to have me over. It was fun doing multiplayer with Ema-chan and Wataru-kun. I haven't really played against anyone but my brother.""You play games, too?" Natsume's eyes widen in surprise.Ema nods. "Mai-chan always has my back when we go on zombie raids. We're also pretty evenly matched in one-on-one battles, and she can always beat Wataru-chan."Laughing, I pat her shoulder. "I'll have to keep practicing if I want to keep my high score. I bet Wataru-kun will make good on his word and beat me next time."Whenever "next time" happens, if ever, I think to myself."If Ema says you're good at gaming then you must be," Natsume says. "That's high praise from the one who gave all of us brothers whopping in battle royale."I choke trying not to laugh aloud. I can picture it now: Ema sitting on the couch calmly maneuvering the controls while the other Asahina brothers smash the controls just to keep up. In particular, Masaomi; He never seems to do well when there are blood graphics."Should we go up?" Natsume holds the door open for us, ever polite. "It's cooler in my place." He does the same for the elevator doors and at the door to his apartment. "We're back," Ema calls to the seemingly empty apartment. A soft pitter-patter sounds from within. Two pairs of four feet, to be precise. The cream-and-orange felines appear from out of nowhere and dart toward the door. Standing no taller than my knees, they waste no time in welcoming us in. I have to be careful not to step on them as I step into the genkan, and once they spot Ema they purr and circle around her like little ducklings."Tsubaki! Azusa! Move over. You got to let us get inside first." Natsume nudges them aside with his foot.Ema sets her shoes aside and picks up one of the cats, though I can't tell which is which. The cat in her arms twists his head and curls inward toward Ema's arm, pupils wide and mouth slightly open in bliss. The other cat, upon seeing that Ema is occupied, turns reluctantly to Natsume. The look he gives him practically screams, "I guess you'll do." Not that Natsume seems overly bothered by this. And why would he be? "They—they're..." I trail off as my hands fly to my mouth."Sorry about them," Natsume says with a frown. "Feel free to shove them aside if they're blocking the way.""I could never," I say honestly. "They're absolutely adorable."I'd be afraid to apply force to any cat. They are stronger than they look, and to incur the wrath of a feline, however unintentional, could lead to dire consequences. I'd rather not find myself at the other end of a cat's eternal grudge."Here, let's give us some room." I look down at the cat brushing against Natsume and scoop him up under the stomach. The fur is sleek and well groomed, and the toe beans are soft and squishy—these kitties are definitely the indoor type, which makes sense. Natsume lives on one of the higher floors in the building, and I can see through to the other end of his apartment that he's only got a small balcony with a glass railing. They don't seem like the kind of cats who'll go out walking on a leash, either. The cat in my arms squirms as he tries to find his footing. In my head I refer to them both as "he", as Natsume has clearly named them after his older twin brothers. Whether or not their sexes match their namesakes is unknown, but it's hardly important at the moment.The cat rubs his head against my upper arm, staring at me with wide yellow eyes. With a purposeful "nya" he closes his eyes and opens them. Slowly, I raise my opposite hand to his nose. Cautiously, he sniffs it before leaning back against my arm as if to say, "Okay, you've passed the first test."A goofy grin spreads across my face.Affection acquired!My heart flutters. It crossed my mind that Natsume's cats might not like strangers, but this one seems more than happy to make my acquaintance. A look over at the other tells me that he might have welcomed me too, if Natsume hadn't grown impatient and scooped him from Ema's hands by the scruff.With a gruff, "You're in the way, Tsubaki," Natsume practically tosses him into the room. He finally closes the door behind him and lets out a sigh. Ema and I giggle as we remove our shoes and let ourselves in. I carry the other cat, presumably Azusa, into the living room.Stepping up from the genkan, we pass the kitchenette, complete with a toaster oven, small stovetop, sink, and fridge. On the other side of the narrow hall are doors to the toilet and shower room.Tsubaki (the cat) squeezes ahead of us, tail happily erect, purring loudly like he owns the place, which I guess he does. He crosses into the living room and leaps onto a multi-level cat tower on the left. From there he nestles down on his haunches, crossing his paws all business-like as if to say, "Welcome to my domain." I let him sniff my hand as I walk past."Hello Tsubaki," Ema greets. She appears beside me and scratches Tsubaki's chin. He purrs and licks her fingers, enjoying the attention.A clink sounds from the kitchen."Do you want something to drink?" Natsume asks. He's grabbed a pair of glasses with one hand, and with the other is opening the fridge. "Water, please," Ema says. "Mai-chan?""Tea, please, if you have any." I set Azusa down on the couch.Natsume nods and sets to work. "Make yourselves at home.""Thank you." Ema and I exchange glances and sit down next to each other on the sofa. There's enough room for both of us and for the cats. Azusa sits between us with his paws tucked underneath him. Tsubaki loafs on the cat tower next to me, eyes forward as he stares past me to look at Ema. Between the two of us, he knows her better than me."So, Ema-chan... how are you?""I'm alright, thank you for asking." Ema and I share more updates, but it's not like a lot has happened since we last saw each other. We've both studied for midterms and tried to get back to our usual routines from before. "I never thought how nice it would be to live with a friend," Ema reflects. "It makes for a different bathroom schedule, I bet."Ema laughs. "Wataru-chan really misses you, you know. He's been practicing for our next multi-player game—when he's not studying.""I can imagine.""And Kaname-san went back to his training, but he writes us letters.""Oh?" At least he's doing alright, then. "How is Ukyo-san? What's he been cooking lately? My meals have mostly been instant ramen, but don't tell him that. Now that midterms are over I'll be back to eating healthy food. I promise!"Ema smiles and pets Azusa (the cat). "Earlier this week Ukyo-san bought a large bundle of pork. He made pork fried rice, but there was so much left over that we've ended up having it the whole week. I didn't mind it, but Wataru-chan and Tsubaki-san probably want something else for a change.""I completely understand.""Ukyo-san does his best to make each dish unique, though. Yesterday he made pork cutlets!""I understand Ukyo-san," I clarify. "Buying in bulk is the best time to try out new recipes. I miss his cooking. Feel free to tell him that.""Fufu. I will."Talking casually with Ema again lifts my spirits. I didn't realize how much I missed the company, but being with a friend sure beats spending every evening alone. I should enjoy her company while the visit lasts."Here you go." Natsume steps into the room. He sets the glasses down on the desk behind him and pulls out a wooden table from the nearby closet. He sets the table down before us and sets our drinks on it. "Thank you, Natsume-san." Ema and I take up our drinks. The cool tea refreshes my palette; paired with the AC on full blast I can forget that it's the start of summer. Natsume himself has a cold glass of tea. He seats himself across from us on the floor. Although he looks comfortable I feel bad about hogging all the space on the sofa. This is his house, after all.Sharing my thoughts, Ema scoots over, pressing Azusa (the cat) between us. Disturbed, Azusa leaps to his feet and crawls onto Ema's lap. "There's room here, Natsume-san," she offers."It's okay." Natsume leans back on his palms. "I'll sit down here.""Eh? Are you sure?" I ask, but I don't budge from my spot. Natsume raises his glass. "I can use the desk chair later. You two can sit there. You're my guests.""Well..." Ema leans forward and sets her drink on the table. "I kind of feel bad looking down at you like this. Pardon me, Azusa." She lifts the cat up from his belly and she slides down to sit on the floor as well. "I'll be alright on the floor, too. Right, Azusa?" The cat meows in response and settles into her lap. I can't be the only one left on the couch, so I drop down next to Ema. "This way there's enough room for all of us." I glance over my shoulder at Tsubaki, silently inviting him to join us. But Tsubaki (the cat) is content on his perch. He lazily looks our way before yawning and resting his head on his paws. So much for sitting in solidarity."Pft." Natsume raises the glass to his lips. "You don't have to go that far."I'm not. I'm just following Ema's lead, but there's no point in saying all of that. Better that I don't say any more unnecessary things. That's what got me here in the first place. Since I came here for the cats, I turn my attention toward Azusa, hoping that Ema will take the hint and feel free to catch up with her brother as much as she wants. As if in agreement, Azusa nuzzles against my hand. Behind me, Tsubaki stirs and drops down to the couch between me and Ema. His tail brushes against my hair. Even from here I can feel the soft, fluffiness of his fur. Despite the unusual circumstances that led to me being here, I can't complain about finally getting to meet these two.Just as I settle into the role of silent observer, Natsume decides to keep me included in the conversation.I was okay petting your cats. You don't have to go out of your way to talk to me, too, Natsume-san!