"WAAAAAAH—mmph!"

  The cat beastman's large hand clamped over Amashiro's mouth, cutting off his scream.

  The sensation of the paw pads on his palm and fingertips was identical to the ones from his dream of Rashion just moments ago—but now wasn't the time to dwell on that. He had no idea what this suspicious character might do to him. This was a genuine life-or-death crisis, wasn't it?

  ...Or so he thought as he struggled and flailed, but his captor didn't budge an inch. With Amashiro's soft, never-exercised body, there was no way he could overpower someone built like a wild beast.

  "Making such a racket at this hour would disturb the neighbors, so please forgive the intrusion, Father. Could you calm down a bit?"

  The beastman's voice was deep and powerful, yet somehow nostalgic—a gentle voice filled with concern for him.

  And "disturb the neighbors"? The guy looked like something out of a nightmare, yet he was making the most reasonable points. Somehow that made Amashiro's tension drain away.

  "Besides, I don't think your struggling will be very effective, so you might as well stop."

  That was true. Despite all his squirming and attempts to push free from the beastman's embrace, his captor remained utterly still, cradling him in his left arm as if holding an infant.

  Even accounting for their size difference, being this completely helpless killed any will to resist.

  "Listen carefully. I'm going to remove my hand, so please don't shout. If we just talk this through normally, you'll understand the situation. If you understand, blink once."

  Left with no choice, Amashiro decided to at least regain his freedom of movement. He blinked as instructed.

  Blink.

  Confirming Amashiro's response, the beastman removed his hand from his mouth.

  "Hah... thought I was going to suffocate."

  At his own inadvertently foolish words, the beastman gave him a blank look.

  "I wasn't applying that much pressure, you know?"

  "...In any case, I won't struggle or run, so could you let me go?

  I'm not particularly into being held by men, unfortunately."

  "Oh? How surprising."

  The beastman gently released him, looking almost offended as he said this.

  'What the hell is this guy saying to make me sound so suspicious?'

  While thinking this, Amashiro cautiously tried to put distance between himself and the beastman while still sitting on the floor.

  "No, I'm not going to eat you alive or anything. You don't need to run."

  "...Thanks for that."

  Faced with someone casually spouting such grim statements, Amashiro tried to maintain his composure as best he could.

  He'd vaguely sensed that this being seemed highly intelligent—no, seemed to possess more education, intelligence, and common sense than the average human—but that didn't mean he could let his guard down.

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  However, something bothered him more than anything else.

  "You keep calling me 'Father'..."

  "Yes, Father."

  "I'm afraid I've been single my entire life and have no recollection of having children.

  Much less with someone of your... unusual appearance..."

  "You mean you've never been with a female of another species?"

  "...That would be correct."

  "Of course I know that.

  I'm well aware that Father was unpopular with women."

  'Listen to this guy. Rude as hell from the start.'

  Amashiro grumbled internally.

  The fact that it was true only irritated him more.

  "You seem to know an awful lot about me..."

  "Well of course—I lived with you for 22 years."

  Thump. Amashiro's heart nearly stopped.

  How could he say that with Rashion's face?

  "Don't tell me... you're claiming to be the reincarnation of my late eldest cat, Rashion?"

  "Didn't I mention that already?"

  In that instant, an indescribable flame of anger ignited within Amashiro.

  Don't you dare. What do you think those memories of Rashion and me as family mean?

  Those 22 years were his entire life.

  What do you think you're doing with those precious memories...!

  "That's a terrible joke—"

  "Father used to hold me often."

  "...What?"

  Well, that was true.

  "You'd cradle me like a human baby and even sing lullabies."

  "How did you..."

  That was also true.

  Cats typically hated being forcibly held by humans, yet when Rashion was alive, he wouldn't just tolerate being held—he'd even accept being cradled belly-up, a position cats normally despised. Rather than refusing, he'd gaze up at Amashiro with those clear emerald eyes and even purr.

  Yes, as if singing a song of happiness.

  "At first I thought Father's lullabies were 'weird-sounding,' but I got used to them eventually.

  So I assumed Father wouldn't particularly mind being held either..."

  "Ah, well, that's..."

  Just who is this beastman to know all this?

  As Amashiro's confusion mounted, the beastman—the self-proclaimed Rashion—continued.

  "When I departed this planet... Father was holding me then too.

  Father shed large tears while saying this:

  'I'm sorry, I'm sorry... and thank you.'"

  Something stirred inside him.

  Yes, in Rashion's final moments, Amashiro had carefully, preciously cradled his small body as the light faded from his eyes, tearfully bidding a painful farewell.

  How much had that small family member saved him?

  No amount of gratitude could ever be enough, so why did you leave this world in such a hurry?

  If I'd known this would happen, I should have loved you more, so much more.

  The memories of that day resurfaced, making his vision blur.

  He prided himself on still having good eyesight, so Amashiro found this strange.

  All while feeling something warm trickling down his cheeks.

  "And at our parting, Father said this:

  'I'm sorry I couldn't give you a better life. Sorry you had to live in this cramped apartment. But now... now you're free. Go wherever you want. Follow your heart.

  And even if you miss me, please—don't come back to this planet. This world isn't kind to cats. If you came back and we somehow missed each other...

  I'll come find you instead. One day, I'll come to wherever you are. So just... wait for me a little longer. Until we meet again.

  And then—'"

  Ah, so that warmth on my cheeks... those are my tears.

  Like a leaky faucet, tears overflowed as he listened, and Amashiro forgot to either stop them or wipe them away.

  "'And since it'll be your first time on that path too, you'll be scared and confused about so many things. But if along that path you meet lost kittens who are too frightened to move forward, or too young to even understand what's happening to them, take them with you.

  You've always been like that, haven't you? Strong, kind, reliable—the big brother cat.

  Born into this world unwelcomed, unable to live even their short lives to the fullest, departing without anyone to see them off—those fragile, precious little lives deserve at least that much.

  You have memories of being loved, after all... Even if it was pathetic love from an inadequate, hopeless father like me, share it with them. So their paths won't be colored by sorrow.'"

  Amashiro's tear ducts broke.

  A middle-aged man openly sobbing—how pathetic... but he didn't even have time to think that.

  His vision was almost completely obscured by overflowing tears, but that didn't matter.

  The tall cat beastman before him—no, this beloved cat beastman—was unmistakably his eldest cat Rashion, whom he hadn't forgotten for even a moment this past year.

  This might be a dream. It might be a hallucination.

  But that was fine.

  He just needed to touch him, to tell him that he still loved him just as much as before.

  Without time to stand up, Amashiro crawled—practically on all fours—toward Rashion and clung to him in a tight embrace.

  He had a mountain of things he wanted to say, but the moment he opened his mouth, what came out was:

  "Okaerinasai."

  "Tadaima."

  Such was the bizarre incident that occurred on the first anniversary of Rashion's passing.