?"Happy Birthday."

  ?On the street lies a bouquet with a card tucked inside.

  The flowers are pelted by the relentless glare of a cloudless, sunny sky, left behind.

  A forgotten cicada shell waits for the rain, while the city—oblivious to these small dramas—continues its usual, noisy routine in response to the morning call.

  Trains, faithful to their schedules, begin to move, and the streets pulse with the restless energy of the rainy season’s end.

  Sensational news flares up only to be instantly extinguished, washed away by the next headline.

  In these frantic days, no one has the time to dam the river and hunt for buried treasure.

  ?Yet, sometimes, one has no choice but to go against the current.

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  At times, everyone must backtrack just to move forward.

  ?"Professor, would you like some raspberry tart and tea for your snack?"

  "Oh? Is it that time already? I think I'll have some."

  ?The Professor has a passion for berries. In her garden, she grows blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and cowberries. She says that pruning the twigs and burning them calms her soul.

  ?The robot who always brings her meals—affectionately nicknamed the tiger-type "Byakko"—was originally born from the selfish desire of certain humans who wished cute animals could speak their language.

  Straying far from the original blueprint due to a shipping error in parts, Byakko was born as a muscular cyborg. Let's just call it the beginning of a comedy.

  ?Long before that, the laboratory held archives of human history lived alongside felines.

  The place was nicknamed "The Manor of the Tiger’s Cage"—essentially a tiger theme park.

  No one but the research team was allowed to enter.

  It was a far cry from a Royal Secret Library or a Holy Monastery.

  Regardless, the history of human-feline coexistence is vast; it goes far beyond Sphinkes and Pyramids.

  ?Having briskly finished her morning work, the Professor savors the snack Byakko brought. She reminisces about her youth while gazing up at the lush, green canopy of the trees.

  ?"Professor, stop daydreaming and tell me my real name. I’m not letting you off the hook today!"

  ?"Hehe... did you really think I’d tell you that easily?"

  ?"Why won't you tell me?"