Chapter 5: Survival instinct(5)

It seemed Cynel didn’t have much money to her name, and I could guess why.I grabbed a handful of food from Cynel’s bag and held it out to a cat in front of me, asking,
“You really like cats, huh?”
“Of course, they’re adorable.”
A black-furred cat ate the food from my palm without hesitation.It must be used to people.Or maybe it trusted me because I was next to Cynel, who’d been feeding it.After devouring the food in my hand, the black cat quietly lay down beside Cynel.
“This one’s called Blackie. The one next to it is Whitey.”
“Pretty straightforward names. What about that black cat over there?”
I pointed to a dark cat lurking in the corner.Cynel answered without missing a beat.
“Blackie.”
“Wait, then what’s this one?”
“That’s Blackie too.”
“…And the one next to it?”
“That’s Yellower.”
Black because it’s black, Whitey because it’s white.Was she treating cats like some collective with shared names?At this rate, every cat in the world must’ve gotten a name from Cynel at some point.Yellower, though, felt more like a dog’s name than a cat’s.Amazed at Cynel’s disastrous naming sense, I touched my forehead.
“Hmm. Are the names weird?”
“Just surprised by how many… same-named cats there are.”
“I put a lot of thought into them.”
“Sure, if you say so. By the way, how long have you been doing this?”
“About six months, I think.”
Six months was a pretty consistent effort.She’d mentioned struggling with money, especially with her food costs, yet here she was, spending on cat food by cutting her own expenses.But feeding stray cats regularly could stir up complaints in some places.I stood up, looking between Cynel and the cats.
“If you like them that much, why not take one home?”
“My place is too cramped. Besides, these guys probably prefer living free outside.”
“One wouldn’t hurt. They seem tame enough.”
Cynel glanced around at the cats nearby.Her eyes settled on the one she called Blackie Number One, lying next to her.
“Would that be okay?”
“With this many, one should be fine.”
“Yeah, one should be okay, right?”
After confirming with me a few times, Cynel scooped up the cat she presumed was Blackie Number One.Meow.The tightly hugged Blackie started squirming in midair.
“Blackie, let’s go home together.”
“Meow! Mrrrow!”
“Yeah, you’re excited too, aren’t you?”
Cynel nodded to herself, watching Blackie struggle to break free.I wasn’t sure what part of that looked excited, but she seemed satisfied, so that was fine.But maybe Blackie didn’t share her enthusiasm.After wrestling with Cynel, the cat finally slipped from her arms and bolted out of the alley.
“It’s getting away.”
“Oh…”
“Not gonna chase it?”
“I’m worried about Blackie. I need to go after it. [Haste].”
The alley opened right onto a road.Concerned for the cat, Cynel cast Haste and sprinted after it.Curious about how this chase would end, I picked up the bag of cat food from the ground and slowly followed in the direction she’d gone.There was no way I could keep up with her Haste-fueled speed.So, I figured I’d just trail behind at my own pace.As I neared the end of the alley with my slow steps—Beeeep!A horn blared, followed by a dull thud that shook my ears.
“Blackie!”
Cynel’s voice called out the cat’s name.Turning toward the sound, I saw Blackie lying in a pool of blood in front of a stopped truck.From the looks of it, the cat had been hit by the truck while fleeing from Cynel.
“Is it okay?”
“…I don’t know. Is Blackie dead?”
Cynel, with a worried face, picked up Blackie and spoke.I wasn’t a vet, but a close look could at least confirm if it was still alive.I gently moved Cynel’s hand aside and checked Blackie’s condition.
“Seems like it’s still alive.”
“Blackie, Blackie!”
“If you take it to a hospital, they might be able to save it.”
If possible, getting it there quickly would be best.A vet hospital would know what to do.But even after hearing me, Cynel’s face only grew darker as she stared at Blackie.For some reason, she seemed hesitant, like something was holding her back.Watching Cynel stand there, dazed, holding the limp cat, I had no choice but to use my magic.I wasn’t sure why I did it, but some gut instinct—my survival instinct—pushed me to act.With the softest, cutest voice I could muster, I sent a makeshift plea for help into Cynel’s mind.
– “Save me, meow…”– “Save me, meow…”– “Save me, meow…”
“…!”
Hearing that, Cynel’s face filled with determination.After a moment of quiet thought, she made up her mind and looked at me.
“Boss.”
“…?”
Cynel suddenly called me boss and looked up at me.As I stared blankly at her out-of-the-blue behavior, she grabbed both my hands and asked,
“Can I get an advance on my salary?”
“…”
“Boss?”
“Got any… hospital bills?”
“Yes.”
Opportunities come in unexpected ways.For some reason, I felt a strange emptiness.