Cat K Chapter 15

My name is K. My name is K. My name is K. My name is K.

K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K. K.

No matter how I think of it, I think my name is a bit cool.

While being simple, the fragrance of a cold city man gently wafts from it.

As I looked at the masterpiece that was nearly finished, I felt a surge of pride.

I was in the midst of writing my name. No, rather than writing my name, it was more accurate to say I was in the middle of stamping my name. Since, as stated, I was in the middle of stamping.

After dunking my front paw into the inkwell and removing it, I stamped my pawprint onto the paper. Lifting my paw off the paper, my pawprint was stamped crisply. Then, after dipping my paw in again, I stamped it immediately underneath the previous paw print. Like that, connecting pawprint and pawprint, I was writing the alphabet letter K. Just listening to the what I was doing makes it sound easy, but it definitely wasn’t. It was a job that required effort and patience beyond imagination, as well as the mind of a master craftsman.

Finally, I finished my name. While looking at the alphabet letter K formed by my pawprints, I bounced in excitement. This was of the caliber that I could immediately make my debut as a calligrapher. In addition to that, my paws were shaped so perfectly. What in the world was I not good at?

Even if I couldn’t write letters with a pen, if I stamped a K and show it to Sugar Prince, he would realize that this was my name. In any case, he wouldn’t be able to read it because the language was different, but with just one look, one could see that it was overflowing with my charisma. After seeing this, he might even think of me as a charisma-overflowing genius cat.

By the way, it was regrettable. I ought to have printed this on clean, white paper, but as there was no paper around me and I was desperate, I stamped it on a book that was lying open.

Looking at my name stamped over the small letters, I turned my head.

There was still ink left in the inkwell… Looking at it closely, it was a shame that such a beautiful masterpiece was only stamped upon the pages of a book. Bygones were bygones, I thought it was a good idea to stamp it on a large, clean s.p.a.ce. Yes. This time I’ll stamp pawprints and use my tail as a brush. An amazingly cool masterpiece will come out of it.

Whipping my head and looking about the room, the white marble floor caught my eye. Nodding my head, I dunked my paw in the inkwell again.

Before Sugar Prince comes back from attending the morning briefing, I’ll finish this and surprise him.

Splash, dip, and jump to the floor. Go to the spot and stamp.

Jump up, splash, dip into the inkwell, and jump to the floor. Stamp on the spot.

I had only done it a couple times, but I was tired. I stopped momentarily, stood, and glared up at the inkwell on the desk. This was a waste of effort. Every time I stamped, I had to go all the way up there and back down. In addition, the place I had to stamp and the ink were way too far apart. Like this, a clean and beautiful masterpiece couldn’t be made.

I looked for a human to put down the inkwell, but there wasn’t anyone in the bedroom. Without a choice, I decided to put it down myself. But there was a problem. I sat beside the inkwell and stared intently at it, but there was absolutely no way I could put it down gently. I tried wrapping my tail around the inkwell and lifting it, but that didn’t work. Hm. There was nothing I could do but drop it on the floor, even though it may be a bit messy. It would surely spill, but that might make things easier. Instead of dipping my paw into the inkwell, I would only have to wet my paw in the spilled ink. Ah. How much of a genius was I?

I shrugged my shoulders at my geniusness and, without a hitch, threw a punch at th

e inkwell. The inkwell flew into the air, spraying blue water everywhere, and crashed to the floor. I was harmlessly splashed by the ink drops that fell over my head and snickered.

Wat? I’m wearing the ink now.

I haphazardly wiped at my damp head with my front paw, but d.a.m.n it! I had wiped my head with the paw I had dipped in the inkwell. I shook the ink off my damp head. The ink droplets that flew everywhere got all over the room, but my head was still wet. It wouldn’t be noticeable since I had black fur, but I definitely couldn’t stay this dirty. I ran to the bed and rubbed my head on the sheet forcefully. After rubbing forward, backward, side to side, it felt like the wet feeling was disappearing a little. Looking at the bed it was completely covered with blue ink. Now that I look at it…I think it would look cool if the white sheets were stamped with letters.

Splish splash, my four paws in the ink puddled on the floor, splish splash, I wet my tail too. Then I stamped a large K onto the marble floor. I didn’t worry about the ink still remaining on my paws. Since I can just jump on the bed and stamp randomly. With the feeling that I had become a performance artist, I unveiled my talent.

“B-b.u.t.terfly!”

I tilted my head at the sound of Julia’s shout.

Hm. What?

Julia stood next to me and was on the verge of tears. Seeing as she wasn’t able to stamp her feet and be restless, it was as if she had seen something frightening. Looking at Julia smartly, I looked down at the place her gaze was lingering.

Huh? When did I roll around in the ink puddle?

My body was completely soaked in ink. After some thought, I remembered. After finis.h.i.+ng writing the letters, it was so fun when I stamped my signature with my body. Looking around the room, large K’s and my side, front, and b.u.t.t shapes were scattered everywhere. Looking at my profile signature, it looked exactly like the Puma sneakers logo. It was quite cool.

Nyaang—crying like that at Julia, I bragged about my masterpiece. But it seemed that Julia didn’t like it at all. Tears dripping, she yelled for the other maids. I tilted my head at the girls who cried out with blue faces as soon as they entered the room.

Wat. Why are you cryinggg?

“What do we do? Sob.”

The maids cried while wringing their hands. Their expressions looked as if they had lost their souls. Alarmed at the wailing of the maids, the servants came running in. And even the servants lost themselves. My mood had been a bit startled, so I slowly looked about the room. To me, it only looked cool, but to the humans, it seemed like it was not so.

“Hurry up and try to clean it. Quickly.”

The head servant, who looked lost for a long time suddenly flashed his eyes and gave the pressing order. I was sniffing my nose, when the sight of  the scattering humans alarmed me. How dare they.  Trying to clean up the masterpiece I put my heart and soul into!

Hisss—hiss—!

Hey! This is my name! Get away!

I manlily threw myself about in fury, but somehow it didn’t have any effect. The eyes of the maid who had been crying feebly until a little while ago flashed frighteningly. I desperately hissed at the humans who were removing the sheets and wiping the floor. But even with this, no one was scared of me.

These guys. What the heck. They’re a bit scary.

Avoiding the crazily flying brooms and rags, I was forced in the corner of the room. Staying where I was, I felt as if I was going to be swept away by the brooms or wiped away by the rags.

My name stamped largely on the white marble was being erased. After wiping and wiping and wiping and wiping with the rags, it didn’t come off at all, so they sprayed a poisonous smelling liquid and rubbed it like crazy. Unable to win over the humans’ frightening tenacity, my pawprint masterpiece was wiped away.

The sheet was removed and disappeared, and even the ink puddle was cleaned away. With a tragic heart, I watched over the scene. Jerks. I won’t play with you guys anymore. Hmph.

I snorted at the humans who were completely dedicated to cleaning and began walking out of the room. Walking with a sore heart, I turned to look back and saw that pawprints were stamped on the path I had come. Thinking of the humans who would suffer erasing it, I snickered.

Walking out in the garden, I found that the smell coming from my body was horrendous. Licking my front paw, blegh, I could only taste ink. I looked all over my body. Because my fur was black, it wasn’t very noticeable, but in the sunlight, it s.h.i.+ned as if it was greasy. This wouldn’t do. I had to take a bath soon.

Looking about my surroundings, I found a suitable spot. It was a grand fountain in the middle of the Crown Prince’s palace garden. It was always flowing with pristine water, so it was just what I was looking for to bathe my body.

First, I could bathe quickly here, and when Sugar Prince comes, I can take a bath together with him again. Since I was so absorbed in my work, I worked up a sweat, so I’ll take a swim too.

I pounced onto the fountain and dipped one paw in the water. It was a bit cold, but it wasn’t unbearable. I stirred away the ink that spread out lazily in the water as soon as I dipped my paw in and jumped into the water all at once.

“b.u.t.terfly!!!”

Calix quickened his steps upon hearing the shouts from the garden.

His heart jumped at the ominous feeling that pa.s.sed through his mind. No matter how stubborn that cat was, he felt uneasy leaving it in the room all by himself and regret lingered in his mind.

“What’s going on?”

As he arrived at the fountain in almost a run, several maids were hovering around the fountain. Calix ran to the fountain with a sense of urgency.

“B-b.u.t.terfly did…ink…the fountain…”

One maid spoke while pointing at the fountain. Seeing the completely blue-stained fountain water and the cat inside with its head c.o.c.ked, Calix let out the breath that he was holding.

Nyaang—

The small animal looked at Calix, and its eyes sparkled as if it was happy to see him. Without hesitation, Calix waded into the fountain and picked the small body up into his arms. The blue water in the fountain and the water soaking the cat’s body permeated his clothes. Calix walked toward the bedchamber, holding the small, docile body in his embrace.

“Y-your Highness. Please forgive us. We have not yet finished cleaning.”

As soon as he arrived in front of the bedchambers, the head servant trembled as he spoke. At the strong smell of ink wafted over from beyond the door, Calix looked at the creature in his arms. When their gazes met, the animal opened its eyes roundly and meowed, nyaang. It was as if it was bragging.

Upon entering the room, it was completely filled with the smell of ink as well as blue ink marks.

It was a mess of cat pawprints stamped all over the white marble, with evidence of rolling scattered here and there, ink splatters, and marks that looked like something was brushed with a tail. The bed sheets piled on one side of the room were also filled with blue stains. It was a scene enough to make the head servant’s face bright blue.

Calix looked around the room filled with evidence that the small animal had run and rolled around, and lowered his gaze to his arms. The cat was looking up at him with eyes full of expectation. With what idea had it made the mess this time? He couldn’t easily guess what thoughts were going on inside the small head at all. However, he couldn’t help but think positively about it, seeing as how it was in a good mood. Ever since the day before yesterday, it had been throwing a fit and feeling gloomy.

Calix stroked the cat’s small head with his finger.

“It looks like you enjoyed yourself.”

Nyaang—

The cat replied with a content expression. Calix chuckled lowly and stroked the back completely saturated with ink.

“Your Highness. The bath has been prepared.”

At the words of the servant that had come up to them, the cat’s eyes sparkled. Jumping down from Calix’s arms, it cried and urged, Nyaang, nyang. It seemed to have wanted to bathe quite a lot. Then again, the animal who refused to bathe if the water was not heated had gone into the cold fountain, so he could understand. Calix began walking, following the daintily stamped blue pawprints along the floor.

The cat who had jumped into the steaming bath sat atop the platform and started purring. Blue water spread out from the area the purring cat sat. Calix grasped the tail, which was especially producing a lot of ink, and scrubbed it clean. The cat stirred the ink coming from its body with its paw and splashed around. It looked like it was having fun, and Calix felt relieved.

There was still a scab on the ear of the splas.h.i.+ng cat.

The wound on the small animal’s ear was an eyesore. Right now, its wounds had healed, and it was playing, but when he first saw its injured appearance, he turned cold in an instant.

The cat was small enough that he had thought it was a kitten at first.

There was no way it would be left unscathed with a cat many times bigger than itself as its opponent. When it had come desperately to him, staggering and collapsed on its side, even while knowing the maids’ faces were blue from his own unrestrained fury, his entire attention had been on the cat’s faint breathing. Although left exposed, the animal was unharmed by his violent rage, and even while unable to conquer the killing intent, the black eyes looking at Calix had no trace of fear or hesitation. In the end, the cat burrowed into Calix’s embrace.

How proud it was, painfully trying its best, standing on its feet even with its small body covered in wounds. That night, his heart ached as he listened to the sounds of the curled-up cat whimpering as it suffered.

It was merely a small cat. He himself couldn’t even understand how lovely and dear it was to him. Merely its black eyes full of trust, the voice that whined for what it wanted, the soft black fur, without an ounce of fear or hesitation, even its small body that allowed itself to be held, there was nothing that was not endearing about it.

With every pa.s.sing day, he wondered if any one existence could be so endearing. And something he could be absolutely certain about was that even if it had white fur instead of black, even if, instead of its small body right now, it had a large body and a different appearance, it would still be endearing all the same. As long as this cat would look at him with these black eyes, nothing would change.

Calix lifted the purring cat to eye level, and pressed his lips carefully onto its small head. The cat closed its eyes tightly as soon as his lips touched it. It blinked slowly, as if it was startled. Looking at his eyes intently, it tilted its head to the right and to the left. Looking at it doing this, Calix let out a low chuckle. After meeting this little one, he had been laughing more often.

“I will use the feather to play with you once we get out.”

At Calix’s words, the cat meowed, showing its adorable canine teeth. Calix pressed his lips to the small head again.

Once he realized that he adored it so, the feeling spread frighteningly quickly. Calix didn’t try to rather restrict it and just silently let it loose.

Just when would this small cat fill his heart and fill it once more? Be it otherwise, it was a greedy creature and definitely wouldn’t stop before filling his heart entirely. Calix was confident.