"Oooh~"
It was Raana's first time visiting Kazami Haru's apartment, and her curious eyes wandered around the room. But since she was still soaked from head to toe, droplets of water sparkled on her silver-white hair under the light, dripping steadily onto the floor.
Like a stray cat, she clutched her guitar case tightly in her small hands, refusing to let go.
Thankfully, her careful effort to shield it had paid off. Not a single drop had gotten on the case.
"Raana, go take a shower first. You're drenched. You'll catch a cold like this."
Haru's shoulder-length black hair had also gotten disheveled. The ponytail that had been tied neatly behind his head had come loose somewhere along the way, and his hair was damp in places. His black-and-white jacket was marked with large patches of water.
Since they'd only had one umbrella, Haru had sacrificed himself to keep her guitar safe.
"Mm."
With her cute cat-like lips pursed and a mischievous glint in her eyes, Raana gently set her guitar case down on the wooden floor. Then, following Haru to the bathroom, she didn't hesitate at all as she began removing her soaked clothes—
Haru reacted fast, without a word, he slammed the door shut.
The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom. Haru looked down at the now-ruined discounted bento in his hands, a defeated look on his face. Even though he'd carefully protected it under the umbrella, it had still met a tragic fate.
There was no saving a bento soaked through by rain.
Farewell, my precious 288-yen bargain pork cutlet and natto rice bowl.
"Stray cat probably hasn't eaten dinner either… Looks like I'll have to come up with something myself tonight."
Haru shrugged off his soaked jacket and used a clean white towel to dry his damp hair.
With no bento, he'd have to cook dinner for two. Haru resigned himself to activating his "chef mode," opened the fridge, and began scanning its contents with his deep black eyes—hunting for anything salvageable.
"Hmm?"
Rummaging like a detective looking for clues, Haru discovered a few eggs tucked in a corner, along with a ripe red tomato he'd bought on sale. In the freezer, he found some leftover chicken from the time he'd made a bento for Sakiko. His eyes lit up.
Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seriously tested out his new "skill" yet.
Combining Anon-san's Love's Cuisine Cooking and Nijika-mama's Loving Wife's Home Cooking had given Haru one of his rare Lv4 skills. By all accounts, a skill that reached Lv4 was on a master level.
Not that Haru had a solid grasp of what that actually meant.
His other Lv4 skill, Endurance, was basically only good for surviving accidents. He half-joked that maybe if it hit Lv5, he'd be able to elbow a truck off the road next time it hit him.
Shaking off the nonsense in his head, Haru gathered the ingredients in one place.
"All right then… let's give it a try."
…
An Lv4 cooking skill didn't just improve taste—it elevated knife skills, culinary knowledge, everything. With a single glance at the tomato before him, Haru instinctively took the correct grip on the kitchen knife and sliced it into perfect chunks.
Cooking had become muscle memory.
He diced the chicken breast with swift, uniform strokes. Without even looking, he cracked an egg one-handed and let it fall cleanly into the hot pan. The sizzle of oil filled the air as he casually tossed the seasonings with one hand, flipping the egg with the other like a pro.
This Lv4 skill… it honestly felt more powerful than his Lv5 drawing ability.
"I'm actually kinda amazing?" Haru chuckled, humming lightly.
He picked up the dish and poured the diced tomatoes evenly into the pan. In that moment, he could almost feel two small, delicate hands guiding his wrists. His movements became more fluid, as though two cheerful girls were whispering beside him.
"Hey, Haru—I'm done washing up."
A lazy-sounding voice drifted to his ears. Haru instinctively turned his head.
The next second, Haru turned his head back around with a completely blank expression.
One more glance and he was going to explode.
"Put some clothes on."
That was a close one.
If Shiina Taki, the drummer, had walked in and seen this scene, she'd have stared him down with that ice-cold look and scolded him with words like "Disgusting" or "Scumbag," and then probably dialed the police. In under ten minutes, he'd be cuffed and hauled off in a van.
"I don't have any clothes to change into."
Raana furrowed her adorable brows slightly, her tone troubled.
Clothes?
It finally hit Haru, there was a very obvious issue right in front of him.
He'd brought Raana home without any planning, so he hadn't prepared any spare clothes for her. Now he was stuck in this slightly awkward situation. The realization slowed his hands as he cooked.
He couldn't just let her stay in those soaked clothes, could he?
"Try checking the dresser in the bedroom. I think there's a set of clean pajamas in there. They might be a bit big, though…"
"Okay~"
Hearing the stray cat's sweet and obedient voice, Haru finally let out a tiny sigh of relief.
He turned his attention back to the food in front of him. The chicken, after simmering with seasoning for a while, was now golden brown and giving off an irresistible aroma. After pouring in the beaten eggs, he covered the pan with a lid.
Taking the chance while it cooked, Haru glanced back, a little concerned.
"How's it going? Did you find something?"
"All done."
From the direction of his bedroom, a small, silver-haired head peeked out.
Raana stepped out wearing a white pajama shirt dotted with little patterns, her pink slippers padding softly on the floor. The oversized shirt was so baggy it looked almost like a dress and as she moved, one smooth, pale shoulder slipped out from the loose neckline.
Fresh from the shower, her skin (already fair as porcelain) glowed with a healthy, flushed warmth. The soft scent of shampoo slowly began to fill the air with every step she took.
It was clear Miss Stray Cat herself was quite pleased with her look.
Haru, however, was… less than thrilled.
"You didn't even dry your hair properly."
Seeing her still-damp hair, Haru twitched slightly at the corner of his eye.
Water was already starting to drip from her silver strands to the floor, and unable to take it any longer, Haru grabbed a hairdryer, pulled her over to the chair, and gently turned it on to a warm setting to dry her hair.
Raana didn't seem to mind. In fact, her eyes stayed fixed on the pot simmering on the stove the entire time.
"Is it too hot?"
"Nope~ Feels good."
Since her silver-white hair wasn't that long, the warm air quickly dried it. The once soggy kitten now transformed into a fluffy jellyfish-head again. Her hair even looked shinier than usual.
Maybe it was Haru's gentle technique, or maybe she just liked being pampered—either way, Raana slowly closed her eyes like a content little cat, lightly leaning her head back against the chair and swinging her legs restlessly.
"Hold still."
Haru rolled his eyes and pinched her cheek—it was soft and bouncy, like jelly.
Why does this feel like I'm a cat owner?
After what felt like a full grooming session, Haru finally finished drying her hair and brought the food to the table.
"Wooow~"
Raana's gem-like mismatched eyes gleamed as she stared at the meal in front of her. Her mouth opened slightly, and her expression was filled with pure excitement, her whole head looked like it might dive right into the bowl at any second.
Unable to hold back, she looked up at Haru with her lips pursed, eyes wide and sparkling.
"Haru, can I eat now?"
"Wait just a bit, still one last step."
Haru poured the simmered chicken and broth over the steaming rice, turning it into a glistening golden dish. Beside it, a steaming plate of tomato and scrambled egg gave off a cozy warmth.
The delicious aroma wafted through the room, making even the most well-behaved stomach growl.
It was just a simple meal, tomato egg stir-fry and an oyakodon rice bowl, but the color, presentation, and rich aroma already qualified it as a stunning dish, regardless of taste.
If golden rays had burst out of the lid, it would've been a critical hit.
"..."
Raana gripped the edge of the table with both hands, barely peeking over it, her eyes locked onto the bowl of oyakodon. She kept glancing at Haru, as if waiting for the moment he looked away to pounce.
Honestly, Haru was surprised she held out this long.
Even he had swallowed down a bit of drool when it was done, there was something inexplicably irresistible about it, constantly battling his rational mind and that was him, never mind a little glutton like this wildcat.
"Go on, Raana. Try it."
At his words, Raana gave a sharp little nod.
She pulled the golden bowl closer, grabbed a spoon, and stuffed a huge mouthful in. The piping-hot rice turned her cheeks bright red, but even with her heat-sensitive cat tongue, she refused to spit it out, just puffed her cheeks out like a squirrel.
Her flushed, delighted face showed exactly how happy she was.
Watching her, Haru also picked up his chopsticks and took a bite.
The moment it hit his tongue, his brain went blank, like it had just taken a Star Platinum Ora Ora barrage and completely shut down.
For a few precious seconds, no thoughts existed.
The smooth, tender texture combined with the perfectly balanced flavor exploded across his taste buds. Even the tension lingering in his pores after getting soaked from the rain seemed to release all at once. It felt like a warm flame had ignited in his belly, spreading gentle comfort throughout his body, a pure and simple feeling of happiness.
A satisfaction that touched both body and soul.
By the time Kazami Haru snapped out of his blissful trance, the food in front of him was already completely gone. Even the tomato and scrambled egg dish on the side had been devoured, not a single drop of sauce left. Across from him, Miss Stray Cat was contentedly rubbing her belly with a satisfied smile.
Did the King Crimson just cut through time or something?
"…Food can really do this to someone?"
Haru was honestly stunned.
This was only an Lv4 cooking skill. If he ever unlocked another simulation-based skill that pushed it up to Lv5, he couldn't even imagine what might happen. Would his brain still function?
"Tasty," Raana declared with a very serious expression.
Which only looked funnier because her little cat mouth was smeared with bits of rice.
Seeing the mess on her face, Haru instinctively picked up a napkin and gently wiped her clean.
With her belly full, Raana leaned back slightly in her chair, eyes half-lidded in contentment. Like a kitten being petted by its owner, she seemed to accept the attention naturally, her lips even curled into a smug little smile. Then, with all the lazy spontaneity in the world, she suddenly said:
"I want to marry you, Haru."
Haru's hand froze mid-wipe, pausing for a single stunned second before continuing like nothing had happened.
"…Don't tell me Ryo taught you that?"
"Mm."
Raana shook her head gently, her soft silver hair swaying in rhythm with her body.
It lasted just a moment, but in that instant, Haru could've sworn she'd completely charmed him.
A stray cat who never lies, saying something like that with a perfectly straight face… yeah, that was dangerously effective.
"Grandma said, if you like someone, you have to catch them and marry them."
Your grandma might've been a little too rock 'n' roll, don't you think?
If he actually married Raana right now, his life would be over in more ways than one.
At first, Haru wasn't taking her words too seriously… until he suddenly thought of a terrifying possibility. His expression flipped 180 degrees, and he lunged forward to grab the cat-girl's shoulders.
"Raana! You absolutely can't say something like that in front of other people!"
Especially not in front of Taki!
"Why?"
Raana blinked and tilted her head, confused.
"If you do, you might never get to eat my cooking again."
"Nooo."
Raana immediately shook her head, clearly distressed, an extremely rare reaction.
Money makes the devil work. Food hooks cats.
"Phew…"
Seeing her agree to stay quiet, Haru relaxed a little.
Glancing nervously at his LINE messages, he saw that the MyGO band chat was just as chaotic as ever. Especially that pink-haired gremlin, who'd sent a bunch of messages asking what happened yesterday between him and Soyo.
Too complicated to explain in text. He'd deal with it tomorrow when they met up.
…But wait—tomorrow was the debut live for their band, Kessoku Band.
Lately, Haru had been too busy helping Bocchi study and working on song composing for the band. His own instrument practice had been falling behind. And considering his keyboard skills weren't exactly top-tier to begin with, that was… not great.
A mistake on bass might get ignored. But on keyboard? It'd be very noticeable.
With that thought in mind, Haru turned to look at Raana, still licking her lips like a little cat.
"Raana, wanna rehearse a bit together?"
"Yup!"
When it came to music, this little cat responded instantly.
Raana perked up, running over to grab the guitar her grandmother had passed down to her. Though the body showed signs of age and wear, the steel strings gleamed and the fretboard was clearly cared for with deep affection.
As she hummed a cheerful tune under her breath, she connected her overdrive and distortion pedals to the amp with practiced ease.
Her cat-like eyes glanced at the score for "Guitar, Loneliness and Blue Planet", and she immediately memorized the rhythm and fingerwork. With a quick warm-up run across the frets, she gave a smug little grin.
Haru laid both hands gently on his keyboard, Elizabeth.
In that moment, it felt like a jolt of electricity ran from the keys into his arms. A strange familiarity washed over him, like he could play every note blindfolded.
Why does it feel like my hands are really on fire today?
Before he could dwell on it, Raana's guitar roared to life, blasting out the intro riff.
Haru jumped right in, matching her tempo. His gentle, crisp keyboard tones gradually wove into her deep, thunderous guitar lines. The keys felt lighter than ever, his playing flowed effortlessly, filled with energy and joy.
His slender fingers danced over the snowy white keys, rapid-fire arpeggios and high-speed strumming pushing the song's rhythm higher and higher. The high-velocity tempo charged through the small room, bouncing off the walls like a sonic tide.
Raana's eyes widened, a flicker of pure excitement in their depths.
Clutching her weathered guitar close, she lost herself in the ocean of sound.
In that moment, the relaxed little stray cat seemed transported back to a night years ago, her grandmother at her side, hair already gray but voice still firm, teaching her every finger position with gentle patience and a stern, loving expression.
A feeling of warmth and joy, rising from the heart.
Maybe… just like right now.
...
The next morning, at dawn.
Beside him, the Roland keyboard "Elizabeth" lay casually placed, while an old ESP Potbelly guitar leaned against it. Scattered across the floor were snack wrappers and crumpled sheets of music.
"…So heavy."
The sound of the alarm buzzed in his ears.
Kazami Haru rubbed at his temples with a slight headache. Maybe it was from getting caught in the rain and not showering in time last night, but when he woke up, he felt strangely sluggish all over.
His body felt unusually heavy.
"…Wait."
Sensing something was off, Haru abruptly turned his head.
The cat who should've been sleeping in the bedroom was instead curled up in his arms, drooling. The already cramped sofa now felt impossibly tight. Her soft warmth and faint scent hit his senses, making him take a slow, deep breath.
Stay calm. It's probably just a trick of the mind.
He closed his eyes, then snapped them open again.
Half of Raana's body was firmly draped over him. The weight pressing against him made it very clear, this wasn't his imagination.
His phone started buzzing. Haru quickly opened it.
[Ijichi Nijika: @everyone, it's started raining again. Looks like the typhoon changed course to avoid Tokyo. Be super careful on your way here, okay?]
[Kita Kita: I'm already on my way!]
Reading the messages, Haru turned to glance out the window and sure enough, a thick curtain of rain had already started falling. Judging by this, the rain would only get worse once the typhoon hit. He immediately got up to start getting ready.
"Mm?"
With her "pillow" gone, Raana rubbed her sleepy eyes, stretching like a cat still half-asleep. As she noticed Haru hastily packing up his keyboard, she began to wake up too.
"Live?"
"Yeah. But it's pouring today."
Haru quickly packed his keyboard into its case and checked LINE again.
Last night's sudden downpour had clearly been the precursor to the typhoon. Now that it had shifted course, all of Shimokitazawa was getting dumped on like Tobirama from Naruto had cast Waterfall Jutsu. The rain was coming down like money didn't exist.
"Raana, maybe skip STARRY today?"
"I'm going."
Raana shook her head gently. It was clear, typhoon or not, she wasn't going to miss Haru's performance.
Of course, bringing her guitar and effects board would be out of the question. So, she decided to leave her gear at home today—a rare sight, seeing her head out without her instruments. But her light frame made Haru genuinely worry the wind might blow her away.
"You're impossible…"
Haru slung his keyboard over his back. The instant weight gave him a strange sense of security.
Either way, there was no way he was missing Kessoku Band's live debut.
…
It took them nearly two hours to reach STARRY and even then, they arrived partly soaked. Raana's outfit, a white blouse under a black fur-lined jacket had also been hit by the rain, making Haru's effort with the hairdryer last night completely useless.
"H-Haru! Wipe yourself off…"
Bocchi, who had arrived early, shyly handed him a clean white towel.
"Thanks, Bocchi~"
Haru turned his head. Inside STARRY, there wasn't a single audience member in sight.
Even though Bocchi and Nijika had messaged him saying they'd made a bunch of teru teru bozu (sunshine dolls), it seemed their power had limits.
Bocchi looked deeply anxious and downcast, nervously clutching her skirt and unable to even lift her head.
Most likely, due to the typhoon, Bocchi's family couldn't make it to the show.
Even for those who had bought tickets, it was doubtful many would brave the storm to attend. Especially since Kessoku Band was the opening act, the warm-up band, meaning it was even less likely anyone would be in the crowd when they hit the stage.
Seeing her in that state, Ijichi Nijika smiled warmly and gently tried to lift her spirits.
"It's okay, Bocchi-chan! There are still lots of bands performing today, right? Some fans of those bands or walk-in guests are sure to show up. We've done everything we could, we just have to give it our all and do our best on stage."
Haru left the gloomy-faced Seika in charge of watching over the stray cat for a bit, and joined Nijika and Bocchi to reassure them: "I sold about 20 tickets myself. I'm sure at least a few of those people came specifically to see us."
For a debut live, getting hit with something like this was pretty unlucky.
But if they wanted to keep going as a band, setbacks like this were part of the journey.
At least with great "Nijika Mama" around, Haru wasn't worried about the team falling apart.
"Nijika… let's do our best."
"Eh? O-okay…"
Just seconds ago, Ijichi Nijika had been all smiles and full of energy but the moment Haru spoke to her, she instantly turned bashful. Her jewel-like crimson eyes showed a flicker of panic, and even the tips of her pale ears turned pink.
She was completely freaking out.
Unlike Bocchi, Nijika's panic had nothing to do with the live show.
Sure, it was their first performance and the circumstances were terrible, but Nijika didn't mind that too much. Even if their debut flopped, she believed in her ability to rally everyone and try again.
What she didn't expect was to feel this flustered the moment she saw Haru.
She knew those crazy dream sequences from before were just dreams, but seeing him again brought back all those embarrassingly vivid images. She'd assumed it was just regular shyness.
But her heart was pounding, and her head felt like it was burning up.
If I'm dreaming things like that… does that mean I—
"Nijika?"
Haru noticed Nijika acting strange today and gave her a concerned look.
"Eh!? I-I'm fine! I was just wondering why Ryo and Kita-chan aren't here yet!"
Nijika waved her hands frantically and quickly pulled herself back together.
That was close, Haru nearly caught on! I can't let anyone find out about those dreams…!
- - -
If you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit
our patron: pat reon . com / Loverice929 (remove space)