(So ticklish.)
Makoto was woken up by that feeling and realizes that the culprit is her new cat. He took off the blanket on her body and played around with her feet by lightly hitting them. Before she can extend her arm to punish him, the cat quickly jumps off the bed and runs out of the room. She grumbles because of being woken up unnaturally. The alarm clock suddenly rings and she knows that it's already that time.
Turning off the alarm, she rises up from the bed and starts preparing for the morning exercise.
(Reality is sometime stranger than fiction. In movies, people are woken up by being licked on the face by the animal. I have never heard of waking up by being tickled at the feet by a cat.) Makoto thinks as she wears the track suit.
After that, she starts her jogging exercise and again, with Lexar. The expression of everyone whom they pass by is the same as yesterday. However, they are less surprised now that some people run along side with her to say hello. Luckily, they are all acquaintances, thus it is easy for her to speak with them.
Lexar realizes how much popular his owner is by the amount of people she knows. Perhaps they were shocked yesterday that they did not give greeting to her. However, today, she is greeted every 100 meter she runs. Makoto shows a energetic smile and greetings to the people. In return, they get along with her well. She is especially popular with the elderly and athletic youngsters. The elderly give their thanks for what she helped them in the past. On the other hand, the youngsters often invite her out to visit some exhibitions or museum. It turns out that they also have the same interest as her. Yesterday, Lexar was able to look at her browsing history. She likes to look at pieces of famous art and studies ancient history. It is quite an unusual hobby for a high school girl.
The morning exercise comes to an end and the duo come back home. Lexar is anxious at how the situation will develop at her school. He really wants her not to go but cannot convince so, and he also does not know the way to go. The cat nudges the girl's leg to display his worry but she misunderstands that behaviour and plays with him with cheerful mood.
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Makoto departs for school on foot. Because the Hakugawa academy is only a district away from home, it is the distance she can walk. Right now, she should be in a good mood when the morning starts nicely, but she has been feeling that something is not right since she left home. At first, she ignored it, thinking it was just imagination. However, the disturbing feeling keeps on until halfway to school. The thought of a stalker comes to mind and she looks behind her. In a bush on the wall, a black cat with white paws appears.
(What in the world is he doing here? Has he been really following me from home?) Makoto is surprised by the discovery.
She frantically looks around to see if there is any people. Luckily, it is still early in the morning and not many people pass through this street. She seizes the opportunity to quickly reach the bush and catch the cat. Strangely enough, he does not run away or resist but Makoto is too agitated to notice that. She stuffs him into her bag and talks with a low voice but filled with anger.
"Why do you have to follow me? Why can't you just stay at home and play around with the neighbor cats? What am I going to do if you suddenly go missing? Do you really want people to kidnap you or turn you into the shamisen?"
A series of complaints are thrown at him. Lexar smiles bitterly at such development. Here, he is worried for her and follows to prevent the tragedy from happening to protect her. Yet this is how he is treated. The cat makes a deep sigh then turns to her with an apologetic yet cute face,
"Meeoooww" He makes a long sad voice.
"Urgh, how unfair. How can I be angry anymore when you act this cute?" Makoto softens her face a bit and squeezes the cat's mouth, making different faces of his.
It is until the cat makes a dissatisfied sound and bites her lightly that she stops playing around. It's already far away from home so she decides to bring him together with her to school.
"Just stay quiet and don't do anything inside my bag.. If you behave well, I will give you fish as your lunch." Makoto tells Lexar so and closes her bag.
She then reaches school without any further problem. Although when she passes by the school gate, her bag moves quite a lot but there is no one noticing that. She safely arrives at the school garden behind the building and releases her cat out.
"Don't try to run around so much. Just hide somewhere without people and wait for me until lunch. Be a good boy for me, OK?"
“Meow” The cat nods.
“Good. Class is starting soon so I am going now. If there is no problem, I will bring lunch for you here. Only come out when I call.”
“Meow” The cat nods again.
She stands up and leaves the place. Reaching the corner, she turns back but the cat is nowhere to be found now. She gets back to class while feeling a bit worried.