Summer Vacation Arc: 73 Lost Cat and Lost Child

Summer Vacation Arc
73 Lost Cat and Lost Child

Passing the late night marked the end of the first day of work.

Everyone returned to their rooms exhausted, immediately falling asleep. Amidst that, Meru sat alone in the hallway in front of her room in the cool night air.

“Leaving the lights on in someone else’s house would be…”

Meru muttered uncomfortably, leaning her right shoulder against a support pillar in the hallway.
She expected not being able to sleep much once she’d decided to go to the training camp.
Even though she couldn’t sleep on a futon, it wasn’t so bad to sleep in the cool night air, either.

Meru slowly closed her eyes while listening to the wind chimes ring.

Shuu…thud.

Meru woke up upon hearing a shoji door open somewhere.
It seemed to be before dawn as the sky was still dim.
Looking toward where the sound had come from, she saw the short, beautiful purplish hair that she hadn’t seen for a while heading to leave the Aidou household’s gate.

“Laila-chan…?”

Meru stood up and followed after that figure at a slow pace.

Looking all around the area outside the gate, she saw Laila in his male appearance crouching down just a little ways ahead of the gate.

From her standpoint, Meru could only see Laila’s back. She was worried and rushed over to him.

“Laila-cha…”
“Is it good? I’m sorry, when Yuu-chan wakes up…I’ll ask him for some food to bring you.”
“Meow…”

Meru paused in her rush to get to Laila and her eyes widened.
Looking closely, there was a tiny kitten right in front of Laila. And it appeared that Laila was in the middle of giving that kitten some milk.

“Where did that kitten come from?”
“Hya!”

Laila’s shoulders gave a huge start in surprise when Meru asked that question.
Turning around, he recognized Meru and laughed lightly, saying “It’s just you, Ruu-chan,” in relief.

“Sorry for startling you.”
“It’s fine. But you’re an early riser, Ruu-chan.”
“That means that you are as well, right?”

Laila nodded at Meru’s words with a laugh, saying, “That’s true.”

“I woke up…and the sun wasn’t up yet, plus it’s cooler than usual, so I figured I’d go for a morning walk, but when I went outside…this little one was here.”

Saying so, Laila shifted his attention back to the kitten in front of him.

“I bought some milk at that convenience store, then went to borrow a bowl from the kitchen…and you came as I was giving it milk.”

Meru also looked at the kitten. It was a cute cat, still small with white and brown spots. While the two of them were staring at it, the kitten slowly lapped up a large amount of the milk.

“When Yuu-chan wakes up, I figure we could give it something to eat…”

Laila said as he pet the kitten’s head. At first, the kitten froze in fear, but as Yuuri pet it gently, it let out a fawning meow.

“This kitten seems to like you, Laila-chan.”
“Really? That’d be good if that’s the case.”

Laila said and smiled. Even in his male appearance, that smile was unmistakably his own. Meru smiled gently seeing him like that.

“I wonder if it’s a stray cat? It doesn’t have a collar or anything.”

Meru crouched next to Laila. Laila made a slightly sad face at Meru’s question.

“If its parents can’t find it…this little one will be all alone.”
“…Yeah.”

Meru’s quiet acknowledgement disappeared into the quiet atmosphere.
Laila said, “I’m sorry,” with a wry smile to Meru, having made the atmosphere awkward.

“I can’t leave them alone. These kinds of kids…”

Laila muttered lonesomely while gazing at the kitten. Meru also just watched over that kitten from Laila’s side.

“Maybe it’s because I’ve always been a lost child myself? I see myself in them.”
“…A lost child?”

Meru tilted her head slightly and asked, looking at Laila’s face. Laila smiled faintly seeing Meru’s straightforward eyes.

“This guy’s parents will probably accept it no matter how it comes back. But if I go back to my parents like this, I’m not ‘Hiiragi Laila.’”

Laila laid his face against his knees. He had to wear women’s clothing in front of his mom. That was his promise with his father, and for his and his mother’s sake.¹
Yesterday as well, he showed up to the training camp in women’s clothing only because he would see his mother first thing in the morning.

“Even though my parents are right there next to me, I feel like they’re really far away. The fake me is real, and the real me is a lie… I don’t know what I am…as if I can’t keep my feet on the ground…”

Laila’s beautiful voice became choked. Meru could tell he was bearing through his shaking voice to speak.

“It can’t go on like this…as I think that again and again, I become lost.”

Laila spoke up to there and heaved a heavy sigh.
As Meru stared at Laila, the kitten stopped drinking the milk and stared at Laila as well.

“Meow…”

The kitten snuggled up to Laila and licked the back of his hand.
Laila lifted his head and smiled gently at the kitten, his slightly reddened eyes forming crescents.

Meru slowly began to speak, looking at that scene.

“There are two kinds of lost kids.”
“Eh…?”

Laila tilted his head at Meru’s meaning-laden remark. When he moved his gaze to Meru, the kitten also followed suit.

“Kids who lose their way, and kids who get lost.”
“…Yeah.”

Not understanding what Meru wanted to say, Laila nodded in confusion.
Noticing his situation, Meru continued her words with even more calmness.

“Losing one’s way is something that everyone goes through. I don’t think there is anyone who hasn’t gotten lost. That’s why everyone in the world is a lost child.”

Meru went to touch the kitten’s head, but it backed away. Meru was still scary to it.
She pulled back the hand she had reached out with a slightly regretful expression.

“But…kids who get lost are special—it’s not necessarily the case that everyone has experienced it. They’re the lost kids who get lost in isolation because there’s no one who looks after them.”

Saying that, Meru faced the kitten with a smile.

“That’s why you aren’t a lost child, either.”
“Meow…? …! Meow!”

The kitten reacted to something, looking behind itself. Seeing it do that, Laila and Meru also looked in that direction.

“Meow.”

There was a big cat with the same markings as the kitten. It was undoubtedly one of the kitten’s parents.

The kitten looked toward the two humans once more, rubbed up against Laila one last time, and then trudged up to its parent’s side.

“I’m glad its parent could find it.”

When Meru smiled, Laila let out a breath in admiration.

“I didn’t notice. That its parent had come to pick it up, that is.”
“I didn’t realize either, though?”
“Eh, but Ruu-chan, you said that it wasn’t a lost child…”
“Ahh, that.”

Meru laughed awkwardly.

“I mean, that kitten. Even if its parents didn’t find it, you would take care of it. So it wasn’t lost, right?”
“…”
“Generally, we call kids who get separated from their parents ‘lost children,’ right? But, that…is because parents will definitely understand their kids. It’s a stereotype that if even your parents don’t watch out for you, no one will.”

Meru stood up slowly and stretched.

“That’s why you also aren’t a lost child.”
“…Eh?”
“Well, isn’t everyone by your side, watching out for you?”

Meru grinned in front of Laila who was looking at her in wonder.

“I never thought of it like that…”
“Then try thinking like that next time. It might make you feel better.”

Laila nodded affirmatively at Meru’s proposal.

“But…Ruu-chan, even though you’re surrounded by such a nice family like that, you can think that way…it’s amazing. Normally, you couldn’t do that.”
“…It’s because I’m surrounded by such a nice family that I can, though.”

Meru spoke quietly with a bitter smile.

The kitten disappeared, and Laila also stood.

“There’s still time until breakfast, so maybe I’ll try to sleep a little more.”
“That’s a good point. I might also relax a little.”
“Today’s work will be tough as well.”

Laila spoke with a distant look in his eyes, apparently having seen the schedule that Hayate brought.

“Then we have to keep up our stamina.”

Meru smiled with her eyes turning into half-moons.
The two of them looked each other in the eyes and laughed again.

“Then I’ll see you later.”

Meru waved to Laila when they reached the hallway’s intersection. Laila called her to a stop.

“What’s up, Laila-chan?”
“Um…I’m sorry for showing you something unsightly. Thank you for listening to me. I’m really glad I talked to you.”

Laila grabbed both of Meru’s hands and once again said “Thanks,” giving his heartfelt gratitude.

“It might just be for peace of mind, though. I like you when you’re smiling energetically.”

When Meru said that with a shy smile, Laila’s expression slackened.

“Ruu-chan, that’s against the rules.”

Laila lightly flicked Meru’s forehead and left.

“…? Well, it’s fine. I guess I’ll rest a little more…yawwwn.”

Yawning, Meru returned to the place she’d been before, sat down, leaned against the pillar, and fell once more into a light sleep.

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1 The author said “her mother” here, but as it’s been established that Laila considers himself male, I figured it might have been a mistake. Making this note for anyone who also reads the raws.

<TLN>
I’m really sorry for not updating further. Honestly, I’m having a bit of a rough time both mentally and physically, and I ended up getting really sick last week as a result of accumulated stress, so I kinda just withdrew myself from everything. I’m still not completely great, but I’m trying to push through!

I owe y’all two more chapters after this one. I’ll release one tomorrow and one the day after. Tomorrow’s chapter is on the shorter side while the one after is longer. Last month, we made it halfway to a bonus chapter, so I’ll be offering a single bonus chapter this month because I’m confident I can have that translated.

We out here trying.

12 chapters left in the summer vacation arc!

Ko-fi link here.
March bonus chapter funded: 0/1 ($15/$30 to the chapter!)