Chapter 3: The Kitten’s Rainy Day

“Meow~”

In a wind-sheltered crack between the walls of a tall building, the kitten watched an old cat. The old cat was a little fat, but the fur that should have been white and smooth was messy and dull. They were dirty all over and smelled of old age.

The old cat lay pressed close to the wall, their dull eyes fixed on the kitten.

The kitten instinctively stepped back. They thought this was the old cat’s territory, and judging by the old cat’s size, they probably couldn’t win a fight. If they stayed, they might get a beating.

But when the kitten’s bottom had just backed out of the crack, a cold, wet gust washed over them. The kitten instinctively shrank back into the wall.

Too cold!

If they retreated now, they would have to endure the cold wind until they found another place to stay. Outside, as luck would have it, a fine rain had started. Going out now would soak them, and with the wind, it would feel awful.

So the kitten’s look toward the old cat turned pleading.

“Meow~”

The old cat did not respond to the kitten’s plea. They only gave a faint meow, which made the kitten’s eyes light up.

The old cat had agreed to let them stay!

Overjoyed, the kitten looked around the small space. They needed a place to settle.

The best spot in the narrow crack was already taken by the old cat. Even though the old cat had agreed to let them stay, that didn’t mean the kitten could rest too close.

It was dangerous.

After choosing a spot neither too far nor too close to the old cat, the kitten lay down obediently and did not dare move.

After both were quiet for a while, the wind outside the wall grew wild. Under the fine rain, the whole city turned hazy and gray, as if covered by a layer of lead-colored mist.

Damp and heavy.

The kitten hated this weather. Going out in it was difficult. Their fur would get wet, and the ground was always damp. A short walk outside would leave their little paws cold and wet.

This weather was awful.

At the thought, the kitten curled up listlessly. They were sleepy and wanted a nap. Maybe when they woke, the weather would be clear again, and the ground dry.

But the sky did not follow a cat’s wishes.

When the kitten woke groggily from sleep, the sky outside was still gloomy, and the rain still wet.

The only difference was that night had fallen. Lights on the tall walls had come on, in several colors. Through the misty rain, they looked dreamlike.

The rain was still falling.

For some reason, the kitten suddenly felt extremely irritated and gloomy. It was the first time they had felt this way.

“Meow~”

They couldn’t help complaining, but soon, as if remembering something, they quickly turned their head. Sure enough, the old cat was watching them, though their eyes showed no emotion.

The kitten thought they looked a bit dull.

“Mmm…”

They were a little hungry. They had spent the day looking for a windbreak and hadn’t paid much attention to whether there was anything good in the bins along the road. In this weather, even humans had become rare.

Most of the two-legged creatures left on the street were holding something big over their heads.

How nice.

The kitten envied them for being able to walk on two legs while using the other two to do other things.

Like holding that big thing to keep off the rain.

Then their fur wouldn’t get wet.

Just as the kitten was filled with envy, they suddenly heard the old cat behind them begin to move.

They warily turned around and saw the old cat simply stand up. Their body looked even bigger then.

The old cat walked toward the kitten, and for a moment the kitten didn’t know what to do. But they soon realized the old cat probably just wanted to go out, so they instinctively made way.

The rain was still falling outside.

The kitten blinked and watched the old cat disappear into the rain.

They didn’t understand.

But before long, they knew what the old cat had gone to do.

Forage.

When the old cat returned, soaked from the rain outside with a large chicken cutlet in their mouth, the kitten’s eyes went wide. Their round eyes were full of envy.

They still hadn’t eaten anything.

Clearly, the old cat had no intention of sharing the food they had found.

The kitten understood. They were no longer a child. It was time to forage on their own.

But it was still raining outside.

The kitten looked hesitantly at the world beyond the wall. Raindrops fell into a puddle not far away, stirring up dense ripples. They could imagine what such rain would do to their soft, neat fur. A mess.

But if they didn’t go out, their stomach would not agree.

Feeling the rumbling in their belly, the kitten decided to take the risk.

They carefully poked their head around the corner outside the wall. One more step and they would enter the rain.

Though unwilling, they had to scamper into the misty rain and let the fine drops fall on them.

The kitten had only run a few steps, but they didn’t find the rain scary at all. They had seen bigger raindrops, like water pouring from the sky. Each one was bigger than their paw, and when it hit the ground it could splash up dust.

Compared with that rain, this seemed easy.

Before long, the kitten followed the route the old cat had taken and found a bin.

Beside the bin was a spot that had been pried open. Clearly, the old cat had found food there just now.

This was the kitten’s strong suit.

The kitten thought they were nimble. They jumped onto the bin and quickly rummaged inside. They didn’t find a big piece of meat like the old cat, but they still found some sausages in a corner.

That was enough.

The kitten had planned to eat right there, but suddenly felt something was wrong.

Rainwater had soaked into their fur, more and more, heavier and heavier. They couldn’t help shaking their body hard.

A huge sheet of water flew out from their white fur!

It was as if it had started raining on them.

The kitten was stunned.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Love, Like, Hate

AngstChaebolModernDay

Read Now →
Not interested