"Yukinoshita... are you okay!?"
Chisato's worried voice came along with the sound of knocking on the door.
Inside the room, Yukino had fallen to the floor. Ignoring the pain from her backside, she stared blankly at her hands.
Each had five fingers. They were undeniably human hands!
Lowering her gaze slightly, what she saw was no longer that furry body, but instead smooth, bare skin.
The human body she had once taken for granted had finally returned, bringing her to the verge of tears.
Some things are only truly valued once lost.
"I heard a loud noise—are you sure you're okay?"
Chisato continued knocking.
His voice pulled Yukino back to reality.
She looked down at her bare body, and her face instantly turned red.
To be in such a state while in close proximity to a man—though a door stood between them—was still beyond embarrassing.
"Wait a moment."
Even though he couldn't see her, Yukino, unused to being naked outside the bathroom, instinctively covered her chest with one hand.
Using the shoe cabinet for support, she stood up and managed to reply.
This served as a signal to the man outside that she was fine and, given the late hour, a request for him to stop knocking so as not to disturb the other residents of the apartment complex.
As for why she had suddenly returned to normal, she didn't have time to think about that just yet.
The priority now was to put on some clothes, open the door, find out why Chisato had come at such an hour, and send him away before contemplating her situation further.
But... he said he heard a loud noise...
My weight has always been within a normal range. Even if I fell, it shouldn't be loud enough to describe it that way...
How rude, that guy.
Hunching over, Yukino ran straight to her room without even bothering to put on slippers.
Outside the door, Chisato felt relieved after hearing her response, confirming that she was alright.
He wasn't sure what had happened inside, but since she told him to wait, he decided to be patient.
Standing quietly at the door, he scrolled through his phone. It didn't take long before the door finally opened.
Yukino held onto the doorknob, leaning slightly forward.
Her smooth black hair mostly rested behind her shoulders, though a few strands hung forward, suspended in midair.
From Chisato's perspective, the sight before him was difficult for any man to ignore.
Unlike her older sister, Haruno, who was outgoing and lively, Yukino had cold, piercing eyes and a delicate frame that seemed like she could be toppled with a single push.
Perhaps that was the kind of presence most men found themselves drawn to.
Come to think of it, he did seem to prefer women with those qualities. When he first met Kazusa, she had also been cold and distant toward him.
The more she acted that way, the more...
He was getting off track.
After briefly locking eyes with Yukino, Chisato quickly pulled his wandering thoughts back.
Her flushed cheeks were visibly red, and her sleepwear appeared slightly disheveled.
Just as Haruno had mentioned before, she must have been sleeping this whole time because of a cold.
Living alone had its drawbacks—when one fell ill, there was no one to care for them.
"Here. Your sister called and asked me to get this for you. She's really worried about your condition. If you're feeling better, give her a call to let her know so she won't worry."
Chisato handed over the medicine he had bought and explained the reason for his unexpected late-night visit.
Yukino took it in a daze, recalling how she had used her cat form as an excuse to brush off her sister earlier.
"Alright then, take care."
Having fulfilled his promise, Chisato saw no need to linger and turned to leave.
"Um... tha—thank you."
Yukino hesitated before expressing her gratitude, but Chisato merely raised a hand in a casual wave without even turning around.
"No problem."
He walked straight to his door, pressed his fingerprint against the lock, and stepped inside.
It was just a simple errand—delivering medicine on someone's behalf. There were no unexpected developments or dramatic twists.
Yukino glanced down at the medicine in her hands, imagining her sister's concerned voice as she asked Chisato to help.
She smiled softly and slowly closed the door.
She put the medicine away in the household first-aid kit. She didn't need it now, but it might come in handy later.
It was then that she suddenly realized—she had forgotten to reimburse him for the medicine.
It would be strange to go knocking on his door now, especially if there were others in his household. She would find an opportunity to return the money later.
Pondering this, Yukino headed toward the kitchen.
Having spent most of the day as a cat, she hadn't eaten anything due to her heavy mood. Now, she was both hungry and thirsty.
She took some milk and biscuits from the fridge and sat at the dining table, nibbling on them.
She wasn't in the mood to cook anything complicated. Though the crisis of being turned into a cat had passed, the unease in her heart remained.
An event so illogical—if it had happened once, who was to say it wouldn't happen again? Would there be any lasting effects?
She felt fine now, but if people could diagnose themselves with absolute accuracy, hospitals wouldn't need expensive medical equipment.
She still felt uneasy. Tomorrow morning, she would ask for leave from school and go to a major hospital for a full-body checkup.
Unless she could find an explanation for the bizarre, almost magical event that had occurred to her, Yukino—serious as she was—would likely dwell on it for the rest of her life, all the way to her final breath.
After filling her stomach about halfway with a light meal, she stopped eating.
She sealed the biscuits and placed them back in the fridge.
Since she had taken a nap in her cat form that afternoon, she felt no trace of drowsiness even though it was nearing midnight.
After washing up in the bathroom, she sat down at her desk, took out some paper and a pen, and began to record the events of the day while they were still fresh in her memory.
Memories fade over time, but words remain.
She had a feeling that what she was writing now would be of great help to her in the future.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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