Whether it was because of the Hollow disaster or something else entirely, the cats in this world were unusually perceptive—almost human, even spiritual.
Zane liked that about them.
In the midst of all the fighting and chaos, spending time with cats was a pretty good way to unwind.
"Huh?"
Nekomata froze, not expecting Zane to say that.
But then it hit her—he was just using it as an excuse. In truth, he simply wanted to give these stray cats a home.
She crouched down, nose stinging with emotion.
"How nice... You all finally get to have a home."
She looked at the kitten meowing in front of her and murmured softly.
"Zane, why would you want to do something like this?"
"You've got so many options, but my friends... none of them have it easy."
She looked up at him—not with doubt, just genuine curiosity. She really wanted to understand what drove him to do something like this.
Was it just pure kindness?
"I like cats. The thought came to me, so I went with it."
"If you don't believe me, just think of it as me pretending for your sake. I mean, you did say they were your friends, right?"
Zane's reasoning was simple. He still had so many unanswered questions about himself, and the road ahead was foggy. Forcing himself to stay restrained just didn't feel right.
A little spontaneity felt good.
That's why he'd helped Zhu Yuan and Qingyi. Why he'd saved that magician from the demolition command. He simply followed his instincts.
"I never said I didn't believe you."
Nekomata shook her head quickly. Her eyes shimmered with tears—she was clearly overwhelmed by the kindness shown to her feline friends.
"They say cat thirens are made of water, but that just means we're flexible, right? Not that we cry all the time?"
Zane chuckled, teasing her a little. He glanced down at the little black cat.
"What's the matter? Your real boss is about to cry. Shouldn't you, the cat boss, show a little emotion too? Maybe shed a tear?"
The little black cat stretched lazily, gave Zane a side-eye, and walked off without responding.
Cat Thiren cry because they're part human. Real cats? Not so easily.
Proud cats don't cry.
"I wasn't crying!"
Thanks to Zane's teasing, Nekomata's mood bounced back. She glared at him and tried to sound fierce, though it didn't really stick.
Tears that didn't fall didn't count, right?
"Haha, sure, sure."
Zane nodded with a grin. But Nekomata could still hear the teasing in his tone and let out a light huff.
"Actually, if we are going to run a cat café, attracting customers won't be that hard."
That got Nekomata's attention. Her expression steadied, and she looked at him curiously, waiting to hear more.
If she could avoid being a burden to Zane, she wanted to. She really did hope the cat café could be self-sufficient.
"If you were part of the cat café, I bet business would be booming. I'd visit every day for sure."
That left Nekomata confused.
"But I am part of the cat café. I'm already taking care of the kittens."
"I don't mean that kind of 'part of.'"
Zane waved a hand and looked at her soft, twitchy ears.
"I mean you're like one of the cats. With your charm, there's no way it could fail."
"Belle mentioned during dinner once that she really wanted to pet your ears. But she held back—thought it'd be too forward."
"Honestly? I kind of want to try it too."
"What?!"
As soon as he explained himself, Nekomata's face flushed with a mix of surprise and irritation. She shot him a glare, looking like she might bite him.
She was a cat thiren! How could she let people pet her for money...?
How was that any different from selling herself?
"Relax, I was joking."
Zane chuckled when he saw her expression. She wasn't actually mad.
Running a cat café wasn't that hard. You could appeal to people's compassion by playing the stray-cat angle. Or even make the cats themselves the attraction.
Like the little black cat—set up a challenge to see which customer could get it to accept a pet, with a prize on the line.
Good or bad, these were all just marketing strategies.
But the truth was, Zane didn't care about making money from the café.
A few valuable pieces of Ether from the Hollows would be worth more than most cafés earned in a year.
"Oh right—Nekomata, that kitten you rescued earlier might need someone to check in at the clinic. I'm a bit swamped."
He brought it up casually. He had Dennies to spare, but better to be safe.
"Huh? That kitten…"
Nekomata blinked, then suddenly remembered something. She looked Zane up and down. Yep, it all matched...
"So you're the one Xiao Hei complained about—the one who was gonna neuter it!"
She turned to the little black cat grooming itself on the ground.
It had been so defiant before... but now it was just letting Zane hold it without a fuss?
Once they'd finished discussing the kitten's hospital stay, Zane was ready to leave with Panta. Nekomata didn't plan to stick around either.
"You heading back to Hare's House?"
Nekomata shook her head. She wasn't officially part of Hare's House yet, so she was heading back to her own little hideout.
"Zane, if you've got time, maybe I can take you to see my little place sometime."
"It's kind of… well… but it's perfect for stargazing!"
She smiled at him, clearly feeling much closer after everything that had happened.
"I'd be honored."
Zane gave a slight nod and was just about to leave when he noticed Nekomata still standing there, hesitant.
He raised an eyebrow.
"What is it?"
"Um… Zane."
Nekomata kept her head down, too nervous to look at him. She hesitated a bit, then finally built up the courage to say:
"Didn't you say… you wanted to touch them?"
"Well… go ahead."
"Just this once."
She took two small steps forward and leaned her head in his direction.
Her twitching cat ears gave away just how nervous she was.
Watching her, Zane couldn't help but laugh quietly.
She was… adorably awkward.
He reached out and gently touched one of her ears, then quickly pulled his hand back.
Even that brief touch made Nekomata shiver, and a strange sensation seemed to ripple through her.
Flustered and overwhelmed, she quickly muttered a goodbye and fled the scene. Zane watched her go.
"Huh? (Boss?)"
Panta tilted his head, curious why Zane was still standing there.
Zane looked away from where Nekomata had gone and turned his gaze to the stray cats around him. He'd get to work on the cat café soon.
With Qingyi around, it should go smoothly.
And for money? One trip to the Hollows could cover everything.
"Meow—"
The little black cat stood at the edge of the cat base and meowed at Zane, as if thanking him.
It seemed to understand what he was planning to do.
Zane smiled faintly, turned away, and began walking off.
When heart and mind align, everything falls into place.
The cats had found their home..