When he woke up, it was already six-thirty on Tuesday morning.
After preparing breakfast for himself and Mia, Shade glanced at the advertisements while reading the newspaper and realized that, after keeping Mia for more than half a month, he seemed not to have bathed her even once.
But before Shade could do anything, the orange cat, seemingly sensing something, darted down to the 1st Floor after finishing her goat milk-soaked cat food. No matter how Shade called, she stubbornly refused to come upstairs.
And when Shade went downstairs himself, the little cat dodged his hands. Even when Shade cornered her, she widened her eyes and, for the first time, let out a near-roaring "Meowrr~" at him.
Light streamed through the 1st Floor window into the room, which did not even have decorative walls. Squatting before Mia, Shade first showed a stunned expression, then a dejected one as he looked at the cat he had raised for half a month in shock.
"You actually... to me..."
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end he merely rose slowly and withdrew the hand he had intended to use to pick up the cat.
He stood there with his head lowered, looking at Mia. His lips trembled, but he still said nothing. He first turned his head, then his body, and walked toward the stairs with slightly heavy steps.
Mia stood in the corner watching Shade's retreating back. Her big feline eyes blinked twice, and then she immediately followed him. She walked beside Shade's feet, looking up with wide eyes as though trying to study his expression.
"Meow~"
She called softly.
Shade stopped and looked down. He bent over, picked up the orange cat, and his expression suddenly changed.
"Ha! Caught you, didn't I?"
He broke into a