The next morning.
The morning light first fell on the floor, then slowly climbed up, and finally landed on the edge of the bed.
Bai You was awakened by that light.
She first fluttered her eyelashes, then felt the warmth in her arms.
She didn't open her eyes immediately, but just took a dazed breath—
A faint milky aroma lingered around my nose.
It smells like Varesa.
She was already very familiar with this taste.
These past few days, she's been nestled in this embrace, slowly drifting off to sleep.
Bai You's lips curled up involuntarily.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Varesa is still asleep.
The morning light fell on her profile, casting a soft glow on her face. She looked beautiful.
Bai You held her breath.
She just watched quietly, not daring to move for fear of waking her.
She looked at Varesa's eyelashes, at the tip of her nose, at her slightly pursed lips.
Then, her gaze moved down and landed on Varesa's hand resting on her waist.
Her fingers were slender, long, and fair.
It's this hand.
Last night, when she turned into a cat, it was this hand.
I stroked her fur gently, from the top of her head to the tip of her tail.
Thinking of the new talent the system gave her last night, Bai You's heart suddenly started beating a little faster.
The tips of Bai You's ears quietly warmed up.
She secretly glanced up and looked at Varesa again.
Still asleep.
She moved cautiously, taking a deep breath.
--Just give it a try.
--Just a pair of ears.
--If she wakes up, I'll take it back immediately.
She mentally prepared herself for a long time, and then, a thought suddenly occurred to her.
That familiar, warm tingling sensation rose from deep within my body.
First it goes up the spine, then it reaches the top of the head.
Bai You felt a slight warmth on her scalp, as if something was trying to emerge from her hair.
She held her breath.
The next second--
Two milky-white cat ears silently rose up from her hair.
It's soft and fluffy.
Furry.
The tips of her ears were tinged with a faint pink, and the edges were slightly bluish.
Because it was the first time she had conjured it up in front of others, Bai You was extremely nervous.
The ears had just perked up when they involuntarily twitched.
She could clearly feel that her ears were alive.
She could hear again, a sound clearer than usual coming from those ears.
The sound of Varesa's breathing was so close.
Bai You's heart was pounding.
She suddenly became curious and wanted to see how Varesa would react.
Anyway, I already... didn't care about anything else last night.
But she didn't dare open her eyes, so she could only continue to pretend to be asleep, keeping her eyes tightly closed.
She waited a second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Just as she thought Varesa was still asleep and secretly breathed a sigh of relief—
The hand on her waist twitched slightly.
Bai You froze instantly.
The hand gently pulled her closer to its embrace.
Then, Varesa moved.
She first let out a very soft, sleepy nasal sound, and then slowly opened her eyes.
Her pale blue eyes slowly opened.
She first looked down at the person in her arms.
Then, her gaze fell on the top of Bai You's head.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
Varesa was stunned.
She froze completely, even her breathing paused for a beat.
She looked at the top of Bai You's head--
There, where the hair should be, stood two...ears?
Furry.
Milky white.
Are they... cat ears?!
Varesa's first thought was that she wasn't fully awake yet.
She blinked.
Let's look again.
It's still there.
Those two soft cat ears stood quietly on Bai You's head.
The tips of its ears still had a faint pink and blue tinge, and even... twitched slightly?
Varesa: "..."
She remained silent for a few seconds.
Then, she carefully propped herself up and sat up a little.
She didn't dare to move too much, afraid of waking the person in her arms, so she just leaned down slightly and got a little closer.
It's getting closer.
Closer now.
She could clearly see the fine hairs on those ears.
Soft and fluffy, it grew out of Bai You's hair, almost exactly the same color as her hair.
They were just whiter and softer, with a touch of natural pink and a hint of blue at the tips.
It's not fake.
It's not a hair accessory either.
It is... a real ear.
Varesa's eyes widened little by little.
The sleepiness on her face vanished completely at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Instead, there was an undisguised and clear surprise.
She had seen Bai You turn into a cat.
Last night, she held that milky-white kitten and petted it all night long.
But she had never seen it before.
When Bai You is in human form, she has a pair of cat ears standing up on her head.
What's this?
When did it come about?
Why didn't she know?
Countless questions flooded my mind in an instant.
Varesa stared at those ears for a long time, still unable to believe it.
She hesitated for a moment, then slowly raised her hand.
The movements were slow and gentle, as if afraid of startling something.
Fingertips drew closer, little by little.
Finally, I gently touched the tip of the cat's ear.
Soft.
Furry.
The moment their fingertips touched, the ear twitched slightly, and then, instinctively, rubbed against her fingertips.
Varesa's heart skipped a beat.
She looked at her fingertips, then at her ears, her surprise deepening.
She couldn't resist and touched it gently again.
This time, I gently rubbed along the base of her ear.
The soft, squishy texture traveled up from my fingertips.
So soft.
It's even softer than the fur of the kitten she petted last night.
Bai You:"...!"
She almost couldn't help it; her ears twitched violently.
That's too sensitive.
It feels completely different from being petted when I'm a cat.
When she transforms into a cat, she is a cat, and it's only natural for her to be petted.
But now, she is in human form, except she has an extra pair of ears.
That feeling was ten times clearer, and also... ten times more embarrassing, than when I turned into a cat.
Bai You's face turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye.
She was still trying to pretend to be asleep, but her ears had completely given her away.
The soft, fluffy cat ears drooped slightly, the tips of which were red and trembling uncontrollably.
Bai You:"!!!"
After a while--
The person in my arms could no longer keep up the act.
Bai You was touched a few more times, making her whole body itch, and her ears twitched uncontrollably several times.
Finally, he could only slowly open his eyes.
Her eyelashes were still trembling.
She looked up and met Varesa's gaze.
Those pale blue eyes were filled with a clear, undisguised surprise, and... an uncontainable curiosity.
Their eyes met.
The air was silent for two seconds.
Then, Varesa spoke first.
Her voice was still a little hoarse from just waking up, but it carried an uncontrollable surprise as she asked, word by word:
"What is this?"
Bai You's face flushed red instantly.
She knew what she meant.
She instinctively tried to pull her ears back, but as soon as she did, Varesa seemed to read her mind and gently pressed down on the top of her head.
"Don't accept it."
She said.
His voice carried a hint of urgency, but even more so, curiosity.
"Let me see."
Bai You:"..."
She dared not move.
I wish I hadn't conjured up my ears to play with.
Now, all I could do was blush and huddle under the covers, letting her watch.
Varesa's gaze returned to those ears.
She looked at it for a while before raising her head again to look at Bai You and continuing to ask:
"This is... an ear?"
Bai You gave a soft "Mmm".
"Cat's ears?"
'... Hmm.'
Varesa's eyes widened slightly.
She looked down again, and then, as if she had discovered a new continent.
She was silent for two seconds, then couldn't resist touching it gently again.
The ear twitched immediately and instinctively rubbed against her palm.
Varesa paused for a moment.
She looked up at Bai You, her Kamisato brimming with curiosity.
"Will it move?"
"... will."
"Will he even freeload off people?"
Bai You buried her face deeper into the blanket, her voice muffled:
"Don't say anymore, it's the same as last night, but I can't control myself."
Varesa looked at her bright red ear tips, then at the soft ear that was still gently rubbing in her palm, and her heart melted completely.
But she hadn't finished asking her questions.
She suppressed the budding affection in her heart, continued looking at Bai You, and asked earnestly:
When did it come about?
Bai You was stunned for a moment.
"... Just now..." she whispered, "I discovered my abilities have returned; I can turn into a cat, and I can turn into this."
She paused, her gaze flickering slightly. Varesa looked at her but didn't speak immediately.
turn out to be--
Does she still have that ability? Can she still transform into a catgirl!?
Varesa's gaze fell on those soft ears again.
"So you're in a half-human, half-cat form now?"
"Hmm." Bai You nodded.
"... It's like this now."
"Like this?"
Varesa's eyes flickered slightly.
"Only ears?" she asked. "Or... are there other things?"
Bai You's face instantly turned bright red, almost as if it were steaming.
She knew what Varesa was asking.
--Tail.
She buried her face in the blanket, her voice muffled:
"... and a tail."
Varesa paused in her breathing.
"A tail?" Her voice held a mixture of surprise and barely concealed curiosity. "It has a tail?"
'... Hmm.'
What kind?
"It's just..." Bai You shrank back under the covers, "It's just a cat's tail, the same as last night."
Varesa looked at her, her eyes shining brightly.
She paused for two seconds, then asked cautiously:
"May I... take a look?"
Bai You froze under the covers, her heart filled with shyness.
"I've really ruined myself. I should never have tried this talent."
Is it too late to regret it now?
Varesa waited quietly, her fingers still resting on her ear, gently rubbing it.
After a long while, a faint, almost inaudible sound came from under the covers, "... Mmm..."
The next second--
The blanket stirred slightly.
Then, a creamy white, fluffy cat tail cautiously peeked out from under the blanket.
First, the tip of the tail.
Then gradually move upwards.
Finally, the entire tail was revealed, draped softly over the blanket, and it couldn't help but sway gently.
Varesa's eyes lit up completely.
She stared at the tail, her surprise still lingering, her curiosity practically overflowing.
She didn't touch it immediately, but stared at it for a while before slowly reaching out her hand.
I lightly touched its tail with my fingertip.
Soft.
Furry.
Its tail immediately curled up and wrapped around her fingers.
Varesa: "...!!"
She suddenly looked up at Bai You.
Bai You buried her face in the pillow, her voice muffled and filled with shyness:
"I couldn't control myself after I told you."
Varesa looked at the soft tail wrapped around her finger.
Looking again at the pair of cat ears still trembling slightly above her head, she felt her heart melt completely.
She couldn't help but laugh out loud.
First she chuckled softly, then her laughter grew wider and wider.
Bai You peeked half her face out from under the pillow, looking at her blankly. "... What are you laughing at?"
Varesa did not answer.
She simply leaned down and gently touched the top of Bai You's head.
Her lips brushed against the soft strands of hair, and also against the edge of the slightly trembling cat's ear.
Then, she looked up at Bai You's flushed face and her wet eyes.
Looking at the soft cat ears on her head and the tail still wrapped around her hand, he slowly spoke:
"It's nothing."
She said.
Her voice carried an undisguised smile and tenderness.
"I just feel..."
She paused, then gently pinched the tail wrapped around her finger.
"My kitten is so cute."
Bai You:"..."
She felt her face was so hot she could fry an egg on it.
She suddenly buried her face in the pillow, and her ears and tail began to tremble uncontrollably.
Varesa looked at her and smiled even more gently.
She didn't ask any more questions, but simply leaned against the headboard, gently rubbing her ear with one hand.
Her other hand was gently entwined by the tip of her tail.
The morning light shone through the window and fell on the two people.
The room was warm and cozy.
No one mentioned the bed.
No one mentioned what they were supposed to do today.
They stayed quietly in bed, enjoying this short, gentle morning light that belonged only to the two of them.
After a long while, Bai You finally mumbled a sentence from under her pillow:
"... Varesa."
"Hmm?"
"You..." She paused, the tips of her ears turning red again, "Don't you find it strange?"
Varesa looked down at the tips of her red ears sticking out from under the pillow.
Then, she gently rubbed it.
"What's strange?"
"It's just..." Bai You's voice was soft, "Don't you think it's strange that I've become like this?"
Varesa was silent for two seconds.
Then, she leaned down slightly, looked at Bai You's wet eyes peeking out from under the pillow, and said earnestly:
"Not surprising."
She said.
"No matter what you are like."
Whether it's a cat or a person, whether it has erect ears and a trailing tail...
She paused, her voice becoming softer, yet more earnest.
"They're all my Little Bai You."
"I like them both."
The person in the pillow... the cat, visibly stiffened for a moment.
Then, Bai You suddenly lifted her head from the pillow, her eyes wide open, looking at her, her face flushed, her voice trembling:
"What?!"
Varesa looked at her and smiled.
She didn't repeat it.
He simply tugged at the tail wrapped around his hand, pulling the person closer to him.
Good morning.
She said.
"My little kitten."
Bai You:"..."
Looking at Varesa's gentle smile, she felt her heart pounding as if it were about to explode.
She didn't say anything more, but blushed and slowly snuggled into that warm embrace.
Those soft cat ears gently rubbed against Varesa's chin.
The fluffy tail gently wrapped around her waist.
Varesa smiled and caught her.
Tomorrow is Sunday, why do we have to have extra classes?
Still a full schedule (-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩___-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩-̩̩̩)
However, the author will try to update as much as possible, thank you all for your support! つ♡⊂