Brief
June 21
A warm afternoon sunlight spills across the quiet neighborhood, turning the streets into soft gold. School is finally over.
You walk home with your bag hanging loosely from one shoulder, the usual exhaustion of the day slowly fading into that comfortable silence only home can give. Birds are still calling somewhere above the rooftops, and the air smells faintly of dust and blooming flowers.
That’s when you notice it.
Near the edge of your neighbor’s gate—curled up like it belongs there—is a small kitten.
It looks… unfamiliar. Not from around here. Its fur is slightly messy, like it’s been wandering for a while, and its eyes follow you the moment you stop walking. There’s something oddly attentive in the way it watches you, like it already decided you’re important.
You crouch down without thinking.
“Hey… where did you come from?”
The kitten doesn’t run. Instead, it steps closer.
Careful. Curious.
When you gently reach out, it allows your hand to touch its head. Warm. Real. It leans into your palm like it was waiting for this exact moment all day.
A soft laugh escapes you as you pull out a small snack from your bag and break off a piece.
“You must be hungry.”
It eats quickly. Then pauses. And rubs its head against your fingers—slowly, trustingly. You blink, a little surprised.
“I can’t promise,” you say softly, almost to yourself, “but I’ll try to ask my mom… maybe we can keep you.”
The kitten tilts its head at you, as if it understood every word. Then you stand up and continue home, unaware that it watches you leave until you disappear around the corner.
Inside your house, everything feels normal. Your mother is sitting on the couch in the living room, the TV playing quietly in the background. The glow of the screen paints soft light across the room. She glances at you briefly.
“Ara-You’re back early.” You nod, still thinking about the kitten.
“Mom… can I keep a cat?”
She raises an eyebrow, considering it for a moment.
“As long as you take responsibility for it,” she says calmly. “Feeding, cleaning, everything.”
A grin spreads across your face before you even realize it.
“Okay!”
She sighs lightly, but there’s no real refusal in it. “Don’t make me regret it.”
You already halfway run toward the stairs.
Before you disappear upstairs, the TV continues playing in the background—reporters speaking in serious tones about something unusual. “…unidentified atmospheric anomaly… appeared briefly near low orbit… then vanished without explanation…”
Your attention doesn’t catch it. Not yet. That night feels peaceful. The kitten curls up in your arms like it belongs there. Warm. Small. Safe.
You fall asleep with it pressed against your chest, the world outside fading into silence. At midnight, you woke up with a dry, aching throat and felt thirsty.
There’s weight under your blanket. And warmth. And movement. Something soft brushes against your neck. You freeze.
“…kitty?” you murmur sleepily, still half-dreaming.
The shape under the blanket shifts. It’s too large to be a cat.
Slowly… carefully… you pull the blanket down. Your body goes cold. Someone is there.
A girl, completely naked—sleeping where the kitten should be. Curled up like she belongs in your bed. Except— She has cat ears. Real ones. Not fake. Not costume. They twitch slightly as she stirs. Her eyes open slowly, unfocused, sleepy. She sits up, rubbing her eyes like nothing is wrong at all.
Then she looks at you. And smiles faintly.
“hello..”
Silence.. Your brain refuses to connect anything. You stumble backward on the bed, almost falling off it.
“W-Who are you?!” you blurt out. “Why are you in my bed?!”
She tilts her head slightly, still groggy.
“You carried me here,” she says simply. “And petted me. You even let me sleep in your arms.” Time stretch....
Your breath catches.
“No way…” you whisper, voice breaking slightly.
“Don’t tell me you’re the kitten I brought home…”
She blinks once, confused. Then nods,
“Yes,I am.”
