Mission 2: Cat Café Assault Order! p1
Anna Grazkaya was always dry.
In carrying out my duties for the Domik, I was always mindful of my own internal humidity.
This was because I constantly needed to mechanize myself, like a precise clock that never errs.
Just as precision machinery rusts from moisture, emotions with high humidity have only a negative impact on self-control.
That is why I have consciously eliminated all damp elements from within myself.
The irrational conflict of conscience one faces when deciding matters of life and death. The vulnerability known as sentimentality, which tries to sneak in at every opportunity.
I had to ensure that such foolish dampness would not rust the machine that is myself.
If this mind and body cannot deliver peak performance at the desired moment, all that awaits is mission failure—and death.
***
It was October of the year I turned thirteen.
In the slums of Yekaterinburg, a major city in the Russian Federation, I was suffering from extreme malnutrition. I hadn’t bathed in over a week, and my hair and clothes were filthy and reeked.
One day, as I sat starving by the roadside, a limousine screeched to a halt in front of me.
The elderly man in the car was a powerful figure in Yekaterinburg’s criminal underworld. He spoke to me with the smile of a gentleman and offered his hand, saying he would take care of me if I had no family.
I clung to his fat, ugly hand, shedding tears of gratitude—and so, everything proceeded according to the pre-arranged script.
My mission was to assassinate that man. He was a pedophilic serial killer who had claimed the lives of many young girls in the past. Having calculated everything, I had devised an appropriate plan.
I had starved myself for five days to weaken my body, procured clothes from a genuine vagrant, and crafted the role of a pitiful prey, homeless and easily violated without consequence. It was under these pretenses that I approached the man.
Security at his mansion was tight. It was equipped with enough force to repel a military assault, and a direct approach from the outside would have been impossible.
After being given a lavish meal, I was bathed and dressed up, and that night, I was summoned to the man’s bedroom.
The man revealed his true nature before me, now adorned in a dress. I turned him into a corpse in three seconds.
With the sharp stiletto heel of the shoes I had been gifted, I stomped through the pressure point on the instep of his foot. As he cried out and crumpled, I slammed the sole of my shoe into his face. The stiletto pierced his left eye socket and penetrated his brain. It was a swift end, far too simple to be called retribution for his wicked deeds, as the man went straight to hell.
I left the bedroom, which had been cleared of people beforehand, and escaped the mansion without any trouble, beginning my journey back.
Picked up by a waiting contact, I returned to the Domik on a prepared escape plane.
Upon returning to my Detskaya, or “children’s room,” I booted up my computer as usual and connected to an online game.
Yuki was waiting there. In this game, I could always talk with Yuki through our avatars and voice chat. After talking with her, the humidity that had built up inside me would always recede, and I would become comfortably dry again.
『Hey Anya, welcome back. Looks like it was another brilliant job this time.』
『I’m back, Yuki.』
That day, just like any other, I exchanged some idle chatter with Yuki.
And then, she suddenly asked me a question she never had before.
『By the way, Anya, do you like cats?』
***
I woke up to the sound of an alarm.
I slid my finger across the screen of the vibrating smartphone by my pillow to turn off the snooze. At the same time, I saw the date display and realized it was Saturday.
My first weekend since coming to this country.
“I see… school is off on Saturdays.”
I looked at the uniform hanging on the wall. I wouldn’t need to change into that today.
I got out of bed and thoroughly loosened the muscles and tendons throughout my body with meticulous yoga and stretching.
After about twenty minutes, I was drenched in sweat. I then transitioned to Systema combat training. After finishing, I took a shower, dried my wet body, put on fresh underwear, and pulled an oversized, dry T-shirt over my head.
Then, breakfast. From the refrigerator, I took out a 500ml carton of milk, one orange, one banana, two eggs, a pack of natto, a rough measure of vitamin supplements, and 200 grams of raw beef.
I threw them all into a blender, and flipped the switch.
The result was a murky, brownish-pink liquid. Grabbing the handle of the blender cup, I put a hand on my hip and drank it all down. I couldn’t really taste it, but there shouldn’t be any problem with its nutritional value.
As if on cue, my smartphone notified me of an incoming message.
Кошка『Good morning, Anya. It’s a fine day with warm sunshine today.』
A message from Koshka.
I opened the curtains. Beyond the sash window, a perfectly clear blue sky stretched out.
I had heard beforehand that Koshka was a resident of this same town, and it seemed to be true.
Кошка『There is a place I would like you to go to today. It can be considered an essential cat spot to secure for your daily life in this town.』
As I read Koshka‘s message, I noticed an unfamiliar word.
Кошка『It is the only cat café operating in this area, “Matsu-neko Tei.”』
“A cat café…?”
For a moment, an image of a cat relaxing with a coffee cup in hand popped into my head. But that probably wasn’t it.
I searched for “cat café” in my browser.
Apparently, it was a type of coffee shop where many cats were allowed to roam freely. It seemed it was the humans, not the cats, who drank the coffee.
I found it difficult to understand why such a thing would exist in this world.
A shop where such restless creatures, whose next actions are completely unpredictable, wander about as they please. Just imagining it made me feel incredibly uncomfortable.
In the first place, what was the deal with having a large number of animals in a place where food and drink are served? Wouldn’t their fur get into the drinks?
Кошка『Today is Saturday. In Japan, many students are enjoying their day off. You should follow their example and head out into the town. There is an “Anya Casual Clothes Set” in the closet. I will transmit the location of the target point, so please change and head out. I expect a successful mission.』
I was reluctant, but the word “mission” automatically flipped a switch in my mind.
I opened the closet, which I hadn’t touched since moving in.
It seemed there were two patterns prepared for this “Anya Casual Clothes Set.”
One was a so-called skater fashion for young people. A casual coordination of a thick hoodie, a long T-shirt, denim shorts, and knee-high socks. The shoes were sneakers that looked easy to move in.
That was fine.
The problem was the other one.
“What… is this?”
A black and white maid outfit.
And it was clearly not a formal one. It was a “hobbyist” type, perhaps what you’d call Gothic Lolita, with ostentatious and decorative frills. The skirt was also strangely short for some reason.
The only people who would walk around outside in clothes like these would be at a special event venue or in a specific area of Tokyo.
This meant I effectively had only one choice of casual wear. I sent a message to Koshka with a complaint and a request for improvement, but all I got back was a politician-like response of “We will take appropriate measures.”
My trust in this collaborator dropped significantly. To bring one’s personal hobbies into a mission is a gross conflation of public and private affairs.
I put on the new clothes—the non-maid outfit, of course—and left the room to carry out the assigned mission.
***
The destination displayed on Google Maps seemed a bit far to walk. The nearest station was about three stops away on a private railway line.
But “far” was only in the context of daily life. A 20 to 30-minute walk posed no physical problem for me.
As I was considering whether to head to the station first or walk straight to the destination following the map.
“——!”
Thump. My heart gave an irregular beat.
Various parts of my body began to ache unnaturally at the same time.
The cause, of course, was the activation of the killer virus in my body, the Krov’vy Klyatva. The incubation period for this virus varies greatly and irregularly, from just under two days to about a week, making it extremely difficult to predict and prepare for. The last time my cat allergy had acted up was exactly two days ago. I had been completely off guard, thinking I still had plenty of time.
“This is bad…!”
And once the virus activates, I will surely die if I don’t administer the inhibitor within ten minutes.
But having left the organization, I had no inhibitor on hand. Therefore, the only way to be saved was to come into contact with a cat-derived allergen that produces the same effect.
But for it to happen at this timing of all times—
It was impossible to reach the cat café within ten minutes from here without a car.
I ran out onto the main road and tried to hail a taxi.
But perhaps because it was a Saturday morning, there was very little traffic. And there was no sign of any taxis coming.
“Kuh…!”
In that case, I searched my brain for nearby cat-sighting spots. There should have been a park in the list sent by Koshka, just a few minutes’ walk from my apartment.
Should I turn back now and head there? But even if I did, there was no guarantee I would encounter a stray cat.
Or should I stay here and bet on the possibility of a taxi passing by within a few minutes?
Right now, the turning point between life and death was before me.
I gripped the guardrail, desperately supporting my legs which were tangled in pain. My brain was spinning at high speed, searching for a way to survive.
It was then that my hearing picked up the sound of an approaching car engine.
Looking behind me, I saw the silhouette of a car heading this way. A roadster-type sports car, sharply reflecting the low morning sunlight.
A distinctive front grille with large, oval headlights at either end. The streamlined body with its smooth curves was a Lotus Elise, painted a chic dark green. It was obviously not a taxi.
But right now, as an emergency measure, I had to get a ride. If it didn’t stop, I would resort to force…!
I leaned far over the guardrail and waved my hand frantically at the approaching dark green car.
And the Lotus—slowly reduced its speed and came to a neat stop on the shoulder of the road right in front of me.
The power window on the driver’s side lowered. From inside, I could see the face of the driver sitting in the right-hand seat.
“Oh? Aren’t you…”
The person behind the wheel was a young woman I knew.
Kurisu Akira, the part-time clerk at the drugstore near the station.
She was wearing sunglasses, but it was unmistakably her. It seemed she remembered my face as well.
“Excuse me, but could you give me a ride to the place I’m about to mention? I will compensate you.”
Amidst the dizziness and the intense pain wracking my body, I raised my voice and said so.
“That’s right, Anya-chan—you seem to be in a hurry. Of course, I don’t mind.”
Akira smiled and opened the passenger-side door as if it were no trouble at all. Having cheated death, I tumbled into the two-seater.
“So, my lady. Where should I be heading?”
“The cat café ‘Matsu-neko Tei’ in Kitsutsuki-cho. I need to get there within ten minutes… no, as fast as possible. Can we make it…?”
I asked, hiding my pained breaths. Akira nodded and stepped on the accelerator. The Lotus Elise was back on the road.
“OK. I go there often, so I know a shortcut. The roads are clear this morning, so I don’t think it’ll even take five minutes… Still, I’m lucky to be able to go for a drive with you, Anya-chan. The weather was so nice, I just went out for a spin. Guess it was worth it.”
Akira, at the wheel, glanced at me and smiled.
“You saved me. I’d like to thank you… in this case, what would be the going rate?”
As I tried to take out my wallet, Akira held up a hand to stop me.
“No need, this isn’t a taxi. If anything, having a cute girl next to me is exci—I mean, it brightens my mood, so I should be the one thanking you.”
Akira started to say something, then corrected herself and laughed cheerfully. Then, she looked at my face again.
“More importantly, you’ve been looking very unwell this whole time… are you okay?”
“I’m fine, no problem.”
I shouldn’t have been showing any sign of pain on my face, but her perception was sharp.
The sense of unease I had felt about her demeanor at the drugstore the other day slowly resurfaced.
This woman, Kurisu Akira… who is she, really?
Of course, I know she’s a drugstore clerk, but for that… there were strangely many points that my intuition picked up on.
This car was one of them.
I’m not familiar with prices, but it’s a high-end British sports car. It must cost close to ten million yen, wouldn’t it? It feels disproportionate to the wages a part-timer would receive. Of course, there’s the possibility that she’s just a car enthusiast who pours most of her income into her car.
As I mulled over such things to stay conscious, I continued to endure the pain spreading through my body and the arrhythmia attacking my heart.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. We’re here.”
Just as Akira had declared, it seemed we had arrived at our destination in less than five minutes.
It was, surprisingly, an ordinary residential area. Could there really be a cat café in a place like this?
“You can get out.”
Akira parked the Lotus in a paid parking lot, then gestured for me to get out as she did the same.
Somehow managing to control my stumbling feet, I followed Akira, who was walking ahead.
The place she headed for was a large, single-family house that was clearly older than the surrounding buildings.
It wasn’t made of modern building materials like a ready-built house; everything was pure timber, the wood grain darkened with age. It looked like a temple or some other cultural heritage site.
But sure enough, on the dark blue noren curtain hanging above the sliding entrance door, I could see the white-stenciled words “Old House Cat Café Matsu-neko Tei” and the silhouette of a cat. There was no doubt this was our destination.
Akira passed under the noren, took off her shoes in the entryway, and stepped up onto the wooden-floored hallway.
At the reception counter there, a friendly-looking middle-aged woman was sitting. I followed Akira’s lead.
“Oh, Kurisu-san, welcome. Is that someone with you?”
“Yes. I just picked her up on the road. She was so cute, I just had to bring her along.”
“Oh my, she’s not a cat… but really, she’s a young lady so beautiful it’s enchanting. If she were a cat, would she be a Ragdoll, or maybe a Chartreux or a Russian Blue? She has that feel of a refined Western cat.”
The receptionist spoke in a strangely laid-back and cheerful tone, and for some reason, the atmosphere felt familiar.
Akira showed some kind of card and had it stamped. It seemed she really was a regular customer here.
“Anya-chan, will one hour be enough for today?”
“Ugh… yes, that’s fine.”
“Alright then, ma’am. One adult, one student, for the one-hour course. And could you make a new membership card for this girl?”
“Yes, yes, a membership card. Um, so what’s the young lady’s name?”
“My name is Anna Grazkaya—Akira, I’ll pay my own way.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s a fateful encounter, so let me treat you. You’re a student, so you don’t have to hold back with working adults, you know?”
“Um, I’m sorry. I have trouble remembering names in katakana. Would you mind writing it here yourself?”
“Mm, understood—well then, Akira. I will gratefully accept your kindness.”
I quickly signed the membership card, but my mind was elsewhere, searching for the sight of a cat. There was still a little time left before the ten-minute limit, but I wanted to be free from the pain as soon as possible.
“The cats… where are the cats?”
“Oh my. Young lady, you really do love cats, don’t you? I’ll show you right now.”
Seeing me looking around blatantly while feigning composure, the woman’s cheeks relaxed into an amused smile.
“Here you go. This way.”
