"Oh, these blue and white stripes are so pure and cute." "This little bear pattern is quite childish."
Renji Kamisaka, who moments ago had claimed inner skirts weren't important, immediately utilized the cat's vision. He reveled in it wholeheartedly, his eyes sparkling.
He controlled a cute striped cat as it roamed the campus. Yukinoshita Yukino hadn't been found yet. Instead, he spotted Yumiko Miura and her group playing tennis on the court. He recalled that during middle school, Yumiko Miura had been a visible member of the school's tennis team, even participating in a regional tennis tournament and securing second place. Miura is a good girl. It's a shame she likes Hayato Hayama, who just uses her as a shield, Renji thought with a hint of annoyance.
Renji Kamisaka glanced at Yumiko a few more times, then guided the cat away from the tennis court. As he reached the corridor, he was about to continue walking when his field of vision suddenly shifted upwards. The cat had been lifted by the scruff of its neck.
"Where did this cat come from? Did some problematic student bring it?" Shizuka Hiratsuka muttered, her voice slightly irritated, as she looked at the beautiful black-haired girl following her. "Yukinoshita, haven't you given up yet?"
Seeing the girl's nearly unfair cuteness and her stubborn expression, Shizuka Hiratsuka felt a headache coming on. In the past, Haruno Yukinoshita had been a problematic student, even forcing her teacher to perform on stage. Now, it was Haruno's younger sister's turn to attend Sobu High, and she, too, was a problematic student. Haruno had been easy enough to deal with, and once she graduated and entered society, there was no longer any need to worry. However, given Yukinoshita Yukino's personality, Shizuka Hiratsuka was at a loss for what to do for now.
"Teacher Hiratsuka, I won't give up until I achieve my goal," Yukino stated calmly, yet determination shone in her eyes. "But before that, could you please give me this cat...?"
"Why, you didn't bring this cat, did you? Trying to impress me with a pet?" Shizuka Hiratsuka smiled and teased, but still handed the cat over to her.
"You're overthinking it. I'm not the type of person who would break school rules," Yukino replied, her expression serious. "However, this cat doesn't look wild. Its fur is very soft and its claws are neatly trimmed." She said this with a rare flicker of delight in her eyes.
Yukinoshita Yukino carefully held the cat in her arms, gently stroking its soft fur with her snow-white hands. From the cat's perspective, Renji Kamisaka could clearly see the second Miss Yukinoshita's fair skin, her face so sweet it was almost unfair, and the softness in her clear blue eyes. He felt a little envious of the cat. It was a shame he could only control his cats and share their vision, without having the same sense of touch. If I could just lie in Miss Yukinoshita's arms, I'd wake up laughing in my dreams, Renji mused, a funny fantasy flitting through his mind.
However, listening to their conversation, Renji realized Yukinoshita Yukino's plan to establish a club wasn't going very well.
When Shizuka Hiratsuka heard Yukinoshita Yukino's words, she sighed helplessly. "That cat must have been secretly brought in by a daring student. Yukinoshita, aren't you planning to form a club? Find this cat's owner, and I'll approve your request!"
"What if we can't find them?" Yukino asked, her tone laced with a hint of worry.
"Forget it then. If you can't even find a cat's owner, how on earth can you establish a service department?" Shizuka Hiratsuka retorted, her tone challenging.
"Alright, I promise, Teacher Hiratsuka, I will convince you to allow me to establish a club." Yukino nodded firmly.
"Okay."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Teacher Hiratsuka, that cat belongs to me."
Shizuka Hiratsuka had just agreed when Renji Kamisaka rushed in, looking embarrassed and a little out of breath. When Yukinoshita Yukino saw Renji Kamisaka, she was stunned for a moment, her eyes widening slightly, then a faint, almost imperceptible smile bloomed on her lips.
"Teacher Hiratsuka, look..." Yukino began, wanting to assert her victory.
"That doesn't count!" Shizuka Hiratsuka glared angrily at Renji Kamisaka, then turned to Yukino and said confidently, "We bet you'd find the cat's owner, but now he's stepped forward and admitted it himself, so you basically didn't contribute much, therefore it doesn't count!"
Yukinoshita Yukino showed a slight reluctance, her expression twisting into a faint pout. Then, something happened that made her even more uncomfortable. The well-behaved cat in her arms, which had been so comfortable moments ago, saw Renji Kamisaka and immediately cried out like a pampered child, then quickly squirmed out of Yukino's embrace. After jumping to the ground, it rubbed intimately against Renji Kamisaka's trousers, as if greeting its master. That wasn't all. Two more cats ran over from a distance and silently rubbed their bodies against Renji's long pants. What kind of physique is this that attracts cats? Yukinoshita Yukino unconsciously clenched her hands, a piercing pang of envy. She was so envious!
"It seems those are indeed your cats, Renji~!" Shizuka Hiratsuka drew out her words, placed her hands on her hips, and stared at him with a menacing gaze, a cunning smile on her lips. "Don't you know that bringing cats into the school premises is against the rules?"
Renji Kamisaka's face flushed with embarrassment. "That's not fair! They came by themselves!" he protested, trying to defend himself. "I swear, I absolutely did not bring those cats to school in my school bag. They just clung to me, so they followed me all the way to school." Yes, he used the cat bag, not a school bag, he inwardly corrected himself.
"Do you really think I'd believe that?" Shizuka Hiratsuka sneered, a smile full of doubt. "You brat, I remember your house is far from Sobu High, and you have to take the train to school, right? Can your cats ride the train and follow you all the way to school?"
Renji Kamisaka's expression crumpled in frustration. That's a bad idea. How could I forget this? However, he absolutely couldn't admit that he was the one who brought the cats in. "Maybe their friends told them, and they came here. There are many stray cats around here." He tried to argue. "Teacher Hiratsuka, just like when we interact with each other, we also have our own small circles." He pointed at the cats. "Cats have their own social environment, so it's only natural they'd hear about me coming here and come to see me."
"I don't understand you at all. You're breaking school rules and still daring to make excuses? Come to my office!" Shizuka Hiratsuka declared, her tone unyielding, and started walking. "And you, Yukinoshita, come along too, and bring those three cats with you!"
Renji Kamisaka shrugged indifferently, then followed her, carrying two cats, one in each hand. "You must be Yukinoshita-san, right? Could you help me carry this cat? I'm busy," he requested, a small smile on his lips.
"I can." Suppressing her excitement, the second Miss Yukinoshita happily carried the remaining cat. But what pained her was that as soon as she lifted the cat, it tried to squirm out of her hands.
Renji Kamisaka suddenly said something. "It's alright, Xiaohua. I'll give you dried fish later." As soon as those words were spoken, the cat in Yukinoshita's arms immediately stopped struggling, calming down. The second young lady was stunned. Why does this cat listen so intently to this person?
Seeing the cat become obedient, Renji Kamisaka smiled at her and followed Shizuka Hiratsuka. See? The cat bag truly is a treasure against Yukinoshita Yukino. With the help of these cats, he could speak with Yukinoshita Yukino openly. This also left a good impression, as he was loved by cats. A person who likes cats and is liked by cats isn't a bad person, right?
The scene shifted to the teacher's office.
"Renji Kamisaka, do you know that you are not allowed to bring cats or other pets into the campus?" Shizuka Hiratsuka adopted her teacher persona, standing tall and looking at him seriously.
"I know," Renji Kamisaka replied obediently, his head slightly bowed.
"Then you know, yet you still brought the cat?"
"That's not fair. I told you, they came here on their own accord," Renji Kamisaka immediately explained, his tone slightly petulant.
Yukinoshita Yukino watched with keen interest, stroking the striped cat in her arms, a rare expression on her face.
"Nonsense! Your cat must be some kind of spirit, right? How could it run all the way here and follow you?" Shizuka Hiratsuka interjected, a hint of exasperation in her voice.
"It just shows that my cats are really smart," Renji retorted proudly.
"Silence!" Shizuka Hiratsuka glared at him, her head starting to ache. "I won't say anything today, but tomorrow, no, you absolutely cannot bring cats in, or let them follow you in!"
"Yes, I'll educate them well when I get back." Renji Kamisaka declared himself a good student, promising to obey his teacher.
Seeing his good attitude, the beautiful teacher no longer pressed the issue, and her eyes turned to Yukinoshita Yukino. "Yukinoshita, I still say the same thing. If you want to establish a club, you must have three members, otherwise it doesn't comply with the rules!"
Yukinoshita Yukino confidently stated, "I'm not the type of club that requires funding, so it's fine even if it's just one person."
"But the number of club activity spaces is limited. If everyone is like you and establishes their own club, how many activity spaces will be left in the school?" Shizuka Hiratsuka countered, her tone firm.
"Teacher Hiratsuka, I'm the top student in my class! As long as I establish a club, my classmates will surely sign up enthusiastically."
"You say it so loudly, but do you even believe it yourself? Yukinoshita, don't think I don't know about your past!"
"..." Yukinoshita Yukino stopped speaking, her expression stiffening, and she merely stared stubbornly at Shizuka Hiratsuka, old pain etched in her eyes.
Shizuka Hiratsuka suddenly felt a little soft-hearted. She knew about Yukinoshita Yukino's isolated experiences, and Haruno had also asked her to help look after her sister. Perhaps, if Yukinoshita Yukino established her own club and had her own club members, things would change. It was better than her remaining alone due to her awkward personality, Shizuka thought, a faint hope blooming in her mind for Yukino's future.
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