"What was that all about? Shi-? Is she talking about Shina?"
"What did Shina do to her? Are they related to each other?" Kaede thought as he quickly walked out of the school. Once outside, he spotted Shina looking at a white cat playing on the grass, seemingly taking a picture of it.
Yumi's eyes widened with excitement. She rushed over to the cat, slowing down as she got closer, and then gently petted it.
"Hehehe, so cute! What is this fluffy texture?" Yumi murmured, losing herself in the joy of petting the cat. A wide smile spread across her face, as if she'd forgotten the world around her.
Meanwhile, Shina stared at the cat with wide, sparkling eyes. She looked completely mesmerized, unable to take her eyes off it. It was as if both girls had gone crazy for the cat.
"Hehe... hehe... I want to hold it... Can... can I pet her? Uh... uhhh... no, I have allergies... But I really want to hold it!" Shina's hands trembled as she fought the urge to touch the cat.
"What are they doing?" Kaede thought as he approached them. As he got closer, he noticed Yumi's blissful expression, her eyes closed with a huge smile plastered on her face. She was repeatedly mumbling, "Hehehe... hehehe... hehehe," while petting the cat. It looked as if she was ascending to heaven.
Shocked, Kaede slapped Yumi lightly to bring her back to reality and gently shook Shina to snap her out of it too. Startled, Yumi yelped, and the cat darted away.
"Noooo!" Yumi cried, tears welling up as the cat ran off.
"I didn't even get to take a single photo," she said sadly.
"Don't worry, I took some," Shina reassured her, trying to cheer her up. When they checked the phone gallery, they were stunned to see thousands of photos taken in just a few minutes. Yumi's face brightened instantly, thanking Shina repeatedly. But while scrolling through the pictures, Shina spaced out again.
Shina snapped out of it, shook her head, and bowed slightly. "Sorry for the trouble," she said to Kaede, a bit embarrassed.
Yumi responded with a casual, "It's okay, don't worry about it."
"Hey, why are you answering for me?" Kaede grumbled.
Yumi just stuck her tongue out playfully, saying, "Hehe."
To change the topic, Yumi exclaimed, "Hey, you guys want to go eat some cake?" She sounded thrilled.
Shina hesitated, unsure how to respond. It was the first time someone had invited her to eat cake, and her voice came out shaky, not knowing whether to feel happy or nervous.
Sensing Shina's hesitation, Yumi grabbed her hand. "Don't worry! It's my treat! Kaede will pay for us," she declared confidently.
"Ehhh?!" Kaede exclaimed, shocked.
"Right, Kaede?" Yumi glared at him with intimidating eyes, making him reluctantly nod in agreement.
As they walked toward the cake shop, they noticed Lary nearby, calling out desperately. "Mimi! Mimi! Where are you?! Please come back!" Tears were welling up in his eyes.
Kaede called out to him, and Lary hurried over, explaining that he was looking for his cat, Mimi. Apparently, he had accidentally broken her bed after losing a game boss fight, and now Mimi had run away.
Yumi nodded thoughtfully, crossing her arms like a detective. "I see, so that's what happened."
Shina chimed in, "Umm... I-I think we saw your cat earlier."
Yumi dropped to her knees dramatically. "Ahhh! I just wanted to look cool!" she cried, upset that Shina had unintentionally ruined her detective act.
While Yumi sulked, Shina showed Lary the photo gallery, revealing countless pictures of Mimi. Lary was stunned, and for the third time, Shina lost herself for a few seconds, staring at the pictures.
"That's definitely my cat!" Lary exclaimed. He rushed off in the direction Shina pointed.
Yumi quickly recovered, brushing off her embarrassment. "Let's go to the cake shop already!" she insisted.
As they walked, Yumi and Shina chatted comfortably like old friends, while Kaede trailed behind, smiling. Suddenly, Kaede's heart pounded violently, and his legs gave way. He fell to his knees, his vision blurring. His eyes began to glow a bright blue, but neither of the girls noticed.
"Ahh!" Kaede gasped as the pain surged through him.
Yumi and Shina hurried over, worried. After a minute, the pain vanished, and Kaede stood up, brushing it off as muscle pain from exercising. They seemed to believe it, and they continued to the cake shop.
Inside, they ordered their cake, and as Kaede looked at his reflection in the glass, he noticed his eyes were bluer than before, making him feel uneasy.
When the cake arrived, Kaede took a bite, finding it too sweet but still eating it. As the day ended and the sky darkened, they started heading home.
Outside the cake shop, Shina's butler was waiting. "Princess Shina, your father said it's time to go home," he announced.
Both Yumi and Kaede were left speechless. "She's... a princess?" they thought.
"I'm sorry, I have to go," Shina said before leaving in the car.
Kaede couldn't help but think, "Wasn't that butler the one who always picked up Fina after school? Does that mean Fina is also a princess? Are Shina and Fina related?"
Yumi and Kaede continued walking home.
On the other side, Lary finally found his cat and brings it home safely.