The elderly woman with white hair said, “Oh, my dear, you’ve arrived. Let me pour you some tea.”
She shuffled toward the coffee table with unsteady steps. Worried she might fall, I reached out to steady her.
Suddenly, a shadow darted out, landing at her feet.
I froze, staring at it.
It was impossible to describe exactly what it was. Its entire body was blood-red, with no discernible shape. Its eyes locked onto me, its mouth opening wide as it let out a sharp, menacing screech.
The old woman crouched down and scooped it up. Strangely, the creature seemed almost liquid, stretching out as she picked it up before curling into a ball in her arms.
“Mew Mew, look at you scaring this young lady.”
Only then did I realize that it was a cat.
“Ma’am, may I pet it?” I asked, curious.
Mew Mew let out a sharp, angry meow, its expression still ferocious, but somehow, I understood its message: “Foolish human, leave this room immediately!”
The old woman patted its head and laughed. “Of course you can.”
I cautiously extended my hand and stroked it.
The sensation was strange. The cat had no fur, and its skin felt oddly smooth, though it wasn’t a hairless breed either.
I braced myself, thinking it might bite me, but instead, it stiffened in my hand and let me continue.
Meanwhile, unseen commentary erupted:
“Boss Mew, just scratch her to pieces already!”
“Does this front desk clerk have some kind of magic? Why isn’t she dead yet?”
…
The elderly woman chuckled warmly. “You know, you’re the first person besides me who’s ever managed to pet Mew Mew. Don’t let its fierce look fool you. It’s actually very gentle.”
I couldn’t help myself and gave Mew Mew a light pat on the head. “Good kitty.”
Mew Mew let out another angry meow, its tone still full of hostility.
“Despicable human! How dare you! Where’s my dignity as the great ruler?!”
At the old woman’s enthusiastic invitation, I picked up a cat teaser toy and played with Mew Mew for a while.
That was when I realized… Mew Mew was a bit of a dimwit.
It ignored the toy completely, choosing instead to claw at its shadow on the wall. Its tiny body bumped around clumsily, which only made it look even cuter.
With the second room inspection done, I headed to the third.
Knock, knock, knock.
From inside, a rough, raspy voice called out, “Who is it?”
“It’s the front desk. I’m here to inspect the room.”
The door opened just a crack before slamming shut again with a loud bang.
“Seen enough? Good. Now scram.”
