I Became the Cat in the Academy.

TN: You can read the first chapters here.

And so my pitiful screams were drowned out by the sound of water.

I finished my bath while receiving Sia’s merciless bubble treatment.

And...

- ...

“...”

...Now, I was sitting outside the bathroom with my fur drooping like a wet towel, barely able to see ahead.

With my moist body, even moving was difficult.

- Ngh, nghh.

“Ugh, too heavy.”

It feels like I’m carrying two bags of rice on my back.

“Pfft, hehe... Ah, sorry. It’s just that Chii is so cute. I can’t help but laugh.”

And for some reason, along with the continuous sound of camera shutters,

While enduring Sia’s laughter,

I let out a deep sigh that could sink the ground.

- Myaaa.

“Sigh.”

Of course, the only thing that sank was my poor, slightly deflated belly.

I glared at Sia.

Stop taking pictures and dry me already.

Water is literally dripping from my fur right now.

“Ah, sorry, sorry! You must be cold. I’ll make you fluffy and dry right away!”

Finally noticing my resentful gaze, Sia turned on the hair dryer.

Quick to catch on.

If she’d been a little later, I would have shaken my body like other cats and turned the house into a flood.

...By the way.

While she can teleport and control fire at will, she uses normal tools for something like this.

I really don’t understand her.

“Now, I’ll dry you quickly.”

Wrapping my body in a towel,

Sia started stroking me with the same gentle touch she used when dusting me off.

Maybe because I just came from soaking in warm water, an even drowsier feeling started to overtake me than before.

A lazy and happy feeling like I might drift off to dreamland if I closed my eyes.

The hair dryer that’s drying me now.

Everything was perfect except for one thing.

...No.

The air is cold.

Who uses a hair dryer on cold settings?

Can’t you change it right now?

I’m freezing to death here!

Can’t you see the frost forming on my whiskers?!

- Pat.

“Oh my.”

I placed my front paw on Sia’s hand.

Then, trying to look as scary and threatening as possible, I opened my mouth with a lowered voice.

- Myaa.

“Give me warm air.”

But,

“You want me to dry your front paws too? Okay! To tell me directly like this... Chii is really smart indeed.”

Indeed, indeed.

Once again, Sia not only failed to understand what I said but interpreted it in a completely different way.

Looking at my front paws being dried with freezing cold air going whiiir,

I let out another deep sigh.

‘I wonder if there’s any cat-to-human translation magic?’

That would be nice.

...

...

And so, with the crazy collaboration of freezing air and warm hands,

Nodding off and waking up,

After repeating this cycle, the fur drying finally ended.

“Oh my, look at this. Chii, you’re super clean and fluffy now!”

Sia jumped around excitedly for a while making a big fuss,

Then saying she couldn’t be the only one to see, she brought a mirror from the corner of the living room and placed it in front of me.

In the mirror, I could see my small figure reflected.

Though it was still hard to get used to this appearance,

This time, I didn’t jump in surprise or puff up my body.

I’m not a stupid animal after all.

Let’s just say I have the ability to learn.

“How is it? You’re completely clean now, right? Aren’t you glad we took a bath?”

...It certainly did make me cleaner.

There was a pleasant fragrance, and my fur was fluffy like cotton candy, completely pristine white.

How about the cat jelly pads?

When I carefully moved the honey-thread-like fur with my front paw,

The milky flesh, like a ripe peach, peeked out.

...I wonder how it feels to touch it.

I pressed my cat jelly pad firmly with my front paw.

It has a soft and squishy texture, like tofu skin.

Not bad.

“Gasp. T-that’s the legendary jelly pad I’ve only heard about...!”

- Myaa?

“Huh?”

While I was fascinated by the texture of the jelly pads and doing the kneading motion,

Sia, who had been cleaning the bathroom, suddenly came running like a bullet to touch my jelly pads.

She was so fast. She looked even faster than the wolf I met today.

- Myaoong!

“Eeeek!”

Seeing her charging like a runaway train, I had no choice but to quickly hide both my front paws in my soft belly fur.

“Ah.”

It was really close.

Just as I tucked in my front paws, Sia’s hand arrived at that spot.

My precious jelly pads might have been squished if I had been a little slower.

“What a shame. I wanted to touch the jelly pads...”

Though Sia looked at my belly fur with eyes full of lingering regret,

I shook my head.

“Chii, can I touch them just once?”

- Shake shake

How dare you.

...If you really want to touch them, bring me some tuna.

- Cuckoo. Cuckoo.

While Sia and I were going back and forth like this, the clock chimed three in the morning throughout the room.

Interestingly, it was a cuckoo clock.

So, cuckoo clocks still exist these days.

How romantic.

Cuckoo cuckoo.

Cuckoo cuckoo.

With the strangely addictive cuckoo sound,

The toy cuckoo bird kept going in and out repeatedly.

I stared at it blankly.

The rhythmic ding-dong motion of coming out and going in was mesmerizing to watch.

“Oh my. Time has already... I need to quickly finish the remaining work.”

- Myaa?

“Eh.”

While I was hazily staring at the clock, Sia suddenly picked me up,

And placed me inside a small toy house in the corner of the room.

A pretty handwritten sign that said ‘Chii’s House’ was on the tiny mailbox in front of the house.

...When did she write that?

“Chii! Big sister has some business at the academy to take care of, so be good while I’m gone, okay?”

After putting me down, Sia closed the room door,

And ran off somewhere like an arrow.

- ...Myaa.

“...What’s going on.”

Going to the academy at this hour?

...Is 3 AM the working hours?

For a prestigious institution, it’s quite the black company.

No wonder something smelled fishy.

- Sniff sniff

Ah, no.

It was the smell coming from my front paws.

...Strange.

I just got cleaned thoroughly. Why is there a smell?

I should have been washed squeaky clean without a single dark spot.

- Sniff sniff

‘Oh.’

This is an interesting feeling.

Somehow, the smell isn’t great, but I want to keep smelling it.

Is this what they call an addictive scent?

‘...Wait a minute.’

At the thought that suddenly crossed my mind, I jumped up from my spot.

- Myaak.

“Ugh.”

...As soon as I jumped up.

I hit my head on the house ceiling above me.

- Myaown...

“Ow, that hurts.”

Pretty sturdy for a toy.

Anyway,

While soothing my hurt head with grooming, I continued my train of thought.

So, Sia went to the academy.

I can’t hear any sounds around me.

Therefore, Sia lives alone.

Then, the only one in Sia’s house right now is...

- Myaa!

“Just me!”

That means I’m the only one here.

In other words, this is the perfect chance to escape!

‘Good.’

No time to waste.

I got out of the toy house and looked around.

I was searching for a place to escape through.

They say cats’ bodies are flexible, so they can get through even the tiniest spaces.

But,

- Mya, Myaa.

“W-what.”

No matter how thoroughly I searched the room.

‘There’s nothing.’

I even checked if there were any windows left unclosed.

‘They’re all locked.’

Maybe the ventilation fan is open?

‘...There is no ventilation fan.’

Well, of course there wouldn’t be one in a bedroom.

Still holding onto a sliver of hope,

I thoroughly searched the room, but...

...There wasn’t even a place to escape through, let alone a space small enough for a mosquito to enter.

Everything was completely sealed off.

It was literally a perfectly sealed room.

‘No way...’

Then, there was only one way to get out of here.

That would be to open the door and walk out directly.

I stood proudly in front of the door where Sia had left.

I can see the doorknob.

It’s located very high up.

There’s nothing visible nearby to step on and climb up.

‘Phew, I can do this. I know I can!’

I clenched my front paws,

And cheered myself on internally.

Alright.

Get ready...

And launch!

- Myawoong-!

I shot up like a rocket, soaring high into the air.

And stretched out my front paw.

‘Please, please...!’

- Thud.

‘I reached it!’

My front paw touched the doorknob.

As I held onto the doorknob and persisted, the door started to open with a creaking sound.

...I did it.

From the floor all the way to the doorknob.

I reached it with just a single jump.

I succeeded in opening that massive door with this tiny body!

- Myaaang!

“Nice!”

Looking at the slowly opening door, I started grooming myself as a form of self-praise.

Well done, me.

Escaping from the evil witch’s house.

...Should I take some cans of tuna before I go?

Since I’ll be hungry, maybe about five cans should do!

Just as I was planning my bright future in my head,

- Creeeak...

Right behind the slowly opening door, I saw a familiar shadow standing there.

“Oh my, you came to greet me even though you must be tired! How precious.”

...It was Sia.

Huh.

“Are you very tired? Should we sleep together in big sister’s room tonight?”

Sia picked up my stunned self and started walking into the house.

The front door gets further away.

My hope got further away.

- Myaa...

“My freedom...”

“Yes, yes. Let’s go to sleep quickly. It’s chilly today, so let’s cuddle up and sleep together!”

- Myaoooong!!!

“Nothing ever works out, seriously!!”