Waaahhhh…..
My already tangled thoughts were further scrambled when Gu Fan gently clipped the hairpin onto me, and then, on top of that, pinched my highly sensitive cat ears.
It felt as if a hydraulic press had crushed my brain, all my thoughts twisted into a lump stuck inside my head, no matter how I tried to undo it, it wouldn’t come off.
The one saving grace was that my consciousness, suppressed under the weight of those countless chaotic thoughts, managed to slip out for some fresh air.
Back to reality, I nervously swallowed and cautiously raised my eyes to observe Gu Fan’s expression.
He was fully focused on adjusting the hairpin’s position for me.
It was the black cat hairpin that matched the giant wolf dog charm I had given Gu Fan—same style, same black tone—but when nestled in my jet-black long hair, it didn’t stand out much at first glance, almost like I wasn’t wearing any hairpin at all.
The strands of hair by my ears were gently held by the boy’s slender fingers, occasionally brushing against my cheeks and cat ears, making my heart feel tickled as if being teased by a cotton swab—irresistibly itchy.
I desperately wanted to grab Gu Fan’s hand, lick it like a kitten in a strange mood, or ask him to stop touching those insensitive strands of hair and instead stroke my cheeks or the top of my head.
“Hm, looks pretty good.”
Gu Fan nodded in satisfaction and took a step back to admire his work.
Feeling shy, I instinctively lowered my head, but then remembered that showing such insecurity might make Gu Fan think I was dissatisfied with his taste or hairstyling skills.
So I hurriedly raised my head again, straightened my posture, and looked directly at the boy with his eyes half-closed, appraising me from head to toe.
“So… how is it? Does Gu Fan like it?”
I gently swayed my head, feeling the ponytail tied on the side bumping against my shoulder and the pompom.
Unfortunately, there were just too many couples shopping today.
The pet store’s full-length mirrors, set up for customers to admire themselves, had already been preemptively occupied by those beauty-conscious girls.
As someone with social anxiety, I naturally didn’t have the courage to squeeze in; maybe if I shamelessly asked them, they might give me the spot first.
But my catastrophizing thoughts always beat me to it, painting highly unlikely conflict scenarios in my mind and warning me not to stir up trouble.
On top of that, some social news I’d seen online before surged up from the depths of my memory, like fish and crabs left stranded and filthy with mud and seaweed after a tsunami on a beach.
Ugh, better not. No matter how carefully I style my hair, Gu Fan probably wouldn’t be that interested.
That classmate Shiratori-san has been a girl for over ten years, and every day she appears before Gu Fan with a different hairstyle.
Just watching from the sidelines, I think her looks are truly stunning. Compared to other girls our age who only tie their hair into a simple ponytail, she definitely has an edge.
If it weren’t for my childhood friend status with Gu Fan, I might have been defeated by Shiratori-san long ago.
After all, normal people tend to choose girls who are gentle in personality, elegant in appearance, and tactful in dealing with others—Gu Fan would be no exception.
I can only rely on shameless persistence to cling to Gu Fan without letting go.
“Ask me? Of course I like it. This hairstyle suits Zhizhi very well, but what’s more important is how you feel about it.”
Gu Fan’s response came a moment late; it seemed he was carefully thinking about how to answer me without making my overly sensitive nature suspicious.
“Ah… I don’t really understand hairstyles much, but if Gu Fan thinks it looks good, then I’m completely satisfied, hehe…”
For some reason, I laughed stupidly like a fool.
Snapping back to myself, I quickly reined in the upturned corners of my mouth and pressed my lips together, returning to my usual composed, cold demeanor.
Fortunately, Gu Fan’s gaze was drawn to my cat ears happily twitching atop my head, so he probably didn’t notice my completely unladylike behavior.
But… judging from Gu Fan’s expression now… why do I feel like he’s about to tug off my cat ears and crunch them like little cookies?
Is this illusion just my overactive imagination? Or maybe my catgirl traits really do grab Gu Fan’s attention?
My cat tail behind me mirrored my confusion, flicking up and down before finally dragging low across the floor; apparently, it couldn’t figure it out either.
One thing’s certain: Gu Fan definitely has a fondness for cats.
When we walk together, I’ve even seen stray cats foraging by the roadside suddenly stop and focus intently on him.
Some bolder ones will “patter, patter” run from walls or alleyways over to him, tail held high as they circle his pant legs.
Jealousy flared hot in my chest, making my teeth itch.
Sometimes, when Gu Fan wasn’t paying attention, I’d secretly glare fiercely at those cats, scaring them away from him.
But this tactic mostly worked only on strays.
Those elderly people walking their long-haired or local domestic cats, raised and trained by kind, gentle owners, weren’t fazed.
Their cats just tilted their heads in confusion at me, like they were staring at a fellow cat hissing and arching its back for no reason.
Many of the smarter cats would purposely circle around me, giving me that human-like cat gaze before resuming to enjoy Gu Fan’s petting.
Hmm… if I really were just a little kitten, I could boldly run up to Gu Fan, meow and act spoiled, letting him gladly stroke my little head.
I’d even roll over to show off my soft cat belly, just like those popular cat petting videos online, letting Gu Fan bury his face in it and enjoy.
But alas, I’m a human first, a somewhat special catgirl second, and I can’t boldly ignore social morals to demand Gu Fan cling to me in public.
A few months ago, I saw a fellow catgirl vlogger share that on Christmas, she dressed up as a Christmas reindeer to greet her boyfriend at the door.
I also thought about ordering the same outfit to surprise Gu Fan, tying red ribbons on my cat ears and tail like a Christmas gift, waiting for him to unwrap it with his own hands… Hmph, just thinking about it makes me ridiculously happy.
But this idea will have to wait until this year’s Christmas to try.
Last year, the maid x cat cafe was short-staffed; the manager asked me to help several days early.
Plus, Gu Fan had plans that day, so I had to put it on hold.
As I mulled over these trivial things, I used the crowd as an excuse to naturally take Gu Fan’s wrist and lead him toward the front counter.
After paying, the clerk gave us a slender red silk cord as a gift.
Gu Fan immediately tied it, along with the giant wolf dog charm I had given him, onto his phone case as we stepped outside.
We wandered around a small snack shop on the first floor to fill our stomachs a bit, and soon it was close to ten o’clock.
Side by side, we left the shopping center and reached the somewhat crowded parking lot.
On the motorcycle ride home, Gu Fan didn’t say much, maybe tired from shopping.
I didn’t dare speak much either, afraid of upsetting him again; it was already good that he responded with a few words.
Despite Valentine’s Day approaching, the crowds and traffic were several times heavier than usual.
But after not long enjoying Gu Fan’s broad back, we arrived at the intersection near my home.
Gu Fan took the backpack and another down jacket out from the under-seat storage of the motorcycle and handed them to me.
“All set, head home. We’ll go out shopping together again when there’s time.”
“Mm… got it.”
I replied gloomily.
I had originally thought Gu Fan would let me stay at his uncle’s place for a night; I had already thought of an excuse to fool my mother.
But unexpectedly, Gu Fan was so unromantic, just sending me straight home.
Pouting, I walked toward home, not hearing the motorcycle engine start up, but instead hearing footsteps matching mine.
“Zhizhi, wait.”
Gu Fan’s voice came from behind.
I turned my head and felt a warm breath of youthful energy wash over me.
Patta~
Woomi! Gu-Gu-Gu… Gu Fan actually hugged me?!
The down jacket I was holding slipped out of my hands and fell to the ground; I couldn’t even bother to pick it up.
Just before my brain completely shut down, I heard the boy’s magnetic voice whisper in my ear.
“Remember to come to the classroom next Monday; there’s a gift from me waiting for you.”