Chapter 8: Extending the Invitation

“Mhm! Have a great day… please come again.”

After seeing off the last customer of the café, I slumped against the wall, completely spent.

My mental energy was nearly drained. Interacting with people always speeds up the depletion, and today pushed me to my limit. All I wanted now was to go home and crash.

A proud white Ragdoll cat with blue eyes flicked its fluffy tail as it curiously batted at my own limp black tail with its soft paws.

Ugh… quit it. Don’t bully me.

I wanted to tell it off, but couldn’t bring myself to make another sound. I just stared at it in silence, barely managing to control my tail to dodge its probing paws.

Mew~

Luckily, my innate anti-cat aura kicked in. The Ragdoll’s fur puffed up in alarm under my gaze, and it backed off warily, shuffling away.

Heh. I guess being a catgirl has some perks.

With my arms crossed over my chest, I tapped the toes of my little boots and tugged up the garter straps that were starting to slide off. I took a moment to inspect them.

Back when I first turned into a girl, it didn’t really feel real. But after a full shift in this pretty maid outfit—catching glimpses of my reflection when things quieted down—I had to admit, I looked kinda… nice. And yeah, that felt kinda good.

Well, except these slippery black stockings. The garters couldn’t seem to hold them up. The manager had mentioned earlier that the uniforms would be updated soon, supposedly to fix this annoying issue.

And for some reason… I found myself looking forward to that. Even a little excited. Maybe this was what it felt like when girls shopped for new clothes and couldn’t wait to try them on.

Time to go.

Feeling somewhat refreshed, I stretched my arms overhead and headed toward the locker room.

It was getting late. The clock above the front desk read exactly ten. The staff at the front and in the kitchen were seasoned pros, all disappearing right on cue at the end of the shift.

Even the cats had been herded back to the cattery. A few gluttons were still munching away at their late-night snacks.

“Xiao Shen, come here a sec.”

The manager suddenly called out from the cattery, where she was cleaning. My footsteps halted immediately.

“Ah? W-What is it?”

My voice came out like a broken machine—jittery and mechanical, stuttering its way into existence.

Being called over like that out of the blue… it was hard not to panic. Had I messed something up during my shift?

My mind immediately began reviewing everything I did that night:

Forcing myself to smile awkwardly and bow to welcome guests, then politely guiding them to their seats and taking their coffee orders, handing over the cats for them to play with, and finally seeing them off at the door…

There were definitely things I could’ve done better. Like—wasn’t I supposed to look the customer in the eyes while talking? And my tone should’ve been warmer, my expression more gentle—

Looks like… there were a lot of small details I didn’t get right. Being a waitress means…

Gulp.

I swallowed hard as I saw the manager approaching slowly, holding something in her hands. Nervously, I shut my eyes tight.

So be it. Fire me, scold me, I don’t care anymore! Worst case, I’ll just quit right here and now.

“Here—try this.”

I opened my eyes, resigned to whatever fate awaited me—only to be met with…

A cup of coffee, topped with foamed milk. A thin film clung to the surface, locking in the aroma.

“Uh, this is…?”

“A new blend I’ve been working on. Still doesn’t have a name yet. Thought I’d let you try it first.”

“O-oh… okay…”

Realizing the situation wasn’t as dire as I’d feared, I let out a huge sigh of relief and accepted the coffee. It was warm—shouldn’t be too hot.

Gulp~

I took a small sip. As the surface film broke, the fragrance exploded outward, instantly flooding my nose with its rich aroma.

The double impact on my taste and smell was so intense that even someone like me—who rarely drank coffee—couldn’t help but raise my eyebrows in surprise.

“This is amazing!”

“Ha ha, right? I thought it turned out pretty unique too. Took me ages to get it just right.”

The manager beamed at the praise, and I, naturally, ended up finishing the entire cup.

“Mmm… yup, full marks.”

I blinked slowly, gazing at the lingering foam at the bottom of the cup, and offered my final verdict in a dreamy tone.

“Ha! I wouldn’t recommend giving it full marks. It’s way too much trouble to make. I still prefer sneaking in a bit of free time during work to make coffee. Gotta leave room to read a good book—makes the job feel worthwhile.”

She chuckled as she took the cup back and casually set it on the table.

She’s got a point… Coffee this good must have a really complicated brewing process. If everyone started ordering it, the baristas and the manager would be run into the ground.

I nodded in agreement. But there was still something I didn’t quite get, so I asked without thinking.

“Manager… can you actually make money doing this?”

The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them—they sounded kind of rude, like I was questioning her life choices.

I fumbled for an apology, but the manager just laughed it off.

“Money, huh? Is that really all that important?”

A kitten had snuck out of the cat nest and waddled over on its stubby legs, tugging at the hem of her skirt. She lifted it by the scruff and cradled it in her arms.

“I love cats. I love sipping coffee and dabbling in things I enjoy. I earn just enough to keep this café running smoothly. That’s all I need.”

She gently held the squirming kitten that kept trying to leap out of her arms, and flicked a speck of dust off the porcelain coffee cup.

“You’re still young. Not like me—already thirty-one and heading downhill. Someday, you’ll understand what it means to live without regrets.”

“Haha, don’t take it too seriously. I’m just rambling.”

She rested her chin in one hand and smiled when she saw my expression.

The atmosphere suddenly lightened. She stood up, her movements casual and graceful, and returned the kitten to its nest.

“I guess I just wanted to, while I’m still young-ish, be a dignified lady who reads books and drinks coffee in public. Heh… sounds silly, doesn’t it?”

“Uh… no, not at all. You really pull it off.”

“Alright then—shift’s over. Head on home early.”

She waved me off and went back to the counter to tally up the day’s sales.

I let out another breath. Being alone always made me feel less tense. Still… I wondered when I’d ever blend into a crowd without thinking so much.

After changing back into my plain school uniform in the locker room, I ducked my head and slipped out of the café as fast as I could.

My sneakers hugged my feet tighter than the leather boots I’d just taken off, making the contrast feel even more stark.

…Ah. I’d been agonizing over everything since noon and completely forgot about the canvas shoes Gu Fan returned to me. I just remembered to grab my backpack and head to school.

Well, whatever. I’m going home anyway.

With nothing else to do on the walk, I looked at the night sky, the crowds passing by, and replayed the manager’s words in my head.

Was she talking about… living in the moment?

Maybe. I didn’t have much life experience, so I could only guess.

It’d be nice if I could be like her—so free-spirited. Not having to worry about how to approach Gu Fan or whether it was okay to get close to him.

If I could be bold enough to cherish every moment I had with Gu Fan, to burn the next three years into my memory…

Wouldn’t that be what they call a dream come true?

The cat café wasn’t far from home. After all, for a shut-in like me, even if I had a hard time turning down a favor, if the job had been far away, I definitely would’ve mustered the courage to say no.

After all, avoiding things… is what I do best.

After a quick shower to wash off the day’s fatigue and lingering negativity, I stepped out with wet hair and a tail still dripping and flicking water.

In my hand was the phone, displaying Gu Fan’s contact number.

It was bound to happen sooner or later… no escaping it, no escaping it.

What I’m worst at is communicating with others…

But for Gu Fan, I’m willing to change.

My thoughts raced, and before I knew it, the ‘Add’ button had already turned gray—meaning I’d sent the friend request.

“Heh heh.”

“Heh heh heh.”

I smiled foolishly, my thumb flicking repeatedly across the screen as Gu Fan’s cat avatar bounced up and down on the display.