Chapter 41 – Cat Dad’s Awakening


    Although Xiaomao was proud of his new look, there was a problem.


    How would he go to school? How would he exin this to the teachers and his ssmates?!


    He couldn’t go to school like this!


    ‘Oh, boy.’


    Xiaomao closed his eyes, recalling the interviews of various top superhumans in his previous life. He vividly remembered a talk show, where a certain Oni-woman revealed her secret of how she shapeshifted between her Oni form and her human form whenever she wanted to.


    The one on the talk show was none other than Wei Zhi, the track girl that had asked Xiaomao to join the half-marathon event. In his previous life, this Oni Valkyrie openly and freely shapeshifted between her human form and Oni form whenever and wherever she wanted.


    …


    “These tips might be helpful for newly awakened superhumans out there. When you transform the first time, you will either get excited or confused. But I want you to calm down, close your eyes, and meditate for a few minutes. Just sit down and rx. Take a deep breath and count one in your mind. Deeply exhale and count two. Repeat and don’t open your eyes until you count to one thousand. When you reopen your eyes again, go back to the mirror and talk to yourself. Say that you are human. Engrave that conviction and vow so that your heart doesn’t get consumed by the power. And then, the shapeshifting abilities will naturallye to you. You should be able to revert back to your human form as long as your mind is at peace.”


    …


    Xiaomao bitterly smiled when he thought of Wei Zhi at school. He wondered if she had joined the game yet. But soon, Wei Zhi would rise to the top.


    He shook his head to discard the ill thoughts. He concentrated on his breathing pace, meditating and calming his heart.


    “Hoo.”


    He took several deep breaths while standing in front of the mirror. He stopped thinking of everything even though he waste for school.


    In fact, he gave up going to school today!


    …


    10 minutester…


    “ACHOOO!!”


    Standing still in the humid bathroom for a long time was bad for one’s health. The sneeze broke Xiaomao’s focus and forced him toe back to his sense.


    He reopened his eyes and cleaned his face and hands by reflex.


    But as Xiaomao washed his hands, the corner of his eyes noticed that his face, hair, and appearance returned to normal. His human ears returned, and he no longer had a tail.


    Unfortunately, his golden pupils stayed._.


    “Yikes, munya.”


    Xiaomao didn’t give up. He shut his eyes and opened them, hoping to somehow change his pupil color. Unfortunately, he failed.


    “ACHOOO!!”


    Again, staying wet for long was bad for health. Xiaomao stopped worrying about his pupils and grabbed a towel to dry his body.


    When Xiaomao came out of the bathroom, it was already 9 AM.


    MUNYA!


    MEW!


    NYA!


    MEO!


    As soon as Xiaomao came out of the bath, the mob of cats swarmed him. They had been scratching the bathroom door, trying to get in for a long time.


    Xiaomao snickered and squatted down.


    “Were you trying to get in or are you hungry, munya?”


    MUNYA! (FOOD, PEASANT! WHERE?!)


    MEW! (HOOMAN! FEED ME!)


    NYA! (Papa, I’m hungry…)


    MEO! (Servant, where’s my breakfast!)


    “…”


    Xiaomao frowned. He didn’t know why but he had a feeling that he understood the cats.


    “Oh, well. Food, it is. Come to the kitchen.”


    MUNYA-MUNYA! (Finally!)


    MEW! (FOOOOOD!)


    Nya (Yay!)


    Meo (I want wet food!)


    “Huh? Did somebody say wet food, munya?”


    Meo (Me! I want an extrarge serving!)


    Mew (Me, too!)


    Nya! (Me, three! Add some crunchy ones to my bowl, too!)


    Munya (I want both with a sardine on top!)


    “…”


    Xiaomao tilted his head in confusion about how he understood their meow. He shrugged and went to the kitchen, preparing food for his cat and himself.


    …


    9.30 AM


    Xiaomao and his cats had their fill. He cleaned the dishes and took care of his master’s sand toilet. Then, he returned to his room, hoping to change his clothes.


    Currently, he was in his birthday suit with a towel on his shoulder. Being alone in the house had its perk, but he couldn’t walk around naked forever.


    As soon as Xiaomao opened the door to his bedroom, the stench of a cat’s urine leaked out. His nose twitched.


    “Which one of you peed on my bedroom, munya?!”


    Xiaomao bellowed, causing the cats to widen their eyes. They climbed the stairs to the second floor to look at Xiaomao’s face.


    Nyanko tilted her head. She followed Xiaomao into the bedroom while the others simply stared at him.


    Xiaomao soon discovered the yellowish stain on his pillow on the bed. Fortunately, he had been spending nights in the game capsule, so he didn’t use it.


    Nya (Papa, do you like my smell?)


    Xiaomao frowned. He turned to Nyanko.


    “Was it you?”


    Nya? (Was it me?)


    “Yeah. Was it you? Did you pee on my bed?”


    Nya (Who peed? I am innocent!)


    “…”


    Xiaomao paused for a moment. Again, he felt like he couldmunicate with his cats, but he didn’t know how. He simply understood them even though they only meowed like usual.


    ‘Is superpower enable me tomunicate with cats or something? I’m not a beast tamer, though.’


    Xiaomao stopped chatting with Nyanko. He took the pillow and bed sheet out, bringing them to a washing machine.


    In the end, Xiaomao spent the entire morning doing the house chore, washing his bedsheet, Wei Zhi’s clothes, and his dirty pillow.


    …


    At Noon


    AAAHHHH


    AAAAAAHHHHHH


    AAAAAaaaaaAAAAAHHHH


    AAAEEEEAAAAEEEEAAaaAAAAHHHH


    AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH


    The screaming song ringtone of his house phone annoyed Xiaomao.


    The phone rang when he was in the middle of pouring hot water into an instant noodle cup. He put his lunch down and rushed to his phone in the bedroom.


    It was a new number.


    Of course, it was a new number. Xiaomao never recorded anybody’s number other than his parents.


    “Hello, munya?”


    “Hello. Is this Miao Xiaomao?”


    “Who is this?”


    “It’s me, Wei Zhi.”


    “Oh, right. What’s up, senior, munya?” Xiaomao suddenly remembered that he indeed gave his number to this future Oni Valkyrie.


    “I went to your ss to check your conditions, but your ssmates told me that you didn’te to school today. Are you alright?”


    “Ah! Hahaha! I’m okay, munya. Actually, I skipped school because I woke upte today. Nothing to worry about. Thanks for calling, by the way, munya.”


    “By the way, I heard that you lived near the school. Can you give me your address?”


    “Why? Are youing to visit?” Xiaomao raised his brows. He disliked visitors.


    “Dumbass! Have you washed my clothes?! I need it tomorrow.”


    “Oh, it’s already washed,” Xiaomao was relieved.


    “Give me your address. I’ll go pick it up.”


    “Okay…”


    Xiaomao gave Wei Zhi his address. They chatted for a few minutes before he hung up the call.


    He sighed and checked his clothes. Currently, he wore a white t-shirt and a boxer, which was inappropriate to wee a girl.


    Xiaomao sighed. Although he didn’t care about her impression of him, he put on the school jersey pants and went to collect Wei Zhi’s clothes, which had been hanging on the second-floor balcony outside of the house.


    The clothes were already dried, but Xiaomao didn’t know if he had cleaned them properly. He took it closer to his nose and sniffed it.


    “ACHOOO!!”


    The cloth detergent scent was too powerful. Xiaomao sneezed and felt like his hair stood up.


    Xiaomao took the clothes downstairs and put them in a stic bag. But as he was at it, he remembered something.


    He forgot about his instant noodle!


    It was toote. Mu-Nyang, Mir, Nyanko, and Meo already flipped the cup over and messed the kitchen floor. Of course, they didn’t eat the hot instant noodle.


    The cats were still on the kitchen table, looking at their deed.


    When Xiaomao came to the kitchen, Nyanko and Mama Cat hissed at him while Mu-Nyang and Mir widened their eyes.


    “You guys… Haiz.”


    Xiaomao had a headache. He picked up a mop and cleaned the kitchen.


    He didn’t why the cats hissed at him, but he ignored it. He was so busy today.


    …


    Ding Dong


    Someone pressed the doorbell.


    Xiaomao scratched his head, frustrated. He rushed to the door and opened it.


    Then, he discovered Wei Zhi, who hade here on her bicycle.


    “…”


    Wei Zhi raised her brows and sized up Xiaomao. She was silent for a while.


    “Miao Xiaomao?”


    “Yeah?”


    “Oh, I don’t remember you for a minute. You look good in that costume. Are you into cosy?”


    “What do you mean?” Xiaomao walked out of the house and gave Wei Zhi her clothes.


    Wei Zhi took the bag and gazed at the top of Xiaomao’s head. She then nced at the wiggling tail behind him.


    “Your tail looks so natural. By the way, where did you get your cat ears, wig, and that tail?”


    “Huh?” Xiaomao was frozen.


    His eyes shifted as he nced at the fluffy white tail. The cat ears also wiggled because of his erratic emotions.


    He was in his werecat form!