The girl’s naturally pink hair shimmered with a peachy glow under the supermarket’s fluorescent lights, showing no color variation from roots to tips.
Her messy ponytail was tied with a convenience store Onigiri Wrapper Band.
Her overly long bangs were pinned back with a blue Cat hairclip, revealing a black in-ear earphone in her right ear.
A faint red mark — left from leaning on the desk and falling asleep last night — still pressed against her ear’s helix.
She wore an Employee Uniform two sizes too big, with a rusty Catcat Badge pinned at the collar.
The plastic cover of her nametag was cracked, and the handwritten nametag inside was blurred by water stains, making her name unreadable.
A Catcat Band-Aid covered her left pinky, and orange stains from the Kanto Oden Broth lingered in the creases of her fingernails.
An orange plastic Anniversary Watch adorned her right wrist.
Whenever she crouched down to rest for a moment, the worn heels of her sneakers revealed Catcat Socks printed with cat patterns.
Around her ankles, faint Capillary Red Spots — caused by long hours of standing — were visible beneath the socks.
When she stood up, the corners of her eyes sparkled with tiny flecks of light, evidence of sweat that had yet to dry completely.
Only when no one was watching did she secretly glance around before breaking into a small, happy smile, stuffing the little snacks hidden in her pocket into her mouth.
Her pale cheeks puffed out as she ate.
It was Miss Cat.
Su Li was somewhat surprised, though she kept her usual expressionless face.
What she hadn’t expected was that simply stepping out to buy some clothes could lead to running into Miss Cat working part-time here.
Of course, Su Li didn’t think Miss Cat particularly liked working; perhaps she was just short on money.
Just like she had once been…
……
Sensing a gaze fixed on her, Miss Cat paused her happy snacking and nervously scanned the surroundings.
Only after spotting Su Li did she breathe a sigh of relief.
She swallowed the snacks in her mouth, feeling a flush rise to her cheeks.
She wanted to use her hand to press down the hat on her head to hide her shy expression — only to realize she wasn’t wearing a hat at all.
Feeling Su Li walking toward her, she wanted to shrink into her oversized Employee Uniform.
But Su Li drew closer and closer until she stood right in front of her, leaving Miss Cat nowhere to hide.
Her big, watery eyes stared straight at Su Li, blinking occasionally.
Her small hands slipped inside her shirt, but because she saw Su Li, her face still held a joyful smile.
She even wanted to share some of the Cat Food she carried with Su Li.
Yet she hesitated, worried that Su Li might not like to eat such things.
Lost in thought, Miss Cat even forgot to greet the customers entering the store with a “Welcome.”
“I’m here to buy clothes.”
Su Li noticed the delicate wrist holding a pack of Cat Food — the same one she had bought earlier. She hadn’t expected Miss Cat to carry Cat Food even while working.
Upon hearing Su Li’s words, Miss Cat’s cheeks flushed with surprise, then shifted to worry and concern.
“The clothes here are really expensive…”
She had stood here for so long, but no one had bought a single piece.
“Clothes… very expensive…”
Miss Cat said cautiously, sneaking glances at Su Li’s face, afraid she would be upset by the high prices.
Just like she felt seeing those pricey Cat Food packs.
“It’s okay. I have plenty of money.”
Su Li smiled, though her heart felt calm and unmoved.
Still, meeting Miss Cat here made her genuinely happy.
And when you’re happy, a smile naturally appears.
Because Su Li’s smile was so beautiful, Miss Cat stared blankly for a moment.
“Will you get a commission if I buy clothes here?”
Hearing Su Li’s question, Miss Cat obediently nodded.
But then she quickly looked down, glancing around to make sure no one was watching, before whispering into Su Li’s ear, “Clothes… are really expensive. You can buy a lot more elsewhere!”
After saying this, she kept a distance from Su Li and lowered her small head.
To her, spending so much money on a single piece of clothing seemed hardly worth it.
Though selling one outfit here could earn her a good commission to buy plenty of Cat Food,
she still couldn’t bear to see Su Li waste her money.
Miss Cat gave herself delicious Cat Food and tasty Orange Juice but didn’t want Su Li to waste her money.
“I’m meeting a very important Client, so I need to wear relatively expensive clothes. Even if I don’t buy here, I’ll go elsewhere.”
“And I’m very rich, so don’t worry.”
Su Li’s gentle words made Miss Cat’s eyes sparkle like freshly polished crystal cups, glued to her figure with unshakable admiration.
Being rich seemed like something incredible to her.
After a moment, Miss Cat remembered to introduce clothes to Su Li.
“Are there any clothes that look more mature? I want to buy a few pieces.”
“There are, there are…”
Miss Cat whispered, a little nervous, but she seriously began showing Su Li the options.
Her tone was somewhat rushed, as if she wanted to get all the words out at once.
Whether it was nervousness at seeing Su Li or just her usual nature was unclear.
Su Li casually picked out several pieces Miss Cat said would look more mature, noticing the pained look flickering in Miss Cat’s eyes.
When Su Li decided to buy the clothes, Miss Cat gathered her courage and pulled out her phone.
“I-I’ll give you the commission money later.”
She said quietly, then sighed with relief.
If she gave Su Li the commission, she could spend a little less herself.
“Why would you give me money you earned yourself?”
Su Li looked at Miss Cat’s anxious yet tense expression and instinctively reached out to pat her small head.
She remembered how, when Catcat was uneasy, she would gently pat her head, and Catcat would nuzzle her palm, quickly calming down.
Miss Cat did the same…
She rubbed her face against Su Li’s palm, and her cheeks flushed deeply.
Her head bowed low, chin nearly touching her collarbone, her small hands twisting her shirt desperately.
The redness spread from her ear tips down to the base of her neck, like someone had poured red ink along her ear’s curve.
Su Li’s lips curled into an involuntary smile, then paused in surprise.
Miss Cat really was just like a cat.