"That which shields me,
reveal thy name."

A voice draws me in.
So I peaked.
And I saw..
The book flips..

A boy who's behind the book
bit the one paper that stood
when the book stopped flipping.

"I return thy name."

He clasped his hands
and blow on the paper on his mouth.

The black ink from the paper
seems to flew away into the air.

And the sight of the boy seems to be..
..enchanting-

Without noticing,
I couldn't take my eyes off of him.

He looks very,
..handsome.

In a daze,
I looked at his features.

Pale blond hair,
light brown eyes.

A very refreshing smile
plastered on his face.

He looks
charming.

"Hmm? Seems like
we have a stalker here."

I gasps in surprise,
as a fat cat suddenly talked
in front of me.

"T-The cat talked-!"

"Huh?"

My eyes wanders upwards
to only meet up with
light brown ones.

"I-I didn't mean to-
I'm sorry--"

I stood up in surprise
and crawl back.

My cheeks felt hotter.

"I-I'm sorry!
I didn't mean to stalk-
I mean, you were-"

I can't explain anything.

The words just got stuck
in my throat.

A hiccup escaped my mouth.

I started crying,
making the boy surprised and worried.

'I hate this-'

"I'm sorry,."

Another sobs escaped.

'I don't like how I can't talk
and explain things clearly.'

"I'm really sorry,.."

And yet another one.

'I hate being weak.'

"I'm truly sor--"

Then I felt hands on my cheeks.

"H-Hey, I don't know what happen
but don't cry please?"

The boy told while brushing his hands on my cheeks,
erasing the tear trails.

"Did you perhaps got scared
by this ugly cat?
I'm sorry on his behalf."

I shook my head and
tried to stop crying.

"T-That's not it.."

I voiced out.

"It's not your fault..
I'm sorry-
I just-"

He looked confused for a while,
but after that he smiled.

"It's fine,
take it easy."

He stated while rubbing my back.

Then the fat cat crawls up
and started to lick my eyes.

Perhaps,
it's trying to cheer me up.

My crying stop,
and it turns into a soft giggle.

"Thank you,
also sorry."

"Natsume-sama,
I shall take my leave now."

I blink as someone I didn't realise
was there now.

The boy, namely
Natsume nodded shortly.

"..eh?"

I voiced out my confusion.

"..huh?"

There was a strange human.
He had a strange ear..
Like, a raccoon's ear..?

A cosplayer..?

His ears are pointy,
and he had a tail..

He looked at me
before smoke appears around him,
and he transformed into a red panda.

The red panda then ran away,
into the forest.

"E-Eh!?
He transformed..!?"

I crawls backwards once again.
Fear consume me.

"You,
You can see that?"

The cat once again talked.

"W-What-"

"Huh?
You can see yokais too?"

I blink.

"Y-Yokai?
You mean, that yokai..?"

They nodded their head.

"B-But,
aren't yokais supposed to be scaring you..-
Like demons..?
Earlier, umm,
he said goodbye to you.."

The boy scratchs his head.

"Well, you can say that..
Not all yokais are bad."

He stated with a soft smile.

"So, what were you doing here?
Are you spying on Natsume?"

The fat cat then once again talked.

"A-Ah, no-
It's not like that-"

I shyly reply while brushing my face,
erasing the tear trails.

"I heard a voice so I got curious..
And then I saw you.."

Strangely,
once again my cheeks felt hot.

"You look fascinating,
so I couldn't help-"

"Hoho~
So you fell for Natsume?"

I blink and heat rushes to my face.

"T-That's not it-
You got it wrong!!"

I yelled out before
I ran away in embarrasment.

I closed my face,
hiding my red face.

I knew that what the cat said is true.

I fell for him.

_____________________________

26 April 2019