Chapter 40: Cat Ears?

Thinking of this, Ryuji's figure in Yukino's mind suddenly became much larger, almost heroic.

"Yukino?"

Seeing Yukino suddenly fall silent, Hiratsuka Shizuka couldn't help but call out.

"It's nothing."

Coming back to her senses, Yukino simply shook her head. She thought about telling Shizuka that Ryuji was a sorcerer but decided against it. Instead, she explained,

"He already has a girlfriend, so he doesn't need me to help him make friends."

She thought that explanation would be enough.

But!

Bang!

Shizuka suddenly slammed the table and stood up.

"He has a girlfriend?"

Her voice rose several degrees in disbelief.

What does that mean? He has a girlfriend, but he still flirts with me? Is he a scumbag?

So, the first time he asked me out, it turns out he was actually a scumbag?

Damn it!

Shizuka had the sudden urge to curse out loud.

"Sensei?"

Yukino was taken aback by her sudden reaction. Why was her teacher so worked up just because she mentioned Ryuji had a girlfriend?

"..."

Shizuka realized she had lost her composure. She tried to calm down, but the more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

Damn it! I finally started liking someone, and now I find out I'm competing with his girlfriend? I can't believe this!

Yukino had intended to say something, but what happened next left her speechless.

After a few moments, Shizuka managed to regain some of her composure. She took a deep breath and turned to Yukino, only to notice her student staring at her with a strange expression.

"What's wrong?" Shizuka frowned.

"Hiratsuka-sensei... your..." Yukino stammered, pointing shakily toward Hiratsuka's head. She could barely finish her sentence.

"What? Is there something weird on my head?" Shizuka touched her head in confusion.

"This isn't right," Shizuka muttered to herself, feeling nothing out of the ordinary at first. But as she was about to say it, she froze. She reached for the small mirror on her desk and took a look at herself.

Sure enough, a pair of furry cat ears had sprouted on her head.

"Hiratsuka-sensei, there's also... your back," Yukino added in a much calmer voice. Having seen some unbelievable things yesterday, she was more composed now.

"Behind me?"

Shizuka turned her head slowly, and the bad feeling in her gut deepened. When she looked back, she saw a long, fluffy cat tail swishing behind her.

"What the hell is going on?" she gasped in disbelief. Cat ears and a tail? This had to be a dream!

Click!

The sound of a photo being taken echoed in the room. Shizuka turned quickly to see Yukino quietly tucking her phone away.

Yukino had a secret she had never shared with anyone she absolutely loved cats. Whether they were long-tailed, short-tailed, black, or brown, she adored them all. Even items with the word "cat" in their name held a special place in her heart.

Seeing Shizuka in her current cat-like state, instead of being frightened, Yukino found herself wanting to savor the moment. She quickly snapped a photo to capture this unique memory.

"Did you just take a photo?" Shizuka's voice grew low and dangerous, her eyes narrowing.

There was no way she would let anyone capture her in such an embarrassing state.

"No!" Yukino lied without hesitation. There was no way she would admit it.

After that, Yukino quickly moved toward the door, attempting to leave.

"Oh no, you're not getting away that easily!"

With a flash of agility, Shizuka blocked Yukino's path. Her reflexes were now as sharp as a cat's.

"Hand over your phone!" she demanded, her tone deadly serious.

"No way!" Yukino shook her head firmly. There was no way she was giving up such a precious "treasure."

Within three minutes, Yukino found herself sitting on the sofa in Hiratsuka's office, looking utterly defeated. She could only watch helplessly as Shizuka retrieved her phone and deleted the picture. Yukino had no chance against Hiratsuka before, and with her enhanced speed and reflexes now because of the transformation, it was a hopeless battle.

"That's enough."

Hiratsuka returned the phone to Yukino, sighing in exasperation.

"Now help me think of a way to fix this!"

Shizuka was truly confused. How could she possibly go out in public like this?

"If you're asking for a solution, I might have one," Yukino replied. She knew how serious this was. If Shizuka went outside looking like this, she would probably be mistaken for some sort of monster or a cosplayer.

Before yesterday, Yukino wouldn't have had any clue how to help. But after everything that had happened, one figure popped into her mind Ryuji.

"I know someone who can help you, Sensei."

"Who?" Shizuka's eyes lit up with hope, and she stared at Yukino with expectation.

Yukino was about to say Ryuji's name, but then she thought of something and paused.

"Since lunch is almost over, why don't we wait until after school? I'll call them over then."

Yukino did this partly to buy herself time. As a lover of all things cat-related, she wanted to see if she could snap another picture of Shizuka in her current form.

"After school? But what am I supposed to do until then?" Shizuka asked, visibly upset. There were still a few hours left before school ended, and she didn't want anyone to see her like this.

What if someone saw her? Shizuka shuddered at the thought.

No, she didn't even want to imagine it.

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