Tenma Sumeragi/Last Planet

Repaying Your Past Kindness

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2

Kitten	Nya~ Nya~.
Tenma	Hm? Is that...a cat's voice?
	Where is it?
Tenma	So this is where the noise was coming from.
Kitten	Nya~ Nya~.
Tenma	In the grass?
Kitten	Nya.
Tenma	...! Did you call me? So tiny...you're still a kitten.
Misumi	Te—nma! What are you doing here~?
Tenma	Uwoh!? Don’t jump out so suddenly! What if you crushed it?
Misumi	It? Woah, a kitten! How cute~.
Tenma	I heard it cry out while I was walking. I got curious and looked, and ended up here.
Misumi	I see~. The kitten’s shivering for some reason.
Tenma	It was raining earlier. It’s probably cold from getting wet.
Misumi	It’ll get sick if it stays like this~.
Tenma	But we can’t take it back to the dorms…
Kitten	Nya...
Misumi	Okay, okay. How can we warm you up?
Tenma	Warm it…. You’re right.
	I’m pretty sure I have a handkerchief with me….Here.
	It might only be a temporary fix, but it’ll help keep you warm.
Kitten	Nya~.
Misumi	Haha, all better~.
	Kitten-san says thank you, Tenma.
Tenma	...Is that so.
	You can keep the handkerchief, so escape to somewhere warm before it starts raining again.
Kitten	Nya~.
Misumi	Tenma is so kind.
Tenma	...Not particularly.
Tenma	Well, I'm off.
Izumi	Tenma-kun, hang on a moment.
Tenma	Hm?
Izumi	This handkerchief, it's yours, right?
Tenma	That's correct...but why is it here?
Izumi	It was on the ground near the dorm entrance. Maybe you dropped it when you were getting your keys out.
Tenma	...I see, thank you.
	(This is… the handkerchief I wrapped the kitten in at the park the other day. Did it come all this way just to deliver it…?)
	(No...It couldn't be...)
Tenma	.....
	(It’s not here today...Well, I guess it was just by chance last time...)
	(I'm happy it had enough energy to move.)
Misumi	Tenma came after all~.
Tenma	?!
	Misumi? What are you doing here?
Misumi	I was checking to see if Kitten-san was okay. Tenma had the same idea, didn’t he?
Tenma	I-I just dropped by since I was in the area…
Kitten	Nya~.
Misumi	Ah, Kitten-san!
Tenma	It's you, from last time! That's a relief, how are you holding up?
Kitten	Nya~.
Tenma	Alright, how's this. Here.
Misumi	Are those sardines?
Tenma	Yeah.
Misumi	So Tenma was worried about Kitten-san too~.
Tenma	...I just happened to spot it at a convenience store, so I bought some.
Misumi	Kitten-san says they tastes delicious~.
Tenma	Make sure to only eat a little. It won't be good if you get a stomachache.
Misumi	It’s great that you did so much research, Tenma.
Tenma	...I just happened to know that.
Kitten	Nya~.
Tenma	Hey, were you the one who brought my handkerchief back?
Kitten	Nya~.
Tenma	...What did that "nya" just now mean?
Misumi	Hmm, what do you mean?
Tenma	...Don't play dumb, Misumi.
Misumi	Haha, I'm sure Tenma will understand too, one day.

Izumi	KYAA!?
Tenma	What's wrong!?
Izumi	When I opened the front door, there was a bug right in front of me…
Tsuzuru	Woah, that's a huge bug.
Kazunari	Isn't this a drone beetle or something? What an impressive catch!
Itaru	I thought someone was being attacked, I guess I wasn't too far off.
Izumi	But why is a bug here of all places...
Misumi	Ah~. It's a present, right?
Tenma	This is supposed to be a gift?
Misumi	I'm sure Kitten-san left this here as a symbol of gratitude.
Itaru	Oh yeah, I remember hearing that cats leave their prey as a way of saying thank you.
Kazunari	So like, someone in the dorms did something to earn the thanks of a cat?
Misumi	It seems so~? Isn't that right, Tenma.
Tenma	....!
	(Maybe this is a thank you for the sardines from last time?))
Cat	Nya~.
Tenma	....!
	(That's a cat's voice again.)
	(But, I think it sounds a little different than before...)
Cat	Nya~.
Tenma	(Is it this way...?)
Cat	Nya~.
Tenma	...Found you!
	Huh...?
	(This cat...looks exactly like the one I loved back in my highschool days.)
	You, are you really...
Cat	Nya~.
Tenma	(It dodged me when I tried to pet it...)
Cat	Nya~ Nya~.
Tenma	...What is it? Do you want me to follow you?
Tenma	A clearing?
	You are the cat from before...
Cat	Nya~.
Tenma	(...Go that way.)
Cat	Nya~.
Tenma	How far do you plan on taking me--?
Kittens	Nya~ Nya~.
Tenma	Wh-What the..!? Kittens...?
	Huh? This one...This is the kitten who was in the park the other day.
	...Did you become a mother without me knowing?
Cat	Nya~n.
Kittens	Nya~ Nya~.
Tenma	Okay, okay! Don't climb on me all at once!
	...Next time, let’s invite Misumi, and everyone else in the company, to play too.

bayli