Setting:
Shimotsuki City, Nekomata Mountain’s Shimotsuki Nekomata Shrine
Characters:
- Gondawara Gonsou: A man who lives near the shrine and visits it every month without fail. He is in his late 30s and has a somewhat absent-minded nature.
- Nekomiya Neko: An apprentice miko at Shimotsuki Nekomata Shrine. She is 18 years old, cheerful, energetic, and a bit clumsy. She loves cats.
- Nekomata Matatabi: An old cat living at Shimotsuki Nekomata Shrine, believed to be a divine messenger. It seems to understand human speech.
Chapter 1: First Encounter Amidst Cats!?
Shimotsuki Nekomata Shrine
Shimotsuki City, Nekomata Mountain.
Quietly nestled on the mountainside lies Shimotsuki Nekomata Shrine.
Passing through the vermilion torii gate, a pathway bathed in gentle sunlight continues.
Gondawara Gonsou visited this shrine every month without fail.
He wasn’t particularly devout.
He simply liked the nearby location and the atmosphere of the shrine’s precincts.
Additionally, meeting Nekomata Matatabi, who lived there, was one of his secret pleasures.
Meeting the New Miko
Today, as usual, he passed through the torii gate.
In his hand, he held a small bag of bonito flakes as a gift for Matatabi.
“Hello.”
As he stepped into the precincts, an unfamiliar voice greeted him.
He saw a young miko he had never seen before standing in front of the shrine office.
She wore light blue hakama and a white top, with long black hair tied in a ponytail.
She appeared to be around 18 or 19 years old.
“Ah, hello. My name is Nekomiya Neko, and I will be serving here from today!”
Neko smiled brightly and bowed.
Reuniting with Matatabi
“Well, well…”
Gonsou’s eyes were glued to the cat curled up behind Neko.
It had fluffy gray fur and big green eyes.
It clearly possessed an extraordinary dignity.
“Excuse me, but that cat…”
“Ah, this is Nekomata Matatabi. He is famous as the shrine’s messenger.”
Gonsou approached the cat and crouched down.
He offered the bag of bonito flakes.
“Oh, Matatabi! Your fur looks great as always. Here, I brought your usual treat.”
Without any hesitation, Matatabi accepted the bonito flakes from Gonsou’s hand and began to eat gracefully.
Neko watched in slight amazement at the intimate interaction between Gonsou and Matatabi.
Introduction
“Um…”
Neko hesitated a little before calling out to Gonsou.
“So fluffy… simply irresistible…”
Gonsou wore a blissful expression while stroking Matatabi’s back.
“…Um, may I introduce myself…?”
“Hmm? Ah, I’m sorry! My name is Gondawara Gonsou. I live nearby and visit here every month.”
Gonsou finally turned his gaze to Neko. However, he quickly returned his focus to the cat.
Daily Shrine Life
“I see…”
Neko smiled wryly.
“Mr. Gondawara, you visit every month, but have you always met with the chief priest?”
“Oh yes, usually it’s the chief priest or occasionally a neighbor who comes to clean. I’ve also become friends with Matatabi.”
“I see. I’ve been dreaming of working at this shrine as a miko for years. Nice to meet you.”
Neko reintroduced herself.
Praying
“Um… Mr. Gonsou…”
Neko furrowed her brows slightly, looking troubled.
“…Hmm? What is it?”
“Since you’re here, why not offer a prayer? You’ve been visiting every month, after all…”
“Oh, right! I completely forgot!”
Gonsou hurriedly got up and moved to the offering box.
“Let’s see… how much should I offer…”
He took out his wallet and peeked inside.
“Hmm? Only have a thousand yen note… well, that’s fine!”
Without hesitation, Gonsou tossed the thousand yen note into the offering box. Neko watched in slight surprise.
“Um… is it alright to offer that much?”
“Of course, I come here every month. This is a small price to pay!”
Saying that, Gonsou performed two bows, two claps, and one bow.
“…(I wonder what he prayed for…)”
Neko silently wondered as she watched Gonsou’s back.
A New Routine Begins
After that, Gonsou chatted a little with Neko.
Neko shared that she was from Shimotsuki City and had long dreamed of working as a miko at this shrine.
As Gonsou listened to her story, he occasionally petted Matatabi and gave him bonito flakes.
“That’s the story. Please take care of me from now on!”
Neko smiled brightly.
“Oh, likewise. But you really love cats, don’t you?”
“Yes, I’m a huge cat lover! Especially Matatabi, he’s so smart and cute…”
Neko hugged Matatabi and rubbed her cheek against him.
“…(Seems like I’ll have something to look forward to every month…)”
Gonsou thought to himself as he watched Neko and Matatabi.
After that, Gonsou strolled around the precincts, played with Matatabi, and then went home.
Neko returned to the shrine office and began preparing for the future.
Thus began the slightly unusual interaction between the regular monthly visitor and the apprentice miko.
Chapter 2: The Offering Box Thief and the Cat’s Gratitude!?
Shimotsuki Nekomata Shrine
Peaceful days flowed at Shimotsuki Nekomata Shrine.
Gondawara Gonsou continued to visit every month, enjoying his interactions with Nekomiya Neko and Nekomata Matatabi.
Neko was getting used to her miko duties, handling cleaning and attending to visitors.
The Offering Box Thief
However, one morning, Neko was shocked when she entered the shrine office.
The offering box had been pried open, and all the money was gone.
“Oh no! This is terrible!”
Gonsou, who was playing with Matatabi as usual, heard Neko’s scream.
“What happened, Neko-chan?”
“Mr. Gondawara! It’s terrible! The offering box… the offering box…!”
Neko pointed with trembling hands at the pried-open offering box.
“This is terrible! This must be the work of a thief!”
“What should we do… what should we do…”
Neko was in a panic.
“Calm down, Neko-chan. First, let’s contact the chief priest. Then we need to report this to the police.”
Gonsou calmly gave instructions.
Neko quickly contacted the chief priest from the shrine office phone, while Gonsou called the Shimotsuki Police Station.
Police Investigation
The police arrived and conducted an investigation.
However, no significant clues were found.
“Hmm, this seems like the work of a professional. The fingerprints have been wiped clean…”
The police officer said, dropping his shoulders.
“No way…”
Neko was crestfallen.
Matatabi’s Help
At that moment, Matatabi rubbed against Gonsou’s legs.
Then, as if being led by something, he walked towards the bushes behind the shrine precincts.
“Hmm? Matatabi, what’s wrong?”
Gonsou followed Matatabi.
Entering the bushes, he found a crowbar-like tool that appeared to have been used to pry open the offering box.
“Oh! This is!”
Gonsou picked up the crowbar-like tool.
“Matatabi! You found this!”
Gonsou praised Matatabi.
“Maybe the culprit is hiding around here!”
Gonsou looked around.
He then found what looked like human footprints deeper in the bushes.
“This is…!”
Following the footprints, Gonsou arrived at a small shed.
The door was slightly ajar, and he could hear voices inside.
“…We’ll be safe for a while with this…”
It was a familiar voice.
Gonsou quietly peeked inside the shed.
There, he saw a man he recognized, counting money stolen from the offering box.
Case Solved
“I can’t believe… it was you…”
Gonsou burst into the shed.
The man tried to flee but was overpowered by Gonsou.
The police soon arrived, and the man was arrested.
The case was resolved.
“Mr. Gondawara, thank you so much! You really saved us!”
Neko bowed deeply.
“No, no, it was all thanks to Matatabi.”
Gonsou said as he petted Matatabi.
“Meow.”
Matatabi meowed proudly.
“Thank you so much, Matatabi!”
Neko hugged Matatabi.
This incident further deepened the bond between Neko, Gonsou, and Matatabi.
And Gonsou’s quick thinking became a talked-about story at Shimotsuki Nekomata Shrine (at least among some people).
(To be continued)
