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A village like Kubitachi where nothing ever happens rarely receives visitors. When it does, they come in the form of aspiring daredevils or Youtubers desperate for content and viewers. And even those have waned in numbers over the years. Old man Takeda says it’s a good thing.
Outsiders have a knack for getting into trouble because they refuse to listen to the villagers when they warn them about going up the mountain. But the once quiet Kubitachi village transformed into a spot for tourists when a lynx with snow white fur appeared out of nowhere one day.
Nobody knew where it came from, or how it got there. Lynxes have long been extinct in Japan. Some suggested it might have escaped from some shady businessman’s exotic collection. The lynx’s striking white fur and red eyes made it very popular among the nearby villages. According to the only animal expert in Kubitachi, the lynx was unusually huge for its species and that its red eyes were very uncommon.
Nevertheless, the village took care of the lynx. They gave it its own space behind a thick glass where it could freely climb trees, unperturbed by the chaos of visitors. The villagers lovingly named it Hikaru after its eyes that glowed in the dark.
For the first few months, Hikaru seemed satisfied. It was friendly with caretakers and possessed an incredible appetite. Hikaru could eat just about anything, even ice cream that kids would secretly feed it. But Hikaru soon grew restless and lonely. It was no longer entertained by the hundreds of different toys it was surrounded with.
So someone from Hikaru’s team of caretakers thought of providing Hikaru with an animal companion. At first, they thought a dog would be the most ideal companion for Hikaru, but Hikaru ignored all the dogs they would introduce. As a last-ditch effort, they brought in a black cat from a nearby shelter and the two instantly clicked. The cat’s calm and gentle nature complemented Hikaru's unusually high energy.
That Hikaru is obsessed with its new companion would be an understatement. The villagers had never seen Hikaru so happy. Hikaru would be all over the cat. Hikaru loved nothing more than to cuddle and play with it. It was so content with its companion that it stopped playing with its caretakers altogether.
Sometimes, Hikaru would show a possessive side. Hikaru would gently grab the cat by its neck and drag it to the tallest tree so the caretakers couldn't get to it. If animals were capable of love, then Hikaru loved the cat. And the cat loved it back.
The cat would show its affection by grooming Hikaru. Despite the difference in size, Hikaru would display submissive behavior toward the cat. The caretakers found humor in their relationship. How is it possible for a regular cat to have so much power over its much bigger companion?
Kubitachi transformed from a quiet village where tourists would sometimes disappear to a place where there is a strange lynx and its cat. And for a while, the two brought great happiness to the villagers. Souvenir shops sold various items that looked like them. And kids grew up with stories about the white lynx and the black cat. But good things, like everything else in the world, are transient in nature.
Eventually, the cat fell ill. The caretakers had to sedate Hikaru who became aggressive when they had to bring the cat to the vet. The vet broke the sad news, that the cat only had a few weeks to live. Nothing could be done to cure it of its sickness. It had already reached the end of its short life. When the two were allowed to reunite, the cat tried its best to play with Hikaru.
In spite of its frail body that could barely walk, the cat still made attempts to keep up with the lynx who still possessed boundless energy. When the cat finally passed, Hikaru couldn’t understand why its friend suddenly became motionless. Hikaru would bring treats or toys to get it to move but the cat would not respond. It was the saddest thing the villagers had ever witnessed, so much so that many were brought to tears. News spread about the passing of the cat. Villagers and tourists alike sympathized with the grieving lynx.
The caretakers tried introducing cats that looked like the previous one to no avail. Eventually, tourists stopped coming. And when the caretakers checked in on Hikaru one day, the lynx mysteriously disappeared. No one knew how it was possible. Its enclosure was always securely locked. CCTV cameras showed Hikaru casually leaving its shelter. Caretakers watched in awe as it made a short stop at its companion’s grave before heading somewhere. Nobody knew where it was going.
For days, villagers and volunteers searched for Hikaru. They decided that their search was over when one of the villagers’ children claimed that she saw the lynx head to the mountain.
The villagers speculated the true nature of Hikaru’s origin until they arrived at the conclusion that it must have been a lonely spirit who had taken the form of a lynx. The villagers erected a statue of the black cat at the foot of the mountain where Hikaru disappeared, so that if Hikaru ever felt lonely again, it could gaze at the statue of its beloved companion.