Chapter Text
It was on June 27th that Klein discovered a litter of kittens beneath his bed. For a long moment, he simply stared, as if his mind refused to accept what his eyes were showing him—which he is—absolutely bewildered.
Only after a while did he move. He swept his gaze across the room, searching for any crack in the wall, any visible hole, or any opening through which a stray cat might have slipped in to hide its young. There seemed to be nothing.
At last, his eyes drifted toward the glass window. Sunlight filtered through it in gentle streams. It was firmly shut. Klein grew even more bewildered. He lowered his head once more and peered beneath the bed, as though expecting the kittens to vanish like an illusion. But they remained. 'Where... had they come from?'
Klein had no other choice. Grunting, he pressed himself flat against the floor and stretched out his right hand, carefully feeling around fur and small bodies so that he wouldn't grab two by accident. Then he took hold of one and began pulling. It was a black kitten, its small body wrapped in a gray cloak adorned with intricate golden patterns.
Klein couldn't help but pause, his gaze lingering on the rather curious design—a distorted eye with twisted lines trailing downward. The kitten remained fast asleep, utterly unresponsive. That, in itself, was rather worrying. Unfortunately, Klein knew little about cats, let alone peculiar ones like this.
After a brief hesitation, he placed the cloaked kitten gently on his lap. Then, opening a nearby cabinet, he retrieved a spare towel and laid it beside him before carefully setting the kitten atop it. Only then did he reach in again. The second one he pulled out was also a black cat—though somehow darker, as if it absorbed more light than it should.
Klein blinked, momentarily at a loss as he took in its appearance; a pair of delicate golden glasses perched on its face, accompanied by a short, formal top hat. It, too, was deeply asleep. Its breathing was steady, its body occasionally twitching as if caught in a dream.
Klein shook his head, suppressing his confusion, and placed it atop the first one. The cloaked kitten let out a soft mrrp, clearly displeased by the sudden weight, and wriggled weakly to the side.
Seeing this, Klein silently adjusted his actions. He picked up the glasses-wearing kitten again and set it down beside the first instead, allowing both of them a bit more space. Only after making sure they were comfortable did he turn his attention back to the other kittens beneath the bed, ready to pull out the next one.
It was yet another black cat—though this one had a patch of white on its belly. A small, mid-length top hat rested neatly atop its head, and around its neck hung what appeared to be an orange pendulum, swaying faintly with each breath.
Klein found himself briefly taken back. What peculiar cats. They looked... refined. Almost aristocratic. It was hard to imagine how creatures so well cared for had ended up beneath his bed. This one was noticeably smaller than the previous two.
After a moment's thought, Klein carefully placed it between the other two sleeping kittens. It instinctively burrowed into the surrounding warmth, nestling into their fur, its tail giving a faint, contended twitch. He watched for a second longer before reaching in again.
The next one he pulled out was an orange cat. Like the others, it wore a top hat—this one slightly larger, its brim low enough to obscure its ears. Two red feathers were tucked neatly into its side, adding a touch of flamboyance. Around its neck was a matching red scarf, tied with surprising neatness.
Klein's lips twitched faintly, amusement surfacing despite himself. He placed the orange kitten beside the cloaked one, then, unable to resist, reached out and gently patted its head. Soft fur brushed against his fingertips, and he lingered for a few seconds before withdrawing his hand.
There was still one left. The last kitten he pulled out was gray. Klein's gaze landed on the hat it wore. He lifted it slightly, curious. It appeared to be light gray with a faint purplish tint, unmistakably well made. He recognized the style. Hats like this were far from cheap. These kittens... were clearly cherished.
After a brief pause, he set the gray kitten down beside the one with the golden glasses. The small cluster of sleeping cats now lay arranged before him. Klein contemplated, his eyes lingering on each peculiar-looking cat. What was he supposed to do now?