Thanks to Aqua and the Water Cat, We Got the Perfect Cover!
It’s impossible to sum up the charm of a cat in a single sentence.
They’re whimsical yet have a spoiled, affectionate side. They’re fluffy yet somehow liquid-like.
Even though you shouldn’t be able to tell what they’re thinking, they’re still incredibly lovable.
“Fumeow~go.”
“Hey, look at this, Aqua. The water cat’s flopped over on the ground—cute, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, it’s like it’s saying, ‘Come rub my belly!’ That’s the best!”
Milfie and I were explaining the wonders of cats to Aqua.
Thanks to the guide map, we could tell right away where they were hiding.
Water cats in Rivana are mostly light blue, but if you look closely at their fur, there are subtle differences.
“Your snack… your snack is being stolen…”
But Aqua didn’t seem to be getting the appeal of cats.
She must have really liked Boroboro a lot.
Shaking all over, she looked into her viewfinder as if suddenly remembering, but it was already too late.
The water cat had vanished as if sensing something.
“That’s too bad~! —But it does feel nice around here, meow~!”
Maybe Milfie understood how the water cat felt, because she put her hands on the ground to soak in the comfort of the sun.
Guess their habits really are similar.
Then she just flopped over and lay spread-eagle on the ground.
“This is the kind of place you could fall asleep in, meow~…”
“Then I’ll take a picture.”
With a calm air, Aqua went click.
When I took the printed photo in hand, it was, of course, out of focus.
Amazing. She hadn’t moved an inch.
“Being a photographer is such a rewarding job.”
She looked like she was genuinely having fun.
After that, we ran into several more water cats.
We tried our best to convey their charm to Aqua, but it just didn’t seem to click with her.
Click—right, click.
“Pin!”
When I called the name, a fluffy squirrel popped out from between dimensions.
A magic beast with a tail shaped like an arrow.
On its head, it wore a pajama cap.
“Mokyuu~?”
“Were you sleeping? Sorry, did I wake you?”
“Mokyu mokyu!”
Its tail wagged as if to say, “It’s fine.”
Still as cute as ever.
Then Aqua started snapping away.
“Pin, look this way.”
“Mokyuu.”
“Nice. That’s perfect.”
“Mokyu mokyuu!”
“I feel like I got some really good shots.—There, there.”
Aqua petted Pin with a satisfied expression.
Come to think of it, she was fine with Pin.
In fact, she seemed to find her adorable, always petting her.
Pin had grown attached to her too—it was heartwarming to watch.
Fluffiness plus an elf—yeah, that’s the best combination.
“Pin! You’re so cute~!”
“Mokyuu!”
“Eek—w-why are you in my cleavage?!”
When Milfie reached out to pet Pin, she smoothly climbed onto her shoulder, then, unbelievably, nestled herself between her “twin peaks” with a relieved expression.
Twin peaks × Pin.
Maybe that was the ultimate combination.
“Tabito, your nose is stretching way out.”
“It changes length depending on the day.”
“Huh, so humans have that? I’ll take a picture.”
“Don’t you dare.”
And of course, the printed photo was perfectly in focus.
What the heck!
We kept working on the guidebook.
The photos were all blurry, but since Aqua looked like she was having fun, I stopped caring.
By evening, the sun was setting.
Rivana is a water city, with rivers flowing everywhere.
They’re so clear you can see all the way to the bottom—beautiful.
When the red sunset reflects on them, the sight is beyond words.
I wanted to make that the cover.
In that breathtaking moment, I spotted the perfect scenery.
“Aqua—”
I called to her on impulse, but maybe because we’d been together shooting all day, she was already looking through the viewfinder.
As expected of her. But just then, the guide map reacted.
A water cat was descending from the sky—or rather, falling.
And it landed right on Aqua’s head.
—Snap snap snap.
“I think I took some very beautiful shots.”
“R-really?”
There was a water cat on her head. Maybe she thought it was Pin.
What if she noticed? I was worrying about that when Aqua took the freshly printed photo in her hand.
If she realized such a beautiful scene was out of focus, she’d be disappointed.
No—!
I reached out in a hurry, but Aqua just smiled.
“I’m glad. It came out beautifully.”
“Huh? L-let me see!”
“I want to see too!”
Sure enough, it was stunning.
What shocked me was that in the reflection of the sunset on the river, Aqua and the cat on her head were perfectly captured.
It was so artistic, yet also the perfect symbol of Rivana.
This deserved to be the cover.
B-but still—
“Fumeow~go.”
“It seems the water cat finds my head relaxing.”
“You’re… not scared?”
Amazingly, Aqua looked completely fine. Wait—what happened!?
“After looking at Pin, I realized water cats aren’t so different. And thanks to you and Milfie telling me about them, I’ve started to like them too.”
Her expression didn’t change much, but she seemed to truly mean it.
She even had the look of a mother gazing at her child.
“If this is comfortable for you, please take your time.”
“Fumeow~go.”
Maybe it was just a coincidence, but it was the best outcome.
No—thanks to Pin.
And we made one discovery.
“Huh, it’s in focus…”
“Why?”
“Huh, it’s really beautiful.”
“Fumeow~go.”
For some reason, when the water cat was sitting on Aqua’s head, the photos came out perfectly—every single one.
“Water cat, please keep relaxing there forever.”
“Fumeow~go.”
We didn’t know why, but because of that, Aqua kept the water cat on her head the whole time.
And that night, we reached a unanimous decision—
“Aqua, are you really okay with this?”
“Yes. In fact, I’m happy. Though being on the cover is a little embarrassing.”
“With this, it’s gonna be a surefire hit, meow! I’m so excited!”
“Alright, the cover of the Rivana Book will be today’s photo!”
“Mokyuu!”
The most important shot for the guidebook had been decided.
---
Tabito
★★★★★
Today was the best day ever.
Maybe I should make a blooper reel of all those blurry shots as a bonus…?
Milfie
★★★★★
I’m so happy I got to meet so many water cats!
I also want to try Rivana’s sweets!
Aqua
★★★★★
I never imagined I’d be on a book cover.
I’m… really happy.
Water Cat
★★★★★
Fumeow~go (on Aqua’s head)
Meown meown (this spot’s comfy)
What do you think about this chapter?
