#boris route

Scene - Castle of Hearts - Peter's Room

Peter "Aaah, Alice, my beloved… If only you would come and live at the castle…"

I had returned once again to the Castle of Hearts—to see Peter.

This time, I had been invited into his room. I didn’t refuse, and now here I was.

This rabbit has been unwell since the day we met. And the longer we’ve known each other… the more I find myself questioning why our relationship has lasted this long.

Despite being a completely unhinged, rabbit-eared man—and my kidnapper who dragged me down the hole—I still continue to interact with him.

Alice "…Didn’t you used to say things like ‘I love you no matter where you are’?"

Peter "Yes, of course! I love you no matter where you are. My love for you will never waver, no matter what!"

Alice "R-Right…"

Peter "Exactly! My love is eternal! The love I give you is everlasting and unchanging!!"

Peter "My body and soul are yours! Who I was, who I am, and who I will be—all of me belongs to you!"

Alice "I… see…"

Even though I’ve gotten used to it, this rabbit still manages to make me recoil every time…

Alice (He’s so… energetic…)

Being around him makes my eyes go distant. Even though Peter is clearly older, it feels like I’m the adult dealing with a child.

Peter "………But lately, I’ve been thinking… I wish we could spend more time together."

Alice "…Oh?"

I stared at Peter intently.

Peter "W-Why are you looking at me like that, Alice?! Are you mad?! You think I’m being selfish again, don’t you…?"

Peter "Oh no, the idea of you thinking I’m a selfish rabbit… That’s heartbreaking!"

Alice "There’s never been a single time when you weren’t selfish."

If he thought otherwise, that would be the surprise. Let’s correct this error in self-awareness.

Peter has been selfish from the very first moment we met.

Alice "………You are being selfish again right now…"

Alice "…But I guess… I’m kind of surprised to hear you say something that normal."

Peter "…?"

He looked at me, puzzled.

A beautiful man with white rabbit ears. His clothing and ears aside, he really is striking.

If he wore more refined clothes and took off the ears (though that’s not realistic), he’d easily be considered a top-tier beauty by anyone. His features were that perfect—almost unreal in their elegance.

But not just in looks—everything about him lacked substance. Even his declarations of love.

He says he loves me no matter where I am, even if we’re not together. He says he’s okay with not being with me—as long as he loves me.

Alice (But love isn’t something you just push onto someone uninvited…)

Alice (…Not to mention, I’m not even close to being in that kind of relationship with Peter. Not at all. Not even a little.)

I mean, I was practically a stranger when he first started whispering sweet nothings—and then kissed me and made me drink something. Of course his love has no weight. He seems more like a stalker or a lunatic.

Alice (…And yet, here I am, coming to see him again.)

It’s not because of his looks… Rabbit ears aren’t that rare to me anymore, either.

Peter "You called me normal, didn’t you? Ugh, I feel so down now. Please take it back!"

Alice "Huh? What’s wrong with being normal?"

Alice "I’m treating you like you’re normal. You should be grateful."

I’m being pretty mean.

Alice (But let’s be honest—there’s no way he’s normal.I’m not wrong.)

Alice (If anything, I wish he’d become normal someday.)

Peter "Don’t treat me like I’m normal! There’s nothing normal about my love for you!!"

Peter "My love for you is so deep and noble, it's beyond what any ordinary person could comprehend…"

Alice "You're right, it really is beyond comprehension."

Alice "…I don’t get it at all. I mean, I consider myself a pretty ordinary person."

Peter "Ehhh!? Nooo…!"

Peter "But I want you to understand! You’re the one person I want to understand how much I love you…!"

Alice "But you just said ordinary people can’t understand. So that means I can’t either, right?"

Alice "Or what—are you saying I’m not normal?"

I poked at him with my words, pushing him a bit. Peter stumbled over his response.

Peter "Y-you’re normal, of course… I mean—wait! No, you’re not normal! You're not ordinary at all, Alice!"

Peter "You’re way more extraordinary than someone like me could ever hope to be!"

Alice "…Excuse me?"

Alice (More extraordinary than Peter…?)

Alice (Just how far off the rails does he think I am…)

Of all people, the last person I want calling me abnormal is Peter.

Peter "The one I love could never be plain or average!"

Peter "You’re amazing! There’s no way you’re just normal!"

Alice "…Oh, I see."

Peter "Exactly! You’re far from ordinary! You’re—abnormal!"

Alice "…………"

Alice "…When you put it like that, it’s not exactly flattering… In fact, it kind of hurts…"

Alice (Peter just called me abnormal…)

Alice (Of all people—Peter thinks I’m more abnormal than he is…)

Alice (I hate that. I really hate that. That’s just too much to take…)

Alice "…Ugh, why do I even come see you…?"

Peter "Because—deep down—you care for me too…!"

Peter "Ahhh, Alice! You've finally realized your feelings for me! I'm so happy~~!!"

Alice "That’s not it."

I smacked Peter away as he tried to leap into my arms.

There was absolutely zero chance I’d ever return the affections of a lunatic like him. And besides, he’s a rabbit.

Peter "Owww… Alice, that hurt…! Even though I love you this much…"

Alice "Yeah, yeah…"

Alice (…Ugh. But maybe I am abnormal too.)

Alice "…If you turn into your rabbit form, I’ll give you a hug."

I couldn’t help but smile a little as I imagined that ridiculous rabbit hopping toward me.

Scene - Clover Tower - Town

During a break from the meeting, I decided to head into town. The streets are lively, and it’s enjoyable to take a walk, even aimlessly.

Pierce, whom I met on my way out, insisted on joining me. We strolled leisurely while engaging in trivial conversation.

In a lull in our conversation, Pierce suddenly asked me.

Pierce "Alice, do you prefer coffee or tea? Which one do you drink more often? Do you only drink one of them?"

Coffee and tea…

Alice "I prefer… tea."

If asked to choose between coffee and tea, it would be tea.

Pierce "Y-You’re on the tea side…"

Alice "Yeah, I like tea better. Recently, I’ve been enjoying milk tea…"

Pierce "I-I see…"

Pierce looked somewhat glum.

Alice (…?)

Alice (Did he want me to say I like coffee…?)

Alice "… I can drink coffee, though."

Pierce "!!!"

His expression changes instantly to one of happiness.

Alice (So easy to read…)

Alice (This child is easy to understand. How cute…)

Alice (…He seems a bit dim, though.)

I can’t help but recall the scenes of him always chasing Boris. He doesn’t look very clever.

It might also have to do with how sleepy he always seems. He gives off a somewhat scatterbrained impression.

Alice (Did I make him think I like coffee?)

I feel bad for betraying his expectations, but I wouldn’t want him to be misled.

Alice "I can drink coffee, but… I don’t really like it that much. I prefer tea…"

Yet before I could continue, I was interrupted by his jubilant voice.

Pierce "You can drink coffee!?"

Pierce "You can drink both tea and coffee! That’s amazing! As expected of an outsider!"

Alice "… Huh? What’s so amazing about that?"

Alice (Being an outsider has nothing to do with it…)

It’s a matter of preference.

Pierce "It’s amazing, amazing! Because in this world, you’re only allowed to openly drink tea!"

Alice "… Huh?"

Alice "???"

Alice "Well, but Julius… Does Julius… do you know him?"

Pierce "He’s the clockmaker, right? I know him."

Pierce "We all know each other as role holders. There are twenty-four of us."

Pierce said this casually, sounding sleepy.

Alice "… Wait, really?"

I couldn’t just brush off what he said.

Alice (I’ve never heard that before!?)

Touching upon the core of this world, no matter who you ask, you get brushed off in that regard.

What’s worse is they don’t even try to hide it completely. They whisper hints yet don’t give any accurate information.

This world isn’t a dream world…

Pierce "Oh, but I don’t really know. I’m not good at counting. I know that one comes after one, but…"

Pierce "Uh, three comes after two, and five comes after four…"

Pierce "I wonder how many there are now… Ummm… let’s see…"

Pierce started mumbling to himself.

Mumbling, mumbling… He looked like he might fall asleep at any moment.

This little mouse doesn’t seem to be very good at thinking.

Alice (How can counting numbers make him sleepy…?)

…That’s quite something.

However, it seems that in Pierce's case, he might fall asleep even without counting. He always looks sleepy.

Is he just stupid, or is he naturally tired…? …It might be both.

Pierce "Twenty-four? No, maybe there were fewer? Huh? Or maybe more?"

Pierce "… There should be twenty-four, but I feel like some have died. But I forgot who. There might be people I’ve never met."

Pierce "About half of them show up in public."

Alice "About half, huh…"

In the end, Pierce is just the same. No one tells me the details.

Pierce "Yeah, it’s pretty vague. …So, what’s up with the clockmaker?"

Alice "Julius drinks coffee. So, there’s no way that it’s not allowed to drink anything but tea."

Alice "…Is that a rule too?"

There are many rules in this world. However, if there’s a rule that says you can only drink tea, that would be quite a tyranny.

Pierce "Oh, right, the clockmaker is on the coffee side."

Pierce "I like that person. He likes coffee. But he doesn’t like me, I think."

Alice "Are you on bad terms with Julius?"

Pierce "It feels like he doesn’t like me. He’s called me a dirty mouse before."

Alice "Huh?"

Alice "He said that…?"

Alice (Is Julius the type to say things like that…?)

He had a sharp tongue. However, he isn’t a bad person at heart.

It’s possible he slipped and made a nasty remark, but…

Pierce "Mice are generally disliked."

Alice "… Julius isn’t serious about that. I think he just went too far. He tends to say too much sometimes."

Pierce "Too much…? No, he really hates me. Mice are hated, especially by good people."

Pierce "The clockmaker is a good person, and people like him can’t tolerate someone like me."

Alice "Well, Julius is a good person despite how he looks. So, I don’t think he dislikes you. It’s a misunderstanding."

Pierce "It's not a misunderstanding. I’m just a fool, so I’m disliked."

Pierce "The clockmaker is a good and smart person. There’s no way he wouldn’t dislike someone like me."

Pierce "… Speaking of which, Alice, why don’t you dislike me?"

Alice "I wouldn’t dislike someone without a reason. Just like with Julius…"

Pierce "If there’s no reason, people like me are usually disliked."

Pierce "You’re a good and serious person, yet you don’t dislike me. It’s strange. Is it because you’re an outsider?"

Pierce "… Do you have something to hide? Something you can’t forgive about yourself? Is that why you can’t dislike me?"

Alice "… I’m not a good person, and I’m not that serious."

Alice "I’m not completely flippant, though… So maybe that’s not the reason?"

I’m fed up with the reasoning in this world.

Alice "So what’s this about only being allowed to drink tea openly? If that’s a rule, it’s strange that serious Julius is breaking it."

Pierce "Well, it’s not really a rule… But not just the clockmaker, Gowland, who moved from here, was also on the coffee side."

Pierce "Now, Nightmare from Clover Tower is also on the coffee side."

Alice "Oh, really? Nightmare likes coffee…"

Alice "…That doesn’t suit him."

That brat doesn’t fit tobacco or coffee at all.

Alice (It seems like he’d drink just for show.)

Pierce "Doesn’t coffee not suit a dream demon? But since it’s a dream demon, he can drink coffee and still sleep well, right? Isn’t that nice?"

Alice "No, that’s not what I mean…"

Does Pierce not know about Nightmare’s tendency to put on airs? He has a rather kind perspective.

Pierce "But the boss and the Queen of the castle are tea lovers, right? You know that, right?"

Pierce "The boss and the queen love tea and don’t recognize coffee. That’s why they’re at odds, it’s a power struggle."

Pierce "They say it’s a territorial dispute, but that’s probably just a facade. In reality, they’re moving against the eradication of coffee. The coffee people are being persecuted."

Pierce whispered this conspiratorially.

Alice "…………"

Alice "… I really don’t think there’s a power struggle over tea and coffee."

Alice (This kid is so naive…)

Alice (I do feel some foolishness in Blood and Vivaldi when they get carried away with tea… But that’s pushing it.)

Alice (It can’t be….)

I really don’t think that’s the case, I believe.

Alice "Whether you’re on the tea side or coffee side, that’s just a matter of taste. It’s not that important."

Pierce "No way!"

Pierce "One of the big reasons I left the Mad Hatter's Mansion is that I wasn’t allowed to drink coffee! I was being persecuted!"

Alice "… I see."

A coffee-loving mouse… A mouse that ran away from the mafia because he couldn’t drink coffee…

Alice "… So that’s how it is…"

Pierce "Yes! I’m glad you’re not completely a tea person, Alice! Don’t deny coffee, okay!?"

Alice "Even if I’m on the tea side, I usually don’t deny coffee…"

Alice (This is too much…)

Scene – Clover Town – Alice’s Room

Boris “Ah, morning, Alice. Yawn… I had a weird dream or something.”

When I returned to the room, Boris, who had been asleep, was just waking up. Still a little drowsy, he was sitting cross-legged on the bed, rubbing his eyes.

Alice “A weird dream?”

Just the other day, he was dreaming about go-karts. He’s a cat who dreams often.

Boris “Weird, or maybe… scary? Was it a scary dream?”

Alice “…What kind of dream was it?”

Boris “The kind where a friend yanked out my tail.”

Boris “…Why the hell would I dream that? Woke up feeling awful…”

Alice “Well… yeah, I guess that would be kind of scary.”

It doesn’t need to be said—he’s clearly referring to Dee and Dum. They’ve been after Boris’s tail for a while, but maybe they’ve stepped up their attempts lately.

Muttering something like “No way I’m letting them rip it out,” Boris climbs off the bed. His still-sleepy eyes blink rapidly when he sees me.

Boris “Huh? Alice, you look kinda tired.”

Alice “Eh…?”

Sharp, even half-asleep. It's true, I didn’t sleep well either, and I felt sluggish when I woke up.

Maybe I’m coming down with something. And I do have a suspicion about why.

Boris walks right up to me and peers into my face.

Boris “Yeah, you’re definitely tired. And your face is kind of flushed too…”

Boris “You okay? Are you feeling sick? Should I take you to the doctor? Or would you rather just rest here?”

He asks with concern in his voice and worry in his eyes. But…

Alice “Excuse me… but who exactly do you think is responsible for this?”

I give him a half-glare.

Boris “Wait… I’m responsible?”

Boris “Is this about that night after your bath when I got a little too excited—OW OW OW!”

Alice (You didn’t have to say it!)

He went and said something totally unnecessary, so I gave his tail a sharp tug.

Boris “Alice, are you really sick!? You’re way too strong for a sick person!”

Alice “That’s because of what you said! Honestly…!”

Still, I already figured that was probably the reason.

Boris “Aah… yeah, okay, so it was my fault. Sorry, alright?”

Boris “Next time, I’ll be more careful not to let you get chilled after a bath, so forgive—OWW!”

Alice (He’s still going!?)

Boris “Why!? I apologized, didn’t I!?”

Boris “I said I was sorry, so why are you still pulling my—OW OW OW this seriously hurts!!”

Boris “Dee and Dum don’t even go this hard on my tail! Alice, are you trying to rip it off too!? Is this prophetic—a vision of the future!?!”

Alice “If you don’t want that dream to come true, stop saying such things!”

I squeezed his tail hard. Boris quickly surrendered—this round goes to me.

Later

Boris “…Sometimes I honestly wonder if you even like me.”

Boris “Like right now, for example. How many times do I have to tell you I can’t eat hot food?”

I’d stepped out to cook in the kitchen downstairs and reheated the food once Boris woke up, then brought it back to the room.

It’s become a regular thing—breakfast for two (technically lunch, but we just woke up). Today’s menu: piping hot egg soup, salad, bread, and milk.

I just wanted to see the face you make when you hate something…

…Because you're a cat, after all

I’ll never understand, no matter how many times you say it

1. I just wanted to see the face you make when you hate something…

Alice “I just wanted to see the face you make when you hate something…”

Boris “…That’s a pretty wicked hobby, Alice. Funny, though—I love seeing your annoyed face too. It gives me the chills in the best way.”

Boris “You’ve had your fill watching me suffer, right? Now it’s my turn. Show me lots of those annoyed expressions of yours.”

Alice “Hey. That’s not very polite!”

I lightly slapped the hand that was reaching for me.

Alice “…I was kidding. Obviously.”

2. …Because you’re a cat, after all

Alice “…Because you’re a cat, after all.”

Boris “That’s right, I am a cat—got a problem with that? Cats have sensitive tongues. I can’t handle hot food! So remember that, okay?”

Boris “Seriously, I’m begging you here.”

Alice “I do remember. But this time, I had a reason.”

3. I’ll never understand, no matter how many times you say it

Alice “Who knows. Maybe I’ll never understand, no matter how many times you say it.”

Boris “…So you’re saying you don’t plan on learning your lesson, huh?”

Boris “Just so you know—even for you, I have my limits. I really can’t eat hot food.”

Alice “…I was joking. Obviously.”

Choices Converge

Alice “I just needed to warm myself up a bit. Sorry, but could you wait until it cools down?”

Like we’d already discussed, I wasn’t feeling great. If I let it get worse, it could turn into a full-blown cold—so I was trying to prevent that.

I’d been borrowing a corner of the busy inn kitchen, so I didn’t have time to heat things up separately. When I explained this, Boris seemed to understand.

Boris “Well, if that’s the case, you could’ve just said so. That makes sense.”

Alice “Yeah… sorry.”

Boris “It’s fine. I’d hate it if you caught a cold anyway.”

Boris started with the salad, then took a sip of the soup once it had cooled slightly.

Boris “Oh, this is good. Nice bit of pepper. Did you add a little ginger too?”

Alice “I did… Does the flavor bother you?”

Boris “Nah, this much is totally fine. Actually, it’s pretty good. Definitely feels like it’ll warm me up.”

Boris “You whipped up this menu to suit your condition just like that—impressive. Just like you, Alice. You’re a great cook.”

Alice “You’re exaggerating. I didn’t have much time, so it’s kind of a thrown-together meal.”

The soup was hot, after all. I actually felt a bit guilty about that.

Boris “Even if it was thrown together, it’s still really good. Honestly, anything you make for me is a treat. That’s probably why it tastes even better.”

He says the most embarrassing things so casually. Boris is unfair like that.

Even so, he kept complimenting the meal and finished everything on his plate.

Boris “Just being with you makes me feel so happy… I don’t get it. I’m not supposed to be this kind of guy…”

He placed his hands together and gave a soft “thank you for the meal”, then muttered those words with a quiet smile.

I couldn’t help but smile wryly in return.

Alice (If anyone’s breaking character, it’s me.)

I was the one who thought I’d sworn off love for the time being—and now here I am, dating a cat. That alone is unbelievable.

Living almost like we’re sharing a home, making meals for my boyfriend… None of this was ever part of the plan.

Alice (The move wasn’t the only unexpected event… this entire situation is just as surprising.)

Still, I don’t hate this life. If anything…

Alice (My boyfriend is sweet, but free-spirited, mischievous, and jealous—a Cheshire Cat through and through. I know he’ll keep stirring things up…)

But somehow, that makes it fun. I kind of want it to last forever.

And that might just be the biggest “unexpected” of all.

Scene Change – Clover Town – Inn

Man "A hangout spot for cats? Yeah, there’s one in this town too."

When I asked him, that’s what he told me.

He’s the same person who told me about the glowing mushrooms before.

Alice "There is one, huh… Well, every town seems to have at least a few of them."

A place where cats gather. A hangout, a meeting spot—for cats.

Man "Yeah, there’s one here too. The spot where the most cats gather… let me think… probably the alley off West Street."

Man "Near the park with the fountain… Do you know the place?"

Alice "Yes, I know the park. But there are a lot of alleys around there. Which one?"

Man "If you’re interested, you should go check it out. The alley is… hang on, I’ll draw you a map."

Alice "Thanks."

Even after everything that happened, he was still kind as ever.

Man "But Alice, your cat boyfriend might get jealous, you know?"

Alice "I’m just going to see some cats."

Man "Cats don’t like it when their owners look at other cats."

Alice "I’m not Boris’s owner. I’m his girlfriend."

Man "Then he’ll probably be even more jealous…"

Alice "…You think so?"

Man "Most likely… yeah."

Scene Change – Clover Town – Main Area

Meow, meow. Mii, mii.

Myah, myah…

Alice "Wha—"

Alice (thought) (…So cute.)

This is heaven for a cat lover.

Following the directions that man gave me, I arrived at the cat gathering spot. True to its name, the place is full of cats.

Meow, meow. Meow, meow.

I pet one of the cats that comes up to me. As I do, it rubs itself against me affectionately.

Alice (thought) (So… so cute…)

Having owned a cat before, I’m definitely fond of them.

Alice (thought) (It reminds me of Dinah…)

Cats are adorable. I’d forgotten just how adorable they could be.

Alice (thought) (…I was starting to forget.)

Cat "Meow."

Alice "There, there…"

Cat "Meow, meow."

Alice "…Are you hungry? I’ve got some fish. Want some?"

Cat "Meow, meow."

Alice "…Alright then. Here you go."

I offered a few small dried fish I had brought with me.

Cat "Meow, meow."

Cat "Meow meow meow."

Cat "Myah. Meow meow."

Alice "Ahh… don’t fight over it."

For the weaker ones who couldn’t get any, I hand-fed them directly.

Cat "Mii…"

Alice "…You’re a timid little one, huh? The others keep taking your food so easily…"

Alice "…Still so small. Not a kitten, but…"

Alice "…You can’t be this weak if you’re not a kitten anymore."

It was thinner than the other cats. Probably hadn’t been able to get enough food.

Alice "…Where are you from?"

Cat "Nii, nii…"

It licked at the small fish as it ate. Such a small, fragile cat.

Alice "Don’t you have a home?"

Cat "Nii…"

Alice "…………"

Alice (thought) (…Maybe it really doesn’t have a home.)

Alice (thought) (Just like me…)

??? (Boris) "It’s a stray."

Alice "!!!"

At some point, another cat had appeared behind me. I hadn’t noticed at all.

Boris "You don’t need to be feeding such a weakling."

Boris casually lifted the little cat by the scruff.

Alice "B-Boris!"

Boris "What, cheating right out in public? With some… feeble little stray like this."

Still holding the cat, Boris gave it a shake. The cat just let it happen.

Cat "Nii… nii…"

Boris "Looks as weak as it gets… It’d probably die even if left alone."

Boris "These others too… all cats I could kill without a second thought."

He glanced around, eyes sweeping the group of cats.

Cat "Meow!"

Cat "Meow meow!"

Cat "Meow meow meow!"

The cats all bolted at once.

Alice "Eh…"

They scattered in perfect unison, like frightened spiders.

Alice "…Boris, are you some kind of hated cat or something?"

Boris "No. I’m feared."

Boris "I’m a Cheshire Cat, remember? I’m not like the others."

Boris "I’m a strong cat. Every cat is afraid of me. See?"

Cat "Nii…"

Dangling helplessly in the air, the small cat looked completely defenseless.

It was being held up, so it couldn’t even run like the others.

Alice "Put it down. That’s just cruel."

Boris "It pisses me off. It’s so weak… and yet you pay attention to it. Even fed it…"

Boris "…Why are you always fussing over other cats? Do you like this weak little thing more than me?"

Boris "You feed them… live with them… You do all the things you won’t do for me."

Alice "…Do you want food?"

I asked, thinking no way he’d say "yes."

Boris "Yeah. I want you to feed me."

Alice "Not like making you a meal… you mean, feeding you? Like you’re a pet?"

Boris "I don’t care what you call it. If it means being tamed by you… I want you to feed me."

Boris said it so casually, without hesitation.

Alice "…………"

Alice "A cat…"

Boris "Huh? Yeah, I told you—I’m a cat."

Alice "…………"

He said it so confidently, I was left without a retort.

Boris "…Agh, it's your fault I’m hungry now. You feed all the other cats, but not me…"

Boris "…………"

Boris "…This one looks weak. Doesn’t it kind of look like a mouse?"

Alice "……!!!"

Alice "N-no! Don’t eat it!"

Boris "I’m not gonna eat it… Geez, don’t take it so seriously."

Boris "A cat doesn’t eat another cat. I’m a cat, so I won’t eat this one."

Alice "………… …I don’t think you’re a cat, Boris."

Boris "……?"

Alice "Cats are cute creatures. Boris, you’re not cute."

Boris "……!!!"

Boris’s eyes flew wide open in shock, and he gasped.

Alice "Boris, you're completely different from this kitten… or any other cat, really. I realized that again after petting a regular cat for the first time in a while—you’re nothing alike."

I never truly thought of him as an ordinary cat. He’s more like a human.

But being told over and over that he’s a cat had nudged my perception in that direction.

Sure, Boris is catlike. There’s a feline aspect to him. But still…

Alice "Boris, you’re not a cat. You don’t have the kind of cuteness cats have."

Boris "……!!! ~~~~~~~~~!!!!"

His not-so-cute, catlike face started to stiffen more and more.

Boris "S-So… does that mean I’ve failed as a cat!? That you can fawn over other cats but not me!?"

Alice "You’re cute, but… not in the catlike way, I guess."

Boris "So I’m worse than that thing? Is that why you won’t live with me or feed me!?"

Alice "Feeding… I mean, I do bring you food and cook for you sometimes, don’t I?"

Just a few time slots ago, we had a meal together. He said that hot egg soup, once cooled down, was delicious and ate it happily.

Boris "That wasn’t enough! Not even close! I want more!"

Alice "…Haah. Fine, I get it."

Alice "You want me to feed you like a cat, right?"

I offered him a dried fish.

Boris "!"

Boris lit up with joy and immediately chomped into it.

Boris "Ham…"

A cute gesture. Adorably catlike behavior.

Boris "Nn…"

He ate it slowly, as if licking at it.

The way he ate was exactly like the small cat from earlier. He licked his fingers with soft smacks, trying not to leave even a single piece behind.

Alice (thought) (…………)

Alice (thought) (…Yeah, he’s still different.)

Alice (thought) (Boris is different.)

He’s not just a cat. He may be a cat… but he’s something else entirely.

Alice (…Not cute.)

Boris "Give me more."

He licked his fingers.

Alice "There… there’s no more…"

I had already given the rest to the other cats. The one I gave to the cat in front of me was the last.

Alice (thought) (A cat…)

Alice (thought) (He’s a cat, but…)

Boris "…It was delicious."

His pink tongue licked his lips.

Alice (thought) (Ugh…)

Alice "…I’m glad you liked it. But there’s no more."

Boris "More…"

Alice "I said… there’s no more…"

Boris "I want more…"

He whispered in my ear.

For a cute cat’s begging, it carried an unusual force. His lips, still wet from licking his fingers, drew closer.

Alice "……"

Boris "I want more, Alice…"

That pink tongue licked me again. He kissed me.

Alice (thought) (Pink…)

There’s no other cat this pink. That’s why Boris is both a cat and not a cat.

He’s cute, but not cute. More than cute, he’s… pink.

Alice (thought) (Pink… A cute color, but… not cute.)

Boris "Alice."

That pink voice called to me.

Boris "Give me more food… Alice."

Alice "Boris…"

Boris "…Alice."

Cat "Ni—"

Alice "!?"

Boris "…!!!"

A sweet voice scattered the pink mood into mist.

Cat "Ni—"

Boris "…………"

Cat "Ni—ni—"

Alice "…………"

Boris "…………"

It was like… a young couple being interrupted by a crying baby. …A terrible comparison, but that’s exactly how it felt.

We both froze.

Cat "Ni—ni—"

Boris "…What. You want food too? You… you want more too?"

Cat "Ni—ni—ni—"

Boris "…………"

Boris "…Alice."

Boris "…If it’s not gonna eat… can I shoot it instead?"

Alice "No."

Scene Change – Clover Town – Shopping District

Boris "So you are taking it home in the end…"

On the way back. Boris was completely sulking.

In my arms was the small cat I brought from the gathering place. It was still thin, and I could feel it hadn’t been eating enough.

Alice "I couldn’t just leave it there. This little one would definitely be left out when it comes to food."

Alice "And I’ve got work, so I can’t be there to feed it all the time."

It’s hard for me to go feed it directly every day. If I keep it close, I can help.

Boris "But you won’t take me home. And now this guy you just met—you’re taking it home and planning to live together…"

Alice "…Don’t sulk."

Boris "Of course I’m sulking. How can I not? If I stop sulking, I might just shoot it, you know?"

Alice "No, you won’t! That’s not allowed!"

I snapped, and Boris let out a big sigh—“haaah.” It was like he was too shocked to even argue back.

Boris "You always say I’m fickle or whatever, but you’re pretty fickle yourself. Just when I think you’re back by my side, you drift off somewhere else again."

Boris "…Don’t make me feel so anxious."

Alice (…Hmph. Now he’s saying something all meek and tender…)

Is this some kind of “If anger doesn’t work, try acting pitiful” strategy? I don’t know if that’s even a real strategy, though.

Alice "I never meant to make you anxious."

Boris "But I am anxious. I’m your boyfriend, and yet you’re always thinking about and being nice to other cats."

He cast a resentful side glance at the cat in my arms.

Boris "…I wish your head was filled with only thoughts of me. Then I wouldn’t be constantly on edge like this."

Boris "I’m seriously a lost cause at this point…"

Alice "You don’t need to be so jealous. This isn’t what you think it is."

It’s not cheating. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—Boris is completely different from other cats.

Bringing this little cat home is not a betrayal.

Boris "I can’t help it. Ugh… I feel like I’m going crazy with jealousy…"

Boris roughly ran his hands through his own hair. Watching him so out of sorts reminded me of something he said not long ago…

When was that again…? Right—after we had that meal with the egg soup.

Flashback

Boris "I never imagined I’d fall for you like this."

Boris "Honestly, I feel so uncool right now… But it’s your fault, so take responsibility, okay?"

Boris "…I’ll take responsibility too."

Boris "It’s okay if I’m full of myself, right? To think you’re mine, and I’m yours?"

End Flashback

Alice (He didn’t seem to have much composure then either…)

He’s hopelessly in love with me. Lately, I’ve been feeling that even more than before.

Alice (…Maybe it’s time.)

Maybe it’s time I made up my mind.

Being with Boris is fun. I want to keep being with him.

I love Boris. I never thought I’d fall this hard.

We’re the same now. I’ve come to think the same way he does.

Alice (I’m probably going to be dragged all over the place, though…)

Alice "Boris, listen…"

Scene Change – Boris’s Room

Alice "I’ve decided to live with you, Boris."

Pierce "G-Good for you. W-Well, that’s great and all… but… but still…"

Pierce "Th-there are two cats now... The number of cats has doubled..."

Pierce "The cats... they've multiplied... Cats..."

Pierce was visibly trembling.

Alice "This little one is our new housemate too."

Alice "…Right, Boris?"

Boris "I'm not happy about it... A cat like this..."

True to his words, Boris looked displeased as he stared at the kitten. When their eyes met, he frowned in discomfort.

Alice "………"

Cats "Nii, nii."

Boris "…You're hungry? Want some fish?"

Boris "Well, I guess I don’t have a choice... You’re pretty weak, huh."

Grumbling, Boris fed the small cat with a sulky look.

Cats "Ni~i."

The cat was already fond of Boris.

He wasn’t the one being fed—he was the one doing the feeding. Despite his complaints, Boris was surprisingly caring.

Alice "What a heartwarming picture…"

Pierce "…What a terrifying picture… A feline dinner table…"

Pierce "This is horror… I can’t even look directly at it…"

While the scene was cute enough to make one want to keep watching, Pierce averted his eyes.

Pierce "…Hey, is that cat your child, Alice?"

Alice "Huh?"

Pierce "Your and Boris’s child? Boris is the dad and you're the mom...? Did you become a cat family?"

Alice "A cat family…"

A completely absurd idea—but the phrase cat family had a certain charm.

A cat dad. A cat mom. A cat child…

I’m human, and Boris isn’t a normal cat—he’s pink and all. But the kitten is a proper, ordinary cat.

There’s a lot that doesn’t make sense, but somehow, it still feels heartwarming.

Alice (A family, huh...)

(…That sounds nice.)

It felt like home.

A place of rest. Somewhere that always exists. Unbreakable bonds.

None of us had anything like that.

Not Boris, not me, not the small cat. We’re just strays brought together.

But together, it almost feels like a family.

Alice "Yeah... I suppose it’s like we adopted him."

Watching the two cats, I felt at peace.

Adorable creatures. Someone I love.

It was like the life I had once imagined. A house, someone I love smiling beside me, a life shared with cats.

I thought it would last forever. And now, even if the form is different, it’s right in front of me.

Cat "Nii, nii."

Boris "You’ve gotta toughen up, you hear me? Otherwise you’ll die…"

Cat "Nii, nii, ni~i."

Boris "You listening?"

Cat "Nii, nii, ni~i."

Boris "Take this seriously, will you?"

Cat "Nii, nii, ni~i."

Too distracted by food, the cat didn’t hear a word of Boris’s lecture.

Boris "You gotta eat a lot, get big, and get strong, got it? You need to learn how to fight for your food. How to catch mice and stuff…"

Boris really did sound like a proper dad.

Alice (So I’m the mom, huh…)

Alice "………"

Alice "…Maybe we should get even more cats. More adopted kids. We could become one big family."

Pierce "………"

Pierce "…Maybe I should run away from the forest too. I can’t take this. I just can’t handle a forest full of cats…"

Alice "…Oh, come on. There are only two right now. Just two… for now."

This is my home. And for now, we have two cats.

Alice "If we're going to be a cat family, then we need more members."

Boris "...Cat family? You want to add more?"

Boris "But I don’t want to share you with anyone else."

Cats "Nii, nii."

Boris "See, even this one says no. Cats are super possessive, you know? Right?"

Cats "Ni~i."

Boris "If we had kittens, then maybe adding more to the family would be nice... Oh, but wait. If we’re already a family, then it’s already three of us, right? Not two."

Alice "Huh? I don’t have any kids... I mean, probably not."

Boris "That’s not what I meant... I mean if we’re talking about a cat family, then you’re a cat too. So you count as one, right? That makes three in total."

Alice "…I’m a cat too?"

Boris "Yeah. In a cat family, that makes us a three-cat household."

Cats "Nii, nii.”

The little cat chimed in as if to agree.

Alice "…A family, huh."

Counted among them, that made me the third cat.

It was strange to be considered a cat… but if it meant being part of a family, it didn’t sound so bad.

Alice "…Alright, then I’m the third cat."

Pierce "...I’m running away from home."

The mouse didn’t get counted.

Scene – Clover Town – Bar

We went into town and ended up at the same café Pierce and I visited before.

Alice (I didn’t think I’d come back here again… but, well, whatever now.)

As usual, he ordered coffee. But once it was brought to the table, he just sat there smiling at the cup without taking a sip.

Alice “What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to drink it?”

Pierce “Yeah… I was just watching it, thinking how happy I am. Thanks to you, I can drink coffee even without sweets now.”

Alice “Ah…”

I remembered our last visit to this café.

Pierce had said, “I can’t drink bitter coffee, so I gnaw on sugar cubes,” and I’d told him that sugar cubes were meant to be put in the coffee.

Back then, he hadn’t even known that much—and when he tasted sweetened coffee, he seemed really moved by it.

Pierce “I didn’t know there was a way to make coffee sweet. It’s all thanks to you—I discovered something amazing.”

Pierce “You’re so smart, Alice. You know everything. You’re really clever.”

Pierce “Outsiders can do anything, huh? That’s so impressive…”

Alice “……”

Being praised this much just makes me want to take it the wrong way—at least, that’s my usual cynical self.

But this wasn’t sarcasm. Pierce meant every word.

…Still, being looked at with such sincere admiration is awkward.

He’s usually half-asleep, yet now his gaze is so intense—earnest, even. This mouse is staring at me like I’m something incredible.

Like I’m something completely different from him. Something amazing.

Alice “…Look, anyone knows that you can put sugar cubes in coffee. It just makes it less bitter.”

(Though there are people who drink it black…)

(…But that wouldn’t suit him, now would it?)

Alice “I’m not especially smart or impressive or anything like that.”

Alice “…Seriously, didn’t you notice? If you’ve ever attended one of Blood’s tea parties, you must’ve seen someone put sugar in tea, right?”

His boss prefers his tea straight, but sometimes adds sugar depending on the kind or his mood.

Pierce “Yeah, I’ve seen that… But still, I never thought of putting sugar in coffee too… I mean, it didn’t occur to me that it would be okay in both.”

Alice “Of course it is. How could you not realize that?”

Pierce “I wouldn’t realize it. I’m a mouse…”

Pierce “…I’m not smart. I’m not clever.”

Pierce “So… unless someone tells me, I’ll never figure it out on my own. It’s impossible…”

Seeing Pierce so downcast, I couldn’t bring myself to tease him.

Normally, anyone would realize that if something’s too bitter, adding sugar helps—even without being told.

Alice “…Someone should’ve just told you.”

Pierce “No one tells anything to a mouse.”

Pierce “You’re probably the only one who ever teaches me things, Alice. A kind girl who’s nice to a mouse. You treat me gently…”

Pierce “…You say you’re not especially smart or impressive, but you are especially kind and sweet.”

Pierce “You don’t need to be clever to be kind. You don’t have to be important to be nice. I… I like that about you. I like that you’re gentle and kind.”

Pierce had completely taken a liking to me.

Alice “…Don’t you have any friends, Pierce?”

Pierce “Nope. Everyone just bullies me—nobody really wants to be close. It’s all bullies. I’m always being picked on.”

Alice “…I see.”

He is easy to tease. His reactions are obvious and amusing.

(Still, I don’t think anyone actually bullies him seriously…)

Alice “…It’s kind of surprising that someone like you doesn’t have any friends.”

Pierce “? Really? Why?”

Pierce “I don’t think it’s that strange for a mouse to only have other mice as friends, you know? Since I’m a mouse, I can’t be popular.”

Alice “You don’t have to be popular to have friends. You actually seem like someone who would make friends easily.”

Pierce “Make friends easily…”

Pierce “Eh—ehhh!? N-no way! I can’t…!”

Pierce “B-but… is that how I look? Like someone who’d make friends easily?”

Pierce fidgeted shyly, clearly embarrassed.

Alice (What a silly kid…)

Alice (…So silly—and such a good kid.)

Calling him “silly” might not sound like praise, but he’s the kind of genuinely good person that makes cynicism feel pointless.

Alice “Yeah, I think you would.”

It’s strange that someone like him doesn’t have friends. In this world, it’s someone like me who seems to have a lot of friends.

Alice (How odd…)

Alice “You’re a good kid…”

Pierce “…I’m a good kid…? R-really? Hehe…”

The way he blushed and smiled—he really was a good kid.

Alice “Yeah, a good kid.”

Pierce “…Alice, you’re so kind. I love you.”

Alice “Eh… I-I mean, I’m not really…”

It didn’t feel like a conversation between two people of the same age.

At my age, people are usually more aware of the opposite sex—for better or worse.

Alice (People around our age usually have more boundaries…)

But there were no boundaries with Pierce.

Alice “……”

Alice (…He’s a strange one.)

I’m not that nice of a person, so I usually don’t get along with people who are too good.

Alice (…Or maybe I’m the one who’s not such a good person?)

Still, he really did seem like a good kid.

Pierce “Alice, Alice, I’ll put sugar in for you. It’ll be sweet and delicious.”

Pierce “If you do this, it won’t be bitter. I was taught that.”

Pierce leaned over with the sugar pot in hand.

Alice “…Huh? Ah, uh…”

Alice “…Wait, I’m the one who taught you that…”

Alice “……”

Alice “…!?”

Alice “W-wait a second!? What are you putting in there!? What!?”

Into the teacup I had taken a few sips from and set back on its saucer, he was dropping—plop, plop—white lumps.

Pierce “What, you ask… sugar.”

Pierce “If you put it in, it gets sweet. The more you add, the better it tastes.”

Alice “There’s no way that makes it better!!”

Pierce “Huh…? But without it, it’s bitter. Bitter and… not tasty, you know?”

Alice “I’m drinking tea, so it’s not even that bitter to begin with! And I can drink it straight…”

Alice “I already added the right amount of sugar…”

Even if I hadn’t added any beforehand, the amount he dumped in would’ve made it overwhelmingly sweet. And I had added some. This wasn’t a matter of preference anymore—it was a disaster.

Alice (A mountain of sugar overflowing from the cup…)

Alice (Even the most die-hard sweet tooth would run screaming from this…)

He had put in so much that the sugar wouldn’t even dissolve. The lower layers were melting into a syrupy goo, but the upper cubes remained intact.

Pierce “Oh, you already added some?”

Pierce “But it wasn’t enough. It still tasted bitter. That’s why I added more.”

Pierce “Last time, I only put in one cube. But then I discovered—if you add lots, it tastes even better!”

Pierce “It gets sweeter. The taste goes from bitter to sweet!”

He started adding sugar to his own coffee too.

Alice “……”

Alice (That’s… way past the point of dissolving…)

Alice (Didn’t we do something like this in science class once? Like how the solubility changes with temperature…)

My mind started drifting somewhere else.

I felt faint. It’s the kind of scenario that might seem funny in a comedy skit, but when it’s right in front of you, it’s pure horror.

Alice (S-sooo sweet…)

It was sludgy. At this point, it was more like a sugar risotto than a beverage.

Pierce “It’s the perfect way to enjoy coffee. You don’t get sleepy, it’s not bitter—it’s the best.”

Without hesitation, Pierce took a sip of the syrupy mess.

It made a crunching sound. Absolutely not the sound coffee is supposed to make.

Alice “……”

Alice “…Isn’t that a bit too much sugar?”

Pierce “Nope. It gives it a nice texture—adds character.”

He was starting to sound like a phony food critic.

Pierce “Lately, I’ve stopped eating too many sweets or gnawing on sugar cubes. It’s thanks to you, Alice. You’ve helped me become a better person.”

Alice “…I’m not sure I’ve actually helped that much.”

Alice (At this rate, even without eating sweets, the sugar overload alone is going to give him some disease…)

Clover Tower - Assembly Hall

Boris “Another meeting, huh…? I’m so sick of this…”

Once again, the season of meetings had arrived. We were already changed and gathered in the assembly room.

Alice “Sick of it? …That’s so like a cat.”

Boris “What’s that supposed to mean…”

Alice “Cats get bored easily.”

Boris “There you go again… treating me like a cat.”

Alice “You are a cat.”

Boris “Well, yeah, but still…”

Boris “I’m only here because it’s the rules, you know? These pointless meetings… they mean nothing.”

Boris “Alice, don’t you get tired of them?”

Alice “More than tired, I’ve just gotten used to it.”

Pierce “Alice, you’re amazing—being able to adapt to anything so quickly. That’s a good skill to have!”

Alice “Well, I got used to this world, didn’t I?”

I’d even grown used to the fact that the amusement park had turned into a forest. Staying in a different place during the meeting period didn’t bother me at all.

…Though, truthfully, the only ones staying here were Pierce and Boris.

Boris “So you’ve gotten used to it…”

Boris “But I’m tired of it. Same place, same pointless discussions. These meetings are just boring.”

Alice “Hm…”

I was just tagging along. I wouldn’t be staying in the meeting hall for long.

Boris and the others didn’t have that luxury. They could sneak out sometimes, but there were many situations where they had to be present. No wonder they were sick of it.

Alice “…Sounds tough. Did something happen?”

Boris “Yeah… it’s tough. …Because I can’t shoot my gun freely while I’m here.”

Alice “……”

Alice (thinking) (Of course… here we go again.)

Boris was a gun enthusiast. No—maniac was more accurate.

Alice “…It’s not like you have to shoot guns.”

Boris “No, it’s not okay. Without guns, like thirty percent of a cat’s life stops being fun.”

Alice “Thirty percent…?”

How exactly was he calculating that?

Pierce “It’s like a mouse’s life without cheese. Everything becomes flavorless.”

Alice “Can’t you just… endure thirty percent?”

Boris “What?! No way! I can’t endure it!”

Boris “Sure, it makes sense for the authorities, but even someone like me is restricted under these agreements. I can’t take it…”

Alice “Try.”

Pierce “I can’t either! A life without cheese is unbearable!”

Pierce “I mean, I’m a mouse, so technically it’s not life, but still!”

Alice “I wasn’t telling you to endure cheese, you know…”

Boris “Ugh, this is such a pain… I just want these meetings to end already. …Alice, what about you?”

Alice “…Huh? Me?”

Alice “I guess… like I said earlier, I’ve gotten used to it by now, so I’m fine.”

Alice (It’s not like I’m upset about guns being restricted… If anything, I actually welcome it.)

Pierce “I see… But Alice, soon we won’t even need to hold these meetings anymore. Then you won’t have to come to places like this at all.”

Alice “Huh, really? Just when I was starting to get used to it…”

Clover Town had become a place of daily life for me—it was finally starting to feel familiar.

And despite everything, these meetings were safe. Even if normally hostile parties crossed paths, no shootouts broke out during this period.

Pierce “But still, there’s no cheese here, and it’s so boring.”

Boris “Exactly. All I can do is chase the mouse around.”

Pierce “P-pi!?”

Alice “…There’s no cheese in the forest either, and you chase Pierce around there too, don’t you?”

Boris “Still, I want to get back to the forest soon. These meetings are pointless for people like us. I'd rather be in the forest than stuck in these complicated talks.”

Pierce “Alice, you’d rather be in the forest too, right? I want to go back…”

(…But I don’t live in the forest. I live at the inn here in town.)

Still, being included as part of the group made me a little happy.

Later

Pierce “Ah, Alice! You finished work? Good job!”

As I entered the salon, Pierce called out to me.

I’d just returned to the tower after finishing up my duties. The only familiar face in the salon was Pierce.

Alice “The meeting doesn’t start for another two time slots… Not many people here yet.”

Pierce “Yeah, that’s true. A lot of them show up last minute. I got here way too early and I’ve just been sitting here bored.”

Pierce “Hey, Alice, want to go out for tea? Sitting around here won’t make the time pass any faster.”

He invited me, eyes sparkling with anticipation.

By the way, while Pierce occasionally arrives early like this, Boris is solidly part of the “last-minute arrival” group—at least if I’m not around.

Alice “…Sure. As long as we don’t go too far from the tower, let’s kill some time.”

(Boris probably won’t be showing up for a while anyway.)

Pierce and I had gone to a café together before. There was no reason to overthink it.

Pierce “Yay, let’s go! Let’s go have tea!”

Alice “…It’s just tea, you know? Calm down…”

With an overly excited Pierce in tow, I stepped out of the salon.

Go to Home Event – Pierce 4 Scene Change – Clover Town – Bar

Pierce “Why are tea drinkers always so intense? They’re way too intense…”

Pierce “Or maybe it’s just the boss who’s like that. Is he the only one that extreme?”

Alice “It’s definitely just Blood. Vivaldi’s a huge tea fan too, but she’s not nearly as obsessed.”

Alice “I mean, really—we don’t need two tea fanatics like Blood.”

We continued our idle chatter while killing time at the café.

Naturally, I’d asked to have my tea replaced. I’m not someone with bizarre tastes who enjoys gritty, sand-textured tea.

We were still at the café, time unchanged (at least by my sense of it). Just as I was about to suggest moving to a different location…

The café door opened. Casually glancing at the entrance, I saw a scowling Boris walk in.

Alice “Boris.”

Our eyes met the moment I saw him. He had clearly come in looking for us.

Pierce “Ny-nyan cat!? Awawa, it’s the kitty—what do I do!?”

Alice “Calm down, Pierce. There’s nothing to do. What do you think he’s going to do, really?”

Pierce “W-what if he chases me!? I have to run…!”

(…Oh. I see now.)

As usual, Pierce was simply worried Boris was going to eat him. So it wasn’t the kind of situation I had initially assumed.

As for me—I was thinking about something else entirely, since I was currently alone with a man who isn’t my boyfriend.

Alice (Boris is definitely sulking…)

He clearly didn’t like the idea of me and Pierce spending time together alone.

But there was nothing to feel guilty about. We were just killing time before the meeting—two friends, that’s all.

Boris “I’ve been looking for you, Alice. So this is where you were… with the mouse, no less.”

As expected, Boris walked over with an annoyed tone. I made sure to answer as normally as possible—acting guilty would only make things seem more suspicious.

Alice “Pierce and I both got to the tower way too early and had time to kill. So we came here to wait.”

Boris “Time to kill, huh…”

He shot Pierce a sharp glare.

Pierce “Pi!? A-are you mad? Boris, why are you mad!?”

Pierce looked terrified. It seemed he had no idea why Boris would be upset.

Boris “Of course I’m mad… Why the hell are you spending time with her? You’re a mouse—shouldn’t you be off nibbling cheese by yourself or something?”

Pierce “W-why can’t I spend time with her!? I do nibble cheese, but I drink coffee too! I drink it at home and it’s normal to drink it at a café too!”

Boris “That’s not the point… Ugh, you’re such a hopeless idiot.”

Boris let out a sigh, completely exasperated. Seeing him like that, I…

1. Don’t be mad at Pierce 2. Pierce is a good boy

1. Don’t be mad at Pierce

Alice “Boris, don’t be mad at Pierce.”

I defended Pierce. It was obvious that Boris’s anger was nothing more than jealousy.

I knew how deeply he cared for me—and how that made him overly possessive at times. Still, it wasn’t fair to take that out on Pierce, who didn’t even understand what was going on.

Boris “There you go, defending him again? That’s harsh, Alice… I really thought you’d be waiting for me in the tower’s salon.”

2. Pierce is a good boy

Alice “Pierce is a good boy.”

I vouched for him.

Sure, his way of thinking is a little… out there, but he’s not a bad person. When he invited me out for tea, there wasn’t a shred of ulterior motive.

Alice (He’s like a child—he doesn’t even think in that way.)

There was no reason to be jealous.

Boris “You’re seriously calling him a good boy!? Are you kidding me right now…!?”

Boris was stunned, then muttered with a dejected look on his face:

Boris “A good boy, she says… Alice, something’s seriously wrong with you. I’m just getting the short end of the stick here… You weren’t in the salon like I thought, and now this…”

Choices converge

Alice “Like I said, I already explained why I left. It would’ve been too long to wait in the salon.”

Alice “…Besides, if you didn’t want to be left out, you could’ve come earlier for once.”

Boris almost never shows up before the meeting starts. That’s partly why I decided to go somewhere else.

Boris “…Tch. Yeah, I guess that’s true… But I had stuff to do too, okay? I’m busy.”

Alice “? …Busy?”

Pierce “No way~! If by ‘busy’ you mean doing dangerous stuff, then sure, I believe that.”

Pierce “You’re always off doing reckless things with the twins, right? I bet that’s what it is! Definitely!”

Pierce teased him, and immediately froze when Boris shot him a deadly glare.

Alice (If you're that scared, maybe keep your mouth shut...)

(…Well, I’m starting to understand that not keeping quiet is just who Pierce is.)

Boris “Shut up, Pierce. Seriously… you’re so annoying…”

Boris “…Anyway, Alice, I was looking for you because I wanted to ask you something. When it turns to night again… are you free?”

Alice “Huh? Next night?”

Boris “Yeah, next night. Are you free? You don’t have work or anything?”

I had no idea why he was suddenly asking me that, but I tried to recall my schedule. Next night—I had that time off.

Alice “I’m free. It’s my break… Well, unless a meeting overlaps, I suppose.”

Since we never know exactly when it’ll be night, it’s a bit vague. But I prefer sleeping at night, so I tend to reserve those hours as my downtime anyway.

…Also, because Boris is nocturnal. No matter how many time slots pass, I’d still have that night off.

Boris “Great. Then make sure you absolutely don’t make any other plans. Keep it open, okay?”

His voice sounded happy, like all that earlier irritation had evaporated.

Alice “Sure, I don’t mind. But… is something happening at night?”

Boris “That’s a secret. Just don’t forget, alright? It’s next night.”

Alice “I won’t forget.”

I doubt I’d go so long without seeing the night that I’d actually forget.

Boris “Alright, in that case, let’s get out of here already. Watching you and Pierce sipping tea face-to-face is seriously irritating.”

Pierce “That’s so mean! We were having such a nice time together! Why are you mad? Boris, you big bully!”

Boris grabbed my arm, trying to pull me to my feet. Pierce, flustered but determined, protested.

Alice “…Pierce, we can redo this another time. We’ve been here long enough anyway. Let’s go for now.”

I reassured him, and though disappointed, Pierce stood up.

Pierce “O-okay… if you say so. But really—can we try again next time?”

Alice “Of course. Next time, the three of us can go together.”

Boris and Pierce blinked and looked at each other but didn’t object.

Scene Change – Forest – Trees

Night fell. Just as he promised, Boris came to get me and led me outside.

I followed his lead, walking through an unfamiliar area.

Boris “This way, this way.”

Alice “W-wait…!”

Boris “Huh? What’s wrong? You’re wobbling…”

Alice “Either slow down or walk a little farther from me!”

With his arm around my shoulders, pushing me along at that pace, I felt like I was going to trip.

Boris “If I walk farther away, you might fall. The ground here’s all uneven—it’s easy to trip.”

Boris “I can see fine in the dark, but you…”

Alice “If you don’t back off, I’m the one who’s going to trip!”

The ground was really uncertain. Boris tried to guide me, but he was so close that I kept bumping into him.

Not being able to see only made me more uneasy.

And he was fast—way faster than usual, making it downright hazardous.

Alice “Seriously, either keep some distance or slow down…”

Boris “We’re almost there…”

He didn’t listen to a word I said.

Alice “Would you listen already? I’m telling you, this is dangerous…!”

He kept forging ahead through the forest.

It was pitch black. The dark woods looked like they were opening up to swallow me whole.

If I were alone, I wouldn’t even think of going in. I wasn’t scared with Boris here, but it was still eerie.

Alice “Hey, Boris… Where are we going?”

He hadn’t even told me our destination.

Boris “Just a bit more. Almost there… We’re really close.”

Alice “I didn’t ask how far—it’s where we’re going…”

Alice “…?”

In the pitch-dark forest, a tiny light appeared.

Faintly glowing—just a small, lonely light. I squinted, wondering if someone was there, but saw no one.

As we moved forward, the lights began to multiply, dotting the path ahead.

Alice “…?”

Alice “Boris…? What is that?”

It didn’t look like a ghost or anything frighteningly supernatural. Just a gentle, small light.

I couldn’t tell what the source was—it was a faint glow.

Boris “What do you think it is?”

Alice “…??? Don’t be mean—just tell me.”

Boris “It’s something you heard about from someone, remember? Judging by your reaction, you never went with anyone else to see it. That’s a relief…”

With a pleased tone, Boris moved ahead.

And sped up even more. My footing grew even less steady.

Alice “W–wait…!”

Just because it was slightly brighter didn’t mean the ground was any less treacherous. I stumbled, nearly falling.

Alice “…Ah…”

More of those little glowing lights began to appear.

Alice “…?”

Alice “W–wow…”

It was more than just a scattering of light. It lit up the forest.

The once-dark woods now glowed softly and dreamily, almost like a fairytale.

With this many lights, I could finally tell what they were.

Alice “Mushrooms…”

Boris “Amazing, right? These are the glowing mushrooms I was telling you about…”

Alice “These… oh, right, a guest at the inn mentioned them before.”

They’d said, “There are mushrooms that glow, you know.” I’d been curious, but never got the chance to see them.

Boris “I thought you might want to see them. …Ah, but this isn’t the same place that person told you about.”

Alice “Huh? It’s not?”

Boris “The one they were talking about is closer to town. No way anyone could find this spot way out here in the forest.”

Boris “Glowing mushrooms only shine in the dark… It’s hard for townsfolk to make it all the way out here.”

Boris “The spot near town’s easier to get to, sure, but it’s crowded. And there aren’t nearly this many mushrooms.”

Alice “I see… So this is a place not many people know about, then.”

Boris “Probably only me. I found it by chance.”

Alice “!”

Alice “That’s incredible! I can’t believe you knew about this!”

People are silly creatures—if a place is unknown to others, it suddenly feels more special. Things like “secret hideouts” and “hidden places” have a powerful appeal. I’m no exception.

Boris “I searched for it.”

Alice “?”

Boris “I searched… and I found it. The one near town is famous, but I didn’t know anywhere else. So I wandered around, hoping I’d get lucky.”

Alice “……”

Alice “…You searched for it.”

Alice (Could it be…)

I remembered earlier—when Boris had shown up while I was at the café with Pierce.

Boris “…I had a lot to do, I was busy.”

Alice “Boris… When you said you were busy with a lot of things…”

(And maybe the reason he usually only came back to the tower at the last minute…)

Boris “…Yeah. This was one of the reasons. Not the only one, but… yeah.”

Even without me saying the rest, Boris understood what I was asking. He answered, a little awkwardly.

Maybe it embarrassed him, having me realize just how much effort he had gone to.

Alice (Even if that’s true… there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.)

(…He’s been searching all this time.)

I remembered—it was after the first assembly when that guest told me about the glowing mushrooms. Since then, Boris had been looking for a good place… all this time…

Alice “Why…? The famous spot near town would’ve been fine.”

To be honest, I had hoped he might invite me on a date.

He had heard the conversation between me and that guest. He must’ve known I wanted to go.

So I thought, if he didn’t want me going with someone else, then maybe he would take me.

But he never invited me.

And I couldn’t exactly ask him myself—not when there was a chance someone might get shot over a misunderstanding. If I mentioned the place I’d heard about from someone else, Boris might jump to conclusions and end up hurting them again.

Because he hadn’t asked me, I’d honestly felt a little frustrated about it.

Boris “It’s because… I didn’t want to lose to the guy who talked to you. I wanted to take you somewhere better than where he would’ve taken you.”

Alice “Boris…”

Alice “…I got irritated over nothing. I kept thinking, ‘Why won’t he just take me already?’”

I was upset that he didn’t invite me out. But knowing now that he had been looking for a place all along—suddenly I felt bad for ever being frustrated.

He’s fickle, yes, but he loves me. And even when I didn’t see it, he’d been thinking about me.

Boris “Yeah… I knew. I’m sorry I didn’t take you sooner…”

Alice “I didn’t know you were searching for a place…”

There was no reason for him to apologize. And maybe I didn’t need to apologize either. But the truth is—I hadn’t considered his side nearly as much.

Back at the café, I even told him, “If you don’t want to be left out, come back earlier.”

I didn’t know. But even so, that was a cruel thing to say. No wonder he looked so annoyed.

Alice “I…”

Boris “It’s fine. Think of it as a present. Did you like it?”

Just as I was about to fall into guilt, Boris gently lifted me up again.

Alice “Of course I did. It’s beautiful.”

Even more beautiful than I had imagined from the stories. That such a breathtaking place could be hidden so deep in the forest—it was amazing.

I was mesmerized. It was beautiful… and special…

Alice “…A surprise gift like this… was it for some special occasion?”

It was so meaningful, it actually worried me. Maybe I’d forgotten something important.

What if Boris remembered something I had forgotten? That would be terrible—as a girlfriend, that’s the worst-case scenario.

Girls are supposed to be the ones who remember anniversaries and special days.

Boris “There’s no such thing as anniversaries in this world, Alice. Every moment can be special… and at the same time, none of them have to be.”

Boris “So basically, they can all be something… or nothing. But either way, none of them are truly special.”

Alice “There you go again, with your weird rules…”

Still, he had a point. Time in this world is broken. Nonsensical. Chaotic. No consistency at all.

Alice (So we can’t really have anniversaries here.)

Even the concept of a "day" is vague.

Alice “So this wasn’t even for a special occasion?”

Boris “You don’t need a special occasion to give your girlfriend a present, right?”

Alice “Well, maybe not… but I didn’t prepare anything for you.”

Boris “That’s fine. It’s enough that you were surprised and happy.”

Alice “……”

It wasn’t a special day. Just a complete surprise.

And even if I wasn’t supposed to have something for him, I still felt bad.

In such a special place… I couldn’t do anything special in return.

Alice “I want to do something for you.”

Boris “Hmm… well, that would definitely make me happy. Then… how about a kiss to mark the occasion?”

Alice “…That’s hardly something worth commemorating. It’s not really special.”

Boris “Sure it is. It’s special, and worth remembering. Our first kiss after we started dating… do you remember it?”

As if I could forget. That was a kiss to remember.

I joked about it at the time, but later—I was glad we shared that kiss.

Alice “…I remember. That kiss was special.”

Everything changed with that kiss.

Boris “Yeah, same here. I still remember that kiss. No matter how many kisses we share, I don’t think I’ll ever forget that one.”

He kissed me—softly, gently.

A different kiss than that time. But with Boris, no two kisses are ever the same.

Each one is special. But that one… that one was truly unforgettable.

More than I realized in that moment, it left a mark.

Boris “The first kiss I shared with you—after we became a couple.”

In the middle of this dark forest, in a place only he knew about. The first time he brought me here. The green of the woods bathed in a soft, golden light.

A fairytale-like space, where a pink cat kisses me. It’s all so surreal.

That pink cat is my boyfriend, and I live in this strange world now. In this fairytale land.

The very sight around me feels like the embodiment of all this strangeness and wonder.

Boris “Our first kiss… it really was special. I’ll never forget it.”

Alice “Yes… me neither.”

A dreamlike fairytale, one that might vanish any moment. But I want it to stay just like this—always mysterious, always magical.

Alice (Don’t change. Not any more than this.)

Each time our lips meet, another special kiss is added to the story.

Alice “I won’t forget this kiss either.”

Scene – Clover Town – Inn

Man “There’s all kinds of rare things in the forest, but nothing’s as beautiful as the glowing mushrooms.”

Alice “They’re really that pretty?”

Man “Oh yeah. I think they’re worth seeing at least once.”

He’s a regular customer—one who still talks to me the same way he did before, even after Boris shot him.

That unchanged attitude… I appreciate it.

But at the same time, I find it terrifying. If this had happened in my original world, he wouldn’t have forgiven it.

At that time, Boris—who was just a friend—shot him. He was injured.

And yet, the next time they met, he acted completely normal. No hint of hiding bitterness or pretending.

Nothing had changed. At first, I felt relieved by that… but then I was disturbed.

Violence is tolerated here. It’s just part of everyday life.

He’s just a role-less citizen—being shot isn’t even enough to make a fuss here. In this world, even one-sided violence is simply… accepted.

It’s absurd.

Alice (But… I’m a part of this world now.)

A world unlike the one I came from. But I chose to stay. And by staying, I’ve become part of this world.

I had another dream about my sister the other day. I still remember her.

But I don’t regret choosing this world over hers. Now that I’ve stayed, I have to accept what comes with that.

Part of me is thankful that my friendship with this good man wasn’t destroyed. Another part is disturbed by how nothing was made of it—and grateful it wasn’t.

I’m fully entrenched in this world’s madness.

Boris “So, Alice... this guy’s bothering you again? Persistent, isn’t he?”

Man “!”

Alice “!”

Here comes my boyfriend—the unhinged cat who thinks nothing of pointing a gun at people.

Alice “Boris…”

Alice “What are you doing here? You didn’t say you were coming.”

Alice “We agreed on the next time zone, didn’t we?”

Boris “I wanted to see you. So I came. …What, didn’t want to be interrupted? What were you doing with this guy?”

Man “I was just talking…”

Boris “I wasn’t asking you.”

Bang!

Boris fires his gun with a loud crack.

This time, he misses—likely because I scolded him pretty harshly the last time. He took it to heart… somewhat.

That’s about the extent of his “remorse.”

Alice “Stop it, Boris! We were just talking!”

Boris “Yeah? Well, he’s too clingy. Always hanging around you…”

Alice “He’s just a customer. He’s not clinging. He just came to eat.”

Boris “Yeah, using food as an excuse to cozy up to you. Pathetic.”

Alice “That’s not it. He’s a good person—”

Boris “Getting you on his side… No way. He’s no ‘good person’—not to me. To me, he’s the enemy.”

Boris “You’re my girlfriend. And yet here you are, with some guy…”

Alice “We were just talking!”

Boris “Then don’t talk to him!”

Alice “Don’t say stuff like that—it makes you sound like an insecure boyfriend!”

Boris “I am an insecure boyfriend!”

Man “…………”

Alice “...Ah.”

Suddenly, it hits me.

We’re being ridiculous.

This is basically a lovers’ spat in public. Like clinging to your partner in the middle of a crowded street—making things awkward for everyone.

Alice (Ugh… We just put on a full-blown jealous scene for an audience…)

It wasn’t like a lovers’ spat—it was one. And we had the misfortune of putting on the whole embarrassing show in front of someone.

Man “...Fighting isn't good, you know.”

Alice “…………”

In a world so full of violence, to hear something that normal—it hits strangely.

Man “If you’re lovers, you should try to get along.”

Boris “Getting lectured by a faceless guy…”

Alice “...He is a good person.”

I swatted Boris’s hand away as he started to raise his gun again.

Boris “Don’t defend the faceless guy! You do like him, don’t you?!”

Alice “What are you saying?! The one I love is you, not—”

Alice “...ah.”

Boris “Really!?”

Alice “Really…”

Boris “Alice…”

Alice “…………”

Alice “...Ah.”

It hits me again. We really shouldn’t be doing this. Not here—not in front of a random bystander.

Man “I guess that ‘try to get along’ line was unnecessary, huh?”

He smiled warmly—kindly.

Man “You two are clearly close. You make a good couple.”

Alice “…………”

Boris “If you get it now, then stop interrupting and disappear already.”

Man “Ah—sorry for being so clueless. Well then, see you, Alice.”

He said it breezily and walked away. It reminded me of that knight.

Alice (Ugh… I really can’t handle the overly cheerful types…)

Scene Change – Forest – Mushrooms and Doors

Because Boris had arrived a time slot earlier than planned, he waited until I finished work. Now that night had fallen and my shift was over, we were back in the forest, taking a walk.

…Though walking by the creek had left me a little chilled.

So now we’re resting.

Just like that time we fell asleep together—we sat at the base of a tree, wrapped in a blanket Boris brought. His body heat and the shared cover warmed my cold body. Cozy, safe, and warm.

Alice “...Can I get a promise?”

Boris “Yeah, yeah. I get it. I promise. No pulling a gun at your job, right?”

Alice “It’s not just that. You said those things too. I asked you to stop saying that kind of stuff.”

A lover’s quarrel in front of coworkers and customers. I’m sure I’ll be teased when I go back to work.

That kind of scene—we have to avoid it from now on. I had Boris promise not to do it again.

Boris “I don’t really get the problem, though… I mean, we’re dating. What’s wrong with saying so?”

Alice “What’s wrong is—it’s embarrassing, okay?”

Boris “Embarrassing? You mean being my girlfriend is embarrassing?”

His hurt tone made me panic.

Alice “No, no! That’s not it at all! It’s just… showing that kind of thing in front of other people… it’s kind of… flustering, you know?”

Boris “You don’t have to be flustered, though. …But, if that’s the reason, I guess I can respect that. I’ll promise.”

Boris “Because I love your flustered face. I don’t want other guys seeing how cute you get when you’re embarrassed.”

He said it so naturally and kissed my cheek. A quiet smooch echoed in the still forest air.

Alice (His reason for promising is a little questionable… but oh well. If he keeps the promise, I’ll take it.)

Alice "Then promise me properly."

Boris "Yeah, yeah, I got it. I won’t say we’re dating or that I love you in front of other people. I won’t shoot my gun either. I promise. …I’ll try to be careful."

Alice (...Huh? Try to???)

That part caught my attention, but I wasn’t given the chance to ask. A hand reached out, gently turning my face—and then his lips sealed mine.

Alice "Mmph…"

Boris "Alice."

He whispered my name sweetly as he gave me soft, pecking kisses, one after another. They gradually deepened—turning into a kiss that sought connection, reaching inside, long and consuming.

Alice "Mmm… Hah…"

Boris "Nn… Hah…"

Alice "…Ah…"

Boris "…Haa…"

Again and again, changing angles each time.

I was breathless. I forgot where we even were, caught up entirely in the moment.

Boris "…"

Alice "……Nn…"

Alice "……Haa…"

When I was finally released, a long sigh escaped my lips.

I tried to turn my gaze away in embarrassment—but I couldn’t. Boris cupped my cheek and gently held my face in place.

Boris "……"

Boris "I really like how you look at night. You sparkle... you look so beautiful."

Alice "...Huh? Where did that come from all of a sudden?"

Boris "Ah, don’t get me wrong. I love how you look in the afternoon and evening too, of course."

That wasn’t the point. He just threw it out there without any lead-in, so it caught me completely off guard. But Boris didn’t seem to notice that.

Boris "You're always cute, and I love you so much… I really just want to stay close and keep looking at you like this forever."

Alice "…Forever’s a bit much. I’d get tired."

Boris "Ugh… There you go again with your cold responses… You never say the kind of things that would actually make me happy."

Alice "That's just the kind of person I am."

Boris "Don't just brush it off as ‘your personality’... Haa, well, whatever. You're right, this position is kind of tough."

He said that and removed the hand he'd placed on my cheek.

Boris "I could stay like this forever and not get tired… but I might get sleepy."

Facing forward, Boris let out a yawn. “Fuaaah…”

Alice "You're not going to get sleepy—you already are, aren’t you?"

Boris "Just a little, maybe. I wonder why… Nights are usually when I’m most awake, but when I’m with you, my rhythm gets all messed up."

Boris "When I’m with you, I feel really calm. So calm that I start dozing off."

Boris "I might not even notice if someone does something to me while I’m half-asleep…"

1. “Really?”

2. “I feel calm too.”

3. (Guilty gulp)

1. “Really?”

Alice "Really?"

Boris "Yeah, really. But that might actually be a problem. You're a girl—I'm supposed to be protecting you."

Boris "But being near you feels too good… I only ever let my guard down like this when I’m with you."

Alice "…Huh."

(So when he's near me, he lets his guard down that much.)

For a cat to be defenseless—it means he really likes and trusts someone. To know that I’m the only one he relaxes around makes me feel… a little proud.

2. “I feel calm too.”

Alice "Yeah… I feel calm too."

Next to Boris, it’s warm and peaceful. Even without the blanket like we have now, I’d still feel safe with him.

When I said that, Boris beamed happily.

Boris "Haha, yeah, we do tend to doze off together a lot, don’t we?"

Boris "You can relax and let your guard down as much as you want, okay? I’ll protect you."

Alice "Mm-hm. I’m counting on you."

3. (Guilty gulp)

(Gulp.)

His “might not notice if someone does something” line struck a little too close to home. I didn't say anything out loud, but of course, sharp-eared Boris noticed right away.

Boris "…Why’d you react to that, huh?"

Alice "Eh? N-no, I mean…"

He leaned in close—really close. His face was right in front of mine.

(…I-I can’t say it.)

Boris "C’mon, be honest, Alice. You’re a good girl, right? What did you do to me while I was sleeping?"

Alice "N-nothing! I didn’t do anything!"

(When he's asleep, I touch his tail sometimes… because that’s the only time he doesn’t get mad. …But I can't say that.)

Boris "Something's fishy… But hey, nothing weird happened when I woke up, so I guess it's fine."

(Phew… thank goodness…)

Choices Converge

Alice "………"

Alice "…I’m getting sleepy too."

It’s nighttime. We’re outside, sure—but wrapped in a warm blanket.

It’d be stranger not to get drowsy.

Alice "It’s nighttime… Maybe we should sleep."

Boris "You always want to sleep at night, huh? Why’s that? Is there some reason?"

Boris "I mean, why are you so set on sleeping at night? I’m nocturnal, so I don’t really get it."

He tilted his head like he genuinely didn’t understand, though I could tell he was getting sleepy himself.

Alice "It’s just habit from my original world. But you’re sleepy too, aren’t you?"

Boris "A little, yeah. But I’m not gonna sleep. And I’m not gonna let you sleep either."

Alice "Eh?"

His golden eyes sparkled—though maybe not in the most wholesome way.

Boris "I waited a whole time slot just to be alone with you. No way I’m wasting that on sleep. That’d be a real shame."

Alice "That’s not really a—mmph…"

Another kiss. It came fast and a little rough—but quickly melted into soft heat as his lips moved with mine.

Alice "Mmm…"

Boris "Nn… Don’t fall asleep, Alice. Let’s do something more fun."

He whispered mischievously between kisses. His hands started to slide along my body, hidden under the blanket.

Alice "Wait…!"

(He thinks the blanket hides everything—!)

Though honestly, Boris would probably do this with or without the blanket…

Alice "N-no…!"

Boris "No? But why not? There’s nobody else here—so what’s the problem?"

Alice "That's not what I meant…! This is a huge problem!"

The issue wasn’t just about cuddling. Sure, snuggling under a blanket in the forest might be tolerable—but this was…

Alice "…!"

As I squirmed in protest, Boris let out a breath of laughter.

Boris "You're so shy. You only let me cling to you at night. That’s no fun—I'd want to touch you in the morning, evening, any time."

Alice "…Huh? Just because it's nighttime doesn't mean you can do whatever you—"

Alice "…Ah!"

I tried to argue, but Boris's hands moved skillfully. He remembered exactly where I was sensitive, leaving me unable to form a proper response.

Boris "…Well, whatever. It’s night now, right? So that means anything goes. I feel like seeing a whole lot of that shy face of yours tonight."

Alice "Wrong—!"

(I never said anything goes—!)

Boris "Haha, even if you say no, I'm not stopping, you know? So get ready."

Alice "～～～～っ"

Alice "…Ugh!"

He clearly wasn’t going to back off. His hands moved without restraint.

The blanket was starting to become… indispensable.

(…This is starting to feel like Nightmare’s territory.)

Visitor Event – Peter 4

Scene Change – Clover Town – Alice's Room

Boris "You had a cat…?"

Alice "Yes, I did."

I was talking about my old world. At home, we had a cat.

Today we were spending time in my room, and I’d brought it up myself.

Alice "She was called Dinah. She was so cute."

Boris "Dinah…?"

Alice "Mm-hm. Cute name, right?"

She was incredibly affectionate toward me. Of course, like any cat, she could be a bit bratty too—but that just made her more lovable.

She was a mischievous little thing, but adorable. My precious cat.

(I wish I could introduce her to Boris.)

I had no idea whether they’d get along, but still—cat to cat, I was curious what would happen.

Alice "Even when I bathed her, she didn’t thrash around much. Isn’t that amazing?"

Alice "She was a very good girl. A housecat who never went outside, always in my room… so she never fought with other cats. I’m sure she wouldn’t scratch you either."

I was definitely being a doting owner, but Dinah was adorable enough to deserve it.

Boris "Baths…? Always in your room…?"

Alice "I really loved her. Are you interested?"

Of course, I couldn't introduce her now—I was in a different world.

But Dinah was such a sweet cat, I wanted to talk about her. And I figured Boris, being a cat, might take an interest.

(I bet he would—cat to cat and all.)

Even though I had no intention of going back to that world, talking about Dinah still made me happy.

Boris "Alice…"

Alice "Hmm?"

He suddenly had a very serious look on his face.

Alice "???"

An almost tragic expression…

Boris "You were cheating on me!?"

Alice "Huh…?"

Alice “W…What? Cheating!? Cheating…? With a cat!?”

Boris “I’M a cat too!!”

Alice “Y-Yes, but…!”

Boris “You won’t live with me, but you lived with another cat!? That’s cheating! That’s betrayal!!”

Alice “Wha—whaaat!?”

Of course, I never meant it like that.

Boris “You had a pet cat… Lived with another cat…! While I have to live apart from you!?”

Alice “Eh… well… I don’t live with her anymore… It was in my old world!”

Boris “!!! A former cat!?”

Boris “You said I was your first cat! Even if it’s not happening now—still! You lied to me!?”

Alice “I didn’t lie! I’ve never had a romantic relationship with a cat until you!?”

First and last. No one expects to fall in love with a cat even once in a lifetime.

Boris “So you weren’t lovers? You lived with a cat you weren’t even dating!? That’s immoral!!”

Alice “Ehhhhh???”

Alice “But she was my pet… I said ‘my cat,’ but really she was the family’s cat.”

Boris “So your whole family approved of her!? Like you were practically married!?”

Alice “…………”

I honestly have no idea how to even respond anymore.

Boris “A cat worthy of marriage…!? You never told me you had a pet!! You kept it a secret!!”

Boris “Ughhh, even if it was a past cat, I can’t stand it…!! If it were a cat in this world, I’d shoot her dead!!!”

He’s way more worked up than when he was jealous of that guest at the inn.

Alice (Boris really is…)

…a cat. Other cats seem to pose more of a threat in his mind.

Alice “Um… you know… we weren’t getting married or anything. Dinah was a girl cat.”

Besides, it’s not like I could actually marry a cat.

(…Unless that cat was someone like Boris.)

Boris “!”

Boris “A girl… But still!! I can’t forgive that cat!!”

Boris “Alice, you were tricked by a wicked cat! It was practically marriage fraud!!”

Boris “Purring and meowing, fooling you into falling for her!”

Boris “No cat like that could really be cute! Her true nature must’ve been awful!”

Alice “Um… uh…”

Boris “I’ll make you forget that cat! So don’t ever think about her again!!”

Alice “…………”

He hugged me tight. Hugged me tight and started licking me.

Licked, kissed, hugged—wrapped up in his possessive affection.

Boris "I’ll make you forget her—that other cat. I’ll make sure you can’t remember anyone but me..."

He's serious. Boris is completely serious.

And it's because he's serious that this whole thing is incredibly awkward.

Alice (…Is this supposed to be dramatic? From a cat’s perspective…) (If I replaced ‘cat’ with ‘man’ in my head, maybe it wouldn’t sound that weird…)

Boris "…I’ll be your pet cat instead!"

Alice "I don’t need you to make me forget her, and you don’t need to be my pet…"

Boris "So you do like that old cat better!? Even when you’ve got me right here…!"

Boris is truly, hopelessly sincere. And apparently, genuinely heartbroken.

Alice "Listen, Boris. It’s not that I prefer Dinah to you or anything—"

I couldn’t finish. A large feline silenced me with a kiss.

Boris "…Even if you say no, I’ll make you forget that other cat."

He whispers sweetly, and it almost feels like something out of a romantic drama.

But…

Alice (A cat… yeah, still a cat…) (Even if I mentally swap ‘cat’ for ‘man’… it's still…) (…Nope. It’s the cat part that ruins everything.)

“Forget your old cat”—when you hear it enough, it stops sounding dramatic and starts feeling like comedy.

And Boris isn’t listening. Nothing I say will get through to him.

Alice (…I should just give up on telling him about Dinah.)

Not only did I bathe her, I bathed with her sometimes. We even slept together often...

If I said any of that, Boris would definitely lose it.

(Cats really are territorial creatures, aren’t they…)

Scene – Forest

Boris "Hey, Alice... I can’t dip the fish in this…"

Alice "…Why not? It’s fine, go ahead."

Alice "Feel free to dip it and eat it—your beloved fish."

Boris "Even if you say I can… but, like, I mean… look at it…"

Alice "…Go on?"

A sweet aroma wafts into the air.

It's fondue, yes—but today, I’ve brought chocolate fondue.

Boris "…………"

Boris "…Are you mad?"

Alice "…No?"

Alice "…I just think it’s a little disappointing that no matter how many ingredients I prepare, you always only eat fish and Pierce only eats cheese."

Boris "…So you are mad."

Alice "Oh my, I’m not mad at all… I just want you to enjoy a variety of flavors."

Boris "…Like fish with chocolate?"

Alice "…A rich chocolate aroma mixed with fishy goodness. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?"

I dipped a strawberry into the chocolate and took a bite.

Delicious. Vegetables go well with cheese fondue, and fruits go perfectly with chocolate fondue.

Boris "…That looks good."

Alice "…It is. Fruits and chocolate—sweet and perfect for a snack or dessert."

Boris "…But not with fish, right?"

Alice "…Maybe not. But for a cat who loves fish like you, Boris, I’m sure it’ll be fine."

Alice "You’ll love it—chocolate-covered fish."

Boris "…………"

Pierce "Mmm, yummy, yummy! Chocolate fondue is so good!"

…Pierce really is a mouse who can’t read the room.

He’s not bright enough to notice that I’m upset. No—not upset. This is all coming from a generous heart, wanting them to enjoy many flavors…

Pierce "So good~ Chocolate fondue~ Chocolate, chocolate! Cheese, cheese!"

Boris "…………"

Alice "…………"

The mouse who can’t read the room wasn’t just grabbing random fruit…

No, he was eating cheese. The cheese I had prepared for him.

And he was dipping it into the chocolate fondue.

Alice "…………"

Alice (thinking) (Cheese in chocolate fondue...)

Worse than "cheese in cheese fondue"—a dense monstrosity. So dense I’d like to blur it out with a mosaic.

Just imagining the taste is enough to…

Alice (T-too rich…)

Pierce "Chocolate cheese~ Cheeeese~ Two flavors in one—such a deal~"

A “deal,” maybe, but the flavors are probably so overwhelming they cancel each other out. Of course, I have no intention of finding out.

Even if it remains a mystery forever, I’ll have no regrets.

Boris "…………"

Boris "…I didn’t know mice were such strong creatures."

Alice "…………"

Boris "…Should I show my cat pride and eat it out of sheer willpower? That chocolate-covered fish…"

Alice "…No need."

Alice "I’ll give you some fruit instead… Just eat this…"

Later

Alice "…Ah."

Pierce "…Ah."

Boris "You dropped it."

Alice "…………"

(…Oops.)

A strawberry plopped into the pot of chocolate fondue.

Alice "Aaah…"

(This is…)

(…In my world, this would mean…)

What about in this world? I didn’t intend to say anything.

Boris "…Punishment game."

Pierce "Punishment game, punishment game~"

Alice "…Ugh. Even this world has that…?"

If you drop something into the fondue pot, you get a penalty.

It’s a sort of traditional rule—whoever drops their food has to do a “punishment,” usually something silly decided among friends.

Boris "Of course it exists. That’s the rule—drop food in the fondue pot, and you get punished."

Pierce "Alice, you’re always picking up after others, and now you’re dropping stuff too. What a klutz~ You’ve gotta do your punishment~"

Alice "…Ugh. Just great. The worst parts of both worlds are the same."

Alice "So, what’s the rule here? Do I have to chug something?"

Not exactly admirable, but in my world, the typical punishment is chugging your drink.

Since fondue often contains alcohol, it’s treated as a kind of drunken party game—a casual tradition between friends or family.

Boris "…………"

Pierce "…………"

Boris and Pierce exchange a glance.

Boris "…………"

Pierce "A kiss."

Alice "…Huh?"

Pierce "A kiss! You know, a chu~"

Boris "Not from yourself. It’s a kiss from someone else at the table. A punishment bestowed by the group."

Alice "Uh, r-really…?"

Alice "A kiss…?"

Boris "Alice, does your world not have that custom? You’ve never heard of it?"

Alice "U-uh…"

If it were total nonsense, I could’ve rejected the idea outright.

But I have heard of it. In fact, in my world, that kind of punishment game does exist.

Dropping your food in the fondue pot? Sometimes, depending on the region, the “punishment” is getting a kiss from someone else.

It’s meant to liven things up and bring people closer together. The original version is the drink penalty, but this variation is more common among friends.

Pierce "So it exists! Then it’s okay, right?"

Pierce "I'm gonna give you a kiss~ Chu, chu~"

Alice "…W-Wait a minute. That’s…"

It’s not a loud party crowd—just two boys here. Honestly, chugging my drink would be the easier punishment.

Boris "Move, Pierce. I’m the one kissing her."

Boris said this with clear irritation.

(Well, yeah… He’d be irritated if Pierce kissed me…)

(But… he’s okay with it?)

I half-expected him to go full possessive-cat and start firing off rounds to keep everyone away. Surprisingly, he wasn’t that extreme. Even though a kiss, even as a game, feels pretty borderline…

(Well… It’s a game, I guess.)

A punishment game. That’s all it is.

In this world, games matter more than anything.

Pierce "That’s not fair. I wanna kiss too!"

Alice "…Wha—?"

Boris "Back off, Pierce. I’m the cat here."

Pierce "Even a mouse has the right to kiss in a punishment game! I’m gonna kiss too…"

Boris "Mice don’t get rights…"

Pierce "Alice, you taste sweet… Like chocolate…"

Boris "You taste like strawberries…"

Alice "It’s just your imagination… Or maybe the fondue we were eating earlier…"

Pierce "No, it’s you, Alice. You’re sweet… Like chocolate…"

Pierce "Mmm, tasty. Can I take a bite?"

Boris "I’m gonna lick… Mmm, tasty…"

Alice "…D-Don’t eat me, please."

With these two—no, these two animals—I might actually get eaten.

Alice "…………"

(Maybe I’m drunk from the fondue…)

My body feels warm all over.

(Drunk… maybe…)

But I know what ingredients I used in that fondue. I made it myself, after all.

(…There’s no way I could be drunk.)

Chocolate fondue, unlike cheese fondue, barely contains any alcohol.

Cheese fondue has a generous amount of white wine, but chocolate fondue is just cream and milk. Maybe a touch of brandy for fragrance—just a dash.

No way I’d get drunk.

Boris "…Too long. Mouse, you’re in the way."

Pierce "The cat keeps interrupting my kissing…"

Alice "…………"

Alice "…You’re both taking way too long."

This isn’t a punishment game anymore.

Scene – Forest – Doors and Arrows

Alice (…Huh?)

I thought I was walking toward Peter, to go see him… And yet, somehow—I’d wandered off again.

Peter “……This is exactly why I can’t take my eyes off of you.”

He had come to find me. Peter offered a soft smile that carried a hint of exasperation.

When he acts like an adult like that, it only makes it harder. It feels worse than being scolded—it makes me feel guilty.

Alice “Ugh…”

Alice “…Please keep this a secret, okay?”

Peter “?”

Peter “A secret…? About what?”

Alice “That I got lost.”

Peter “?”

Alice “That I got lost!”

Peter “???”

Alice “I said, that I got lost! Don’t make me repeat it again!”

This forest must have some kind of hysteria-inducing effect.

When I’m with Boris and Pierce, I can enjoy myself. But when I’m alone… it all changes.

Alone, I just end up yelling. Yelling at the doors, and now even at the rabbit…

Alice (thinking) (Isn’t forest bathing supposed to be calming? Forests are supposed to ease the mind, right?)

(This must be a forest lacking in negative ions.)

Instead of negative ions, it has doors.

(I don’t need doors—I need peace. Where’s the healing energy?)

There’s no healing here. Just an overwhelming number of doors…

And yet, I keep coming back to this forest. I end up here and lose my way.

Alice “It’s honestly embarrassing to get lost this many times.”

Alice “It should be a straightforward path, and yet I end up in the forest on the way to the castle… I can’t even laugh at Ace anymore.”

(Even though I try to avoid using the doors and stick to walking on my own. Maybe I’m being punished for slacking off now and then.)

Peter “……”

Alice “…And don’t you dare tell Ace, okay!? He’d definitely make fun of me!”

Peter “……”

Peter “…You’re not lost, Alice.”

Alice “…What?”

Peter “You didn’t get lost. There just happened to be a door in the direction you were heading. You walked toward it, and so you ended up here. That’s all.”

Peter “You’re not lost.”

Alice “What are you talking about? I wasn’t aiming for the forest full of doors—I was heading for the castle.”

I had no intention of ending up here. I didn’t mean to arrive in the forest.

Alice “I did get lost.”

Peter “Even if you did, it’s something you wanted—deep down.”

Peter “…But I don’t want that. Even if you wished for it, I don’t want you walking toward the doors.”

(CG: Peter in forest with gun)

Peter’s watch transforms into a gun.

He shoots a door— Bang, bang, bang. One after another. Not just one door—he begins shooting all the surrounding doors.

Not a single tree trunk is hit. Every shot lands squarely on the doors.

Though the targets are large, some are quite far away. Still, he hits them all with the same accuracy as those nearby.

It’s as if he already knew exactly what to do. He moves slowly, like the hands of a watch, gradually turning his body.

There are so many doors, the motion is slow. But the speed of his shots is fast—his hands don’t stop for a second.

Some doors are made of wood, others look like iron. Each gives off a different sound when struck.

Alice (thinking) (Talking doors… They’re not living creatures, right…?)

It’s an eerie thought. They speak, but they’re not alive… probably.

If they were alive, I would have stopped him.

But they’re just doors. Doors attached to trees, belonging to no one.

If Peter were shooting the trees, I’d stop him like I would for a living thing. But just the doors? That’s harder to judge.

Alice (thinking) (……)

Somehow… I also felt relieved.

The talking doors are eerie—frightening. They keep repeating, “Open me. Come inside.”

Alice (thinking) (…They’re scary.)

Even so, I keep ending up here again and again.

Peter shoots the doors. The gunshots drown out every voice.

Right now, there's no sound. Just the sound of Peter’s gun.

Those loud, echoing shots right next to me… they’re oddly comforting. The doors’ voices only ever try to lead me astray.

Later

Bang. A final shot.

Alice “……”

Alice “You used a lot of bullets, didn’t you?”

Honestly, I was a little dumbfounded that he hadn’t run out.

Peter had shot every door in sight—every one visible within view. How had he not run out of ammo?

He had reloaded several times, but how much was he carrying? Bullets are heavy. Carrying that many would normally slow a person down.

Alice “To shoot that much and not run out of bullets… you must’ve brought way too many spares.”

Peter “Fufu. I never run out. I have an endless supply of bullets. The only time I’ll ever be out of ammo… is when I die.”

Peter “……Now then. This looks a bit better. No more voices. Let’s head to the castle.”

Looking around, every door was full of bullet holes. The doors were finally silent.

Even now, with the gunfire stopped, the quiet remained. Peter gently took my hand.

Alice “But… next time I come here, it’ll all be back to normal, won’t it?”

It’s fine now. There’s no voice.

But the next time I come, the bullet holes will be gone. Everything will be as it was before. Like Peter never fired at all, the doors will talk to me again.

In this world, things like dirty clothes or worn-out items don’t stay that way. Cleaning, laundry—none of it is necessary.

Even if no one fixes them, things repair themselves.

Just like how people here are interchangeable, buildings and even nature get restored without notice. Time turns backward, returning everything to its pristine state.

It’s convenient—but also meaningless. What Peter did just now… it’ll be erased.

Alice “The doors will fix themselves.”

Peter “Yes, I know. Even if I destroy them all now, they’ll be repaired later.”

Peter “But… at the very least, I can buy you some time. Enough time to get to the castle and back.”

Peter “Truthfully, I’d destroy them so thoroughly they couldn’t be repaired… But that’s not allowed here. So at least, I’ll do this much. So you won’t get lost again on your way back.”

Alice “……”

Alice “Even so… they’ll fix themselves soon, right? You didn’t have to go this far.”

Peter knew. He knew it was futile—and did it anyway.

Peter “If they fix themselves… I’ll just shoot them again.”

He smiled with the same expression as someone saying “I love you.”

Later

We left the forest of doors and returned to the path.

As long as Peter was with me, I wouldn’t get lost. With his hand in mine, I felt sure even the return trip would be fine.

What did I do with Peter’s hand…?

a. I kept staring at it

b. I held it back

a. I kept staring at it

I kept looking at the hand Peter used to lead me. A white-gloved, pristine hand—soft and clean. The hand of a white rabbit.

In truth, it was a hand that could easily pull a trigger and hurt others.

But right now… I could just follow that hand. That’s all I needed.

b. I held it back

I gripped Peter’s hand tightly in return. He had been walking straight ahead, but he turned back slightly.

With a shy little smile, Peter said:

Peter “It’s alright. I won’t let go. No matter where you try to go… I’ll bring you back.”

Alice “……”

Peter would bring me back.

Even though I no longer had any intention of getting lost again… For some reason, those words made me feel safe in a way I couldn’t explain.

Choices Converge