The rain stopped.

It can be heard in the dilapidated wooden houses that are barely sheltered from the wind and rain.

The sound of the rain faded away, and the melodious cries of birds and the short chirping of insects were heard......

"Meow~~Meow~~"

By the way, there are cats from nowhere, yelling in close proximity.

I don't know what I'm talking about, but if only I could understand the cat's meow.

The touch of a cat's paw pressing came from the back of the hand.

The boy opened his eyes with some difficulty, only to realize that the cat was squatting in front of him.

The jet-black hair was stained with mud and dull in the sunlight from the cracks in the roof.

It's obviously a very clean animal, probably because of the heavy rain to make this look.

"Meow!"

Seeing that he had finally moved, the black cat raised the cat's paw that was used to pat the back of his hand, and pointed to the door behind him that was blocked by the cabinet.

“…… You're going out? The boy asked, then looked around.

The windows of the hut were nailed to the boards, and the only place to connect with the outside world, apart from the door behind him, was a leaky hole in the roof.

The location is in the middle, even a cat can't jump out.

However, the black cat in front of him may have jumped in through a hole.

The boy tried his best to remove the cabinet, then pushed it open.

The warm sunlight swept through the door, shining on his body and dispelling the cold.

The black cat ran out of the house, took a few steps, paused, and glanced back at him.

"Meow meow."

This is to tell him to follow, and the boy understands, but his body is not very cooperative.

Maybe it's because I've been asleep for too long, and I'm so weak that I don't have the strength to step on the muddy dirt road, and I feel softer than the dirt under my feet.

The black cat slowed down and urged him to follow, and one man and one cat walked out of the village and came to the west of the village under the cliff, which was five or six meters high.

The boy thought it was going to jump, but he saw it look at him and walk slowly along the path next to the cliff wall.

"Can you understand people?" He was incredulous and asked tentatively.

"Meow." The black cat responded.

He couldn't understand it, so he could only assume that the other party could understand him.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Meow meow."

"......" Maybe he shouldn't ask, he can't understand the cat's language, and it doesn't make sense for the black cat to respond to him.

Climb the cliff, burrow into the woods, and walk for another five minutes to a small river.

The water of the river is crystal clear, and you can see the fish swimming in it, the reflection of the boy and the black cat in the water, the blue sky and the floating clouds.

The black cat first lies on its stomach with its front paws on the ground. After waiting for a few seconds, he suddenly exerted his strength and threw himself into the water.

Pounce!

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

"Meow Woo Pur~"

The black cat jumped back to the boy with the fish in his mouth, and looked directly at him.

“…… Let me eat fish? ”

The black cat shook its head with disdainful eyes.

"Let me watch it for you first?"

The black cat shook even harder this time...... No, it's throwing water...... Then he walked under a tree and used his cat's paw to pluck the branches that had been knocked down by the wind and rain.

He thought as hard as he could, and finally asked tentatively, "Let me help you grill the fish?" ”

The black cat nodded.

Really...... This incredible black cat could really understand him, and even nodded and shook its head in response.

"No problem, but can I divide one?" He was hungry too.

The black cat nodded again.

The boy picked up a rock from the river and asked the black cat to press the fish to the ground and knock the fish unconscious.

When the fish is no longer moving, take the fish and go to the river to wash it.

The knife that I brought with me came in handy, and although it was a bit laborious to use it to slaughter fish, it was much more convenient than no tool at all.

The black cat goes to another undisturbed area to catch fish, then brings it back and helps him knock it out and throw it on the shore.

After catching seven or eight fish, he stopped, lay on his side on a big rock, and watched him slaughter the fish.

They are all small fish that are five or six inches long. The black cat is not large, and it has just rained heavily, so its physical fitness may have been affected, and it is completely understandable that it cannot catch a big fish.

After the fish was slaughtered, the second problem was to make a fire.

He had no tools to make a fire, and it had just rained, so he couldn't find a dry branch.

The black cat looked at the fish lying flat on the pebbles, and its cry was a little lost.

The boy thought about it, took off the hat, carried the slaughtered fish in his hat, and discussed with the black cat about going back to the village.

Even if it is uninhabited, you may be able to find matches in the abandoned village.

If you can't at least have dry wood, you can try to cut out enough wood chips to drill wood for fire.

I rummaged through the cabinets in five or six wooden houses, and luckily found a box of matches, but because of the dampness, I couldn't light the fire, and I took it to the sun to dry for a long time.

Tossing until the sun sets, pile up planks on the few dry floors, scrape out sawdust with a knife, and struck sun-dried matches.

Fireworks have finally been lit up in the abandoned mountain village.

The firelight was reflected in the eyes of a man and a cat.

"Meow meow." The black cat barked happily.

He looked at the firelight, and felt an indescribable sense of relief, and breathed a sigh of relief.

His arm was sore, and he had little strength left, and his hunger for food sustained him to raise the fish on a stick to the fire and roast it.

The burnt aroma of the grilled fish slowly wafts up.

The first one is the black cat's, and the second one is his.

A salt shaker was also found in the wooden house where the matches were turned out, and the first black cat was not allowed to wipe it, but only wiped a layer on his one.

The food you eat when you're hungry must be the most delicious.

He regretted that he only asked the black cat for one.

As a result, the black cat only ate three and then stopped eating, and urged him to continue roasting.

"Meow meow."

It's making him eat.

“…… Thank you. ”

"Meow." The arrogant cry is complacent.

When you have your stomach filled, you sit by the fire and watch the sunset. The fiery clouds of madder were connected in a line on the horizon, and even the distant peaks seemed to be dyed the color of the setting sun.

"Did we know each other before?"

"Meow." The black cat barked.

He looked away from the setting sun and looked at the black cat, who shook his head.

"Then why help me?"

"Meow meow." The black cat pointed to the fish bones.

"Because you want to eat grilled fish yourself?"

"Meow."

"...... like this"

"Meow!"

"Do you want to eat it in the future?"

"Meow."

There was a crackling sound from the burning of firewood, and the cool wind blew on the body, dispelled by the warmth of the fire.

The boy has no memory of the past, he doesn't know who he is, he doesn't know where to go, and even if he returns to a populated place, what he will face is completely unknown.

And so it arose,

"As long as you come to me with fish in your mouth, I will definitely bake it for you to eat, and if you want to eat anything else, it's no problem."

"Meow meow." The black cat seemed dissatisfied, and shook its head.

“…… It's okay to look for me without a fish in your mouth. ”

"Meow!" This time I nodded.

The dilapidated village of one man and one cat in the setting sun has made an incredible agreement between them.

"Say......" The young man lay down by the fire, looked at the slowly darkening sky, turned his head between his mouths, and asked the black cat, "Do you have a name?" ”

"Meow." (shakes head)

"That's ......"

"Meow meow." (The cat's paw points to the boy.) ）

"How about calling it a bed?"

A cat that can understand human speech must not be a wild cat.

Maybe I've had a home before......

“…… Meow. (nods)

[Neko] is [cat], and it seems to be suitable for black cats.

Now that they are all wandering, what should he call himself......