“Ngh...”
Consciousness came sudden and unexpected. Taichi blinked several times. It was so bright that he had to squint, desperate to puzzle out where he was and what was happening. He forced his eyes to adjust as he took in his surroundings.
“Huh?” Taichi blurted. “Where am I? This isn’t the hospital. No, it looks more like...a kotatsu?”
Indeed it was. Taichi had been sleeping at a table with a built-in heater and had a blanket draped over him. The room was a rather cramped four-tatami-mat Japanese-style room. A scroll with calligraphy scrawled across it hung from the wall.
As far as Taichi could remember, he’d darted into the street to save a cat and was struck by a truck in the process. What’s going on? After that misfortune, he couldn’t understand how he’d landed here.
A muffled meow rang out from beneath the kotatsu.
“Hm?”
Taichi lifted the blanket and peeked below the table, where he found the white cat he’d rescued, snuggled in, enjoying the warmth.
“I’m so glad you’re not hurt. What a relief.” The tension left his shoulders, but he was still struggling to digest the situation.
“Oh, are you awake, nya?” rang the cat’s voice. It was speaking Japanese!
“Bwah?!”
“I’m truly grateful to you for saving me,” said the cat. “Thanks for that, nya.”
Taichi was speechless.
“Nya.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up just a second. What’s going on, exactly? Why do you have a halo? And wings?” Taichi was pretty sure neither of those things had been present the last time he saw this feline. That being said, these added features made it all the more adorable. He couldn’t help ogling because how could it be this stinkin’ cute?
The white cat smirked triumphantly at him. “That’s because I am a cat god, nya.”
“What?! You’re a god?!”
That was what the snowy-white feline claimed, anyway. It had a golden angel’s halo hovering over its head and tiny, adorable white wings sprouting from its back. Its whole body sparkled, adding to its beauty and divinity. Taichi could barely hold himself back from scooping the kitty up and nuzzling its fluffy body as he watched it snuggle up beneath the kotatsu.
“That’s right, nya. I’m a god. Again, thank you for saving me. That was a close call, though you did die as a result,” the cat said flippantly.
Again, Taichi was at a loss for words. Who wouldn’t be, with a cat god in front of them? Wait, no. That wasn’t the shocking part.
“Wait. I died?” Taichi clarified. The possibility had occurred to him, but speaking the words out loud left him feeling strangely hollow.
“You certainly did.”
“You’re so glib about it.”
“Ha ha ha, nya. Seems like you really love cats. They’ve told me about you.”
“Huh?”
Now that was unexpected! He hadn’t thought the cats could mention him to anyone. He was touched. His affection for felines had reached the pinnacle of their species—no, the pinnacle of the world!
“They were always so happy to receive those Meowuru treats you gave them, nya.”
“Oh, right,” Taichi mumbled back.
Meowuru was a type of treat sold at the cat café.
“You are obviously kind. I can’t let you go unrewarded for saving me, especially when it cost your life to do so. So I would like to make you an offer: Would you like to continue your life in a new world, nya?”
“A new world?” Taichi echoed back.
“Yep, nya.”
The cat god went on to explain that it was impossible to restore Taichi’s life in his world, but the cat god could give him life in a different one. Unlike Earth, which had developed highly advanced technological civilizations, this new world was one of fantasy and magic. There were a multitude of classes to suit each person’s specialties, along with relevant skills. Taichi had spent his whole adult life as a corporate slave, so this would be a very different experience. In fact, it was like a dream, as far as Taichi was concerned.
“As much as I hate to admit it...I don’t have much stamina, and I’m afraid even if I did go to this other world, I wouldn’t survive long,” reasoned Taichi.
He probably couldn’t even do ten push-ups if he tried. That was no problem for eking out a living in the middle of an industrialized city, but it would put him at such a disadvantage in a world infested by monsters that he wouldn’t be able to leave town. If only he were a decade younger, then maybe he’d have the vitality for it.
The cat cackled. “I’m not so ca-purr-icious that I’d throw you into the world without any blessings, nya. I plan to bestow upon you the power to survive in this new world. Meeoow.”
Taichi’s face lit up. “That would be wonderful! Then please, do that.”
Pleased at how quickly he’d agreed, the cat god nodded at Taichi.
Frankly speaking, Taichi wasn’t keen on returning to his life as a corporate slave. He didn’t have a girlfriend, he lived all by himself, and his parents had already passed away. If he were to hesitate at all, it would be because of the coworker he left behind. The project they had been tackling together would be his coworker’s to bear alone now, and for that, Taichi trembled with guilt.
I’m sorry. Hold on and be strong, Taichi prayed.
“Meow, then,” said the cat god. “What kind of life would you like to lead in your new world? You can be an adventurer and wield a sword or magic to exterminate monsters. How does that sound? Of course, if you have a different purr-eference, I am happy to hear it, nya.”
“What kind of life I wanna lead, huh...” Taichi contemplated, uncertain what he should choose.
Frankly, it would be difficult to become an adventurer and spend his days putting his life on the line in battle. He quickly decided that he didn’t want anything to do with fighting. Moreover, he refused to work for another corrupt company. That was one thing he wouldn’t budge on. He would rather die than work unending overtime every single day like he had before. That said, he’d lose all sense of purpose if he just loafed around all day.
This is my second chance at life. I’d like to do something I enjoy this time around. That narrowed his choice considerably.
Aha!
“I want to open a cat café!”
Every day would be cozy that way! He’d be his own employer and could decide his hours, erasing any risk of overworking himself. Taichi was quite proud of this idea. A big grin broke out on his face. He only worried about what the cat god might think of this idea.