Cat Stickers

Bai gazed absently at the white clouds in the sky, her head tilted upwards.

The clouds today appeared exceptionally three-dimensional, making them seem softer and more distinct.

Bai instinctively narrowed her eyes.

Her paws lightly curled as she made grasping motions, fantasizing about how perfect it would be to roll around on such enormous, cotton-like masses.

Although Bai clearly understood that clouds were essentially just dust and water vapor, it would be utterly unromantic to forgo even the fantasy.

‘Romantic’—a strange, new word.

Bai had only recently learned it, picking it up from Yun Juan and Gao Xin.

Two more weeks had passed since Bai’s last personal intervention.

It was now time for the experimental deployment of the Cat-human squad to various sub-bases to conclude.

Yun Juan, after more than a month of hesitant contemplation, finally confessed her feelings to Gao Xin once the Cat-girls returned to headquarters.

Bai observed the entire process.

The two Cat-girls’ faces were flushed a shade of red that reminded Bai of ripe apples.

For Yun Juan, Gao Xin was already a familiar figure, someone she knew inside and out, and a mutual pillar of support during their early, bewildered days as Cat-girls.

The same held true for Gao Xin; they already harbored significant affection for each other.

However, they simply hadn’t understood what kind of affection it was.

But the moment Yun Juan confessed, that sentiment swiftly transformed and solidified into love, a natural progression.

After all, the two Cat-girls were already intimately close.

Their previous identities allowed them to accept each other’s current perceptions, and given their unique circumstances, finding normal partners would likely be difficult.

Since they had already become Cat-humans, questions of ethics were moot; it was merely a same-s*x relationship, and it even conveniently resolved any potential reproductive isolation issues through ovum fusion technology.

Currently, the only problem was that this relationship posed no issues for Yun Juan, as she was a solitary Cat-human.

But for Gao Xin, things were different.

She still had elders at home.

Consequently, they were now in a tense state of preparation.

Preparing for what?

Indeed, it was time for Gao Xin’s annual visit home.

Yun Juan decided to accompany Gao Xin, intending to explain the current situation to Gao Xin’s future aunt and hoping to receive her blessing for their relationship.

Bai watched the two Cat-girls.

They would surely succeed on their journey.

Gao Xin’s mother was an open-minded person, and as a single parent with an only child, she wasn’t particularly concerned about having grandchildren, only that her child lived a happy life.

The two Cat-girls did not transform.

Due to the long journey, they simply wore cloaks and hats, carrying new Cat-human identity cards provided by headquarters as they headed home.

It was fortunate that while Gao Xin and Yun Juan’s Cat-human forms were a bit short, they could at least claim to be over eighteen, which was somewhat believable.

The airplane soared above the white clouds, then broke through the cloud layer and descended to the ground.

Following that, the two Cat-girls took a bus, then transferred to another shuttle, quickly arriving in Gao Xin’s hometown.

This city bore some resemblance to the old city where Bai had once lived, but it was more developed.

Perhaps the old city would look like this after ten years of growth.

Exiting the station, both Cat-girls had flushed faces, a result of surging blood from overly accelerated heartbeats.

Half was the proximity to home, half was the timidity of love.

One worried about how her mother would perceive her, the other about how her future aunt would view her.

As they prepared to hail a taxi, several men blocked their path.

Even though the two Cat-girls wore hats to conceal their ears and cloaks to cover their tails, and even masks to avoid attracting attention, their aura—especially the capable demeanor of Countermeasure Team members, combined with their lively and adorable feline movements—drew the notice of these idle hooligans, even with only their eyes visible.

Yet, this was a society governed by law.

Even at a station once teeming with unsavory characters, they dared not do anything in broad daylight.

Moreover, these hooligans might not have been truly malicious; they had simply spotted captivating girls and wanted to show off, though their actions were rather ridiculous.

Several scrawny men, clad in leather jackets, riding decrepit motorcycles, and sporting bleached blonde hair, circled the path of the two girls.

Periodically, they would stop and strike an inexplicable pose, such as folding their arms with a partially exposed chest, running a hand through their yellow hair, or leaning against their motorcycles while whistling.

The entire scene was thoroughly awkward.

The two Cat-girls found it unbearable to watch and ignored them, intending to walk around.

However, the blonde-haired men persisted.

Yun Juan stepped forward and picked up a stone from the ground.

‘Localized Petrification, activate.’

To conceal the marks on her arm, her small, gloved hand exerted slight pressure.

The random piece of red brick she had picked up groaned under the strain.

The already fragile brick quickly became covered in cracks, and with another squeeze from Yun Juan, it crumbled to dust in her grip.

Taking two steps forward, Yun Juan opened her palm, aimed at the blonde-haired men, and blew softly.

Brick dust wafted up, covering them.

The dazed young men yelped and turned to run away.

Yun Juan chuckled softly, her brow slightly furrowed as she examined her glove, which had sustained minor damage from gripping the stone so forcefully.

Gao Xin walked over and hugged her from behind.

After the interruption from the hooligans, much of the two Cat-girls’ tension had dissipated.

“Let’s go.”

“Meow.”

No matter how slowly a snail crawls, it eventually reaches its destination.

No matter how much the two Cat-girls dawdled on the road, they would eventually have to face this moment.

Arriving at Gao Xin’s doorstep, they gazed at the green iron gate adorned with a red ‘Fu’ character.

Gao Xin mustered her courage repeatedly before finally knocking on the door.

Almost immediately, the door opened.

A slightly plump but seemingly capable and sharp middle-aged woman with short hair appeared before the two Cat-girls.

This was Gao Xin’s mother.

Gao Xin had been hesitating, unsure how to explain who she was or why she had come.

But Gao Xin’s mother reacted in a remarkably unexpected way.

She pulled out her phone, as if comparing something, and after a quick glance, a smile spread across her face.

“My precious, you’re home.”

Indeed, how could such a significant change truly be left for Gao Xin to explain herself?

It would be both troublesome and prone to unexpected complications, such as startling the elderly.

Therefore, upon learning that Gao Xin was coming home for a visit, headquarters had The Director personally intervene.

They sent relevant documents via express delivery and then explained the situation to Gao Xin’s mother via video call.

Now, Gao Xin’s worries could easily be dispelled.

Her mother seemed quite fond of her current appearance.

Next came Yun Juan’s worries.

“Auntie, hello.”

“My name is Yun Juan.”

“I’m Gao Xin’s colleague and…” Yun Juan fumbled for words, then bit the bullet and continued, “…girlfriend.”

Gao Xin’s mother merely smiled, lost in thought.

She hadn’t expected her son to become a daughter, and to bring home a girlfriend at that…

‘It’s quite good,’ she thought.

‘It would have been rather awkward if she had brought home a boyfriend.’

With that thought, Gao Xin’s mother nodded kindly.

“Alright, alright!”

“Come in, both of you.”

“I’ve prepared a table full of dishes; I’ve been waiting for you.”

Gao Xin’s mother was truly skilled at conversation.

Over the course of the meal, both Gao Xin and Yun Juan let go of their reservations.

However, after dinner, the real test arrived.

“Xiao Yun, come with me for a moment.”

“Auntie has some things she’d like to discuss with you,” Gao Xin’s mother said to Yun Juan as she collected the dishes.

Yun Juan nervously stood up, feeling a little flustered, only managing to repeatedly agree.

The two entered the study and closed the door, their voices no longer audible.

Gao Xin went to wash the dishes.

Although curious, she didn’t try to eavesdrop.

She trusted Yun Juan to handle it, and that Yun Juan would relay everything they discussed.

After a short while, Gao Xin’s mother and Yun Juan emerged.

Gao Xin’s mother cheerfully nodded at the two Cat-girls, announcing that she was going out to play cards and that they should do whatever they pleased.

Gao Xin breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stepped forward to ask, “What did my mom say to you?”

Yun Juan’s lips curved into a smile, and her ears happily twitched.

She hugged Gao Xin.

“Now we can call her ‘our mom’.”

“Actually, she didn’t say much.”

“Our mom is truly open-minded.”

“She only asked about our work at the base, told us to be careful, and made me promise to take good care of you in the future, to rely on each other.”

“After all, she doesn’t fully understand these things, but she knows that our situation must be special, and solitary, and she hopes we can accompany each other from now on.”

As Yun Juan recounted the conversation, Gao Xin’s eyes reddened slightly.

The two Cat-girls embraced once more.

With their inner worries resolved, the two Cat-girls felt much lighter.

They gradually shed their inhibitions, holding hands like a true couple and preparing to go out for a stroll.

“By the way, even if we can’t get a marriage certificate, in terms of status, who’s the man and who’s the woman, meow?” Yun Juan posed the question on the road, leaving Gao Xin stumped.

“This…” Gao Xin pressed her ears down, falling into deep thought.

‘Based on behavior?’

‘There really isn’t much difference between us. We both act spoiled and rely on each other.’

‘Based on personality, it’s also hard to distinguish.’

‘I’m more meticulous, but also more stable than Yun Juan.’

‘Yun Juan is always carefree, but that personality is common enough in girls, isn’t it?’

After much deliberation, there was no answer.

They had been together almost every day since signing the contract until they went on missions to the sub-bureaus, like the black and white halves of a Taiji symbol, complementing and relying on each other.

‘Could it be distinguished by who is active and who is passive… during that?’

‘No, that’s not right either… both men and women can be active in such matters…’

‘Ah, no, no! What am I even thinking about?’

Gao Xin’s face flushed crimson.

She patted her cheeks and looked at Yun Juan, who was also looking back at her, equally flushed.

The two Cat-girls stared at each other for a moment, their faces growing even redder.

Their tails twitched anxiously, wildly swinging until they broke free of their cloaks and touched, intertwining like twisted ropes.

Only then did they settle down.

“We… how about…”

“I was thinking…”

Both Cat-girls spoke at the same time, then simultaneously cut each other off.

“You first.”

“You first.”

…

After a moment of silence, Gao Xin and Yun Juan proposed simultaneously, “Let’s draw lots, meow!”