The Talking Calico Cat

Huh? And instead of the old man, a large calico cat was sitting reliably in front of the warehouse entrance. It was a cat that had been living there in the office for a long time. It must be quite old for a cat. ...No way, this cat didn't tell me, did it?... Even though I thought it was ridiculous, I tried asking where the other tools were as a test. [Where is the flagpole?] The cat responded with a yawn and started washing its face. What, of course that's not possible. It must have been one of the Ujiko who happened to pass by and spoke to me from outside. Well, that's how it is. The acquaintance convinced himself alone. And then, turning his back on the cat, he started searching for the item again.

A calico cat, how mysterious! I wonder if I'll look like that cat someday too, meow! Tell me the rest of the story quickly, meow!

I immediately heard a voice. [Just to the left of the entrance. It's hidden behind a bamboo broom.] My acquaintance quickly turned around, but the cat was stretching as if it knew nothing. With a half-believing heart, I moved the bamboo broom and there it was, the tied-up flag. My acquaintance had a staring contest with the cat for a while, but since there wasn't much to say, all I could do was thank it. Even after that, precise advice was heard only when my acquaintance had their back to the calico cat. The items I was looking for were gathered smoothly in a short time. As soon as they saw that my acquaintance's task was finished, the old cat reportedly disappeared somewhere. [Well done, you found them so quickly.] When I returned to the temple grounds, everyone praised my acquaintance, saying just that. I heard that my acquaintance's expression was quite awkward at the time.

While assembling a flag, my acquaintance asked a local they knew about the calico cat. [Excuse me, about that calico cat that's lived here since long ago...] They mumbled, unable to bring themselves to ask if the cat could talk. [Ah, that one's a male. It's pretty rare for a calico to be male, you know.] Now that you mention it, it does seem rare. Oh, no, that's not what I wanted to ask about... After such a conversation, my acquaintance ultimately couldn't bring themselves to talk about their strange experience. Lately, my acquaintance has been trying to talk to the calico cat every time they see it. But unfortunately, the calico hasn't spoken to them since that day. [Next time, I should try offering it dried fish. I wish it would at least tell me lottery numbers.] I had a feeling the cat wouldn't talk to them with such impure intentions, but I didn't say it out loud.

This is fun. I really enjoyed reading it. I knew cats were mystical creatures, but a talking cat...

Happy Chuseok!