Wanted: Purrfect Cat Guy 77 You Shouldn't Be So Catty

Before Kino could come up with something, she couldn't help but ask another question.

"How long do I have until I become 100% cat?"

Anxiety seems to be creeping into her whole body as she blurted another question. 

Kino let out a sigh and placed a hand on his head as if he was getting a headache from looking at Mina. 

"Relax, Buddy. That collar is not just for show."

Mina who was on the verge of asking another question she stopped midway to size up Kino.

"Without this collar?" With one paw holding on to the collar, Mina couldn't stop her mouth's persistence overpowered her restraint.

"Does this thing even work?"

"What will happen to me without it?"

"Will..."

Kino harrumphed and gave Mina warning through an intense gaze which silenced her right away.

"If you're stuck in that body without the collar... you should be more cat than human right now. But..."  

The abrupt stop made Mina's ears standing straighter up as Kino's last word hung in the air. 

"With your way of questioning, I don't see that happening anytime soon."

"Well... as for being a cat, well,  you can't jump from one animal sh.e.l.l to another with ease like Serket." 

"She can do that?"

Mina's eyes widened. But Kino did not care about her shock.

The monkey simply scratched his chest and waved his hand dismissively.

"She... She's special that way."

Seeing the impressed look in Mina's eyes, Kino shook his head.

"But she's probably not as awed as you are." 

Mina rolled her eyes, but she saw Kino giving her a reprimanding look.

"Serket would be annoyed about not having a human form."

"And you... should not be resenting her anyway."

"This is not about her! It's about me! What's going to happen now?"

Eyeing Mina who stopped walking back and forth again when he started speaking but was about to take another step, Kino looked alarmed.  

"Your collar..."

Kino motioned towards Mina's throat and paused as if he was waiting for something.

Seeing how Mina was about to start walking back and forth again, he continued albeit reluctantly.

"...one of my greatest inventions, by the way, keeps you tethered to a... hmm... human psyche."

"So, stop fretting."

Kino gave himself a pat in the chest and beamed, revealing a toothy smile. 

"Aren't I great?"

"First... we've got memory loss." 

Mina couldn't help but feel like she was on the most ridiculous tv show on the planet.

"Now, I got tethered to a human psyche..."

She couldn't help but give Kino a disturbed look while trying to make sense of the monkey's latest truth bomb. 

Was this monkey trying to make fun of her?

Mina's eyes narrowed while considering different possibilities. 

"You need to stay grounded to your human form." 

Without warning, Kino crouched in front of Mina.

"Buddy, your soul is more flexible than your body. Would you rather stay as a kitty or get a shot at becoming a human again?"

Her nose was almost touching the monkey's nose and she could smell his breath. 

"Something isn't right, though." 

Without hesitation, the monkey kept examining the collar close enough for Mina to bite his face if she wanted. But the thought of having Kino's fur inside her mouth felt distasteful even in her imagination. 

"You should feel less catty with that collar on but it seems like this thing is malfunctioning." 

Kino reached out to touch the collar on Mina's neck and tried to examine it while ignoring Mina who struggled with all the monkey's antics. 

"I forgot!!! No wonder... " 

Kino could only shake his head before finally letting Mina's collar go and stepping back while mumbling.

"the human psyche we're using is not exactly the model of virtue."

Kriiiiing... Kriiing....

A loud noise broke the silence and Kino immediately sprang up to his feet and frantically circled the pod. Mina on the other hand was still thinking of the monkey's words and was slowly understanding their meaning.

"What...Whose...I'm actually...what does this tethering business even mean?"

Pus.h.i.+ng his cart, the monkey was out of the pod in just a few seconds.

"Look at the time! I need to go!" 

"W-wait! Just one more question!"

Kino reluctantly turned with a constipated look in his face.

"Wh-where--" 

Mina scrambled to form a coherent question as Kino tapped his foot on the ground. The monkey raised his hand and pushed his cleaning cart forward. He already covered some distance when Mina finally came up with a valid question.

"Who--Whose human psyche am I using?"

"The only one available."

Kino continued pus.h.i.+ng forward but he replied without even turning his back.

"And that is?"

"Monkey!!! You..."

Mina ran out of the pod, wanting to go after the orangutan. 

"KINO!!!"

Mina had to use significant force to call out loudly. She could feel her entire body vibrate to make sure Kino heard her question but the monkey continued to move forward.

Just when Mina was about to throw a tantrum, Kino turned around. 

He was too far for Mina to see but for some reason, she could feel that the monkey had a smug look on his face.

"Serket, of course!"

Before Mina could ask something else, Kino was already too far away and he appeared more like a small hairy dot from where she stood.