The ribbon digging into my ankle was making it itch a little.
Yue Ran’s elbow kept bumping into my paw, and the faint citrus scent on her mixed with the sunshine as it drifted over.
My tail tip started swishing uncontrollably against her calf.
“What are you so nervous about?”
She suddenly leaned down and chuckled softly right in my ear, her warm breath tickling my earflap. “Don’t tell me you’re worried your heart will start pounding just because we’re on the same team?”
I stiffened in an instant, my cat ears shooting straight up into “airplane mode.” “Wh-who’s heart is pounding! I’ll definitely drag you to victory, just wait and see!”
Before Yue Ran could snap her fingers to signal the start, I suddenly stood with my hands on my hips in front of Ling Xiaoxiao, my cat ears twitching like radar. “Don’t you dare cry if you lose! My massage technique is… very ‘special’!”
Ling Xiaoxiao’s rabbit ears immediately stood up in a V, her paws clenched into tiny fists. “I-I won’t lose! Sister Shiyu’s really good at balance games!”
Behind her, Sister Shiyu yawned lazily, but her fox tail quietly wound around Ling Xiaoxiao’s waist—a silent acceptance of the partner declaration.
The whistle for the first round had just fallen when I felt my ankle yanked hard by Yue Ran—this girl was actually pulling in the opposite direction on purpose!
“Hey! What are you doing?!”
Annoyed, I swiped at her arm with my cat paw, but the rainbow ribbon just tangled itself tighter in the struggle.
Yue Ran leaned in closer and laughed softly by my ear. “Dummy, this is what a three-legged race is supposed to be.”
Her warm breath made my ear burn, and my tail couldn’t help but sweep her calf again—then my foot got tripped, and the next thing I knew, we both crashed to the floor with a thud.
We barely had time to get up before we saw Sister Shiyu charging forward with Ling Xiaoxiao, already far ahead of us.
“Ugh!” My tail thumped angrily against the floor, but Yue Ran suddenly pinched my puffed-up cheek with her fingers. “Keep this up and I’ll have to take your hair tie away.”
As expected, before long, I heard Ling Xiaoxiao’s delighted cheers.
They won the first round.
Seeing how smug Ling Xiaoxiao looked, I turned away in a huff. “Hmph, what are you so proud of, it’s only the first round!”
Next time, I absolutely can’t let Yue Ran’s tricks throw me off rhythm again!
Before the second round, after what happened last time, I was finally aware of how important it was to match our steps.
So, I signaled for Yue Ran to lean her ear over, and whispered a few words to her.
Once Yue Ran understood, she nodded at me.
When both sides finished discussing tactics, the second round began.
As soon as the timer sounded, Yue Ran and I chanted “One-two, one-two!” in unison, advancing steadily.
I hooked my arm tightly around hers to keep our balance, my tail tip anxiously wrapped around the hem of her shirt—a stabilizing trick I picked up last round.
Just as I thought this round was in the bag, suddenly, Ling Xiaoxiao burst out at an unbelievable speed, carrying Sister Shiyu on her back and dashing straight for the bar!
“No way!”
Sensing something was off, I whipped my tail out like a steel whip to block their path.
A cat’s tail is longer than a rabbit’s—other than taking the long way around, there was no other route for them.
Just as I was thinking this, Shiyu suddenly extended her big, fluffy tail and smacked mine right out of the way.
Crap, I forgot about Shiyu!
“Go grab the hair tie!”
Yue Ran dragged me forward, accelerating, while Ling Xiaoxiao’s side was already closing in on the bar too. Now, it all depended on who could grab the hair tie first.
Ling Xiaoxiao and I both reached out at the same time, but we were both a bit short. My tail frizzed up in desperation, and just then, Yue Ran hooked her foot around my ankle and used the recoil to pitch my body forward. My fingertips finally snatched the edge of the hair tie just before Ling Xiaoxiao!
“We won!” I bounced up, waving the hair tie, my tail flicking with pride and almost bumping my nose into Yue Ran’s chin.
Ling Xiaoxiao’s rabbit ears drooped, her paws on her hips. “That doesn’t count! You two cheated!”
Sister Shiyu just laughed, pulled her back, and patted her head. “A bet’s a bet, you know.”
Yue Ran ruffled my hair too, and seeing how happy I was, her blue-green eyes curved into little crescents. “Don’t get cocky. Next round, they’ll definitely pull something new.”
Before the deciding round, the air in the café seemed to freeze.
Yue Ran and I had our ankles retied, and she traced a finger down my calf, making me nearly jump out of my skin from the tickle. Who knows if she did it on purpose…
“Focus.”
Suddenly, Yue Ran gripped my shoulders, her eyes shining like jewels in the light. “If you lose, you’ll have to give me a massage.”
I turned away and muttered, “Wh-who’s going to lose?!”
But out of the corner of my eye, I caught Ling Xiaoxiao whispering with Sister Shiyu, her rabbit ears twitching toward us now and then like two radar dishes.
The moment the whistle blew, Yue Ran and I shot out like arrows from a bow. This time, our teamwork was scarily perfect—our “one-two-one” chant completely in sync, the ribbon sweeping out smooth arcs between our ankles.
The bar was right in front of us, the hair tie practically waving at me—when suddenly!
My foot caught on the edge of the carpet, and I lost my balance in an instant.
“Careful!” Yue Ran yanked me into her arms, cushioning me with her own back as we both crashed heavily to the floor. Even then, she didn’t forget to shield the back of my head with her hand.
Watching Ling Xiaoxiao get closer and closer to the hair tie, I panicked, my cat paws flailing and my tail puffed up into a ball.
Suddenly, Yue Ran grabbed me by the scruff and lifted me up—just like picking up a naughty kitten!
“Meow!! Pu-put me down, nya!”
Realizing I was being carried by Yue Ran like a kitten, my face went scarlet and my limbs flailed wildly in the air—I couldn’t even speak properly.
With no need for coordination now, we—or rather, Yue Ran carrying me—moved a lot faster.
She tucked me under one arm and dashed forward in huge strides, totally ignoring my protests. The ribbon flickered at her ankle, and soon we’d left Ling Xiaoxiao far behind.
“Hey! That’s cheating!” Ling Xiaoxiao’s rabbit ears shot up in indignation, but when she saw me flailing in midair, she couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Pfft, someone looks so pitiful, hahaha!”
So mean!! What are you laughing at?!
Right now, being carried by Yue Ran, I just wanted to find a hole to crawl into. My face was so hot I could feel it even without touching.
Luckily, it didn’t last long.
“Victory!!”
Yue Ran’s triumphant shout echoed through the café.
I nodded at the scene, collapsing against the bar like a broken toy, my eyes already glazed over.
Ling Xiaoxiao came over, arms folded, her rabbit ears still twitching from laughter. “Wow~ the way someone flailed in the air just now, you totally looked like a kitten being scruffed!”
She deliberately dragged out her words, making my teeth itch with irritation.
“You shut up!”
Watching Yue Ran celebrate, I couldn’t help thinking—right now, she’s probably the only one in the entire café who’s happy.