On their way to their favorite ramen shop, Reina strolled leisurely beside Yura. Reina was still wearing a plain white t-shirt and shorts, a stark contrast to Yura's more casual yet fashionable style.
Suddenly, their attention was drawn to a small cat wandering along the side of the road. With eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, Reina trotted over to the tiny animal. "Yura, look, it reminds me of a bockachan cat."
Yura tilted her head, trying to remember the reference Reina was referring to. "Bokachan?"
"Yes. The boka-chan oshiete kureta, ironna mitame ni nareru apuri nandatte, tole tole, hehe Kawai," Reina explained cheerfully.
At that, Yura burst out laughing. "Oh my, I remember." She immediately pulled her phone from her pocket and showed a viral TikTok video: a cat with long, caracal-like ears, complete with the iconic "Boka-chan" voice.
"Yes, that!" Reina exclaimed, laughing so hard her eyes narrowed.
After that brief moment, they resumed their journey, Reina now carrying the cat on her shoulder. As she walked, Reina struck up a serious conversation. "I heard America is making peace with Iran now?"
Yura nodded, indicating her understanding. "Of course, ships passing through are required to pay Iran for the repair of damaged infrastructure, but that's more of a ceasefire. Peace, I'm sure, is impossible. In fact, I'd rather believe ihowspeed would come to Japan than Iran would make peace with America."
Reina looked at Yura curiously. "Where did you get that information?"
Yura answered casually, almost carefree. "Well, obviously from the internet. You think I'm illiterate."
A mischievous idea crossed Reina's mind. She looked at Yura and asked with a teasing smile, "If height is your strength, what would you do without it?"
Yura laughed softly. "Hmph, imitating Socrates?"
"Yes, sis, hehe." Reina giggled, scratching the back of her neck, which wasn't itchy.
"Yeah, I know, it's that TikTok thing, right? The video of a skull transporting objects from the present to the past, and then Socrates comes along and asks questions like that," Yura replied with a wide smile.
....
There was only one kilometer left. Suddenly, an old man who looked like a beggar approached them. His clothes were shabby, and his face showed desperation.
"Son, can I have some money? I haven't eaten yet?" the man asked, holding out his right hand.
Yura and Reina both shook their heads and raised their hands, indicating that they didn't have any extra money. The man looked disappointed and walked away, muttering in annoyance, "You young people and beggars won't give you money."
"What did he say, Rei?" Yura asked.
"He said young people don't give you money," Reina answered honestly.
Yura snorted sarcastically. "You old fart, instead of working, you're begging," she muttered reflexively.
Reina immediately touched Yura's arm and whispered anxiously, "Sis, what will people hear?"
Yura immediately covered her mouth, not out of deep regret, but because she realized she'd almost caused a scene in public. She whispered softly, "Ouch, this mouth is so hard to control."
Reina smiled faintly, trying to reassure her. "It's normal. It was the same when I first started school, it was hard to keep my mouth shut. Well, luckily now I can keep it in check." She paused for a moment before continuing, "Yeah, even though I slip up sometimes, it's normal, you're still learning, right, Sis?"
Yura glanced at Reina with a gentle gaze, a faint smile playing on her lips. "It's normal, you're just kids." Her eyes returned to the front. "Hmph, I remember when you were in kindergarten, you got hit by a car, and surprisingly, you survived. Why did you run away then?"
Reina laughed bitterly. "I was afraid of being blamed, so I ran away. Especially since so many people saw me."
Yura laughed along. "If I were in your position, I would definitely demand compensation from the driver."
Reina held her chin with her slender hand, seemingly in thought. "Hmph, that's true. I never thought about it when I was little."
Yura suddenly glanced at the cat Reina was carrying. "So where are you taking that cat? You'll be thought of as a cat thief."
Reina gasped, only then realizing the cat's presence. "Oh yeah, we were so focused on talking that I forgot I was carrying the cat." She quickly set the cat down on the street. "Well, that's it."
Reina looked at Yura again, curious about another topic. "Oh yeah, sis, if I may ask, what type of man are you?"
Yura looked up at the sky for a moment, considering her answer. "Well, my type of guy... rich, tall, and handsome like Chico Lachowski when he was a hottie, or Leonardo DiCaprio in the 90s."
Reina burst out laughing, her mockery cracking up. "Hahahaha. Your standards are too high tall, sis, and if there were, how could they possibly want a woman like you?"
Yura snorted and looked away, feeling challenged. "Hmph, of course there are. Look at me, beautiful, tall, strong, and able to lift a Yakult bottle like you."
Reina took in Yura's appearance: golden brown hair with amber irises and a charming wolf cut. "Yeah, but at least be realistic, sis."
Yura replied with an equally sarcastic smile. "But, your type of man is someone as rich as Elon Musk and has a face like Bjorn Andersen."
Reina snorted in annoyance with a pout. "Hey, that's realistic, sis!"
Yura laughed in satisfaction. "Realistic where? Your standards are that high." She continued her laughter, which continued throughout the walk.
"Hmph, forget it," Reina replied, turning her face away.