A certain vet’s memories

I don’t really like cats.

I was never that interested in animals - or living beings in general.

So why is someone like that running a cat clinic now?

A large part of that was due to a certain woman.

The Sukuna family played a large part in Akitsu history by serving as the royal family’s doctors.

A family of elites - and of course, my numerous siblings were no exception. I was the only failure.

“Beat down your opponents and rise above them.”

“Those bearing the Sukuna name should always be victors.”

I was brought up with those ideas, and it’s no wonder that I eventually rebelled against them.

My father wasn’t someone who’d suffer a child talking back to him, so I often found myself kicked out of the house on cold winter days.

And the older girl next door - Oribe Kayano - would always take me in during those times.

Kaya-chan was an…interesting girl, sort of living with her head in the clouds.

Even from my perspective as a younger child, a lot of her statements seemed off. Or maybe she was completely normal, and the problem lies with the rest of the world.

She had that air of assurance about her that was quite convincing.

She was an expert in gardening, and cared for plants from all over the world, but at some point she started taking care of lost and injured cats as well. I would often help her out, as insignificant as my efforts were.

Kaya-chan was extremely sensitive to the suffering of others, even if they weren’t human.

“You must be hurting.”

“This must be hard for you.”

Even now, I can vividly recall how she looked while taking care of those cats, sometimes with tears in her eyes.

This is the origin story of my career as a vet.

She was the one who taught me how to view life.

The teachings of the Sukuna family certainly didn’t help in that regard.

She was crushed by what happened to Tsukihito, and regretted not being able to do anything for him.

He was certainly no stranger to us, as someone living in the same town, but you can’t get by in this world if you let yourself be affected by other people’s misfortunes all the time.

I think we all learn to distance ourselves one way or another.

But Kaya-chan wasn’t like that, further affirming her eccentricity.

Sakabayashi Tsukihito.

He was a childhood acquaintance as my father’s younger sister’s child, and in ordinary circumstances, we would’ve probably grown to be close friends. However, I’ve been instructed to ‘not hang out’ with him as far as I remember.

Tsukihito’s father was a well-known baseball coach who trained stars like Kijihiko, but he was fired for his overzealous training methods that bordered on corporal punishment.

He wouldn’t let the children go home until they finished their daily regime of practice swings, even if it took them till the next day.

Multiple articles were written about him, questioning his decency as a human being, and public opinion lashed out against him viciously. So, he turned his daily regime into heavy drinking, and practiced his swings on his wife and son.

I could never understand what went on in Tsukihito’s mind, and honestly, he creeped me out.

But if he were to return to this town, I’m going to try my best to give him a warm welcome.

After a few years, I left the town to further my studies in the field of veterinary. I was going to go back once I passed the national veterinary licensing exam and propose to her.

Imagine my surprise when I found out that Kaya-chan married some old guy working at a shrine.

I was shocked.

I stayed in bed for days.

But before I could fully recover from my shock, she’d already gone through her pregnancy and departed for the afterlife in a whirlwind of events.

These were her last words to me.

“Welcome back, Ta-kun. Or should I say, team member #2 of the cat patrol squad, Sukuna Takahiko! I will leave the local cats in your capable hands!”

What the hell!

I don’t actually like cats, you know?

It’s because of you that…

Nope, I am the biggest cat lover to walk this earth, Sukuna Takahiko.

Even if the world were to end tomorrow. Even if the world had ended yesterday.

I will continue to treat cats today.

Sukuna Cat Clinic ♪