Chapter 72: Silver Soul (Earth Arc)

After the fire in Yoshiwara, Take Okakura avoided the area near Kabukicho for half a month. At first, it was just a sense that something was off within her, but as she kept her distance, she gradually came to understand her own feelings...

Why on earth did she fall for that curly-haired fool!

“Why? Damn it!” The more Take Okakura thought about it, the angrier she became, until she couldn’t help but throw her book to the floor.

“That guy’s hair is a mess, his eyes are like dead fish, he’s listless, penniless, a good-for-nothing, and his feet stink… How could I ever possibly like someone like that?” She told herself this, but every time she recalled the scene of Gintoki and Tsukuyo embracing that night, her heart twisted painfully.

“I can't keep thinking about it. To fall for that curly-haired idiot is a disaster—it would ruin my life. I have to stop.” Take Okakura turned away, burying her head into the pillow.

The next day, she went to work. Shinpachi and Kagura hadn’t come by for their usual part-time jobs lately, saying they were busy. She had no idea what was happening with that curly-haired guy these days.

After work, she decided to go for a drink at Granny Otose’s tavern. She refused to let that curly-haired fool stop her from enjoying Kabukicho.

“Granny Otose, bring me a bottle of sake.” Take Okakura pushed open the door and sat down.

Otose looked surprised. “Well, well, Take, it’s been ages since you’ve come. Been busy lately?”

“Ah… just a lot going on,” Take replied.

“Here’s your sake.” Otose set the bottle in front of her.

“Thank you.” Take poured herself a cup and started drinking.

“Something troubling you lately?” Otose asked.

Take looked up. “Is it that obvious?”

“Of course. Your face is practically screaming, ‘I’ve got something weighing on my mind,’” Otose said.

“Is that so... Granny Otose, have you ever liked someone?” Take asked.

“Sure have,” Otose replied.

“What!”

“Is that true, Madam?”

“No way, Granny Otose actually liked a man!”

The customers in the bar exclaimed in disbelief. Catherine clutched her head, yelling, “Impossible! Someone like Granny Otose liking anyone? Absolutely impossible!”

Tama’s eyes flashed as she updated her database. “Data update: Granny Otose likes humans as well as money.”

“What kind of reaction is that! You people are so cruel!” Otose said, both embarrassed and furious. “Even I, when I was young, liked one or two handsome men.”

“These people… always make me angry,” she muttered, lighting a cigarette. Then she turned to Take Okakura.

“So, what’s up? Why bring this up all of a sudden?”

Take glanced at Otose, a bit embarrassed. “How should I say it… It seems I’ve fallen for someone, but I’m not sure. He’s nothing like the type I thought I’d ever like.”

Otose exhaled a smoke ring and chuckled. “Young folks, as expected.”

“Huh?” Take looked confused.

“Who you fall for isn’t something you can control. It’s like you might fantasize about Toshiro Mifune, but end up with Shinsuke Shimada. Reality never quite matches the image in your mind,” Otose said.

“So Granny Otose, you liked the Toshiro Mifune type?” Take said, suddenly enlightened.

“No, you’ve missed the point entirely! I mean, people always end up liking someone unexpected,” Otose corrected her.

“Unexpected people…” Take murmured. It was true—she’d never even considered it!

It was just too strange. Why did she like that useless curly-haired fool? It was utterly baffling!

After several bottles of sake, Take Okakura left Otose’s tavern with a tipsy glow.

“It’s late, be careful going home,” Otose called after her.

“Thank you. Goodbye, Granny Otose,” Take waved as she departed.

Kabukicho’s main street was as lively as ever. Lonely men and women searched for companionship; some came with more sinister motives.

Halfway home, Take Okakura felt sick, and hurried into an alley to vomit beside a trash can.

“Ugh… so disgusting, usually I can drink this much and not get drunk… Ugh…” she mumbled between retches.

At that moment, she heard footsteps behind her—someone was approaching!

Who was it?

She turned and saw a strange man holding a wooden stick, about to strike her head.

Bastard! How dare he ambush her! Just as Take Okakura was about to kick him away, a white cat darted out from the corner of the alley, leaping onto the man’s face and clawing wildly.

“Ah, damn it, where did this little beast come from!” The man dropped his stick, trying to grab the white cat clawing at his face.

Take seized the moment, kicked the man over, and went to pick up the bristling white cat.

Human pupils met feline slits.

Why did this cat feel oddly familiar… Take wondered.

It was surely a stray—its white curly fur was a little dirty, its red eyes looked somewhat lifeless, but it was still rather cute.

She checked its neck—no collar. Definitely a stray.

“Kitty, thanks for saving me. How about I take you in, come home with me?” Take stroked the cat’s head.

“Meow~” The cat nestled in her arms and mewed, as if answering her.

“What a clever cat. Since I live alone, I might as well keep a pet,” Take said.

Before leaving, she tossed the unconscious man into the trash can. After that, she carried the white cat away, not noticing the glint of intelligence in its eyes as she turned.

Finally, a familiar face! He’d had enough of living off roasted sparrows!

These were the thoughts of Gintoki, who had been transformed into a cat for public urination.

Lying in Take Okakura’s arms, Gintoki felt that his days of hardship as a cat were finally over.

In the past few days as a feline, he’d begged for food, abandoning his samurai pride and animal dignity to ask the Gorilla Woman, the One-Eyed Lily, the sadist, and even the multi-skewer guy who tossed mayonnaise—but that wasn’t for any creature, so he ignored it.

He’d begged all sorts of unreliable people for food—how exhausting! Yet he hadn’t gotten a morsel.

Even trying to act cute, he couldn’t compete with Katsura Cat. Gintoki was frustrated; he couldn’t understand why Katsura, that idiot, was more popular than him as a human, and even as a cat! His fluffy white fur was surely cuter than Katsura’s gloomy black coat. He was the very definition of adorable!

Worst of all, even the Gorilla Kondo was doing better! Just by wearing silly clothes, crowds of humans tossed him bananas, saying he was adorably dumb…

But Gintoki? No matter how he rolled, meowed, or rubbed against legs, nothing worked!

Even if he couldn’t act cute, at least he should be self-sufficient. But Gintoki discovered he couldn’t control this feline body at all—he was as helpless as a monkey who’d lost his tail.

He was discouraged—deeply discouraged. After days of eating gorilla bananas and Katsura Cat’s roasted sparrows, he’d lost hope that those two would ever return to human form...

They were close to losing their humanity. But! He was different; he was sure he’d return to being human! Gintoki was full of confidence.

And then he encountered Take Okakura. In that instant, Gintoki felt his luck had turned. Take was rich and not as unreliable as those idiots—though she sometimes went wild, but that was a minor issue.

For the sake of a soft bed and delicious food, Gintoki leaped into Take’s arms without hesitation.

And so, Take Okakura unknowingly brought home a useless, curly-haired cat.

Once home, Take set the curly-haired cat on the floor. As she was about to change clothes, the cat ran over, winding around her legs and meowing.

“Hungry?” Take looked at Gintoki Cat’s shining eyes.

Yes! Gin-san is starving—I want cake and milk! Gintoki Cat meowed excitedly, but Take didn’t understand a word.

She went into the kitchen and poured a bowl of milk for him. At the sight of it, Gintoki Cat felt as if he might ascend to heaven.

How long had it been since he’d tasted milk…

By the time he came to his senses, the bowl was gleaming clean, licked spotless.

Just then, he was lifted into the air—Gintoki turned to see Take carrying him.

“What? Godzilla-woman, where are you taking me?” Gintoki Cat wondered.

All Take saw was the white cat in her arms, meowing constantly. She thought he was dirty and decided he needed a proper bath.

So she carried Gintoki Cat into the bathroom, filled a basin with warm water, and set him inside.

“Oh, it’s bath time… Wait! A bath?!” Gintoki Cat looked at Take in terror; his human shame suddenly returned.

How embarrassing! Even as a cat, being bathed by someone was mortifying!

Gintoki Cat began to struggle in the basin, attempting to escape, but Take held him firmly.

“Giving animals a bath is really troublesome,” Take said, gripping his paws.

After wetting his fur thoroughly, she squeezed out shampoo and began washing him from head to tail, ending with his belly…

“No, not there!” Gintoki Cat watched as her hand drew closer to his Armstrong cannon, struggling desperately, but as a cat, he was no match for her strength.

His feline eyes stared as her hand rested on his belly, inching downward…

“Ahhh――――!!” Gintoki Cat let out a howl of pleasure mixed with humiliation.

“Meow――!!” was all Take heard.

“Did I hurt him?” Take said, softening her touch.

“Oh… yamete, this feels too good.” Gintoki Cat melted, her belly-rubbing technique was too skillful, hitting all his feline sensitive spots!

He was about to lose it—it felt so good――!

When Take finished washing him and dried his fur with a hairdryer, he remained in a dazed state.

When he came to, he was overwhelmed with guilt.

How embarrassing! Gintoki Cat covered his face with his paws, meowing in shame.

His human dignity, his masculine pride—they’d both vanished in that instant!

Gintoki! You’re human!

As he tried to remind himself of his humanity and manhood, a warm hand gently stroked his back. He turned to see Take Okakura, dressed in a silk camisole, smiling down at him.

“Now that you’re all clean, let’s sleep together tonight,” Take said to Gintoki Cat.

Huh? Sleep together…

Sleep together! A bolt of lightning struck Gintoki’s mind. He looked at Take’s voluptuous figure wrapped in her nightdress and felt his nose grow hot.

After all, humans are animals too. Human dignity? Ha, what’s that? He was just a cat now—such things were unnecessary!