I'm in Love with the Gorilla Sitting Next to Me - Volume 1 Chapter 4.3

The Cursed Cat Senpai 3

“That’s right. Since then, my aunt has been recognized as a woman. So there was hope that maybe I could avoid the curse too, but…”

“It didn’t completely break for you.”

“Unfortunately. But thanks to my aunt, there’s a possibility that it can be broken. Likely for you too.”

“A kiss, huh? It’s classic… but if it’s just a kiss, why not get it over with quickly—”

“It’s not that simple. First, the curse won’t break with a kiss from the same sex.”

“I see… wait, you’ve tried that?”

I can’t quite follow the logic that led to that experiment, but I guess she must have tried it?

“…Well, my aunt was quite unrestrained and had several relationships with girls during middle and high school. She also had kissing experiences with them…”

“…Oh, I see. So that’s why you concluded it doesn’t work with the same sex?”

“…Yes.”

Tora-senpai awkwardly muttered, seemingly embarrassed by sharing such a personal family story,

“Also, it’s not enough to just kiss someone of the opposite sex. After my curse was triggered, I kissed a male relative who was reluctant about it, but that didn’t break it. So the condition is probably…”

“A kiss with someone you love?”

“Probably. Whether it’s mutual love or if it’s enough for one side to be in love, I don’t know. But at least in my aunt’s case, it was mutual love, so that’s the most likely scenario.”

“I see… Are there any other conditions that seem likely?”

“There’s nothing else we can verify. My aunt’s case is the only lead we have.”

Well, that makes sense. The curse has already been broken, and since it’s a hereditary curse, there was no one else to test it on.

But a kiss, huh…

“I guess I’ll ask my uncle too. Whether he’s ever kissed someone he liked.”

“That might be difficult. In my family, the problem is that the curse only affects us if the other person recognizes us as the same gender, so I doubt there’s any precedent other than my aunt…”

“…My uncle said he’s never been in love. If the other person looks like a frog to him, then there’s nothing he can do about it.”

“Ugh. That’s a tough one… I’d probably become a shut-in if that were me…!”

“Wait, Tora-senpai, are you not good with frogs?”

“Girls who like them are definitely in the minority. That form and slimy feeling, it’s just physiologically…”

Huh, is that how it is? My sister’s okay with them, but I wonder about Gossan.

Well, anyway, I see. If you kiss someone you like and it’s mutual, the curse might be broken… Whether Tora-senpai’s and my curses can be broken under the same conditions is unknown, but it’s still a relief to think there’s a possibility.

…Someone I like…

“——No way, the condition to break the curse is too strict! A kiss with someone who reciprocates the feelings!”

“Right? Maybe it could be broken with unrequited love too, but since it’s a curse, at the very least, the other person needs to have some affection for you…”

“Ah, I see. If it were just about kissing someone I like, it might be manageable. Straight to criminal territory, though. Definitely not okay.”

Liking someone to the extent of enforcing a kiss sounds utterly inappropriate, but the temptation might be there, especially with something like Tora-senpai’s curse at stake.

“Mutual love, or at least being liked by someone of the opposite gender… Simple, but a tough challenge.”

“That’s right. At least, kissing my pet dog didn’t break the curse… Maybe because it wasn’t romantic love…”

“I guess it’s because it was an animal. If that were okay, I’d start keeping a pet too.”

“In the end, I decided that the straightforward approach is the best shortcut. My aunt suggested I enroll in an all-boys school, but that’s just too much for me…”

“Right, so in your case, it wouldn’t work unless it’s with someone who’s okay with the same gender.”

“But I just couldn’t handle an all-boys school… Now, I manage to change and use the restroom in secret, but there’s no escape in an all-boys school… I tried hard in middle school, but it was too much, and I had to transfer after just a month…”

I can only offer Tora-senpai my condolences as she speaks dejectedly. The vibe in an all-male space is different. Entering as a girl, honestly, would be tough.

“By the way, what happened to your aunt after the curse was lifted? How did things go with that Senpai?”

“Unfortunately, the person she liked was really only into the same gender, so they broke up the day they got together… I heard my aunt became hesitant in her relationships with men after that shock.”

“Wow… that’s… unfortunate for both of them…”

From her aunt’s perspective, it was an unexpected release from the curse, but for the other person, the appearance and gender of the person they liked changed, so things couldn’t continue as before.

“To be united with the person you love and have the curse lifted for a happy ending… it doesn’t work out that way. Reality is really harsh.”

“That’s true… But thanks to my aunt, I can have hope. If I kiss someone of the opposite gender who reciprocates my feelings, I can say goodbye to the curse.”

“…By any chance, Tora-senpai, do you find it embarrassing to say ‘kiss’?”

“Huh!? What makes you think that…?”

“Well, every time you say ‘kiss,’ you mumble or murmur. It’s making me feel a bit embarrassed too.”

It’s my first time saying ‘kiss’ so much, and although the person I’m talking to has a cat face, she’s a girl. I can’t help but be conscious of it.

Tora-senpai rubs her face with her small, paw-like hands and glares at me with narrowed cat eyes.

“…I’ve always been bad with boys, and I still don’t like them. I can’t fit in well, and yet I have to aim to become close enough to kiss someone I’m mutually in love with… But!”

“Whoa, wait?”

Suddenly, Tora-senpai stands up with energy, leans over the table, and brings her face close to mine.

“You and I are comrades and allies, working together for a common goal! It’s a win-win situation!”

“W-whoa, wait! This is all moving too fast, I can’t keep up!”

“Hmm, you’re so slow on the uptake… That means, in short…”

Up close, the excited brown tabby cat bares her teeth,

“——If you and I fall in love with each other, everything will be solved!”

She says something outrageous while panting heavily.

I’m stunned for who knows how many seconds. After a moment of blankness, I snap back to reality.

“Wait, just hold on. Freeze (Furīzu)… I mean, just a moment?”

“Why such poorly pronounced English?”

“I’m confused! So, what, you and me? Are we supposed to kiss?”

“T-that’s the final step! We enter a relationship with a clear purpose, and the kiss is just the final ritual. It’s weird to focus only on that!”

Tora-senpai vehemently denies it, crossing her arms and sitting back down in her original spot. With some distance between us, I can calm down a bit. I’m finally able to digest what Senpai has been saying.

Indeed, it’s a proposal worth considering, or at least one to think about.