Chapter 3 - Have a Blast at Meow Park!

Whoa.....!

Everywhere I look, it’s just cats, cats, and more cats!

This is truly…..

Welcome, everyone, to my cat-themed carnival——Meow Park!

“T-This is SO CUTE….!!!”

Literally everything is cat-themed—the rides, the food, even the souvenirs.....!!

Look, look! That stall over there is loaded with cat ears and kitty hats......! They're so adorable!

Wait, isn't that Mikke-kun, the mascot, right in front of the slide!? We HAVE to take a pic with him later.....!

......Wait, is he called Mikke-kun because he's based on a calico cat¹?

Haha, well, that wraps up my tour.

I’ll be around the park during business hours, so feel free to call me if you need anything.

Understood! Thank you very much!

Come now, let's head out, Nyantaro.

.......Meeeooww.

Hm? What's wrong, Nyantaro? Why are you clinging to my leg.....?

You're not heading off with Inuyama-san?

.......Meeeooww.

He's all snuggled up against your leg, Tsukasa-senpai......

Haha, looks like he wants to play with Tenma-kun and everyone.

I think he sees you all as his friends now.

Friends........

…...Then let’s go have fun together, Nyantaro!

Ooh, I love that! This is gonna be fun!

Fufu, off you go, Nyantaro. Hope you all have a great time.

We will!

So, which ride should we start wi—

…....Mrow~

Huh? He’s heading off somewhere…...

Meow!

He's looking over here....… It kinda feels like he’s calling us over.

Ahaha, maybe he’s trying to guide us somewhere?

Oh? Well, in that case..… guess we'll just have to follow Nyantaro’s lead!

So, where to first, Nyantaro— No, my trusty partner!

.......That sure was a fast promotion.

Ooooh, even the roller coaster’s cute~♪

Look, there are itty bitty kitty paw prints on the rails!

Y-Yeah......

You're right. My heart’s racing, but..… it feels strangely calming.

You guys alright? Wait—hold up, why’s Tsukasa-senpai so quiet?

W-What are you implying!? I-I, of all people, would never be scared of this or anything, how could you—

Oop—here comes the drop!

—assume......... something like THAAAAAAAAAAATT!

This merry-go-round… has cats instead of horses.

Which one should I pick…?

Ooo, I’m going for this li'l white kitty!

It’s got a ribbon and everything—so cute!

Hmm… as for me…....

Oh, this orange tabby....… looks just like Nyantaro.

........Okay, you’re my pick.

Let’s make this a ride to remember, partner!

You sure do love collecting “partners,” don’t you, Tenma-kun…....

I’ve been eyeing this plushie like crazy~

Thanks for helping me win it, Kusanagi-san!

Didn’t know you were such a sharpshooter.

Uh, well..… once you get the hang of it, it’s not that hard…....

But you were really good too, Akiyama-san. I'm glad you got the prize you wanted.

And I couldn't have done it without Kusanagi-san!

So thanks a bunch ♪

So, Nyantaro, where to next?

Meoow~

Hehe. He really does feel like our trusty tour guide.

He waits outside while we go on rides, then starts leading us again when we’re done.

Seriously, such a smart little guy.

And for some reason....… he's super attached to Tsukasa...…

Meoow~

I figured a traveling carnival would have simple rides, but these are surprisingly well-made.

I read online that apparently these rides are built to last.

They’re pretty much the same ones from when the carnival first began!

Is that so.......?

(So these rides have traveled to countless places right alongside Inuyama-san.)

(And—)

C’mon, let’s go on the kitty carousel again!

The roller coaster was kinda scary, but it was super fun…...!

(They’ve been bringing smiles to people from everywhere....…)

Meoow~

Oh, looks like he's calling for us.

Guess we’re hitting the slide next?

Oh, so it is. C’mon, Akiyama, Nene, Airi Momoi!

Again, why am I the only one getting the full-name treatment!?

Whew~! That was crazy fun!

The Ferris wheel at the end was sooo cute!

The gondolas had little cat ears, and there were paw prints all over inside!

No wonder it’s the carnival's main attraction.

You can see the whole place from up there; makes total sense why it’s the most popular!

Oh, and thanks for showing us around, Nyantaro.

Indeed! Thanks to you, we were able to enjoy everything to the fullest!

Meoow~

Hehe, I’d love for us all to come back sometime...…!

Maybe we should ask Inuyama-san where their next stop will be?

Good idea.

I wanted to say goodbye before we leave anyway.

The staff mentioned that after closing, he usually sees off guests around here…...

Oh, there he is.

Inuyama-san, over here!

Hm? Oh, it’s you all.

Thank you for coming today. Did you have fun?

Absolutely! It was an incredible experience!

The cat motif everywhere was just adorable...…! It all felt like a dream come true for me.....!

That means a lot to me. This place is filled with everything I love, after all.

So, we were just saying how we wanna come back.. sometime..…

Where is your next stop gonna be?

Oh.....

—The next stop…...

It means a lot to hear that from you all, but...… I’m sorry.

The truth is...… this carnival won’t be coming back. This is its last run.

Huh?