[Creative Fairy Tale] The Calico Cat Handyman

As Ryota-kun was walking home with his school bag on his back, he found a flyer lying in the middle of the road.

I am the 'Calico Cat Handyman'.
Cleaning rooms, laundry, cooking,
delivering packages, running errands,
babysitting, and so on...
Please leave anything to me.

The flyer, written in a thick black pen, was crumpled and rough to the touch.

The flyers that usually arrive at home have photos, colorful red and yellow patterns, and prices written on them.

However, there was nothing like that here. Instead of a photo, there was a rough map.

Instead of a price, there was a not-so-cute illustration of a cat and some paw prints.

Even so, Ryota-kun felt like he wanted to meet this cat.

“When you say anything, do you really mean anything?”

Suddenly, he pictured a real calico cat standing at a shop counter, wearing an apron and moving around.

Would it wash dishes, make bento boxes, or use a vacuum cleaner?
Since it can write, maybe it sends letters too.

“If there were a cat like that, it would be interesting,” Ryota-kun thought.
So, he decided to take a peek at the shop.

According to the map on the flyer, the shop seemed to be in the park near Ryota-kun's house.

However, no matter how many times he had gone there to play, he had never noticed such a shop.

If a new shop opened, it would immediately become the talk of this small town.

But he had never heard any such rumors.
“Is it such a small shop that no one notices it?”

If so, he had stumbled upon a great secret.

Ryota-kun, who loves cats, started to get excited.
“I’ll keep this flyer a secret from Mom.”

If his mother were nearby, she would have said, “Throw that flyer away immediately.”
After all, his mother is terrible with cats.
“What should I ask the calico cat to do? Should I ask it to be a member of my soccer or baseball team? Or maybe doing my homework instead... Oh, I know, it would be good to have it deliver things I forget. I just got scolded by my teacher today for forgetting my recorder. It would be helpful if the calico cat could deliver it when that happens.”
When he arrived at the park, neighborhood children were playing in the sandbox and on the swings.
Nearby, mothers in aprons were chatting.

Ryota-kun looked around, searching for the 'Handyman' right away.

However, no matter where he looked, there was no such shop or sign.
“That’s strange... It should be right here...”

At that moment, a cute voice spoke up.
“Welcome to the Handyman.”

Mixed in with the children's voices, he definitely heard that.

When he looked closely, a calico cat was sitting perched on top of the slide.
It had a blue ribbon tied around its neck and was wearing glasses.

“Over here, over here!” it said, beckoning to Ryota-kun.

Ryota-kun’s heart pounded, and he ran toward it.
He had only ever seen a cat do something like that in a stuffed animal or a shop sign.
Besides, deep down, he had suspected that 'Calico Cat' was just the name of the shop and the clerk might be a normal human, so he was overjoyed to see a real calico cat appear like this.
“Um, I’d like to request a job.”

Ryota-kun made his request immediately.
“Yes. I will take on anything. My schedule is currently open.”

The calico cat answered in a calm voice, then took out something like a mobile phone, just like a businessman, and pressed some buttons. Ryota-kun hurriedly climbed the slide stairs.

When he peeked at the phone screen...
It seemed the calico cat was inputting its entire schedule into the phone.

“In that case, can you deliver a package to my school?”
“Certainly. And where is the package kept? Let me weigh it right away.”

The calico cat pulled a large scale out of its yellow bag with a grunt.

“No, that’s not it. I just thought it would be nice if there was someone to deliver things when I forget them, since I forget things often...”
“I see, so there is nothing to deliver right now? Then, on what date and what kind of things will you forget? I will make a specific schedule for you.”

The calico cat held up its phone and said, “Now, please tell me.”
“Even if you ask me that...”
Ryota-kun was troubled.

If he knew when and what he was going to forget, he wouldn't forget things in the first place.
So, Ryota-kun had a good idea.

“Then, how about you prepare for the next day so that I don't forget anything?”

“That would be fine. That way, my work hours will be clear, too. That helps me as well. So, what specifically should I do?”
“Let’s see... Maybe come to my room every day and help me organize my schedule.”

“Understood. Then, I shall start visiting from today. Is it alright if I set the contract for one month?”

“Yeah! That’s fine.”

Ryota-kun was completely delighted.

“Then, please sign here and draw a simple map to your house.”
The calico cat unfolded a small, folded piece of paper.

The paper was crumpled as expected, but Ryota-kun didn't care and started writing his name.
However, he wasn't good at drawing, so the map became hard to understand.

He had no choice but to explain it verbally.

“Turn at that traffic light, there’s a vending machine, a mailbox...”
“I don't quite understand, but what kind of cats are nearby?”
“There’s a white one and a brown one together. The lady calls them Koro and Riki.”
The neighborhood mothers looked curiously at Ryota-kun as he talked earnestly to the calico cat.
Since they couldn't see the calico cat from a distance, they thought he was talking to himself.

“In that case, that is the Sato residence at 3-chome, number 5, right?”
“My house is next door. There are no cats there, though.”

“The Nishiyama residence, then... I see, your mother doesn't seem to like cats very much. That is a rumor in town.”
The calico cat knew about the cats in this town, of course, and seemed to have everything in its head, including who owned them and who disliked cats.
“It’s okay, I’m just having you help with my schedule. It won't take much time. Besides, I’ll be doing it in my room. There’s no way she’ll find out.”

Ryota-kun said hurriedly.

It would be terrible if the contract he worked so hard for was refused.
“I see. If that’s the case, then it’s fine.”
The calico cat quickly finished registering it in its phone's schedule, pressed its front paw next to where Ryota-kun had signed, and asked, “So, what time should I visit?”

“Let’s see. If it’s too late, Mom might come to check my room, so if possible, right after school is best.”
“Then, let us start right away... Done. Here is the contract.”
It had the same paw print as the flyer.
This was the seal of the 'Calico Cat Handyman' shop.
“My name is 'Rin'. Pleased to meet you. Also, I must talk about the payment. I don't need money. Instead, I want sweets. Do you know the candy shop in the neighborhood run by an old man and a dog named Popolo?”
“Yeah, I know it. That’s 'Popolo’s Candy Shop', right?”

“Yes, that’s it. Then, every Friday, please buy something called 'Stip Candy' from that shop and bring it to this park. I would like one for every day, so please bring a week's worth at once.”
“Got it. That’s all you need, right?”

“Yes, that is all. Then, let us be off.”
Rin the calico cat got off the slide and immediately started running toward Ryota-kun's house.
“Ah, wait for me.”
Ryota-kun followed after it.
Rin went to Ryota-kun's house without hesitation and sat down in front of the entrance, curling its tail.

“Now, please guide me to your room.”

“Tomorrow is Tuesday. First, it’s arithmetic.”
When they arrived at Ryota-kun's room, Rin immediately started preparing.
“Where are your compass and ruler? Besides textbooks and notebooks, there are things you must not forget. Also, your gym clothes, Japanese textbook, notebook... Alright.”

Rin, who efficiently organized the preparations, was truly a handyman.
It even carried a drill larger than its own face firmly.

Rin opened the pencil case and looked inside.
“Oh, two pencils, an eraser, is that all? Don't you put in a few more as spares? A small ruler and a red pen are also quite useful.”

Rin said while brushing the dust off the school bag with its tail.

“It’s fine, I don't use them.”
“I see... You have a plastic mat, right? Also, I’ve been curious about this for a while, what is this print?”

It was a test paper that had been returned the other day.
“It was a 20-point score, so I hid it because I couldn't show it...”

“Things you receive from school must be shown properly to your family.”
“I got it, I’ll show them later.”
It’s quite nagging, Ryota-kun sighed.

“Also, is there any homework? It’s better to get it done now. May I watch?”

“You’re going to watch me do my homework too? You can go home when the work is done.”
“No. I will wait until it is finished. Once it is done, I will also check your notebook properly.”

“I didn't ask for that. It’s fine, just help me with my schedule...”
“That won't do. If you don't include homework, you will forget your homework tomorrow. That means you will have forgotten something. Since we have a contract, I must not let you forget anything.”
“Well, that’s true, but...”

Ryota-kun opened his homework notebook with a troubled face.
Usually, he would be absorbed in a game by now.

Seeing Ryota-kun like that, Rin compared the schedule and the textbook again.
It couldn't stand for its work to be anything less than perfect.

“But, homework is such a pain. From tomorrow, can't you come to organize my schedule while I'm out playing?”
“What are you saying! You were the one who said you wanted to stop forgetting things. Now, please finish your homework quickly while I do my work.”

Rin the calico cat is just like a school teacher.
No, perhaps it might be even stricter than a teacher.

Ryota-kun regretted asking such a nagging calico cat for work.

Even so, thinking that he definitely wouldn't forget anything tomorrow made him feel a little brighter.

The next day, Ryota-kun, who had done his homework properly, was praised by his teacher.

The next day, and the day after that, not only was the homework done, but the answers were also correct.
This surprised all his friends around him.

Actually, this was also because of Rin the calico cat.
Rin was a cat very strict about time, so if Ryota-kun's homework didn't finish past the scheduled time, it would end up helping him.

'Rin' was someone who believed that no matter what, things must be done according to the contract.

Well, a week later, on Friday.

Today is the day to go deliver the thank-you sweets to Rin, the 'Calico Cat Handyman', as promised.
Ryota-kun went out to buy Stip Candy.

Popolo’s Candy Shop is a small shop run by a laid-back dog and a kind old man.
It is famous in the neighborhood, and they have such delicious sweets that even TV stations come to cover them.

“Since it’s one a day, five for a week, right?”

Looking at the sweets in the shop, they all looked delicious.
The yellow ones with pointed tips were candies covered in sugar.
The cookies varied, with red and green patterns, white letters, and even shapes of dogs and cats.

The sweets in the shop were fun just to look at, and they brightened up the heart of Ryota-kun, who had been bored lately from just sitting at his desk.

Although, it was Rin who was doing the studying.

Recently, Ryota-kun just pretended not to understand and asked Rin for the answers to his homework, so he was praised by his teacher without doing anything, and on top of that, his friends said things like 'You're amazing,' so he was in a great mood.

“It’s helpful that I can even get my homework done. Rin is nagging, but it’s smart, and the way it teaches is easy to understand, so it’s much better than school. I haven't forgotten anything either, and it’s really too perfect from start to finish. It’s only one candy, so I almost want to give it something else.”

However, when Ryota-kun arrived at the counter of Popolo’s Candy Shop, he was surprised at the price of the Stip Candy.

“This... it costs 200 yen each?”
“Yes, the new Stip Candy is especially delicious!”
Popolo, the dog clerk, wagged his tail proudly.

“The old man researched and improved it, and it was finally completed. Besides orange, lemon, pineapple, and banana are newly released. There are four types now. The sweetness that melts in your mouth is great. And yet, it’s low-calorie, so it’s very popular with women. Moreover, it’s big, so you can eat plenty. It’s recommended not only for children but also for men. Also, it’s good for pets, too. It has a reputation for not causing cavities easily. There’s even a calico cat that comes to buy it secretly.”

Could that be Rin, Ryota-kun wondered.
He had no choice but to buy five Stip Candies and paid 1,000 yen.

“I didn't think it would be this expensive... Ah, there was a game I wanted. Well, whatever. I can get my homework done again with this.”


He decided to try not to spend money as much as possible for the next week.

However, when he saw a manga book he really wanted, he completely forgot about the Stip Candy and bought two volumes.

When Friday came, he hurriedly checked his piggy bank, but even adding everything he had saved up until now, he only had 830 yen.

“I can't buy one. But, if I buy a cheaper one instead, it should work out somehow.”

But would that strict Rin forgive such a thing...?

At Popolo’s Candy Shop, he bought four Stip Candies and one 30-yen candy.
With this, Ryota-kun’s money was all gone.

Rin was in the park, sitting on top of the slide just like before.
When it saw Ryota-kun, it bowed and said, “Thank you as always.”
“You brought them as promised, didn't you?”
“Yeah... But, I didn't know it was such expensive candy, so I ran out of money. I’ll definitely bring it next week, so can you put up with this for today?”

Rin immediately made a stern face.
“So, you didn't buy the Stip Candy?”

“I did. I was able to buy four. But one is different.”
Ryota-kun showed Rin the inside of the paper bag.
“Then I cannot accept it. The promise is for five properly. Please buy them properly.”

“That’s why I told you, right? I don't have money. Isn't it fine, since there are four?”
“I worked for five days. It is natural to receive for five days.”
“But, can't you do something about it?”
“What I cannot accept, I cannot accept!”
Rin wouldn't listen at all.
It turned away and started licking its body.

Ryota-kun changed the subject.
“Then, that’s enough. From next week, I’ll organize my schedule myself and do my homework myself.”

At Ryota-kun's words, Rin turned to face him and said, “The contract is for one month. I should have said that at the beginning. You must keep your promises properly. I will come to organize your schedule next Monday, Tuesday, and every day.”
“No way... That’s terrible. I’m telling you it’s enough! You stingy Rin! You stubborn cat!”

Ryota-kun ran home and told his mother everything that had happened.

“Why did you ask a cat for work!”
His mother, who hates cats, was furious.

However, it couldn't be helped.
Ryota-kun no longer had any money left for the candy to give to Rin the calico cat.

His mother thought. So, she had Ryota-kun bring the flyer for Rin's shop.

Ring-a-ling-a-ling...

The mobile phone of the 'Calico Cat Handyman' rang.
When Rin answered the phone, a woman's voice spoke.
“Hello, this is Nishiyama Printing Company. We can make shop flyers cheaply, would you be interested?”

The owner of the voice was, of course, Ryota-kun's mother.
While smoothing out the wrinkles in the flyer, she was speaking as politely as possible.

Ryota-kun was watching over her, his heart pounding.
“Flyers? We have always done it by hand. After all, there was no place that would make flyers for a cat company.”
“I’m sure that’s true. But please rest assured. We don't care about such things. Any customer is very welcome.”

Hearing that, Rin was overjoyed.
It decided to order 50 flyers right away.

“And about the payment, please accept it in Stip Candy, which is popular in town. I will exchange one Stip Candy for two flyers.”
“How should I receive them?”
“I will send them as soon as they are finished. So, could you also send the Stip Candy to us?”
“Understood. Then, we will do that.”
When Rin hung up the phone, it immediately called Popolo’s Candy Shop and reserved 25 Stip Candies.
Now, this is where it gets difficult.

Ryota-kun's mother, who hates cats, thought of printing flyers for the 'Calico Cat Handyman' to try to solve the problem without meeting the cat.

She just had to give the Stip Candy she obtained this way to Ryota-kun.

However, the Nishiyama Printing Company was completely fake.

She was just a very ordinary housewife who could make simple flyers on a computer just a little bit.

His mother, having heard Ryota-kun's story, knew that it was a very difficult cat, so she worked carefully, paying attention to every detail.
If it went over even a little or the color was light, she redid it.

She decided the place for Rin to deliver the Stip Candy would be her husband's company.
This was to prevent it from being found out that it was Ryota-kun's house.

During that time, Rin was very busy with Ryota-kun's schedule and homework.
It didn't seem to notice that the 'Handyman' flyer was being made right nearby.

The flyer was full-color printing, and it was as good as any shop's.

“Yeah. This doesn't look handmade. Rin will surely be happy too.”

Ryota-kun also felt happy somehow.
His mother chose a beautiful envelope, put the 50 flyers in, and sent them to Rin.
Eventually, the Stip Candy arrived at her husband's company.

Since Ryota-kun took them to Rin, he was able to have Rin look after his schedule and homework for the remaining two weeks just like before.

A few days later, a thank-you letter arrived from Rin, saying that thanks to the new color flyers, the 'Calico Cat Handyman' had more work and was very helped.

“It’s worth the effort to make it when it’s appreciated this much.”
His mother looked happy looking at the letter.

Ryota-kun felt a bit sad that the one-month contract would end like this and he wouldn't be able to see Rin.

His mother, who had said she hated cats, gradually came to think of Rin as cute while secretly watching it come every day to look after Ryota-kun's studies.

One time, his mother bought a lot of Stip Candy at Popolo’s Candy Shop.

Surely, his mother must have contracted with the 'Calico Cat Handyman' for another month for Ryota-kun's sake.
Ryota-kun was overjoyed, thinking he could see Rin again.

The next day. When Ryota-kun returned from school, Rin had arrived first.
“Hey, Rin. You’re early today, aren't you?”
Ryota-kun entered the room to have Rin teach him his studies as usual.

However, no matter how long he waited, Rin didn't come.
What in the world happened to Rin, who was so strict about time...?

When he quietly left the room, Rin was there, talking happily with his mother.
“Where do you think I should put this plant?”
“Let me see. Considering the sunlight, that side would be better.”

Ryota-kun was surprised.
“What are you doing? Rin...”

Then Rin said, “Welcome home, Ryota-kun,” while bowing politely.
“From today for one month, I have been contracted by your mother to rearrange the room and organize the storage room. Once again, I am Rin, the 'Calico Cat Handyman'. Pleased to meet you.”
“What was that?”

When he looked, Rin was in a pink apron and holding something like a duster.

“But Mom, you said you hated cats so much! And the money too...”
“Oh, Ryota. About the Stip Candy, it’s fine. I’ve bought them properly. Besides, Rin-chan is very cute and smart, isn't it? It even praised the flyer I made as being very good, so I couldn't help but ask for its work.”

His mother was smiling, and it was as if her hating cats was a lie.

“What is it, Rin, did you know about the flyer?”
“Well, around here, when you say Nishiyama, it’s only this house. It is grateful that you were so kind.”
Rin had also become completely attached to his mother.

“Then, what about me!”
“I didn't have a contract with Ryota-kun for this month, you see.”
Rin answered coolly.

“Besides, at that time, you said you would do your schedule and homework yourself, so you didn't need me to come anymore.”
“I’m sorry, Rin. It couldn't be helped. At that time...”

His mother interrupted Ryota-kun as he was about to say something.

“Now, we have to clean up the storage room today. Let’s go, Rin. So, that’s why Ryota, I’m sorry, but please study by yourself.”

“No way...!”
Ryota-kun was disappointed.

But since there was no Stip Candy, he had no choice but to give up.

After a while, there was the sound of Ryota-kun's room door closing.

Rin and his mother quietly turned around, looked at each other, and giggled.

The End