Kogoro the Cat Searches for a Home.

Kogoro the cat said, "Please give me a home."

I took off my slippers so as not to make any noise and stroked Kogoro's chin, feeling the soft fur.
Then I replied, "What are you talking about? This is your home."

"No, that's not it. This is Mitsuyo's house, isn't it? That's not what I mean.
I want a home of my own.
I want a home where I can truly relax."
Kogoro said, his eyes looking dreamy.

"Hmm. I see..."

I thought about it while scratching the tip of my nose. I thought about it while rubbing my head, and I thought about it while rolling my shoulders. But I couldn't think of what kind of home Kogoro would consider to be his own.

"Let's go look for one together. I'm sure we'll find a home where you can feel at ease, Kogoro."

"Thank you very much."

And so, we set off on a journey to find a home.

The first place we arrived at was a house shaped like a fish. There were big ones, small ones, and medium-sized ones all lined up.

The big fish was a whale. The wide entrance was appealing. However, the teeth lined up like a fence were too scary to enter.
The small fish were dried sardines. Every room smelled wonderful. But they were so delicious that they had all been eaten up.
The medium-sized fish was a yellowtail. The entrance and the rooms were just the right size. The teeth were manageable, and even after eating a little, there was still some left. This seemed to be the best one.

"How about it? Shall we make this your home?"
I asked, feeling relieved that we had found a good house.
However, Kogoro said,
"No. My stomach would become too full, so I'll pass."
He said this with fish meat stuck around his mouth. When I looked back, both the medium-sized fish house and the big fish house were just standing there as bare skeletons.
"I see."
Kogoro and I began to walk along with a patter.

The next thing we found was a ball house. There were so many different kinds that I couldn't decide.

The ball with a bell inside had a beautiful sound. But it went 'ring-ring' at the entrance. The living room went 'jingle-jingle'. Even the bathroom went 'ring-ring-jingle-jingle'. I couldn't stand it anymore and went outside.
The bouncy ball looked fun, jumping around. Boing-boing-boing! But it bounced away somewhere.
The yarn ball was colorful and warm. It didn't make any noise, and it didn't bounce. This seemed to be the one.

"How about it? Shall we make this your home?"
I asked with a smile.
However, Kogoro said,
"No, no. This is too much fun, so I think I'll pass."
He said this while getting yarn tangled in his front paws. When I followed the thread, the yarn ball house had collapsed into a pile of string.
"I see."
Kogoro and I began to walk along with a soft tread.

"I wonder if we'll find a good home... I want a home where I can really stretch out, eat plenty, and feel nice and warm."
Kogoro said, kicking the ground with his front paw.

"A home where you can really stretch out, eat plenty, and feel nice and warm..."
When I repeated that, a lightbulb went off in my head.
"I have one. I have a home that is exactly what you're looking for, Kogoro."

"Really! Where? Where is it?"

"Follow me!"

I started walking briskly. Kogoro followed along with a patter.
And then I said,
"This is the house. I'm sure you'll like it, Kogoro," and pointed to a house.

Kogoro entered cautiously.
The living room leading from the entrance was very spacious. There was no problem stretching out all four legs as far as they could go.
I quietly placed some chicken tender, which Kogoro loves, through the gap. The sound of him eating happily echoed throughout the room.
There was a sturdy wooden table. A quilt was draped over it. Kogoro closed his eyes, feeling cozy and warm.

I watched over him with narrowed eyes.
Whispering, "The kotatsu is the best, isn't it?"

I went to my home. Kogoro went to the kotatsu.
In our respective homes, we spent our time without a care in the world.

#WhatIsThisStoryHouse
#WhatIsThisStory

Please include an illustration (POP). 🙇

That's amazing. 🏠️
I would love to participate. 🙇

This house is nice.
The floor plan and sunlight are both great. Yes, yes. I'll take this one!

That's how I decided on my real house.
At that time, my daughter was one year and four months old. She wasn't walking yet, and she watched the moving process intently from the baby carrier.
How nostalgic.

Starting this week, she is a second grader.
My daughter and I are both relieved that she ended up in the same class as her best friend.

What is this story?