“And that’s that.” The doctor shook the small vial full of Noah’s blood, allowing him to cling to his arm to relieve the dull pain from the needle. She should have done it yesterday, but the man looked emotionally drained and anemic after the mission. Waiting a few extra hours couldn’t hurt. “Your hormone levels look normal. Will balance out in the next few days. Plus, your body now has higher plasticity when it comes to transformation.” Seeing him confused, she elaborated. “That means that there should be less issue with using the machine in the future.”

“In the future?” He looked up at the doctor like a battered kitten, seeing her putting the vile of crimson liquid away. 

“EikōBio might need you to use a 'mimi persona again. Hey, what are you so upset about?” She preemptively responded to his eyebrows beginning to move down. “Not right now! And—and this means job security. You know how many people would kill to be in your position?” There was truth in that, but Galloway also wanted her wonderful test subject to stick around. It was as simple as her liking to work with their new recruit. Hiro was right—Noah always did what he was told, even if he whined about it first.  “You need to get over this phobia of transformation."

Feeling his lips getting dry, Noah felt the need to speak up. “EikōBio?” He let go of his aching arm, changing the subject. “Why did you say EikōBio instead of the cabal?” 

“Feels redundant, doesn’t it?” She shrugged, swirling in her chair. “Hiro’s faction is pretty much in charge of the whole corporation now. We have leverage against the Tanikawa family. We have 2 working transformation sites…and I am working on something special related to the project.” The woman grinned at that last part. 

“You seem excited.” With how sleepy she was usually, Dr. Emily Galloway seemed to have an almost supernatural ability to channel all her energy into the things she was interested in. “Didn’t you say how turning people into ‘mimis was a waste of resources—how we should be making the human race better instead?”

“I love my work. Nothing wrong with that.” A sly smile appeared on her lips. “Besides, you’re the one who’s happy about all the ‘mimis swarming you. Don’t try to deny it.”

He put his palms up like a caught prisoner. “You got me.” Slowly lowering them, his mind stayed on the topic. “Emily?” He asked, turning towards her—a difficult task as she was still swirling around. “Can a ‘mimi and a human…reproduce?”

As soon as a Kemonomimi-related question was asked, her mind switched to lecture mode. “Humans and ‘mimis have the same base genome, with the identical number of chromosomes and roughly the same coding sites. Of course, due to the heavy genetic modification, the products tend to be less fertile and then there is the whole matter of altered menstrual cycles and-“ The office chair stopped to a halt, with the doctor slowly adjusting it to meet her eyes with Noah's. “Why do you ask?” The silence was filled only with the squeaks of the wheels as she slowly began moving closer—her face unmoving. “Why do you ask, Noah?” She repeated. 

“…no reason. Just a curiosity, you know. Kemonomimis are pretty interesting, after all, and most people know next to nothing about them.” He tried giving a genuine smile while slowly edging towards the door, seeing Galloway preparing to start speaking again—her face now seemingly oblivious.  

Free to roam the building, the realization that he had no idea where anything was washed over Noah. He just stood there for a moment, rubbing the back of his head while looking around. EikōBio building was futuristic, yet impersonal; the scent of lemon in the air was pleasant, but it reminded him of nothing. His mind went blank while staring at a white wall. Lost in this idleness, he didn’t notice a familiar figure sauntering down the hall with her arm outstretched—swinging back and forth with such speed that the sleeves of her hoodie almost hit him. 

“Mirei?” Noah squinted just to make sure it wasn’t some different ‘mimi with the same long, straight blonde hair, the same two horse-like ears, the same sapphire eyes, and the same cheery demeanor.

“Hello, mister.” Mirei waved at him, giving a weak bow. “Are you one of the handlers?”

“No, it’s me. Naomi.” It felt weird saying it, but it was the truth. “I mean, I was Naomi.”

“Is the mousey here?” She began looking over his shoulder, trying to find her mouse girl companion. Just as he had expected, she was slightly taller than him (…just slightly). 

“Naomi isn’t here. I am Naomi.” He reiterated, pointing at his chest. It didn’t really explain much, with Mirei tilting her head to the side as if trying to solve some difficult math equation. 

“That’s not funny, mister.” She crossed her arms, disappointed. “First you guys take me away from my mistress and put me in this building. My new mistress had a swimming pool, but I can’t even use the one here! The handlers say it’s for ‘aqua therapy’ and not for swimming. Hmph! That’s ridiculous! Every swimming pool is for swimming.” 

Her mind seemed slow, while at the same time switching between topics quicker than Noah could keep up. Giving an understanding smile, he put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay. They are probably keeping you here since you interacted with Tanji and me.” 

“They did say something about that. Fortunately, the guy with sunglasses said I am not in trouble, so I am not that worried. And since I am not in trouble, you can’t be mean to me.” This must have been Hiro’s job, then. He really did clean up all the leaks. It almost made Noah feel more relaxed about making mistakes in the future. Then again, he was not omnipotent, and all it took was one blunder to ruin this entire operation. 

“Come on, Mirei. Let’s try to find everyone else, okay?” He grabbed her hand, beginning to walk forward with no direction on his mind. “I still need to find Tanji.”

“That chubby cat?” Mirei flinched. “I don’t know. She’s pretty rude.”

“She can be troublesome sometimes.” He exhaled, nodding along. “But I am sure that you will grow to appreciate her.”

Just as he was saying that the pair entered one of the many rooms of this building. Around the table, the menagerie awaited: Tanji was currently pulling on the party hat of her sister, making the strap hit the bottom of her chin. Tamiko tried to get her sister off, looking like she was about to cry. Koko stepped in the middle, pushing the two cats aside as soon as Noah entered the room, giving him a bow. She wore her maid outfit, with the sigh briefly bringing up bad memories of the mansion before its formal cuteness settled in. Yulka stood in the background like an omen of death. She was also in uniform, wearing the same black poncho as the security detail. Even the colorful party hat around her head didn’t make her look any more cheerful—the strap having snapped away due to the size of her head. 

Inside, looked to be a breakroom of some sort, with a misshapen white lump of frosting placed next to a well-crafted desert. “Is somebody having a birthday here?” Noah asked, trying not to laugh. 

“I told you we should have gotten him some vodka and office supplies.” Yulka shook her head in disapproval, clicking her tongue while looking at Tanji as she took a step forward. 

“Vodka?” Mirei rubbed her chin, trying to remember. “I think that’s a type of alcohol. Nice! Mistress never allowed me to drink alcohol, so I would like to try some.”

Brushing all of that aside, Tanji made sure to remind everyone what this was all about. “This is to celebrate you!” She may have worded it awkwardly, but the Neko was genuine, smiling with both her mouth and eyes.

“That’s right.” Feeling the need to explain, Koko overtook Tanji, now being so close to Noah that he had to bend his neck down. “You have been offered a permanent position in EikōBio. My owner sees you as a capable corporate asset.” She gave him another bow—this one deeper and more submissive than all the ones before. “He wanted to forward this offer himself, but both you and Tanji have disappeared somewhere. Today, he is preoccupied.” Redness appeared on both of their cheeks at the same time, with him making and then quickly breaking eye contact with the little Neko he "treated like a human" just the day before.  

“And what’s up with the cake?” Noah had never really applied for a serious job before, but he didn’t imagine getting a cake party thrown by a bunch of animal girls was the corporate standard.

“Tanji asked me to aid her in baking a cake. She wanted to congratulate you personally, and gathered all of us here.” Looking at the table, the cake which looked like—well—a cake was probably made by Koko. This meant that the misshapen mass was the masterwork of his bedmate. 

“I am just here to make sure nobody gets permanently wounded.” Yulka piped up, still casually grabbing a piece. “You better get that fat-ass cat in order.” Pointing the fork at Noah, she made it sound like that was his job. Well, it wasn’t. Not yet. 

Seeing as everyone was already reaching for Koko’s treat, he took a clump of the thing that Tanji made. His fork twitched in the air as it inched towards his mouth, bracing the hundreds of his taste buds for the worst. Too much flour. Too much sugar. Not enough milk. And too much…salt? It wasn’t great. At least he managed to force it down. That was enough to satisfy Tanji who already began gloating to her sister. 

Mirei was busy bothering Yulka with random questions, each making her fangs more apparent. Tanji remained by the side of her sister, explaining something to her with exaggerated hand movements. This left him and Koko alone, away from the table and leaning against the wall. 

“Despite how makeshift this was.” She began talking, brining a fork to her mouth. “I am glad that we were able to go through with the party.”

“Is this something EikōBio typically does?”

“No, not really.” Putting her plate away, Koko’s full attention was now on Noah. “But the circumstances of you being commissioned were hardly typical.”

Noah nodded, subconsciously copying Koko’s casual body language. “About the offer-”

“You don’t need to reply immediately.” She answered a question he didn’t have. “If you want to get back to Namiport, the company-provided apartment will be yours until the end of the month. So, 2 more weeks.” The maid was able to determine that without checking a calendar. 

“I see.” His lips tightened. “What would you do in my position?” 

“You shouldn’t ask me.” Koko began tapping her foot. “I am already with EikōBio. Any insight I may have is biased.”

“Thank you for being honest.” Noah looked back at the table. Koko always had this aura of lucidity about her, like she was more aware of her situation as just a ‘mimi than the rest. Tanji showed him the same lucidity the night before, so maybe this was something they hid well—or were unaware of. “So what happens if I accept?”

“Tanji, Tamiko, myself, and the newcomer—Mirei—will be placed under your management.”

“2 extra, huh?”

“Tamiko needs to be with Tanji for her wellbeing. Tanji needs to be with you to manage her behavioral problems.” She followed this chain of thought, now pointing to herself. “I am here for general assistance and corporate security. And Mirei…” Koko rubbed the nape of her neck, looking up at Noah. “She will be dumped on you, I am afraid. The goal is to get her out of Japan first and foremost. And since you have a sizable living area, it just makes sense.” With how distressed she looked about the prospect, it looked like the maid was giving him a bad prognosis. 

“I can manage Mirei.” He put a confident smile on.

“There will be extra funding-” She stopped herself, seeing that Noah seemed oddly fine with having that walking disaster of a horse girl around. Cleaning her throat, she continued. “Officially, you will be branded as a handler.” Handing him a green plastic bag, Noah found it to be filled with goodies: company-branded pens, company-branded keychains, company-branded water bottle, and even a company-branded mug. But amongst all the trinkets, there was something special—something with his name on it. Koko narrowed her eyes. “It appears like the administration is confident in you accepting the offer. Don't allow this to intimidate you.”

Running his finger against the smooth surface of the badge, Noah felt the thick laminated plastic. There was a silver raised lettering which had his name on it. “I see. And if I decline?”

“You will go back to Namiport without Tanji or me." There was a pause. "And there will be no further communication.”  No Tanji? This all started with her, after all. Having her just gone felt wrong. 

“I see.” He clapped his hands together, much like Koko used to do. “Let’s go, then. Tell Hiro I accept.”

“There is time.” The maid reassured him as Noah was already marching over to the two Nekos. All she could do was smile, quickly straighten her face, and walk into a broom closet. There were pieces of cake everywhere, and she had work to do—both of them did. 

“Hey Tanji, check this out.” He flashed his badge. The Neko quickly acknowledged it, not understanding the true significance of what it meant, before continuing to look down at her sister. Noah was curious, also checking what Tamiko was up to.

The woman was on all 4s, arching her back while closing her eyes in embarrassment. “Oh, h-hello Mr. Noah. Tanji told me you were that mouse from before, correct?”

“That’s right. But that doesn’t explain why-”

“I am sorry for putting you in my mouth and saying you look creepy.” She huffed out, struggling to maintain this pose. 

“It’s fine.” Noah assured, still curious. “Why are you on the ground?” 

“Tanji said I have to act like a normal cat if you are taking me with you-agh! That reminds me!” Following this, she began meowing instead of talking. 

Tanji began petting her sister before gesturing for Noah to do the same. “You need to stop messing with her.” He said as she let go of her sister’s hair—not before ruffling it. “Come on Tami, get up.”

“Hai.” She stood up, dusting herself off. “Mr. Noah…do you mind if I ask you a question?” Her features were soft as she looked up at him. “Is it true that I will never see Okān again?”

Noah exhaled through his teeth, not sure how to answer. He should have expected that Tamiko would want to go back to her mistress. Just as always, it looked like she was about to cry. “I don’t know. Not right now, at least.” 

“I see…” Shaking her head, Tamiko slapped herself on the cheek. “Tanji told me I should stop crying…so I will stop. Because if I cry, it makes me look like a baby.”

That wasn’t exactly the way he would have put it, but it was true that Tamiko was immature when compared to her sister. “We will work something out, Tami. I am sure.”

“Wish we could have gotten there by boat. I like boats.” Mirei complained as she walked inside a private jet —her words muffled by the blowing wind. Most people in her position would have the opposite reaction, considering that the flight would already take 10 hours.

Tamiko hesitated at the entrance, holding onto the handrail for her life. “I have never been on an airplane. Is it scary-AGH!” Tanji wouldn’t have it, already pushing the both of them onboard. 

There may have been only 5 of them here (herself included), but Koko was still taught to do a head count. After being satisfied with the results, she clapped her hands together, taking a seat around a table. 

“I really think you should have given it more time.” Koko whispered, putting her hand on her knees. “Becoming a permanent employee means that you are no longer just somebody the small sect of the company unofficially commissioned.”

“Koko.” His face was stern. “I am sure that this is something I want to do.”

“You may think so. But you have been conscripted into a war.” Just like him, her face also became eerily serious. 

“Is the corporate rivalry that bad?”

“You haven’t even seen the beginning of it.” Noah put down his phone, now fully focused on the fox girl. “The entire bioengineering sector of Japan is a warzone. And this warzone already has to exist within the shell game that is the modern economy.”

“The economy seems to be doing alright.” In class, reviewing the Japanese model and how it could be applied to the rest of the world was one of the major parts of the curriculum. 

“People in the mainland are using money they don’t have to buy offshore projects which don’t exist. In the center of it all is the Yūgen Banking Group keeps the corpos fighting. EikōBio…Genovista…and KyotoSynth…they are just pieces on the board for them.”

“So I guess we just need to win the game they’re playing.” 

“How can you keep being so casual about this?” By now, she was getting upset, furrowing her brow. “Your future is tied to that of the company. More ‘mimis will be sent to your house. More people will target you. It’s do or die.”

“Do or die—got it. But Koko, you also need to understand something. This is what I want. Finally, there is something in this world that I am good at. I like working with ‘mimis like you, okay?” 

She thought for a moment, looking out of the window with a sour smile as the plane began revving up its engines. “Just don’t get played.”