The Cat's Tail

Chapter 41 - The Trigger

It was afternoon.

It was just in time for Callisto, Hinata and Elesis to end their study session inside the lounge area at the back of the convenience store.

A reprieved sigh coming out of the red head's mouth. "Man, the EPT is close. Are you excited, Calli?"

"Of course," Callisto replied eagerly. "I can't wait to do the test and go to school."

"That's the spirit," Elesis leaned in with a bright smile, patting the back of Callisto. "I can't wait to be your classmate, too!"

"I hope I can land a higher grade."

"Huh? Why? Don't you want to be classmates with me?"

"I don't want to become a student and a tutor at the same time."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Hinata's chuckle cut through Elesis and Callsto's conversation. "Well, the results of the EPT depend on how well you'll do during the test. It's possible you can go higher than grade 10."

Hinata's words felt like a lightning just struck Elesis, drawing a shocked gasp out of the red head.

Elesis went on her knees, sliding straight in front of Callisto as her arms reached out to tug at the silver-haired girl's pants.

"Hey, Callisto," called Elesis with a pleading voice. "Let's be grade 10 together."

Callisto beamed an unbothered smile. "Like Hinata said, the result of the EPT depends on how well I'd do on the test. So I can't guarantee to go to grade 10."

"Then don't put too much effort to it," Elesis tugged a bit harder at Callisto's pants. "That way, we can become classmates!"

"Then what's the point of studying if I don't aim for the best outcome?"

Elesis tugged harder and a bit faster. "The point is that we should become classmates and not get separated!"

"That's obviously not it," Callisto responded nonchalantly, her body swaying as Elesis' tugging increased in strength.

Elesis tugged at Callisto's pants even harder and faster. "No, please! I want to go to the same classroom as you!"

While the red head was pleading as if for her life, Hinata finished cleaning up the table. He even sorted the girls' notes for them.

"Well, that's it for today's study session," he declared, calling the attention of Elesis and Callisto. "Same time tomorrow here, okay?"

"Yep," Elesis stood up to get her notes.

"Sorry," raised a hand just as she got up from her seat. "Can we postpone tomorrow's session?"

Hinata raised a curious eyebrow at the young lady. "Sure, but what's the matter?"

"I'm going to visit my father at his work after my shift tomorrow."

Hinata gave Callisto an understanding nod. "I see. Okay. We can resume whenever you say so."

"Yeah. We can start again the day after tomorrow."

With everyone's collective agreement, the group disbanded. Callisto changed to her usual attire and left the store right after, making her way back home.

.

.

.

As soon as she entered her apartment, Callisto locked the door and shut the window curtains down.

"Now then..."

Callisto stood in the middle of her apartment's open space. She closed her eyes as she fell into deep concentration.

Before long, the lids opened, revealing her golden eyes.

Gleam!

Sniff, sniff.

Various smells surged forth into Callisto's nostrils, but they're not as intense as the previous times she would accidentally trigger her ability.

As for her other senses, just like she wanted, they were functoning in a normal manner instead of overwhelming her.

"I see now. In that case..."

Callisto approached the brick wall in front of her, hand reaching out to it as if trying to pull a rubble out of it.

But despite her best efforts and even the fact that she still had her mysterious golden eyes intact, she could not make even a tiny dent on the wall.

She looked at the palm of her hand she used to try and leave a mark on the wall just now with interest. "Oh..."

Callisto lied. She wasn't going to visit her father in the hospital tomorrow like she said to Hinata.

Although she felt bad about it, her lie was made for a reason.

Ever since the first time she triggered her golden eyes, the only thing that was in Callisto's mind were the things she could do with it as well as the how.

What was triggering it? Because there was no way it would just turn on and off spontaneously.

Luckily, she could just go and recall the past as if watching a movie from a recorder.

For the past two days that went by since they visited the Riverbanks Center in the city of Marikina, Callisto would use her free time to either lie on bed or sit at the table, just going through her memories.

* * *

"Remember the given instructions," Callisto mumbled to herself. "Read the question properly. Find out what's wrong with the given questions."

On the second day of her preparation for the upcoming Educational Placement Test, Callisto was so absorbed on trying to figure out the answer to the question Hinata made for her.

Her golden eyes appeared for the first time.

* * *

"Dudurian Bomb!"

A squad of young vagrants came out of an alley nearby, one of them was carrying what seemed to be a durian fruit. They threw it right next to the two and other people walking by along the street.

Crash!

As soon as the fruit struck the ground, its foul smell quickly infiltrated the nostrils of those who were nearby.

"D-Disgusting..." Callisto uttered, her expression sour just like everyone around her.

Gleam!

At this moment, she was desperate to get as far away from the foul smell of the durian fruit as possible.

Her power activated for the second time. Although it kind of backfired at her.

* * *

"M-Macaron! I lost my cat! I don't know where she went!"

"I see." She looked around one more time, but there was not a single hint of the cat nearby. "I'll help you look for her, okay?"

The boy's face lit up at the young lady's words. "Y-Yes!"

Callisto, out of the kindness of her heart, wanted to help the boy find his cat, Macaron.

It then activated for the third time, allowing Callisto to pinpoint the cat's whereabouts.

. . .

"Macaron," Callisto called, raising her arms towards the cat from below the tree. "Jump down. I'll catch you."

Meow! Meoow!

The cat's ears flattened in fear. "No! I'm scared!"

"Of course, you are," Callisto thought to herself.

Callisto's arms fell back to her sides as she rethink things through.

"Climbing a tree then go back down is easier said than done," she said in thought as her sky-blue marbles darted from the tree trunk back to the cat. "If only..."

Callisto thought about just jumping and snatch Macaron off the tree branch instead of climbing the tree.

Her ability was triggered for the fourth time.

* * *

Then finally, when she convinced Hinata, Elesis and herself that she could ride the bike after countless failed attempts, her golden eyes appeared for the fifth time.

"I got this," Callisto said to herself as she prepared to push the pedal forward.

Gleam!

"Ah!"

* * *

At every instances when Callisto's golden eyes were triggered, at a moment before they happened, Callisto was in the middle of thought.

Having realized it, Callisto figured it out.

In order to trigger her ability, Callisto must put her mind onto something.