The Cat That Leaps Through Time: All 10 Episodes — Only the Cat Knows the Gaps in Time
On the slope, there is a gray-and-white cat.
Ryota, pushing his bicycle uphill, one day notices the cat getting ahead of him. His chain comes off, and when he looks up, an unfamiliar town from the past spreads out before him.
People holding on to dreams they were about to give up on. A rival who transferred schools. And himself from one year ago.
The cat says nothing. But each time he climbs the slope, Ryota's time, which had stopped, begins to move forward little by little.
A series of ten inte
The Cat That Leaps Through Time: All 10 Episodes — Only the Cat Knows the Gaps in Time - Riverbank: That Day, Our Goodbye Was Already Decided
The house where Tatsuya used to live stood along the riverbank. No one lives there now. Even the nameplate has been taken down.
Ryota rode past it on his bicycle. The tires were properly inflated. For the first time in a while, he descended the slope in something other than a standing climb, and made his way to the riverbank.
He wasn't sure himself what he intended by coming here. It had already been a year since Tatsuya moved away.
A cat was on top of the embankment. It had been clearly visible from the start. It neither hid nor fled—it simply sat at the edge of the embankment.
"You come here too, huh."
Ryota parked his bicycle and climbed the embankment. The cat didn't move even as Ryota approached.
The wind grew stronger. The smell of the river changed. It was the scent of a river with more water than now.
***
Below the embankment, two bicycles were parked side by side. One was a model Ryota didn't recognize, but he remembered the other one. It was Tatsuya's bicycle. Newer than the one now.
Tatsuya himself was sitting on the embankment. Slightly younger than Ryota. A Tatsuya who spoke faster than now.
"What're you doing in a place like this?"
Tatsuya said when he noticed Ryota. Ryota hesitated over how to answer. He didn't know how many years ago this Tatsuya was from.
"...Taking a walk."
"Nobody takes a walk all the way to the riverbank."
Tatsuya laughed and threw a stone at his feet into the river.
"Hey, are you entering next week's race?"
Ryota couldn't answer that question. Because he didn't know which race this was.
"I'll enter. Probably."
"I want to beat you. Do you know why?"
Ryota stayed silent.
"Because you always run like you've got room to spare. It looks like you're not giving it your all. That kind of pisses me off."
Ryota didn't know what to say. From where he stood now, Tatsuya had been giving it everything. The one who took first place was Tatsuya.
"I'm always giving it my all."
"Then that's fine."
Tatsuya said that and threw another stone.
"I might transfer schools next year. Because of my old man's work."
Ryota watched Tatsuya's profile in silence.
"When it's decided, I'll tell you. Probably after the race."
"I wouldn't know what to say if you told me."
"You don't have to say anything. Just remember it, that's all."
Tatsuya said that and lay down on the embankment. The cat drew near Tatsuya's feet.
"So you know this one too."
"I saw it on Haru Slope."
"Haru—is that its name?"
"Who knows. Someone was calling it that."
Tatsuya reached out to pet the cat's head, then pulled his hand back. The cat had slipped away.
"It won't let me touch it."
"It's always like that."
The wind blew strong once more. The smell of the river returned to its usual scent.
***
Ryota was standing on top of the embankment. Below, only his own bicycle was parked. Tatsuya's bicycle was gone.
Ryota sat down on the embankment and watched the river for a while. The cat had disappeared before he noticed.
Ryota now learned that Tatsuya had decided to transfer schools long before the race. Regardless of the race results, Tatsuya had been scheduled to leave.
Ryota righted his bicycle and left the riverbank behind. On the way up the slope, even though he hadn't checked anything in particular, the way he put strength into his legs had changed, just slightly.
Novelia is an AI-powered platform to read original light novels and fan fiction, create your own in just a few taps, and chat with the characters. New, illustrated episodes arrive daily — free to start.