The Grateful Mouse
Lion-san, don’t hesitate to ask me of anything, okay?
Cast
The Mouse: Kathrina Griebel
The Lion (I*): Kokona Ootori
A Vicious Carnivore: Panda Yanagiba
A Vicious Carnivore: Chisa Sasuga
*The story is narrated using male first-person pronoun boku.
Act I
I’m a Lion attending an animal school. Others fear me because of my appearance, but in truth I’m rather timid.
One day at school I ran into a Mouse who was in tears, because her precious cheese was stolen by carnivores. It felt wrong to leave her like that, so I helped her out.
“Lion-san… You’re so nice! I’ll definitely repay your kindness!”
The Mouse looked sincerely grateful and promised to return the favor. However, I didn’t take her seriously and soon forgot about it. She must have said that only because she was scared of me just like the others anyway.
I don’t fit in with strong carnivores, and herbivores fear me, of course, so I sit in the classroom all alone.
Just then someone calls out to me.
“Lion-san, so you’re also in this class?”
The Mouse I helped out earlier approaches me, and it seems like she wants to be friends.
Act II
The Mouse keeps stubbornly insisting on returning the favor, no matter how many times I tell her that it was no big deal.
“Can I be of any use to you?”
“Don’t hesitate to ask me of anything, okay?”
Being followed around by such a cute Mouse is actually unnerving. It attracts too much attention. I’m used to leading a quiet school life, so standing out makes me anxious. I have a feeling that my peaceful school days might be in danger.
Soon a food theft incident occurs. Someone has stolen the food meant for the school cafeteria.
And now I’m the one under suspicion?!
Act III
“Please, let me out! I swear I didn’t steal anything!”
I was put in jail accused of food theft. No matter how much I tried to explain that I have nothing to do with it, no one believed me. Someone must have wanted to set me up, and I have no one to ask for help.
As I’m consumed by pessimistic thoughts, the Mouse appears before me exclaiming, “I’ll get you out of here!”
Pulling myself together, I look up at her and say I might have an idea as to who the culprits may be. I’m sure it’s the same vicious carnivores who stole the cheese before.
“I see. I’ll clear up the misunderstanding and set you free.”
The Mouse believes that the time has come to return the favor and starts investigating the vicious carnivores at school. She intends to try her best at resolving the situation.
Act IV
Thanks to the efforts of the Mouse, the vicious carnivores are proved to be the real culprits and put in jail.
After the incident has been resolved, I’m released safely. My classmates apologize to me and even praise me as someone who helped in solving the case. Flustered, I tell them that in fact it was all thanks to the Mouse. But she winks at me and says, “It was the Lion who gave me a hint!”
The word of me helping the Mouse earlier also spreads among my classmates. Learning of my kind nature, they change their opinion of me for the better. I ain’t alone anymore, and for that I’m deeply grateful to the Mouse.
Since then in the animal school one could always see an unlikely pair of the Mouse accompanying the scary-looking, but kind-hearted Lion.
Aftertalk
Kokona:
“Wow, Kathrina-chan, you’re good at cute roles like this too! I was moved by watching your brave Mouse!”
Kathrina:
“Don’t make light of me. With my Sense, I can nail down any role perfectly.”
Shizuka:
“She’s usually more like a lion cub though. Growling and biting, but easily hurt.”
Kathrina:
“What was that just now?”
Kokona:
“Ahh! Shi-shizuka-chan! She just has the pride of a lion! I mean, she really takes pride in her acting!”
Kathrina:
“Hmph, of course. I’m aiming to become a World Dai Star. If I act half-heartedly I won’t ever be able to face my mom.”
Kathrina:
“Anyway… Kokona’s Lion was fairly good too.”
Kathrina:
“Gentle, but with inner strength. And surprisingly daring at times. That was so captivating…”
Kokona:
“I’m not sure what scene are you talking about?”
Shizuka:
“You really couldn’t take your eyes off Kokona, could you?”
Kathrina:
“That’s not true! Forget I said anything!”