We'll Prescribe You Another Cat - Hardcover

Ishida, Syou

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0593818768 ISBN 13: 9780593818763

Verlag: Penguin Publishing Group, 2025

Inhaltsangabe

The Kokoro Clinic for the Soul reopens in this delightful follow-up to the award-winning, bestselling Japanese novel We'll Prescribe You a Cat.

It's time to revisit the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul.

Though it's a mysteriously located clinic with an uncertain address, it can always be found by those who need it. And the clinic has proven time after time that a prescribed cat has the power to heal the emotional wounds of its patients. This charming sequel introduces a new lovable cast of healing cats, from Kotetsu, a four-month-old Bengal who unleashes his boundless energy by demolishing bed linens and curtains, to tenacious and curious Shasha, who doesn't let her small size stop her from anything, and the most lovable yet lazy cat Ms. Michiko, who is as soft and comforting as mochi.

As characters from one chapter appear as side characters in the next, we follow a young woman who cannot help pushing away the man who loves her, a recently widowed grandfather whose grandson refuses to leave his room, the family of a young woman who struggle to understand each other, and an anxious man who works at a cat shelter seeking to show how the most difficult cats can be the most rewarding. This moving, magical novel of interconnected tales proves the strength in the unfathomable bond between cats and people.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Born in 1975 in Kyoto, award-winning author Syou Ishida is a keen supporter of rescue cats. Her debut in the series, We'll Prescribe You a Cat, has been a runaway international bestseller. We'll Prescribe You Another Cat is the second volume in the series to be published internationally. Volume 3 has also been released in Japan and will be published in the English-language next year.

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1

Kotetsu, Noelle,
and Bibi

Moé Ohtani suddenly became aware that the ground beneath her was dank and soggy. She scanned her surroundings. Unknowingly, she had wandered into a dimly lit alleyway. Just a moment ago, she had been walking down the lively Kawaramachi Street. One of Kyoto's premier shopping districts, the street was always bustling with tourists and young people, and the crowds only grew larger from evening into the night. Usually, on her way back from school, Moé and her friends would join the throng, hitting up cafés and shops. But today, she was alone.

Yes, she had headed west on Takoyakushi Street to avoid the crowd but somehow ended up in an unfamiliar location. Standing in a cul-de-sac, she didn't recognize the narrow, old-fashioned block that towered before her. The door was open, revealing a hallway extending into its depths.

Where on earth . . . ?

She had been so out of it. It was precisely why she'd been called unreliable and accident-prone. Still, this was the first time she'd actually gotten lost because she had been distracted. She let out a deep sigh.

The best way to avoid seeing her boyfriend would be to wander around a bit. She could go to a friend's place, whine and fuss, and act like she hadn't noticed anything. She'd ignore her phone. Yes, she could continue to be oblivious. Would that delay the breakup? Or would he end things anyway with a text? It would probably hurt less that way.

She stood still, eyes fixed on the gloomy building. If only her situation would change while she stood right here in this shadowy alley. If only some higher power could flick a magic wand to prevent the impending breakup. Anything would do. She wanted to run away from it all, to look the other way. But her pointless time-wasting only amplified the pain.

For the first time in a while, she was about to see her boyfriend, but the thought brought no joy. If anything, she almost wished it wouldn't happen. She sniffled and turned her back to the building.

Just then, a small voice called out, "Hey, you there!"

She spun around, but there was no one in sight. "Hey!" the voice called again.

It was coming from somewhere above her head. There was an open window on the fourth or fifth floor. Quite high up. To her surprise, she spotted someone peering out.

"Over here!"

It was hard to see clearly against the backlight, but it sounded like a man. His voice was nasal and high-pitched; he seemed to be wearing something white.

She held her breath as she watched him hang his entire upper body out of the window.

"Be careful! That looks dangerous!"

"No, no, I'm not a dangerous person. I'm a good person."

She couldn't make out his expression, but he seemed to be laughing.

The man's cadent Kyoto accent drifted down. "Since you've made it all this way, please come up. I'm on the top floor, the second unit from the back. Don't hesitate."

"N-not at all. I'm not hesitating-"

"Shall I come down to you? It's a bit of a stretch, but it's not impossible for me to jump from this height. No, wait, it's too far. Ahh, no, actually, I think I can manage it. Let's give it a try. Nothing ventured." The man pitched forward.

"Wait!" Moé screamed.

She darted into the narrow building, dashed up the stairs to the top floor, then over to the second unit from the back, where she rapped on the door. Like the building, the door-metal and heavy looking-showed its age, its paint peeling off in patches. Despite her persistent knocks, there was no response. But the man's absent-minded way of speaking, his gentle Kyoto dialect that made her feel he was letting his guard down with her, had definitely beckoned her in.

She placed her hand around the doorknob and tried to turn it. Nope, it was stuck. She applied more pressure, and then suddenly, it began to yield. Using both hands, she found a solid grip on the doorknob and pulled.

As the door began to give, she peered through the crack. Unlike the musty vibes of the rest of the building, the unit within was well lit. In front of her was what looked like a reception window. This place must be a clinic, she thought as she craned her neck farther inside. She spotted a comfortable chair, but no one was around.

"Excuse me?" she called out.

No reply.

That man! What happened to him? Her heart raced. He didn't actually jump, did he? She strained her ears. It's so quiet. Reluctantly, she stepped back to close the door when a female voice pierced the silence.

"What's going on, Dr. Nikké?"

The voice, ringing out from the depths of the unit, was unmistakably angry.

Peering through the half-open door, Moé spotted the back of a woman in a nurse's uniform. Her hands rested on her hips.

"Going out of your way to call down to the street like that. Do you have nothing better to do? Are you feeling bored?"

"You don't have to get so mad." It was the man from earlier. "I mean, she came all the way to the entrance and was about to turn back. It's okay if I listen to her for just a bit, don't you think?"

"No, it's not okay. Your important patient with an appointment hasn't come by yet, but you keep letting people cut the line left and right."

"Yes . . . But he seems to be taking a long time to get here, and I don't have anything to do."

"So you are bored."

Still peeking around the door, Moé spotted the man. Aged about thirty, clad in a white lab coat, he sounded like a mild-mannered, kind doctor. He looked up, and their eyes met.

"Oh! Come on in." The doctor smiled, looking relieved by the interruption.

The nurse turned around to look. What a beautiful face, thought Moé. Her eyes were cool; her skin, a porcelain hue. She seemed slightly older than Moé-around twenty-five. Her expression, with a deeply furrowed brow, was decidedly unwelcoming.

"Um, I-"

"Please come in. Take a seat," said the doctor.

Before Moé could push open the door to the examination room, the nurse strode out, nose in the air.

Stepping inside, Moé cast a look around the sparsely furnished space-just a desk, two chairs, and a computer. Not a single piece of medical equipment in sight.

"Don't mind her. Chitose can be a bit harsh sometimes, but she has a gentle side, too. This is Nakagyō Kokoro Clinic for the Soul. As you can see, it's just the nurse and me running it, so we really aren't taking any new patients. But we'll make an exception for you since you've come this far."

Clinic for the Soul? Moé was taken aback.

"I don't have any problems that are serious enough to consult a psychiatrist."

Ignoring Moé's wide-eyed look, the doctor chuckled. "But you went out of your way to come here, didn't you?"

"I didn't come here on my own. You called me in, and I got curious."

"Some people won't even come in, even when you call out to them. But you, you came here on your own. You climbed the stairs with your own two feet; you turned the doorknob with your own hands. If you truly didn't want to, you would not have bothered. Now, let's see."

The doctor spun toward his desk and began typing on his keyboard.

Before Moé could prepare herself, the session had begun. She had never thought about seeing a psychiatrist. She hadn't even been to the mental health center at her university. She'd never for a moment felt the need to share her troubles with a third party.

"Your name and age?"

The doctor's smooth Kyoto dialect drew her in and broke down her defenses.

"Moé Ohtani. I'm almost twenty."

"What brings you in today?"

"Well . . ."

Do I look troubled? Do I look like I have problems? It was true that until moments...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Penguin Publishing Group
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2025
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0593818768
• ISBN 13: 9780593818763
• Einband: Gebundene Ausgabe
• Anzahl der Seiten: 304
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: BERKLEY; https://www.penguin.com/?s=BERKLEY; ; Unit 2 Limavady Business Park; Limavady; County Londonderry; BT49 0HR; Vereinigtes Königreich
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