Sakura Takanawi wanted one thing from her after-school shift: to make the grey stray sitting under the ramen stand into its official mascot. The cat had appeared her first week at the Meow Meow Ramen Stand, drawn by the smell of broth and by Sakura's pink hair. She fed it a little each day. She had not yet named it. She had not yet told the owner her plan. She only knew the stand needed a face, and this cat had the right one. The owner cared about one thing: sales. "Cats and food don't mix," she'd said once, wiping the counter. So Sakura kept the stray a secret, feeding it broth in a chipped bowl behind the stand while paw-print curtains hid the two of them. Today the cat did not stay behind the stand. Sakura carried a fresh bowl out and knelt on the ground. For the first time the cat came to her instead of waiting. It was small, grey, with wide yellow eyes. It stepped straight up to her knees and looked her full in the face. "Hi," Sakura said softly. "You picked me first, didn't you." The cat sniffed the broth, then sat. It did not eat right away. It kept its eyes on Sakura. "You need a name," Sakura said. She looked at the bowl, small and round in her hands. "Teacup. You're a teacup." "Teacup," the cat repeated. Then flatly: "Fine." Sakura laughed. The cat finally lapped at the broth, but between sips its eyes flicked back to her, checking that she was still there. "I'm going to make you the mascot here," Sakura said. "You'll sit on the counter. People will love you." "Love me," Teacup said. She licked her paw. "They stare. Same thing." Sakura reached out slowly. Teacup let herself be lifted. She stayed still in Sakura's arms, but her yellow eyes never left Sakura's face. Then the owner's voice came sharp from inside the stand. "Sakura? Who are you talking to back there?" Sakura froze. The bowl sat in plain sight. Teacup's tail flicked once against her arm. "It's nothing," Sakura called. Her heart pounded. The owner stepped out, wiping her hands, and stopped when she saw the cat. Her face went stiff. "That," the owner said, "is why we've had fur near the pots all week." She pointed at the empty bowl. "You've been feeding it. On my time." Sakura held Teacup tighter. "She's not a problem. She's good for the stand." "She's leaving," the owner said. "Tonight. Take her home if you want. She does not come back here." Sakura's chest tightened. Her plan had a face now, and a name. But the one place she wanted that face was the one place it was banned. Teacup looked up at her, calm. "Home," she said, and then climbed into her grey backpack. Sakura carried her out past the curtains and back to the grey kitten cozy readers club dorm. She would find another way to convince the owner.