"Dad, when I said I wanted a job for the summer I didn't mean at Grandpa's old auto repair shop but thanks for the effort I guess." I texted before pressing "send" on my phone.

School had just ended and the great season known as summer was soon upon us, and like any other college student I needed a job to keep money in my pocket and my dad off my back. But of course I didn't bother waiting for the man to reply knowing he was probably too busy at the moment to answer right away. But also knowing that I'll get more than an earful from him if I don't show up is way worse than any labor on an old repair shop could do. So I taking it with a grain of salt I texted my grandfather that I would be there first thing in the morning before heading to bed for the night.

1st day of Summer:

It was a bright and sunny morning, a bit too sunny if you asked me. Just waking up with the sunlight shining directly in my eyes was like seeing an age old enemy every morning. "I banish thee." I groaned in annoyance pulling the curtains of the window closed but before I could attempt to embark on the long journey back to dream land another daily foe had drew near.

"Get up! Get up! Get up! The early bird gets the worm! Chirp Chirp!" said the overly happy and obnoxious electronic humming bird in my alarm clock app on my phone.

"I...banish... thee." I groaned again slowly pushing my phone off my nightstand and with that the early bird was silenced. For about five seconds.

"Get up! Get up! Get up! The early bird gets the worm! Chirp Chirp!" It started up again.

"Why did I ever install that stupid alarm on my phone?" I groaned in annoyance placing my pillow over my head trying to block out the annoying bird's voice.

3...2...1.

"I'm late!" I shouted springing out of bed.

(Begin last minute morning routine montage)

Once I was fully dressed in my usual pure white T-shirt underneath a blue and white checkered flannel shirt, blue jeans, and black boots I headed out the front door of my apartment and ran down the stairs. My down the hall neighbor Hanna was just stepping out of her apartment carrying a big bag of yesterday's garbage in her hands, due to her small size she seemed to be having some trouble carrying it with the little strength she had. I ran past her for a brief moment before noticing the bag and skidded to a stop.

"Morning Hanna-san. Um, do you need some help with that?" I asked somewhat hoping she could handle it herself.

She seemed surprised to hear my voice as if she wasn't expecting to see me at all today.

"Ya-Yamato-kun? I-I, um, I got it. Th-Thank you though." The small girl started to heave the bag over her shoulder and managed to walk a few steps past me before falling forward from the bag's weight.

"Would you like some help now?"

"...Yes please."

I picked up the bag and held it above my shoulder with ease, Hanna must've liked how strong my arms looked because she started blushing like crazy and her red rimmed glasses started to fog up rather instantly. She took them and started to clean them with her favorite pink flower patterned T-shirt as I walked past her, she soon started following behind me holding her hands together shyly.

"Th-Thank you for your help Yamato-kun."

"No problem, heavy lifting is what I do best I guess." I said without much emotion.

"...Y-Your strength is a really great quality. Come to think of it, how come you didn't try out for any sports during the school year?"

"Believe me... I tried."

I remember trying out for the basketball team, during the try outs I tried to dazzle the coaches with a spectacular slam dunk...except I ended up breaking the rim off and shattered the glass. Next I tried baseball but because of my big feet I was too slow to run the bases. Then I tried football, I ended up running over a teammate during practice and broke his ribcage. Soccer, kicked the ball into space which then landed on the coach's car windshield which I had to pay for. Disaster, disaster. Etcetera, etcetera.

"Wow, all that happened?" I nodded.

"(sigh) I guess I'm nothing more than a clumsy giant is all." I said with a shrug of my shoulders for it never truly bothered me how incompetent I can be at times.

This made Hanna upset, she suddenly walked in front of me stopping me in my tracks.

"Now that's not true! Sure you make mistakes but that's life, you fall down and get back again. You're strength is a blessing, not a curse. If anything I appreciate how strong you are. Remember the mid-school year festival?"

"Huh? Oh yeah of course, that's how we met."

During the school year the fraternity and sorority sophomores were hosting a mid-school year festival to celebrate all their accomplishments so far. Hana was helping her fellow sophomores paint and decorate the main courtyard golden statue of a knight in shining armor wielding a massive halberd that will be displayed during the activities, while she was on top of the knight painting his helm a couple of frats were busy playing around with a football tossing it around to one another when one threw the ball way too high hitting Hana in the head causing her to fall to the ground. The sudden shift in weight caused the statue to topple over and fall in her direction. She screamed and covered her eyes sure she would be dead, yet she didn't feel anything. She slowly opened her eyes to see me holding the statue and straining underneath its sheer weight, with one final heave I placed the statue back in place before sighing aloud in relief.

"Phew, that would've been a disaster. Good thing I was nearby." I said scratching the back of my head.

Meanwhile Hana couldn't stop staring at me. It took her a few days after the festival for the shy girl to muster up enough courage to properly thank me...by dropping a letter in my locker, ever since then she follows closely behind me like I was her bodyguard and she would be in grave danger if I ever left her alone. At first I thought a bit creepy and stalkerish but as time went on appreciated her company and we made good friends.

"I would've been dead if it wasn't for you. So I never want to hear you to talk bad about yourself ever again, understand?" she announced, her face growing a light shade of pink.

Her rousing speech honestly took me by surprise, little shy girl Hana was now speaking up and saying what was exactly on her mind for once. I couldn't help but put a smile on my face.

"Thanks for the pep talk Hana, I'll try out for sports again next year okay?" This made Hana happy.

"I'll hold you to it."

After Hana's trash was finally taken out it was clear that I was still going to be late no matter what. So instead of hearing my dad talk my ear off grandpa will do it instead, I just can't win today.

"Take it with a grain of salt, that's what I always say." I sighed before hopping into my car and starting it.

And as expected traffic was a bad as ever, and as always the one highway leading downtown was packed so close together I couldn't tell where one car started and one car ended. I started to bang my head on the steering wheel for wasting so much time this morning. "This is gonna be a long day."

It was nearly 12 o' clock in the afternoon when I finally made it to the auto shop, as expected the old man was waiting for me in his lawn chain near the garage entrance. Grandpa Kyoto was as old as they come yet he never lost a single once of zest in his life. Always turning down offers to go to a retirement home he remains at his repair shop and garage in his banana yellow trucker hat, blue overalls, and muddy brown boots day in and day out. It was like a second home he never wanted to leave behind and I respect him for sticking to what he knows best.

"Well if it isn't my grandson Yamato, didn't expect to see you today." The man said pulling himself to his feet with his cane in hand and staggered over to me as I climbed out of my truck.

"You didn't? But I texted you last night that I was coming to work for you doing the summer."

"Oh! Right right, completely slipped my mind."

"So, I got the job?"

"Shoot, a talking forklift like you? Of course you got the job. Anything for family."

"Thanks grandpa, I won't let you down. Hopefully I won't break anything either." I said with a light chuckle, the old man joined in the laugh.

"Don't worry about that son, pretty much everything is junk here. matter of fact you can get started on this fella's car he dropped off this morning."

Grandpa Kyoto led me inside the garage to see a busted up old family van resting on a lift. After further inspection revealed mud stains everywhere, the tires were blown, the engine was fried, headlights busted, etc.

"Geez what were they doing with this? Monster truck racing or roller derby?"

"Can't say for sure but my money is on the monster trucks." Grandpa laughed.

"Think you can fix it young blood?"

"Um, sure. Just...give me a few hours...some extra spare parts...shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"Good. Well I'll leave you to it, ma' stories are on."

With that the old man left me to my work.

(Start van repairing montage)

Montage starts with me opening the car door only to have it fall off, engine starts to squirt oil in my eyes, opens trunk only to have a wild raccoon attack me, car literally almost burst into flames, then actually bursts into flames, gets fire extinguisher to put out flames, flames come back five seconds later, finally montage ends with me getting the flames to die down before raccoon chases me again.

(End of montage)

I was breathing heavily as my body and face was covered in oil, burns, and raccoon scratches but thankfully the car was looking a little better. Not done and nowhere near perfect but you know, progress. It was nearly 6 and it was time for me to clock out for the day.

"Hey Grandpa, I'm heading out for the night. See you tomorrow." I called out as I passed by him in his office watching his favorite buddy cop show.

"Oh before you go, would you mind cleaning up a little?"

"Uh, sure I guess? What do you need to be cleaned?"

"The junkyard."

"...Really?"

Grandpa raised an eyebrow, I didn't want to get fired on the first day.

"I mean, sure thing. I'll get right on it. Look, I'm going now."

I quickly left his office and headed outside, the junkyard just so happened to be behind the auto shop. The only downside is the fact that it's the size of an entire full length football field.

"Oh God, is he trying to kill me on the first day? And to think I get to enjoy this for the entire summer." I sighed as I started heaving a large pile of junk out of the way.

Of course I had to do this several more times before I started seeing any real progress which was only 1/4 of the yard cleared. Or maybe 1/5 even. Ugh. At that moment I wasn't aware that I was being watched by...something. That something just happened to be hiding underneath some of the junk and was watching from afar with it's piercing green eyes. Wiping a gallon worth of sweat off my face I started to approach the next pile when I noticed the pair of eyes staring back at me, I froze dead in my tracks convinced it was another wild animal. Looks like that raccoon must've had friends, not wanting to get attacked again I slowly took a step back when the hidden creature suddenly leaped out from it's hiding place and tackled me to the ground pinning my arms and legs. I was sure it was some wolf or something and I waited for the growling sound of a predator about to rip the head off it's next meal but instead what I heard was- "Ha! Got you! Now your it!" A cheerful female voice said. I slowly opened my eyes and underneath the light of the moon I could see what exactly was on top of me, to be honest I was surprised to see it was just an ordinary girl with deep tanned skin like mine and short light purple hair dressed in a black denim jacket, a red plaid skirt, and boots. My first though was why would a normal girl be hiding in a junkyard thinking she was playing hide-and-go-seek? Then I noticed the giant cat ears out the top of her head, the gold bell around her neck, and the long purple tail sprouting from underneath her skirt. A monster girl. I had only heard about them but didn't think one actually existed outside of videogames and mangas, this was incredible! I couldn't believe what I was seeing with my own eyes. Before I could say anything however I could hear Grandpa calling me.

"Yamoto, you still there?"

"Uh, yes sir. Is there something you need?"

"Naw, I just came by to tell you did your time for today and you can head home for the night."

"Th-Thank you sir, will do."

I could hear the old man's staggering footsteps as he walked away, I sighed.

"So, you're name is Yamato I take it?" The cat girl asked still sitting on top of my chest.

"It's Kobi, Kobi Yamato."

"Kobi Yamato, what a cute name." she said as she started playing with my unkempt brown hair.

The way she played with made me think she was either about to violently rape me or straight up eat me, I couldn't tell which one could be worse. Wait, do monster girls even eat people? Huh. Anyway I didn't want to stay for long so I had to think of something quick, I spotted a red rubber ball shimmer in the moonlight nearby and got an idea.

"H-Hey, wanna play another game? You like games right?"

"Another game? Sure! I love games!"

"Good, how about a game of fetch?"

"I love that game! What am I fetching?"

"This ball."

I held the ball in my hand for her to see, her eyes grew wide.

"Ball!"

She hopped off me and got into a pouncing position with her gaze not leaving the ball, I quickly stood up holding the ball high above my head.

"You ready girl? Huh? Huh? Go get it!"

I said before throwing the ball with all my might. The ball sailed high into the sky sailing over the horizon, and of course she chased after it.

"Wow, I honestly didn't expect that to work." I said watching her run until I was sure she was out of sight before turning to run.

Leaving the junkyard I raced back to my truck before starting it up, meanwhile the cat girl had surprisingly already returned to the spot where I was with the ball safely secured in her mouth.

"Yamato? Where did he go?" she asked right before seeing my truck pull off in the distance.

"Fun!" she cheered as she started running after the truck.

She was surprisingly very fast and nimble able to keep up with the truck before hopping into the flatbed without me noticing as I drove all the way back home. Finally home I wasted no time kicking off my boots and slumping on top of the couch, my body was aching all over from such a long day of work it didn't take long from me to fall asleep.

The next day:

It was early morning as I found myself still on the couch from last night.

"Wakey wakey." A familiar voice said.

"Oh no, it couldn't be."

It was.

The mysterious cat girl from last night was laying on top of me. Butt naked I might add. My face grew red as my nose threatened to burst from the glorious view of her bare C-cup boobs pressing up against my chest, it felt way to go to be real.

"Wait a minute how the hell did you get in my house!? My door was locked last night!"

"Not your window, a cat always have a way get in." she said with a wink.

("This is bad, this is bad, this is really really bad. But why does it feel so good though? This is a dream, it has to be a dream. Man I better wake up soon before-)

"Yamato-kun? Are you there?

" Hana's voice could be heard as she was knocking on my front door.

("It's not a dream! Wait, it's okay. As long as she doesn't come in everything is ok-") My heart skipped a beat when I heard the lock to the door click open. ("I FORGOT I GAVE HER A KEY!")

"Sorry to drop by unannounced, I just thought you'd like a piece of apple pie after such a long day at work." Hana said holding a wooden basket in her hands as she stepped in.

She froze in place once she saw the beginning of an unintentional R-rated scene, all I could do was lay there sharing the same shocked expression as her as the cat girl continued to lay on top of me like everything was fine.

"Y-Ya-YAMATO!" Hana screamed with tears suddenly flowing from her eyes.

"Hana please! It's not what it looks like! Help me out here cat girl!

" "~Meow~." Was all the cat girl had to say with a cute chibi face.

"Suddenly you can't speak now!? Cat got your tongue!?" I said sounding completely dumbfounded.

"YAMATO!"

"HANA!"

"~Meow~."

Now would be a good time for a commercial break

(Commercial for cinnamon toast crunch, love that stuff.)

"Hana! Please let me explain!" I pleaded as Hana was bathed in a glowing red aura and a creepy smile crept on her face.

The cat girl couldn't help but snicker to herself enjoying this.

"Come on Yamato, explain." She laughed.

"So now you want to speak?! How about you explain since you're the one who snuck into my house!"

"Oops-I mean, meow." She said trying to use her chibi cuteness as an excuse again.

Hana slowly staggered passed Yamato and was now looming over the cat girl like a dark shadow.

"Cat." Hana said with an eerie glare, the cat girl's cute defense immediately broke down.

"Okay! Okay! I'll talk."

Hana's menacing glare softened back to normal.

"Okay, but before you do...please put on some clothes."

The cat girl looked down for a moment as if forgetting that she was indeed naked at the moment, even my face was a light shade of pink from the awkward moment. Once she was finally dressed in her own clothes again she sat back down on the couch and began her story: For as long as people could remember vampires, werewolves, and other mythical beings were just figments of kids and young adult's imagination but over the last few months the recent discovery of these beings actually existing was much more than just groundbreaking news. The great reveal of these monsters or extra-species soon led to the Interspecies Exchange Bill which in turn began the "Interspecies Cultural Exchange" program. The Cultural Exchange Program allows humans to be sent to experience life within the cultures of other extra-species, while members of those cultures have also been invited to experience life in the human world. Traditionally, members under this program are select as and treated as "diplomatic representatives" of their respective species. The cat girl apparently named Nico was chosen to take part of the program due to her mother being a well known politician for the Nekomatas and the Bakenekos, as expected she was assigned her own coordinator to ensure that she arrived to her designated host family but when he wasn't looking she escaped.

"Wait, why did you leave?" I asked, Nico seemed surprised by the question and her expression became a cute pouting face.

"I...I don't know. I guess it was because I was afraid I'd be stuck with some boring old couple or something."

"Yet you had no problem hanging out in a junkyard."

"Well duh, junkyards are awesome! There's so much cool stuff to play with."

"That...cannot be sanitary." Hana cringed.

"Wait, what about the coordinator? He must be looking all over the city for you." I said, Nico simply smiled.

"Well duh, that's what you do in hide-and-seek."

"Hide-and-seek? But this isn't a game, this is a serious political issue! If the government finds out you're missing this could lead to big trouble." Hana said with great concern about the situation.

"Trouble?"

"Yes, you could get deported for this!"

"Deported!?" "And if they find you here, we might get in trouble too."

"Us too!? We gotta find and get you back to that coordinator!" I said dreading what the government could do to him if this situation was this severe.

"But I don't know where-"

There was a sudden knock at the door.

"Who could that be?" I asked as I answered the door to see a tall man with jet black combed hair with one sharply pointed bang remarkably shaped like the number seven hanging over his left eye which both eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark round sunglasses dressed in a business suit and tie.

"Hello-ski sir, are you the owner of this apartment?" The mystery man said in a friendly tone extending his hand.

"Uh, hello? And yes I am. Is there something I could help you with?" I said shaking his hand.

"I'm so glad you asked, there is in fact a pressing matter that needs to be addressed. You wouldn't happen to see an extra-species student running around here, have you?"

From his tone I could tell he had to be some sort of government official, normally I wouldn't have any problem with them but with the situation at hand I can't tell if I could trust him or not.

"E-Extra-species? What's that? I have no clue what that is." I said with not much of a convincing laugh.

I could tell the man was not very amused by this, the burn of his invisible gaze made me feel like I was being interrogated for murder.

"You're not lying to me, are you?"

I could feel myself sweating a river underneath my clothes.

"Uh, give me one sec." I said before quickly slamming the door shut.

"Who's at the door?" Hana asked.

"Oh, you know, just the government here to probably arrest us for having a-"

At that moment I realized Niko wasn't sitting on the couch anymore.

"Where did she go?"

"Where did who go?"

I jumped in surprise to see the government official was standing right behind me

. "How did you-I didn't even hear the door open!"

As if he forgotten my existence for a moment he walked past me and towards the couch where the cat girl was sitting, he took a moment before looking behind the couch to see a small figure underneath a purple blanket with a certain black furry tail wiggling in the air. The man lightly pinched the tip of her tail causing her to yelp in surprise.

"YEOWCH! Hey! What's the big idea!?" Niko's angry expression was shattered once she saw who it was, for the next few minutes she was scolded by the man like he was her parent.

"That was a really foolish and childish thing to do, just imagine what would you're mother would say if she hears of this."

"Please don't tell her! I'm so sorry! I just couldn't take the thought of being assigned to a nursing home for old people or some boring family! I'd lose my mind!"

"So running away was your solution?"

"Okay I admit, it may have not been the best idea."

"Uh, excuse me but...are you saying that you're the coordinator?" Hana asked.

The man turned to face Hana.

"Why yes, I am Agent Seven. Extra-species law enforcer and homestay coordinator, a pleasure."

"So you were the one Nico was hiding from." I concluded.

"Unfortunately yes, once I realized she had disappeared I knew I'd be in a whole lot of trouble. (sigh) Thankfully by the look of things she managed to find her assigned host family without my assistance."

"Host family? You mean she's staying here!?"

Agent Seven looked confused for a moment.

"Aren't you Kobi Yamato?"

"Yes I am, but I'm only a college student."

"College student?"

The man paused for a moment. A very, very, very, long awkward moment. ("Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. Those knuckleheads! They must've made a mistake, all this is a mistake! Oh god, what am I going to do now!? There's gonna be so. Much. Paperwork! Aaaaaahhh!")

Agent Seven continued to scream and rant inside his own mind until finally clearing his throat and speaking.

"Ahem, my apologizes but I hope you understand that this is a fairly new program so small hiccups like these in our systems are quite common and should be expected."

Hanna and I looked at each other.

("What am I saying? Of course this has never happened before! I'm so fired, or worse. They might re-assign me to another Extra-species and be forced to do this all over again! This is a lose/lose situation!")

"I guess that makes sense." Hanna finally said.

("Really? They actually bought that?")

"Thank you for your understanding, I'll be sure to have this problem fixed...after 1-2 weeks."

"1-2 weeks!? Why so long?" I asked.

"Believe me the paperwork to get this all straightened out alone will take a few business days, then I would have to find a brand new host family to take her, etcetera, etcetera."

I wanted to protest, but then I saw Niko's pleading face and knew that if I said no Hana would never forgive me. So I took it with a grain of salt.

"I guess she could stay for now."

""Glad to hear it, as for you Niko you better behave yourself. No mischief, got it?"

"I will! Scout's honor!" Niko chirped with glee.

"...You never been a scout have you?"

"Nnnnno."

Everyone else groaned, finally Agent Seven completed his walkthrough of the apartment deeming it safe enough for the extra-species student to live in before taking his leave.

"Phew, crisis avoided...for now. Heh, I still feel pretty lucky though. Maybe I'll buy a lottery ticket on the way home." He said as he started to head out of the apartment building.