Yellow’s Midnight Romance
Yellow Cat Story 38 begins with Yellow returning at dawn, exhausted but strangely pleased with himself. He insists that nothing suspicious happened and that the Scarlet Lady was not even there.
That should end the investigation.
Instead, Yellow immediately adds that the wine bar owner welcomed him warmly, mentioned that the Scarlet Lady had been asking about him, and even hinted at a secret meeting later.
Yellow presents the entire night as a complicated romantic operation. Unfortunately, he looks less like a successful lover and more like a cat who forgot to sleep.
The Scarlet Lady Was Not There
Yellow is quick to establish the most important part of his defense: the Scarlet Lady was nowhere in sight.
He says this with the confidence of a cat who believes one missing lady automatically proves complete innocence. In Yellow’s opinion, the case should now be closed and breakfast should be served.
But then he continues talking.
The wine bar owner had greeted him warmly. She had news. According to her, the Scarlet Lady still remembered Yellow, still missed him, and might even want to meet him secretly.
Black would probably call this suspicious. Yellow calls it progress.
A Secret Meeting That Never Happened
The message sounds promising enough to keep Yellow at the wine bar long after common sense has gone home.
He waits patiently. Then he waits romantically. After that, he waits heroically.
Every sound from the alley makes him lift his head. Every shadow looks like the beginning of a secret meeting. Every passing minute becomes further proof that the Scarlet Lady must be preparing something dramatic.
Hours pass.
No Scarlet Lady appears.
Still, Yellow refuses to describe the evening as a failure. A true romantic, he explains, understands that secret meetings are often so secret that one of the participants never arrives.
Yellow Rewrites the Night
By sunrise, Yellow has created a much better version of events.
He did not spend the night alone. He was involved in a delicate romantic situation.
He was not ignored. He was waiting under confidential instructions.
And he was certainly not foolish. He was loyal, patient, and prepared to sacrifice an entire night for love.
The only evidence against this heroic account is Yellow himself. His eyes are tired, his body is exhausted, and his face carries the unmistakable expression of a cat who has been sitting alone for far too long.
The Morning Verdict
Yellow finishes his story and expects admiration.
Instead, the truth is summarized in one painfully simple sentence:
“So you did stay up all night… waiting alone.”
Yellow freezes.
All the romance, secrecy, whispered messages, and imagined reunions disappear at once. What remains is a tired cat, an empty alley, and one appointment that existed mostly in his imagination.
Yellow lowers himself to the floor and closes his eyes.
He calls it a secret romance.
Everyone else calls it waiting alone.