The Cat Returns

Haru saves a cat from a speeding truck, and the rescued feline is revealed to be Lune, the Prince of the Cat Kingdom. This act pulls her from the ordinary into a realm of whimsy and danger. The cats shower Haru with curious gifts—catnip and mice—and offer a bond with the Prince, which Haru receives with cautious ambiguity.

A mysterious, kindly voice guides Haru to Muta, a large white cat who becomes her guide. Muta leads her toward the Cat Bureau, a gateway to the new world. The journey hints at the adventure to come as Haru steps into the realm of the cats.

At the Cat Bureau, Haru meets Baron Humbert von Gikkingen and Toto the stone raven, who will be part of her journey. The pair stay behind to track Haru and Muta from the skies as Haru begins her ascent into the Cat Kingdom.

Haru and her guides discover that the entrance lies beneath Earth's surface, a cryptic gateway formed by five lakes arranged like a cat's paw. They descend into a realm where cats rule and humans are guests, stepping into a world of whimsy and danger.

Inside the Cat Kingdom, Haru is treated to a grand feast in the Cat King's castle. As the feast unfolds, her humanity and feline nature blur as fangs, whiskers, a tan tail, and paws begin to emerge.

Baron, in disguise, dances with Haru and warns that the more she loses herself to the kingdom, the more cat-like she will become. He urges Haru to believe in herself to choose her own path.

Baron is discovered and must defend them, while Yuki—the cat maiden who warned Haru to leave—reveals an exit tunnel. She guides Haru, Baron, and Muta through a maze to a tower housing a portal back to the human world.

The Cat King intensifies his schemes to keep Haru, intending to bind her through marriage, rather than letting her return home. This proposes a political alliance rather than romance.

Prince Lune and his guards return, exposing that the King was not acting on the Prince's behalf and that Lune himself plans a separate proposal to Yuki. This upheaval shifts loyalties and reveals competing interests within the Cat Kingdom.

Haru learns that Muta is Renaldo Moon, a notorious criminal in the Kingdom, and that the guiding voice belonged to Yuki. She recalls sharing fish crackers with Yuki as a child, deepening their bond.

After rejecting the King's marriage proposal, Muta tells her he respects a woman who stands up for herself. With their escape aided by Lune and Toto, they slip away from the King's soldiers.

With the aid of Prince Lune and Toto, Haru, Muta, and Baron escape the Cat Kingdom and return to the human world. Haru steps back into her life with a strengthened sense of self.

Hiromi fills Haru in on the changing dynamics of her social circle, including the breakup of her former crush. Haru responds with quiet resolve: the past no longer holds sway, and the line 'It doesn't matter anymore' marks her new stance.