My Cat Girl Neighbor Is Impossible to Understand

Chapter 13: Chapter 13 - Cat Instinct

It was Saturday afternoon.

After finishing grocery shopping with his mother earlier in the day, Sui spent the rest of the afternoon helping her to organize the pantry. It was not until everything was done and the sun started descending that he finally opened his window.

There was a gentle tap on the wall separating their houses.

Tap. Tap.

Sui opened his window.

Yuiko stood in her garden, watering some flowers there.

She saw Sui and smiled.

"...Good evening."

"Evening."

She looked down at her watering can.

"...I need one more thing from the shopping street."

"You forgot something?"

She nodded.

"...Cooking oil."

Sui chuckled.

"After all that shopping?"

"...I forgot to put it on the list."

"That happens."

There was a short pause.

Yuiko then asked,

"...Would you..."

She paused for a moment.

"...Walk with me?"

Sui smiled.

"I was actually going to buy a new notebook."

There was relief in her expression.

"...Thank you."

Shopping street at night was quiet.

Families were already back home.

Little cafes lit by the soft warm lights.

Smell of freshly baked bread mingled with the smell of roasted chestnuts from a stand nearby.

Yuiko was walking along with Sui, her shopping bag lightly swinging in her hand.

"...It’s much quieter now."

"I think you look better here."

She nodded.

"...Less crowded."

"Easier to think."

There was a flower shop full of colorful flowers.

Yuiko slowed her pace a bit.

"...These are beautiful."

"They are."

She stared at the flowers for several seconds before resuming the walk.

Further along there was a pet supplies store.

In the large display window kittens played in there, chasing each other around climbing shelves as their owners were laughing quietly.

Yuiko stopped right away.

"..."

Sui smiled.

"You found some cats."

"...Just for a minute."

She bent a bit to look into the window.

One tiny orange kitten caught her eye.

It pressed its paws against the window.

Yuiko’s whole expression softened.

"...Hello."

The kitten happily meowed at her.

Sui couldn’t help but smile.

"You really do attract cats."

"...Maybe."

"I think they know."

"What do you mean?"

"That you like them."

A small smile appeared on her lips.

"...Maybe they do."

They continued to walk for several minutes.

Night was descending and the shopping street was becoming quiet.

Most shops had switched on their lights.

The bright lights reflecting off the pavement.

As they passed a toy shop...

There was a little boy next to the entrance of the shop. In his hand there was a small keychain in the shape of a cat. On it there was a tiny laser pointer.

He giggled and pushed a button.

A bright red dot appeared on the pavement.

It was jumping and darting around.

Yuiko immediately fixed her eyes on it.

"..."

It darted to the left.

Her eyes darted to the left.

Then it jumped onto the wall.

Her head tilted upwards.

It darts across the pavement.

Without thinking...

Yuiko took one step closer to the dot.

"...Hm?"

Sui noticed that.

"Yuiko?"

There was no answer.

The red dot was happily jumping and darting around.

Yuiko’s ears were twitching.

Her pupils were narrowing a little.

"..."

The red dot stopped.

So did she.

But then...

It zipped behind a nearby bench.

Before Yuiko could think anything...

She instantly followed it.

Three quick steps.

Then another one.

Sui blinked.

"...Yuiko?"

The little boy laughed and moved the laser.

The red dot was darting across the pavement.

Yuiko was chasing it.

Not running.

Not pouncing.

Just...

Following the dot with all her attention.

She looked rather determined about that.

The little boy giggled again.

"Mom!"

"The cat lady is following it!"

The mother instantly noticed what was going on.

"Oh!"

"I’m so sorry!"

Instantly taking the laser pointer away from her son.

"No pointing at people."

The red dot disappeared.

Yuiko stopped walking.

"..."

Silence.

She looked around.

And then...

Slowly...

Very slowly...

She understood where she was standing.

Several passers-by were stopping to observe what is going on.

One old man smiled kindly.

A little girl whispered,

"She’s cute."

Yuiko looked at the pavement.

Then at all these people watching her.

"..."

Her face turned bright red.

"W-Wait..."

"I..."

She turned to Sui who was standing right where she had left him.

His expression was absolutely calm.

"..."

"...Did I..."

He nodded once.

"...A little."

Yuiko covered her face with both hands.

"...No..."

"...Not again."

Her cat ears flattened.

"I was following it..."

"You did."

"...In public..."

"...Yes."

"..."

She wished the ground would swallow her whole.

The little boy hurried over to her and bowed.

"I’m sorry!"

"I didn’t mean to!"

Yuiko immediately shook her head.

"N-No!"

"It wasn’t your fault."

"I..."

She couldn’t explain that her instincts acted before her mind.

The mother smiled apologetically.

"Thank you for understanding."

They left.

Silence resumed.

Yuiko was still standing there.

"...Sui."

"Yeah?"

"...Please."

"...Pretend that never happened."

He looked at her for a moment.

And then smiled gently.

"...Okay."

Relief flooded Yuiko’s expression.

"...Really?"

"I won’t say a word."

She smiled bashfully.

"...Thank you."

Yuiko didn’t notice...

That Sui smiled not because she embarrassed herself.

He was smiling because, for just a few seconds...

He saw Yuiko’s natural side.

Yuiko stayed glued to the spot.

With cheeks so flushed that it seemed like everyone on the shopping street could see them.

The boy and his mother had long since vanished into the crowd, but the thought of what had happened was still fresh in Yuiko’s mind.

I chased it...

In front of everyone...

Her cat ears wilted to hide under her hair.

"..."

Slowly, Yuiko turned to face Sui.

He stood a few feet away from her, with hands in his pockets and the usual calm expression.

"..."

"...Did you..."

She didn’t even finish the sentence.

But Sui understood.

"I saw."

Yuiko let out an almost silent cry.

"..."

"I want to go home."

"Already?"

"I’ve humiliated myself enough today."

She looked like she was going to curl up into a ball and disappear.

But Sui couldn’t help smiling.

Not because he was ridiculing her.

But because she looked incredibly sincere.

Yuiko noticed his smile.

"...You’re laughing."

"Not really."

"You are."

"A little bit."

"...Mean."

Her tone carried no resentment.

Only mortification.

The silence between them threatened to turn awkward.

But Sui picked up on it immediately.

He knew how Yuiko got when she thought people were judging her.

So instead of talking about what happened...

He glanced towards the nearby bakery.

"...It smells good."

Yuiko raised her eyebrows.

"Huh?"

"The bread."

In her instinctive reaction, she looked in the direction Sui was indicating.

An employee of the bakery had just put trays of freshly-baked melon bread inside the window display.

Steam rose from the freshly baked pastries.

"...Yes, it does."

"I’ve heard they are popular."

Yuiko looked at him again.

"...You’re changing the subject."

"Perhaps."

"...On purpose?"

Sui nodded once.

"You look uncomfortable."

"It was only for a few seconds."

"And everyone has embarrassing moments."

Yuiko looked down.

"...You’re strange."

"I’ve been told before."

"Most people would have mocked me."

"They could."

"But will you?"

Sui pretended to consider the question seriously.

"Hmm..."

"...No."

"Why?"

"Because you are embarrassed enough."

"..."

"...Plus."

He smiled kindly.

"I don’t think it’s bad to listen to your instincts."

Yuiko looked at him, taken aback.

"But..."

"I chased a laser."

"But you stopped before tackling it."

"..."

"...True."

"So I guess it means I won."

For a split-second...

She simply gazed at him.

But then...

Yuiko let out a small laugh.

"...That’s a strange way of seeing it."

"It works."

"It really does."

The oppressive feeling inside of her gradually faded away.

Unconsciously...

Her ears popped up again.

They approached the bakery.

The employee greeted them warmly.

"FRESHLY-BAKED melon bread just went out."

Sui bought two pieces.

When they stepped back outside, he held one out for Yuiko.

"For you."

Yuiko blinked.

"...You didn’t have to."

"I wanted to."

She accepted the piece with both hands.

"...Thank you."

The bread was still warm.

With her first bite, Yuiko’s eyes opened wide.

"...It’s delicious."

"I told you."

She nodded joyfully.

"...It’s soft."

"And sweet."

"It was definitely worth the effort of changing the subject."

Yuiko looked at him.

"...You really did change it on purpose."

"Yes, I did."

"...Thank you."

Her voice was so low that it drowned in the noise of the shopping street.

"I really mean it."

"If we kept talking about..."

She couldn’t utter the word "laser."

"...That."

"I think I would die of embarrassment."

Sui chuckled.

"I don’t think so."

"I do."

They kept walking, enjoying their warm melon bread, while the scent of the spring blossoms filled the evening air.

After several minutes, they came across the same toy shop.

Yuiko immediately looked straight ahead.

"I’m not looking."

Sui smiled.

"I didn’t say anything."

"I know."

"...But I’m telling myself."

He laughed quietly.

This time...

Yuiko laughed as well.

Not because of the laser.

But because she had finally relaxed enough to laugh about herself.

By the time they reached the road home, the sun set, painting the sky orange and pink.

Everything around seemed peaceful.

Yuiko looked up at the colorful clouds.

"...Sui."

"Hm?"

"...Thank you."

"For what?"

"For treating me..."

She tried to find the right words.

"...Normally."

"You always do."

Sui thought for a moment before answering.

"I don’t think you need special treatment."

"...Really?"

"You are just Yuiko."

These three words made her stop walking.

You are just Yuiko.

There was no mention of cat ears.

No mention of beastfolk instincts.

No mockery.

No judgment.

Just...

Yuiko.

Her heart gave a gentle beat.

"..."

She smiled unconsciously.

A genuine smile that reached all the way to her golden eyes.

"...I’m glad."

"What are you glad about?"

She looked at him for a long time before shaking her head.

"...Nothing."

She wasn’t ready to say it yet.

Because if she admitted it...

She would have to admit that every day spent with him made her happy.

Happy enough to make her heart beat a bit faster.