My Cat Girl Neighbor Is Impossible to Understand

Chapter 16: Chapter 16 - Bentō Exchange

It was different from his usual routine.

Rather than being awakened by the sound of his alarm clock...

He was awoken to silence.

"..."

One eye was slowly opened.

The sunshine was pouring through the window.

Something seems to be different.

It feels... brighter than usual.

Reaching out towards the alarm clock on his table...

Seeing the time caused him to freeze in shock.

7:48 AM.

"..."

"...Ah."

One second later—

"I’VE OVERSLEPT!"

He exclaimed loudly throughout the whole house.

Five minutes later...

Sui rushed down the stairs with his backpack partially unzipped.

His mother was standing in the kitchen holding a plate with newly made toast.

"Sui, breakfast—"

"I’ll be late!"

"At least take some milk!"

He quickly took the glass and finished it in one breath before rushing toward the door.

"I’m going now!"

"But your toast!"

"I’ll eat it after school!"

The door closed before she could stop him.

She smiled helplessly.

"...That boy."

Outside...

Yuiko was already waiting in front of their usual meeting place.

She looked up as Sui ran towards her.

"...Good morning."

"...Morning."

She blinked.

His hair wasn’t fully tidy.

His tie was a bit misaligned.

One shoelace seems to be very loose.

"...Did you sleep late?"

"...A little."

"You were running here."

"...A little."

"You skipped breakfast."

He looked surprised.

"...How did you know?"

She gently pointed to the corner of his mouth.

"...There’s still toothpaste foam on it."

"..."

He quickly cleaned his face.

"...Thank you."

Yuiko giggled.

"...You’re welcome."

They started rushing towards school together.

When they finally arrived there during the beginning of the first period...

Unfortunately...

He couldn’t forget about the problem in his stomach.

It made a small growl.

Grrr...

He tried to ignore it.

A few desks away...

Yuiko glanced towards Sui.

...Hungry?

She remembered what he said.

"I’ll eat after school."

She frowned a little.

That’s too long...

The teacher was explaining mathematics.

He took the notes carefully.

Once again, a silent growl from his stomach.

This time...

Yuiko surely heard it.

She slowly lowered her eyes to her notebook.

So he really didn’t eat.

Second period.

English.

Everything was going well.

Until...

Grrr...

Haru glanced toward Sui.

"...Is your phone vibrating?"

He responded without lifting his head.

"No."

"...Your stomach?"

"...Maybe."

Haru chuckled quietly.

"Are you really haven’t eaten?"

"I overslept."

"You should buy something."

"I didn’t have enough time."

Haru sighed dramatically.

"You’re hopeless sometimes."

Sui just smiled.

"I know."

Yuiko watched quietly from her desk.

Her eyes wandered towards the wrapped lunch box in her backpack.

In the morning...

She got up a little earlier than usual.

She prepared rice.

Grilled salmon.

Omelets.

Broccoli.

And tiny octopus sausages.

She always makes a little too much food.

Just in case.

She gently tightened her grip on the pencil.

Maybe...

Should I...?

Immediately...

Other thoughts interrupted her.

No.

What if he thinks it’s strange?

We’ve never shared lunch before.

She quietly shook her head.

The lesson was continuing.

But she kept thinking about the lunch box.

The third period was even worse.

Not because of the lessons.

Because the aroma of fresh bread entered the classroom from the home economics room nearby.

Students noticed it immediately.

"That smells good."

"I’m hungry."

"I can’t wait for lunch."

Sui quietly glanced at the window.

"...Bad timing."

Haru laughed.

"Your stomach agrees."

Almost immediately...

Grrr...

Students chuckled.

Even Sui couldn’t help but smiled awkwardly.

Across the classroom...

Yuiko glanced downward again.

He tries to pretend everything is fine...

She recognized that look.

He made this face when he wanted to make sure that nobody will worry about him.

Her cat ears twitched a little.

Finally...

The lunch bell rang.

Students started opening their lunch boxes.

Aromas of fried chicken.

Curry.

Sandwiches.

Rice.

He quietly took his backpack and opened it.

"..."

"..."

Empty.

Of course.

He hasn’t packed anything.

Haru immediately noticed it.

"You don’t have anything to eat."

"I know."

"Do you want to take one of my rice balls?"

"I’m okay."

"No, you’re hungry."

"I’ll survive."

Haru sighed.

"You always say that."

Yuiko was listening quietly.

She quietly opened her own lunch box.

Everything looked exactly the same as this morning.

Tidy.

Colorful.

Homemade.

She took the chopsticks and stopped.

Her eyes glanced at Sui.

He was politely talking to Haru to reassure him.

But...

Every several minutes...

His stomach revealed its hunger once again.

Grrr...

Yuiko’s heart slightly squeezed.

He’s still pretending...

She glanced at her own lunch.

There was enough for two people.

Her hands tightened her grip on the chopsticks.

Should I...?

Would he accept it?

Would he think that I’m disturbing him?

What if everyone is watching?

She imagined herself approaching him.

"Sui... would you like some?"

Her cheeks immediately flushed.

No...

It’s too embarrassing...

She glanced at him again.

He quietly drinks water instead of eating.

Staying polite.

Trying to pretend everything is fine.

Yuiko lowered her glance.

Her tail curled around the legs of her chair.

She took a breath.

...I can’t let him skip lunch, too.

She wasn’t brave enough to do that in public.

But...

Before lunch ends...

She quietly decided what to do.

Somehow...

She’ll find the courage to share her homemade bentō with him.

The chatter around the lunch time , filled the classroom with sound.

The students grouped up and started discussing lunch boxes and their plans for the upcoming weekends.

But not Sui.

Sui sat at his place with nothing else to eat except the bottle of water.

Sui’s stomach grumbled once again.

"...I deserved that," he mumbled to himself.

Meanwhile, Yuiko was breathing deeply.

Now.

If I don’t do it right now... He will skip lunch for sure.

Yuiko got up and grabbed her bentō.

Her heartbeats echoed loudly in her chest.

Haru caught her first.

"Oh?"

Yuiko stopped at Sui’s desk.

"...S-Sui."

It was the second time when she called him like this.

Sui turned his head.

"Hm?"

Yuiko’s ears twitched anxiously.

"I..."

She glanced at her bentō box.

"...You skipped breakfast."

"I did."

"...And..."

She swallowed.

"...You’re skipping lunch too."

"I’ll eat a lot during dinner."

Yuiko shook her head before he had time to finish his sentence.

"...No."

"Hm?"

She carefully offered her lunch to Sui using both of her hands.

"...Please..."

"...Share mine."

Silence.

Sui blinked.

"You don’t have to."

"I want to."

"...But it’s your lunch."

"I’ve cooked too much today."

Yuiko lied a little bit.

Actually, she cooked just enough for her.

But somehow...

Sharing this meal with him seemed more important to her than eating it alone.

Sui looked at his carefully packed lunch and then at Yuiko who was looking at him with hope.

"...Are you sure?"

She nodded.

"...Very."

Tiny smile formed on Sui’s face.

"...Thank you."

Yuiko relaxed her shoulders.

"...You’re welcome."

Haru clapped his hands theatrically.

"I LOVE THIS!"

Some of Yuiko’s classmate noticed what was happening and started paying attention to them.

Yuiko immediately got embarrassed.

"H-Haru..."

"What?"

"This is adorable."

"It isn’t!"

"It absolutely is."

Sui quietly pushed his chair closer to hers.

"...Let’s eat."

Yuiko nodded.

"...Okay."

She opened her bentō box.

Rice balls, sweet omelet, grilled salmon, broccoli, cherry tomatoes and octopus sausages were lying inside.

Sui looked impressed.

"...You cooked all this?"

"...This morning."

"It looks great."

Yuiko blushed and smiled shyly.

"...Thank you."

She evenly divided the rice and carefully put half of it into the empty box which she borrowed from the cafeteria.

"...There."

"You haven’t taken any for yourself."

"I’m fine."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded.

"...Seeing how you enjoyed my cooking makes me full too."

The words escaped before she could stop them.

"..."

"..."

Both of them fell into silence.

Yuiko hid her face behind her chopsticks.

"...Forget I said that."

Sui smiled.

"...I don’t think I can."

He took his first bite.

The rice was warm.

The salmon was perfectly cooked.

And omelet had just the right taste of sweetness.

"...It’s delicious."

Yuiko looked at him hopefully.

"...Really?"

"Really."

Yuiko breathed deeply.

"...I’m glad."

She couldn’t understand why...

His praise sounded better than anyone else’s.

Haru leant over.

"Sui."

"Hm?"

"I know you for years."

"Yeah?"

"I’ve never seen you smiling this much about the food."

Sui stopped for a minute.

"...Have I?"

"You have."

Yuiko looked at him.

Then she quickly looked away before he could catch it.

Her heart skipped a beat.

As they were continuing eating...

Yuiko picked up an octopus sausage.

"...Try this."

Sui took it from her using his own chopsticks.

"Thanks."

After a few minutes...

Sui noticed that she hadn’t eaten any of the fried chicken which he had bought at the school cafeteria during the lunch break.

He carefully moved it towards her.

"...You should take it."

"...But it’s yours."

"So was the salmon."

"..."

She accepted it.

"...Thank you."

Automatically, they continued.

"You should try this broccoli."

"Then take another rice ball."

"This tomato is sweet."

"Take half."

They didn’t even notice what they were doing.

They were just giving each other some of the side dishes.

Naturally.

Just like it was supposed to happen.

Until...

Haru cleared his throat loudly.

"...Excuse me."

Both of them looked at him.

"What?"

"You two."

"...Yes?"

"...Do you understand that you’ve been feeding each other for the last five minutes?"

Silence.

"..."

"..."

Yuiko looked down.

Sui was holding her chopstick with a piece of omelet.

Yuiko was offering him half of her rice ball.

They froze.

"..."

Both of them blushed in the exact moment.

"I-I..."

Yuiko almost dropped her chopsticks.

"I didn’t..."

Sui immediately took his hand back.

"...Sorry."

"No!"

"I mean..."

"...It’s okay..."

Both of them tried to speak at the same time and then fell silent.

Haru started laughing.

"I didn’t even have to do anything!"

A couple of Yuiko’s classmate took interest in their discussion.

One of them smiled.

"They’re cute."

The other one whispered,

"They’re practically sharing one lunch."

Yuiko hid her burning face.

"...Please..."

"...Don’t mention this anymore."

Sui scratched his neck.

Strange warmth appeared in his ears.

"...Let’s just finish our lunch."

Yuiko nodded enthusiastically.

"...Yes."

During the next few minutes...

Neither of them could look directly into each other’s eyes.

But every now and then...

Their gaze was meeting.

And they were instantly turning away.

When lunch finished, Yuiko packed her empty bentō.

Pretty much all of it was gone.

"..."

She smiled.

"...You ate it all."

"It was delicious."

"...I’ll..."

She hesitated.

"...I’ll cook an extra portion tomorrow too."

Sui looked at her.

"...Only if I can bring something to share."

"You don’t have to."

"I want to."

Yuiko smiled warmly.

"...Okay."

It wasn’t a promise.

Not officially.

But the next day...

Yuiko brought an extra omelet.

Sui brought some of the fruits which his mother packed.

Then the next day...

She shared her croquettes.

He shared some fresh cookies.

Without saying anything...

Without creating a rule...

They started to share some side dishes during their lunches.

Just another ordinary thing.

Another quiet tradition.

Another part of their day which belongs only to them.

And without noticing it yet...

These tiny actions contained much more than lunch.

Little by little...

They learned how to take care of each other.