My Cat Girl Neighbor Is Impossible to Understand

Chapter 17: Chapter 17 - Sleeping Shoulder

The week before the mid-term exams completely changed Hoshizora High School.

Instead of chatting about various topics in the hallways, people started talking about formulas, dates in history, and vocabulary lists.

Haru seemed particularly serious this week.

"...I cannot fail my math test this time," he suddenly declared, looking at his book as if there was something personal in it.

Sui turned another page in his notebook.

"You’ve said the same thing before the last test."

"Yes, I really mean it this time."

Yuiko smiled in her book.

"...Maybe studying will help."

"Look what you are talking now like Sui."

Sui lifted his head.

"That’s a bad thing?"

"No."

"...That’s terrifying."

They quietly laughed before getting back to their tasks.

After classes finished, many students went straight home.

Some stayed for clubs activities.

Sui and Yuiko stayed in the classroom.

There would be a test on mathematics next day which consisted of three months’ material, and even Sui wanted some extra studying.

It was silent in the classroom.

Warm sunshine was shining through the windows.

Yuiko quietly solved another problem.

"...Done."

She glanced at Sui who was writing something in his notebook.

Without noticing, she found herself watching him for a couple of minutes.

His expression never changed during studying.

Calm.

Patient.

Impossible to distract him.

"..."

He’s amazing...

Feeling her stare, Sui raised his head.

"Hm?"

Yuiko quickly lowered hers.

"N-Nothing."

"You’ve been staring at the same page for three minutes."

"..."

"...You noticed?"

"I did."

She laughed awkwardly.

"...I’ve forgotten what I was doing."

Sui smiled faintly.

"It happens."

For some reason her heart suddenly skipped several beats.

Time quietly passed by.

The classroom slowly became empty.

One by one, students put everything in their bags and left the room.

Even Haru stretched before leaving.

"I’m done."

"No more studying."

"My brain has officially resigned."

Yuiko giggled.

"...Already?"

"It has resigned after fractions."

"They were algebra problems."

"Exactly."

He threw his bag over one shoulder.

"You two going?"

Sui looked at the clock.

"...A bit longer."

Yuiko nodded.

"I still have two Chapters."

He sighed dramatically.

"I’ll pray for both of you."

"See you tomorrow."

He waved and disappeared in the hallway.

Silence came back.

Only soft sound of pencil’s scratch could be heard.

Outdoors it became dark.

Classroom light automatically turned on.

Yuiko rubbed her eyes.

"..."

She blinked several times and started writing again.

Sui noticed this action.

"Tired?"

"A bit."

"You’d better go to sleep."

"I want to finish."

He looked at her notebook.

"You’ve solved all problems in it."

"...Really?"

She counted the pages.

"...Oh."

"You haven’t noticed."

"You’ve been reading an answer key."

She looked down.

She really had.

"...I’m more tired than I thought."

Sui quietly put all books in his bag.

"I think that it is enough for today."

She hesitated.

"...Okay."

When they left the school building, it became evening in the city.

Lights in streetlamps suddenly switched on.

Spring breeze with scent of flowers carried through the quiet streets.

Yuiko stretched her hands to the ceiling.

"...That feels good."

"It was a long day."

She nodded.

"...Very."

They started their usual way to the station.

Different from their usual way, today they needed to ride a train as a consequence of the late study session.

It was almost empty in the station.

Most commuters already used it.

Electronic board showed how long until the next train.

2 minutes.

Exactly the right time.

Yuiko quietly leant against one pillar.

She tried to cover small yawn with her hand.

Sui noticed.

"...Tired?"

"...Maybe."

"You’ve yawned four times."

"...Five."

She yawned again.

"...Now five."

He smiled.

"I stand corrected."

The train came with a soft hiss.

Doors opened.

Inside...

It was surprisingly empty.

Only a few passengers were sitting in different parts of the carriage.

Older couple.

University student who was reading a novel.

Businessman quietly sleeping by the window.

Sui and Yuiko found seats in the end of the carriage.

There was no need to stand.

The train smoothly started moving.

For several minutes...

Nobody was speaking.

Soft hum of the railroads filled the silence.

Yuiko quietly observed evening lights outside the window.

Blink.

Blink.

Blink.

Her eyelids became heavier with each minute.

She quietly shook her head.

Don’t fall asleep...

She glanced at Sui.

He has opened one of his books once again.

"...You are still studying?"

"A bit."

"...Amazing."

"You’d better sleep when you get home."

"...I will."

Yawn escaped from her mouth.

It was impossible to hide this time.

Sui put his notebook in the bag.

"I don’t think that you’ll be able to."

Yuiko blew her cheeks.

"...I’m not that tired."

As if trying to prove him...

She yawned for the seventh time.

Sui quietly laughed.

"I think that your body doesn’t agree."

"...A little maybe."

She quietly leant against her seat.

Smooth movements of the train were strangely comfortable.

Soft noise of the railroad...

Warm air in the carriage...

Silent...

All this invited to close her eyes.

Just for a second...

She blinked.

And blinked once again.

Lights outside blurred.

Her head quietly started tilting.

She tried to hold it up.

"No..."

She whispered.

"...Don’t fall asleep."

Sui looked at her.

"You don’t need to force yourself."

"I’ll..."

She covered another yawn.

"...I’m fine."

But despite of this...

Her eyes slowly closed again.

Train was quietly moving in the evening.

Neither of them noticed that before reaching the next station...

Distance between them was about to disappear in the most innocent, fluttering in heart way.

The train chugged steadily through the evening hours.

Clack... clack... clack...

The rhythmic sound combined nicely with the air conditioning humming and made the mostly empty carriage feel even more silent.

The lights in the cities began to come on one by one outside the windows.

In the train, there were only a few passengers left.

Sui put his notebook away.

There was no point in studying now.

His eyes drifted towards the window and then settled to the side of him.

Yuiko was still struggling to stay awake.

Every few seconds, her head would droop down.

And then she would raise it up again.

"..."

"...I’m awake."

She whispered the words to herself.

A few seconds passed...

Her eyelids became heavy once more.

Sui smirked.

"Yuiko."

"...Hmm?"

"You don’t have to struggle with it."

"I’m..."

She yawned.

"...Alright."

"You have said that five times."

"...Six."

A yawn escaped her mouth once more.

Sui chuckled.

"I think that your body already decided."

Yuiko made a small and resigned nod.

"...Maybe."

She slumped against her seat.

Just close your eyes for a moment...

Only until the next station...

This was her last clear thought.

The train made a gentle sway as it took the next curve.

Yuiko’s head slowly tilted to the side.

Slowly...

Closer.

Closer.

Until...

Tap.

Something soft stopped her.

Her head now rested against Sui’s shoulder.

"..."

Sui blinked.

He looked down.

Yuiko was sleeping.

Sleeping deeply.

Her breath became slow and steady.

Some loose black hair brushed against his sleeve as the train kept its rhythmic sway.

Her twitching cat ears now relaxed.

Even her neat tail barely moved.

Sui did not move at all.

If I move...

She will wake up.

And so he did not.

Instead, he looked out the window as if nothing strange was happening.

A small smile spread across his lips.

"...You must’ve been really tired."

An elderly lady across the aisle glanced at him.

She smiled warmly and returned to knitting.

The university student sitting near them raised his eyes from the book.

Seeing the sleepy cat girl comfortably laying on the boy’s shoulder, he silently smiled and turned to the next page.

The whole train became somehow unusually calm.

Several stations passed.

Nobody, neither passengers nor conductor disturbed them.

Sui was unaware of how much time passed.

He just sat there, watching Yuiko sleep.

The train slowed down.

A familiar announcement came from the speaker.

"Next station..."

It was their stop.

Sui looked at Yuiko.

"...Yuiko."

Nothing.

He tried to whisper.

"...We’re here."

She mumbled something incoherent.

Steadfast asleep.

He hesitated.

"...Yuiko."

He made a tiny gesture, tapping the back of his shoulder.

It was enough.

Yuiko’s golden eyes opened slowly.

"...Mm..."

She blinked.

Everything felt warm.

Comfortable.

For one peaceful second...

She wondered why.

And then she understood.

"..."

"..."

Her eyes slowly moved to the side.

She was not leaning against the train window.

She was not leaning against her seat.

She was...

Sleeping on Sui’s shoulder.

"...!"

She froze and immediately jumped upright.

"S-S-Sorry!"

Her voice resounded in the carriage.

A few people looked at them.

Yuiko quickly lowered her head.

"I..."

"I fell asleep..."

"I’m really sorry!"

Her ears flattened to the sides.

Her fluffy tail expanded to the biggest size possible.

"I didn’t mean to..."

"I..."

She could not even look at him.

"I must’ve been heavy..."

Sui blinked.

"You weren’t."

"...What?"

"You weren’t heavy."

She raised her eyes cautiously.

"...Really?"

He nodded.

"You looked comfortable."

Silence.

The words reached her a second later.

"You looked comfortable."

Her heart skipped a beat.

Thump.

Then...

Thump.

Thump.

Her face slowly started becoming red.

"...Comfortable?"

"You looked like you slept well."

"I..."

"..."

She covered her face with both palms.

"...Please do not say things like that."

"Hm?"

"My heart..."

She whispered so quietly that Sui hardly heard her.

"...It’s beating too fast."

Sui blinked.

"...Sorry."

"You don’t have to."

She laughed nervously.

"...It’s just..."

"...Embarassing."

The doors opened.

They stepped onto the station platform.

The cool evening breeze met them.

For several minutes...

Nobody said anything.

Yuiko walked next to him with her face still a bit red.

Every time she thought about what had happened...

Her heart started beating faster again.

I slept on his shoulder...

For several stations...

He did not wake me up...

And he said I looked comfortable...

She quickly shook her head.

Stop thinking about it!

Beside her, Sui looked carefully at her.

"...Yuiko."

"...Yes?"

"If you’re still tired..."

"You should sleep early tonight."

She nodded quickly.

"...I will."

"...And..."

She hesitated.

"...Thank you."

"For what?"

"...For letting me sleep."

Sui smiled softly.

"It wasn’t a problem."

"...Really?"

"It would’ve been mean to wake you up."

Yuiko looked at the ground.

"...You are too kind."

The familiar path home seemed unusually quiet.

The sky became dark, leaving only the glow of the streetlights.

When they arrived to their neighboring houses, Yuiko stopped in front of her gate.

"...Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

She hurried inside before her face became even redder.

Once she closed her bedroom door behind...

She buried her face in the pillow.

"..."

"...Ahhh..."

Her tail helplessly thumped against the bed mattress.

"You looked comfortable."

She rolled over.

"...Why would he say it so naturally?"

She hugged her pillow tightly.

"...I’m never taking the train again."

A few seconds later...

"...Unless it’s with him."

The thought escaped from her before she could catch it.

Her ears immediately became pink.

In the neighboring house...

Sui finished washing the dishes from the dinner.

Wiping his hands, he suddenly remembered the train.

Yuiko sleeping calmly and peacefully.

The feeling of her head resting on his shoulder.

Without noticing it...

He smiled.

A small.

Quiet.

Genuine smile.

His mother walked past the kitchen.

"...Did something good happen today?"

Sui blinked.

"Hm?"

"You are smiling."

"...Am I?"

"You are."

He touched his cheek in surprise.

"...I guess I am."

He did not try to explain why.

He did not even know himself.

He only knew one thing.

For some reason...

Thinking about Yuiko peacefully sleeping beside him made the usual train trip seem as one of the best memories he had throughout the whole spring.

And somewhere nearby...

Cat girl was lying awake in bed, unable to go to sleep because whenever she closed her eyes...

She remembered how comfortable and safe it felt.