My Cat Girl Neighbor Is Impossible to Understand

Chapter 20: Chapter 20 - Windy Afternoon

The weather forecast promised us a beautiful calm afternoon.

It turned out that it lied.

When the last bell rang, the sky had already clouded up, and a chilly wind started blowing over the campus.

The windows of our classroom were creaking.

Whoosh...

We stretched our tired bodies.

Some ran to the club activity rooms, while others packed their things to run home as quickly as possible, because there is nothing nice about getting caught in the rain during the evening.

Haru stuffed his pencil inside his briefcase with a grand gesture.

"I think my brain officially melted."

Sui closed his notebook.

"You’ve repeated it for the third time this week."

"And I was right all those times."

Yuiko smiled as she collected her textbooks into a pile.

"... At least today’s quiz hasn’t been difficult."

Haru looked at her in amazement.

"For you."

"I think the questions in mathematics have been in another language."

"They’ve been numbers," Sui corrected her.

"Exactly! Numbers are scary."

Yuiko laughed.

That quiet sound attracted Sui’s attention.

It happened increasingly often lately.

A month ago, she didn’t smile and laugh aloud in company.

Now, she laughed quietly whenever Haru exaggerated something.

Sui saw her laugh and smirked.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You were smiling again."

"I wasn’t."

"You definitely have."

Sui calmly zipped his schoolbag.

"I think you are just imagining."

"I have some proofs."

"You haven’t got them."

"I’ll collect them."

Yuiko looked at each of them in surprise.

"... Are you always like this?"

"Yes," Sui answered.

"Ever since the middle school."

Haru nodded proudly.

"I’m making his life exciting."

"You’re making it noisy."

"That’s pretty much the same."

We left the classroom together.

The hallways were filled with the voices of parting friends.

People closed their lockers loudly.

The sounds of the steps resounded over the polished floor.

When we reached the exit of the school, a strong gale started blowing through the open doors.

Whoosh!

Several girls tried to keep their skirts from flying.

One of the boys ran after the flying worksheet.

"Whoa!"

"It’s windy!"

Yuiko instinctively tried to hold down her hair.

Her cat ears flattened under the pressure of the wind.

"... It’s much stronger than I’ve thought."

Sui turned his gaze at the trees standing on the edge of the schoolyard.

Their branches were swinging wildly.

"We should hurry back home before it gets any worse."

Haru nodded.

"I’ll meet Aki first."

"See you tomorrow!"

Haru waved his hand and went to the junior high building.

Sui and Yuiko kept walking towards the school gate.

When we crossed the yard, Yuiko stopped.

"... One moment."

"Hm?"

"I need to put my notes in order."

She always did it before leaving the school.

Each worksheet, each handout, each page from her notebook... everything had its own folder.

Everything was in order.

Sui smiled.

"You’re very organized."

Yuiko blushed a bit.

"... It makes it easier to study later."

"I can imagine it."

She put her schoolbag down on a nearby bench.

One by one, she collected all the papers she had gathered during the day.

Mathematics.

History.

Science.

English.

Every pile of papers was in perfect order.

The corners were aligned perfectly.

Sui watched her silently.

"... Even the edges are straightened."

"... I feel uncomfortable when they aren’t."

"I’ve never noticed."

"... Now I do."

"I probably do."

She smiled proudly.

"Good."

Just when Yuiko was about to take the last worksheet...

The wind came again.

And this time...

Much stronger.

WHOOOSH!

The trees bent almost horizontally.

The leaves flew wild across the yard.

The students gasped.

Yuiko’s perfectly arranged papers lifted from the bench as if they suddenly grew wings.

"... Eh?"

For a split second...

Neither of us moved.

Then...

The whole pile flew in the air.

All the sheets of paper scattered around in all directions.

Some flew across the walkway.

Some landed under the trees.

Some soared high into the air.

"...!"

"My notes!"

Yuiko instinctively tried to grab them.

She managed to catch one sheet.

Another one slipped away from her hands.

The third one soared above the flower beds.

"No..."

She watched helplessly how all the hours spent on organizing them flew away with the wind.

Her golden eyes widened.

"... No..."

One worksheet from the class of science landed on the school fountain.

Another one from the mathematics was flying through the front gate.

A history handout rolled over the asphalt like a tumbleweed.

The other students tried to catch one or two pieces of paper.

Most of them only laughed when the wind blew them away again.

Yuiko was frozen to the spot.

Her tail was hanging down behind her.

"... They’re gone..."

Sui didn’t waste time.

"I’ll get them."

Before Yuiko could say anything, he rushed after the nearest piece of paper.

He managed to catch one before it fell under a parked bicycle.

Another one almost ran down the stairs, but he stopped it in time by stepping on the corner.

Meanwhile, Yuiko came back to her senses.

"... R-Right!"

She hurried to the pile that fell near the flower garden.

The wind didn’t cooperate with her.

Every time she tried to catch one sheet...

Another one flew into the air.

"... Stay still..."

She ran after one piece of paper.

Again, it slipped away.

The other students looked at her sympathically.

One girl managed to catch an English worksheet.

"Here!"

"T-Thank you!"

Yuiko took it with both hands and thanked the other girl.

However...

More than half of her notes were scattered over the schoolyard now.

She was looking around anxiously.

The papers were flying around like white birds.

Some of them were flying towards the school gate now.

Sui caught another handful before they could escape.

He looked at Yuiko.

"Don’t worry."

"We’ll find them."

His calm voice made Yuiko somehow manage herself.

She took a deep breath.

"... Okay."

She nodded.

Then, we started running in opposite directions trying to chase the flying papers under the bright spring sky.

Neither of us noticed the smiles of the other students.

To everyone...

It seemed less like a disaster...

And more like two people working together without even thinking, acting naturally as if they’ve been doing it hundreds of times before.

The wind scattered Yuiko’s well-organized notes.

But not until the end of the day...

It will scatter the memories that won’t be forgotten.

"Don’t worry."

"We’ll get them."

Sui’s calm words somehow managed to penetrate the noise.

Yuiko took a deep breath and nodded.

"...All right."

The gusty spring wind kept blowing through the schoolyard.

Pages fluttered about like white birds taking flight into the blue above.

There was no time to waste—so Sui dashed after a worksheet which was rolling towards the school gates.

"Wait!"

Almost as soon as it was about to fall under the fence, he snatched it up.

"...Caught it."

He smiled.

Meanwhile, Yuiko rushed over to a bundle of pages stuck in a cherry tree.

Just as she bent to pick them up—

Whoosh!

The wind blew them away.

"...Ah!"

She stretched her arms.

"They flew away again..."

And just as she was about to go after them—another pair of hands caught them first.

"Haru?"

The boy was holding up three pages triumphantly.

"I’ve got history!"

He glanced around dramatically.

"Anyone missing their world history?"

Yuiko ran over to him.

"M-Mine!"

"I thought so."

With a laugh, he handed them to her.

"No soldier left behind."

Yuiko took them carefully with both hands.

"...Thank you."

"No problem."

Looking at the rest of the pages scattered all over the schoolyard, Haru declared.

"...Operation Save the Notes is on!"

Sui couldn’t help but smile.

"You really called it so?"

"Important missions always have a name."

"I don’t think this qualifies."

"Yes, it does!"

For the next several minutes...

The three of them were running all around the school yard together.

Sui caught pages before they could fall into the drain pipe.

Haru rescued several sheets trapped under a bike rack.

Yuiko checked all the pages, to make sure that she was getting every single one of her sheets.

Now and then, other students would stop and help.

"I found one!"

"This science one yours?"

"Here’s another!"

Yuiko bowed and thanked them over and over.

"...Thank you!"

"...Thank you very much!"

Her voice sounded increasingly softer, because she was not used to so many people trying to help her.

And when the last worksheet finally came to a rest somewhere on the pavement—

The silence fell upon the school yard.

"..."

"...I think..."

Haru counted the stack of pages.

"...That’s all."

Quickly flipping through the pages, Yuiko noticed.

Math.

Science.

History.

English.

Everything was there.

She sighed with relief.

"...They’re all here."

Sui smiled.

"Good."

Yuiko looked at the thick stack of papers in her hands.

"...I’m sorry."

"For making both of you run around."

Haru shrugged.

"It was fun."

"I even got some exercise."

"You chased the papers."

"Exactly."

Sui chuckled.

"It wasn’t your fault."

"The wind was stronger than anyone anticipated."

Yuiko smiled with gratitude.

"...But..."

"Thank you."

Then the three of them headed towards the bench where Yuiko originally set up her notes.

She laid them down carefully on the seat.

"This time..."

Taking out her notebook, she put it on top of the pages.

"...They aren’t going anywhere."

"Smart," Sui noted.

"I learn from experience."

Haru nodded approvingly.

"Character development."

Yuiko laughed.

"...I suppose."

They began sorting the papers into the proper order.

Math first.

History second.

Science.

English.

This routine immediately calmed Yuiko down.

Sui crouched down by her side, arranging the pages in proper piles silently.

Without any additional orders...

He automatically put every subject in its right place.

Yuiko looked at him.

"...You remembered?"

"You always organize them like that."

"...You noticed?"

"I saw you doing that every afternoon."

Her ears twitched slightly.

"...You do notice everything."

"I suppose I pay attention."

She averted her gaze, not wanting him to see how faintly she was smiling.

And the two of them worked quietly side by side.

Their shoulders sometimes touched, but neither of them stepped aside—they were too busy collecting papers.

Or perhaps...

They didn’t mind anymore.

One group of students happened to walk past.

One of them stopped.

"...Hey."

Another pointed at Sui and Yuiko crouching down under the cherry tree.

"They seem to be working together well."

A third one chuckled.

"They even look like a married couple cleaning the house."

For one whole second...

Everything stopped.

"..."

"..."

Yuiko’s hands froze over the pile of papers.

Sui stopped reaching for another page.

"...M-Married?"

Yuiko repeated feebly.

The students nodded with amused smiles.

"Look at you two."

"One organizes."

"The other quietly helps."

"You even share the work evenly."

"As if you’ve been doing that for years."

Haru looked between Sui and Yuiko.

A grin gradually spread over his face.

"...You know..."

"They’re not wrong."

Yuiko’s face instantly went red.

"W-What?!"

"No!"

"We’re just picking up papers!"

"Exactly."

"Together."

"That’s teamwork."

"That’s all!"

One girl giggled.

"That’s the same thing married couples say."

Yuiko’s cat ears rose.

"W-We aren’t married!"

"And we’re not even—"

She abruptly stopped herself.

The students exchanged knowing glances.

"Oh?"

"Not even what?"

Yuiko tried covering her face.

"I-I didn’t mean..."

Sui, who had been strangely calm until now, felt the warmth rising to his cheeks.

"...You’re all misunderstanding."

One boy laughed.

"We’re just playing jokes."

"Relax."

"But..."

He took a glance at the two of them again.

"You really do work well as a team."

The classmates waved goodbye and continued to walk home, still laughing.

The school yard fell into the silence again.

Yuiko remained motionless.

Her face was still brightly red.

"..."

"...I can’t believe they said that."

Haru couldn’t help it any more and burst into laughter.

"I’m sorry!"

"I really am!"

"But your faces—"

"They were identical!"

Yuiko looked at him.

"...Haru."

"...Yes?"

"...You’re not helping."

"I know."

He laughed even harder.

Sui scratched his neck awkwardly.

"...Well, let’s just finish organizing these."

Yuiko nodded fast.

"...Yes."

For the next several minutes, they didn’t dare to look at each other.

Every glance reminded them of the same words:

"Married couple."

But finally, when their notes were safely packed, Sui stood up and offered Yuiko his hand.

She hesitated for a moment, before taking it.

"...Thank you."

He helped her to her feet.

"...You’re welcome."

Their hands parted almost immediately.

But both of them silently realized...

None of their hands felt cold.

Walking home under the spring breeze, Haru was strolling behind them with a satisfied smile.

He did not say anything more.

He did not have to.

The wind had scattered Yuiko’s notes...

But it had also scattered a few walls between two hearts which were getting closer with each day of ordinary life.