My Cat Girl Neighbor Is Impossible to Understand

Chapter 21: Chapter 21 - Secret Smile

The start of each week seemed to be quite busy.

Students greeted each other sleepily in the corridors, lockers were slammed closed and the scent of melon bread baked in the school store could be detected in the hallways.

Sui was always at his classroom few minutes before the first lesson, just like he usually did.

He put his backpack aside, attached the small cloud key chain to the desk’s side, which gently rocked, and opened his English book.

Meanwhile, Haru stretched himself to the fullest.

"I already wish the weekend to come back."

Sui didn’t even raise his head.

"It’s Monday."

"I know."

"Exactly."

Sui smiled.

Haru paused.

"...Wait."

"What?"

"You smiled."

"I did."

"Why not before the first period?"

Sui shrugged.

"I just did."

"...Fascinating."

Before Haru could ask any further, the classroom door opened.

Yuiko entered, holding her school backpack in both hands.

Her black hair waved lightly while she bowed toward the teacher who was already making some preparations in the front of the classroom.

"...Good morning."

Some of their classmates answered.

She walked toward her place.

While passing near Sui’s desk, she flashed him the same sweet smile which she gave to him every morning.

"Good morning, Sui."

"Good morning."

His reply was quite ordinary.

He answered only in one word.

However, Haru noticed something special about it.

The corners of Sui’s lips curled just a bit.

Not enough to be seen by others.

It was enough to soften his usually cool face.

Yet, in just a second, the expression disappeared.

"..."

Haru blinked.

Was it a smile?

He quickly looked at Yuiko.

She had already sat down and arranged her textbooks just as always and had no idea about it at all.

Maybe I imagine it...

The homeroom teacher entered the classroom and started taking attendance during the morning session.

The first period went quietly.

During the math class, Yuiko managed to solve a very difficult task on the board.

When she returned to her seat, she brushed off the chalk from her sleeves in an adorable but serious manner.

Sui smiled once again.

Small.

Natural.

Quick.

Haru widened his eyes.

Once again...

Now he paid special attention.

Between classes, Yuiko searched for something in her pencil case.

"...Where it is?"

Sui turned to her.

"What are you looking for?"

"My blue pen."

She frowned a bit and finally discovered the lost item behind her notebook.

"...Never mind."

"I’ve found it."

She smiled to herself.

Sui smiled as well.

Haru, who happened to drink water at the moment, coughed heavily.

Cough!

"Not possible..."

He looked at Sui.

"You smiled again."

Sui was confused.

"...Did I?"

"You did."

"I don’t think so."

"You surely did."

"I was just listening."

Haru narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"...Suspicious."

By the lunch time, Haru started to treat the whole day as a sort of experiment.

He was not going to make fun of Sui.

Not yet.

However, he really wanted to know the truth.

Is it Yuiko’s presence which makes him smile... or it’s just coincidence?

To make sure, he decided to conduct the experiment.

When everyone was sitting to eat, Haru came to Yuiko in a rather casual manner.

"Hey, Yuiko."

She raised her head.

"...Yes?"

"Do you mind to show me your history class notes?"

"Sure."

She gave him those notes with her regular polite smile.

"Thank you."

While accepting the notes from her, he covertly looked at Sui.

Here it is.

Once again.

That smile.

It was so small, natural and quick that it was almost invisible.

But if you were watching for it...

Haru slowly put down the notebook.

That’s the third time already...

He returned the notes to her.

"Thank you."

"You’re welcome."

Yuiko went back to eating, not realizing that she was now the subject of Haru’s weird experiment.

The more Haru observed...

The more curious it got.

Yuiko smiled at some Aki’s message.

Sui smiled.

Yuiko was excited about the appearance of a new cake shaped like a cat in the school cafeteria.

Sui smiled.

Yuiko silently hummed when packing up after the class.

Sui smiled.

Not a broad smile.

Not laughing.

Just that soft smile which appeared every time Yuiko was near.

Haru rested his chin in his hands and murmured with a grin.

"...I’ve found out something fascinating."

In the opposite part of the classroom, Sui just talked with Yuiko like everything was usual.

Neither of them noticed Haru observing them.

They did not realize that every time Yuiko smiled...

Sui involuntarily smiled in response.

And by the end of the school day, Haru became quite certain about one thing.

It was not a coincidence anymore.

It was a habit.

The habit which Sui himself did not even realize he had.

Haru made only one conclusion.

It was not a coincidence anymore.

Sui smiled every time Yuiko was around.

The question was...

Sui did not even know it himself.

"...Fascinating," Haru muttered to himself.

"What is?"

Sui looked up from his notebook.

"Nothing."

"You said that aloud."

"I did?"

"You did."

Haru just smiled.

"Forget it."

"Now let’s conduct another experiment."

After the last class finished, the teacher laid a pile of worksheets on the desk.

"I need someone to deliver those to the faculty office."

Before anybody else could raise his hand, Haru put his hand in the air.

"I’ll do it!"

The teacher nodded.

"One more person."

Haru looked around the classroom dramatically and pointed to Sui.

"Sui."

Sui blinked.

"To me?"

"And..."

Haru pointed to Yuiko.

"Yuiko."

She raised her head in surprise.

"...To me?"

"These worksheets are heavy."

"They aren’t."

"They are emotionally heavy."

Their classmates laughed.

The teacher smiled helpless.

"The three of you can do it."

No sooner than they stepped out to the hallway, Haru smacked his forehead.

"Oh no."

"What?"

"I’ve forgotten my notebook."

Sui looked at him.

"Again?"

"I’ve left it in the classroom."

Yuiko lifted her head.

"...Didn’t you bring it?"

"...Most probably."

"I’ll go and check!"

Before any of them could prevent it, Haru ran to the classroom.

Of course...

He had forgotten nothing.

Behind the corner of the hallway, he peaked at them.

Sui and Yuiko were still walking together.

"...He’s strange," Yuiko whispered.

"A little."

"A little?"

"...Very."

She giggled.

Sui smiled.

Haru quietly pumped his fist.

"That was success."

The next day gave another opportunity.

During the chemistry class, the students were working in pairs.

Before the teacher could assign anyone, Haru said:

"Can Sui and Yuiko work together?"

The teacher nodded.

"It’s okay."

Yuiko carried her beaker to Sui’s table.

"...Please, take care of me."

"You will too."

While measuring the liquids, Yuiko frowned a bit because of the confusing instructions.

"...This experiment is difficult."

"It’s not as hard as it seems."

"You’ve already understood it?"

"...Mostly."

"You really are reliable."

Sui smiled.

Haru almost dropped his test tube.

"Once again!"

The lunch gave Haru his experiment number three.

He deliberately sat in between them.

He almost did not touch his food.

Instead...

He watched.

Yuiko carefully took out one fried shrimp from her lunch box.

"...Sui."

"Hm?"

"I’ve prepared too much today."

She gave him the shrimp.

"...Would you like it?"

"You don’t have to."

"I know."

"...But I want."

He accepted it.

"...Thank you."

Yuiko smiled.

"...You’re welcome."

Without any thought...

Sui smiled in return.

Not politely.

Not because someone told a joke.

It just happened.

Haru slowly lowered his chopsticks.

"There it is again."

The fourth experiment happened after the school.

A cat walked onto the campus, sitting down underneath a cherry blossom tree.

Yuiko saw it right away.

"...It’s a cat."

Her golden eyes sparkled with excitement.

Yuiko slowly knelt down near it.

"Hello..."

The cat walked to her, without hesitation.

Yuiko’s ears perked up with happiness.

"...You’re adorable."

She stroked the cat softly under its chin.

The kitty purred very loudly.

Sui watched the scene before him silently.

His expression softened slightly.

He gave a genuine warm smile.

Not because of the cat.

But because of Yuiko.

She looked genuinely happy.

Haru, hidden behind the vending machine like in every comedy series ever, added another check mark to his notebook.

"Confirmed."

At the end of the day...

Haru’s notebook was ridiculous.

Secret Operation for Smile

Morning greeting

Walking together

Laboratory partners

Sharing lunch

Cat meeting

Borrowing notes

Saying goodbye

It would all end the same way.

With Sui giving his secret smile.

Every.

Single.

Time.

As the sun was beginning to set, Haru followed his neighbors’ usual path back home.

Yuiko was telling Sui a story from her childhood.

"...The kitten had searched everywhere for a place to belong."

"What happened?"

"The kitten found an old woman, who gave her warm milk."

"And?"

"...It never left."

Sui gave a gentle smile.

"...That’s a beautiful story."

"I think so too."

Yuiko smiled at Sui.

Neither of them noticed anything out of the ordinary.

For them...

This was just another average conversation.

Haru stared at Sui’s back and whispered to himself quietly.

"...You’re really oblivious, huh?"

Sui turned around, looking curiously at Haru.

"Hm?"

"Nothing."

"Nah."

"Just talking to myself."

Yuiko tilted her head slightly.

"...You always do that."

"Myself is having interesting conversations with me."

They both laughed at it.

Sui smiled.

Again.

Haru could not resist smiling as well.

The first one did not even realize how often he smiled at her laughter.

And the second one did not know that her laughter made him smile.

Perhaps...

That was the beauty of their relationship.

Nothing was forced.

Nothing was rushed.

They were feeling for each other with ordinary interactions until they became the most important part of each other’s lives.