My Cat Girl Neighbor Is Impossible to Understand

Chapter 29: Chapter 29 - Marry Me

The sky in the evening shone in orange and pink hues while Sui and Yuiko walked along the familiar street.

It was calm and peaceful here. The wind stirred leaves and the distant sounds of laughing children echoed in the neighborhood park.

Today they were not burdened with the feeling of heaviness because of the silence.

After the sincere talk by the riverside, many things had changed.

Not drastically.

Not abruptly.

But the invisible barrier which used to exist between them had started to fall apart.

Now Yuiko walked next to Sui smiling.

Sometimes her tail wagged joyfully behind her.

Sui noticed it at once.

"...You’re smiling again."

Yuiko glanced at him.

"I am?"

He nodded.

"I’m happy about it."

She smiled.

"I think it is because..."

She hesitated.

"...I feel much more comfortable now."

Sui smiled.

"So do I."

They were walking.

When they passed the neighborhood grocery store, Yuiko suddenly stopped.

"Oh."

"What is it?"

"I nearly forgot."

She quickly entered the shop.

"I won’t be long."

Sui waited outside as always.

This was something he did mechanically.

Few minutes later Yuiko returned carrying a small bag.

"You have bought much."

"It was sold cheap."

She smiled shyly.

"I wanted to cook curry for tonight."

Sui noticed that the bag was heavier than Yuiko expected.

Without saying a word he picked up the bag.

"I’ll carry it."

Yuiko automatically tried to get it back.

"No."

"I can cope."

"I know."

He smiled.

"But still I want to."

She looked at him for a while and quietly gave him the bag.

"...Thanks."

They were walking.

A comfortable silence surrounded them.

Suddenly Yuiko spoke.

"Sui?"

"Hm?"

"...Why are you always so kind to me?"

He blinked.

"Why?"

"You wait for me."

"You help me."

"You always notice if I’m sad."

"You never complain."

She looked down.

"I wonder..."

"...why?"

Sui thought for a bit.

He wanted to reply something simple.

"Because we’re friends."

But...

It seemed wrong somehow.

He glanced at the calm street ahead of him.

"I don’t remember when exactly it happened."

Yuiko listened quietly.

"But somewhere..."

"...when helping you..."

"...stopped being something that I decided to do."

"It just became a part of me."

She looked at him surprised.

"I understand..."

Sui chuckled.

"I think I’m not very good at explaining it."

"I suppose..."

"...I just want you to smile."

Yuiko lowered her eyes.

Her cheeks were flushed.

"...You always make my heart race."

Sui scratched his head.

"Sorry."

She shook her head.

"Don’t be sorry."

"I like listening to them."

The words came out before she could stop herself.

Her cheeks immediately got even more flushed.

"I-I mean..."

She covered her mouth.

Sui stared at her in surprise.

Then he smiled.

"I like chatting with you too."

Yuiko let out a sigh of relief.

"...Good."

They arrived at the small bridge of their neighborhood.

The river mirrored the gold hue of the setting sun.

Yuiko leaned lightly on the railing.

"It’s beautiful."

"It is."

They watched silently at the flowing waters.

Then Yuiko quietly said.

"You know..."

"I used to think that home was only a house."

She smiled tenderly.

"But lately..."

"...I have started feeling at home wherever I am with you."

Sui’s heart skipped a beat.

He turned towards her.

She was still looking at the river, too embarrassed to look into his eyes.

"I don’t feel lonely anymore."

She smiled.

"Even the ordinary days become special."

She looked at him at last.

"Thanks."

Her smile was warm.

Tender.

Full of silent affection.

Something in Sui broke.

Not in pain.

But as if all the feelings he kept inside could not stay inside anymore.

He remembered everything that they had shared.

The way to school.

Reading the books together.

Buying groceries.

Feeding stray cats.

The rainy day under the same umbrella.

Her tears by the riverside.

Their promise.

The fear of losing these ordinary days.

Without them...

He could not imagine his future anymore.

Before he could even think...

Before he could stop himself...

He took a step closer to her.

"Yuiko."

She looked at him.

"Hm?"

His heart thumped so loudly he could not hear his own words.

The words rushed to his lips.

Not prepared.

Not rehearsed.

Simply sincere.

"Yuiko..."

She tilted her head.

"...Will you marry me?"

Silence.

Even the wind seemed to freeze.

Yuiko froze totally.

"...Eh?"

Her golden eyes grew wide.

Her ears stood up straight.

The shopping bag fell down from her hands.

"...M-Marry...?"

Sui blinked.

The understanding hit him like a lightning bolt.

"..."

"..."

His face instantly became bright red.

"W-Wait!"

"I..."

"I didn’t..."

He covered his face with one hand.

"I wasn’t..."

"I mean..."

Yuiko remained frozen.

Her tail inflated in shock.

"S-Sui..."

"I..."

He could not even form a single word.

"I don’t know why I said it."

"No..."

"That is not true."

He lowered his hand and looked at her.

For the first time he did not try to hide anything.

"I know exactly why."

His voice trembled.

"When I thought that I might lose all those ordinary days with you..."

"I understood something."

"I don’t just want to walk beside you tomorrow."

"I want to walk beside you for as long as possible."

Yuiko’s eyes slowly filled with tears.

Not of sadness.

But of overwhelming emotions.

Neither of them noticed how the evening sun sank below the horizon.

Everything around them froze in silence.

Only two people stood on the silent bridge watching each other with hearts that have started speaking at last.

And although Sui had not planned to say those words today, he knew that there was no coming back.

"Yuiko..."

His voice was barely audible.

"I meant it."

The world suddenly fell silent.

Yuiko stood still at the end of the bridge, her golden eyes staring back at Sui.

Her hair fluttered in the breeze that brushed by her, yet she did not seem to care about that.

Everything around her froze as soon as she heard him talking.

"Yuiko... Will you marry me?"

Her ears popped up straight, showing how shocked she was.

Her tail puffed up fully in shock as well.

"... M-Marry...?"

It was the only word she managed to utter.

Sui continued to stare back at her.

His heart raced so loud he could hear it.

Then finally, he realized what he was doing.

"W-Wait!"

He blushed furiously.

"I... I..."

He covered his own face with both hands.

"I can’t believe I just said that..."

Yuiko blinked several times.

"... Sui?"

"I’m sorry!"

He bowed quickly almost dropping the grocery bag in his hand.

"I wasn’t planning to say it like that!"

"I didn’t even plan to say it!"

"It just..."

His voice got quieter.

"... came out."

Yuiko kept standing still.

She had imagined a lot of scenarios.

Perhaps someday, Sui will tell her that he enjoyed spending time with her.

Perhaps someday, they would be dating.

But...

Marry?

Even when they hadn’t admitted anything?

Her heart raced so fast it almost made her feel dizzy.

"S-Sui..."

"I’m sorry."

He took a deep breath and tried to look back at her again.

"I don’t want you to think that I was mocking you."

"I wasn’t."

"Not even a little."

Yuiko could see how sincere he was in his eyes.

He was not kidding.

He was not blushing because he regretted saying that.

He was blushing because that came out before he could control himself.

Sui lowered his gaze.

"I’ve been thinking about everything for the last few days."

"When you stopped walking home with me..."

"The road seemed so empty."

"When you cried..."

"I wished that I could erase your sadness."

"When I thought that someone else might be walking beside you every day..."

He gave a bitter smile.

"My chest hurt."

"I did not know why."

"But now, I do."

Yuiko did not interrupt him as he spoke.

Sui took another breath.

"I don’t know when or how."

"But somewhere along the way..."

"You became the one I think of every day."

Silence fell upon the bridge once again.

The river flowed calmly below them.

Sui laughed a little awkwardly.

"So when you told me that you felt at home beside me..."

"My heart decided before my mind could."

He rubbed his neck behind his head.

"And..."

"I just ended up asking something that people usually ask a long time later."

Yuiko couldn’t help but let a laugh out softly.

It was nervous and adorable.

Listening to it, Sui relaxed a little.

"I’m glad that you are laughing."

She covered her flaming face.

"I-I don’t know what to do..."

"My heart won’t calm down."

Neither of them realized that both had stepped a little closer.

Just a short distance separated them.

Sui looked at Yuiko with the most serious look she had ever seen from him.

"I may have said it too soon."

"I may have surprised you."

"But..."

"I don’t want to take back those words."

Yuiko slowly let her hands go down.

They looked each other in the eye again.

He continued.

"I don’t know how the future will be."

"We are still students."

"We still have dreams to chase."

"We’ll probably make mistakes."

"We will fight."

"We’ll have hard days."

He smiled.

"But as long as you are there..."

"I think I can face it all."

Yuiko could feel tears in her eyes.

But those weren’t from being sad.

Every word reached her heart.

Sui took one more step toward her.

"Yuiko..."

"I can’t promise to become something extraordinary."

"I’m not the best."

"I’m not the strongest."

"I’m not good at speaking."

He gave another quiet laugh.

"You’ve probably noticed that."

She smiled through the tears and nodded.

"... A little."

Both laughed.

Then Sui’s expression became serious once again.

"But there is something that I can promise."

His voice was strong.

Clear.

Without any hesitation.

"I’d give up everything for your happiness."

Yuiko gasped.

"If you are hurting..."

"I’d stay beside you."

"If you are alone..."

"I’d walk with you."

"If you ever get lost..."

"I’d search until I find you."

"I don’t want to live in a future where your smile doesn’t exist."

His eyes never left hers.

"So even if I said it too soon..."

"My feeling is real."

"I want to protect your happiness."

"I want to be the one you can always come back to."

Tears streamed down Yuiko’s face freely.

This time she did not bother to wipe them.

She only looked at him.

Nobody had ever treasured her so much.

Nobody had ever spoken to her with such quiet confidence.

Her lips trembled.

"S-Sui..."

She wanted to say so many things.

That she had waited for him every day.

That every walk home became her favorite thing.

That she wouldn’t have an ordinary life without him.

But somehow...

All the words were tangled.

"I..."

"I..."

Her face turned red.

She covered her mouth to calm her racing heart.

Sui gave a gentle smile.

"You don’t have to answer me now."

"I’m sorry for surprising you."

"I’ll wait."

"For however long it will take."

Yuiko looked at him and shook her head slowly.

Her tears shined in the dusk.

"No..."

She whispered.

"I don’t..."

"... want to keep you waiting."

Those simple words made Sui’s heart skip a beat as they stood there under the evening sky. They both realized that the feelings they had suppressed so long could no longer be kept inside. Their ordinary days brought them here where they didn’t plan on confessing anything, but both gained the courage to let their hearts speak.