My Cat Girl Neighbor Is Impossible to Understand

Chapter 3: Chapter 3 - Good Morning... Neighbor

The morning light of spring was shining.

Sunbeams passed through the curtains of Sui Aoyama’s bedroom and fell right on his face.

"...Mm."

He opened one eye.

The birds were singing somewhere beyond the window.

Ordinary day.

Sui got up, stretched and took a look at the digital clock which was placed on his desk.

7:02 AM.

Exactly as it should be.

After getting washed and dressed in the uniform, Sui went downstairs.

His mother was cooking breakfast.

"Morning."

"Morning, Sui."

She put the plate with toast and scrambled eggs on his place and seated herself across the table with her coffee cup.

"You helped the new neighbors yesterday, didn’t you?"

Sui nodded.

"They seemed busy."

"That’s nice of you."

"It was nothing really."

Mother smiled.

"You always say that."

Sui just shrugged and ate.

After breakfast he put on his shoes near the entrance.

"I’m going."

"Have a good day."

"You too."

Sui opened the front door.

Cool spring wind met him.

He stepped outside...

...at the same moment when the neighboring house’s front door was opened.

Sui stopped.

Standing on the narrow passage which separated their two houses there was Yuiko.

She was dressed in the same school uniform, her long black hair was brushed, school bag was hanged on her shoulder.

For a moment...

They stood motionless.

"..."

"..."

Yuiko blinked.

He is next door.

For some reason it seemed to be different today.

Yesterday, she was too ashamed after...

Purring incident.

Yuiko remembered it like a flash of lightning.

Her cheeks got warm.

"Don’t think about it."

"Definitely don’t think about it."

Sui remembered it too.

Not because he wanted to annoy her.

Mainly, because he had not expected anyone to run away with such an unbelievable speed.

Sui quickly looked away before she could see the smile which appeared on his face.

"Good morning," he said.

Yuiko hesitated.

Her ears moved almost imperceptibly.

"...G-Good morning."

Her voice was softer than usual.

Silence resumed.

They stood motionlessly in front of their homes.

Sui adjusted the strap of his school bag.

"You are going to school?"

Sui realized, as soon as he said that, how unnecessary it was.

Of course she was.

They were both wearing school uniforms.

Yuiko lowered her head for a moment.

"...Yes."

"...Me too."

Another moment of silence.

They internally sighed.

"Why it is so hard to talk?"

At the same time they started moving.

"..."

"..."

The quiet street of residential area stretched ahead of them.

They walked side by side, keeping distance of almost one meter.

They did not want to violate the silence.

Gentle wind carried the fragrance of blossoming flowers.

Somewhere in the neighborhood a dog barked joyfully.

An old turtle beastman was watering his garden humming an old song.

The life around them moved peacefully.

Yuiko glanced towards Sui.

He was not looking at her.

He just walked calmly with his hands in his pockets, enjoying the morning.

She quickly looked ahead.

"Say something."

"Anything."

"..."

Nothing came to his mind.

Meanwhile...

Sui was also experiencing the similar thoughts.

"Maybe I should ask her whether she unpacked all of her things?"

"No... it is too strange."

"Maybe ask her whether she had a good night sleep?"

"Too personal."

"Weather?"

He looked up at the absolutely clear sky.

"No."

They kept walking.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Three.

The silence was not uncomfortable.

It was just...

Fragile.

Like two people standing on opposite ends of frozen lake, uncertain of who is going to move first.

A bike passed them.

The owner of that bike cheerfully waved his hand.

"Morning!"

"Morning."

Sui answered with greeting.

Yuiko gave a short bow.

The cyclist disappeared behind the corner.

"..."

"..."

Yuiko gently squeezed the strap of her school bag.

"I think he is sure that I’m strange."

"All the students in my class already think so."

She remembered the gossiping of yesterday.

"She looks frightening."

"She never smiles."

"She will never find any friends."

Her tail curled behind her legs almost imperceptively.

Sui glanced at her sideways for a moment.

It is again.

This tightly curled tail.

It is not because she was angry.

And not because she was annoyed.

She is nervous.

Sui quietly looked ahead.

He did not want to point out that.

Sometimes it is better not to say anything about those things that people cannot control.

Instead, he started walking at Yuiko’s pace.

Neither faster.

Nor slower.

Simply matching with hers.

Yuiko noticed after some steps.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

He had not said anything.

Did not made any joke.

Did not try to start a conversation.

He just...

Walked alongside with her.

For some reason...

It made the silence seem to be easier.

They turned the last corner on the way to Hoshizora High.

School gates came into view, already filled with students.

Their morning walk was ending.

They did not realize it.

But somehow...

Walking to school together became less lonely than walking alone.

The closer they got to Hoshizora High School, the busier the streets became.

Students in uniforms talked while walking, bicycles rang bells cheerfully, and shop owners opened the shutters of their shops.

Sui and Yuiko still didn’t say much to each other.

Oddly enough, none of them needed to break the silence.

And the silence was no longer uncomfortable.

It was just... strange.

Just when they reached a quiet park not far from the school, there was a rustle in the bushes.

"... Meow."

Yuiko suddenly stopped walking.

Her cat ears stood up.

The tiny "meow" followed.

Sui turned toward the bushes.

Before they managed to do anything...

There was a small orange kitten, who rushed out of the bushes right onto the sidewalk.

"... What?"

It paid no attention to anyone around and went right towards Yuiko, not slowing down...

And jumped.

"Eh?"

Yuiko unconsciously took the tiny cat in her arms.

The little cat rubbed its forehead against Yuiko’s chin and started to purr happily.

For the first time since Sui knew her...

Yuiko forgot about everything.

"Oh..."

Her golden eyes softened.

Gentle smile appeared on her face.

"So, you’re here..."

She scratched the tiny cat under the chin.

In response, the cat meowed loud and happy.

"You’ve grown."

The kitten raised both paws and tried to play with her ribbon.

Yuiko smiled.

It was not a loud smile.

It was sincere.

The smile that couldn’t be suppressed.

Sui silently observed her from beside.

She smiled like this...

It was absolutely different from her serene expression that she showed at school.

This smile was warm.

Light.

Almost childish.

"You must be hungry."

Yuiko squatted down and opened the side pocket of her backpack.

"... You have cat treats?"

Sui couldn’t help asking.

Yuiko froze.

Her ears twitched.

"... I..."

She blushed a bit.

"They’re... just in case."

"Just in case?"

"... There are a lot of stray cats around."

She put a couple of treats on the ground, and the kitten started to eat.

"... I see."

There was no mockery in his voice.

Only quiet understanding.

Yuiko relaxed a little.

"They are not expensive."

"I buy them on sale."

Sui nodded.

"That’s nice."

"... Is it?"

"You thought about the animals that you haven’t even met yet."

"I think that’s nice."

Yuiko blinked.

Such an ordinary thing had never been described by anyone like this before.

She looked at the kitten to hide the blush on her cheeks.

"... Thank you."

When the kitten ate up, it jumped onto Yuiko’s lap uninvited.

Its tiny tail swung happily.

Yuiko caressed the kitten’s back.

"You like cats."

"I do."

"Although..."

She smiled awkwardly.

"... People usually think that I like cats only because I’m a cat beastfolk."

Sui tilted his head.

"Aren’t you?"

"... No."

She giggled.

"I liked them before I understood why."

For a moment...

It felt like the world around grew quiet.

The morning wind played with the cherry blossoms above.

Sui unconsciously smiled.

"... What?"

Yuiko asked.

"I’ve never seen you smile before."

Her hand stopped moving.

"..."

The realization slowly came to her.

And then panic.

"W-Wait..."

She straightened herself so quickly that the kitten almost fell off her lap.

"I didn’t..."

"I mean..."

Her ears reddened.

"I don’t usually..."

She couldn’t even finish the sentence.

Sui politely turned away from her.

"You don’t have to explain."

"... I’m glad."

She blinked.

"Glad?"

"You seem happier when you smile."

"..."

Silence.

Yuiko looked at him.

Nobody had ever told her such simple words.

No flirting.

No compliments.

Just...

An observation.

Her tail, which lay quietly behind her, gave an involuntary swing.

She quickly sat on it.

"I..."

"... Thank you."

The words were inaudible.

The loud school bell resounded faintly in the distance.

Sui looked at the time.

"We should go."

Yuiko nodded.

"Right."

The kitten meowed one last time and disappeared into the bushes.

Yuiko watched it going away.

"... See you again."

She said quietly.

While they were walking towards the school, they didn’t notice how the distance between them had decreased a little.

Not much.

But enough to make their shoulders accidentally touch when the road became narrow.

It was a small thing.

Something that couldn’t be measured.

But somehow...

The walk to the school became not two neighbors walking in the same direction...

... but the beginning of their morning ritual.