My Cat Girl Neighbor Is Impossible to Understand

Chapter 37: Chapter 37 - Festival Night

A summer festival was happening on a warm evening in August. Taiko drums could be heard far away. The air smelled of roasted meat and lanterns lit all the streets casting a bright yellow glow on everything.

Sui waited near the entrance of his favorite amusement park. His heart was already beating fast.

For weeks he was counting days till the festival and now it had finally arrived. It was the most significant event of the year in their town – everyone from little kids to old couples attended the celebrations. Tonight was different because he would experience it with Yuiko.

Our first festival together, he thought. I must make it memorable.

"Hey!"

Yuiko was running to him in her traditional clothes. Her yukata was made of light blue fabric with white patterns of cherry blossoms. Her ears were free while her long golden hair was neatly tied into a bun. Her fluffy tail was happily wagging.

His brain froze.

She was standing in front of him now, slightly out of breath. "Sorry! I was running late. My obi wouldn’t tie properly and I—" She was interrupted by his look. "What?"

"You look beautiful."

Her ears went flat. She was blushing.

"S-Sui! How can you say such things?"

"What’s wrong with saying the truth?"

"Because... because... You’re going to make me blush!"

"It’s the whole idea."

She gave him a gentle slap on his arm. However, her smile was back and her tail was wagging. "You look pretty good yourself," she said. "Guess what?"

"Just good?"

"Handsome. You look handsome. Happy?"

"Very."

She grabbed his hand. "Let’s go. I want to see everything."

They walked together through the festival, holding hands. Lanterns lit the way. Yakitori and takoyaki smell was everywhere. Children were running nearby, laughing.

"Look! Over there!" Yuiko was pointing at a booth. "Goldfish scooping!"

"Want to give it a try?"

"Yeah! I’m going to scoop the biggest one!"

She spent five minutes trying to scoop the fish, sticking her tongue out in her effort. Every single time she did so the paper net was breaking and her ears were flattening.

"This is impossible!" she was grumbling.

"Here," he gave her another net. "Try again."

"I’ve done it ten times!"

"Eleventh time will be lucky."

She gave him a glare, turned back to the water and scooped carefully. The net was holding. She lifted a beautiful orange fish out of the water.

"I DID IT!" she shouted almost. "I DID IT!"

"See? I told you."

She turned to him, smiling. "I got a fish! I’m a champion!"

"You’re definitely something."

She wrapped her arms tightly around him, her tail wagging happily, the bag with the goldfish wedged between them. His own arms encircled her of their own accord.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?"

"For believing in me. Even when I didn’t."

"Always."

And they kept walking through the crowds, her goldfish bag swinging by Yuiko’s wrist. Her tail was wagging incessantly.

"Look! Cotton candy!" She gestured to the stall with a huge pink cloud of it. "Can we buy some?"

"Of course."

He purchased a large cone of pink cotton candy for her. Her golden eyes glittered happily.

"Okay, you have to try this."

She took a piece, dissolving it in her mouth almost immediately.

"Oh my gosh," she sighed. "It’s so yummy."

"You look like a kid."

"I feel like a kid. Who cares?" She tore a second piece of the sweet treat. "Come on. You try."

She offered him a piece, holding it to his mouth. He stared in surprise.

"You’re feeding me?"

"Just eat it!"

He leaned forward and took it from her, his lips brushing against her fingertips.

Her ears straightened up in alarm. Her face became flushed.

"S-Sui—"

"Yummy."

She snatched back her hand, embarrassed. "You—you—"

"I said it’s yummy."

"I—I—that’s not—" She buried her face in her hands. "You’re impossible."

"You love me anyway."

"Unfortunately."

And they continued walking, Yuiko chewing on the cotton candy. Every few steps she was tearing pieces of it off and offering them to him, her lips brushing his each time she fed him.

Her face was always red.

But she refused to stop.

"Alright," she said, having finished the last piece. "So what’s next?"

"Ring toss?"

"Deal. I’m going to win you something."

"You don’t have to—"

"I want to."

She went up to the stall, determination in her eyes. She tossed the first ring. Missed. Second. Missed. Third. Missed.

"This is fixed," she muttered.

"You just need to aim higher."

"I AM AIMING HIGHER!"

"Obviously you’re not."

She tossed the fourth ring, managing to put it in the right place around a small plush kitty.

"I DID IT! SUI, I DID IT!"

"You did it."

She ripped the toy kitty out of the hands of the stall owner and held it out for him. "Here. For you."

He blinked in confusion. "For me?"

"So you always have something to remember tonight."

He took the plush kitty, feeling his heart swell. It was a bit small and lopsided, but it was perfect.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"You’re welcome."

She smiled, her tail wagging happily.

It was getting late now, the sun setting completely and darkness coming. The crowd was moving towards the riverside.

"The fireworks are about to start," Sui said. "Let’s go."

They found a spot on the grass, separate from the rest of the crowd. Yuiko settled down there, spreading her yukata around. Sui sat beside her, touching her shoulder slightly.

Above them, the first firework exploded, showering the sky with golden sparks.

"Wow," Yuiko whispered in awe.

The fireworks followed suit, painting the sky with a variety of colorful sparks – red, blue, green, purple. Each of them made the world bright.

Sui wasn’t paying attention to the fireworks.

He was watching her.

Her golden eyes reflected all of those colors. Her ears were pricked forward, twitching each time the firework would explode. Her tail was swaying gently on the grass.

She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

"Sui," she said, not taking her eyes off the sky above. "You’re staring."

"I know."

"It’s rude to stare."

"I can’t help it."

She turned to him finally, her cheeks flushing pinkly.

"Why?"

"Because you’re beautiful."

Her breathing stopped. "Sui..."

"I mean it. Each time I see you, I’m sure that I couldn’t love you anymore. And then you do something or look at me in a certain way and I realize that I was wrong."

Tears formed in her eyes. "You’re going to make me cry."

"Then I’ll hold you until you stop."

She laughed, wiping her eyes. "You’re such a romantic."

"Romantic and in love."

She leaned to him, settling her head on his shoulder. Her tail curled around his arm.

"I love you, Sui. So much."

"I love you too, Yuiko. More than anything."

And they sat there, watching the fireworks together. The colors reflecting on the river. People cheering below them.

Then Yuiko looked at him.

"Sui."

"Yeah?"

"Can I... Can I kiss you?"

His heart stopped. "You... you want to kiss me?"

"Only if you want to."

"I definitely want to."

She smiled and leaned to him slowly, one hand going to caress his cheek. Her ears laid flat.

Their lips touched.

Gentle. Soft. Tender. She tasted of cotton candy and summer.

It lasted only a few seconds. But it seemed eternal to them.

When they separated, both of them were blushing violently. Yuiko’s tail was inflated two times bigger than normal.

"Wow," she whispered.

"Yeah," he sighed. "Wow."

She laughed, hiding her face in his shoulder.

"That was..." she started.

"Perfect."

She looked up. "Yeah. Perfect."

He put his arm around her waist, pulling her close. They kept watching the rest of the fireworks, their faces buried in each other’s necks.

When the fireworks ended, they walked slowly back home, holding each other’s hands. The streets were quieter now. Lanterns were glowing on them.

"Today was the best day," Yuiko said quietly.

"Best day so far."

"So far?"

"We have many days left in front of us. Each day will be the best day."

She squeezed his hand tightly. "You really believe that?"

"I really do."

She stopped walking, looking at him with her golden eyes shining in the light of the lanterns.

"Sui. I love you. I love you so much sometimes that it scares me. But being with you... It makes everything better. Braver."

He cupped her cheek with his hand, his thumb brushing her cheek.

"I love you too. And I promise, I’ll spend every day making sure you feel that."

She kissed him again, soft and fast.

"I’ll hold you to that."

"You should."

They kept walking, holding hands. Goldfish bag swinging from her wrist. Plush kitty hidden in his pocket.

It was a perfect end of a perfect night.

And it was just a beginning.