My Cat Girl Neighbor Is Impossible to Understand

Chapter 43: Chapter 43 - Bad Boy

The library was silent.

Sui strolled through the aisles of books, in search of Yuiko. She had texted him earlier, telling him that she was preparing for her upcoming test. But as he came to their usual corner, he saw that she was not there.

He frowned and began searching for her.

Then he found her.

She was in a faraway corner of the room, hidden behind a huge plant pot. Yuiko’s back was to him, her posture tense, her tail flicking excitedly. She was focused on something—her ears were perked up, her head tilted.

Sui came closer and listened to what she was doing.

"Yuiko?"

"AH!"

She leaped from her seat, slammed a book closed, and pushed it to the back of her. Yuiko’s face was flushed, her ears laid back, her tail doubled in size.

"S-Sui! I did not expect you—I did not see you—what are you doing?"

"I just came." He tilted his head and asked, "What are you reading?"

"Nothing!" Her voice was high-pitched and quick. "Just... a textbook! For studying!"

"You do not study like that."

"My ears are not perked!"

"They are perked at the moment."

She made some strangled sound, hiding the book even tighter behind her back. "I was just making a break. A mental break. I am reading something... educational!"

"Educational."

"Yes!"

"Then why are you hiding it?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it. Her tail twitched.

"I am not hiding it. I just... I do not want to share it. This is private."

Sui became even more curious. "Private?"

"Very private."

"Yuiko, you are very suspicious."

"I am not being suspicious!" Her ears laid flat. "I am just... this is embarrassing, okay?"

He was puzzled. "Embarrassing?"

She glared at him and her face became even redder. With a sigh, Yuiko slowly pulled the book from behind her back.

"Promise you will not laugh."

"I promise."

"Promise you will not judge me."

"I promise."

"Promise you will not—"

"I promise, Yuiko."

She hesitated for a second, and gave him the book.

Sui accepted it. The cover of the book was eye-catching—one boy with piercing gaze, leather jacket and a smirk, which screamed ’trouble’. The title was printed in big bold letters: The Bad Boy Next Door.

He blinked. "A... manga?"

"A romance manga," she murmured. "It is about a bad boy. And the girl who loves him."

Sui stared at the cover. The boy on the cover seemed to be the person, who could hurt you, enjoying it in the process. The heroine on the cover was blushing, gazing into the eyes of her ’love’.

"You like this?" he asked in confusion.

"Don’t say it like that!"

"I do not say it like anything. I am just... surprised."

"Why? Because I am not allowed to like things?"

"No, because..." Sui stopped and tried to find the right words. "Because he seems to be a jerk."

"He is not a jerk! He is... complicated."

"Complicated."

"Yes! He has a tragic past! He keeps everyone away because he is afraid to get hurt! But he is actually very sensitive and caring!"

Sui looked at the cover again. This bad boy was literally holding the heroine by the chin and smirking down at her like she was some kind of toy.

"Uh-huh."

"You do not believe me."

"I believe that you believe that."

She yanked the manga from him and hid it to her chest. "You are being judgmental."

"I am not being judgmental. I am just trying to understand."

"Understand what?"

"Why you like a character who treats girls like this."

Yuiko was silent for a second and her ears became a bit flatter.

"I do not like the way he treats her," she whispered. "I like the way he looks at her. As if she is the only thing in this world that matters to him. As if he would burn everything for her."

Sui’s heart clenched.

"Yuiko..."

"It is stupid," she muttered, looking away. "Forget it."

"It is not stupid."

Yuiko looked at him, surprised.

"I do not understand this," he confessed. "But... I want to. If it is important to you, I want to understand."

Her eyes softened. Her tail started wagging, just a little.

"Really?"

"Really."

She smiled, her ears becoming perked up.

"Okay. Maybe I will allow you to read it someday."

"I would like that."

That night, Sui lay in bed, looking up at the ceiling.

The Bad Boy Next Door.

He searched for this manga on the Internet, read summaries and reviews.

And the more he learned, the more he understood something.

Yuiko likes dominant men. Men who are confident. Men who take control. Men who do not apologize for who they are.

Men who are nothing like him.

He is quiet. Polite. He holds doors for people, he says please and thank you. He never raises his voice. He never becomes possessive.

He is not a bad boy.

And yet... she chose him.

But what if... what if she wants more?

What if she is dreaming of something else?

Some feeling rose in Sui’s chest. Not quite jealousy. Not quite insecurity.

Something in between.

Maybe, he thought quickly. Maybe I can do it.

Maybe I can become what she wants.

The idea was mad. Impossible. Out of character.

But as Sui closed his eyes, a tiny smile appeared on his lips.

He will figure this out. For her.

For them.

The next morning, Sui was standing in front of the mirror, staring at his reflection.

The man looking back at him was...different.

He raided his father’s closet-leather jacket, torn jeans, black t-shirt, which was maybe a bit too tight. He made his hair messier than usual and had spent twenty minutes practicing his smirk in the mirror.

What am I doing? He thought. This is insane! What the hell am I doing?

But he could not get rid of that scene with Yuiko and her reaction to that manga. Her ears were perked, her tail was swaying. Her eyes were sparkling.

She likes bad boys, he thought. I will become one...for her.

He took a deep breath, grabbed his schoolbag and left the room.

Yuiko was waiting for him in front of the gate, as always.

Her tail was wagging; her ears were perked. She was humming some song, obviously, in a good mood.

Then, she saw him.

Her tail stopped wagging. Her ears became sharp. Her mouth opened.

"S-Sui?"

He leaned against the fence, putting his hand in the pocket. He looked at her coolly and calmly letting his eyes roam over her.

"Morning, princess."

Her face became bright red. "P-princess?"

"Don’t like it?" He moved away from the fence and started moving towards her in a very deliberate manner. "Too bad. I will call you that way from now on."

"Sui, what are you...doing?"

He stood before her, inches away. "You blushing? Good. Bitch."

Her tail became puffy; her ears flattened. She almost fainted.

Sui felt an odd shiver running through him. She behaved exactly as she should behave according to her manga.

It works! He understood. It actually works!

He turned and started moving away.

"Coming? Or are you just going to stand there forever?"

She rushed after him.

All the morning, Sui behaved exactly like he did in the morning.

He answered all questions with very short sentences, leant back in the chair as if he owned that room, he never smiled.

And he kept giving Yuiko a smirk each time he met her eyes.

Her face became permanently pink, her tail was trembling all the time.

During the lunch, he found her under the cherry tree. He was lying against the trunk, his eyes closed.

"Sui—"

"Senpai."

She gulped. "Senpai. Can I..."

"Sit."

She sat.

He opened an eye, looked at her. "You are such an obedient dog. It is cute."

Her ears flattened. "I... I am not..."

"You are blushing." A smirk. "I like it."

"Sui, why are you behaving like this?"

He sat up and moved closer to her. She moved backwards instinctively.

"Behaving like what?"

"Like...like a bad boy!"

"Maybe I am tired of being nice. "He reached her and gently touched her chin. "Maybe I want to be little bit...mean."

Her breath stopped.

"Bitch," he said softly.

She froze. "W-what?"

"Bitch. "He repeated, his voice playful. "Did you hear me?"

Her tail became twice larger. Her face turned crimson, but her ears were perked. Her eyes were widened.

And her tail....her tail was wagging!

"You, "she whispered, "are insane."

"Tch." He leant back, giving her a smirk. "You love it."

She opened her mouth to argue but then closed it.

Because she was right.

She did love it.

The rest of the day passed by as in the blur.

Sui continued his behavior-calling her "princess", telling her what to do and smirking at her whenever she blushed. Yuiko continued to react-flustered, flustered and even more flustered.

But she did not move away.

She did not tell him to stop.

Instead, she wagged her tail and perked her ears. Her eyes sparkled.

While walking home together, Sui took her hand and pulled her closer.

"Walk next to me, not behind me."

"S-sorry."

"Don’t apologize. Just do it."

She came next to him and her shoulder accidentally touched his shoulder.

"Sui?"

"Senpai."

"S-senpai..."she took a breath. "Can I ask you something?"

"Fine."

"Are you...is this...is this really you?"

He glanced at her. She was nervous and unsure of herself.

"Why? Do you want it to be?" He asked.

She was silent for a minute. Then she asked quietly.

"I don’t know."

His heart clenched. He stopped walking.

"Yuiko."

She looked at him.

"Tell me what you want, "he said seriously. "If you hate this, I will stop. I will go back to being the old me."

She looked at him with her golden eyes, searching.

"I don’t hate it, "she whispered. "I don’t hate it at all."

His breath stopped.

"Really?"

Her tail wagged. Small smile appeared on her face.

"Really." She moved closer. "But... I don’t want you to pretend. I want you to be you. Just...with a little more...confidence."

He blinked. "Confidence?"

"Confidence." She touched his cheek. "I like it when you take control. When you are confident. When you are not afraid of your wants."

His heart exploded.

"Then I will be this way," he said softly. "For you. Forever."

She smiled-true smile, warm and beautiful.

"Good." She leant on her tiptoes and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "Because I think I am falling in love with this version of you."

His face turned red. "You...you are?"

"Mm." Her ears twitched. "But I am falling in love with all of you. The sweet parts. The confident parts. All of it."

He hugged her tightly, hiding his face in her hair.

"I love you, "he whispered. "So much."

"I love you too, "she murmured into his chest.

They stood there for quite a long time, hugging each other.

When they finally separated, Sui gave her a smirk-but this time, it was no longer an act.

"Come on, princess, "he said, taking her hand. "Let’s go home."

She laughed, wagging her tail.

"Yes, senpai."

And they walked home together, hand in hand, the sun setting behind them.

It was a new beginning.

A thrilling new beginning.

Their perfect new beginning.