My Cat Girl Neighbor Is Impossible to Understand

Chapter 6: Chapter 6 - The Lost Kitten

Classes went unusually fast.

When the final bell rang, the orange light of sunset started creeping in through the classroom windows.

"See you tomorrow!"

"Don’t forget the math homework!"

The students flooded out of the room, their laughter echoing in the hallways.

Sui put all his books into his backpack and stood.

When he came near the place where they kept their shoes, Yuiko was changing into her sneakers.

She noticed him first.

"...Goodbye."

Sui smiled faintly.

"Walking home?"

She nodded.

"...If you don’t mind."

"I don’t."

And without any further talk, they left the school grounds.

Their usual route had become strangely familiar to both.

The same road.

The same steady pace.

The same comfortable silence.

Neither of them ever wondered why.

A light breeze brought the smell of flowers in bloom when they passed a small shopping street.

An old bakery was about to close its doors for the day.

A florist was carefully watering colorful flowers in front of her shop.

Everything was peaceful.

"...Meow..."

Suddenly the silence was disrupted by a soft meowing.

Yuiko stopped walking.

"So you heard that?" Sui asked.

She just nodded.

"...Again."

"...Meow..."

That meowing was weak.

Almost pleading.

Yuiko’s cat ears turned towards the roadside.

"It comes from there."

They went following the meows to where there was a storm drain right next to the sidewalk.

Its entrance was covered by a heavy iron grate.

Sui bent over it.

Inside the narrow storm drain, hard to see in the fading light, there was a tiny gray kitten.

Its front paw was stuck between two fragments of concrete.

The tiny kitten started meowing again.

"...Meow..."

Without hesitating, Yuiko kneeled next to the storm drain.

"Oh no..."

Her calm face vanished.

"It’s hurt."

The little kitten tried to escape.

Instead, it made another painful sound.

Yuiko’s hands clenched into little fists.

"It will only hurt itself."

Sui carefully examined the grate.

"It’s too narrow."

"I can’t reach it."

Yuiko looked around nervously.

"There has to be another way."

She looked for something on the sidewalk that could help.

There was nothing.

Not even a piece of wood long enough to reach the kitten.

The little animal was looking at them with frightened blue eyes.

"...Meow..."

Yuiko’s ears drooped.

"It must be scared..."

Sui just nodded.

"It probably doesn’t understand that we want to help it."

Without hesitation, Yuiko laid on the sidewalk and reached her arm into the grate.

It wasn’t enough.

Her fingers couldn’t reach that far.

"...Almost..."

She tried stretching even farther.

Still not enough.

The kitten started meowing again.

Yuiko bit her lip.

"I can’t reach..."

Sui looked at the grate again.

Then at the bolts holding it on the ground.

"They’re old."

"...Do you think we can move it?"

"Maybe."

He put down his schoolbag.

"Let’s try it together."

Yuiko just nodded.

Both of them kneeled down on opposite sides of the grate.

"Ready?"

"...Ready."

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three."

They pulled.

The metal grate didn’t move.

Only a loud scrape echoed on the quiet street.

Yuiko frowned.

"...Again."

They changed their grip.

Now Sui was using his fingers to wedge under the grate and Yuiko was pushing it from the other side.

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three!"

Clang!

The grate moved a little.

Yuiko’s eyes lit up.

"It moved!"

"A little bit."

"That’s enough."

Together they pushed again.

Slowly...

The heavy metal grate shifted sideways just enough to let an arm pass through.

Yuiko didn’t hesitate.

She reached inside the drain carefully.

"It’s okay..."

Her voice became incredibly gentle.

"We’re here."

The little kitten retracted to the other end of the drain.

Yuiko stopped moving.

"If I rush..."

"I’ll scare it."

Sui watched quietly.

Her whole attitude had changed.

The girl who found it difficult to communicate with her classmates spoke to the frightened kitten with amazing patience.

"It’s alright..."

"You don’t have to be afraid."

The kitten looked at her.

Its meowing sounds became gentler.

Yuiko slowly reached her hand inside the drain once again.

Almost...

Just a little farther...

One more inch...

Her fingertips touched the kitten’s soft fur.

"It’s okay..."

"I’ve got you."

The kitten stopped fighting.

As if it somehow knew that the warm hand reaching for it wanted to help.

Yuiko held her breath.

"It’s okay..."

Her voice sounded quieter than the evening breeze.

"You don’t need to be afraid anymore."

Tiny gray kitten shook under her fingers.

Its terrified blue eyes didn’t move away from her face.

Slowly...

Very slowly...

Yuiko slipped one hand under its tiny body but didn’t touch its hurt paw.

"I’ve got you..."

Kitten gave a tiny meow.

And then, instead of jumping away, it leaned against her hand.

"I think it trusts you," Sui said softly.

Yuiko nodded slightly.

"...I hope so."

In one smooth move, she picked up kitten from the drain.

The very second it got onto the sidewalk, it buried its face into her blazer and started shaking.

"It’s alright."

Yuiko held it tightly, caressing its back with one hand.

"You did great."

Kitten responded with a tiny...

"...Mew."

Sui returned the heavy grate to its place.

"There."

"No more kittens will get stuck here."

Yuiko looked at the front paw of kitten.

It had one tiny scrape.

"It’s not broken."

She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Just a scrape."

Sui pulled a bottle of water from his school bag.

"I always carry this."

Yuiko took it gratefully.

"Thank you."

She poured a small amount of water on her handkerchief and gently cleaned kitten’s paw.

Little animal flinched but didn’t resist.

"You must’ve been terrified..."

Her voice sounded warm and kind.

Sui silently observed her from the side.

It was strange.

At school, Yuiko seemed so cautious.

So reserved.

As if weighing every word she was going to say.

Now...

She didn’t care about anything.

All of her attention was given to little kitten in her arms.

After she finished cleaning its paw, kitten climbed to her chin and scratched it with its head.

Yuiko blinked.

Then...

She giggled.

Tender, happy laughter left her lips.

"So you’re thanking me?"

Kitten purred.

Yuiko’s golden eyes shone brightly.

Before she could even realize what happened, her smile appeared.

Not polite smile she was showing adults.

Not that embarrassed smile she tried to hide.

Real one.

Happy.

Warm.

Natural.

And it spread from her lips to her eyes.

Sui stared at her for a couple of seconds.

...That looks nice.

No.

That looks really nice.

He quickly turned away before she noticed him.

For some reason, he wanted to smile too.

"...What is it?"

Yuiko noticed his expression.

"Hm?"

"You look... different."

Sui rubbed his neck.

"Do I?"

She nodded.

"...You’re smiling."

He hadn’t even noticed it.

"I guess I am."

"...Why?"

Sui glanced at peaceful sleeping kitten in her arms.

Then back at Yuiko.

"I was just thinking..."

"You have such a nice smile."

Yuiko froze.

"..."

"...What?"

"You smiled just now."

"...Did I?"

"You didn’t notice?"

She blinked several times.

And then her hands instinctively touched her cheeks.

"I..."

Her face slowly turned red.

"I wasn’t thinking..."

"I know."

"It just happened."

"..."

Yuiko looked down, feeling suddenly shy.

"...You’re making me feel self-conscious."

"Sorry."

"...It’s alright."

Her tail swayed once.

Then twice.

She didn’t even notice.

Sui did.

But, just like always...

He acted like he didn’t.

After a couple of moments, Yuiko looked around.

"What shall we do with it?"

Sui noticed a small wooden sign near park entrance.

It said:

Stray Animal Care Center 200 meters ahead

He pointed to it.

"I think they’ll know how to help."

Yuiko’s face lit up with happiness.

"Let’s go."

They went to the center together.

Kitten slept in her arms all the way there.

At the center, they were greeted by elderly fox beastwoman with tender smile.

"Oh my..."

"You saved this little one?"

Yuiko nodded.

"It was stuck in a drain."

Woman inspected kitten carefully.

"It’s alright."

"Just a few scratches."

"Thank goodness..." Yuiko whispered.

"You two did a great deed today," woman said warmly.

Yuiko smiled shyly.

"It wasn’t just me."

She looked at Sui.

"He helped."

Sui shook his head.

"We both did."

Woman chuckled.

"You make a good team."

Both of them immediately looked away.

"..."

"..."

Their ears... or rather, Yuiko’s ears... became red a bit.

When they came outside, sky started glowing orange with sun rays.

They walked back home without saying anything.

It felt natural to stay silent.

The evening was peaceful.

Comfortable.

When they reached the path to their neighboring houses, Yuiko stopped.

"...Today was fun."

The words slipped from her mouth.

She quickly looked down.

"I mean..."

"I’m glad we saved the kitten."

Sui smiled gently.

"Me too."

She nodded slightly.

"...See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

Yuiko went inside with light steps.

Sui watched the door close and then entered his house.

After taking off his shoes, he remembered only one thing from the week.

Homework.

Classes.

Rain.

Snacks.

But only one thing was clear in his memory.

Yuiko’s smile when she was holding tiny kitten.

For some reason...

He was sure it was the nicest smile he saw this week.