My Cat Girl Neighbor Is Impossible to Understand

Chapter 9: Chapter 9 - Aki’s Curiosity

Each Friday afternoon always had its special feel.

Classrooms became lighter.

Smiles of teachers seemed to become more often.

Even those students who usually grumbled about homework became more energized as they knew their weekend was approaching.

The last bell rang.

Books went to school bags.

Chair legs scratched the floor as the students hurried out to the corridors.

Sui zipped up his bag and stood up.

Next to him Yuiko as usual organized her notebooks.

She never was in a hurry.

Every pencil went back to its place.

Every notebook became orderly.

"Ready?" Sui asked.

Yuiko nodded.

"...Yes."

Both of them walked to the locker with shoes.

Before they could step out of the building...

"There you are!"

Haru greeted enthusiastically.

His tail wagged in such an energetic way that it seemed it was going to throw him in the air.

Sui sighed.

"I had a feeling."

"A feeling?"

"That you’re going to appear."

"I’ve been waiting!"

Yuiko cocked her head.

"...For us?"

"Yes."

Haru pointed at the school gate.

"My little sister comes to pick me up today."

"You have a sister?"

"I do."

"She wants to meet you two."

Sui was puzzled.

"Why?"

"...I probably talked about you a lot."

Yuiko blinked.

"...About us?"

"I told her about my quiet classmate and mysterious cat-girl."

Sui crossed his arms.

"Mysterious?"

"You almost don’t talk."

"This is not mysterious."

"If I will say mysterious it will sound cooler."

Yuiko slightly lowered her eyes.

"...What did you say about me?"

Haru smiled.

"That you’re really kind."

Yuiko froze a bit.

"...Really?"

"Of course."

"You rescued a kitten."

"You make cat-shaped rice balls."

"And somehow managed to take Sui’s omelet."

Yuiko covered her face.

"...Please, forget the last one."

"I’ll never do."

Sui smiled quietly.

And he never will.

When they walked outside, students filled the school yard.

Parents gathered near the entrance.

Members of various clubs trained on the sports ground.

In the middle of the crowd, a happy voice was heard.

"Big Brother!"

A girl in junior high uniform ran to them.

She was about thirteen years old.

Unlike her brother, her short brown hair didn’t reach her shoulders, but the two fluffy golden dog ears on top of her head showed clearly that they were siblings.

Her tail wagged as much energetically as Haru’s.

"Haru!"

She stopped in front of him, slightly out of breath.

"I’ve been waiting forever!"

"It was only five minutes."

"That’s forever!"

Haru laughed and gently pat her head.

"Aki, these are the people I told you about."

Aki’s bright blue eyes looked at Sui.

"You must be Sui!"

Sui nodded politely.

"Pleased to meet you."

She smiled and instantly turned to Yuiko.

Then...

She completely froze.

"..."

"..."

Yuiko blinked.

"...Hello?"

Aki’s eyes sparkled.

"So cute..."

"Huh?"

Before anyone could do anything—

"Big Sis!"

Aki rushed forward and hugged Yuiko tightly by the waist.

Yuiko froze.

"E-Eh?"

"You’re so soft!"

She put her cheek on Yuiko’s shoulder.

"And your ears are so cute!"

Yuiko’s face became bright red.

"W-Wait..."

"My ears..."

"Can I touch them?"

Without waiting for any answer Aki reached upward.

Yuiko involuntarily winced.

Aki instantly stopped.

"Oh!"

"I’m sorry!"

"I forgot to ask."

Yuiko looked at the girl.

Not disappointedness...

Only sheepish smile.

"...May I?"

There was something pure in this question.

No teasing.

No curious questions for the sake of rudeness.

Only honest admiration.

After a small moment of hesitation...

Yuiko slowly nodded.

"...All right."

Aki’s face lit up.

"Really?"

She gently reached upward with both of her hands.

Her fingertips gently touched Yuiko’s cat ears.

"So fluffy..."

"So warm..."

Yuiko’s shoulders slightly shook.

"...It tickles."

"Sorry!"

Aki instantly withdrew her hand.

"I became excited."

"It’s..."

Yuiko smiled a bit embarrassed.

"...It’s fine."

Sui observed quietly what was happening.

Only a few weeks ago Yuiko couldn’t talk with anyone.

But now...

She calmly let energetic junior-high girl to stroke her ears.

Life can be unpredictable sometimes.

Aki looked at Yuiko with sparkling eyes.

"You’re even more nice than big brother said!"

Yuiko cocked her head.

"...He talks about me?"

"All the time!"

Haru suddenly panicked.

"H-Hey!"

"Not all the time!"

"You do!"

"You said that she rescued a kitten!"

"You said that she is really kind!"

"You said that her cat-shaped rice-balls look professionally made!"

"And you even said—"

"Aki!"

The girl giggled.

"Oops."

Yuiko looked at Haru.

"...Thank you."

Haru rubbed his neck in embarrassment.

"I just told the truth."

Yuiko smiled.

A sincere one.

Very small...

But warm enough to make Aki grin ear to ear.

"I knew it!"

"Big Sis Yuiko smiles beautifully!"

Yuiko’s ears instantly became bright red.

"...B-Big Sis?"

Aki nodded eagerly.

"Can I call you Big Sis Yuiko?"

Yuiko completely froze.

Her mouth slightly opened.

No words escaped from it.

Beside them Sui quietly covered his mouth.

He didn’t laugh at her.

He just didn’t expect that someone would completely skip "Miss Nekozawa" and call her "Big Sis".

Yuiko looked helplessly at him, asking silently for help.

Sui only smiled.

"...It suits you."

Yuiko puffed her cheeks.

"...You’re not helping at all."

Judging from the look of the girl’s face...

It was too late already.

She happily decided that Yuiko is now officially her Big Sis Yuiko.

"Big Sis Yuiko!"

Aki’s happy voice rang through the school gates.

Yuiko paused in her step.

"..."

"I..."

"You don’t have to call me that."

Aki tilted her head innocently.

"Why not?"

"We only met."

"So?"

"..."

Yuiko opened her mouth.

Then closed it again.

She couldn’t think of a reason.

Aki smiled at her.

"I like you."

"So you’re my big sis now."

"...No."

"Well then it’s for me."

Haru sighed in dramatic fashion.

"See?"

"I told you."

"Once Aki calls someone a name, they keep it forever."

"Last year she called our tennis coach Coach Bear."

"She accepted it in three days."

"The principal even tried to give up."

Yuiko looked at Haru.

"...Not helping."

"I am."

"No, you’re watching."

"...I suppose."

Aki slipped in beside Yuiko as they walked away from the school.

"So... Big Sis Yuiko..."

Yuiko jumped a little.

"...Yes?"

"Do you make cat shaped rice balls every morning?"

"...Sometimes."

"They’re cute."

"...Thanks."

"And your ears are so soft."

"..."

"And your tail is beautiful."

"..."

"And—"

Yuiko finally stopped walking.

She looked down at Aki with a helpless look.

"...Can you please..."

"...stop calling me big sis?"

Aki looked confused.

"...You don’t like it?"

The excitement in her voice was gone.

Yuiko immediately panicked.

"N-No!"

"I mean..."

"I don’t dislike it."

"It’s just..."

She hunted for the words.

"...It makes me embarrassed."

Aki looked at her.

Then smiled.

"So you’re embarrassed because you like it a little?"

Yuiko’s face went bright red.

"I didn’t say that!"

"You didn’t deny it either."

"I..."

"..."

She couldn’t say anything.

Haru laughed.

"My little sister is surprisingly smart."

"I learned from you."

"That explains a lot."

Sui observed the interaction quietly.

Every so often...

Aki would say in happy tone.

"Big Sis Yuiko!"

Then every time...

Yuiko’s ears would twitch.

Her face would get red.

Her tail would puff up before relaxing again.

Over...

And over...

And over again.

"Big Sis Yuiko, what’s your favorite food?"

"...Fish."

"Big Sis Yuiko, do you like movies?"

"...Yes."

"Big Sis Yuiko, can cats see in the dark?"

"...No."

"Big Sis Yuiko—"

"Aki..."

Yuiko sighed.

"...You’re making a point on purpose now."

Aki giggled.

"Maybe."

Even Sui could see that she was playing with her.

Not to be mean.

Just because Yuiko’s reaction was so adorable.

As they neared a small park near the station, Aki saw an ice cream cart.

"Big Brother!"

"I want ice cream!"

"You always want ice cream."

"Because it’s delicious."

Haru laughed.

"Wait here."

He jogged to the cart.

"I’ll help you carry them," Sui said and followed him.

For the first time that afternoon...

Yuiko and Aki were left alone.

Aki looked up at Yuiko.

"...Big Sis."

Yuiko decided that she wasn’t going to correct her anymore.

"...Yes?"

"I really mean it."

Yuiko blinked at her.

"...Mean what?"

"I like you."

"You smile at my brother."

"You smile at Sui."

"And..."

"You smile at me too."

Aki put her hands behind her back.

"Big brother doesn’t say a lot of names."

"But when he says your name..."

"He smiles."

Yuiko stood quietly.

"...Really?"

"Mhm."

"And Sui..."

Aki glanced at the ice cream cart.

"He looks happier too."

Yuiko followed her gaze.

Sui was talking quietly with Haru.

He wasn’t smiling.

But he had a peaceful smile.

Yuiko smiled without thinking.

"I think..."

Aki whispered with a smile.

"...You look happiest with Sui."

Yuiko looked surprised.

"W-What?"

"I didn’t—"

"I mean..."

Before she finished...

Haru and Sui returned.

"I got vanilla!"

"I got chocolate!"

"And..."

Aki took her strawberry cone happily.

"Thanks!"

Then she looked at Yuiko with a mischievous smile.

"Thank you, Big Sis Yuiko!"

Yuiko covered her face.

"...Again..."

She looked so utterly defeated that...

A soft laugh escaped her side.

"Heh..."

Everyone looked.

Sui had laughed.

Not the usual tiny chuckle.

Actually laughed.

Quietly.

Warmly.

Natural.

Yuiko stared at him.

"...You laughed."

"I did."

"At me?"

"A little."

"...You’re mean."

"I don’t think so."

"You are."

There was no accusation in her voice.

Just embarrassment.

Sui smiled.

"I’ve just never seen someone lose the same argument five times in ten minutes."

Haru laughed.

"He’s right!"

Aki nodded happily.

"I win."

Yuiko sighed softly before shaking her head.

"...Fine."

She looked at Aki.

"...You can call me Big Sis Yuiko."

Aki gasped happily.

"Really?"

"...Only because I know you won’t stop."

Aki hugged Yuiko happily.

"Yay!"

Yuiko smiled helplessly while patting Aki’s head.

Sui observed the scene quietly.

For the first time since they had met...

He found himself laughing without restraint.

Not because Yuiko looked funny.

But because seeing her surrounded by those who accepted her so naturally...

She looked more at ease than ever.

And somehow...

The smile on her face made him smile just as easily.