My Cat Girl Neighbor Is Impossible to Understand

Click.

Sui stopped mid-action, his hand holding the tray full of soup that he had just made for Yuiko. He had been washing the dishes after preparing her breakfast, when he heard the sound of the key unlocking the door.

Her mother, he deduced. She came back.

His heart beat faster and faster. He never met Yuiko’s mother before. He only knew things about her. She is a single mother, working many hours and raising Yuiko alone. She is fiercely protective of her little girl.

And now she will find a stranger in her kitchen.

An impressive woman walked in. She had the same golden eyes as Yuiko and the same cat ears and tail, but her gaze seemed cold and strict.

"Who are you?" she asked calmly and clearly. "And why are you in my house?"

Sui gulped nervously. "I am Sui. I am... I am Yuiko’s..."

"Her what?"

"Boyfriend. I am her boyfriend."

There was a long pause of silence, in which Yumiko Nekozawa ears lowered slightly, and her tail stilled.

"Boyfriend," she repeated slowly.

"Yes, ma’am."

"My daughter is dating you?"

"Yes, ma’am."

"And you’re in my house. Making soup."

"Yes, ma’am."

She moved closer to him, looking him in the eye. "Where is my daughter?"

"She’s upstairs. She is having fever. I came to take care of her and..."

"You came in my house without permission?"

"I knocked. No one answered. The door was open, and I was worried..."

"Worried."

"Yes, ma’am."

She looked at him for a long time, her expression blank.

Then, unexpectedly, her tail started swaying.

"Worried," she repeated. There was a note of warmth in her tone. "It is good. That means that you care."

"I do," he said immediately. "I care about her very much."

"Show me."

He was confused. "What?"

The soup. I want to see if you can cook.

He led her to the stove, where he was making simple chicken soup. She peeked inside the pot, sniffed it and raised an eyebrow.

"Not bad," she said finally. "Yuiko is lucky. You can cook. That’s rare."

"I try."

"That’s good. She is a terrible cook. Burnt rice, burnt toast, burnt anything. It is a wonder how she did not burn this house yet."

Sui chuckled. Tension was easing. "She burnt rice once when we cooked together."

"I see." Yumiko smiled brightly. Her tail started to wag. "You are already more attentive than other boys."

"I try."

"Do you know her favorite color?"

"Blue. Blue of the sky on a sunny day."

"What is her favorite food?"

"Cheese. But not melted. She prefers it sliced."

What does she do when she is nervous?

"Paces around the room, mumbling to herself. Her tail wiggles."

Yumiko’s eyes widened. She turned to him, and her expression softened.

"You know her," she said softly. "You know her well."

"I do," Sui said. "I love her."

Yumiko was silent for a minute. Then she patted his shoulder gently.

"Good," she said finally. "That’s good."

---

They went upstairs together. Yuiko was lying in the bed; her eyes lit up seeing them.

"Mom! Sui!"

"Little one." Yumiko rushed to her daughter’s side, touching her forehead. "You’re still warm. What happened?"

"I got sick. Sui took care of me."

"I see." Yumiko glanced at Sui, and smiled. "He made you soup."

"Soup?"

"Yes." Yumiko grinned. "I actually quite like him. He can cook. That’s rare."

Sui chuckled awkwardly. "I’m glad that I passed the test."

"There was a test?"

"Every mother has a test." Yumiko winked. "And you passed. Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"We will see if you will impress me even more." She stood up, stretching. "I’m going to shower. Watch her. Don’t let her bite you again."

Sui froze. Yuiko’s face turned red.

"Mom! How did you know?"

"I saw the mark on his neck, sweetie." Yumiko laughed. "Your father used to have these marks too. They were always from feverish nights."

She walked out, still chuckling.

Sui and Yuiko looked at each other in astonishment.

"She knows," Yuiko said quietly. "She knows everything."

"I think that it is a good thing?"

"I’m going to die from embarrassment."

"At least you will die with soup."

"SHUT UP."

He chuckled, sitting beside her. She glared at him for a second, then melted into his shoulder.

"I’m glad that you are here," she said quietly.

"Me too."

---

Later, Sui was carrying the tray of soup to Yuiko’s room, when he slipped on the wet spot in the hallway.

The tray tilted. Soup was going to spill out of it and spill on the floor.

Then Yumiko appeared. She caught his arm and stabilized him.

"Careful," she said with laughter in her eyes. "This is my good soup you’re going to waste."

He looked at her, his heart racing because of the accident. Her golden eyes, her warm smile, her hand on his arm.

"Thank you," he breathed.

"No problem."

They stayed still for some time, standing too close. His tail swiped against her leg, her ears twitched.

Then she pulled away, blushing slightly.

"Well," she said awkwardly. "I should... I should go and give you to prepare soup to Yuiko."

She hurried out.

Sui blinked, confused.

What just happened?

Later, in the kitchen, Yumiko could not stop thinking about it.

The way he looked at her. The way she could feel his warmth through the fabric of his sleeve. The way her heart beat faster when he said thank you.

No, she thought strictly. No, no, no. He’s my daughter’s boyfriend. I’m just going crazy.

But her tail twitched.

And when Sui entered to wash the dishes, she could not look at him.

"Ms. Nekozawa," he said. "Are you alright?"

"Perfect. Perfectly fine. Never better."

"You seem..."

"I’m fine!"

He blinked, confused. Then he shrugged and started to wash dishes.

Yumiko followed him with her eyes from the corner of hers.

What’s happening to me? she asked herself desperately. He’s just a kid. A good kid. The kid who adores my daughter.

Why can’t I get that hand of his off my mind?

When Sui finished washing the dishes, he was about to leave. But before he could, he stopped near Yumiko.

"Ms. Nekozawa?"

"Yes?" she asked.

"I just wanted you to know... I really do love Yuiko and I’ll always take care of her. You don’t need to worry."

Yumiko felt her heart contract from the sincerity and honesty of his words.

"Heard," she answered quietly.

"That’s good." He smiled warmly. "I think I better go now. Let her sleep."

"Of course."

Sui headed towards the door. Yumiko watched him and kept her tail up.

Then he stumbled. He somehow managed to catch his foot on the rug. He started falling.

Yumiko reached for his arm without even realizing what she was doing.

"I’ve got you," she said.

"Thank you," he laughed and straightened. "Today I’m really clumsy."

"Don’t be." She smiled. "Be more careful."

Their eyes locked and they stood there, holding each other’s arm.

Then, she released her hold on him too fast and put her ears back.

"Go," she said in a breathless voice. "See her."

He looked at her, confused by her strange behavior, then went out of the room.

Yumiko supported herself with her hands, leaning against the countertop.

What the hell is happening to me? she thought. Why is my heart beating so fast? Why can’t I get that kid out of my head?

She was a mature woman. A mother. A working woman. And here she was getting flustered with her daughter’s teenage boy.

It was ridiculous. It was wrong. It was—

Yumiko shook her head. She needed to cool down.

He’s just a boy, she tried to convince herself. A good, kind, honest boy who adores my daughter. That’s all.

But hearing his footsteps on the stairs, her tail gave away her thoughts and moved with an unnameable feeling.

Stop it, she ordered herself. Stop it now.

But the confusion only remained.

And in some corner of her heart, she knew that wasn’t the end of her weird feeling towards Sui.

The rest of the night blurred together.

Sui stayed with Yuiko until she fell asleep, her hand gripping his own while her tail cuddled up against his leg. After he escaped from her room, the silence settled over the house.

Yumiko was in the living room, sitting at the couch and holding a cup of tea. She looked up at him as he came inside.

"She is sleeping?" she asked.

"Yes. She is tired."

"Good. She needs sleep." She patted the seat next to her. "Sit. I need to speak with you."

His heart started beating fast, but he sat down nonetheless.

She stared at him in silence for a while, her golden eyes searching.

"You love her," she finally said, and it was not a question.

"I do," he replied. "More than anything else."

"And you will look after her? Even when it is difficult? Even when she is sick and grumpy and unreasonable?"

"Particularly then."

She smiled—a true smile, full of warmth.

"Then I give my blessing."

He let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Ms. Nekozawa."

"Yumiko." She reached for his hand and patted it. "You are family now."

His heart overflowed. "Thank you, Yumiko."

She nodded and rose. "You should leave. Sleep. You have spent the entire day here."

"Are you sure?"

"I am sure. I will watch over her tonight."

He rose and bowed slightly. "Thank you for entrusting me with that."

She laughed quietly. "You have earned it, Sui. You have earned it."

After he left, Yumiko remained in the living room alone, watching how her tea cooled down.

Her thoughts kept going back to the corridor. His arm in her hands. The look of his eyes.

Stop it, she ordered herself. He is your daughter’s boyfriend. He is a good boy. He loves her.

But the confusion did not vanish.

And her tail kept twitching.