My Cat Girl Neighbor Is Impossible to Understand

The pressure had been building up for days.

Every morning, Haruka would come and join their class. Every lunch, she would find a reason to talk to them. Every afternoon, she was always close to Sui, smiling and touching him casually.

Yuiko had tried to be patient with her. She had tried to believe in Sui. She had tried to ignore the burn of jealousy in her chest.

However, patience did have its limit.

It was on a Friday afternoon.

Classes had ended for the day. Students were leaving the school in groups, giggling and talking excitedly. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, the weather warm and nice.

Yuiko was waiting for Sui by the gate, swishing her tail happily. She decided to give her jealousy up. To trust Sui completely. To not allow Haruka to bother her.

But then, she saw them.

Sui was coming towards her, his bag slung over his shoulder. And next to him, Haruka, her arm brushed his shoulder.

"Sui-kun," Haruka was saying, in her sweet voice, "could you tell me more about the book you mentioned? It sounds so interesting!"

"Um, yes, it’s about—"

"And could you lend it to me? We could read it together!"

Sui blinked in surprise. "Together?"

"Like a book club! Just the two of us." Haruka smiled, and touched his arm. "It will be fun!"

Yuiko’s ears lowered, and her tail became motionless.

Finally, Sui noticed her. "Yuiko! There you are."

He started moving towards her, but Haruka held his hand.

"Just a minute, Sui-kun! I haven’t finished—"

Yuiko moved.

She blocked their way with surprising speed, her tail circling possessively Sui’s wrist. Her eyes blazed angrily.

"Don’t touch him."

Haruka was taken aback. "What?"

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Yuiko was cold and unforgiving. "Don’t touch him. Don’t talk to him. Don’t even look at him."

"Sui-kun and I were just—"

"That’s not my business." Yuiko moved forward, her tail tightening around Sui’s wrist. "He is mine."

These words echoed in the air.

Other students stopped walking, stopped chatting. They looked at what was happening.

Haruka’s smile was faltering, but then it returned with more force.

"You are his?" she mocked. "You seem so possessive, cat-girl."

"I don’t care." Yuiko was determined, never taking her eyes off of Haruka. "He is mine. My boyfriend. My partner. The person I love. And I won’t allow you to take him away from me."

"I am not trying to take him—"

"Yes, you are." Yuiko’s tail puffed up in anger. "You’ve been trying since the moment you came here. Touching him. Flirting with him. Calling him ’Sui-kun’ as if you had any rights to him."

Haruka’s smirk widened. "Jealous, cat-girl?"

"Yuiko!" Sui whispered, reaching for her shoulder. "It’s okay—"

"No!" She didn’t pay attention to him. "I was quiet for too long. I was patient. I was understanding. But now, I’m done."

She looked at Haruka, her tail still wrapped around Sui’s wrist.

"He can’t see through your games because he is too kind. But I can. I see everything." Her voice was trembling, but Yuiko continued. "I know you are beautiful. I know you are confident. I know you think you can have anyone you want. But I won’t let you have him."

Haruka tilted her head, her smile never going away. "Is that a challenge?"

"It’s a warning." Yuiko’s eyes blazed with anger. "Leave my boyfriend alone. Or I will regret your decision."

A tense silence followed her words.

Everyone looked at them, their eyes wide.

Haruka laughed.

It was a light sound, completely contrasting with the tense atmosphere around them.

"Oh, how cute." She smiled. "Do you really think you are my opponent?"

Yuiko’s ears lowered. "I think you are annoying."

"Annoying?" Haruka chuckled. "I am not trying to steal your boyfriend, cat-girl. I was just... Testing."

"Testing?"

"Testing our relationship." Haruka’s smile turned gentle, almost sincere. "I wanted to see if you were ready to fight for him. If you loved him that much."

Yuiko couldn’t understand. "What?"

"I’ve been flirting with him for weeks. Making you jealous. Pushing your buttons." Haruka shrugged. "And finally, you snapped. Congratulations."

Yuiko was speechless.

She looked at Haruka and then at Sui. "What... just happened?"

"I think," Sui said slowly, "she just tested us."

"Tested us?"

"To see if we are strong enough. To see if you would fight for me." He laughed softly, shaking his head. "She’s crazy."

Yuiko looked at him with wide eyes. "I just... I just told her you were mine. In front of everyone."

"You did."

"I’ve made a scene."

"A very impressive one."

Yuiko put her hands to her face. "I’m so embarrassed."

He carefully removed her hands, lifting her chin.

"Don’t be." He said tenderly. "That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen."

Her ears raised. "Really?"

"Really." He smiled. "You’ve stood up for yourself. For us. You’ve told the whole school that I belong to you."

Her face flushed. "I... I said that."

"You did." He lowered his head, pressing his forehead to hers. "And I’ve enjoyed every second of it."

She laughed weakly. "Are you not angry at me?"

"Angry?" He chuckled. "Yuiko, I’m proud of you. You fought for me. You claimed me. No one ever did that before."

His tail wrapped around her waist.

"I meant every word," she whispered. "You are mine."

"I know." He kissed her forehead. "And I’m so happy."

She smiled, her own tail swaying.

"Come on," she said. "We should go home."

He took her hand, their fingers interwined.

"Together."

They left, ignoring the shocked faces of their classmates.

Haruka watched them from the distance, smiling sincerely.

They really do love each other, she thought. Good for them.

She turned and walked away, the mission completed.

But Yuiko didn’t turn back.

She claimed what belonged to her.

And now, she would never leave her alone.

The walk home back was a silent one.

Yuiko’s grip remained firmly locked with Sui’s, but the shaking was starting to grow. Her normally tight hold on him had suddenly gone lax, and her tail that was wound so tightly around his wrist just a few minutes ago lay loose against her body.

Looking at her, Sui could see that she seemed a little scared, her eyes glued to the floor, her ears pressed back against her skull.

Finally, they reached the little wooden bridge where they had first fallen in love, and Yuiko halted, releasing her grip on him.

"Sui... can we... can we stop for a minute?"

"Of course."

They sat at the edge of the river, the water running peacefully by them. The sky was starting to turn pink and gold as it set.

Yuiko sat staring at her hands, her tail wound around her leg.

"I’ve never felt like that before. Not like that burning feeling inside me. Or wanting to scream and fight and try to claim you like you belonged to me."

"You did claim me," Sui said softly. "And I didn’t mind."

"But I hated it," she told him. "It was awful! How scary it was when all my defenses were stripped away, all that I could do was rage at you because... because I knew I couldn’t beat her and win you."

"Sui—"

"I was so afraid," she said, her voice choked. "Every touch from her, I feared you would leave me for her. Every laugh that escaped her lips when you said something funny, I feared you’d think of me as inferior somehow, and realize you wanted someone better than me instead."

"Yuiko."

"I didn’t want to lose you!" She took his hand, pressing it against her chest. "I love you! And I don’t want to lose you."

"Then you won’t," he promised.

"I know it’s stupid," she confessed. "I know you love me. But I can’t help those fears sometimes. I fear I’m not good enough for you."

"Listen to me."

She shook her head. "I’m sorry. It’s silly."

"No." He cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. "Please listen."

She was silent, her golden eyes shinning with unshed tears.

"There is no one else," he told her, his voice steady and firm. "No one ever has been, and no one ever will be. You are the only one I want."

"But Haruka is so—"

"Haruka is nothing." He stroked her cheekbones with his thumbs. "She’s just a stranger. A girl I barely know. You’re the only one I wake up thinking about, the only one I fall asleep thinking of. The only one I want to spend the rest of my life with."

Her eyes widened. "Sui... you can’t be serious."

"Yes, I’m serious. When I said I wanted to be with you forever, I meant it. I wasn’t just saying empty words. Every syllable was true."

She sobbed, her tears falling down her cheeks. "But what if I’m not enough for you?"

He pulled back, looking deeply into her eyes.

"You are more than enough," he said, his voice a mere whisper. "You’re everything. You’re the person that makes me laugh, that makes my heart race. You make every ordinary day seem extraordinary. There is no one else, Yuiko. Only you."

She trembled, her lip quivering. "Promise?"

"I promise." He kissed her forehead. "With all my heart, I promise you’re the only one I want to be with."

She threw herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. He held her close, his hand resting soothingly on her back.

"I’m sorry," she cried. "I’m sorry for being so insecure. I’m sorry for letting her bother me."

"No need to apologize," he whispered into her ear. "You’re human. Or half-human. You’re supposed to have feelings. And it’s not bad to feel scared. Just don’t let yourself forget that you talked to me about it."

She pulled back, drying her tears. "You’re not upset?"

"Upset?" He laughed softly. "Yuiko, I’m grateful. You fought for me, you defended us. That is not something to feel sorry about."

She snuffled. "I created a scene."

"A beautiful scene."

"Everyone watched us," she accused him.

"Everyone watched how much you loved me." He grinned at her. "And you know what? I feel rather flattered."

She laughed, her tail beginning to wag. "You’re impossible."

"But you love me anyway."

"Unfortunately."

He bent his head and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. She melted against him, her tail winding itself around his wrist.

After their lips parted, she smiled at him.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For being patient with me, and reassuring me. For... everything."

"Always," he promised. "Forever."

She laid her head on his shoulder, staring out at the river.

"I love you, Sui."

"I love you too, Yuiko. More than you’ll ever know."

They stayed like that, in each other’s embrace, the setting sun painting everything in gold.

And for the first time in days, Yuiko felt at peace.

She was enough.

She had always been enough.

And she would never forget it again.