Lovesick Kitty

Being a teenager is hard. Sometimes I feel like there's a tiny archeologist living inside me that is able to dig out emotions I never knew I had or even existed before. And there are also times when I feel like I have to decode Egyptian hieroglyphs in order to understand my own feelings. Is this normal? Is this part of adolescence?

I have my own philosophy when it comes to love. I believe "love" is a foreign language that you must learn on your own. There are no dictionaries, no translators, no study guides, and no rules to follow. Love is a feeling you have to experience for yourself in order to fully understand it. I often catch myself trying to figure out why I like Yuki so much. And I can't seem to find a logical meaning behind it. I just do.

Maybe I was captivated by the sincerity that comes with her innocence. I've never seen Yuki get angry, shout, or even frown at school. The only exception was the day we both shared an umbrella. However, she did have a legitimate reason to be angry. I know cats are not exactly my best friends, but I would never want to see them suffer either.

While my heart is convinced that Yuki doesn't have a bad bone in her body, my mind is trying to tell me that she is human after all. Which means she must have her bad days too, just like the rest of us. Maybe she's good at hiding her sadness. Maybe Yuki is the type of girl who doesn't want to bother her friends with her problems.

Am I selfish for wanting to get closer to her? I want Yuki to be herself with me. I want to be the first person she calls when she needs someone to talk to. Not only that, but I want to become a person she can feel safe with and maybe even confide in. Am I getting ahead of myself here? My confidence needs to take a seat. I haven't even experienced my first heartbreak yet. And out of all days, I certainly don't want it to be today!

My body feels like it's frozen in place. I'm almost sure my hands are colder than the parfait in front of Yuki right now. While I was waiting for her response, in my mind, I was mentally praying she was single: Please don't have a boyfriend! Please don't have a boyfriend! Please don't have a boyfriend! If God exists somewhere out there, please hear my prayer!

"I don't have a boyfriend," Yuki said, as her face turned red as a tomato.

I tried my best to tone down my excitement and not seem too happy about Yuki's answer. But at the same time, a smile appeared on my face. I wanted to get up from my seat and jump around the café like a little kid! Rika also seemed pleased with Yuki's answer, but she didn't stop there.

"What a shame! But the summer is still young and full of surprises! Who knows, maybe your future boyfriend and girlfriend could be standing right here, right now, inside this café," Rika said, winking at us.

"Yes, summer is such a great season, isn't it? No school, lots of free time! What more would you want? By the way, what are everyone's plans for this summer?" I said, trying to change the subject and take the pressure off Yuki and me.

"I'm planning to study somewhere that has air conditioning. I'm also craving a good book. Maybe I could play some video games in between? Something like that," Hikaru quickly replied.

"So you're going to be stuck inside this year, too? Don't tell me you're studying again for university. Hikaru! You're only 16; you have enough time to prepare! You're going to waste your youth rotting at home with books by your side." Rika said, a little annoyed.

"Like you're the one to talk, Rika! You're going to be stuck inside too, with your "boyfriend", the sewing machine!" Hikaru replies.

"Well, he's not wrong," I said, laughing.

"Ok, laugh all you want! One day I'll become one of the top fashion designers in Japan! Don't come asking me for clothes because "my boyfriend" will remember this conversation, and he will refuse to sew anything! Don't say I didn't warn you!", Rika said while putting on her sunglasses. We all started laughing.

"You guys are so funny! And I can relate; I'm a creature of habit too! This summer, I'm going to be volunteering again at the animal shelter. I've been doing this for two years now. The people there are in need of staff, especially around this time of the year when the employees are going on vacation," Yuki said.

I could feel Yuki's passion through her words. She is also doing something wonderful with her free time! I'm not surprised. That's so like her! And I haven't forgotten what I promised myself, either. This summer, I'm going to get rid of my fear of cats! And I think volunteering with Yuki might be the key to my success. It's now or never!

The waiter arrives with Yuki's parfait, or should I say my parfait now? I thanked him, and I grabbed my spoon. I quickly dipped it in and took a bite. It was simply delicious! From the corner of my eye, I saw Yuki looking at me, almost like she was scanning my face for a reaction.

"So what are your plans for the summer, Akio? You're the only one who didn't answer," Yuki asked.

"I haven't decided yet. But volunteering does sound fun! I've never done it before," I said.

"It's so much fun! Akio, you have to try it! It doesn't feel like work because all the animals are so cute and friendly! You'll love it there, I promise!" Yuki said. She was beaming with joy. And I couldn't help but admire the drive and passion in her eyes!

I told her I was going to think about it. Mostly because I do have to convince those two "clovers" to join me first. I'm a little worried because I don't know how many cats there are at the animal shelter. I don't want Yuki to take care of them on her own while I actively try to avoid them. At least for the first week or two. Sure, I've made some progress on my own, but I'm not ready to interact with a real cat just yet. I need a little bit more time.

The rest of the day felt like a dream, too! I wish I could stay in this café forever, but sadly, we all had to part ways. Rika and Yuki both went shopping, and Hikaru went to the bookstore to buy some novels he wanted. I joined him, but I couldn't focus on anything. My mind kept replaying the conversations I had with Yuki.

I decided to check my social media accounts. After all, Yuki wanted to talk with me, and I wasn't there. I felt so bad about it. As I refreshed my feed, I saw a new post from Yuki! It's the photo she took of my parfait with the caption: "I had fun today with Akio, Rika and Hikaru! Thank you for allowing me to attend your meeting! P.S. This is the best parfait I've ever eaten! Thank you, Akio!"

I quickly pressed the "like" button as my legs turned to jelly. Hikaru gave me a weird look, but I didn't care. I sat down and wrote Yuki a comment, thanking her again for the umbrella. I also expressed how much I enjoyed spending time with her today. She liked my comment and replied with a heart. Let's just say I now understand why people are so addicted to social media!