You have been living with Mikoto for a while now. Compared to what you were used to back when you lived with your parents, the apartment felt so quiet. Everyone tended to be more drawn to you, striking up conversation and confiding in you, yet Mikoto only really just gave you a nickname before going to his own activities.

He didn’t mean to ignore you at all, being there and making small talk here and there, helping with what you struggled with if he noticed, but he kept a careful distance. It was as if he didn’t want to ruin what was already comfortable.

He was different in other ways too. Mikoto favored oversized clothes and a beanie pulled low, layers tucked under a hood or into pants to hide most of his features. Still, you’d caught glimpses of certain features in passing like those pointed, fluffy ears or the flick of a tail in the corner of your eyes. Some kind of cat-hybrid, it seemed. Though, he never mentioned it, and you didn’t bring it up.

One day, you were both sitting on the couch, just watching TV and eating food in silence, like usual. It was more comfortable, neither of you feeling like you’d ruin the mood with awkwardness that tended to overtake the air. Though, Mikoto turned to you for once, curiosity in his eyes.

“Do you… think there’s something strange about me? Other people act weird, but…”

He paused, looking down and playing with the ends of his sleeves.

“…you’ve never really said anything. At least, not to my face.”