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"Then." Namjoon drops to one knee, presenting the feline to me now with both arms outstretched. "Please go out with me."

I stare blankly at him for a moment as his words and intentions sink in. This was why he brought this adorable creature before me, wasn't it? As some sort of sick bait to give if I said yes and take away if I said no? The thought of the kitty being taken away filled me with a profound sadness and solidified an opinion in my mind.

Kim Namjoon was an evil bitch.

My thoughts and emotions must have shown on my face more than I realized because a moment later he was assuring me in a soft, slightly panicked voice. "I mean, the cat is yours either way," he said quickly, forcing the squirming animal into my hands. "I don't have anywhere to keep it."

Kim Namjoon was a wonderful human being.

"And besides," he stood and moved a hand to rub anxiously at the back of his neck, "I really like you."

Normally that probably would have at least flustered me a bit but I was so caught up in the fluffy ball of fur in my hands that I could barely focus on what he was saying. I happily rubbed my cheek against her soft ears, smiling fondly and then gasping when she became transfixed by a lock of my hair and attacking it cutely. I think my heart exploded again. Why the hell was this baby so cute?

"Are...are you listening?"

I wasn't. "Yes." I dangled the bit of hair and brushed it against the feline's face, causing her to blink in surprise before she assaulted it once again. I swear this cat is trying to kill me with cuteness. I barely registered the stretch of silence on Namjoon's end until he spoke again.

"Can I hold her for a minute?"

I turned, burying my new child closer into my chest, arms protectively shielding her from view. My eyes narrowed in on the older male in suspicion."Why?"

Sighing, he put up both hands in surrender. "I'm not taking her from you." he reassured. "But you-you-" he stuttered as his cheeks took on a pink tint, "didn't answer yet. I thought maybe she's distracting you."

Oh. What was the question again? My head and entire world was now filled with this cat. I honestly don't even remember what I was doing before he pulled it out of his pocket. Quickly taking in the surrounding courtyard and a few other students eating with their groups of friends, I remember. My interrupted manga, the kitten, the confession. Not for the first time, I wonder if my cat obsession is too much. Mentally I scoff. As if that was possible.

But getting back to Namjoon. As thankful as I am to him now for giving me this gift, I still felt zero desire to have any sort of romantic connection to him. Ever since he's started his weird stalker-like staring I've tried to mentally prepare a list of excuses to give him if he ever actually confessed, ranging from, "I'm gay" to "My family is strict and I'm not allowed to date". Now as I look back into Namjoon's patiently waiting face, my conscience laid a heavy weight of guilt over my heart at the prospect of lying to him. He gave me a gift and in exchange I would give him the truth. It's not an exchange he would profit from, but it was the least I could offer him.

Bowing shortly so as not to jostle the kitten in my arms, I finally replied. "I'm sorry," I spoke while keeping eye contact so he would know my apology was sincere. "I don't feel the same."

Out of all the different scenarios of how he would react when I rejected him, I never once expected the one I was met with.

He nodded firmly before flashing me a close lipped smile exposing twin dimples, one on each cheek, that had me blinking in surprise. I had not expected two cute attacks in one day. Pretty sure I'm gonna go into heart failure if this keeps up. Before I could think further on that thought, his smiled dropped and a look of set determination overcame his features, his chin protruded slightly.

"Ok. I'll try again tomorrow, then." He nodded once more before turning and striding back into the school confidently.

Wait, what?

Since I'm staring after him slack-jawed I don't initially notice Eun-ji's return until her sobs reach my ears. "What, what? What is it?" I frantically ask, even in my confusion moving to automatically wrap one arm around her and pull her in for a hug. I'm met with loud blubbering and the stares of other students which I ignore in favor of trying to decipher what she was saying. "Ji-Ji I can't understand you." I pat her head comfortingly.

The arms she had wrapped around my waist retract as she pulls back and swipes at her red, puffy eyes. "In-guk-" her words cut off as she stares at the baby cat in my arms in confusion. "Why do you have a cat?" her voice comes out shaky and stressed. "Why do you ALWAYS have a cat on you?" She wails in despair before going back to crying on my shoulder.

Since I had an animal and Eun-ji was in no shape to continue with the school day we ended up skipping class and walking back to my house together. She managed to pull herself together long enough to ask how I'd come to attain the kitten and I explained to her about Namjoon, but refrained from mentioning his confession, feeling it would be insensitive at the current moment.

Eventually she explained that In-guk had said he wanted to take a break from their relationship. The revelation was surprising to me, considering they never broke up for more than a day. That was how I'd become accustomed to their relationship being. One day they would fight, break up, then the next it was all peaches and cream, chocolate cheeks and chocolate wings and the 'break up' was never mentioned again. Eun-ji quoted him as saying that he still loved her, but didn't think he was mature enough to be in a relationship anymore. Quietly I agreed with his assessment and commended him for this sudden incline in maturity. But like Namjoon's confession I kept those words to myself. It wasn't what she needed to hear right now.

"THAT SON OF A BITCH." I raged, causing Eun-ji to giggle. She knew I would never seriously call him that but for some reason she found it hilarious when I insulted him. "Stay the night at my house." I continued, "Let's go online and spread a rumor about that bastard's inferior dick size."

Her giggling continued the rest of the way to my house as I relentlessly roasted everything about my only other friend in the world. Once we entered the front door to my home I squatted and gently placed my new baby on the hardwood floor, scratching behind her ears. "Welcome to your new home, baby," I cooed, unable to resist the urge to pick her up and cuddle her once more.

A low meow echoed down the hall as my oldest cat entered, his legs scurrying to get closer once he realized I was home. Smiling happily, I dropped the new cat in favor of this one; he was my favorite cat in the entire world. "Sorry, but you have longer to live." I told the kitten seriously before racing to my old, orange kitty, ignoring Eun-ji's rolling eyes and low muttering of "You have issues."

But it was true. BooBoo was twenty years old this year. He was the beginning of my cat obsession. I'd been three when my parents divorced and I suppose as way of comfort my mother had presented me with a three-year-old cat from the shelter to distract me from always asking for my father. It had worked. My earliest memories were of this cat, cuddling it to sleep, following it around the house, watching in wonder as it jumped from the floor to the top of the refrigerator with great agility. I can vaguely remember that the name I originally granted him as a toddler used to be Baba but over time that had morphed into BooBoo. In the years following, my only companion had been this cat. Mom worked twelve hour shifts to keep us afloat and when I'd arrive back from grade school it was BooBoo and me, all day everyday.

Then when I was eleven my mom died and he was all I had.

At that point my own father was not a person I knew or even remembered. All the same, when he saw me for the first time in years I was scooped up in his arms and hugged tightly. "Y/n, I will never leave you again. I promise." I can still recall feeling very taken aback by this response, seeing as how this man was a stranger to me. His existence had very rarely been a touched on subject of conversation in our household so when I came to find out that I would be going to live with him, I was filled with dread. I thought surely the man would hate me and my presence for barging into his life since I didn't think I was wanted.

Adult matters at that age were beyond my scope of comprehension. Slowly over time, as I grew up and become more curious my dad reluctantly filled me in on the story of my parent's divorce with kind words and gentle assurances. He had realized, or maybe a better word would be accepted, too late that he wasn't sexually attracted to women. And my mother was less than eager at the prospect of my growing up in his presence once he had confessed.

Yet dad never said one disparaging word about her to me, even though I know her rejection of his sexual orientation and the fact that she had kept him from his only child must have hurt him deeper than he could say. Instead he gently told me "We just didn't agree." But I wasn't stupid. I could read between the lines. That woman was my mom, the only mom I would ever have and my love for her was irreplaceable. But my heart felt so ashamed.

It was probably at this age where my hatred for the world and most people started to flourish. My flamboyantly gay father was probably the most annoying person alive. But if anyone ever hurts him I will gladly punch them in the throat and then stand over their fallen body as I talk trash about their mama.

Remembering the new addition to our household, I kissed BooBoo once more (then thought better of it and kissed him five more times) before setting him next to the white feline so he could introduce himself.

Gingerly he stepped forward and the both of them bumped noses, sniffing each other cautiously. I watched with both hands clasped under my chin in anticipation, hearts in my eyes as I tried not to completely melt at the adorable—HOLY SHIT.

BooBoo took one more sniff before casually slapping the kitten round the head and stalking off, sending it into a rage of unimaginable proportions.

Both Eun-Ji and I watched in mounting horror as the kitten froze, it's eyes grew wide and her head seemed to turn an impossible three hundred and sixty degrees. Then it opened it's mouth and instead of the dainty little meow from earlier she emitted a strangled and terrifying hiss, staring off into space with insane eyes. At that moment I expected a swarm of locusts or some other supernatural type of shit to come out of it's mouth.

"YAH! The fuck is wrong with it?!" Eun-ji asked, sounding panicked.

Before I could answer the animal ran away in the most insane manner possible, it's hackles raised as it skid along the floor and into a nearby table, sending the lamp resting on it crashing to the ground.

What...the hell. Is it too late to give this demon back to Namjoon?

—

Edited 7/20/21