cat next door.

twelve

[dahye]

"d-dahyun." i stammered on my own words. i can't believe how long i hadn't seen her. ten years is really a long time because the last time i saw her, she was wearing flower crowns and beige overalls but now she looks like a totally different person. she's now a grown woman, not to mention that she's only older than me for two years.

"we meet again, dahye." she said in a rather stern and formal manner, like i was some client and not her sister. all the things i wanted to tell her went down the drain after seeing her reaction, she already turned me down.

"i'm quite busy so if you don't mind, i'll get going now. i'm looking forward to meeting you again, soon." she gave me a small smile and walked past me, leaving me speechless. i wasn't expecting her to hug me and cry and tell me how much she missed me, but i at least thought she wanted to sit and catch up with me. i guess i was wrong after all.

tears were brimming in my eyes and no one was there to wipe them. the truth did not just slap me, it crushed me into bits and i don't know if i can piece it back together.

"dahye," hyunjin breathed out in a hesitant voice. instead of approaching him, i pretended like i didn't hear him and walk past everyone else. like i always do.

+

a week after my encounter with dahyun and i didn't talk to anyone, even hyunjin.

i walked to school alone, thirty minutes earlier than i usually am, so that i wouldn't meet hyunjin on the way, ate lunch at the corner of the cafeteria, ignoring anyone's texts and calls.

i was worried, hyunjin probably thinks i'm mad at him. i'm not. i just needed to think, by myself. but now, i don't know how to approach him.

we became distant. he stopped texting me, he doesn't try to talk to me at school, he started ignoring me, too. and how i dreaded that history seems to repeat itself all over again.

how my sanity is starting to slip away everytime i think about him and it's up to me to fix everything or just watch him leave, like how i did before.

meow, i glanced under my bed and there it was. kkami, he was the only contact i had with hyunjin. i smiled and tried to touch his back.

"kkami, what do i do? hyunjin is mad at me and it's all my fault. i'm doomed." i sighed. the cat purred and licked my hand, making me take it away in surprise. i still haven't gotten over my fear totally.

kkami then started walking out of my room and i followed him by reflex. he stopped by the door since it was closed.

"you wanna go home?" i asked and opened the door. but how did he enter if the door was closed then?

i was about to close the door when i remembered how hyunjin worried about kkami getting lost. knowing how stubborn his cat can be, i followed it out to make sure he gets home safely.

i knocked the door on hyunjin's house and waited for him to open the door. i was overwhelmed with different emotions. my head was spinning and i definitely was not in my best self.

the door opened and i was welcomed by a just-woke-up hyunjin. he was towering over me and only did i notice how tall he is.

"i—your—kkami," i stammered in search for the right words to say but my mind doesn't seem to be working well right now.

"you're here to bring kkami back?" he asked and i nodded hesitantly.

"oh, okay thanks." he gave me a small smile and motioned the door to close.

"wait—look, we need to talk. just hear me out." i said, my voice becoming smaller with every word i say. he sighed and let me in.

"so, i'm really sorry for ignoring you. i just really needed time with myself." i explained with my head down.

"dahye, i understand, really. you had a lot to take in since that day and i just thought i'd give you space. i didn't mean to hurt you in any way." i looked at his face and i could see the sincerity in his eyes.

"are you, perhaps, mad at me?" i asked him.

"excuse me, i should be the one asking you that. are you mad at me?" he repeated my question.

"of course not. i was never mad at you," i smiled. i think this is the first time i really smiled since the incident last week.

"we were both young and petty back then. i knew that you didn't mean everything you said." he held my hand and locked his fingers with mine.

"i'm so happy we're back to being friends now." he rested his chin on my head, arms resting on my torso.

"i miss you." he mumbled in my head.

"well, i miss you being super clingy." i said and pinched his nose playfully. he then sat straight and looked at me.

"now, do you want to tell me about your sister? i'm all ears."

i didn't know how much i needed hyunjin until now.

[+]

next chapter will probs be a flashback to when they were young