Her Voice / han sanghyuk (#14)

Episode 15

Sanghyuk

I passed by the school garden holding a bottle of water in one hand and a slice of bread in the other, I walked to the usual spot where Chloe would be and called for her name. She came out of the bush a few seconds later with a slightly bloated stomach, making me tilt my head to one side. I'm sure that I am the only one who knows who Chloe and the only human that Chloe ever recognizes, who would be the one who fed her before me?

Or is she-- I heard light footsteps running towards me and tapped me on my shoulder, I looked towards my left and a girl was standing behind me panting a little trying to catch her breath. My eyes widened to see her so early in the morning, especially what happened last Saturday night.

I have been in the same place as her for two nights straight and those were not intentional, on Friday we got locked up together in the auditorium, I could've gotten out in time if not for my stupid ring that decides to slip out of my pinkie and found its way in the auditorium. About her being in the auditorium, I still have not asked her why she is in there when she is not supposed to be in there at that time. Why the hell do you want to stay in the auditorium? Plus, she didn't even turn on the lights, she was basically in the dark. Is she a nocturnal animal that can survive without any lights? How can she stay there without screaming?

And Saturday, she came to my house which my older sister brought her over to and she stayed in the same room as me alone, without any supervision from my older sister or even my lovely grandmother who would normally be worried if a girl sleeps in the same room as I am. I slept on the futon even though I was the one that laid it down for her and she slept down on my bed, I didn't want her back to hurt and the fact that she was my guest for the night.

She's so mysterious that I don't know what she is thinking in her mind, maybe it is because she can't talk like the other people, she can't convey much what she is trying to say since she writes it down in words. Now I am reading what she had written, she has been feeding Chloe for the past few times when I am away for detention. If I were the one who was the only who took care of Chloe's needs, Chloe wouldn't be so chubby as she is right now.

"You have been feeding Chloe? Since when?" I asked and she just smiled, I passed the phone to her and she placed Chloe on her lap as she types. Now that I realised that her phone is a very important tool for conveying what she wants to say. What if she gets stranded on an island and her phone runs out of battery or is split?

She passed the phone back to me. 'I was just strolling through this place one day when I heard a soft meow from the bushes, I bent down and saw a tiny kitten hiding in the bushes, it seems to be hungry and is calling for its owner so I decided to feed her food. Her name is really pretty.'

I rubbed the nape of my neck. "I just saw it in a book that I read when I was younger and I thought it was great for such an elegant cat but she is still a stray cat that has a name."

She looked surprised as I passed the phone back to her and played with Chloe this time. 'Aren't you the owner? Since you already have given her a name...'

"I wish that I could bring her back home but my grandmother is pretty allergic to cats, especially its fur." I pouted at the thought that I couldn't even raise Chloe even though I'm considered to be her owner due to my grandmother.

She seems to be in deep thought and then she beamed in delight which surprised me a little, she was never that happy around me. I got her phone back and my eyes doubled in size when I read what she had written. "What? You want to bring home Chloe and take care of her?" She nodded, happy at the thought that she wants to raise Chloe. "Does your mother even agreed to this?"

'My mother loves animals so it is okay for me to bring her home and you wouldn't want anyone to abuse Chloe right? Then I'm the right person for the job, I will be Chloe's mother from now on.' And I'm the father? What is this?

"Are you for real?" She nodded. Since when she is this comfortable with me? Usually, she would avoid me as much as she can and she would go to her favourite person, Cha Hak Yeon sunbae. I was never the one that she ever wants to be in the same room with and now she is sitting next to me playing with Chloe. Am I in my dream?

She placed her hands, one crossed over the other, leading me to let her take care of Chloe. "If you could assure that Chloe remains this chubby, then you have the responsibility to take care of her for as long as you want."

She hugged Chloe as tight as possible and I pulled her away in fear that she might suffocate Chloe to death. "That's enough hugging. I will go over to your house sometimes to make sure that my Chloe gets fed at the right times and don't you dare starve her." She nodded happily and I felt the flutters in my stomach when she smiles. How ironic... We are enemies and yet we are here raising a freaking cat together...

She passed me a note before she gets to class and made sure that Chloe doesn't get found out by anyone, I looked at the note and I smiled.

Would you be friends with me?