Their wondering eyes watched the furry creature on the shorter girl’s arms. Needy wiggled and squirmed a bit, boring her vertically slitted pupils to her humans. Chaeyoung smiled when Needy mewled and blinked back at her. “Here,” Mina interrupted, taking the cat away for herself. The tiger cub blinked and titled her head in confusion as she watched Needy stuck out her tongue to her, definitely enjoying the affection that they were giving. “Go take a shower, Chaeng,” the penguin said before leaning down for a peck on her right cheek, “Don’t forget about your early classes for today.” The art student sighed and then groaned up to the ceiling. “But I still want to hold Needy for a little longer,” she said while looking cutely to the elegant girl. “You can,” Mina simply replied, “After you’re properly dressed for your second period.” “Fine,” she whined in defeat. “I’ll go make breakfast,” the penguin replied with a nod.

In sync, their wondering eyes focused back to the furry creature – a silence of realisation hitting them. “I really,” Chaeyoung muttered quietly, “Didn’t think this through,” she said while eyeing Needy. “I should’ve considered about her food for the least,” she added, looking back at the two with apologetic eyes. The penguin smiled reassuringly and adjusted her hold with the fluff. Needy’s face had been nuzzling and rubbing comfortably to her shirt. She adjusted her until she could face the worried tiger cub, “Don’t worry, I’m actually free from my morning schedule for today,” she informed, showing Needy’s fluffy belly, “Busy professors and whatnot.” Chaeyoung hummed and pouted as she poked pink, soft cat paws. “I can drive you to the university and drop by a nearest pet store to buy her some cat food,” she offered, smiling at Needy’s sticking tongue, “But she’ll probably have to join us with our breakfast.” “Thank you," the cub sighed, once again looking apologetic, “But just buy her enough food to last for today. I don’t want you to do the expenses with the responsibility of taking care of her.” The penguin just smiled and remained silent to that, so she whined to clear up her point, “I’m serious, Mina.”

Mina closed eyes then chuckled, “Okay, okay, I get it.” “Okay, good,” Chaeyoung breathed out. Silence started to form again as she stared at the elegant beauty in front of her, thinking that she could get used to the kind of good morning that she was currently having – if they ever became roommates for real. “Chaeng,” Mina softly broke the silence, “Shower,” she reminded. The cub snapped out of her clouded fantasy and blushed slightly for being caught with staring openly. “Right, right,” she coughed awkwardly before walking past her and Needy. The penguin smiled as she watched the tiger’s hurried feet and burning ears as she disappeared behind her bedroom door.

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While Mina finished up her turn in taking a proper bath for herself, Chaeyoung – along with Needy – patiently waited for breakfast on the floor just beside the dining table. She observed the cat rolled on its back and showed its belly, all while with a peeking tongue. Smiling, she obliged to Needy’s obvious wishes and tickled her with her fingers. “You’re awfully acting like a dog, Needy,” she muttered. Now that she thought about it, the cat really had a ridiculous resemblance to a dog. Needy always looked at her or Mina with round puppy-like eyes, was charmingly affectionate in their presence, and wasn’t snobbish nor cold – something quite unrealistic and unusual for cats. Not to mention, the way Needy her forefinger sorry after booping her nose as a punishment for being caught red handed with murdering Mina’s penguin clock. “Well, except for your love of knocking things off without a decent logic nor reason,” she chuckled with amused eyes, “That’s very cat of you, Needy.” “I know, right?” Mina replied, appearing unannounced behind them, “I thought she’d be more of a tsundere like how I view most cats.”

Chaeyoung picked up Needy and stood up to look back at her with confusion. “Someone who appears,” she began to explain, “Cold on the outside but is really sweet and affectionate inside.” “Mhm,” the cub hummed and nodded, “Yeah, cats seem like that,” she agreed. “Come on, breakfast,” Mina replied, happily pulling Chaeyoung by the hand to take a seat. With Needy on her lap, Chaeyoung looked down to their breakfast. The penguin had cooked bacon and eggs, prepared cinnamon-flavoured bread toasts, and boiled some vegetables. I could get really used to this kind of mornings with her, she thought quietly before picking up her chopsticks. Her eyes slowly moved to look at the penguin, only to find her already staring at her. She snapped again from her fantasy and questioned, “What is it?” she asked.

When they were seated, Mina observed the tiger cub with her fascination with the food – eyes wondering plate after plate. Lost in her thoughts, she stared at Chaeyoung quietly yet intensely. She drowned to the sight of her casually wearing her clothes and to the visible appreciation in her wandering eyes for what she had cooked, but what really drowned her deeper, was knowing the fact that they were together last night. They had spent the night in the same room and woken up the next morning on the same bed. For the second time, she and Chaeyoung made love. Heart fluttering, she thought, I’m falling deeper for her. Mina broke into a smile when Chaeyoung lifted her gaze to her, their eyes meeting and locking to one another, I really love you, Son Chaeyoung. She blinked her entranced eyes in focus upon hearing her asked question. Sipping her coffee first, she shook her head and then answered her softly, “Nothing.” The cub wanted to gaze longer into her eyes, in hope to decipher the hesitating meaning behind its secretive glimmer, but she was interrupted by a faint clunk on her plate. The penguin let out a soft chuckle to her because, apparently, a devious brown paw was reaching for a boiled broccoli.

She hesitated at first but she finally tore her eyes off of the penguin’s. “Hey,” the cub scolded, gently pulling Needy away from her plate and trying to sit her back properly on her lap. “I think vegetables are safe for her despite being a natural carnivore,” the penguin stated across from them, chuckling to their cute sight. “Yeah, but I’ll raise Needy into a tough meat monster,” Chaeyoung grinned confidently as she brown fur to calm her cat. She smiled and stilled her breathing, waiting for the result if she had successfully tamed the very unusual creature. Mina burst out of laughter and heard the cub gasped loudly when Needy sprung on top of the dining table. “Needy, no,” the art student groaned because even with the presences of bacon and eggs, the cat chomped away a broccoli and stowed in the middle of the table. “Or she could be a healthy veggie fluffer,” the elegant girl replied in amusement. Chaeyoung could only groan as they watched Needy slowly glomped down the green stalk.

Frustratingly, she watched Needy sauntered back and forth to her and the penguin’s plate. Every time her cat stood in front of her, she tried to offer some strips of scrumptious bacon, but it seemed like the brown fluff preferred boiled broccoli flowers and carrot pieces better. She even attempted to charm the bacon to her cute small face by flaunting it enticingly directly into her dark green eyes, but it only earned her Needy’s view of walking away from her blatant bribery. Unlike her, the penguin wholeheartedly appreciated and supported her pet’s amusing preference of vegetables. Chaeyoung watched her cat with defeated hopes. “I expected her to be cool and badarse,” she sighed to the tips of her chopsticks. With peeking tongue, Needy looked back at her and then tilted its head upon hearing her words. “She’s a cutie,” Mina replied after a good chuckle, “Just like you.” The cub puffed her cheeks and began eating her bacon strips just on her own, “She was supposed to take care of Chaeng-Chaeng.” The penguin hummed and then squinted her eyes, “You don’t mean that in a good way, do you?”

“Yeah, I pictured her to tear Chaeng-Chaeng up in the future,” Chaeyoung replied nonchalantly. The med student just smiled to her before giving another vegetable piece to the brown fluff, subtly shoving it to her face that Needy is indeed a cutie and maybe also a softie. “I get it, Mina,” she stated in a mouthful of toast, “At least she took few bites of eggs for protein,” she sighed once more. Silence befell again into them, just exchanging soft smiles to one another. “Are pets allowed in your dorm?” Mina had broken the silence – her question muffled inside her coffee mug. Chaeyoung’s left hand flew straight onto her own forehead in a stinging manner, “I’m such an idiot,” she exclaimed, “I really didn’t think this through.” She groaned loudly – irritated and angry with herself, “No, they’re not,” she stated sadly. “It’s not too late to take her back, is it?” the cub asked worriedly. Mina laughed softly, clearly seeing how torn Chaeyoung was with her current words. Of course, the art student didn’t want to return Needy back to the pet shop over to a reason of drunken and unconscious decision. “She can stay here in my apartment,” she replied, offering a reassuring smile, “I don’t mind.” Pointing to her own self, Chaeyoung quickly answered, “I mind,” pausing to take a deep breath and then adding, “I don’t want to trouble you with her.” The penguin just laughed again, “You won’t, okay,” she said, “Besides, you already named her. That’ll be just sad if you return Needy to the shop.” “But she’s my responsibility,” the cub tried. “Look,” she interrupted and pointed the furry creature, “She’s already responding to her name.”

Her observation was on point. Needy was already looking at the penguin with round curious eyes. “And you really don’t want her to go,” she added softly, “We can take care of her, together.” Chaeyoung groaned and tousled her hair with both hands before smiling at her, “Thank you, Mina,” she said, cheeks lightly blushing, “She’ll be our responsibility.” The penguin nodded, feeling happiness rooted inside of her chest because of her words. “Needy,” the cub called, “She’s really obedient for a cat,” she added while watching the brown fluff walked to her. gaped and she gasped when Needy leaned down to her plate and took a half-eaten bacon. “Did you see that, Mina?” she asked rather loudly. Mina chuckled, heart reacting weakly to her cuteness, “I did.” “Maybe it’s not too late for Needy to be a cool badarse,” the cub replied enthusiastically as the penguin laughed at her again.

The two finished their breakfast and washed their plates together with Needy rubbing itself on their legs and sometimes clawing onto their jeans. After that, Mina fixed Chaeyoung’s dishevelled hair. She smiled when the younger girl openly stole a kiss from her lips, “What was that for?” she asked and looked down at her with another smile. “For being such a perfect human being,” the cub replied then stealing another kiss from her, “But know that you don’t have to tolerate me for every decision that I put myself up with.” Mina cupped her  right cheek and connected their foreheads, “I know,” she whispered before leaning down for another kiss. It was slow, soft, and gentle. I could really get used to this, Chaeyoung thought again, smiling directly to her lips. “Ow, ow, ow,” she winced before pulling away and looking down to see Needy climbing up her pants. “Needy,” she commented as she picked up the brown creature into her arms, laughing. “She is,” the penguin replied as she watched the two. “I really give her a fitting name,” Chaeyoung grinned at her knowingly. “I’m not needy so I don’t really get why she reminds you of me,” the elegant girl huffed and pouted, “At least that’s what I think,” she blushingly muttered. “On daily basis, you’re not,” the cub replied – still grinning, “But when the lights are dimmer and we’re ly entangled, you are adorably needy.”

The penguin blushed heavily to her explanation, face brightly turning red, “Fine, I get,” she blurted out as the vivid memories drifted back into her consciousness. The art student smirked cunningly, “I’m glad we now have a mutual understanding to her name.” Mina sighed, “Come on,” she said, “Needy and I will drive you to the university.” With Needy trying to climb up her shoulders, she followed the taller girl out of her unit. She pulled the cat away from herself again, claws fighting off into resistance, “Needy, stop climbing like a monkey,” she scolded. The elegant girl laughed at them before grabbing one of her hands – quietly running her thumb over her skin to calm her down. “I can already feel that she will be trouble,” Chaeyoung stated, “I’m already apologising to you, Mina,” she added as she gave up to Needy’s passion with climbing up to her. “Guess, she also has striking resemblance of you,” the taller girl said. “Wow, that hurts,” the cub joked as she dramatically feigned being hurt.

As they entered the elevator, she asked, “You have classes later, right?” Mina dipped her head once, motioning a really short nod, “I do.” “What about Needy?” she wondered, “Should we leave her alone? Don’t you think we’ll leave be a bad impression to her since it’s literally her first day of adjusting to her new home?” The penguin hummed, considering her words. She rubbed her chin as she thought about it to herself, “Right, but it’s not like we have a choice though. If your dorm doesn’t allow pets, then I’m sure Sana and Momo’s dorm doesn’t, too. I think Needy will be fine.” While clicking her teeth as she thought, Chaeyoung finally replied, “Let me borrow a key and I’ll accompany her if I will be free later.” “You’re not going to skip class for this, are you?” the penguin asked, anxiously watching her.

“No,” the younger girl answered quickly as she shook her head, “I just want to avoid Needy being alone for the first time as much as possible,” she honestly added and then waited for her permission, “Well?” she asked, forming a small smile on her lips. The penguin smiled back and sighed, “Okay, fine,” she gave in before taking her keys out of her pocket. She fiddled with it, and after a few minutes, she finally pulled another duplicate key that she could lend. “Here,” she smilingly handed to Chaeyoung. “Your key is in good hands,” she commented before raising Needy in between them, “Thank you, Mina,” she added in an animated voice while wobbling the brown fluff in front of her face. “You’re welcome,” the elegant girl chuckled before booping Needy’s nose. The elevator dinged and the two once again walked side by side and hand in hand. With fluttering hearts, they felt new happiness and excitement swelled into themselves because of the brown and dark green eyed cat – their shared responsibility.

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Just late of seven minutes in her History class, Chaeyoung rushed her feet as she made an honest display of herself scurrying to her seat next to Yeri. Watching her friend with amused eyes, the slightly shorter one spoke, “Hey, belated happy birthday and you’re late.” The cub sat down to her proper seat and shook her head confidently, “My name hasn’t rolled in his call so I’m basically on time here,” she said, grinning. Their professor, Lee Minhyuk, always and strictly lives up to the power of attendance since he believes that there is a certain prowess that lies even just with the idea of the students’ presence. “Here,” the art student answered, raising her right hand in the air. “So you’re almost late,” the literature student corrected, “Last time I checked, you now fear anything that could sabotage the healing of your heavily neglected grades.” Chaeyoung turned to face her and – in a serious tone – she replied, “I have a cat under my hoodie.” Technically, it was the penguin’s but that wasn’t the gist at the moment. “What?” Yeri blurted out, loud enough to attract the students around their seats. She knew how the art student could be random and weird at times, but because of the seriousness in her way of saying the absurd statement, she unconsciously believed her revelation and let her surprised eyes slowly drifted down to her stomach. “Are you being serious?” she asked, but this time in softer manner to keep possible prying eyes away from the revealed secret under Mina’s hoodie, brown tiny head adorably emerging to the scene.

With a sly grin, Chaeyoung nonchalantly introduced, “Her name is Needy. Isn’t she cute?” Carefully looking around first, Yeri sighed before leaning closer to her side, “That’s not the point. Why do you have a cat under your hoodie?” she asked as she fought the urge to hit her friend atop of her head. “Her name is Needy,” the art student duly noted for her friend. “Fine, fine,” the other girl surrendered, “Why do you have Needy,” gesturing double quotes in the air, “Under your hoodie?”

“Mina gave her last night, as a birthday wish,” Chaeyoung whispered to her since their professor had already started his surely mind numbing topic, “It’s literally her first day in our care and I don’t want her to spend the rest of the day alone in Mina’s flat. I’m not heartless.” “And you think bringing her here is a good idea?” Yeri argued back, rolling her eyes to her friend, “What if she makes some trouble?” “She won’t, okay,” the cub said, acting like she wasn’t talking to her, “She’s actually obedient,” she paused and then added, “Just don’t put anything on your desk that can tempt her to knock it over.” The literature student furrowed her brows – unconvinced by her poor decision of bringing her pet in their History class. After all, their professor can turn into a terror monster at any triggering point. Down on the cub’s lap, Needy glanced around her new surrounding with curious eyes and slipped out tongue. Yeri’s shoulders slacked before sighing, “I don’t know you if this idea of yours goes downhill.” Of course, she didn’t mean any of that and if her sort of dumb friend will ever be caught in possession of a brown cat during the span of their class, then she might as well try to save her stubborn .

Leaning back to her side, she subtly grazed her fingers under Needy’s jaw, “She is,” she muttered lowly, “Cute.” She couldn’t really help but to agree and answer her friend’s earlier good point and question.

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Halfway through their class, Needy jumped off of Chaeyoung’s lap and landed onto Yeri’s. The cub’s other seatmate caught the abrupt movement of the furball, so she elbowed her literature friend before the both of them offered the most bribing smiles of reassurance. Thanked heavens that their classmate shrugged off witnessing the brown fluff’s leap. After the quite nerve-wracking encounter, Needy thankfully decided to nap for the rest of their class. Chaeyoung booped Needy’s nose to wake her up then put her back inside her hoodie when their professor finally dismissed them. Yeri walked just ahead of her to avoid any suspicion to be directed to the wiggling creature on her belly. “Next time, try to hide a live cat better, Son Chaeyoung-ssi,” Lee Minhyuk commented as he watched the two continued with their antics. The art student’s feet halted and her spine tensed to his words, “What?” she asked, eyes wide. Yeri tried to block most of his view to her friend. “Your little companion’s tail peeked out before you managed to walk into your row,” he said coolly – his voice reverberating and deep. The two students froze and remained grounded to their feet as they waited for his next instruction and possibly punishment.

He sighed, “You two are free to go,” he spoke, “At least today, both of you tried to listen to our lesson.” Without further ado, Chaeyoung pushed through Yeri until they were out of their class.

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Having the small portion of what was left on their day, the literature student agreed to accompany the cub with buying Needy some supplies. They headed straight to the nearest pet shop that was a good twenty minutes away from the university. It seemed like the brown cat was enjoying being out in the real world. Needy had been trying her best to absorb her surrounding as they walked to their next destination. Chaeyoung watched the place as they ente