Lost and Found
I'm Not Alone AnymoreSowon was certain that time slowed to a complete stop every time she was in class.
Not that she had really noticed before. But she hadn't had something to look forward to at home until now. She tapped her pencil rhythmically against the table, humming the song she had heard on the car radio on the way to school. It was another song by the group Sunrise. Sowon was becoming very fond of them and their music. The group had recently come back with a new song and style and it quickly became Sowon's favorite. The melody was magical, bewitching even. And the chorus was filled with the same powerful energy that was in every single one of their songs. Their trademark. She would have to find some time soon to go out and buy the album physically, having already bought the main track digitally on her phone.
"Sojung?"
Sowon jolted out of her daze at the sound of her name being called for the fourth time, not used to hearing it anymore. . Her professor had asked her a question about the chapter they were on. Flipping through the textbook, Sowon managed to figure out and vocalize what the answer was, sighing with relief when the professor moved on to another student.
She couldn't stop worrying about what was going on back at her apartment. When she had left early in the morning, Yerin and Eunha were still asleep, the kittens being the only souls awake, besides her, at that hour. She had made sure to leave her television on the nature channel before leaving as she had promised, just in case Yerin and Eunha didn't want playing with the kittens to be the only thing they did until she got home. To her surprise, the gray kitten, Yuju, had jumped up on the couch, watching the animals on the living room TV with an intense focus. It had been funny to see. If only she didn't have to go to school. She could have finally bonded with Yuju.
Just a few more minutes. Sowon thought, her foot tapping against the table. How was she going to survive this every day until the weekend came each week? If only she could drop out and do something else without alerting her parents to it. It was tempting. But unrealistic.
The clock hit three, signaling the end of the lecture. Finally. She could go home.
Sowon was the first to leave the classroom, beating the crowd to the door. Her classmates had noticed the change in the taller, a few whispering to each other quietly as they left. Sowon didn't care though. They could talk all they wanted. It didn't bother her.
As soon as she was in the drivers seat of her car, Sowon the radio, connecting her phone wirelessly to the car stereo so she could listen to Sunrise's new song again. It was addicting. Sowon hadn't been much of a singer before but something about this song brought her voice to life, expertly driving her car home while singing along to it. It was fun.
Pulling into her parking spot as the song faded out for the third time, Sowon locked her car and practically ran to her apartment door. Taking a breath, Sowon tried to ease her nerves. Yerin had a better handle on SinB than she did. As long as her place wasn't too trashed she would be happy. She pushed the door open, locking it, and let her gaze drift inside.
Both Yerin, Eunha and the brown striped kitten, Umji, were watching the nature show on the television. It was a program about the big cats of the jungle, showing how they lived and behaved in the wild. What a perfect show for them.
"I'm home." Sowon's voice pulled the group's attention away from the TV, Eunha jumping up to Sowon's side while Yerin smiled up at her. Umji only darted away off of Yerin's lap, hiding for what seemed like the hundredth time. Yuju and SinB made their way over with their little paws, ready to be fed lunch. SinB meowed, biting Sowon's shoe and making a run for it.
"Nice to see you too." Sowon retaliated, watching SinB race off into the other room. She had such a strange personality.
"Welcome home!" Eunha giggled, taking Sowon's hand in her own. Sowon tried to stop from tensing up but it was too much of a habit now. She needed to get used to it. Eunha didn't notice, squeezing her hand tightly. She was wearing the shirt with a bunny on the pocket that Yerin had picked out for her yesterday. It was cute on her, Sowon admitted to herself mentally. Yerin was also wearing what Eunha had picked out for her, a pink hoodie that suited her bright personality perfectly.
"Did you bring home pancakes again?"
"Not this time, Eunha." Sowon placed her school bag next to the door, trying to not pull her hand away from Eunha's hand too fast. She didn't want Eunha to get the wrong idea. "I was thinking I'd try making something again today. Does that sound good?"
Eunha nodded happily, letting go of Sowon so she could plop back down on the couch with Yerin. The black kitten, SinB, was currently making the climb up to the top of the fridge again, Yuju watching her from the couch as Eunha and Yerin were back to being distracted by the show on TV.
"How many times do I have to tell you to get off of there?" Sowon moved fast to get SinB down. The kitten wouldn't let her pick her up so she had to resort to herding her down to the kitchen counter. Now that the kitten had jumped back down to the floor, Sowon pulled out some ingredients from the fridge to get started on lunch. She had found a dumpling recipe that seemed simple enough. And if she didn't succeed after trying for a while, ordering food delivery was always an option.
To her surprise, Sowon's cooking was improving. She had only burnt one dumpling so far and the rest were looking great. Maybe she wasn't so bad at this after all. The feeling of arms wrapping around her waist from behind broke her out of her concentration. She turned her head to see Eunha clinging to her, watching the food on the pan.
"Is it done yet?" Eunha's grip on Sowon was soft but the taller was having trouble keeping calm. Affection was never really something that Sowon was used to doing. But she didn't want the former white kitten to think she hated her or anything. So she would put up with it, hoping that the short haired girl wouldn't notice her body shaking.
"Almost. I just have to plate everything and scoop the rice." Sowon replied as she turned off the stove, letting the dumplings cool down. Eunha only watched, comfortable against Sowon.
"Come to the table, Yerin. It's almost ready." The blo
Comments