"Oh? Back again tonight?" she asked playfully as she noticed Zelo crouching underneath the streetlamp beside the wall.

Yup.

She stopped directly across from him, taking a can out of the plastic bag that she always brought with her. At the sound of the can opening, the black cat popped out of nowhere, purring as it saw her. The cat paced back and forth in front of her, waiting for its meal. She let out a bright laugh before leaving the can on top of the snow for the cat to eat. Then she made her way over to Zelo.

"Tonight's menu - tuna sandwich!" she said, pulling out a sandwich in a disposable container from her bag. She held it out for Zelo with a smile, her eyes curved up again. Shyly, Zelo took the container from her.

She always brought him food, even though he had never asked for it. But he was always thankful to receive it from her. Her store bought food was much better than the one that he would eat at home, the foul aftertaste of neglect always on his tongue. It was a wonder if his parents even remembered to get him dinner, since they never ate together.

"It's been a week now, and I still don't know your name."

She stared at him with eyes full of curiosity, almost pleading him to talk. The pressure from her only kept his lips locked all the more.

"Fiiiine. Do you want to know mine then?"

Of course.

Zelo raised his eyebrows slightly, unable to keep his poker face at the mention of her name. He was dying to know. He would sometimes stay up at night, going through a list of all the girl names he knew to see what would suit her the best. Then he would remember the first time he saw her smile and everything he came up with wasn't good enough.

She didn't miss the change in Zelo's expression.

"It's Hyosung. Jun Hyosung," she said confidently, bringing her arms behind her. "Remember that. The one that feeds you every night is Hyosung, okay?" She turned towards the cat. "You too!"

The cat purred in response, causing Hyosung to giggle.

Jun... Hyosung...

The name seeped into Zelo's mind, filling him with a feeling the sound of his own name couldn't.

Zelo slowly paced around the street, wondering where Hyosung was. The stray cat was waiting for her under a parked car to keep dry.

It was snowing again tonight.

He jumped up and down in an attempt to shake off some of the snow that had started to stick to his hair. Zelo rubbed at his arms over his thick coat to try and get a little warmer. Befitting the winter season and all the snow, it was freezing. It didn't surprise Zelo, who was used to being outside for Hyosung each night, but it didn't make the cold any less real.

"Oh, over here," came her voice from down the street. Zelo turned to find Hyosung carrying a plastic foldaway chair, a huge umbrella and a flat seat cushion with a bag hanging from her arm as she walked towards him.

...What?...

"You're... quite tall," she commented as she stood in front of him. Zelo was always squatting down when she saw her, but now that they were both standing, he towered over her. Zelo couldn't help but feel satisfaction swell in him as Hyosung looked up at his face; he barely managed to keep his lips from curving into a smirk.

"Anyways," she said. "Guess what I brought for you?"

Without waiting for his silent answer, she quickly went over to the area under the streetlamp where he always waited for her. She unfolded the plastic chair and set it on the ground. Then she placed the cushion on the chair. Lastly, she opened up the large umbrella, leaning it on the back of the chair. When she was finished, Hyosung turned to Zelo, her eyes gleaming.

"For you," she said, flashing Zelo her gummy smile.

Zelo stared at her, not really comprehending the situation. Had she really brought all this for him?

When Hyosung noticed Zelo's shock, she walked over to him, chuckling. Carefully, she dusted off the snow on his shoulder. She got on her tiptoes to dust some off of his head but still couldn't reach it; Zelo leaned his head down a little so that she could.

"Now you won't collect snow on your head like this," she mumbled shyly, biting her lip while shaking her hand through Zelo's hair.

Zelo felt like purring under her touch.

"Stray cat! Guess what the menu is this time?" Hyosung laughed, running up to him with a gloved hand tightly around a plastic bag.

Stray cat.

That's what she called Zelo nowadays. After weeks of seeing him every night and bringing him something to eat each time, she had finally given him a nickname.

Why a stray cat?

"You're like this one here," she said suddenly, pointing down to the black cat that had become his companion over the days. "You're always waiting for me here. I always bring you both something to eat. You're like a stray cat in a lot of ways."

She gave Zelo a goofy laugh, pink at the apple of her cheeks.

Zelo dwelled on her words for a moment. He pulled his chin in then, looking down at the floor to hide the smile spreading across his face.

"What's wrong?" was the first thing she asked him when she saw his face.

Nothing.

Zelo stuck his hands into his jean pockets, kicking around a rock with his foot. He clenched his jaw, unable to control his emotions as well as he hoped to do. Hyosung appeared in front of him, brows furrowed in worry.

"Stray cat, tell me what's wrong. Did something happen?" she asked again, her voice drenched in concern.

He shook his head to answer her question. Inside, he was already breaking down.

Nothing's wrong. Why do you think something's wrong? Nothings wrong.

Hyosung bit on her bottom lip, not convinced by his response.

"You can tell me..." she whispered, grabbing onto his jacket with her small hand. "It's okay...."

I CAN'T.

Zelo yelled at her inside his head. How could he tell her? How could he explain to her the things he saw everyday? The things he heard everyday? It was bad enough that they hated each other. It was bad enough that they hated him. What Zelo didn't understand was how they could ignore him as they did. How could they go on, entangled in their cheater's bodies, those damned moans and groans escaping from their lips, when he was right there?

They were supposed to be his parents.

Zelo bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep from embarrassing himself, but the sting behind his eyes still came. And the tears followed after, rolling down the side of his face. He didn't know which emotion was stronger: how embarrassed he was from crying in front of Hyosung, or how pathetic he felt for crying at all.

"Kitty," she mumbled painfully when she noticed his tears. After a moment of hesitation, Hyosung slipped her hands around Zelo's waist, embracing him tightly. He flinched at the contact, but Hyosung remained firm. She rubbed his back soothingly.

"It's okay... It'll be okay..."

Zelo felt another rush of tears running down his cheeks at her consoling words.

Sorry...

...Thank you...

"How old are you, Stray cat?"

I told you I was seventeen.

"Do you know how old I am?"

No clue.

"I'm twenty four years old. I'm much older than you, right?"

Twenty four... About seven years. That's not that much.

"Ack! My youth is flying by me!" She let out a sigh. "When do you think I'll be able to make enough money to move out of that old one-room?"

Don't you like this neighborhood?

"Enjoy school while you can, Stray cat. It's not going to be as fun as you think when it ends."

Hm... We'll see about that.

Zelo thought about when he would turn nineteen. He would be his own guardian; he could move out of his parents house and never see them again. The notion seemed swell enough.

"Are you even listening to me?" she asked, abruptly taking away the spoon Zelo was eating his fried rice with. Upon looking at his stunned face, Hyosung let out a laugh before handing it back to him.

Geesh. You shouldn't take it away like that when I'm in the middle of eating.

"You can talk... Right? You're not mute...?"

Zelo almost let out a snicker. He shook his head.

"Oh. Yeah. I didn't think so."

Suuuure.

"Are you ever going to tell me your name? Your real name?"

I actually don't have an answer to that.

"How come you always wait for me here?"

The spoon that was on its way to Zelo's mouth stopped. Hyosung panicked a little when she noticed.

"No! No, it's not that I mind. It's nice having you around actually. I was just curious... You don't seem like a homeless kid, so it's not like you ran away. But then you always stay out very late... And most of all, it's cold. Is the food I bring you really worth staying out in this freezing weather?" she talked quietly, avoiding Zelo's eyes.

It's not the food that's worth the wait.

It's you...

Zelo looked away from Hyosung too, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks.

He had to admit that it was difficult at times to wait for her. The snow and rain always soaked through his sneakers and socks, so that his feet went numb. The wind cut chills right through to his bone. He face felt frozen more often than not. But somehow, it all melted away when he saw her.

Hyosung was his escape.

Being with her helped him forget all that he wanted to forget, even if it didn't last. Being with Hyosung made him feel clean, like he could put all the sins he had seen behind him.

Maybe it was her kind voice. Maybe it was her gummy smile. Maybe it was the generosity she showered Zelo and the black cat with. Either way...

Zelo needed her.

Where is she?

Zelo looked down the street where Hyosung would come walking down. She was extremely late. Zelo started pacing again, brows furrowed. He wondered if she was out with her friends; he wondered if they were taking good care of her.

Then he heard humming and saw her shadow make its way toward him. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Stray caaattt," Hyosung slurred out, her lips in a lopsided smile. Her face was pink, with her cheeks as red as apples. She was running towards him now, her arms wide open for an embrace.

What the...

Before Zelo had time to protest, Hyosung wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her head in his chest as she giggled.

"I knew you'd be here. See, I told all my friends that I had a cat waiting for me here. They all laughed," she looked up at Zelo now, her eyes curved and the corners of her lips up to her ears to show her gummy smile. "But I knew you'd be here."

Hyosung giggled again, tightening her grip around him as she snuggled further into him.

Haha... ha... ha...

Zelo laughed nervously in his head. He had raised his arms up awkwardly when Hyosung came to him for the embrace, unsure of what to do exactly. His heart was beating rapidly, faster than it had ever gone, at the sudden contact. And it was everything else too: what she said, how she said it, the tone of her voice, the way she giggled...

Drunk Hyosung was adorable.

She pulled her face away from Zelo's chest, looking at him again. She puffed her cheeks out, releasing her grip around his waist to take her hands up to his face. The fuzzy material of her mittens tickled Zelo's skin.

"Why do you have pink hair, Stray cat? Cats aren't pink."

...To each (cat), their own (style)...

"Are you cold?" she pouted, rubbing at his cheeks.

N-no... It's okay, really.

"That's no good," she declared. She unwrapped her matching scarf from her neck. Zelo had to lean down again as Hyosung struggled to get it around his neck. He was still leaned in when Hyosung stopped her hands. Zelo looked at her to see why she paused only to find bright, brown eyes only inches away from his. His breathing hitched. He watched her lashes move as she observed his face from top to bottom. The flush from alcohol was obvious on her cheeks. He could feel his her breath on his lips, the pale pink only inches away.

He could kiss her now...

Zelo pushed the thought away as his own face began to blush; it was wrong to take advantage of her in this state. He started to stand straight when Hyosung pulled at the scarf that was wrapped around his neck.

Zelo felt lips as soft as silk on his own as Hyosung kissed him.

The world froze.

Then Hyosung pulled away, smirking at him.

"That... was your first kiss, right?" she slurred out, a look of triumph on her face.

Zelo didn't hesitate again.

"And this is my second," he whispered, causing Hyosung's eyes to widen in shock at the sound of his voice. He took the moment she was off guard to wrap one arm around her waist and bring one hand up to cup her face. Zelo leaned in, planting his lips on Hyosung's for the second time in the falling snow.

"Did I do anything stupid yesterday?" Hyosung asked, hiding her face in her hands. She peaked through her fingers, observing Zelo's reaction.

Zelo nodded his head. Hyosung's jaw dropped in despair.

"What did I do?" she asked desperately, clinging to his arm. "What was it? Teeellll meeeee."

His lips twitched in laughter at her response. So she didn't remember at all; he figured it was for the best anyway. It would remain his sweet memory.

"Teeellll meeee," she whined. Zelo could barely hold in his laughter.

Suddenly, the black cat let out a 'meow', distracting Hyosung as she hurried to feed it.

Zelo watched her. She was crouching in front of the cat, hugging her knees. Her purple hair cascaded down her back in long waves, a small braid at the side. Her bangs grew longer, getting in her eyes a bit. Hyosung smiled as she watched the cat eat, her eyes narrowing into crescents. She was beautiful.

Yesterday would be his own sweet, sweet memory.

He sensed something was wrong the moment he heard Hyosung's hurried footsteps. He knew something was wrong when he stopped hearing them. Zelo rushed down the street, looking for the purple haired girl.

Anger flashed through him when he found her.

Hyosung looked distraught as a man held her back by her wrist, pulling her to him.

"L-let go! I already told you I wasn't interested," she grunted, trying to release her arm from his grip. He held on tighter, giving a final tug so that Hyosung bumped into his chest.

"Hyosung-ah, c'mon. I see the way you look at me. Stop playing hard to get," he said, sending her a cheesy smile. He leaned down to kiss her.

She stopped him with a hand to his face, pushing him away with all that she had.

"I'm not playing hard to get," she managed out. "I just don't like you!"

The strange man, pissed off by Hyosung's words and attitude, tangled his hand into her hair. He yanked with force, creating a yell of pain from her lips. "Listen to me, you little..."

That was all Zelo could stand to watch.

He stalked up to the two of them. By the time the man noticed that Zelo was near him, Zelo already had his hand around the man's throat, cutting off his air. He let go of Hyosung's hair from surprise. With his other free hand, Zelo pulled Hyosung away, bringing her behind him to protect her from more harm. Zelo nearly snarled as he glared down the guy, tightening his grip.

"Stray cat," he heard Hyosung whisper in worry.

Unsatisfied, Zelo let go of the man who was now gasping for air. Before he had a chance to properly recover, Zelo slammed down a fist onto the side of his face. The man groaned, falling to the ground on impact.

"Ah, ," the man muttered, looking up at the one who hit him. Zelo didn't need to speak a single word. He went in for another punch to the jaw when the man scrambled back, frightened by the the look in Zelo's eyes. He disappeared down the street.

Zelo gritted his teeth, debating if he should run after the man or not. One hit to the face wasn't enough, not considering how he treated Hyosung.

Hyosung...

Zelo looked behind him to face her. She had her eyes to the ground, shaking like a leaf. She was biting her nails, brows furrowed from fear. Her hair was a mess. Tears welled up in Hyosung's eyes as her eyes darted around, unable to focus on a spot on the ground.

Hyosung...

All the tension in Zelo relaxed as his heart began to ache at the sight of her. He took a step closer to her but couldn't bring himself to take another as he watched her bite her lip in anxiety.

"He... kept hitting on me. I said 'no' so many times but he kept hitting on me. I-I guess he couldn't take it anymore... He was following me all the way from w-work... I t-thought he was going to go away, but then he grabbed me.. and... and..." Hyosung mumbled out, as if trying to make sense of the situation herself. She choked on her words the more she talked.

What was Zelo supposed to do?

He took a dry swallow before closing the distance between him and Hyosung. He tenderly wrapped his arms around her, bringing her in for a gentle hug. After making sure he hadn't scared Hyosung, he rested his chin on the top of her head, rubbing her back comfortingly.

It's okay... It'll be okay...

Hyosung cried into his shoulder for what seemed like a while, grabbing tightly onto his coat. When she had finally calmed down, she looked up at Zelo, leftover tears still in her eyes.

"...Stray cat, don't leave... Okay? I'll bring you food every night. And you don't have to talk, ever. And I'll even try to bring you a better chair than that one there. So don't leave..." she whispered, looking into his eyes.

Zelo gave her a soft smile, nodding slightly.

I won't.