Chansung grabbed onto Junho’s shoulders with a little too much force and shook him a little while yelling, “You found the Emperor!? When? Where did you find him?”

Junho looked a little scared and fumbled with his words before he managed to say, “That’s not what I said Chansung…”

Chansung was confused. He was certain that Junho just mentioned the Emperor so if it wasn’t to say that he found him, what else could it be? He let go off his shoulders and asked, “Junho. What did you say?”

He could see Junho visibly shaking and looking very pale. He held Chansung’s gaze for a while before repeating himself, “I am the Emperor, Chansung.”

He didn’t quite register the words and just stood there for a long time just trying to get them to sink in. ‘I am the Emperor. He is the Emperor. Junho is the Emperor.’ He couldn’t help the few chuckles that he let slip but he stopped instantly once he saw the distraught look on Junho’s face. His glistening eyes and trembling bottom lip; he didn’t look like he was joking at all but Chansung had to ask anyway. “You are kidding. Right? That is you just mucking about right Junho?” putting emphasis on the last two words when he got no reaction from the trembling man in front of him. He started to chuckle again but without humour and almost yelled at Junho, “Junho. Answer me. You were joking right?”

Junho was terrified at this point and started to back away from Chansung. He was wringing his fingers and looked Chansung dead in the eye, “No. I am perfectly serious Hwang Chansung.”

Chansung was too shocked to do or say anything. His chuckles died down, followed by stuttering and fumbling as he tried to get his words across. “Are you telling me that you, Lee Junho, you are my cat the Emperor?” When he got a hesitant nod from the man in front of him, he couldn’t help but scoff really loudly. Junho was about to say something when he got cut-off, “So you’re in the joke too huh? That I’m this crazy cat person. That I should just get over him and I’m being stupid. So it’s funny to pick on the crazy person, huh?” Chansung wasn’t even sure what he was saying anymore because he was so angry, and so hurt, that he didn’t even register the words that were about to come out of his mouth. “I thought you were my friend Lee Junho. Don’t talk to me ever again.”

He pushed passed the stunned person in front of him and made his way to work.

Days became weeks and eventually Chansung just lost track of time and space because everything in his life was just one big blur. He didn’t see Junho after their encounter and frankly he didn’t care. He was so hurt and upset by that prank that he didn’t think he’d ever trust him again. He knew he was being a little bit stubborn but it was the fact that Junho had made fun of him that cut him the most. To think that this whole time Junho never took him seriously left a deep mark on Chansung. He could take everyone else rolling their eyes or muttering under their breath when he’d mention the Emperor but when Junho did it too, that’s when Chansung couldn’t take it. Because it meant that this whole time Chansung was developing feelings for someone who saw him as an idiot. A fool. A silly person with a weird obsession. That humiliation is what really hurt him.

At first, people asked him what’s wrong but soon they stopped trying when they saw their efforts were futile. Chansung would just smile and play it off as being tired but people stopped trying to help him when clearly he didn’t want any help. He didn’t want to talk to anyone and even Wooyoung gave him his space. He stopped seeing Minjun in fear that he might bump into ‘that person’ again and soon enough, he just stopped talking. He would only reply when necessary but other than that, he just kept to himself.

He hasn’t used his voice in such a long time that when his door was knocked one Saturday morning, he didn’t even bother answering it. The knocks weren’t very loud but they were still audible and very persistent. He tried to ignore the taps against the hard wood but after a minute he got annoyed and went to answer it to stop the tapping. He figured it might be Wooyoung coming over to finally kick his but changed his mind when he found no one behind the door. Thinking it was a ‘knock and run’ type of prank, Chansung stepped outside to see if the hooligans were hiding somewhere close. He took once step outside but was greeted with a sharp pain to his left foot.

“What the fu—oh my god!” finally looking at what he stepped on, he saw a small, thin tuxedo cat scratching at his leg. “EMPEROR!” his yell was so loud that the cat ran away to the far end of his front yard. From there, the Emperor sat on his hind legs and looked up at Chansung expectantly. Although the cat looked calm, Chansung could’ve sworn he saw fear and even a bit of worry in the cat’s posture; like it was worried about being welcomed back by him. He didn’t approach the cat in case he frightened the little creature but he ran back inside the house to get his bowl and the cat food he’s stored in case the Emperor ever decided to come back. He shook the box of dry cat food which made the lithe creature’s ears perk up. He slowly and hesitantly walked across the front lawn and up the patio to the bowl. Chansung sat inches away from the bowl and waited for the cat to dig in before reaching out to him. He gently his head until he coaxed the cat into relaxing and purring back in approval.

Chansung had to refrain himself from talking too loudly in case he scared the little cat away (and in case anyone walked past his house and saw him talking to an animal) but he just couldn’t keep quiet. He was so relieved and overjoyed that he couldn’t help the ‘I miss you’s and ‘I love you’s endlessly pouring from his lips. He just repeated the praises and emptied out all the love he can muster in his words to relax the cat and make him trust him again. At this point Chansung was sure that the real reason the Emperor disappeared was because he didn’t show him enough love so he made a duty it upon himself to remind the little one how much he loved him, even if he really couldn’t understand him. As long as the cat felt that he was loved, he was sure that would be enough to make him stay this time round.

Chansung stayed outside with him the whole day until the last rays of sun painted the sky and the red streaks of light fused with the violet to call upon the ribbons of the dark navy night. At this point Chansung was lying on his side on the grass with the Emperor curled up in his chest. The cat snoozed off after eating a really big meal (Chansung was so excited to see him back he didn’t realise he gave him double his usual serving) and was gently purring with his body rising and falling to his steady breathing. Chansung had his head propped up on his right hand and his left continued to the cat. He didn’t want to break contact with him in fear that once he does, he’ll just run away again and this time he won’t come back.

The Emperor’s return reminded Chansung of how depressed he really got after the Junho ordeal. He didn’t realise how much he missed smiling and forgot how it felt like to have his heart beat with such vigour. The last time his heartbeat ever sped up was when he was with Junho. When they would go on their coffee dates and how their hands sometimes brush together. Or how they would catch the other staring at them, only to have them shy away at getting caught. Or when they would walk home together in comfortable silence, not needing to say words as their actions speak much more loudly. Now looking down at the sleeping Emperor, he remembered all these feelings and the person that would elicit them so easily; he couldn’t help but feel a twinge at his heart strings. He had to admit, cutting off human contact made him very lonely but when that person disappeared, that was when he felt real loneliness. Now that the Emperor is back, Chansung hopes that maybe his old love could fill the void that he felt when his new love disappeared.

Chansung set his alarm for the next day extra early so that he can spend more time (on top of the usual 30mins) with the Emperor. After making sure he had everything he needed for work and double checking that the front door was locked, he sat down on his front lawn with the little cat. He waited until the cat ate everything before rolling around the lawn and playing with him. He knew an hour wasn’t enough to make up for lost time but he didn’t mind. Any time spent with his little friend is time spent well.

Losing track of time, he didn’t realise how late he was until he felt a few drops of water on his cheek. Not sure where the water came from, he looked up from where he was on the lawn to see his neighbour pointing the garden hose dangerously close to him.

“You weren’t answering me when I yelled out your name so I was going to hose you down but I didn’t want to wet the poor cat.”

“Hyung! Hyung! The Emperor’s back! Look!” he picked up the cat and held him really close to Jinyoung’s face. He didn’t see the rodent in Jinyoung’s arms and as soon as the cat saw it, he bolted from his hold and ran down the street. The rat was squirming in its owner’s grip, trying to escape but Jinyoung soothed it until it stopped panicking.

“What the hell is that?” Chansung rather harshly asked.

“That is JYP for your information. He has a name, don’t be rude.” He was still petting the albino rat, trying to calm it down.

Chansung apologised for being rude to his hyung but then got curious and couldn’t help but ask, “Why do you have a rat? Don’t you own a cat who’s also called JYP?”

Jinyoung gave a look reminiscent of the Emperor’s whenever he got the wrong cat food. “I don’t have a cat. Why would I have a cat when I already have little JYP here”

“But you had a cat. The last time I saw you, you were petting it. And you had a dog too and you were walking it. I remember very clearly!”

Jinyoung looked down to JYP in his arms and started cooing in the little critter’s ear, “There, there little one. Let’s go back inside away from the crazy neighbour. You’re the only one in my life I swear it!” he walked back into his house, leaving a dumbfounded Chansung in his wake. Snapping out of his shock, he realised that once again he has lost track of time and is going to be late for work.  

I know that anything I say now won't be near enough to show how sorry I am for leaving for so long. I am so so sorry for disappearing for almost 2 months and even though I had stuff going on in the holidays that stopped me from updatting, it still isn't a good enough excuse. 

I seriously love you guys so much and to the people that still read this story *hugs you through the computer and never lets you go*

I didn't really like this update because I'm not good at angst but I hope it isn't too bad and that you guys forgive me for my grammar and spelling. 

Now that's I'm updating again, the next chapters should be up fairly quickly. 

Thank you once again for all my beautiful, amazing readers  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥