[CONTENTID1]Darkness and Dark Chocolates[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]A Selection of Chocolate-Boys[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

It wasn't even dawn yet but a constant whining forced Suzy's eyelids open. She squinted through the semi darkness, before clumsily reaching for her lamp. She switched it on, and yawned.

The mewling was piercing from outside. Something wailed like a hungry child in the hours of imminent dawn. Not wanting her parents to wake up, Suzy slipped her bare feet into her slippers and wrapped her gown over her nighty.

She yawned again as she lumbered down the corridor and pulled open the main door. Nothing was there,but a box remained outside her door. The origin of the noise was vibrating from within

"What's this?" Suzy sank down to her knees and gingerly peeled away the tape on the box.

Parting away the front covers, she was met with the famished face of a black kitten with yellow eyes. It squeaked at her, sunken eyes glimmering with moisture. Her heart instantly melted.

She gently lifted the poor dear,and its ears. The kitten purred under her palm, causing a surprising warmth to glow within her. She had the sudden urge to take it inside and let it roam around her room.

She never had a pet before. Well, she did have a goldfish on her thirteenth birthday but for some reason, she thought salt was good for its health. It died the day after. No one had warned her that goldfish were fresh water swimmers.

"Hello there", she cooed. "Where did you come from?"

There was a note left beside the poor thing. It read 'Please look after HeeBerry for me. She is always hungry.'

Suzy frowned at the name. Only one person was responsible for naming his cats using his first syllable. If this was Heechul's way of a sick joke, she would not buy it. How immature could that man be?

Her cheeks puckered in as she gathered HeeBerry into her arms and strode to dorm two's door. She ratted her knuckles a few times. If Heechul planned on giving her gifts, then four a.m. in the morning was the wrong time to present it. He had no sense of morality. Perhaps Luhan's parents' accusations were justified.

No one answered the door while HeeBerry mewled for food. It pawed at her satin shirt. Its eyes shone with hungry tears. She patted its soft little head to hush it but HeeBerry continued to whine.

"Did papa give you away?" she asked sympathetically. "You're really cute, but I can't keep you. My eomma would kill me."

A solitary tear trickled down its watery eyes as if it understood her. Suzy frowned. She was at a loss on what to do. Part of her wanted to keep the kitten but the other half warned her of trouble.

The door finally swung open and Suzy almost shrieked in fright. In the midst of a second, she couldn't recognise the person draped in a woolly pink gown showing off his clean shaven calves, with a film of mud decorating his face.

Tired eyes glared at her, but Kim Heechul had never appeared so daunting while half asleep.

"Have some common courtesy, kid. It's four in the morning," he snapped at her. "You almost woke my babies."

The nerve of him! She discarded the fact that he drove her to college in the stormy weather. Not after his current act.

"I know," she said, with the same level of aversion. "I should ask you the same question."

When HeeBerry wailed again, Heechul's irascible gaze focused on it. His lips parted in shock.

"What's this?" He pointed at the kitten. "Did you rescue this little fella?"

Suzy raised a brow. "Huh? Don't play dumb with me, Heechul oppa. I really respect you, but leaving gifts outside my house at this hour's not acceptable."

Heechul's eyebrows rose, the mud mask cracked along his forehead and he threw his head back in laughter. He clapped his hands together as if she said the most ludicrous thing he had ever heard.

Suzy pouted at him. "What's so funny?"

There were tears in his eyes. He spoke in a  broken tone, "Y-you think I left the cat for you? Kid, get a grip on yourself. Why would I leave gifts for you?"

The thought forced the heat to traverse across her cheeks. He was correct. What was she thinking? Why would he give her such an individualistic present? It wasn’t like he was her boyfriend or secret admirer. He was barely a friend to her. He was nothing more than her crazy, cat-loving neighbour. She was so naive.

"B-but--" she stammered but Heechul cut her off.

"Right, let me vanquish any misunderstandings here. You need to stop believing that I like you--"

"I don't!" she spat but Heechul's sardonic expression said otherwise.

"I do have interest in women, but only in those that are prettier than I, you get me?"

She didn't understand him. Her heart hammered in and she had an urge to rip his hair from his scalp. That should wipe the grin off his face. How could he humiliate her like this? Was this his way of revenge because she disturbed his beauty sleep?

"I never give kittens as gifts. It's not fair on the poor creatures if they suffer at the hands of an incompetent owner. Now, this little one you've found is possibly from one of your secret admirers, but its definitely not that imp Luhan, that's for sure."

"But her name is HeeBerry! How many people call their cats starting with the syllable Hee!?"

The name made him flinch. His jaw clenched and the colour drained from his face. Suzy was afraid that he would faint.

"What?" he whispered through gritted teeth. Disbelief flickered in his eyes, so Suzy had to show him the letter. He read it not once or twice, but many times.

Heechul took HeeBerry into his arms. He was lost in a daze, as if the whole world vanished from his senses. His lips curled into a frown. A pang of guilt took over Suzy. She could feel pain emanating off him. It was strange to see Heechul lost in thoughts that weren't related to his prettiness.  

She suddenly wished to embrace him, even if he was wearing a pink gown.

"Okay..." Heechul said quietly, "I'll keep her."

Without a second glance, he slammed the door shut, leaving Suzy in the eerie stillness. She mused over his bizarre reaction. She wondered what memories triggered such foreign emotions in her neighbour.

If only she could help him. Instead, she decided to text Tao a message. He had allowed her to call him by his pet name, and somehow they had exchanged numbers during that week.

-

Tao didn't reply until ten a.m. that morning, after Suzy arrived at Kimchi. She had slept in and her father hadn't bothered waking her up. She knew that he was ashamed if she should visit the restaurant. However, she had to align her newly bought doilies on the tables.  

Heechul's reaction still left her perplexed. Tao advised her not to worry and that he would personally check on her crazy neighbour by himself. Suzy wondered what Tao saw in Heechul that encouraged a bond of friendship. Then again, Heechul enticed company wherever he roamed, be it humans or cats.

She sighed with relief after reading Tao's message. That was one less burd