Normally, the group chat I've got with Jongup and Junhong ends up just us sending cat pictures to each other with weird captions. Junhong's cats, aptly nicknamed 'the cows' because they're cats with cow patterns. The Raptor Squad, Jongup's cats that he named after the velociraptors in Jurassic World. And my cheesy cats, Feta and Gouda.

There was also one time Jongup sent a picture of himself just drinking a gallon of chocolate milk with the caption of 'get the IV bag'.

This evening, however, Junhong made the request that we all hang out for a bit because it's been a while since the three of us have had an opportunity to chill together.

Since early October actually. The day I first almost met the neighbour!

What with the two of them having busier schedules than me, it's hard for it to be the three of us on frequent occasions. Once a month at best, but Junhong busies himself at the local pharmacy and Jongup's doing his veterinary prerequisites on the weekends, so it alway ends up being the later hours of the day.

So here we were, piled up on the couch at Junhong's house. The cows have, unsurprisingly, come to cuddle on me while everyone conversed. They're discussing something about Junhong's work day, but I'm kind of mentally tuned out to it because I feel weird.

Why do I feel weird? It's because I don't understand my feelings towards the neighbour! He confuses me and I can't decide whether I want to keep on watching him to see what else I could learn about him or if I want to avoid even seeing him because he makes me feel strange.

I'm leaning towards the latter because the more I learn, the more interested I become, and I'm still trying to convince myself that I don't want to meet him!

But like... I'm a naturally curious cat so even if I tell myself not to, I'll still end up hopping into the window every time I hear a car door shut or footsteps on the porch.

This is definitely a losing battle for me. If I indulge in my curiosity, that doesn't exactly mean I have to meet him, though. I could just have some mental compilation of the things I learn about the neighbour based on limited interaction!

Two things on that list so far. Likes to sing in the car and doesn't like pumpkins. I wonder what other sort of things could make it onto the mental catalogue...

Ha, get it? CATalogue? Because I'm a cat!

I tuned into what Jongup and Junhong were talking about at the tail end of the story. “She comes up to me like, 'It was right before the Cs the WHOLE time!'” Junhong pulled a face that I could only equate to 'really ?'.

“Oh geez, that pesky alphabet is at it again!” Jongup chuckled with a snort. “I can't believe I found the medicine labeled under Bs right before the Cs!”

“We never accused her of being smart.” Junhong rolled his eyes with a shake of his head. “But yeah, that was my day at work. Anything interesting happen for you guys?”

Jongup shook his head, and I shrugged. “Nothing too interesting ever happens to me.”

It's a lie from my teeth but I don't want to tell them about the strange neighbour feelings I've got going on.

“I don't know, that neighbour thing was pretty up there,” Junhong commented with a sly smile, and then Jongup joined in with a grin that mirrored Junhong's.

“Yeah? And that was over a month ago,” I clarified, squinting at them in a dare to just continue on with this train of thought if they had no regard for their well being.

“What about the pumpkins?” Jongup offered.

“Wait, the pumpkins? What sort of code is that?” Junhong exclaimed.

“It's not code for anything. Some smashed pumpkins were on the porch when I got home last week. Didn't learn anything about them. I cleaned up mine, and I guess the neighbour cleaned up the one on his side,” I explained. “They were just there for no ing reason.”

Definitely wasn't going to tell them that I'd actually watched the neighbour clean up his side.

“Pumpkins don't sound very exciting, though,” Junhong said.

“It's because they aren't!” I declared with a firm nod.

Jongup shrugged and checked his phone. “Oh , it's past dinner time.”

“No wonder I'm sitting over here starving!” Junhong patted his stomach. “Guys, let's go get some Zaxby's.”

Jongup scrunched his face up in distaste, but made no verbal complaint. After I said goodbye to the kitty cows and thanked them for cuddling with me, we piled up in Junhong's car. Since he'd driven us out here to his place, and it was getting late anyway, we decided that we'd split ways after getting food.

We also elected to go through the drive thru because we're pretty sure that if we sat in there and ate, we'd be there for a long time because I'm a slow eater. Once we get our foods, Junhong would drop me off, then Jongup. For efficiency!

Junhong and I got chicken, because Zaxby's is a chicken place and we love chicken, but Jongup got a reluctant BLT and was clearly struggling once the food was in the car. Head hung out the window, retching because the smell of the chicken was nauseating him.

This turned out to mean we dropped Jongup off at his house first despite the inefficiency, apologies flying from both ends. Him for being nauseated from the chicken and us for having the food he was gagging at. Maybe it was just today because he'd never reacted so poorly to Zaxby's chicken before...

“Thanks for the Zaxby's, and thanks for dropping me off,” I said, piling my things together and clambering out the back seat.

“No problem. I'm going to wait here until you get inside, okay? Tell the kitties I said hello!”

“Got it.” After struggling a thumbs up, I balanced my box of food in one elbow with my drink in my other hand and made my way up the sidewalk and onto the porch before realizing I needed my damn keys.

So I balanced my drink precariously on top of my food box with chicken I was heavily anticipating gorging on. Fumbling around inside my purse for my keys while also trying not to drop my things all over the place.

Balancing the screen door on my , I finally found my keys at the bottom of my purse underneath everything else in there. Before I had the chance to check if I had the right key, I ing panicked because I'm pretty sure I just heard A open his door!

Quickly now, I jam the key into the lock and it jams and I realize I've got the wrong ing key out! I only have two, how could I have picked the wrong ing one?! With shaky fingers, I manage to flip to the one that belonged to my apartment and shoved through my door the moment I heard a footstep and slammed the door in panic.

How I hadn't dropped my food or spilled my drink was beyond me, but my nerves were too shot to really care. I set them on the counter and took a deep breath. Feta and Gouda wove between my feet as I stood, back against the door and just taking everything in for a moment, then I sent a frantic text to the group chat.

Me: PRETTY SURE THE NEIGHBOUR SAW ME???

Junhong: I don't think he saw you, but he definitely heard you. He's staring at your door looking so confused.

Me: HE BETTER NOT KNOCK.

Jongup: This is the third time you've almost run into the guy and met him. Maybe you should just let it happen?

Me: NO. All I want to do is eat my chicken!! :(

Junhong: Ah! He went back inside!

Me: GOOD.

Now that that's resolved, I'm going to eat my chicken and fight my cats to make sure they don't get any. Human food isn't good for cats, after all. I get the exception because I'm currently humanized!

I set up at my desk because I don't actually own a table. Pulled up something on Youtube to watch while I chowed down on some good tasting chicken, beautifully seasoned fries, and the best honey mustard in existence.

I made sure to get a picture of the cats to send to my friends, and the one that ended up being sent was Gouda stretching to get on my lap and Feta off to the side a bit staring at me blankly. Junhong simply responded with a zoom in on Feta's face and the caption of 'but mama, zaxby's'.

After a satisfying dinner, I cleaned up a bit and took my daily bath, assuring the cats that I'd be out in a little while. I can't actually take showers because the water gets all in my ears and that's a horrible feeling. And I can't sit in the bath comfortably because of my tail, which means daily bath equated to me sitting on the edge of the bathtub and washing myself.

I much preferred bathing as a cat because that meant I didn't have to do the work of cleaning myself, but when you live alone, that luxury no longer exists.

I wasn't too much longer for the waking world, electing to cat it up and curl up on the couch for sleep time soon after my bath.

--

To what do I owe the pleasure this next morning, sunbathing in the window, of seeing the neighbour stalk out of his apartment and over to talk to the cat in the window. “I'm pretty sure I got a look at the neighbour last night,” he started.

Well .

He scratched at the back of his head and pouted. “I mean, it was dark so I couldn't really tell much... But he was definitely a young man and not an old lady like Jaebeom thinks.” He looked proud of this. “Can't wait to tell him when he comes by later.” A smug grin.

I blinked at him but didn't bother to unloaf myself. He still had more he wanted to say, and I was waiting to see just what would come out of his mouth now and whether or not it would make me feel weird.

“But I couldn't help but notice... There was a car parked on the sidewalk that drove off shortly after he made it in,” he explained. “I'm thinking that maybe the neighbour doesn't have a car at all and is just driven everywhere.”

He's not wrong. He's managed to piece that much together just by seeing me bolt into my apartment and Junhong leaving shortly after. Makes me wonder how quickly he'd piece other things together with very little to go on...

“Carpooling places would definitely be more gas and money efficient. I'd do it if I could. But all my coworkers are unpunctual snobs.” He frowned and adjusted the strap of his bag. “And the other students in my class stumble in looking like they just rolled out of bed, some of them late. I couldn't depend on either to get me to and from where I needed to go.”

Stretching out my limbs because the loafing was getting uncomfortable, I situated myself to sit and stare at him, flicking my tail around rhythmically.

He tapped on his chin with a pout. “I guess there is Jaebeom, but riding with him is always a lose. All he ever does is complain about his wife or his job. Why he keeps either when he complains about them so much, I don't know.”

While I agree with the sentiment, I've been told that it's human nature to complain. While a cat wouldn't put up with things they don't want to, humans form attachments that they can't easily let go of. Cats can form attachments, but that kind of trust isn't given easily.

He shrugged. “I ought to get going, kitty. I've got a doctor's appointment today that I can't miss. I've been putting it off for long enough,” he sighed and kicked at the porch a bit. “You and the other kitties have a good day, okay?” Then off he went to his car with that same little smile and wave.

Hold up, a doctor's appointment? Was he sick somehow? Or was it just a checkup? He didn't look or sound sick, so I'm guessing it's the latter...

This feeling is a different kind of one that I can recognize. Concern. But the weird one definitely stems from the confusion of why I'm feeling concerned about the neighbour's wellbeing.

--

A/N:

Thursday morning, o'clock. It's 4 am and I'm hyped on too much Dr. Pepper because I went to Huddle House at midnight and caffeine doesn't wear out of my system for like 6 hours and I had 3. (this would be where I inserted the upside down smiley emoji)