Hyeju's satisfied with her life.

She's got her routine down. She wakes up sometime in the afternoon, jacks off, then takes a sip from one of the cans of Red Bull on the desk next to her bed. Next, Hyeju slips on her headphones, eats whatever takeout is left in her fridge, and plays games until she has to leave for work. Even there, Hyeju would keep to herself. She'd mess around with her phone on break and put on her bulky headphones if anyone seemed to be coming up to her.

Besides her coworkers who only greet her to be polite, Hyeju often goes weeks without speaking to anyone. It should bother her, but that's the way she likes it. She's got enough friends to deal with.

Speaking of her idiot friends, they joke about how Hyeju never says much on their monthly catch-ups. She just doesn't have much to say. The way she fills out her days and wastes her time is a bore compared to the heartbreaks and new flings everyone else seems caught up in. Even her friends in long term relationships were moving forward, searching for first homes and engagement rings and.. the thought of it makes Hyeju dizzy. 

Hye chose to be a loner, sure, but still.. she sometimes wonders what it would be like. Her friends, annoying as they are, seem so happy. They laugh at things that aren't funny, cuddle in closer like they couldn't stand a moment without contact.  Hyeju resents the thought of her happiness revolving around another person but.. Just maybe..

Maybe she could find someone she could tolerate being around. That could be okay.

xx

Heejin suggests Hyeju try dating apps. She's the one co-worker Hyeju would consider a friend (don't tell Heejin though, she wants it too much), which is the only reason Hyeju doesn't walk off at the suggestion.

Hyeju left her headphones at home that day since it was raining and her hoodie wouldn't fit over it. Bored out of her mind during their break, Hyeju struck up the conversation herself - much to Heejin's surprise. Hyeju mentions thinking about dating, how she might try to find someone who'd make her life less monotonous. Nothing serious though, she can't imagine a hard shift from her routine.

"No offense," Heejin starts, as she always does when she says something sure to offend. "But you don't look like you go out much. Or at all, really. So what else can you do?"

Hyeju laughs. Heejin's bluntness is one of the things she likes about her. She nods, gesturing for Heejin to continue.

"Dating apps are a total trainwreck, sure," comes Heejin's ringing endorsement, "but you might find someone halfway decent. The one doesn't turn up out of nowhere!"

Hyeju scoffs but.. the idea does sound better than meeting a random at a bar, or wherever the hell normal people went. She could ghost if the person ended up boring or weird. No risks.

"Have you tried?" Hyeju can't remember Heejin ever mentioning a special someone. Nor is she like Yves, who seems glued to her phone after her and Haseul's latest break-up, like round after round of rebound girls sourced from Tinder would help. "Dating apps, I mean, not summoning a person."

Heejin's cheeks turn pink. "I'm going on a date tomorrow, actually.. We met on Hinge two weeks ago."

Hyeju nods. "I'll consider it."

xx

It's still raining by the time her shift ends. Hyeju curses. The weather forecast said it'd stop raining by 8 so she hadn't brought an umbrella. Not that it'd help - that thing broke the day she bought it. Luckily, her apartment wasn't too far away.. if she sprinted back she could avoid getting soaked.

Hyeju looks down at her phone, thumb hesitating over some girl's profile. 

Courtesy of Heejin's pestering, Hyeju had downloaded a dating app but hadn't tried it out beyond mindlessly scrolling. The girl on her screen had been the only one to catch Hyeju's eye. With dyed blonde hair and pretty pink lips, a few years older, she seems to be the epitome of Hyeju's type. The only reason Hye didn't shoot her a message was Heejin. The older girl would've been way too loud about it, and there was no need for the rest of their coworkers overhearing her business.

The girl isn't a terrible choice. The songs she put in the music recs section were a bit basic, yes, but not altogether without merit. Her answers to the app's questions suggested a wit underneath that pretty face. Hyeju taps her name, about to start a conversation, when she hears it.

A whine comes from the alleyway beside the office, soft but clear. It reminds her of Gureum, back when they adopted him - still a tiny defenseless puppy who needed her for everything. She hasn't seen him in months.

Hyeju steps out into the rain, following the side of the building. Though the alleyway is barely lit by the nearby streetlamps, Hyeju sees her suspicions are correct. Behind the (what the are those trash containers called) Hyeju finds a puppy.

It's a tiny little thing, barely coming up to her ankles. Its fur is matted and grimy, so covered in mud it's hard to tell what color it used to be. Despite that, the pup's the cutest thing Hyeju's ever seen. 

Hyeju can't help but frown at the sight of its tiny body shaking. It could have been out here for weeks without anyone noticing. And with the clouds so thick, it'll probably keep raining all night. Hyeju has to do something, her apartment's no pets policy be damned.

"Hey. Hey, it's alright," Hyeju says. Her voice was low, an attempt at soothing, but it shook as she shivered. She could only imagine how cold the puppy felt. Poor thing. 

Slowly, Hyeju bends down. She watches the puppy's eyes, as if willing to not be scared, asking it to trust her. Hyeju strips her hoodie, holding it over the puppy so it wouldn't get any wetter. She barely registers how drenched she's getting. It's not important.

The puppy doesn't back away or move any closer. It stares at Hyeju, deep brown eyes digging into her soul. Trying to figure out if she's friend or foe. Hyeju smiles a little at the adorable gesture, playing along with the staring contest.

"I promise I'm nice," Hyeju whispers. "Well, sometimes."

Eventually, the puppy must've decided Hyeju is worth its trust because it pads over to her. Its dirty face snuggles into her side. Its tail flops around, trying to wag, when Hye its fur. As much as Hyeju doesn't want to rush it, wants to take her time in earning its trust, it's far too cold for them to stay here. She decides that giving it a hot meal and a proper bath is more important. 

Hyeju scoops the puppy up, smiling at how it melts into her touch and lets her carry it. She holds her hoodie over them as she sprints home.

xx

Hyeju pats her hair dry, only a towel around her shoulders and nothing else to cover her. The puppy was reluctant to leave her side - having whined the second Hyeju went out to grab towels for the pair of them - but it calmed the second she comes back into the room. 

Hyeju doesn't have any spare towels, but the pup's so small the face towel she grabbed would work. She works quickly, drying off its back and legs, then dabbing gently around its cute face. She laughs when it gives a little sneeze.

"How are you so.." Hyeju's smiling so wide her face hurts. "You're adorable, you know that?"

Each wipe of the towel gets its fur closer to its normal color, a golden blonde coming through as dampness no longer darkens it. Its big brown eyes are closed as it allows her to dry off its face, a satisfied-looking smile reminding Hyeju of a storybook princess overjoyed with a servant's service.

"You're gonna be so spoiled, I can already tell," Hyeju says, running her hands along its fur. 

When she's done drying both herself and the puppy off, Hyeju decides to cook them something. Hyeju's been fine surviving off of instant noodles and energy drinks, and would be happy having the same tonight, but for the puppy.. she'll make an effort for once. 

It follows Hye well, little feet padding along so fast it almost overtakes her. But it always slows down and matches her pace. When Hyeju's standing at the stove, it doesn't paw at her legs like she assumed it would. It sits just close by and watches. When Hyeju tries to put the bowl of food on the ground, the puppy seems almost offended, walking off to the table and pointedly nudging a chair.

"Huh.."

She places the puppy on the seat, along with the bowl which she presses against the back of the chair so it doesn't fall off as the puppy eats. Hyeju watches as it eats happily, wondering why it feels so human-like. She shakes her head at the absurd thought and eats her own meal.

xx

They're laying in bed, the puppy laying on her pillow, the other side of Hyeju's bed occupied for the first time.

Hyeju opens her phone, the dating app still open, and is greeted with the girl's profile. She had been so ready to start a conversation before, but.. 

The puppy whines. It rises from its spot on the pillow beside Hyeju to nuzzle up to her chest. It sees the pretty girl on Hyeju's screen and it barks, then its small head wriggles to push the phone out of her hands. Mine , it seems to say, your attention should be on me!

She picks up her phone again, laughing at the little grrrr that comes, calming the pup down with some head scratches. Hye deletes the app. She shows the now girl-free screen, endeared by how the pup immediately cuddles against her, satisfied.

It's official.. she's whipped.

"Don't need it anymore, anyway," Hyeju reasons. She doesn't feel as lonely as she did this morning, or the months before it. She'd been ridiculous to think that dating someone would be the only solution. "I'm all yours."

She smiles, pressing a kiss to the top of the puppy's head.

xx

Hyeju wakes up to a beautiful and completely girl beside her, tucked underneath her arm.

When Hyeju jerks back, the still-sleeping girl whimpers, hands reaching out. Her eyes blink open and there's fear, then recognition, as she blinks up at Hyeju she untenses and gives a cute little smile.

"Good morning, master!"