“Meow.”

Mingyu sighed as Boba and Berry, a pleasant, mixed tabby, stared at him from their seats on the balcony. He leaned over the railing and took in the crisp air of the deep night. Looking to them, he asked, “Would it be weird if I texted him?”

Neither of them replied. Berry just brushed his tail against the air while Boba groomed herself.

He chuckled and stared back at his phone. “Thanks guys.”

It had been two days since he met up with Wonwoo and he hadn’t messaged him. He was still really curious to find out about the other day, but he wasn’t able to send that first text. He just wasn’t used to this sort of thing.

Glancing at the time, he saw that it was past midnight. “He’s probably still up.”

He took a deep breath and lowered his head between his arms. “I have no idea what I’m doing.”

While he was sulking, Boba crawled over and lightly tapped his arm with her paw. He looked up to meet her glowing eyes. She almost smiled. He smiled back.

“Okay, I get it.” He stood up straight and unlocked his phone. Opening a new conversation, he tried to come up with something. “What do I say?”

“Meow,” Berry replied.

As a joke to himself, he typed in “Meow” just to quickly erase it. “Yeah, let’s try something else.”

He realized if he thought too much, he’d never click send. Without any further hesitation, he sent away his first greeting.

Mingyu
hey its mingyu

“That’s good right?”

He Boba’s head and, out of jealousy, Berry crept over to get his fair share of love. Mingyu was happy to give it to him. He opened his mouth to tell them something, but his phone vibrated in his other hand.

Wonwoo
thats a relief
I thought youd forgotten me

Mingyu scoffed.

Mingyu
im still curious about the other day

Wonwoo
Lol curiosity killed the cat

Mingyu had always hated that saying. Why would anyone ever mention killing cats? It was like Boba and Berry could sense the horrible phrase in their midst as they hissed.

Mingyu
dont say things like that

Wonwoo
sorry I wont :P
so when do you want to meet up again?

— — —

“I’m gonna get something,” Seungcheol announced. He stood up and pushed in his chair.

Mingyu looked up from his textbook. “Okay,” he replied as he watched his friend walk towards the far end of the library. He assumed Seungcheol was getting a book he needed.

He scanned the area before turning his attention back. The university had a gorgeous, grand library. Perfect for students to come and ignore the rest of the world. Unfortunately, some people brought the world with them. Mingyu wasn’t crazy about school, but he tried to be a diligent student, so he didn’t appreciate the mob of kids who just came to socialize. It was annoying more than distracting. But the worst were the study dates. Mingyu couldn’t stand how gross they were, couples showing their affection even while they were doing homework. Just disgusting.

Mingyu winced, but ignored those types of people. He was about to continue his reading when the back of someone’s head caught his eye. “Wonwoo?” he involuntarily whispered aloud.

The person immediately flipped around and smiled. “Hey!”

It had only been maybe seventeen hours since Mingyu texted Wonwoo for the first time. The two agreed to meet later that week when they were both free, since Mingyu pointed out he had a lot of reading to catch up on. He told Wonwoo he’d be at the library all day.

He furrowed his eyebrows as Wonwoo came over. “Hey. What’re you doing here?”

“Um, I go to school here too, ya know,” he teased as he sat on the edge of the table.

“Yeah, I remember you told me,” Mingyu said, looking up at him. The bruise is fading, he thought. “I told you I couldn’t meet up ‘cause I’d be here.”

Wonwoo nodded. “Well, I don’t come to the library a lot. I thought it’d be a good idea to check it out at least once,” he nonchalantly answered.

Mingyu gave him an uneasy look. This kid shows up everywhere. He wasn’t sure if he should be concerned with how quickly this stranger was becoming acquainted, but Wonwoo’s smile looked so genuine. And again, the idea of his friendship wasn't too bad. “Okay.” He gestured to the seat across from him. “You can sit if you want.”

Taking the spot, Wonwoo pulled his side bag off his shoulder and rested it on the table. “Thanks.” He looked across at Mingyu’s work. “What’re you working on?”

“Economics.” Mingyu lifted the book to show off the cover. “Finals are coming up and I know absolutely nothing.”

Wonwoo chuckled. “Sounds like me for every single class.”

With a nod, Mingyu let Wonwoo settle in and resumed his reading. Just then, he heard Seungcheol’s voice. “Mingyu-ah.”

Glancing over, Mingyu found Seungcheol standing next to both of them with a giant smile on his face. “Yeah.”

“I didn’t know you had other friends,” he teased as he put his books at his spot.

Wonwoo chuckled as Mingyu explained. He gestured forward. “This is Wonwoo, the guy who took my stuff the other day. Remember, I told you about him.”

“Hi, nice to meet you,” Wonwoo said as he reached over and stuck out his hand.

Seungcheol eagerly shook it. “Hi! I’m Seungcheol. Yeah, Mingyu told us about you.”

“Hopefully good things.”

“More or less,” Seungcheol commented, recalling Mingyu’s description of that strange event.

“I hope you don’t mind me…”

“Oh no, stay!” Seungcheol insisted as he took his own seat. “Sorry, it’s just...yeah, Mingyu has no friends.”

Wonwoo laughed, but Mingyu just glared at his roommate. “That’s right. No friends.” Turning back to his book, he sarcastically grumbled, “I have absolutely zero friends.”

Opening his own materials, Seungcheol added, “Just cats.”

“That’s all I need.”

Seungcheol chuckled at his friend and looked up. His line of sight fell onto Wonwoo. He was staring at Mingyu as the boy read. Smiling ever so gently, he looked mesmerized. Seungcheol knew what a look like that meant. He couldn’t help but smile too.

Seungcheol knew Mingyu’s beliefs when it came to relationships. He didn’t necessarily support them, but he respected them. At the same time, he did wish Mingyu would be slightly open to the idea of letting someone significant into his life. Seungcheol knew how special being in love was. He wanted Mingyu to see that. He never pushed Mingyu into situations where he blatantly felt uncomfortable, but he would sometimes try and get him to talk to the cute cashier at the supermarket or attempt to get some phone numbers with him. Mingyu always refused. But that look Wonwoo already had...It was just too perfect of an opportunity.

“Actually,” he said, packing up his stuff. “I forgot. I have a study group to get to.”

“What?” Mingyu uttered, slowly peeling his eyes away to glance over. “That’s not for another few hours, isn’t it?”

“I forgot. It got moved up.” He stood up and tossed on his backpack. “Yeah, sorry guys I gotta go.”

“Okay,” Mingyu easily replied, not thinking anything of it.

But it was the knowing wink that Seungcheol gave Wonwoo that he should’ve noticed. “It was nice meeting you, Wonwoo,” Seungcheol said.

A little surprised, Wonwoo could tell what Seungcheol was hinting at. Trying not to blush, he replied, “You too.”

“Have fun guys,” he remarked as he walked away.

“Thanks,” Mingyu blindly replied.

Wonwoo watched Seungcheol’s back until he was completely out of sight. “He’s cool.”

“Yeah, Seungcheol’s chill.”

“Was that true?” Wonwoo asked jokingly. “What he said about you having no friends?”

Mingyu flipped the page. “More or less.”

Wonwoo smiled. “Me too.”

He glanced up and furrowed his eyebrows. “What?”

“I don’t really have friends either,” Wonwoo clarified.

Mingyu stared at this boy, who was still weirdly smiling. He let his sights fall to the bruise before catching himself. Was I right about the bullying?

“Really?”

Nodding, Wonwoo chuckled. “Just a handful, but we’re all pretty spread out. I don’t really have anyone close.”

Mingyu’s shoulders slumped as he watched him pull out his laptop. He didn’t know why, but that statement made him a little sad. He’d always known what it felt to be more of an outsider and he never really cared as long as he was safe. But hearing about someone else’s life being described that way oddly hit home. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be. I’m not someone who needs too many friends,” Wonwoo reassured him. Looking into Mingyu’s eyes, he grinned. “But I’m always open to letting someone in.”

Mingyu chuckled. “That’s where we’re different.”

A bit thrown by that reply, Wonwoo tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

Mingyu sighed and crossed his arms, resting them on his textbook. “I have no interest in letting people in.”

Wonwoo laughed. “Seungcheol was right then. Just cats,” he teased.

“Cats are just better.”

“Why?”

He stopped. That’s new. No one had ever asked him that before. “What?” was all he could come up with.

“Why are cats better?” Wonwoo asked, now very curious to find out.

Mingyu didn’t know what to think. Does he actually care? Is he really asking me this right now? Is this some sort of joke? That’s when he realized something. “Why were you running away?” he blurted out, not even bothering to ease into the topic. If Wonwoo wanted answers, so did he.

Taken aback, Wonwoo thought it over before he smiled. “Okay,” he said. “But only if we go somewhere else.”

“What? Why?” Mingyu questioned as he watched Wonwoo pack up and put his bag back on.

Wonwoo lifted himself out of the chair and hovered over Mingyu. “Libraries are a little too quiet for my liking.”

Mingyu scoffed and rolled his eyes. Shutting his book, he stuffed it in his backpack. “Not like LA.”

Wonwoo grinned. “Nothing like LA.”

Mingyu stood up and followed Wonwoo out of the building. Walking behind him, Mingyu wasn’t sure what to feel. What the hell am I doing? How do I know I can even trust this Wonwoo guy? So far he’s been nothing but sketchy. What if I almost die again? Okay, maybe not die, but still.

“Don’t worry,” Wonwoo said from in front. “I’m not gonna kill you or anything.”

Mingyu tensed up as the two of them made it to the sidewalk. , it’s like he’s reading my mind.

Now strolling side by side, Wonwoo asked, “So why do you like cats?”

“Why were you running away?”

“I asked you first.”

“I asked you three days ago.”

Wonwoo chuckled, but didn’t argue back. Instead, he just lead the way in silence. Mingyu tried to calm his nerves, but his fears of the unknown were hard to suppress. Pulling out his phone, he checked the time. 5:15 pm. He’d been in the library for a while. I wonder if Wonwoo was there the whole time.

Mingyu finally noticed that they were headed for the park by the campus. Once they arrived, Wonwoo immediately went to sit on one of the secluded benches. He waited for Mingyu to sit next to him before saying anything.

“The other day,” he started to explain, “was nothing new.”

Mingyu listened intensely, wanting to get all the details. He didn’t interrupt.

Wonwoo sighed and put his arms over the back of the bench. Looking up at the evening sky, he continued. “I already told you, I don’t have too many friends, which isn’t a big deal or anything. But I do have some people who don’t like me. Those two guys from before, yeah they follow me a lot. I don’t know if it’s necessarily because they don’t like me, but they definitely don’t care for my privacy or for my well-being.”

That’s kind of vague, Mingyu thought, realizing that none of that really explained anything.

“I guess you could say I get myself into a lot of trouble,” Wonwoo went on. He sighed and shrugged. “But it’s not like I go looking for it. I was kind of just...born with it.”

Again, Mingyu waited to hear more. When there was nothing, he couldn’t help but ask, “So they bully you?”

“What?” he uttered.

“That bruise,” Mingyu said, pointing to the right side of his own face. “It’s from them?”

“Oh!” Wonwoo exclaimed, as if he’d forgotten about it. “Oh, no. That’s not from them.”

What? It’s from something else? Something even more bizarre?

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” Wonwoo laughed. “No, those guys, they follow me but they’re not bullies. More like parasites. They’re always on my tail.”

But why?

“But why?”

“I don’t know,” Wonwoo admitted. “It’s like they think I have some deep, dark secret or whatever.”

Do you?

But he didn’t ask that one. Mingyu could sense that Wonwoo was purposely trying to avoid the heart of the matter. He didn’t feel it was his place to dig deeper, even though he wanted to.

“That’s not cool.”

Turning over to look at the side of Mingyu’s face, Wonwoo smiled. “No, it’s definitely not. But I’ve learned to deal with it. Like when I took your clothes.” He chuckled remembering that dazed look on Mingyu’s face. Cute, he recalled. “It’s a trick I adopted a few years back to get away from them.”

“These guys have been following you for years?”

With a nod, Wonwoo confirmed. “Yeah. You won’t believe how many cheap jackets I’ve collected.”

After hearing all of this, Mingyu felt a small sense of closure, but only a small sense. He still had a lot of questions, but those could stay unanswered. That makes sense, he concluded. Turning to the side, he found Wonwoo looking at him. For some reason, it didn’t feel too awkward.

“And that’s why I was running away,” Wonwoo finished.

Mingyu softly grinned. He was about to thank Wonwoo for his honesty when he felt something rub up against his jeans. He immediately looked down below his legs. His smile got even bigger.

“Hey Milkshake,” he greeted his thin, light brown friend. He leaned down to pick her up. Cradled in his arms, Milkshake purred, nuzzling her nose into his armpit. Mingyu laughed. He was horribly ticklish.

Wonwoo watched in amazement at another one of Mingyu’s feline interactions. He just looked so incredibly happy that Wonwoo couldn’t help but be hypnotized. Seeing him smile so genuinely, for a split second, Wonwoo wished it was him that could make Mingyu glow like that.

“You really know all of the cats around here, don’t you?” he joked as Milkshake lapped her rough tongue against Mingyu’s chin.

Clearly overjoyed with the ball of energy in his arms, Mingyu laughed. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“Ya know, curiosity and cats don’t typically go well together,” he teased.

Mingyu scoffed. “I thought I asked you not to use that saying.”

“I didn’t. I’m just pointing it out.”

With a smile, Mingyu nodded. “I’m not as curious anymore.”

Wonwoo reached over and lightly Milkshake’s stomach. “Then you should answer my question.”

Mingyu quickly thought it over. It wasn’t hard for him to express his love to the cats, but he’d never been asked to explain it before. “I don’t know,” he started, trying to find the right words to fully capture his heart. “I guess...I really don’t know.”

“Oh come on,” Wonwoo pushed. “You love them. They love you. There’s gotta be something there.”

“There is,” Mingyu commented. “I just don’t know how to describe it.”

Wonwoo waited and saw the focus on the boy’s face. It was clearly an important answer.

“I don’t have that many human friends. I literally have two,” Mingyu brought up. Wonwoo could see the gears turning in his head. “But that’s never bothered me...because I have these guys.” He smiled down at Milkshake who immediately returned the favor. “I don’t know. I guess I’ve never been good at...conversation. I don’t know how to talk about myself or...try to be interested in others. I don’t like it, is what I’m trying to say. People are too...dynamic.” He sighed and closed his eyes. “I don’t want to bother with all of those layers and intricacies. It’s not worth it to me. But with cats,” he said as he lifted Milkshake up, letting her hover right in front of his face, “with cats, there’s none of that. If you can gain their trust, they’ll love you. It’s...simple.”

Wonwoo’s entire body was heating up. Like he was as he was witnessing Mingyu’s affection, he was in a trance as he listened. Wonwoo had never heard someone express such passion, and the fact that Mingyu was admitting that he wasn’t typically good at that made it even more captivating. Wonwoo had to contain himself as he asked, “That’s what you’re looking for? Simple love?”

Mingyu involuntarily chuckled. “Not really, but...that’s what I got. These guys have always been there for me.” He rubbed his nose up against Milkshake’s. She meowed and him. “They get it. They get that I don’t always want to chat or talk, but when I’m with them we talk like there’s no tomorrow. It’s just so great having all of them around. Like Milkshake here. We met on the playground when I was finishing a milkshake. She knocked it over while I wasn’t watching. She just looked so sorry when I realized what happened. Ever since then, she always finds me when I come by.”

Wonwoo smiled as he began to understand. “That’s nice.”

“Yeah, it is.”

For a moment, neither of them said anything. Mingyu got lost in his pool of pure happiness. He didn’t realize talking about his love would just make it stronger. As for Wonwoo, he was wondering if this was what love really looked like. He was also trying to hold back the urge to reveal his deeper workings. Something about Mingyu seemed so trusting.

Once Mingyu finally realized where he was again, he coughed and straightened up. Slightly embarrassed, he flushed a shade of red. “Umm, sorry, yeah. I...I just love cats.”

Wonwoo chuckled. “You’re a really cool guy Mingyu.” With a sigh, he playfully gripped the boy’s shoulder. “I wish I could have what you’ve clearly already found.”

That threw Mingyu off a little. He was about to ask Wonwoo something when he heard the boy’s phone vibrate. Wonwoo reached in his pocket and pulled it out to see who was calling.

Grandma.

He smiled but then immediately frowned when he saw the time. “HOLY !” he screamed as he jumped to his feet, startling Mingyu and Milkshake.

Mingyu clutched the cat to his chest. “WHAT?!”

Panicking, Wonwoo looked all around him. Grabbing the back of his own head, he turned to looked down at Mingyu. “I am so sorry, but I have to go! I didn’t realize how late it was.”

“Uhh, okay,” Mingyu replied, concerned at how quickly Wonwoo’s demeanor changed. “That’s fine.”

“It was nice seeing you again,” he said through his smile. “Thanks for sharing all that with me.”

Mingyu nodded. “No problem. Thanks to you too.”

“I hope we’re still on for later this week, even though you already know my incredibly exciting story,” Wonwoo teased as he started to back away.

With a scoff, Mingyu thought it over. “I guess.”

Wonwoo smiled even brighter. “Cool. I’ll see you then!” he shouted as he turned to run off. “Bye Mingyu!”

“Bye!” Mingyu called after him. He watched as the boy sprinted away, disappearing after his line of sight was blocked off by a bunch of trees. Curious himself, Mingyu pulled out his phone. “5:50,” he said to Milkshake. “I wonder where he has to be.”

“Meow,” she softly replied.

“Probably off to do some other weird, mysterious thing.”

She blinked in agreement.

Mingyu smiled as he slowly put her down. Standing up, he stretched his arms over his head. “I should probably get going too.”

In complete understanding, Milkshake gently brushed up against him before making her departure first. Mingyu watched her saunter off in the opposite direction from Wonwoo. With a yawn, he started making his way home as his thoughts wandered to what just happened.

I literally just spilled thoughts I never knew I even had to a complete stranger. What the hell is going on with me? I guess he isn’t a complete stranger anymore. Wonwoo...seems like a good person. Weird what he said though. He wants what I’ve already found. Almost sounds like...he’s never been loved before. I hope that’s not it. Someone like him...he deserves that feeling.

His hands in his pockets, Mingyu shook his head as he left the park. What am I saying? I don’t even know the guy.

But before he could argue with himself any further, Mingyu finally noticed the person calling out to him.

“Excuse me! Sir!”

Sir? No one’s ever called me that before. He turned around to see who it was. His eyes grew wide as he faced someone with horribly familiar pink hair. “Yes?” he managed to ask, trying to keep his cool.

But the person didn’t seem to notice his hesitation. He came to a stop and smiled. “Sorry to bother you,” he said, “but do you mind if I ask you something?”

Mingyu furrowed his eyebrows as he looked the person up and down. He wasn’t very tall. MUCH shorter than Mingyu. But even so, Mingyu was intimidated based on how he recognized him. “Sure.”

“I noticed you in the park with someone earlier.”

Was he following us? “Okay.”

“Yeah, the guy you were with. His name’s Wonwoo, right?”

Mingyu was starting to get rubbed the wrong way, but he tried not to show it. “Yes.”

The pink-haired boy seemed satisfied with that answer, letting him ask more. “How do you know him?”

Because of you, Mingyu thought, but he decided that probably wouldn’t sound great. “I don’t.”

“Excuse me?”

Mingyu shrugged. “I don’t know him.”

Now the boy looked suspicious. “You don’t know him...but you know his name.”

“I mean I don’t know him personally, or very much about him. We go to the same school.”

He slowly nodded. “I see.” With a deep exhale, he smiled again. “Well, thank you.”

“Of course,” Mingyu said as he turned back around.

But he felt someone grab his arm and he immediately twisted back. “I’m sorry, but is it alright if I ask what your name is?”

Stopping, Mingyu wasn’t sure if he wanted that. Based on what he heard from Wonwoo, getting caught up in this weird little fanfare didn’t seem like anything he wanted. But nevertheless…

“Mingyu,” he reluctantly answered.

“Mingyu,” the boy repeated, sticking out his hand. “I’m Jihoon.”

He shook it quickly. “Great.”

“Thanks again.”

“Right.”

And with that, Jihoon turned to leave. Smirking, he took out his phone and opened his notes titled “Wonwoo.” “Mingyu,” he typed. “Claimed association: classmate. Actual association: to be determined.”

Walking away faster than before, Mingyu didn’t look back. The second he said his real name, he regretted it. He had no idea why, but he had a really bad feeling.

— — —

Wonwoo pressed the phone to his ear as he raced home. Only waiting through two rings, he grinned at the sound of his grandmother’s voice.

“Wonwoo-ah!”

“I’m on my way home, Grandma!” he exclaimed, rounding the corner.

She gave a sigh of relief. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. What happened? You’re always home before 6.”

“I lost track of time.”

“Aish, you know how dangerous that can be!” she scolded, but she still managed to laugh at her grandson. “Did you get enough sleep today?”

“I’ll be fine, Grandma,” he chuckled, always thankful for her care.

“Okay, I can tell you’re running. I’ll see you when you get home.”

Wonwoo smiled. “Thank you!”

“I love you, sweetie.”

“I love you, too.”

He hung up and ran even faster.

— — —

6:05 pm.

Wonwoo
Tokyo

Chan
Hyung me too!

Joshua
Oh my god its chan! The boy who never answers his texts!!

Wonwoo
Lol look who decided to finally say something

Chan
Ya! Im sorry if i dont reply!
But theres no need if i see that we’re all not together

Wonwoo
We still like to hear from you

Chan
Joshua didnt say anything today

Joshua
Theres no point in me telling you all like 7 hours early
But yeah Sydney

Minghao
Its a nice heads up

Wonwoo
Chan meet me at that cafe in Akihabara

Chan
Which one?

Wonwoo
The cat one

Chan
Kk I’m not too far
See you soon!

Minghao
Hope I end up there too
I miss you guys

Joshua
What? You dont miss me?

Wonwoo
No one misses you

Joshua
Low guys
So low XD

Minghao
Best case scenario would be for all of us to just be together
But the world’s too big a place

Chan
It’s a cool place

Wonwoo
I like it too