Ha Young was used to her new popularity very quickly. As she was walking down the hall, there were people looking at her and running to her, trying to make friends with her, and of course, she accepted everyone. There was this certain group of friends she hung out with during the recess, including Momo, Chae Young and Tzuyu, the daughters of richest men in Seoul. They would fool around with each other in the playground, playing tag on the playset and sitting on the seesaw. One day, like any other day, they were playing hide and seek. And when Ha Young was supposed to catch Tzuyu, she was distracted by a kid playing with his cat in the garden across the bridge. She left a light smile when she noticed him and ran away from the playground.

"Where are you going?" - Momo said out loud but there was no reply.

Ha Young kneeled down to see the little pet. "What was his name?" - She asked.

"Her. And it's Missy. She's 8 months old." - A boy answered.

Her hands were its smooth yellow fur, making it satisfied, while her eyes are looking up to see her best friend Tae Hyung's bright smile when he looked at his cat. "I think she likes you." - He said. Then Ha Young lifted the cat up in her arms.

"Can I take her over there? My friends would love to play with her." Tae Hyung nodded as he agreed. He picked up the cat's collar with a little bell attached to it and gave it to her. She held it and put it around the cat's neck and went back to her friends waiting for her across the bridge.

Ha Young put the cat on the ground for it to move freely. Momo and Tzuyu were on their knees to play with it and touch its fur, while Chae Young stood alone far away from it because she was allergic to cat fur. Ha Young saw her friend not joining them so she went to her place and grabbed her elbow, forcing her to come, but Chae Young stood still, her lips were tighten and she shook her head. Ha Young let her go and returned to the cat. Its hazel eyes were looking straight at the ball afar, so Momo let it free to run and take it. They were all looking at the little creature being so playfully.

"Why are you playing with that freak anyway?" - Tzuyu asked her.

Ha Young didn't know why she started playing with Tae Hyung. The boy was weird, he always hung out on his own and not talking to other people. On the contrary, she was the well-known one who was in the popular group. But when Tzuyu asked her, she didn't think much. Everything that boy did made her happy, and that was what mattered to her. She turned her head around and looked at him falling from that orange tree (again), and then chuckled. "He's my best friend."

 

..............................................................

 

It was 7AM and Ha Young found herself awake when the sunlight through the window was lightening up the room. The sunlight moved to the place where she stuck photos onto the wall, and it pointed right at the picture of her group of friends at first grade: Tzuyu, Chae Young, Momo, and herself from left to right. She remembered everyone of them and wondered where would they be now. But why should she? Tzuyu and Chae Young ended up ditching her after her tragedy, and the only one who tried to keep in touch with her (Momo) cut all contacts with her when she moved to London three years ago. Ha Young sat on her bed holding a pillow and thinking about the good times she had in her elementary years. But just after a short while she loosened herself and lied down on the bed with the blanket all over her, being all lazy. Thank God it was Saturday, which meant no school.

The girl found herself in a good sleep dreaming about being stuck outta space where no one could find her. Suddenly the phone let off a sound that meant there was a message. Ha Young sighed heavily and rolled to the side of the bed where she charged her phone and unlocked it to see the text.

'Missy's gone.' - iMessage sent 7.40AM from Tae Hyung.

She tried to remember the "Missy" he was talking about because it was a long time ago.

'She went missing please help me find her :(' - iMessage sent 7.41AM from Tae Hyung.

Oh , it's the cat! Ha Young recalled the moment when she asked for the cat's name and he said it was "her". He used to say the cat was a special friend to him, so losing it would leave him devastated. Ha Young got out of her bed and went straight to the bathroom to do her morning routine. As the phone vibrated, she unlocked the phone with her left hand and brushed her teeth with the right one.

'I'm outside the door. Hurry!!' - iMessage sent 7.51AM from Tae Hyung.

'Wait a bit won't kill ya :p' - iMessage sent 7.52AM from Ha Young Jo.

She quickly finished what she was doing and ran to her room to change her clothes and on her way, she hit the door because of running so fast. She got in her room and looked out of the window to see Tae Hyung was pouting at her. She put on a yellow worn-out t-shirt, her favorite jeans and a pair of old Converse shoes, along with a grey hoodie with zippers. She moved down the stairs and was going to storm out the door.

"Not so fast. Have this first." - Her grandfather calmly poured some milk into a bowl of cereal and put it on the table near her usual seat.

"No grandpa I have to go. My friend's already outside." - She whined.

"Call the boy in here. You're not going anywhere without breakfast." - The old man took a cigarette out of the pack and lit it with the lighter. She showed some disappointment on her face but she never did anything against her grandpa, so she opened the door and did the hand gestures which meant 'come in'. Tae Hyung saw her and got into the house.

Tae Hyung looked around. Her house was quite small, there was only a dining room with a cooking space, a toilet and a small bedroom there was no living room. A small TV was put on the shelf and the news was on. Her grandfather fixed his glasses to look at the young boy with orange hair and some yellow streaks. It was very polite of Tae Hyung to bow down at him. He looked a little bit shy.

"You must be Ha Young's fella. Ha Young, get another chair."

Ha Young brought out a stool near the bedroom. There weren't many times that they needed another seat at the table. Two of them were enough. Tae Hyung came to the table and sat on the stool. The old man gave him a bowl of cereal and they started eating.

"How are your grades at school son?"

"It's OK sir." - The boy said with cereal stuffed in his mouth.

"OK is good. Still better than our Ha Young. Maybe you should teach her."

Ha Young rolled her eyes and opposed strongly to that crazy idea her grandpa had said. "I'm OK on my own grandpa, he will only cause trouble." Tae Hyung chuckled.

Both of them finished their meals and Tae Hyung said goodbye to Ha Young's grandfather. Then he pulled her hand and together they walked out the door. The old man looked at them and left a giggle and opened his newspaper to read.

"Yah when did that cat get lost?" - Ha Young pulled the hood over her head. She turned around to look at his sad eyes.

"Dunno. Missy never really goes anywhere without us. She usually plays in the house and we have a maid who takes special care of her. She must have gotten out when the maid was asleep."

Ha Young noticed Tae Hyung not being so energetic and happy like other days. She had never seen this look before, it was even sadder than when he was bullied by other boys at first grade. The boy sighed heavily and constantly looked at the ground. At times when she desperately wanted to say "Talk to me", she was just afraid it would make him mad because he was in the remorse period and he clearly needed silence. And she also noticed that he was still holding her hand since the moment he pulled her out of the house. She broke her hand free from him, and he didn't response with anything. He was just sad.

"Missy is very important to you, isn't she?"

"Um..." - He nodded. Then he shook his head as an attempt to refresh himself and there was a grin on his face. He put his arms aro