01

Familiar; The Black Cat

"Daniel, let's go with me?? Please? Your cats won't die if you leave them just for a couple of hours."

Since the last 30 minutes, Seongwoo was trying to get Daniel to go to his friend's birthday party with him. The party will start at 10 pm, located at one of the most prestigious night club rooftop in town. But there's no sign of Kang Daniel willing to go anywhere with Seongwoo, instead he smiled at Seongwoo with his widest grin and transform into his cat form before joining his own pet cats lying down on the floor.

Ong Seongwoo, his only friend that knew about his secret. They were bestfriend ever since they were in kindergarden. They bonded like blood brothers, went through thick and thin together because they only trust each other that much. Like the famous saying by Mencius, "Friends are the siblings God never gave us.", that was how Daniel and Seongwoo exactly were.

At first Daniel was only joking around with Seongwoo, but now the other man was pouting like a little girl. Daniel had no choice but to transform back into his human form and say yes to him.

"Stop it Ong, you look like an old man pouting like that. It's not cute at all."

Seongwoo was still pouting, he was very close to sulking when he heard Daniel's words.

"Alright alright, I will go with you, happy now?"

Daniel pinched Seongwoo's left cheek before he went into his own room. He needs to change and they have only an hour left before the party starts.

"I'll wait for you in infront of my house! Aigoo my Euigeon you're so cute!"

They were basically neighbours. Seongwoo owned the unit of apartment next to where Daniel lives. Most of the time, people who knew the two of them would jokingly told them to combine their house just because they went in and out of each other's places like it's nothing.

Seongwoo winked at Daniel and ran out happily like a child who just received a lollipop. He finally persuaded Daniel with his ugly pout, the last time that worked on him was when they were still in highschool.

After 15 minutes, Daniel was finally ready. After picking a random pair of clothes from his walk in wardrobe, he chose a red and white striped shirt with a black leather jacket on the outside, for his pant, he wore a simple blue denim jeans. To finish his outfit of the day, he put on his brand new Nike Air high top as a finishing touch. Daniel was the type of man that is confident in whatever he wears, he could even make a plain white t-shirt looks amazing nonetheless.

"Peter, Rooney, papa will go out for a while. My two girls will stay queitly in here right?"

The two female cats meowed sadly. Their pupils dilated immediately as if they are begging for Daniel to just stay with them that night.

"I will buy biscuits for you on my way home later, I promise okay?"

He kissed the forehead of his cats gently to reassure them that he will be back for sure tonight. But their meows sound more sorrowful than before. Daniel almost changed his mind if it was not for Seongwoo who barged into his house and patted Rooney and Peter's head. The two cats calmed down as soon as they saw Seongwoo's face.

Seongwoo was famous for his handsome face, not even girls who could fell for him. Cats also loved him, sometimes Daniel could do nothing but to sulk on his own because even his own cats prefer Seongwoo over him at times.

"Peter, Rooney, let me borrow Daniel for a while please? I won't keep him forever though.."

The two cats meowed again, they never acted like this before. It was as if they were crying over something. Daniel wanted to change to his cat form to listen to what they were trying to say but Seongwoo already dragged him out. He didn't understand what they are meowing about but his guts told him that it would something bad. Very bad.

"We'll be using my car tonight since your car is still in the service centre, but you'll drive."

Seongwoo passed Daniel his car key and went to the front passenger seat without waiting for Daniel's agreement.

 

~

 

"I'm sure it's located somewhere near this, there, there turn left."

Seongwoo pointed at the entrance of the night club. They were passing by a motel when a woman almost jumped in front of the car. She looked terrified with her messy hair. Daniel ran to the woman to check whether if she was hurt or not. It was important for him to make sure that no problem would arise later on.

"Miss, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

The woman didn't answered him, instead, she just cried while holding her ankle. Looks like she sprained when she jumped in front of the car earlier. But what caught Daniel's interest was not her sprained ankle but her bleeding sole. It was bleeding because it seemed like she stepped on something sharp like a broken glass or mirror. It took him 10 seconds to realise that the woman is not wearing any footwear at the moment.

"I... I need to go now..."

The women spurted out with a very soft and slow voice but Daniel held her hand and took out something from his pocket. The handkerchief that he always brings with him wherever he goes to. It was given to him by his mother, she even sewn his initials on the handkerchief. 'K.D-K.E'

'I guess it's time for me to put a good use of this handkerchief.'

Daniel gently wrapped his handkerchief around the woman's bleeding sole because it's the least he could do to help her. The women was still sobbing softly when she said thank you. Daniel just saw her face for a brief moment before she disappeared into one of the street alleys. Well, one problem is settled, he was very sure that woman wouldn't come back to sue him later on.

"Ong, what are you.... doing?"

Seongwoo was curling under his seat when Daniel came back to the car. He was very used to scenes like this where women just jump out in front of his car just to get close to him. It kinds of traumatised him when they do that to him, so there he was hiding in his safe haven. He heaved a sigh of relief when the woman is nowhere to be seen.

"Oh nothing.. just avoiding some trouble."

"So it's okay to put me into he trouble then?"

Daniel jokingly showed his shin, pretending to get ready to kick Seongwoo before he started the car again and head to their destination.

 

~

 

The music beats loudly, Daniel and Seongwoo can't hold it in anymore. They need to release the tension that was building up in their body by dancing.

Just by stepping their foot in the middle of the rooftop they gathered almost everyone's attention. Their sleek moves, sharp dance and unforgetable faces were the things that attracted everyone. Five minutes after dancing, the crowds cheered loudfully again. This time, it was because the birthday girl and her best friend were joining the two of them.

"Ong! Dance with me! Let my girl Ahae dance with your friend!"

Kim Jisoo, the birthday girl shouted since the music is too loud. Seongwoo never saw her bestfriend before, but the night is still young so why not.

Exhausted, the four of them went to sit at the table near the swimming pools where they can see some couples were kissing like they were in their own room, some just smearing the birthday cake onto other's face and there were also some people that minded their own business by soaking their legs in the water.

"Dan, introducing the birthday girl. Kim Jisoo. This is my friend Kang Daniel. And this is her friend....."

"... Ji Ahae. My bestfriend, you could even say we look like we dated each other since we cling together most of the times."

The birthday girl winked before kissing her Ahae's cheek.

Seongwoo introduced the birthday girl to Daniel. She was the prettiest girl on the rooftop that night. Of course she should be, it was her day. She wore a lacy black mini dress. Her hair was dark blue and her eyes were attractive enough to be called crystal like eyes.

On the other side, Daniel was staring at her friend, Ahae. Not because she was the second prettiest girl of the night, not because she wore that tight red dress, and not because of her jet black long hair that reached her hips but because she looked familiar to him. He tried to remember when, where and who but he couldn't.

"Beer for the birthday girl and her girlfriend!"

Someone unexpectedly gave them two glasses of beer. Jisoo took it with a smile on her face but as soon as she saw the man giving her was far enough already, she pouted and gave the her glass to Seongwoo.

"Drink it for me, dad says no alcohol for tonight or there won't be any party again next year."

"Aren't you 25 tonight? Or did you lied to us?? You're actually an underage??"

Seongwoo joked and pretended to be shocked. Daniel just smiled, he was actually staring at the cat that was jumping out of the fence. Now he wanted to go home so bad just to cuddle with his Peter and Rooney.

"I know.. but he said we'll visit the temple first thing tomorrow morning. He would kill me if I ever woke up late with a hangover. Not even my mom could stop him if he's mad."

Hearing Jisoo sighed, Seongwoo passed the beer to Daniel this time.

"You drink it, you like this don't you? I'll drive for tonight. Sorry Dan, I was always so selfish for making you drive me around."

Without any hesitation, Daniel chugged down the whole thing in one go. Ahae sneered as she watched him.

"How did you do that? The beer was so disgustingly awful tonight I could only drink three sips of it."

"Why? It's okay for me though."

Ahae couldn't say anything since they just met.

Slowly, she could feel her body was heating up. She took a glance at the three other people right in front of her, Seongwoo and Jisoo were okay, they were chit chatting without realising that she and Daniel was acting weird.

Daniel who chugged the whole thing down started to act weird all of a sudden. He couldn't think straight. The last thing that he could remember was pulling someone into a kiss before his world turned into a colourful surreal fantasy that even he couldn't remember.

 

~

 

Daniel woke up the next morning in his own room. It was cold although he noticed he didn't turned the air conditioner on, only then he realised he was not wearing any top. He was very sure he never slept without any shirt or pyjama on. Maybe he was sleepwalking? He thought to himself.

Then another thing surprised him, Ahae came out from his bathroom, dry blowing her long hair.

"What.. what happened?"

Daniel was out of words, Ahae put down the hair dryer before clapping her hands in amusement.

"You were amazing!"

She pressed the word amazing but Daniel didn't noticed it.

"Do you want me to make you remember?"

Tracing Daniel's bare chest with her slim finger, she stared seducingly at him while biting her lips. It did send him shivers but he said 'no' without thinking twice. He thinks he know what actually happened now although he couldn't remember a thing.

Ahae was about to leave when Daniel grabbed her arm.

"What was your name again?"

He asked her out of curiosity. It was his own fault for not listening when they introduced each other last night.

"You don't even remember my name? You really are amazing Kang Daniel! Well it's a good thing though you have forgotten my name, it's not like we're going to meet each other again don't we?"

"You're right.. it's not like we're going to have anything to do with each other in the future.. Wait here."

Daniel came back with a sweater. He put it on her since her tight red dress might attract erts' attention. Daniel's kindness is something that can't be separated from him. It almost touched Ahae's heart.

"I'm going now. Bye. Bye Rooney and Peter too~"

She blew a kiss to the cats before strutting her way on to the elevator.

"How did she knew their name........"

But that thing was not important now. He ran to the house next door and called his dear Ong.

 

~

 

"You really don't remember anything? I was at fault I shouldn't have gave the beer to you. If I didn't I wouldn't have to witness something as terrifying as you and her.. what was her name again? That girl kissing up like crazy in the back of my car. Gross."

Seongwoo made a disgusting face as he talk. But Daniel knew he was only joking.

"I think someone drugged the beer. It was originally given to your friend and her friend. I think someone wanted to do bad things to the two of them but maybe we saved them."

Daniel referred to Jisoo and Ahae as 'your friend and her friend' since he couldn't recall their names. But the girls were lucky if the person who drugged it had some bad intentions. Jisoo was lucky because she listened to her dad, while Ahae was lucky because she followed Daniel and Seongwoo.

When he was back at his own place, he went to his cats and hugged both of them.

"Everything will be alright, right?"

He was seeking assurance from his pet cats although he can sense something bad would happen eventhough he had no idea what bad kind of thing that could possibly happen.

 

~

 

[5 months later]

"Take responsibility. Don't try to deny this life which is growing in my body. I want you to take responsibility!"

 

 


 

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