"Remind me again why we are stalking her?" Dahyun asked, arching a brow as she faced her friend. "We're not stalking her," Chaeyoung softly nudged the eagle by her arm. "But we're behind her," the taller one argued, "Slowly walking behind her as we watch her every movement, so how is this not stalking?" The eagle and the cub were walking under the bright sky and the shining afternoon sun with the winter air brushing against their exposed skin as they followed a specific someone. It was the middle of afternoon where a certain penguin was busy and supposedly enjoying her vacant hours of the day.

The cub sighed, stopped the movements of her feet, and grabbed her by her shoulders. "It's just that she's really good at figuring me out. It's like with just a glance she knows what I mean or what I really mean," she explained. Dahyun stared at her friend's desperate attempt to win her over. "She proved that for the weeks that we've been okay," the cub gestured to herself as an indication, "And it's kind of unfair how I have to work my brains out twice as much as hers just to figure her out. She's really smart." "Maybe you're just dumb," the eagle shot back with a smirk etched on her face. Chaeyoung was about to retort back but she was sent off course by her phone. She checked and it was a text message from her mom. "Who was that?" the tofu asked.

"Mom," Chaeyoung simply answered before she tucked her phone back to her jean pocket, "Anyway, don't you get me? They'll be leaving Korea soon for Christmas vacation and I'm just utilizing the maximum capacity and potential of the remaining days of the calendar where she's still in my reach." Dahyun rolled her eyes and groaned loudly to the fancy words that flew out of . "Fine, okay," the eagle sighed, "Don't go poetic over me." The cub let go of her hold and pulled the school meal leader by her hand. "We should hurry, she's waddling away," the younger one demanded. "I get it," Dahyun said directly to the cub. "What?" Chaeyoung asked after she turned her head to look at her.

"I get it that I should be with Sana right now and not accompanying you with stalking Mina unnie," she explained. "We're simply following her since she has this unawareness about what's behind her," the cub defended herself.

"Isn't that kind of dangerous?" Dahyun asked as she hurried her steps behind her friend. Chaeyoung placed her free forefinger under her lower lip and contemplated, "Now that you said it, that is indeed quite dangerous," she pursed her lips in realisation, "I'll make sure to scold her about that, but for now we should really fasten our pace." The two quietly followed the waddling girl until she reached her destination.

-------

At first, Chaeyoung thought that the penguin will straight up head to the library to read or maybe study, but given the time of year – the second week of December where students were only finishing up a few of the requirements, even the penguin had more of free time for herself. The two carnivorous character of the jungle followed the ice bird to a relatively desolated coffee shop – nothing fancy nor too shabby. The cub directed their little scheme within a good amount of metre or two away from the penguin. In that way, they could watch her intently without being caught or suspicious. "This is really dumb, Chaeng," Dahyun let out to her friend. On the other hand, Chaeyoung pointed to their orders from the menu as she interacted with the waiter. She flashed a smile of encouragement to him and let him do his works.

The cub piqued her ears to her friend and looked at her – in between being curious and uncaring of what she was about to say. "I mean whatever, this, we're doing can easily be dealt with just asking," the eagle confidently said it as a fact, "Like getting to know her normally."

"You can just go over to her one time and ask her things like do you like americano?" Dahyun exampled, "Or maybe do you prefer cupcakes or muffins?" The eagle pointed out as she exampled the orders served on the penguin's table – a cup of americano and two cupcakes. "For just one time, can you at least just go with my plan?" the cub demanded, "For real, it's easier to convince you to drink than to join any of my other plans," she added.

Dahyun stretched her arm and loop it to her friend's shoulders, "All I'm saying is Mina unnie is just as she is from the outside." This caught the cub's attention. "If you want to know her better, I think talking to her in private is more appropriate," the eagle added. Chaeyoung frowned, "Well, I already treated you for your drink," she eyed the approaching waiter, "Let's just see how it'll play out."

Minutes after minutes passed and the only thing that played out was Mina staring at her phone, sipping her drink, and biting her food. Dahyun could clearly see it that the tiger cub was absolutely bored to her brilliant plan but too ashamed to surrender to her idea of knowing the penguin better. Being the caring friend that she is, the eagle let her friend to her own demise and waited until she was the one to call it quits. She blew bubbles to her quite unusual drink for the cold weather as she alternated from watching the penguin to staring at the cub. "Why did you order that? I thought you'd order a hot drink just like mine," with chin resting on her left palm, Chaeyoung asked – eyes never averting from Mina's being. "I like chocolate and milk, so I order a choco milkshake," Dahyun replied nonchalantly. The cub didn't further continue their conversation since boredom was already numbing herself.

The two didn't notice it but a tall guy entered the place, eyed his surrounding, and directed himself straight to Mina's table. He pulled the opposite chair and it screeched deafeningly to the cub's ears. Dahyun's eyes was also caught by the sudden turn of events. Since the two were quite far, the man's words were almost sounded like only murmurs travelling in the air, but it showed. It showed that he was troubling Mina's space and it showed how Mina was forming a no from her lips as she shook her head in disagreement to whatever he had to offer. It showed how the man wasn't up for a cup of coffee.

Of course, Chaeyoung was absolutely and already fuming inside, but she sat to her seat and tried to keep her cool because the man might realise the meaning of the penguin's no even for the last minute. Chaeyoung was pissed how he smirked to Mina's direction, and by the time the man reached and tugged for her penguin's coat sleeve, the cub roared from her seat and snatched Dahyun's drink. "Hey! That's mine!" the eagle let out in surprise.

Chaeyoung briskly walked to their direction, stopped at his side, and dunked the cold beverage on his head, "I'm pretty sure she said no to whatever crap you are offering to her," she spoke with stabbing words. The man froze for a second – both from the coldness of the drink and from the cub's action. He pushed her seat with the back of his knees and faced Chaeyoung. Height difference was no secret since he was a good two-metre tall. "What," he asked and looked down on her, chocolate milkshake dripping from his face and staining his clothes, "The ?"

"I don't care about your height but I can take you on," Chaeyoung said as she fiery stared back at him. The cub wasn't to be the one to back out. "I can take you on," fists already clenching hard, "Head on," she enunciated. Mina finally snapped out and stood up when she saw the man started to close his gap from Chaeyoung.

She hurriedly walked to Chaeyoung's side and pulled her a step away from him, "I'm sorry, I don't think she means it," she apologised but he was unfazed by it. "Oh, I mean it," the cub said as she grinned annoyingly at him. "Well, I think she means it," he said to Mina's direction. The penguin was nervous since the cub wouldn't back down, "Chaeng," she softly whined to her ear and pleaded.

Suddenly, "What the hell?" Dahyun asked loudly, capturing the attention of the remaining customers and the staffs of the coffee shop. "This man," she pointed at his face, making it sure that every action she executed would be exaggerated, "Doesn't know what no means?"

"And was forcibly asking for a girl's consent," she shook her head dramatically, "In this year?" she audibly gasped. It was successful. Group of females started to whisper at each other as they maliciously eyed the tall guy. Some frowned at him while some heroically knitted their brows at him. He squinted his eyes to the eagle and clicked his tongue before he walked out, making sure to bump his shoulder with the cub. Dahyun let out a visible relieved sigh when he successfully walked out of the place before she approached her friends. "Thank you," Mina genuinely told their rescuer, "And I think we should go since we already caught most of their attention." Dahyun looked at their surrounding and nodded to the penguin's offer.

Mina took the clenching hand on her own and helped to direct the cub out of the place. The three of them walked silently until the eldest decided to stop under the shade of an old tree – just a few metres away from the coffee shop. Chaeyoung remained quiet during the span of their stroll. "Do you mind if I talk to her for a bit?" Mina asked the equally silenced eagle. "No, I don't," Dahyun answered honestly, "Don't really want to deal with  an angry and maybe pouting tiger." "Thank you," the penguin repeated before she pulled the still fuming cub a few feet away from their friend.

She looked at her worriedly, "Are you okay? He bumped into you a while ago."

"I'm fine," Chaeyoung shook her head and cut her off, "This isn't about me, are you alright?" she asked – still a little worked up. "Nothing hurts?" the penguin followed another question as she looked up if the man ever managed to dislocate her shoulder, exaggerating and not quite hearing her cub's worries. "Mina," the cub called for her attention warningly.

Mina hummed before she raised her head, "What?" she asked in confusion. "I'm sorry," she apologised, "I should've indicated it better that I don't want to share my table to him," she smiled apologetically.

"What?" Chaeyoung grimaced, a little surprised and voice a little raised, "That's not how it works. It wasn't your fault. No should simply mean no and nothing deep to think and analyse about, Mina."

"It's okay. We'll let it slide for this time," the penguin smiled as she tried to ease the agitated tiger, "It seems and thankfully you weren't hurt." The cub scoffed and it sort of confused the taller girl. "This isn't about me. This is about you, Mina," the cub pointed to her, "That's the bottom line here."

"Why are you getting mad at me?" Mina shot to her.

"I'm not," Chaeyoung defended, "I'm mad at him because he couldn't understand your no and you act like it was your fault."

"But you're raising your voice," Mina pointed.

"I'm not," the cub tried to lower down her voice, "I'm just reminding you."

"With a raised voice," the penguin countered, "And you lowering it further proved my assumption." Sometimes, intelligent and deductive people can be real pain in the neck. "You don't have to always save or protect me!" the cub strongly and abruptly stated, patience running out. Dahyun could eavesdrop without her intention because both of the two were already raising each of their voices.

Mina blinked her eyes. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I thought the bottom line here is that this is about me and that you're also mad at him?"

"Now it feels like you're just only mad at me for protecting you," she added bitterly, "When did protecting or saving you sound so wrong and like a bad thing?" Dahyun pulled the strings of her hoodie and tried to hide in it because of the bickering of the two. "There are times that I can handle myself," the cub growled back.

"And the earlier incident wasn't one of those instances," Mina indicated with meaning but a calmer tone compared to Chaeyoung. "You wouldn't know that," the younger one quickly replied. The penguin shook her head lightly and began to speak, "It was pretty obvious because he was roughly two-metre and toppling over you." "I could've tried," Chaeyoung mindlessly answered back. "Tried a head on brawl with him?" Mina said as her eyes looked at her directly. "Yes! That's what I'm going to do," Chaeyoung sharply nodded to her words, "If you didn't pull me away."

The penguin chuckled, irritation slowly creeping up on her, "This is getting ridiculous, Chaeyoung."

"So me saving you is ridiculous for you?" the cub asked, a little jabbed by her words. "What? That's not what I meant," the penguin replied with guilt on her face. "Okay, fine. Have it your way then," with defeat written all over her, Chaeyoung said as she tucked her hands in her jean pocket. The cub walked past her and grabbed her eagle friend before they ventured on their own way, parting ways from the befuddled penguin.

-------

Dahyun watched Chaeyoung to kick the same small rock for the third time. "You can vent it out with me, you know," the eagle offered. "I don't know it just pisses me off, Dahyun," the cub stated as she kicked a different small rock. The two were on their way back to the campus after they had their fill with stalking the waddling penguin. "She doesn't always has the right deduction," the cub puffed, still quite agitated about the earlier confrontation.

The eagle chuckled, "As much as that is true, Mina unnie wasn't that wrong to her today's deductions."

"I'm pretty sure you'd be sprouting a black eye if whatever you wanted happened," the older one added, "Is she not right?" she mused to her very stubborn friend. "You know that you should be siding with me, right?" Chaeyoung asked, sending out a stern look at her. Dahyun stared at her – quietly challenging the cub to answer her question. "But, yes. She isn't quite wrong with her deductions," the cub finally gave in. Right hand rubbing on her nape, the shorter girl continued, "I'm just worried that I'm always the one on the receiving end." The eagle only chuckled. "Why?" Chaeyoung asked, a bit a annoyed that her friend wasn't taking her seriously, "What's so funny?"

Dahyun shook her head and reassured the girl, "Nothing, it's cute that this whole misunderstanding is just a product of wanting to prove yourself to her."

"Is that bad?" the cub mused to her as the eagle wrapped her arm around her shoulder. "Not at all. I mean it's only natural to act that way," Dahyun smiled, "With Mina unnie, I understand if you sort of feel pressured to do your part in your relationship."

"Mina unnie is just too good on her own," the eagle stated as a matter of fact. "Right?" Chaeyoung replied with eyes sparkling as to how her friend absolutely understood where her side was coming. Dahyun nodded, "I suppose this whole stalking thing worked out just fine."

Her words called out the attention of the tiger cub, "How so? I'm pretty sure we pissed each other off," she lightly chuckled. "Yes," the tofu hummed, "But at the same time you get to see and learn another side of her. That's what you're after, right?"

"If you put it that way, I guess you're right," Chaeyoung answered to her friend. Silence followed after the cub's words and they covered the remaining metres to their next destination with only the sounds of their footsteps. "Is it," the cub began to open another conversation, "Is it really ridiculous if I wanted to save her at times?" "Nope," Dahyun popped out the last sound on her word, "It was ridiculous though, when you policed her own nature of protecting you." The cub groaned audibly. "You should always expect that Mina unnie will always be there to save and protect you at any cost," Dahyun added – sounding all smart with their current topic.

Chaeyoung sighed, "I know that," she acknowledged her friend's words in defeat, "For all of the shortcomings we've been through, I know that."

"I just really want to prove myself to her," she added in a whisper. Dahyun could only smile, her heart definitely elated by the sight of her friend despite her current problem at hand. How can she not when her tiger friend was visibly opening up to someone she considered important to her? She thought that she'll definitely have to thank the penguin when she saw her again. With her sharp eyes, Dahyun could tell how much feelings the cub has for the penguin. "I can tell that she's really special to you," the eagle commented, catching the slightest changes in the colour of her cheeks. The cub could only shyly shrug what she just heard and then acted like she didn't hear any of it. "A friendly reminder," the eagle poked her cheek, "Don't feel pressured since the two of you are only starting off with your own pace," she said.

“What’s with the haste?” Dahyun once again mused to her friend. “It’s just that,” Chaeyoung tried but stopped before she could finish what she was about to say, “Never mind,” she ended it with a sigh. The cub decided not to tell her friend and just pulled her to their destination. Once they arrived at a specific path, they parted ways accordingly to the places of their next classes.

-------

Mina sighed as she slumped down on her seat. Last period of the day and she decided to be thirty minutes earlier than the usual time. “That’s a worried,” another early person for the last period said, “And a bit irritated,” she sounded unsure, “Sigh you got there, Mina.”

“Hey,” the penguin looked for a moment and offered a soft smile to her friend, “Nayeon,” she greeted. “Is this about the baby cub?” the bunny asked knowingly. Of course, she already figured it out right even before Mina could’ve informed her about her problem. The elegant girl nodded and then proceeded to tell everything to the older one. “How can she be mad at me?” Mina asked for her friend’s point of view, “What’s so wrong about protecting her from that two-metre guy?”

“Nothing,” Nayeon smiled at her from her seat, “But she’s also not wrong about what she said.” Mina looked at her quietly, waiting for her to explain her side. “She’s not wrong about wanting for you to not always save her in dire situations,” the bunny continued, “In order for her to grow, you have to let her see and experience those.”

The penguin sighed again, “And not just instinctively shield her away from it,” she ended her words in understanding. “I thought I’ve known better, but I guess not,” she looked apologetically to her friend. Nayeon patted her shoulder twice before she spoke again, “Why are you so down about it? Just apologise normally to her and I think she’ll understand.”

“Okay,” the elegant girl replied. “Great, at least I don’t have to explain it to you step by step. Just let her do her role to you,” the bunny patted again her head for a job well done in understanding her point.

“It’s really cute though, Mina,” Nayeon cooed back to her, “How the two of you fight like an old married couple,” she commented and made the penguin blushed as students poured inside for the start of the last period. Each student took their respective seat, and later on, their professor followed and started the lecture or more like her last reminders for the students before Christmas break.

-------

Mina craned her neck as she walked out of the elevator. It was quite late compared to the usual time when she came home from the university,  because for today, she made sure to finish up all of her requirements. That way, she could spend the rest of the remaining days with Chaeyoung before their flight back to Japan – this time, a real flight back to her home. The girl sighed, realising that the cub kind of flew out of her mind because of the tasks she had and did after the last period. She didn’t even text her or did any way to contact her again. She slid the main key intro her door and watched the other keys dangled. She was exhausted for today caused by her earlier tasks and their small fight. Mina was in between sleepy and hungry yet she decided to not turn the key and pull it out.

With a fight unresolved, Mina couldn’t help herself but to miss the baby cub. She traced back where she just came from and pressed a button on the side on the elevator door. “Hey,” Mina greeted, her eyes shone tired glints as she looked up at the person she was just actually thinking about. “Hey,” Chaeyoung smiled and walked past the elevator, “I brought the same bread from that time when I couldn’t answer your call because of my two side-idiots,” she said as she lifted the held small plastic bag on her right hand. The cub fished out for her phone and looked up at the time, 7:27 pm, “It’s probably not the best time for these,” she stated, “It wasn’t that freshly baked anymore. It has been two hours or more since it was out of the oven.”

The penguin could only return another smile from Chaeyoung’s lopsided grin, “Thanks,” she replied and pulled the shorter girl by her right hand despite being occupied by the bag. “I thought this time the breads could help us resolve our misunderstanding,” Chaeyoung informed. Once again, Mina made a pause when she had slid the key inside its slot, turned her head, and looked at Chaeyoung. “I’m sorry, I got caught up with finishing my last requirements for today,” she pecked the cub’s cheek, “And I’m sorry for earlier, because you actually saved me from him,” she added.

“Not until I lost my cool. I’m sorry, you’re not totally wrong about me getting probably beat up if we fought or brawled,” the cub scratched her left ear unconsciously. “And you’re not totally wrong about me always out there to shield you,” the penguin looked apologetically to her, “Of course, you feel like you need to protect me too, just as much as I feel the need to protect you. I’m sorry, Chaeyoung.” The cub waved her paw in the air – indicating that everything was fine and back to normal between them, “So, yeah,” she said, “Maybe we should get dinner food instead of eating what I brought. Actually, this was my third time dropping by your place but you weren’t home.”

Mina turned the knob and let the cub inside her unit, “You could’ve texted.”

“I could,” Chaeyoung replied, “But apologising is better in person and you not texting me for the rest of day made me to think that I’m in big trouble.” The shorter girl let out her worry, “But we’re good now, right?”

“Not quite,” the penguin smiled cunningly. “What?” the cub raised her questions, “Why?”

“You owe me cuddles,” Mina pouted, “At least.” Chaeyoung laughed, completely in favour of her penguin’s idea.

Chaeyoung ordered some take-outs while Mina busied herself by taking a clean blanket from her bedroom. 7:57 pm of Friday, the two bundled themselves on the couch – by each other’s side – as they dug their chopsticks on the carton of their food. The penguin chose a movie that could help them to pass some time. “We should have movie nights on our Fridays,” Chaeyoung offered her newly discovered idea from their current situation.

“I can accompany you at Friday nights in this lonely and dark place you call home,” the cub joked, “And you can spend some time with your favourite girl. You’d like that, right?” she rested her head on her shoulder like a house cat. The penguin laughed, “You’d like that,” she replied happily. “Sure, sure,” the shorter girl faked a scoff, “So what’s up with hurrying up to finish your requirements? You still have Monday for it,” she mused to her.

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