My eyes seemed to be glued to her.

Specifically, her neck.

There was an inch-wide scar running across her neck; it looked like it was still healing. I wondered what happened to her-

A loud cough interrupted my thoughts and my eyes flew upwards and met with her dark brown ones. She did not look too happy at my staring; she was scowling at me and covered the scar with one hand.

“I-I’m sorry,” I hastily said, adjusting my thin glasses; a nervous habit of mine. “I-I didn’t mean to stare…”

She waved a hand dismissively and stared at me again, eyes filled with silent questions. I deduced that the scar on her neck was the cause of her quietness; her inability to speak. I was actually surprised at how easily I could guess what she was thinking despite us never talking before this.

“M-My name is Jung Wheein.”

I held out a hand and she took it gingerly.

“B-Byul…”

She shook my hand once before quickly letting go. I didn’t know if my hand was clammy or this person really didn’t like skinships. I hid my dismay with a thin smile and adjusted my glasses once again before speaking.

“I am here to ask you if you can take care of my cat for me,” I said as I held up a cat carrier, a transparent bag where an orange-white cat was obediently sitting, looking at the two humans with wide, curious eyes. “His name is Kkomo. I’ve been trying to find-”

“Wh-What…ma-makes…y-you…th-think…”

Her dark hair was half-hiding her pale face; she was sweating profusely, looking like she was in extreme pain as she clutched at . I immediately panicked, thinking that she would suddenly pass out; outwardly, I just sat there, frozen.

When she looked like she was about to speak again, I quickly placed a hand on her arm. I didn’t want her to speak anymore if it hurts ; seeing her in pain was making me feel pained too and I was only the spectator. Plus, if she really did pass out, I might just pass out next to her.

Her eyes widened, darting from my hand on her arm and back to my face. Her reaction suddenly made me shy. I let out a nervous chuckle and retreated my hand. I cleared my throat and reminded myself the reason I came to her apartment in the first place.

“I-I’ve been asking around,” I said as calmly as I could, despite finding it very hard to meet her eyes right now, “but no one seems to be available during the day. I figured there is no harm in asking you as well since I have never seen you outside of this apartment…”

Except on trash days. She came down, dumped her trash and skulked back to her cave; the ultimate anti-social. But now I understood why and my heart went out to her.

I quickly snapped myself out of my thoughts just in time to see her pursing her lips as she looked down at my cat, her dark brows furrowed together as if she was deep in thought.

A moment later, a smile tugged at the corner of her lips and I stupidly felt butterflies swarming inside my stomach; that smile was clearly not directed at me and yet I was affected as if it was.

Stupid. Very stupid of you, Jung Wheein.

“O…kay…” I heard her say in that raspy voice of hers as she took the carrier from my lap, her eyes never leaving Kkomo, “I…w-will…t-take…h-him…”

“Oh, you don’t have to speak if you don’t want to.”

She looked at me with a frown. “I…d-don’t…”

“Um, we could just text,” I explained, holding up my phone to demonstrate, “I think that would be a lot easier. For you and your throat.”

She was still frowning for a good ten seconds before her face cleared and the most adorable, crooked smile appeared on her face. She nodded her approval and handed me her phone before turning her attention back to Kkomo.

I was a little stunned and speechless, her phone sitting neatly in the palm of my hand.

That was the first time someone demonstrated a lot more interested in Kkomo rather than in me. My heart felt heavy and the disappointment didn’t seem like it would go away anytime soon. I forced myself to remember that I wanted Byul-ssi to be Kkomo’s cat-sitter; it would be troubling if she has no interest in the cat.

Her interest in me can come later.

With that in mind and a small smile on my lips, I entered my number into her phone.

After work, I quickly rushed back home.

I missed Kkomo and I was curious about his first day with the new cat-sitter. I definitely was not excited to meet Byul-ssi again. Definitely not.

As I neared the apartment building, my phone buzzed.

Byul

Wheein-ssi, are you on your way home?

You

Yes.

Is there any problem, Byul-ssi?

Byul

I think I need help.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

My heart sped up as my eyes glued to the word “help”. I quickly typed in my reply before rushing into an empty elevator. She replied with the passcode to her apartment which sent my mind and heart racing even more. I wondered what had happened that would make her unable to even open the door for me.

My fingers trembled as I punched in the code; I was relieved to get it in the first try. I took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

“Byul-ssi?” I called out as I carefully made my way inside the apartment. “Where are you?”

Suddenly my phone buzzed.

Byul

I’m in the living room.

I hastened my steps towards the living room, fearing for the worst.

My eyes nearly popped out from their sockets and my heart nearly stopped when I saw a figure lying on the couch, unmoving.

“Byul-ssi?!”

I sprinted to the side of the couch and knelt down, but my concerned eyes were met with a pair of stern ones, accompanied by a finger on firm lips, hushing me. Then, she looked down and I followed her eyes to the curled bundle of fur on her chest.

It took me a whole second before it dawned on me. I quickly cupped a hand over my mouth and burst into silent giggles.

“I-Is this why you said you needed help?” I asked breathlessly after my giggling had died down, leaving me flushed and grinning. “Because he was sleeping on top of you?”

She blushed and nodded slowly. “I…d-didn’t…w-want…t-to…w-wake…”

I just smiled and carefully lifted Kkomo off of her. The little guy stirred, but quickly fell back asleep, nestled comfortably in the crook of my arms.

“Thank you for this,” I murmured. “Is it okay if I rely on you from now on, Byul-ssi?”

She sat up and grinned at me. Then, her eyes fell on Kkomo and her grin turned into the softest smile; it was as if she was looking at her own child.

I didn’t need to hear her say it to know that the answer was a positive one.