I glanced at the wall clock – it was nearly 10 pm and Wheein still hadn’t shown up.

She had texted me earlier that she would be late, but I didn’t think she would be this late. I started to imagine the worst scenario possible and I had to mentally slap myself a few times for even thinking it.

Suddenly, a notification popped up on my phone; it was a new text from Wheein.

Wheein

Byul, I’m sorry.

I won’t be able to come home tonight.

Please take care of Kkomo for me.

Thank you.

Wheein had told me before that she worked for a supply company, mostly for constructions. She was just a secretary, but she would also help her boss with certain projects when they were short-staffed. Perhaps they had gotten a big project recently and that was why she had to stay later than usual.

I sighed, thinking that it was a shame I couldn’t see her tonight, and then I texted her back, saying that I would gladly take care of Kkomo and hoped that she wouldn’t stay up too late.

I put down my phone and glanced at Kkomo who had been playing on the floor near my feet. He had stopped playing with his toy and was now stretching his limbs and the whole length of his body, flexing his manicured nails one by one, while letting out a big yawn.

“It’s just y-you and me tonight, b-buddy,” I said to the cat as I reached down to him behind his ears. He let out a deep, satisfied purr, and his eyes gradually closing shut. “Do y-you want to play or s-sleep?”

Kkomo let out another yawn in response.

“I g-guess sleep it is th-then,” I chuckled.

I picked him up with both hands (he was actually very heavy) and brought him into my bedroom. I set him on the bed before changing into my pajamas and washed up. By the time I came back from the bathroom, he was already fast asleep on one side of the bed. I took his blanket from the bag Wheein had left and covered his curled up and shivering body before quietly making my way out of the room.

Truthfully, I wasn’t all that sleepy.

I contemplated on finishing up some work, but it was already late and I had no motivation to open up the computer. I glanced at my gaming console; the noise would wake Kkomo up, so games were definitely out of the question. Then, my gaze fell on the camera sitting idly on the coffee table and I remembered the video Wheein had taken of me and Kkomo last weekend.

I grabbed the camera and settled on the couch, casually scrolling through the gallery until I found the video. I tapped on the play button and watched it from start to finish. I found myself grinning at the end and my finger couldn’t wait to hit play over and over again; it was actually pretty funny, because I looked silly, and it was also endearing, simply because Kkomo was in it.

As I replayed the video for the fifth time, I started to realize something – this video was taken by Wheein and I was literally looking at myself and Kkomo through Wheein’s eyes. I tried imagining myself in Wheein’s shoes as she filmed this and I couldn’t help noticing things that I hadn’t before – my messy hair, my pale and sweaty face, that ugly scar on my neck, my slightly exposed abs and my skinny thighs.

How could I show this shameless side of me to Wheein of all people?

My face started to get hot and my heart was beating erratically. I quickly set the camera aside and tried to calm myself down. I didn’t think I would be so affected by this; it was just a simple video, but thinking that Wheein saw me like that…I felt shy and embarrassed all of a sudden.

When I first moved here, I never intended to get close to anyone; I was on a self-imposed exile and I wanted to be alone.

But then, I met Jung Wheein.

She was one of the first neighbours who talked to me; it was brief, but it was enough to make an impression on me. I would usually bump into her on trash days and Wheein would always greet me politely, never forgetting to smile. I could only give a curt nod in return; I was determined to keep to myself, no matter how many cute and adorable angels appeared in front of me.

I never imagined that one day this angel would come knocking at my door, requesting me to cat-sit. I was tempted to say “no” at first, but the cat was pretty persuasive, just sitting there looking adorable, and I found myself saying “yes”.

I would be a fool not to admit that it was the best decision that I had ever made – I got to spend my days playing with a chic yet adorable cat and then, maybe, have dinner with his cute and also adorable owner.

If my mother knew, she would chide me; my inability to resist helping damsels in distress was my one flaw, she had always said, and it had almost cost me my life once. I had sworn to my mother that I would never let it happen again…

But Wheein was different.

It wasn’t anything logical; just something deep inside me that told me, convinced me, that Wheein was different.

Just thinking about my mother and that incident as well as my jumbled up feelings for Wheein was tiring me out physically and emotionally. I let out a yawn and curled up on the couch, too lazy to make a move towards the bedroom.

That night, I dreamt of Kkomo and Wheein.

We were spending a peaceful afternoon together, playing and laughing as usual, and I couldn’t help admiring how beautiful Wheein looked, bathed in the afternoon sunlight with the brightest smile in the universe carved onto her face. Suddenly, the sun disappeared and the sky turned grey. I looked up and wondered if it was going to rain. I was about to ask Wheein about it when someone appeared in front of us and grabbed Wheein by the hand, along with Kkomo. The worst part was that Wheein was smiling at that person and holding their hand tightly, like she never wanted to let go. I tried asking her who it was, but my voice would not come out; I tried holding on to her, to Kkomo, but they slipped through my fingers like they were made of air. I was left alone, crumbling on the ground, crying wordlessly with a painful aching in my chest.

I woke up with a start, my pajamas drenched with sweat, and I was out of breath.

My hand went up to my chest; I could still feel that ache, but my brain was still too sleepy to process anything right now.

I glanced at the clock; it was nearly 1 am. I forced myself to get up and dragged my feet towards the bedroom. I changed into a dry set of pajamas, tossed the wet ones somewhere on the floor, and climbed into bed next to Kkomo.

Thankfully, I dreamt of nothing else when sleep finally claimed me once again.