A/N

Nothing, actually :3

Just enjoy and tell me your thought!

.

.

.

__________

If there is one thing Yoo Jeongyeon hates most about Monday morning, is the fact that she has to go to school and the fact that the sun always shines so brightly. Okay, that's actually two things, but in Jeongyeon's defense, she has a lot of things to hate on Monday morning. Aside from those two, she also dislikes (not hate, because deep down, she still loves it) the wet sensation all over her face courtesy of none other than her Sodalis.

"Azari no, stop."

In a futile attempt to swat her Sodalis away, Jeongyeon rolls to her stomach, hiding her face from the relentless of her vixen Sodalis. She could hear the annoyed huff coming from Azari but she ignores it. At least, until Azari bites the exposed skin on her nape and pulls hard.

"Aaaaah! That hurts! Alright alright, I'm awake I'm awake!" Jeongyeon jumps up from her bed, throwing her Sodalis away before her legs getting tangled on the blanket and she falls ungracefully to the floor. The girl groans at her pained body then groan louder at the degrading barks coming from her vixen's mouth.

Irritated, Jeongyeon throws a pillow to Azari which the vixen dodges fairly easily. With her head held high and tail puffing up in arrogance, the red-white-furred vixen struts around Jeongyeon's room, cocky golden eyes not once leaving her Master's annoyed stare. Azari then proceeds to slide Jeongyeon's closet open, pulling out a set of uniform from its storage and throws it to the girl still laying on the floor.

"Fine, we're going to school," Azari sits down and curls her tail around her body. Jeongyeon swears she could see her Sodalis raising her eyebrow at her. "And yes, fine, I'm going to bathe you and you're going to school with that pretty ribbon Seungyeon-unnie gave you."

Despite her feisty nature, Azari yips excitedly at that and runs closer to her, nuzzling her furry face to Jeongyeon's neck. The Master chuckles as she taps Azari's head and presses a kiss to the space between her pointed ears. "I know, I know. You love me so much."

Azari swats her tail across Jeongyeon's face before she turns so her is facing Jeongyeon. But the human only laughs harder as she rises to her feet, bringing her Sodalis up and hugs her as tight as she can until Azari yelps.

"Alright, we all know you, tsundere. Now don't bite my face off when I scrub that dirt off of your fur."

.

.

.

To have a Sodalis is a blessing. Or so that's what Jeongyeon's parents and everyone around her had told her. They are your best friend, part of your soul that connects with your fated one and a mark designed by a higher power up there to make finding your soulmate easier. Find someone whose Sodalis loves yours, and rest assured that the Master of that Sodalis is your soulmate.

Azari showed up in Jeongyeon's life on her seventh birthday, manifested from thin air right in front of the excited little girl's eyes. Ever since then, the vixen had become Jeongyeon's everything. Sure, her Sodalis is not the best Sodalis everyone would ask for–she's noisy, cocky, sarcastic and would do everything to make Jeongyeon follows her every whim–but Azari is simply everything Jeongyeon would want in her soulmate.

(maybe it's the sentiment, or maybe it's just that Jeongyeon had grown too accustomed with Azari's personality she will accept her soulmate with no further complaints)

((or maybe it's that because she had fallen in love with the mere shadow of her soulmate, but it's not like Jeongyeon will admit it))

Sometimes Jeongyeon wonders what her soulmate's Sodalis would look like. She wonders if her animal extension is a bird because Jeongyeon likes bird. Or maybe it's another mammal, though Jeongyeon wouldn't protest even if her soulmate's Sodalis is a lizard. After all, it is supposed to perfectly represent her like a mirror and she has no saying in what God thinks of her.

Jeongyeon also wonders what her human soulmate would look like. Azari is gorgeous (like, hella gorgeous), probably the prettiest fox Jeongyeon had ever seen in her life. Her eyes are sharp, smart yet thoughtful. Her fur is the fluffiest and Azari loves to keep her pelt intact of any dirt, so it makes her look even cleaner and silky. Azari also walks with her head held high, chest puffed up and tail raised high in the air, showing her proud and beautiful stature for everyone to envy for.

If her Sodalis is already this pretty, Jeongyeon thinks her soulmate will certainly be prettier.

Man, how lucky would she be?

.

.

.

"Jeong!"

A slap on her back elicits a groan from Jeongyeon, who begrudgingly raises her head from her desk to look at her disturbance. She finds one of her friends, Sowon, grinning at her with her rabbit Sodalis, Davi, tucked comfortably in her arms. Jeongyeon rubs her face as Azari leaps to her desk to sniff at Davi and yips when the rabbit taps her face excitedly.

"What is it?" yawning, Jeongyeon sits up straight while Sowon pulls another chair from the desk beside Jeongyeon. The taller girl lets Davi go to play with Azari.

"It's almost Valentine, don't you have anything to do, Jeong?" Sowon asks with a wide grin on her face.

"Is that an expression of concern or an insult?"

"A little bit of both."

" you," Jeongyeon flips her middle finger to Sowon but the girl only laughs harder. "Stop bullying me just because you have your soulmate already."

"Hey, I'm just concerned, you know," Sowon shrugs as she leans to the desk, resting her chin to her joined hands. Jeongyeon rolls her eyes at her words and Sowon shakes her head. "Jeong, look. We both know that your soulmate is here already. You're just being a coward by not making any move towards her."

The short haired girl groans. She slumps to her desk, hiding her face to her arms as she groans louder until Sowon has to pat her back. "Won, she is not my soulmate."

"Says who?" the taller Korean raises her eyebrow, just in time when Davi and Azari return from their mini-game of tag. The fluffy grey rabbit jumps up to Sowon's arms while Azari jumps to Jeongyeon's desk. The vixen yips annoyedly when she sees her Master sulking on her seat before she bites Jeongyeon's shoulder, hard, to the point that Jeongyeon shrieks in pain.

"STOP THAT!"

As usual, Azari evades Jeongyeon's attack easily as she barks, as she berates her Master for being one sad lump of a human. Her bushy tail effortlessly slaps Jeongyeon across her face, eliciting a pitiful whine from the ever-defeated Master.

Sowon shakes her head again at the duo's interaction. Before she could speak some more, the bell rings, indicating that the recess period is over. The girl taps Jeongyeon's head once as she returns the borrowed seat to its designated place. "You know what? Just think about it. Soulmates will come to you eventually, but if you do nothing to chase or keep them with you, then everything might come to waste."

"I told you–" ruffling her blondish short hair, Jeongyeon grumbles. "She's not my soulmate. Just look at her Sodalis. Did you ever see me reflected in that lioness? I don't think so."

The rabbit owner shrugs again. "I'm just saying that you should try. If you guys are not soulmates, Azari will let you know. We're already in our third year, Jeong. Don't let your chance go or you will regret it for the rest of your life. With that well said, adios, mi amigo."

Sighing at Sowon's retreating back, Jeongyeon turns her attention to Azari, who now seems more concerned than angry. That elicits a small smile on Jeongyeon's lips, knowing that her Sodalis might seem like a total jerk around others but would act caring and being a fluffy little sweetheart when they're alone.

"I'm fine, Az," she the vixen's head to ease her. "Just have a lot of things in my mind."

Azari huffs before she slides down to Jeongyeon's lap and curls her body, letting the human pets her as the teacher walks in.

.

.

.

Her name is Im Nayeon.

The girl Sowon is hell-bent on telling Jeongyeon that she's her soulmate.

Okay, Jeongyeon maybe had taken notice of some things Sowon had told her. First of all, Nayeon is gorgeous (like, hella gorgeous) with bunny-teeth that is too cute to be true. She's one of those students that everyone would call as a 'Queen-bee' due to her celebrity-like nature. Aside from being one of the smartest students in the whole high school, Nayeon is also the student council's vice-president, the head of the cheerleader team, the face of the school, Moon Goddess reincarnate, etc etc. She has this peculiar 'Your Highness' aura around her that seems to attract everyone around. Not that she's arrogant, no, Nayeon is actually one of the most kind-hearted girl Jeongyeon had ever seen. It's just that she has this sarcastic and proud blood in her that makes people sometimes think that she's a stuck-up, self-centered kind of a .

Reminding you of someone?

If your answer is that one vixen currently grooming her fur, then you're correct.

Sure, Jeongyeon had seen some resemblance on her Sodalis with that girl. But then again, Jeongyeon would never dare to think of herself as Nayeon's soulmate. The other girl's Sodalis is that of a lioness, proud and strong and charismatic and certainly does not look like Jeongyeon at all.

If someone has to describe Jeongyeon (which Sowon will gladly do) they will depict her as your regular nerd often found in high school. With short blondish hair, thick eyeglasses she rarely takes off and neat uniform tucked to her skirt. Thankfully, she's not antisocial like how most other nerds in this school are. She excels in soccer and she joined the club to become one of the top strikers, though she had never really interacted with Nayeon despite the latter constantly cheering for her in competitions. She's not the captain either so why bother?

Tl:dr; Im Nayeon is pretty and Jeongyeon is too lazy (or cowardly) to properly talk to her.

Tl:dr as explained by Sowon; Jeongyeon is an idiot.

Sometimes, Jeongyeon thinks that Sowon is right.

.

.

.

Then again, Jeongyeon also thinks that Sowon is a sometimes.

"Jeong! Look! Look! Eunha gave me this chocolate for Valentine!"

Jeongyeon could only stare at her best friend as the tall Korean swirls on her seat, giddy that her soulmate had given her a present this special day. It's actually just a bar of chocolate which Jeongyeon is sure she saw yesterday on a minimarket, but Sowon told her that Eunha is a walking disaster in the kitchen and that she appreciates the gift simply because of the sentiment.

Her soulmate loves her, gifted her a chocolate bar out of love and out of consciousness that she can't cook to save her life, and Sowon is forever grateful for that while Jeongyeon could only look with envy.

"Isn't she adorable?" Sowon says with dreamy eyes and Jeongyeon wants nothing more than to strangle her.

"Sure, she's adorable and congratulations for having such a loving soulmate," Jeongyeon sighs. "But please, don't shove it to my face all the time. I'm sick with all the love in the air."

It's true. Most students here are already finding their soulmate, whether students in the same school or not, so they are all currently being high with romance. The other people (the singles) like her are either belching with disgust or brooding in some corners, all lamenting their still-non-existent love story.

"Awww, I'm sorry," the taller of the two drapes her arm over Jeongyeon's shoulders and pulls her close. "I'm just a bit happy. It's fine. You'll find your soulmate one day, Jeongie. Don't be discouraged!"

That tugs a small smile on Jeongyeon's lips. Sowon may sometimes be a but she cares for her nonetheless. "Yeah, thanks, Won."

"Anyway," Sowon looks around, seemingly trying to find someone. "Where's Az? Is she not with you today?"

Jeongyeon shrugs. "I don't know. She was restless for the whole lecture so I severed our link for a while to let her roam the school."

Sowon nods. One of her hands Davi's grey fur as the bunny sniffs Jeongyeon's desk sadly. "Well, tell Az next time she shows up that Davi misses her. I gotta go, Rex's looking for me."

Jeongyeon then turns to the window, immediately locking eyes with a giraffe peeking through the glass. The tall animal is Eunha's Sodalis (alias Sowon's animal counterpart) and the reticulated giraffe had known already where to look when her Master's soulmate is nowhere to be found. She huffs to the glass as Sowon salutes, then blinks at Jeongyeon in gratitude before she leaves.

Following Sowon's departure, Jeongyeon slumps back to her seat. The recess period spans for 15 minutes and it's still 10 minutes into it, so she still has at least five minutes to get some shut-eye.

Or so she thought.

Jeongyeon yelps when a fluffy creature leaps straight to her head, effectively stomping on her face and swipes a bushy tail over her closed eyes. The girl grumbles as she finds her previously missing Sodalis already sitting prettily on her desk. Despite her irritation, Jeongyeon raises one hand to pet Azari's head which the vixen appreciates with a purr.

"Where have you been, eh? Dav was looking for you."

Azari's eyes twinkle at the mention of Davi's name. But she does nothing about that particular information so Jeongyeon sighs. "Right. Next time, tell me where you're going to, okay?"

The vixen barks and Jeongyeon closes her eyes. She only manages to get at least five seconds of relaxation when something hit her head again, this time something with corners that feels like it just stabbed her scalp.

"What the heck Azari!" the vixen simply bark. Jeongyeon hisses as she rubs her throbbing head only to look down to find a small brown box with a pink ribbon around it laying on her desk. She pauses. "Wait, where did this come from?"

Azari yips.

"You got this from someone?"

The vixen rolls on the desk, purring.

Jeongyeon scratches her head. "Hmmm... wonder who," she picks up the box, examining it and pulls the ribbon off. She opens its cap to find a single piece of chocolate flavored candy in it. Once again, she examines the candy and the box, even turning the box upside down to see if the sender included a note or whatever, only to find it empty.

"Oh, well," the girl shrugs as she opens the plastic packet, immediately devouring the (admittedly delicious) candy while Azari slinks to her lap. "Happy Valentine to me, I guess?"

.

.

.

Maybe Jeongyeon shouldn't look too deep into it, but now she's terrified.

The chocolate doesn't stop only at Valentine day. It's been exactly two weeks after the first candy and she keeps on receiving a piece at each and every day. Azari will always be the one picking it up from God knows where but she will never tell Jeongyeon from where did she get her daily supply of chocolate candy.

"You're exaggerating," says Sowon after Jeongyeon told her everything. "Look, it's been two weeks and you hadn't died yet so I think the sender genuinely gave them all to you as a... token of appreciation, maybe?"

Jeongyeon shudders. "B-but what if they are actually a stalker? Sowon, you know what usually happens when someone stalks you!"

"You'll be killed?"

"Don't say that!"

"Well, you tempted me to say that," Sowon sighs and rolls her eyes. "Relax, Jeong. If that someone truly wants to do something bad to you, do you think Azari will listen to them and send the gifts to you?"

Jeongyeon pauses, thinking hard.

The taller Korean has no more patience and slaps the back of Jeongyeon's head. "Of course not, ! It's fine! Whoever that person is, he or she has no ill intention by giving you the chocolates. In any case, you should be flattered that someone so nice that even Azari listens to gives you chocolates! No big deal, my man!"

"That hurts, you know," Jeongyeon grumbles at Sowon, then exhales heavily as she contemplates Sowon's words. The tall girl, as random as she could get at times, does have a point. So Jeongyeon slumps down on her seat with her eyes staring at Sowon. "Maybe you're right. But... Azari is way too wary of outsiders to easily trust people like that. What if... what if the person forced her to do so?"

"And with her returning back each day? I don't think so, Yoo."

As if on cue, Azari returns from her daily escapades, jumping straight to Jeongyeon's lap and barks happily to Sowon. Davi who was perched on Sowon's lap sniffs her happily and Azari barks again in appreciation. The vixen then turns to Jeongyeon to offer another small box undoubtedly filled with a piece of chocolate candy.

This makes Jeongyeon sigh, although she accepts the gift with a small smile, patting Azari's head to show her gratitude. "Thank you, Azari. Now, wouldn't you tell me who told you to send this?"

Azari shakes her head.

"Ah," Jeongyeon sighs again, heavier this time, her small smile from before disappearing. "Alright. Thank you, though."

Looking at her seemingly depressed Master, Azari huffs, angry, before pawing at Jeongyeon's chest. The girl simply pushes her Sodalis' head down to stop her with no motivation whatsoever, making even Sowon feels bad for her blonde-haired friend.

"Hey, cheer, Jeongie," Sowon pats Jeongyeon's back to show her support. "You should look at this in bright light. The person must have genuinely like you to send a gift every day. You have a fan!"

"A stalker."

"A fan. Anyway, I have an idea," that piques Jeongyeon interest, and the girl lifts her head to face her friend. Sowon is grinning, wide, the kind of weird grin that makes you feel like something bad is going to happen extremely soon. "Why don't you send a gift back to them with a note and see if they respond?"

Jeongyeon blinks. Sowon watches her with a beam.

Then, the blonde squeals loudly she almost makes Azari falls down from her lap. "Holy Kim Sojung you're a mothering genius! Yes! That's what you are! G-E-N-I-U-S!"

"I know, right?" the taller of the two cackles as she flips her hair dramatically. "Be thankful that you have a friend as amazing as me."

"Oh my God, oh my God," Jeongyeon grips her own hair, face in awe as if she had just received a world-changing revelation. "Oh my God, yes. Why didn't I think about that before? Oh my ing God Kim Sojung you're a Godsend I love you so much I'll marry you too bad we're not soulmates–"

"Jeong, you're rambling."

"–yes! yes! That's exactly what I'm gonna do! I'm gonna write now and–"

Sowon puts her hands on Jeongyeon's shoulders and pushes her down. "Whoa, whoa, calm down, mate. I know that you're excited but writing the note now would not be appropriate."

"Ehhhh??" Jeongyeon looks up to Sowon, betrayal and confusion clear on her face. "Why not?"

The girl knows by the look on Sowon's face that she's tempted to just deck her on the face. "Because, duh, my idiot Yoo Jeongyeon. That person first gave you the chocolate on Valentine Day. It's only appropriate for you to give them a gift back on White Day. Or, well, maybe a day before that so you guys could go on a date on White Day."

Jeongyeon gasps as she puts her hand on her chest. "A date with a stalker? No! I'll be dead by the end of the day!"

"Why can't you be a bit optimistic for once?" Sowon slaps Jeongyeon back again until she yelps in pain. "Mark my words, Jeong. Send a letter a day before White Day, ask your admirer to meet you and I bet my whole love life in this that you're going to get yourself a date."

Despite a bit appalled by her friend's saying, Jeongyeon sighs, then shakes her head as she pouts at Sowon.

"Fine. But only because you bet your love life in it."

.

.

.

Hello

I believe you had known who am I by now, but I'm still going to introduce myself

I'm Yoo Jeongyeon, nice to meet you

I really appreciate your gifts and I'm delighted to know that someone like you likes me enough to give me these gifts

By any chance, can we meet? I would love to know about you more and I want to give you something back for all the chocolates

How about tomorrow, 3 p.m at Wonder Girls cafe?

Thank you very much

Sincerely, Yoo Jeongyeon

 

p.s. the chocolates are so delicious. Thank you :)

.

.

.

The chocolates keep on coming even until March 13^th. As usual, Azari escapes Jeongyeon's hold the moment the first studying hour strikes. But Jeongyeon is well prepared now. She had bought a pretty ribbon collar for Azari that has a small ball compartment hanging on it. She slipped her note inside it and told Azari to give the note to the chocolate giver.

The girl waits with great anticipation to the point that she can't even concentrate in class. She keeps on scribbling random doodles on her notebook, obviously not paying attention not anything the teacher says. Jeongyeon is much too excited yet also dreading if her 'admirer' will answer her message or not.

She hopes they will. Aside from being deadly curious, Jeongyeon didn't lie that she wants to give them something back for all the chocolates. She could just send the gift back through Azari, sure. But deep inside, Jeongyeon hopes that whoever this person is, they are somehow is her soulmate who she hadn't met.

I mean, Azari obeys them. Of course, it has to be someone she regards as important enough for Jeongyeon for her to listen to.

When Azari returns that afternoon, not only she brings a box of chocolate candy, she also brings a neatly folded paper bitten between her teeth. Jeongyeon welcomes her Sodalis with widely open arms and a yell of excitement as she quickly unfolds the paper.

It's a date, soulmate ;)

-Im Nayeon

Sowon was right and Jeongyeon's scream turns to pure horror.

.

.

.

"I CAN'T DO THIS!"

Sowon sighs heavily at the sight of a panicking girl before her. The two are currently located inside Jeongyeon's room after the owner of the room called her best friend in panic. Sitting on the foot of the bed are Davi and Azari, both staring in confusion at the blonde Korean who busies herself ransacking her own closet.

"OH MY GOD, WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE HER?"

"Because you're her soulmate, duh," Sowon groans and rolls her eyes. "Stop panicking. It's just a date."

Jeongyeon almost pulls her hair off in frustration. "Yeah. A date with the most gorgeous girl in the whole school, the smartest, prettiest, Moon Goddess reincarnate, etc. etc. How can I not be panicking?! And it's tomorrow for God sake! How does she even know that I am her soulmate?! We've never ever talked properly before!"

"It's because you're a . And as far as I know, it was you who asked for tomorrow?"

"I know I did! But what should I do?! What should I wear?!" the blonde shrieks again. Her entire closet is already out in the open yet she still doesn't know what to wear to her 'date' tomorrow. "And I can't just give her back another bar of chocolate that would be hideous and embarrassing she's going to regret to have a soulmate like m– AW!"

Azari bites Jeongyeon's calf hard. The Master turns angrily but Azari bravely returns her stare, before diving to the pile of clothes strewn around the room and starts digging.

"Uhh... Az, what are you doing?"

The vixen walks backward after she finishes digging Jeongyeon's clothes, pulling a light coat that Jeongyeon usually wears in autumn. She puts the piece of clothing right in front of her Master then starts digging again. In maybe fifteen minutes or so, Azari manages to pull a complete set of clothing and presents it to her Master.

"W-what do you–" Azari yips, once more pushing the pile of clothing to Jeongyeon's feet. "You want me to use these?"

The vixen wags her tail.

Blinking in confusion, Jeongyeon looks over to Sowon to ask for her opinion. Sowon simply shrugs. "Just do what she says."

"Okay, fine," Jeongyeon takes off her clothes and puts the one Azari had given her once Sowon flips and closes her eyes. It doesn't take long for her to put it all on. "Okay. How do I look?"

What she wears is actually just a simple beige light coat over a high-collared black t-shirt along with a pair of ripped jeans. She also wears a necklace with a single silver ring hanging from it. Sowon whistles at her appearance before taking something from her desk.

"Casual, but good," the taller girl slips Jeongyeon's eyeglasses to her ears. "And now you're perfect."

Jeongyeon wails. "I can't use my glasses to a date are you kidding me?"

Sowon glares. "Nope. You can because you look better with this."

"Alright fine," the shorter girl sighs, ruffling her hair as she had been defeated by her friend. "Outfit, clear. Moving on to the most critical question tonight, what should I give her tomorrow?"

She doesn't know that Sowon shares a glance with Azari, which the vixen smirks in answer. Sowon nods and puts her hands on Jeongyeon's shoulders. "A chocolate. Because it's White Day."

Jeongyeon sighs again. "I told you chocolate is–"

"No," Sowon shakes her head. "I mean homemade chocolate. Chocolates that you make with your own hands."

"But I can't cook."

"So do I."

Silence. Jeongyeon narrows her eyes and Sowon grins.

"I know someone who does."

.

.

.

In retrospect, Jeongyeon should have thought this through thoroughly.

It's five minutes to 3 p.m and she seriously is starting to reconsider everything. She repeatedly fixes her coat collar, or fiddles with her necklace, or clears to the point that Azari slaps her face to stop her. She glares at her Sodalis but Azari simply ignores her, the vixen also seemingly excited to meet Nayeon and her lioness Sodalis. Inside Jeongyeon's bag is a box of homemade chocolates she had begged her elder sister to make. Seungyeon, her elder sister who also owns a bakery, endlessly for the whole night and Jeongyeon would have murdered her already if only she didn't need her help to make some chocolates.

Though she wouldn't lie, Seungyeon helped her a lot and the chocolates they made turn out delicious as .

"Will she come, Az?" Jeongyeon asks nervously, eyes glancing to the clock that shows 3 p.m sharp. "What if she doesn't want to come?"

Azari is staring at her with a bored face before she nibbles her knuckles lightly. Jeongyeon sighs then pat her Sodalis' head, understanding that Azari tries to alleviate her nervousness. She always cares for her Master and Jeongyeon is grateful that her Sodalis loves her just as much as she does.

"Thank you, Az," the vixen purrs, bumping her head repeatedly to Jeongyeon's open palm. Jeongyeon uses her thumb to the soft fur between the vixen's ears and it makes Azari purrs even louder.

The two continue doing that, Jeongyeon Azari absentmindedly while the vixen basks in her touch, before suddenly Azari turns her head and her ears to the cafe entrance, alert. She then barks excitedly and leaps down from the table, just in time when a golden coated lioness walks through the open door. The vixen yips as she nuzzles the lioness' forelegs which the bigger animal answers with a to her head.

Following the big lioness is a girl with a light green cardigan over a simple floral dress. A brown accessory belt hugs her slim waist nicely and Jeongyeon feels her breath hitches. The girl kneels down to pat Azari once before she stands up again, beaming the moment she meets Jeongyeon's eyes that are staring at her with unfiltered awe.

"Hi, Jeongyeon."

Oh my God, her voice is pure honey.

Jeongyeon knows it's rude to stare, but she can't help to and she stutters when the beauty before her giggles. "H-Hi..?"

"Am I late?" Nayeon fixes her bag for a while before she pulls her chair back, but Jeongyeon snaps out of it at the right moment and scrambles to pull her chair back for her. She almost melts when Nayeon giggles again in amusement. "Thank you. So gentlemanly of you."

"Yeah, uh," think, Jeongyeon think! What should I say in this situation?! "A girl as pretty as you deserve that and more."

Nayeon laughs. "I didn't know that you are this cheesy."

No. She's actually not and now Jeongyeon wants to kill herself.

"Anyway," the girl with the bunny-teeth grins, showing her cute row of gleaming white pearls and gestures her Sodalis to come closer. The lioness obediently walks over and Jeongyeon could already see one resemblance of herself with the lioness. "This is Vito, my Sodalis and your animal counterpart. Vito, say hi!"

Vito roars (it's actually just a tiny 'rawr' but Jeongyeon doesn't know what to describe that as) as she paddles towards the blonde. Jeongyeon puts her palm down and Vito immediately nudges it with her jaw, asking Jeongyeon to scratch the underside of her chin. The lioness growls lowly before she rolls on the ground showing her lighter-furred stomach.

"Please bear with her, she loves belly rubs greatly," says the girl when Jeongyeon looks over her rolling Sodalis curiously.

"O-oh, I like belly rubs too."

Nayeon blinks. Jeongyeon despairs.

"I-I mean–"

But then Nayeon laughs, loudly and freely and Jeongyeon squirms on her seat in embarrassment. "Aw, you're so cute, you know that? Stop being so nervous I don't bite."

Of course, she doesn't because apparently it's Jeongyeon herself who has more tendencies to bite, considering how Vito is practically mauling Azari right now.

"Have you ordered something?" Nayeon opens the menu book on the table.

"No, not yet. I was waiting for you," this gets the lioness owner to smile softly and blush.

"You don't have to do that, you know," her smile widens, making Jeongyeon melts instantly over how cute this girl is. "Any recommendation? I've never come here before so I don't know if anything is good."

"Well," Jeongyeon shifts when Nayeon hands her the menu. She skims the menu then points at some of the food offered. "I gotta say that this cafe's strong point is in their coffee. My favorite is the cappuccino frappe but the mochaccino is great, too. If you don't like coffee, their tea is also superb and I like the lychee tea the most. For the food, I will recommend the sushi they are so good especially the salmon one. If you only want cakes or so, my personal favorite is the red velvet cake and the blueberry roll."

"Oohh, how do you know that I like salmon sushi?" the girl's giggle almost makes Jeongyeon faint. "Alright. Have you decided? I'll order for us."

Jeongyeon smiles, trying to relax when everything Nayeon does up to this point is nothing but being nice and stunning. "No. I'll order. It's on me."

"Oh, really? You don't have to do that."

"As I said. I want to give you something back for all the chocolates. What do you want to order?"

Nayeon hums a bit as she scans through the menu once again. "I'll order a plate of salmon sushi and lychee tea because you say those two are the best."

Jeongyeon nods. "Salmon sushi and lychee tea. Any dessert?"

There's a naughty twinkle in Nayeon's eyes that Jeongyeon doesn't miss. "How about.. you?"

"Wh–" heat erupts on Jeongyeon's cheeks as Nayeon laughs, teasingly and amusedly when the other girl stutters. But then Jeongyeon decides to tease back and grins. "Well if I'm a dessert then you must be a full course meal."

Nayeon winks at her but Jeongyeon could see the tint of red on her cheeks. "Of course, I am. I'm fabulous."

"Sure you do," as she saunters to the cashier to order and pay, Azari follows behind her. Vito also seems to be extremely fond of Azari already so the lioness trails behind the two, at times biting down Azari's tail or nape that makes the vixen yips in surprise. Jeongyeon nudges Azari with her feet and the vixen looks up. "You want something?"

It's not like Sodalises even need food, but Azari leaps to the cashier, scanning the menu until she puts her paw on the vanilla ice cream dessert.

"You want that, Az?"

Azari shakes her head then points at Vito.

"Vito wants this?"

The lioness shakes her head as well.

Jeongyeon furrows her brows. "Oookay...? Then why did you ask for it?"

Azari stares at her with an expression that clearly says, "seriously?" and only by then does Jeongyeon understands. "Ah, you mean for– alright. Ma'am, one vanilla ice cream, please. For the dessert, yes."

When she returns to the table, Nayeon is already waiting for her with a beaming smile. Jeongyeon can't help but smile as well just as Azari races past her, jumping straight to Nayeon's lap and purrs as she asks for attention. Nayeon gladly plays with Azari while Vito curls on her feet.

"She seems like she likes you so much," Jeongyeon states. The other girl giggles and nods.

"Azari is so pretty," she says as she keeps on petting Azari. "Just like me."

"How bold of you."

"Nah, I take that back. I'm prettier than Azari."

Jeongyeon makes a face. Laughing harder, Nayeon pulls Azari into a tight embrace which makes the vixen yips happily. "Come on, Azari and I are basically the same. We are pretty, don't you think so, Jeongyeonnie?"

"Nicknames already?" Jeongyeon shakes her head at Nayeon's hearty giggle, though she clearly is not against it as seen by the fond smile on her face. Nayeon's cheerfulness is starting to rub to her and she finds her nervousness from before all gone. "Well, I gotta admit that you are pretty. That, and more."

The girl with the bunny teeth blushes. "Flattery will get you nowhere, you know that."

"Was I flattering? Because I think I was just being honest."

"Sweet talker."

"Seriously, though," Jeongyeon grins and shakes her head again. "How did you know that I'm your soulmate? I mean... I don't think I look a lot like Vito here."

Hearing her own name, the lioness looks up. She yawns at Jeongyeon before she moves away from her Master's feet towards Jeongyeon's, once again curling and closes her eyes peacefully. Jeongyeon reaches down to the thick fur on the lioness' nape, earning herself an appreciative huff from the sleepy beast.

Nayeon shrugs at her Sodalis' lazy gesture. "Well, first of all, both of you are blondes."

Jeongyeon looks at Nayeon incredulously. "I dyed my hair blonde."

"Still blonde."

"There are tons of blondes out there."

Still with that nonchalant tone of her, Nayeon grins. "You're the closest to me."

"The closest–" Jeongyeon is at a loss of words. "Alright, fine. What about the others?"

"Well, first of all, you're a nerd," one strike straight to Jeongyeon's heart, "Just like Vito, she likes to listen to me reading things to her. I figure if she's a human, she must have been a nerd. Vito is also, as you can see, one lazy- lioness," two strikes too close to home, "If only she's not linked to me all the time, she must have become a hermit already. She's also awkward around people and panics a lot, just like you."

A total of three strikes had destroyed Jeongyeon.

"But," it seems like Nayeon is not done and Jeongyeon prepares herself for more fact-based insults coming her way. She peeks to her (still questionable) 'soulmate' from beneath her bangs only to find Nayeon smiling softly at her slumbering Sodalis. "Vito cares about me so much. She might be disgusted by my antics at times but she would only scold me or look at me tiredly. Just like you, too, Vito is really polite and gentle and honest. I see her in you as I see you in her. That was what make think that you're my soulmate."

She didn't expect to be touched like this. Jeongyeon holds her hands above her chest, trying to calm her heart even if the blush on her cheeks perfectly reflects her thought right now.

"T-thank you."

The other girl hums before she adds. "Oh, and you both are hot. Period."

Eyes widening in surprise, Jeongyeon points at herself. "Me? Hot?"

Nayeon nods.

"Are you blind?"

"No, you blind," the girl holding the vixen pouts. Even Azari looks so done with her Master. "Have you seen yourself when you play soccer? I guess not because you're being oblivious right now."

"No, I–" Jeongyeon's voice gets caught in . "I'm not hot. Like, at all."

Nayeon giggles again. "That's for you to say. You're hot in my eyes and you look like a goddess in those glasses. Are those real?"

"Yes. I have bad sight."

"Ah... I understand now why can't you see your own hotness, Jeongyeonnie," the other girl giggles in amusement. Jeongyeon feels her blush returning in full force. "Then again. If only Azari didn't approach me first I admit I would never have the courage to send those for you."

A pause as Jeongyeon glares at her Sodalis. "Wait. Azari approached you first?"

"Mhm," Nayeon seemingly doesn't notice Jeongyeon having a glaring competition with her Sodalis as she's too occupied in grooming Azari's fur. "She didn't tell you? She's always been with me whenever you train with the team or having a match."

You little snitch

Azari's face is so arrogant right now that Jeongyeon is tempted to throw her to some random forest. But just then, the waitress arrives with their orders and Jeongyeon has to suppress that temptation to focus on her date and her food. She almost forgets to breath when Nayeon practically lits up the moment she sees her salmon sushi. The girl puts Azari down, reaching for the utensils while Azari slinks to curl close to Vito.

Despite having been to this cafe for hundred of times already, only now does Jeongyeon truly appreciates and declaring her love to the employees here, especially the chef. Nayeon enjoys her food so much because she's been blushing and about how good the sushi is to the point that Jeongyeon feels like it's not appropriate in public anymore. The other girl also loves her lychee tea so Jeongyeon is grateful that her recommendation is right on point.

In between their meal, they talk about a lot of things. Mostly gossips around the school. Even if it's actually Nayeon who does most of the talking while Jeongyeon simply being a good listener, it's clear that the two adore this rhythm already. Jeongyeon doesn't need to talk a lot but Nayeon knows that she's being appreciated, listened to because Jeongyeon's eyes are focused at her and she would tell her opinion at times.

"Ah, this is so good," Nayeon puts her chopsticks down with a wide smile. "Thank you, Jeongyeonnie. Now I know another good cafe to visit when I need sushi."

"The pleasure is mine."

Nayeon grins. "Next time, I'll show this one other good cafe I love."

Jeongyeon quirks her eyebrow, smirking a bit. "Next time?"

"Well," Nayeon winks, fully understanding the tease in Jeongyeon's tone. "I would love if there will be a next time. Do you?"

A soft chuckle resounds from Jeongyeon's throat. "With you? Should I?"

"Come on, don't play hard to get."

The waitress from before arrives again, this time bringing the ice cream Jeongyeon had ordered before. Nayeon seems surprised at the dessert but beams nonetheless.

"Is this for me? How did you know that I absolutely love vanilla ice cream?"

Jeongyeon shrugs still with her smile present. "Just a hunch."

She gives a secret thumb up to Azari under her when Nayeon scoops a bit. "This is really delicious. Here, do you want some?"

The blonde contemplates whether she should accept Nayeon's offer or not, but the other girl seems so happy with a spoonful of ice cream hanging between them, so Jeongyeon leans in to eat the ice cream. She has no strong feeling whatsoever about vanilla ice cream, but perhaps Nayeon's hopeful smile is the one that sends butterflies in her stomach and in her chest when the sweet taste surrounds her tastebuds.

"Sweet. Just like you."

Nayeon laughs with a blush. "You have such a pretty mouth. Stop that or I might fall for you."

"Haven't you already?"

"Oh, shut up."

Nayeon finishes her ice cream slowly until it melts, savoring it and seemingly reluctant in ending their small date. Jeongyeon, too, a bit saddened when she peeks outside the window, finding the sun already low and is close to setting.

When Nayeon puts her spoon down, Jeongyeon smiles at her.

"I'll walk you home."

.

.

.

Azari snatches her wallet a few meters away from the cafe but Jeongyeon gives her no attention. She chooses to walk alongside Nayeon with Vito trailing closely behind them, once again lost in a random conversation about everything in general. The gentle spring breeze caresses them gently even when dusk is minutes away.

There's a tug in Jeongyeon's heart when Nayeon shivers a bit, telling her to grab her tiny hand with her own. She needs a few seconds of considering her decision before she takes Nayeon's hand and squeezes it to give her warmth.

The blush and the shy smile on the other girl's face nearly make Jeongyeon's heart to burst.

"I have fun today," says Nayeon as they arrive in front of a minimalist house with green paint. The girl is still holding Jeongyeon's hand tight, unwilling to let her go. "Thank you, Jeongyeonnie."

Jeongyeon smiles and nods. "Too bad we only have a few hours."

"Yeah," Nayeon giggles, slowly pulling her hand back with a heavy heart. "Next time, make sure that we have a whole day and not on school days."

"So, the next time offer still stands?"

"You big meanie," the other girl's pout is so adorable and Jeongyeon couldn't help but pinch Nayeon's flushed cheek.

"Next time, then."

A wide smile blooms on Nayeon's lips. "It's a promise."

Jeongyeon takes a step back before reaching to her bag, pulling out a box of chocolate she had made with Seungyeon yesterday. Nayeon widens her eyes when Jeongyeon offers her the box and beams at her.

"This is for you. As a..." Jeongyeon clears . "White Day gift. Because you've given me gifts since Valentine Day."

"Thank you so much, Jeongyeonnie," Nayeon giggles, bashful, hugging the box tightly against her chest. "The box is so cute."

"Yeah, uh... I made it myself."

"That's even cuter," Jeongyeon doesn't know someone could be this adorable with the blush reaching her ears. "I can't wait to try it."

A grin makes way to Jeongyeon's face. "I hope it won't be bad."

"Anything from you will taste great. I believe so," Nayeon then rummages her pocket to pick out her phone. "Can I have your number, by the way? So we can... communicate easier."

"Oh, sure," Jeongyeon recites her phone number, only pocketing it back once they confirmed each other's contact. "I think I should go. It's dark already."

"Be careful, Jeongyeonnie."

But before Jeongyeon could do as much as turning back, a bark echoes from somewhere near them. They find Azari running to them from the main road with a stem of white rose between her maw. The vixen stops before Nayeon and jumps around, barking excitedly until Nayeon accepts the rose.

"Seriously, you guys are so sweet."

Azari answers with a happy bark as she rolls around on the ground, Vito her gently with the equal amount of excitement.

"I'll be going, then, Nayeonnie," Jeongyeon copies Nayeon's way of addressing her and the other girl flushes. "See you tomorrow at school?"

Nayeon giggles then jump, placing a brief peck on Jeongyeon's cheek. "See you tomorrow, soulmate."

The girl's laugh still echoes when Jeongyeon stands dumbly with a hand pressed to her cheek.

.

.

.

"YOU LOST MY WALLET?! AZARI FOR GOD SAKE MY CREDIT CARDS AND IDENTITY CARDS ARE THERE!"

.

.

.

A Sodalis is not only a person's soulmate's animal representation but also a companion that will forever be a person's best friend. Azari might be an obnoxious, annoying vixen at times, but Jeongyeon wouldn't deny that having Azari on her side is the best thing ever happened in her life.

Well, maybe second only to having Nayeon.

"So I guess the date went smoothly?"

Jeongyeon grins at Sowon's question. "Very. Even though I lost my wallet."

"That's..." Sowon knits her eyebrows. "Uh, congratulations? But I kinda feel bad for you."

"Oh, it's fine," Jeongyeon waves her hand. "I could just cancel and make a new one. But yesterday's experience worths more than my entire wallet."

"The first date is always the most memorable one," Sowon chuckles.

Jeongyeon's smile grows soft as she looks over to her Sodalis who is playing around with Davi. "It is. I have you and Azari to thank for that."

The vixen tilts her head hearing her name being addressed. Jeongyeon winks at her and Azari barks, tails swiping back and forth while her eyes twinkle in a familiar light Jeongyeon had seen inside Nayeon's eyes.

Jeongyeon understands what Nayeon meant by "seeing you inside my Sodalis" because now Jeongyeon could only see Nayeon in everything Azari does.

"Thanks, Az," she says when Sowon and Davi leave, when Azari leaps to her lap to ask for her daily share of petting. "I would scold you for pulling a stunt like approaching Nayeon first, but I guess you were brave and right to do so. Thanks again for helping me yesterday. You really are the best Sodalis ever."

Azari purrs in appreciation, curling her body comfortably over Jeongyeon's lap.

Her parents said that having a Sodalis is a blessing, and Jeongyeon had never been more agreed with anything aside from it.

.

.

.

08.03 p.m —From : Im Nayeon

The chocolates are really delicious

I really can't wait for our second date, Jeongyeonnie ;)