A/N

A bit weird because... Momo

...and Nayeon

...actually, everyone is weird

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After seven years of knowing each other and two years of marriage, Jeongyeon doesn't usually question Nayeon's moral in decision making. At least, well, until now.

"Nabongs, you sure you want this one?"

The bunny-teethed woman nods, so sure of her choice. "Yup. One hundred percent sure. I like her already. And it's not like we have any other applicants right now. What's the matter?"

"I don't know, she–" The younger woman turns her attention to the young adult before them.

It's a girl, with unruly black hair and a smile so wide it almost splits her face in half. She has this dazed, dreamy look in her eyes that makes Jeongyeon shivers. On the girl's lap is a majestic white swan, calm and collected and seemingly so content in being petted by her Master. The swan opens her eyes when Azari leaps to the desk between Nayeon and the girl, then narrows her eyes dangerously when Azari even do as much as sniffing her or her Master.

"Uh," Jeongyeon scratches her head. "What was your name again?"

The girl just has the audacity to salute before she answers, "Hirai Momo, ma'am! I'm Japanese but I'm currently stuck in South Korea!"

Jeongyeon's eyes turn to slits in suspicion. "I'm sorry– currently stuck in South Korea?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Can you elaborate why?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but that's confidential!"

"You're not a criminal, don't you?"

"I sure am not, ma'am!"

"Are you–"

"Jeong," Nayeon calls, sternly, and Jeongyeon has no choice than to back out because "the wives are always right".

(wait, isn't she's also a wife–)

"So, Hirai Momo?" the older woman addresses the girl before her. Momo nods enthusiastically as her hand keeps on her Sodalis' feather. "Tell me, why do you want to apply as a chef here? And what quality do you think you possess to become a chef?"

Momo takes a few moments to process Nayeon's question. "Well, I don't have money anymore and when I saw the ad for your new cafe, I kinda had a feeling that I have to try to work here. I can cook almost every dishes and I love food. Though most of the time I can't really afford good ingredients, I think the foods I make are always sufficient for me."

Nayeon nods in satisfaction at Momo's answer. She doesn't acknowledge Jeongyeon's disbelief as she turns her attention, to the white swan that looks like she's about to attack Azari for sniffing her Master. "Is that your Sodalis? Please tell me about her."

"Oh, this is Ei," Momo pats her swan's head twice. "Einaris. She's a bit distant and silent most of the time but she' soooo clingy! I'm so sorry but we're a package deal!"

"Yeah, I can see that," Nayeon says slowly when Einaris pecks Azari harshly with her beak. The vixen yelps before she falls down the desk in surprise, straight to Vito who is lazing around on the floor. The older woman shakes her head, amused, raising her eyebrow at Einaris who seems to be wary of her.

Jeongyeon takes the silence as a chance to say something. "Well, Momo. As you can see, we're a small, independent cafe only about to be opened so of course, we can't promise you a high-pay. But hopefully, if your cooking is as good as I hope it to be, we could attract customers and give you a raise one day."

Momo simply nods at Jeongyeon's words, trying to digest it all. Jeongyeon sighs once before continuing. "So we would like to... well, test you on what kind of dishes you do best, and what dishes you're less comfortable with."

"Okay..." the girl trails off. "I prefer Korean or Japanese... and I'm kinda lacking in Middle-Eastern dishes."

Jeongyeon looks at her soulmate to ask for permission and Nayeon grins. The younger then turns to the girl five years her junior. "That's good enough for us. It's not like we'll offer that much kind of dishes, after all. Shall we begin, now?"

When Momo agrees, the two soulmates lead her to the kitchen to let her have her way with the utensils. It takes Momo only one look to decide the best dish she should make when she was given the ingredients. The girl presents her creations to Nayeon and Jeongyeon not much longer than fifteen minutes later, who both immediately slam their hands on the table once they take a bite.

", YOU'RE HIRED!"

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Jeongyeon gotta admit, trusting and hiring Momo is one of the best decisions she Nayeon ever made in her life. Forget about how weird and painfully oblivious she is at times. Momo makes excellent food no matter what ingredients or what recipe. She has a good sense to mix-and-match the ingredients, modifying recipes to be to her liking, or even making some new weird but delicious dishes that soon developed into their authentic menu of the cafe.

Despite the sketchy background (still confidential until now), Momo is kind, tolerable, highly focused if she wants to and is overall a really pleasant person to have around. They've grown close to the point that Momo's already comfortable in calling them "unnie". Jeongyeon is also well aware that in the short amount of time they have been together, Nayeon's been inviting Momo to their supposedly private dates because "she's a poor, lonely girl who needs to be accompanied".

Jeongyeon feels like she should have been jealous of her soulmate's attention to someone else. But as far as Jeongyeon's concerned, it seems like Nayeon's been regarding Momo as her long lost daughter.

She's quite sure that Momo regards Nayeon as her long lost mother, too.

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"Jeong?"

It's the day before the grand opening of their cafe when Nayeon suddenly calls Jeongyeon, if a bit distressed. The three of them are currently setting up the small space of their cafe as a preparation for the grand opening. The younger who was enjoying her task of sweeping the floor immediately approaches her wife.

"What's up, Nabongs? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just..." the older glances nervously to the cafe's main door. "There's a... weird--looking cat stalking in front of the shop."

Nayeon does not lie. Jeongyeon furrows her brow when she finds a large, skinny yellow cat with black spots walks around in circles in front of their cafe, sniffing as a dog would. Vito steps beside Nayeon with her back hunched, seemingly wary yet also curious over the other big cat. While Azari happily prances to the door and barks to the spotted cat.

The cat, which they are sure now is some random person's Sodalis, seems surprised by Azari's appearance but leans closer to the vixen. They sniff each other despite the glass barrier, Azari jumping around in excitement and the cat watching her antics in amusement. It's only when Vito roars and approaches Azari in a protective stance does the spotted cat flattens its ears in fear.

Nayeon stares at her Sodalis incredulously.

"Is she jealous?"

Seems so.

Vito keeps on growling whenever the spotted cat walks closer to the door, biting and pulling Azari back to her side when the vixen tries to be friendly. That earns the lioness an annoyed swipe to her jaw. Azari then proceeds to scold Vito by barking at the dejected lioness repeatedly.

Watching the three animals' interaction, Jeongyeon shakes her head. "You know, I think we should drive that leopard away from here unless we want Vito to maul it."

"A leopard?" it seems like Nayeon focuses on the wrong part of the speech as she turns to her wife with disbelief clear on her face. "That's not a leopard! That's a jaguar!"

This makes Jeongyeon whip her head and glares at her wife. "Excuse me? Jaguar? Nabongs are you blind or what? Look at how skinny that cat is! There is no ing way that Sodalis is a jaguar!"

"That's not–!"

"That's a cheetah."

A new voice from behind them stops Nayeon and Jeongyeon from clawing each other's face off. Momo saunters from the kitchen, wiping her greasy hands to her apron. It used to be unusual for the Japanese girl to show up without Einaris, but the swan had declared the kitchen as her nest so it is now normal for Momo to be seen without her Sodalis trailing behind.

"The difference is in the spots. Cheetah is the only one whose spots doesn't have any orange coloring inside them," the chef says, proudly because she could explain something and for once does not look as clueless as she usually is. "Cheetah is also the fastest land animal there are. It looks so cute, isn't it?"

Well, now that the cheetah is rolling around trying to get to Vito's good side, it does look a little cute.

And a little stupid, but Jeongyeon wouldn't have the heart point that out.

Jeongyeon clears . "Do you have any idea on why does that cheetah suddenly come here?"

"I don't know, unnie," Momo shrugs. "Maybe it's hungry?"

"Could be..." Nayeon trails off, nodding when her lioness roars again in annoyance to the innocent-looking cheetah.

"Should we let it in?"

"I think we should."

The cheetah Sodalis seems so grateful when Momo opens the door for it. Though, Nayeon has to keep Vito from outright mauling the other Sodalis even when the cheetah seems to ignore her altogether. It sniffs around happily, even more so when she smells the fragrance of food left on Momo's apron.

"What, you want some?" the cheetah makes a sound, excited, before resuming its action of sniffing Momo's apron.

"What were you making back there, Mo?"  Nayeon asks when the cheetah seems to be drawn by the smell. "Something with meat?"

Momo nods and she pats the cheetah's head, beaming when the cat doesn't shy away from her touch. "Yeah, I was making jokbal for dinner."

The cheetah immediately looks up with a hopeful gaze in its eyes. It meows then, standing on its hindlegs to lean its forelegs to Momo's chest, pawing urgently as it keeps on making various sounds. Momo wobbles when the cheetah leans on her, more in surprise rather than the burden of the cheetah's weight.

"Wh–" the girl catches the cheetah's wrists to stop it from pawing her, eyebrows knitted in confusion over the cat's strange behavior. "You want jokbal?"

"Mraw!"

"You like jokbal?"

"Wreowww!"

"Frieeendddsss!!!"

Both Nayeon and Jeongyeon glare in disbelief when Momo hugs the cheetah then proceeds to swirl it around. She stops after five spins then stumbles on her own foot, dizzy, but Momo keeps her tight hold around the big cat as she beams to it.

"I'll give you jokbal! Wait here!" Momo says, running back to the kitchen. The cheetah meows again happily before it sits down, its tail swiping back and fro in excitement.

Somehow, that cheetah acts more like a dog and less like a cat.

Momo returns a few moments later with a plastic bag in her hands. She gives the bag to the cat who accepts it gratefully, its shining golden eyes staring at Momo with gratitude and love pouring out from them. The cat turns to Nayeon and Jeongyeon once to flick its ears gleefully then dashes out of the cafe in haste.

Crossing her arms over her chest in satisfaction, Momo exhales. Jeongyeon takes a step closer to tap Momo's shoulder.

"You just gave that jokbal to the cat for free."

"I know."

"Why is that?"

"Because every being who love jokbal are blessed by the God himself."

"I see..."

"..."

"That jokbal will be cut from your first pay, then."

"DAMEYO KUDASAI."

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None of them would expect the cheetah to return, but returning is exactly what the cheetah does. It's a few days after their grand opening (which was a great success thanks to Momo's exquisite cooking) when the cheetah prances into their cafe. It immediately approaches Azari who sits on the cashier as the helper, meowing as the vixen barks in greeting. Vito who sees the other big cat's arrival growls but let the cheetah alone when it cowers in fear.

Jeongyeon is the first to notice the cheetah's appearance between the customers. "Hey, you're the cheetah who asked for jokbal, am I right?"

The cheetah meows.

"What's the matter, bud?" deciding that there are no customers in need of a waitress' assistance, Jeongyeon kneels, leveling her eyes with the cheetah's golden orbs. "Do you need anything?"

The big cat purrs as it bares its neck to Jeongyeon. Only by then does Jeongyeon notices a pouch attached to its leather collar. The tall woman knits her eyebrows in confusion before she takes the pouch from its place, patting the cheetah's head once then pulls the tie off. Inside the pouch are money rolled into one and a small note. Jeongyeon is hit with a wave of nostalgia as she herself used to message Nayeon using notes relayed by their Sodalises, and she opens the note first to read the message.

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Hello

My name is Myoui Mina

I'm truly sorry about Strelka, she likes jokbal and she always wanders around on her own to ask for food

I hope this money is enough to pay it

Thank you and I'm sorry

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"So your Master's name is Myoui Mina?" the female cheetah who now Jeongyeon knows goes by the name Strelka meows. The woman takes the rolled money and unrolls it. "Well, okay, then. Tell your Master that we've received the money and we're really grateful– holy ! Just how expensive does a jokbal worth to your Master?!"

In Jeongyeon's hand is two hundred and fifty thousands Korean won, courtesy of this 'Myoui Mina' who seems to overestimate the price of a single serving of jokbal. But Strelka only yawns and wags her tail, ignoring Jeongyeon who is still trying to comprehend her Master's way of thinking to sniff around the cafe.

"What, hey, we can't take this all," Jeongyeon says as she tugs Strelka, slipping two hundred thousands won back to the cheetah's collar. Just after that, a customer calls Jeongyeon and she hurriedly pats Strelka's head. "Tell your Master thank you and that she gave us too much. See ya later, Strelka."

But Strelka doesn't budge. She stays beside the cashier counter even when Nayeon urges her to leave in case her Master is looking for her. Nayeon gives up after five tries because Strelka seems adamant to stay, even to the point of laying down and closing her eyes. The cheetah doesn't even move when Azari curls on her stomach, finding warmth, with Vito eyeing them warily but then following the two to cuddle near Nayeon's feet.

"Jeong, it's been hours but she doesn't want to go," Nayeon reports when Jeongyeon approaches her just after the younger closed the cafe.

It's night, and she's worried if Strelka has been away from her Master for far too long. A Sodalis can't be away from their Master long or their link will be severed, causing harm to the spirit animal that might kill them if left unattended. Yet, the cheetah seems to be content laying around the cafe, with Vito already warming up to her and even nudging the smaller cat to play with her.

"Maybe she wants to meet Momo?" Jeongyeon says as she pats Strelka's head. "Like... I don't know, want to thank her for giving her jokbal?"

Strelka purrs.

"...she wants to see Momo."

As if on cue, the chef saunters into the cafe from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. Momo is already wearing her casual clothes and not her chef uniform as she beams to her two unnies with Einaris in tow.

"Hey, hey, what did I miss?" Momo greets with a grin. She immediately notices Strelka who, quite literally, turns into a statue the moment Momo shows up. The innocent Japanese grins wider as she steps near the hyperventilating cheetah and her head. "Hello, cheetah. I can't believe you come here again!"

But Strelka gives Momo no attention as the cat keeps on staring at the swan walking elegantly behind Momo. Einaris tilts her head when she notices Strelka's presence. The white swan squawks, tone happy if a bit bashful, then walks to the cheetah and nuzzle her head to the underside of Strelka's jaw.

Strelka makes a strangled meow, taking a very deep breath once then faints.

Momo screams in horror.

"EINARIS YOU KILLED THAT CAT!!!"

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If not for Nayeon's expertise in bluffing and persuading people, Momo wouldn't waste her supposedly-resting-time following Strelka through the dead cold night. The Japanese shivers as she wraps her coat tighter around her body. The cheap watch circling her wrist as given by Nayeon shows half an hour past 11 p.m.

No wonder there's no one else wandering the street, aside from Momo and the two animals that had latched together since Strelka woke up. Einaris is practically glued to the cheetah's back, comfortably nestling, making Momo worried over the health of Strelka's backbone as she's being burdened by another Sodalis almost 1/4 her weight.

(or at least, that was what Momo had found on the internet about their estimated weight)

Strelka doesn't seem to mind, though, for the slim cheetah jogs on the sidewalk with a few small jumps in her steps. She seems happy to be able to become Einaris' carriage. She also looks elated to have Momo following her as she keeps on looking back, as if making sure if Momo is still tailing her. The cheetah's golden eyes will always brighten up whenever she sees Momo behind her.

"Soo... where are you taking me?" Momo finally asks after ten minutes of walking down the street. Strelka simply meows, swiping her tail to Momo's calf but gives no definite answer. Heaving a sigh, Momo shoves her hands to her pockets, opting to keep her thoughts to herself.

Nayeon had successfully convinced her that Strelka's Master, Myoui Mina or whatever her name is, is the one and only Momo's soulmate. The bunny-teethed woman had been so sure of that because both Einaris and Strelka seem to be fond of each other, though it's mostly Strelka panicking (a gay-panic, said Jeongyeon) around Einaris while the swan acts shy around the stupidly adorable cat.

It's not like Momo doesn't want to meet her soulmate. In fact, she's extremely happy if she's able to. And it's not like she doubts Nayeon's explanation because her usually anti-social Einaris, too, latches on Strelka like a leech since the first time the swan catches sight of the cheetah.

The one thing bothering her is the time, actually. Call Momo an idiot, but she knows at least basic manners and she knows that visiting a person at this time of the day would likely make the person hates her for life. But she has no means of rejecting her unnies' request especially when Strelka pleads at her with those wide golden eyes of hers.

She just hopes that her soulmate won't be irritated at her for visiting this late at night.

Just as Momo's train of thought reaches its end, Strelka meows loudly. Momo stops her steps, raising her head then knits her eyebrows when she realizes where Strelka had led her.

"A hospital?" the girl asks as she reads the bright sign on top of her head. She looks at Strelka who looks back at her with a slightly saddened stare. "Is your Master a patient here?"

The cheetah nods. Momo notices Einaris shivers and pecks the back of Strelka's head softly. Strelka meows, turning her head to Einaris' cheek once, as if trying to comfort her. She then nudges Momo's leg with her muzzle before she continues her journey.

Now, Momo's even more afraid because disturbing a person is one thing, but disturbing a sick person is a different thing in entirety. The moon is high and Momo is sure that the nurse or the security will kick her out of the hospital because she visits at such a weird hour. But Strelka gives her no chance of backing away when the cheetah bites her thigh, more serious than playful, telling her that the spotted cat is determined for Momo to meet her Master.

(strangely, no nurse or security come to kick Momo out. She wonders why)

It's not more than five minutes later for them to arrive at a door with the number 37 plastered on it. It's a VVIP room, Momo could tell, and she dreads whatever it is she's going to encounter inside, dreading if Myoui Mina won't accept a soulmate who doesn't have any speck of common sense. Ignoring Momo who is having a panic attack, Strelka easily pushes the door open with her face then meows in greeting before she even enters properly.

It seems like the cheetah's Master is still awake because Momo could make out a faint voice from inside the room.

"Strelka?"

The voice is so soft and so cute and Momo has to stop herself from hyperventilating.

"You're finally back... oh, you bring a friend with you?"

Momo could hear Strelka's loud meows, excited and incoherent mixed with her Master's soft giggle. She could also hear Einaris' equally faint squawks and flaps of her wings, telling Momo that her soft-spoken yet clingy Sodalis had taken a great liking to whoever that is inside.

Right. So it's confirmed that this Myoui Mina is her soulmate.

Now, what should she do?

The girl stays outside the room with the rusty gears in her mind forcing themselves to work out something. Until Strelka returns to her, biting the long sleeve of her coat and pulls her through the ajar door. Momo is about to protest because she hasn't prepared her heart enough before she catches sight of the person inside.

And Momo short-circuits.

Sitting on the hospital bed is a girl around her age. Correction, an angel around her age. The angel is so beautiful, heavenly so, with dark chocolate hair framing her perfect face. The thing Momo immediately notices are the moles adorning her pale skin, like a constellation of stars in the night sky. Her full, pouty lips are parted in a semi-surprised expression, probably not expecting her Sodalis to bring another person with her.

Then she smiles, shyly with a tint of red painting her cheeks. "Hi."

"H–" Momo makes a strangled noise, taking a very deep breath once then faints.

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"Momo, I'm disappointed in you."

"Unnie, I'm disappointed in me."

Jeongyeon shakes her head at the Japanese girl sitting across the table. It's only eight in the morning yet Momo looks miserable, almost lifeless with her eyes staring blankly into nothing. Even Einaris looks so concerned over her Master's well being, as the swan keeps on cooing, nudging her with her head.

Still, Momo stays stationary.

"Well, Strelka fainted when she first met Ei," comes Nayeon bringing tea for the three of them. She sets the teacups on the table before she settles beside Jeongyeon, easily leaning to her wife's stretched arm. "So it's kind of expected that you faint when you meet this Mina."

"But– but–" hanging her head low, Momo pulls her hair in frustration. "That was embarrassing! I've been embarrassing myself enough to visit her near midnight! But then I just have to faint of all reaction available the moment I saw her!"

Jeongyeon sips her tea before she asks, "So she's a patient in that hospital?"

Momo sighs. "Yes..."

"Because of...?"

"I don't know, unnie," the only Japanese in that household wails. "I only saw her face, she's so pretty like ay, Dios mio, then the next thing I knew I woke up in the ER."

Raising her eyebrows, Nayeon picks up her own tea. "And... now you come to us to rant. Why don't you ask your parents or your family on how to approach your soulmate? I mean, usually, they have juicy tips on how to do that. Back at our high school, I stalked Jeongyeon because that was what my father told me to do."

Her wife glares at her but Nayeon dismisses it, as the next thing Momo says halts her entire thinking process.

"You guys are the only family I have."

Momo keeps her gaze low as not to meet her unnies', but Nayeon could see the pout and the glaze in Momo's eyes. She swallows, awkward, about to ask but then Jeongyeon her thigh. The two women share a look before Jeongyeon nods.

"Well, now as your self-declared daddy, I advise that it's better for you to get your going to the hospital now," says Jeongyeon calmly. Momo raises her head in surprise only to see Jeongyeon raising her eyebrow, lips pulled back in a smirk. "Come on, you have less than two hours until the cafe opens. Visit her, prepare yourself and apologize. It might become good from there on."

Blinking, Momo stutters for a while before she sighs again. "But... what if I faint again?"

"That's why I said prepare yourself. I believe she's also happy to meet you. Don't be intimidated."

Momo pauses before she mumbles.

"...will I be okay?"

"Of course, you will," it's Nayeon's turn to speak. She reaches over the table to grasp Momo's hand firmly. When Momo looks at her with a fragile gaze, Nayeon nods and smiles. "Trust your mom that you'll do great."

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Deep breath, deep breath.

Momo reminds herself as she stands before the closed door with the number 37 on it. Einaris is beside her, head continuously nuzzling Momo's sweaty palm as an act of support. Regulating her breath, Momo pats Einaris' head once and tightens her grip on the plastic bag she brings, filled with jokbal and ketchup as recommended by her trustworthy Sodalis.

It's now or never, Hirai

She's tempted to scream, "Delivery!" to the door but she pushes the thought down. Instead, Momo opts to knock thrice, announcing her arrival with a shaking, "Annyeong."

There's a rustle from inside the room followed by the door creaking open. Peeking from the crack is the familiar face of Strelka, who immediately lightens up once she recognizes Momo and Einaris. The cheetah meows in excitement, bouncing on her paws with her eyes shining before she, once again, bites Momo's wrist and drags her to the room.

Just like how she was yesterday, Mina looks surprised when she sees Strelka dragging Momo to her ward. She also has that faint blush across her cheeks as she nods, smiling at Momo and waves her hand.

"Hi."

"H–" don't faint don't panic calm down she's just your soulmate she's so pretty oh my gerd– "Konnichiwa Hirai Momo-imnida."

That was uncalled for. Momo blushes deep when her bilingual introduction elicits a laugh from Mina. Though, she could feel that Mina's soft laugh does not mock her at all. She's just amused, and probably entertained by this weird girl her Sodalis had brought.

"Watashi wa Myoui Mina-desu. Hajimemae."

Momo blinks. "A– wait. You're Japanese?"

The girl on the bed (it's Mina, her soulmate, Momo reminds herself) nods again. She seems like an adorably shy girl because she keeps on glancing downwards, though Momo catches her eyes looking back at her because Momo's practically gawking at Mina.

"Wow, cool. I'm Japanese, too!" the knowledge that they come from the same country somehow reverts Momo back to her usual self. She quickly sheds her timid, stuttering persona as she approaches Mina with a wide smile. "So... I guess we're soulmates?"

Mina blushes again. "I– I guess we are..."

As if Einaris nestling on top of Strelka's belly is not obvious enough. The cheetah is laying on her back on the floor, purring happily, while the white swan sits on her lighter-furred stomach with her eyes closed. Strelka tilts her head when she notices the attention on her and meows.

"Your Sodalis," Mina speaks up still with that faint and soft voice of her. Only by then does Momo notices the cast on the other girl's left leg when she focuses on her. "She's so pretty."

Einaris opens her eyes when Momo's laugh echoes. "She is! And so do you!"

Mina's shy "thank you" makes Momo's heart leaps to .

Damn, she loves this girl already.

"By the way, I bring you some jokbal," says Momo as she offers Mina her plastic bag. The other girl takes the gift with her eyes glinting. "Einaris suggested me to put some ketchup in there. Do you like ketchup?"

"I love ketchup. Thank you very much," Mina blushes again. She hugs the plastic bag near to her chest while Momo beams at her, happy that her small yet whole-hearted gift had been accepted.

"I'm sorry," suddenly hanging her head low, Momo sighs. She knows that Mina is looking at her with befuddlement as she plays with her fingers out of nervousness. Momo takes another deep breath and counts to ten before she speaks. "Yesterday was... very not nice of me. I visited at such a late hour and I... I fainted before I could even greet you. I'm so sorry. I tend to panic whenever I'm about to face something big so... yeah, that was not an excuse. I'm sorry."

Silence for a while which Momo thinks as Mina judging her, but then she hears a melodious laugh from the girl. She looks up, confused, finding Mina giggling in amusement showing her gummy smile to Momo. "It's alright, Momo-ya. I was... also surprised and overwhelmed when I saw you yesterday, especially after how Strelka seems to be so comfortable with Ei."

"But you didn't faint," Momo pouts and Mina laughs again.

After her laughter dies down, Mina keeps shut, opting to put her attention to the two cuddling Sodalises. Einaris seems so content with Strelka's head on her back grooming her feathers. The cheetah also looks happy to be able to give attention to her avian counterpart, repeatedly Einaris' head which the swan answers with a soft head bump.

"Ah, I have to go."

Mina shifts her attention when Momo suddenly declares, with a pitiful tone and a sad glance to her watch. Momo gives Mina an apologetic smile as she rises from her seat.

"Where are you going?"

"Well, I work and the cafe I'm working at is going to open at 10 a.m."

"Oh, okay."

The girl looks so sad and dejected that Momo can't help the next sentence spewing out from .

"I promise I'll come tomorrow."

"Will you, really?" the hopeful smile Mina gives her is enough to melt Momo's entire being.

"Of course, I will," Momo playfully winks, making her soulmate blushes. "See you tomorrow, Mina."

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Momo really does come the next day. And the next. And the next, until suddenly it's a week after Momo first showed up inside Mina's room. Every morning, Momo religiously visits Mina's ward for two short hours before she has to go to work. The girl always brings jokbal with her and gives them to both Mina and Strelka, though the former would only eat a bit before her own Sodalis devours them straight from her hands.

The two might be shy at first. But thanks to Momo's obliviousness and her ability to make any random thing a topic, they grow close in such a little time. Maybe it's because they are soulmates, or simply because Momo is just that easy to talk to, that makes Mina (shy, introverted, timid Mina) warms up around Momo in a matter of days.

They've talked about a lot of things–age, job, newly debuted girl groups, and many other topics brought by Momo. It's mostly Momo talking, though, narrating about everything in her life to Mina who listens intently. She had told Mina about her job, Nayeon and Jeongyeon also their Sodalises ("You should meet them one day!"), and her life in South Korea. While Mina is content enough with Momo's companionship and appreciates her stories with her soft giggles and shining eyes.

"So... what happened to you?" Momo finally asks after a week of constantly visiting Mina, gesturing to the cast around Mina's leg to further emphasize her point. She hadn't been brave enough to ask beforehand because she feels like they are not close enough to pry. But now that they've spent a few hours together each day for a week, she dares herself to ask about Mina's condition.

Mina sighs once before she pats her cast. "I was hit by a motorcycle. It broke my tibia and... well, here I am."

"I'm so sorry," Momo's apology receives a soft smile from the other Japanese.

"It's not your fault. Why are you saying sorry?"

"I know. But I feel bad for you," with a glum tone, Momo puts her hand on Mina's cast. "It must have been difficult."

The other girl gives Momo a laugh, covering her hand with her own and grasps it tight. "It's not a big deal, truly. My college had given me time to rest until I fully recover. And it's not like I have any other responsibilities other than attending college."

"Oh, you're in your third year, right, Mina?"

Mina nods. "I am. Momoring are you not attending college? You said you're working full time?"

"No, nope," Momo shakes her head with a grin. "Or at least, well, not again. I was dropped out of a culinary school five months ago."

"Eh? Why so?"

"Yeah," scratching her head, Momo shoots a small smile to her soulmate. Mina immediately notices the saddened expression on the older girl so she tightens her hold, trying to comfort Momo who is now sighing. "Things happened and I... I'm alone now. I can't continue my degree like this so I decided to work."

There's a pang in Mina's chest when Momo looks aside, her gaze forlorn and distant. The older girl heaves yet another sigh but she turns to her soulmate with a smile after that. "Hey, it's fine. I'm okay now. I met Jeongyeon-unnie and Nayeon-unnie and they are really nice! I promise, Mina, if you've recovered already, I'll bring you to our cafe! You can order eeeeverything! It's on me!"

"You make a lot of promises," Mina says, smiling back when Momo grins at her.

"I make promises if I know I can fulfill them! So no worries!"

"I believe so," beaming at the older girl, Mina gives Momo's hand a gentle squeeze. "I mean... you always return here every day."

Momo pats her chest proudly. "Of course I am! I love spending time with you!"

The younger smiles bashfully, hiding her blush to her collar. She says nothing for the next few minutes, entertaining herself in watching Strelka who is grooming Einaris' feather. The white swan has her eyes closed as she leans to the spotted cat, seemingly sleeping peacefully within Strelka's gentle and the paws around her body.

"I'm kinda alone, too, you know," Mina finally says after a few moments of respite. She knows that Momo is looking at her with a puzzled expression but she keeps her attention directed to the two Sodalises. "Not like you, but... my parents are always so busy. My brother lives all the way across the globe so I'm kind of... yeah, alone."

Strelka lifts her head when she hears her Master's soft explanation. Her ears flatten and she meows dejectedly, laying her head above Einaris' back which receives the swan's confused hum. But Mina smiles and Strelka flicks her ears to Mina's direction. "I'm lucky I got Strel. She's always been there for me no matter what happens."

The cheetah meows again but happily this time. She wags her tail and nuzzles her face to Einaris' wings. Watching how Mina stares so fondly at her Sodalis tells Momo just how important Strelka is in Mina's life. How Strelka must have been Mina's one and only confidant at the worst time of her life.

Just like how Einaris is in her own life.

"Then, from now on, I'll be the one who will always be there for you!" Momo exclaims confidently, with a smile so bright she almost rivals the sun. She grins when Mina looks at her in surprise but she continues on. "We won't be alone anymore because we'll be together!"

Momo promises herself not to let Mina feels alone anymore. She knows how painful it is to be left behind, to feel like it's only her against the world. She wants Mina to know that she's here now, she won't ever leave her soulmate, and this time it's going to be them against the world.

"I promise, Mina."

A blush creeps up Mina's neck, over her cheeks until it dusts her ears with a pink hue. She further shrinks to herself as her face flares. The girl avoids Momo's loving stare not to make an embarrassment out of herself by blushing furiously. Though Momo only tilts her head, still with her bright smile and Mina blushes harder.

"We're soulmates, aren't we?" says the older when she senses that Mina won't say anything to her.

Mina nods and now she's sure that she's as red as a tomato. "B-by the way, Momo, why do you always bring me jokbal every day?"

Resorting to changing the subject, Mina is grateful when Momo gets distracted due to the mention of her favorite food. "It's because jokbal is life and so you can heal faster!"

"Huh?" Mina blinks in confusion. "So I can heal faster?"

"Yes!" Momo nods rigorously. "I've been eating jokbal a lot and I know that jokbal is full of protein! So I hope if you eat jokbal every day, your leg will heal faster and you can walk in the near time!"

Momo's innocence makes Mina giggles. She once again takes Momo's hand between hers, liking the way Momo immediately her skin with her fingers. "Momo, it doesn't work that way."

The older's expression falls. "Oh, it doesn't?"

"Noo..." shaking her head in amusement, Mina smiles at Momo who seems so disappointed with the fact revealed. "But I'm sure I'll heal soon with all the love you're pouring me."

This seems to lift Momo's mood because the girl's smile returns with full force. "If that so, doctor Hirai here will give you all the love you need to recover, Miss Myoui!"

Just as that, the clock strikes 9.30 a.m, the designated time for Momo to leave for work. She gives Mina another squeeze on her hand as she stands, Einaris following suit despite Strelka's sad meow and the droop of her ears. Momo laughs when the cheetah purrs to her legs before jumping to Mina's bed to lay across her healthy limbs.

"See you tomorrow, Mina," waving at the bedridden girl, Momo leads Einaris out of the door when Mina suddenly says.

"One last thing–"

Momo whips her head back, confused. Mina has to swallow the lump in before she opens again.

"Momo-ya, uh..." the way Mina blushes right now is so adorable Momo prays for herself not to dive and hug the younger. "C-Can I call you Momoring?"

A wider, happier smile filled with nothing but love immediately blooms on Momo's lips. "Only if I can call you Mitang."

"Okay," Mina nods, relieved, exhaling the breath she had held before. "Okay. See you tomorrow, Momoring.

Momo decides that she likes the way "Momoring" rolls off of Mina's pretty mouth.

"See you tomorrow, Mitang."

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Momo fulfills her promise to come, like how she always is.

"What?"

But Mina isn't there.

With a stutter in her word and a tremble on her tone, Momo stands before the nurse station, trying her best to comprehend the situation she is currently in. In front of her is a nurse wearing a pitiful expression as she watches the Japanese visitor who appears rather shaken by the news she had delivered. Beside the girl is Einaris, also seems like she's shocked to the core.

"Mitang is... gone?"

"No, not like that," the nurse quickly responds when Momo is about to go straight into depression. "She's not gone, gone. Miss Myoui had been permitted to leave the hospital because she's already healthy enough to continue the treatment at home. Her family had agreed to take her home and she had left the hospital since yesterday afternoon."

The nurse's explanation leaves a bitter taste on her tongue. Momo turns to look at the closed door with number 37, reminiscing the short days she spent with her soulmate. She could still feel Mina's presence, smiling and talking so softly Momo swoons. She could still imagine Strelka prancing around the room or cuddles with Einaris. Could still sense the fleeting touch Mina has on her hands.

The girl chokes. "C-Can I have her address?"

"I'm sorry, miss," the nurse bows. Her monkey Sodalis on her shoulder bows, too. "But we are not allowed to disclose any personal information regarding a patient to a stranger."

"But I'm not a stranger!" Momo argues stubbornly. "I'm her soulmate! Does that not make me qualified enough to know about her address?"

The nurse stares at Momo in pity.

Momo bawls.

"Just her address, please. I don't have a phone I can't contact her. Please, ma'am, please."

"I'm sorry, miss," just those words are enough to destroy Momo's entire heart. "Unless you're married, even soulmates are not allowed to be informed. Please excuse me."

The nurse leaves, leaving Momo alone to sweep the broken pieces of her heart. Einaris nudges her Master's hand with her head, worried at Momo who looks like she's dying inside.

Correction, Momo's already dead inside.

"Let's go home, Ei," the Japanese mumbles. She taps her Sodalis' head once before she saunters away from the nurse station, with her chest hollow and an uneaten double serving of jokbal clenched between her fingers.

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.

Jeongyeon watches with a saddened gaze at her chef who is slumping around the kitchen for the past few days. After Mina's unannounced departure from the hospital, Momo has been nothing but an empty shell of her former self, still working diligently and cooking good food yet with a blank stare almost each and every day. There will be times where Momo looks a bit energized especially when Nayeon gives her homemade snacks, but then their self-proclaimed adoptive daughter would continue to sulk until they close the cafe.

"Jeong."

"Hm?"

Nayeon slinks straight to Jeongyeon's semi outstretched arm and settles herself in her wife's hug, also staring at their youngest with concern. Their Sodalises follow Nayeon, Azari perched on Vito's back comfortably. The vixen and the lioness flatten their ears to their head when they see Einaris brooding on the corner of the kitchen.

"Shouldn't we help Momo?" asks the older when Momo yelps as she hits a shelf with her head.

Jeongyeon sighs and tightens her hug. "We should but... I don't know how. I mean, we have no means of contact to this Mina so we wouldn't be able to help her."

"Yea, I know," Nayeon bites her lip. "I've tried to search her name online but the only thing showed up is her college. She's a business student at the same place as us and knowing our college, they won't tell us Mina's address, either."

"Well, that's too bad."

"What should we do, then?"

The younger of the two lets out a heavy sigh before she releases her wife from her arms. She approaches Momo, who is silently tidying up her stuff to prepare to go home. Momo gives Jeongyeon a defeated smile as she slings her bag to her shoulders.

"I'm going home, unnie," Momo bows once to Jeongyeon. "See you tomorrow."

Saying nothing, Jeongyeon opts to pull Momo to her embrace, sensing when the younger girl sighs and wraps her own arms around Jeongyeon's slightly bigger build. They stay for a while until even Nayeon joins in, draping herself over the two other females. She Momo's soft hair and pats her back repeatedly to the point that Momo chuckles.

"Thank you," Momo takes a step back from the hug, her eyes glassy. "I'm sorry. I'll be fine in a few days. Or weeks. I'll still work as how I usually am."

"Take it easy, Mo," Nayeon hugs Momo again and the girl buries her face to the older's neck. "We understand, it must be hard. We hope you'll be able to find Mina again someday."

The youngest nods slowly. "Yes, unnie. Thank you very much."

"By the way," Jeongyeon clears after Momo seems a bit better than before. She waves a small pamphlet in her hands and Nayeon lights up, followed by Momo who takes a few seconds to understand. "I've decided to hire more employees to help in our cafe. I've posted the ads at some place and I've promised them to hold an interview two days from now on. You girls on to become an interviewer?"

"Yes!"

The first one to nod is Nayeon, who gleefully claps then throws her arms around her wife's neck, pulling her to a kiss. Momo only claps in excitement before quickly turns on her heels (still clapping), unwilling to witness the slightly violent exchange of love from the two older women. Nayeon only stops devouring Jeongyeon's mouth when the younger smacks her , breathless and shocked because of her wife's unexpected assault.

It goes on okay, thankfully. The interview session lasts for a full day and in the next morning, the three of them had decided to hire three other people to work at their little cafe. The first one is a young, short yet energetic girl named Chaeyoung along with her falcon Sodalis, Inex.

("Hi! I'm Son Chaeyoung or you can call me Chaeng! This is my Sodalis, Inex, and that person plastering her face on the door is my soulmate and her Sodalis, Dahyun and Rao!")

They end up offering Dahyun to work there as well. Turns out, the girl with the lynx Sodalis is still pursuing her education, so they refrain from asking her again even when she visits her soulmate often. The next person in line is Minatozaki Sana, who is also a Japanese and so immediately clicked with Momo. It helps that their Sodalises are both avians and they also seem to hold respect to each other.

("Hi, I'm Sana! This crow is my Sodalis, Midnight. Lame name, I know. It seems like my soulmate is a very uncreative person so remind me to slap her with a naming book once I've met her.")

The last girl is Park Jihyo. She's a nice girl, quite reserved and looks a bit more normal than the other two. The only downside is the fact that she brings alongside her a massive flying serpentine creature.

("WHY IS THERE A DRAGON'S HEAD IN MY KITCHEN."

"That's Astra."

"TELL HER TO GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE SHE'S DESTROYING EVERYTHING.")

All in all, the cafe's good, the three new employees are fast enough to learn about absolutely everything and it makes their growing business more and more nurtured. Momo is able to forget about Mina as her days are filled with cooking and getting involved in any kind of s her new friends are doing. In between Sana being a clumsy wreck, Chaeyoung being too cheesy to customers, or Jihyo having to shoo Astra away before she roasts people who disturb her Master with her fire-breath, Momo has her hands full and she has no more time to think about Mina.

In a way, Jeongyeon and Nayeon are grateful that the arrival of their new "children" could take Momo's worry away. In another way, they are still sad because they could see the way Momo's gaze drop when she remembers about her missing soulmate. Though they are still relieved that Momo had returned to her usual self, surrounded by the love given by her new family members.

It's almost three months after that when Jihyo suddenly approaches Nayeon, a nervous look in her eyes.

"Unnie?"

"Yes?" Nayeon averts her attention away from the cash register, eyebrows knitted when she finds Jihyo fiddling with her fingers. The cafe's already closed and they're currently only tidying up for tomorrow, so she's a bit baffled on why does Jihyo looks like that. "What's the matter, Jihyo?"

The younger girl clears . "There's a... uh, weird-looking cat rolling around in front of our cafe."

It needs Nayeon no more than five seconds to bolt out of the cafe. The woman arrives at the place Jihyo had told her, with her chest heaving for she hadn't exercised for God knows how long. It's night, and it's almost pitch dark around them, but there's no mistaking the yellow, spotted cat laying on her back, four paws outstretched to the looming dragon above her with an excited expression. Astra blinks at the cat but gives no apparent responses, too confused with the apparition but also mildly interested with the energetic cat.

"Strelka!" Nayeon yells, tears b in her eyes and the cat stops her wild movement. Strelka meows loudly when she recognizes Nayeon, jumping to her feet and runs towards the now kneeling woman. She purrs when Nayeon her head and flicks her ears when the woman pinches her cheeks.

"Where have you been?" Strelka lolls her tongue out of . "Momo's been so sad and worried! Where have you been these past months, Strel?"

Hearing Nayeon's words, Strelka hangs her head low. She meows sadly but nudges her head under Nayeon's jaw and meows again with an innocent look in her eyes.

Nayeon waves Jihyo who is standing dumbly beside her. "Call Momo. Tell her that her soulmate's here."

The Japanese arrives not less than a minute after. She has new bruises on her face (Jihyo says Momo fell and hit almost everything when Jihyo told her the news) but the light in her face is so bright, especially after she sees Strelka. Einaris who follows her Master also squawks loudly, happy to be able to meet her soulmate again.

"Strel!" the cheetah immediately jumps to Momo's arms when she hears her name being called, meowing and purring and Momo's face with glee. Momo pushes the cheetah away from her after a short while, keeping her feline face between her hands and stares right into Strelka's golden eyes. "Oh my God.... you're back? You're back!"

Strelka meows. Her tail wags when Einaris easily leans on her.

Momo hugs Strelka again once. "Oh my God... this can't be happening. You're back! You're back! Tell me, where is your Master? Is Mina okay? Has her leg been healed? Oh my God I hope she's–"

"I'm okay, Momoring."

Momo halts. The cheetah in front of her meows, turning her head then sprints toward the source of the voice. With her neck tense and anticipation building in her, Momo shifts, holding her breath when she looks to her left to find a person standing beside her.

A person. A girl. With her serene smile and her loving eyes focused on Momo and Momo only. The girl she had been missing for the past few months, the girl who is now able to walk on her two legs without any crutch to help her standing upright. Mina beams at her with her eyes glassy and Momo can't help the sob escaping her lips.

"Konbanwa, Momoring."

"M–" Momo laughs, tears streaming down her cheeks and she shots up to her feet, quickly crushing Mina into her embrace. Her heart and her mind are overwhelmed by the fact that her soulmate had returned to her, healthy and well and she can't fight her laugh, relieved to be able to be close and to touch her soulmate again. "Mitaaang!!!"

Momo releases Mina only to hug her again in the next second, her face buried to the other girl's soft brown locks. "I miss you–hic–Mitang I miss you so so much! Why did–hic–why did you leave me I'm–hic–I'm so sad. I miss you. I miss you Mitang I miss you so much!"

Mina could only laugh and sniffles her tears back, tightening her arms around Momo when the older girl cries to her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that I was permitted to leave and I... I was unable to tell you because–"

"Sssshh!!" Momo shakes her head vigorously. "It's fine. It's fine. Whatever that had happened, it's fine. You're back and that's what important to me. And your leg had healed, too! For now, it's enough, Mitang. It's enough. Explanation later because all I want now is to hug and ingrain every single thing you are in my brain."

"Okay, then," Mina giggles, elated. "Okay. Okay."

A few minutes after that and Momo lets Mina go. She still grasps the younger's hand in her own, though, because she doesn't want to let go that quickly after months of not being able to meet each other. Mina is blushing at Momo's gentle hold and she hides her face to her collar again. Just like how she usually is whenever she's embarrassed.

"I've eaten a lot of jokbal," she suddenly says. Her eyes are twinkling when Momo looks at her in surprise. "You were right. I heal faster with jokbal rather than not. The doctor told me that I need four months to fully recover but here I am... three months and I could already run with my own legs."

Momo's face turns to concern real fast. "While I'm glad that you've recovered with jokbal, please don't exert yourself you might be hurt again."

"I won't Momoring," Mina giggles. "I have you now. After all, the main medicine prescribed for me is your love, wasn't it?"

Momo's a bit slow to understand but once she does, her lips are upturned in a smile as she once again pulls Mina into her hug.

"I love you, Mitang."

Mina giggles softly. Her heart races at the knowledge that she had found her soulmate again. Something in her chest and her stomach flutter by Momo's warm embrace, uplifted by the words whispered into her ears. She feels glad that she's back with Momo, back to enjoy her mere presence alongside their ever loyal Sodalises under the gentle moonlight and the cool breeze on her skin. It's like nothing holds any matter anymore when she's with her Momo. Momo who is warm, Momo who is gentle, Momo who is everything, and Mina finds herself helplessly falling.

So she buries herself deeper into her soulmate, closing her eyes in contentment and whispers her love back.

"I love you, too, Momoring."

__________

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A/N

I'm sorry but Strelka in my headcanon is so adorable let me wheeze here for a while–

 

*Dameyo kudasai       : Please don't

**Konnichiwa             : Hello

***Watashi wa Myoui Mina-desu. Hajimemae    : I am Myoui Mina. Nice to meet you

****Konbanwa           : Good evening