Yuna carefully coaxed a wary stray from where it was hiding in a corner, the bedraggled kitten balled up with its tail tucked low, ears flat as the shining eyes quivered in response to Yuna’s voice. It took a long time, and Yuna may have gotten a scratch on the back of her hand out of it, but she eventually managed to carefully wrap the still wounded animal in the towel she was holding, careful not to jolt the kitten’s bad leg.

The kitten was a new rescue, and not fully socialized to trust the humans at the shelter, but it wasn’t Yuna’s first time dealing with nervous strays. Abused animals took a lot more care and patience than average, and Yuna could sympathize with the fear the poor things expressed. It was just so difficult to trust again after being hurt, and she wanted to help them recover in any way she could.

Her day job wasn’t particularly exciting or well paying, and she had a couple other side gigs to help pay the bills. One of them was at the club, but she didn’t go there often despite it being the best paying. Even though she enjoyed performing, a part of her was still deeply anxious whenever she was up on stage. It was more than just stage fright, but a deeper fear that someone else she used to know might see her.

The kitten was still trembling in her hands, but Yuna was careful to not make any sudden movements as she changed the dressing on the kitten’s leg, murmuring soothing tones to the terrified animal in an attempt to calm it. Eventually it seemed to realize that Yuna was just trying to help and stopped resisting, but there was a wary stance to it still. Yuna didn’t fault the kitten. Human hands had broken its leg, and it was fully justified to suspect all others.

It had been three days since she was last at the club, and Yuna was oddly disappointed that a certain Hwang Eunbi hadn’t called. Then again, considering how nervous the other girl had been, perhaps she shouldn’t expect too much. Meeting the charismatic dancer had been a pleasant distraction, nothing more. Their paths were unlikely to cross again in other ways, short of the other girl finally deciding to call.

To be honest, Yuna didn’t really think Eunbi would make a move. It had seemed very clear to her that while the dancer had been superficially interested in her, it was just as obvious that the girl was entirely new to this. Yuna didn’t think a fleeting infatuation at a club was going to amount to anything, especially not when the other person wasn’t even smooth enough to push for a one night stand (not that she would have agreed to it, mind). 

It was nice running into an innocent baby gay though, and it made Yuna smile at the thought of better days when she had been that innocent once. Those days were far behind her, and she was still her own wounds from the scars her last disastrous relationship had left behind. But that wasn’t something she wanted to focus on now. She only wanted to help the poor kitten in her care, and that was something worth doing in her eyes. 

The sound of windchimes at the door didn’t distract her from her work, which currently involved giving the kitten a dry towel bath to clean it off. Yuna didn’t even notice the way she was whistling softly, just above a hum, to a tune that spun off as naturally as she breathed. Music has always been part of her life, even if she didn’t actively engage in it as she used to.

“Yewon ah, are you sure your sister really wants a pet? She barely has enough time for herself.”

A familiar voice cut through over the usual busy sounds of the animal shelter, and Yuna glanced up, following the length of ripped jeans up to folded arms covering the design of a graphic print t-shirt, pausing at the familiar curve of a sharp jaw and side profile she remembered a little too well. 

“Unnie doesn’t say it but I know she misses the dog we used to have. It’s almost her birthday and I want to get her something she’d like.”

“You could have gone to a breeder and gotten a pedigree animal you know. Why are we at a shelter? It’s not like you can’t afford it.”

“ Eunbi, it’s far more ethical to adopt from shelters and there are so many animals who could use a home out there. I know unnie doesn’t care about pedigree and as long as its the right fit with us, I think we owe it to ourselves to at least try here first.”

Those were wise words from the young lady who was Hwang Eunbi’s companion, and Yuna couldn’t resist agreeing out loud with her, before she thought the action fully through.

“Everyone deserves a second chance, especially animals. I wish more people thought like you, maybe the world will be a better place for it.”

It might be just slightly rude to interrupt a conversation, but Yuna had her moments. Eunha used to scold her about how she was usually out of step with the rest of the world, moving at her own pace and not being on quite the same plane of reality as other people. It only exacerbated her apparent weirdness, but Yuna usually made perfect sense to herself in her own mind, and no amount of external pressure could really change the core of who she really was. 

She could listen to what others had to say and take that into account, but she still ran on her own timetable. It made her wildly unpredictable to others sometimes, and even Eunha didn’t always get her either. Understanding was overrated though, and Yuna was just relieved Eunha accepted her as she was. 

Getting the attention of the pair may not necessarily have been her best move, Yuna reflected after a second or so, but she was quickly persuaded to change her mind after noticing the slackjawed expression on Eunbi’s face. It was amusing to see the dancer looking this stunned at recognizing her in this place, as their daytime and nighttime lives finally collided at a place both of them least expected. 

As someone who was used to keeping those separate, Yuna thought she could understand. It was a little odd to see Eunbi in the light of day, looking a lot younger than she did at night sans the heavier makeup and more badass image she projected with her confident swagger when they were at the club. Yuna could only imagine how she looked to the other girl. A simple grey tee and battered jean shorts with flip flops was not her most glamorous look, and her hair was pulled up into a messy bun at her neck to keep it out of the way while she did her work. She wasn’t dressed to impress, but she stood with simple confidence, kitten in her arms, as she smiled at the two girls before her.

“Sorry about that by the way,” Yuna apologized for her earlier interruption, nodding at Yewon who was standing to the left of Eunbi. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Yuna swore she wasn’t ignoring Eunbi on purpose. She was at work after all, and it was clear that it was Eunbi’s friend who was looking to adopt anyway. It had absolutely nothing to do with getting her revenge on the dancer for being too chicken to give her a call. Of course not. Would she be so petty? She had better things to do with her time.

Striking up a conversation with Yewon was surprisingly easy and even oddly comfortable, and Yuna put all thought of engaging Eunbi out of her mind as she walked the other girl through the available animals up for adoption, idly still the now purring kitten in her arms. Eunbi trailed behind them projecting an almost tangible aura of grouchiness, if the tension behind her back was any indication, but Yuna didn’t even flinch. Let the cranky dancer stew for a bit. She wasn’t obliged to entertain her moods in any case.

Yuna couldn’t deny that she was in a much better mood by the end of the session, even though Yewon wasn’t able to decide immediately which stray she would prefer to provide a forever home for. It just raised the girl’s estimation higher in Yuna’s eyes though. Kim Yewon was very serious about this whole thing, taking many factors into consideration and not being impulsive about the adoption. People like that made good pet owners, and Yuna was happy to make a new friend in the girl. Yewon promised to come back again soon, and dragged an obviously grumpy Eunbi away with her as Yuna waved goodbye.

The kitten in her arms purred in response to Yuna’s elevated mood, and the tall girl looked down at it, carefully giving it a scritch on the chin as tiny paws batted playfully at her finger. The smile on her face had everything to do with the kitten’s behavior, both the one she was carrying and the one she just saw off.

“Aren’t you a little cutie?” Yuna cooed softly, the edges of her lips tugging upwards. She hadn’t expected it, but it was turning out to be a good day after all.