Nayeon leans on the chair, releasing a deep breath as she closes her eyes in frustration. The amount of projects being given to her and the additional ones for extra curriculum are getting too much (she had a choice, but she took it just so she can be sure she’s getting at least an above average for all her subjects). Her mom would sometimes catch her having a mental breakdown, but she didn’t know that it happens every single day. She doesn’t get enough sleep and she doesn’t get to eat at the right time.

At least, today, she finished everything just in time the teachers would give them more work.

She turns around to look at Kookeu, sleeping heavily at her bed.

‘I wish I’m a spoiled dog instead of a pointless humanbeing,’ Nayeon thinks to herself. Though it would be better to ask if she doesn’t live at all, for the sake of the worthier souls.

She stands up from her chair and stretches out. Her joints are probably aging up way too fast in her age.

She looks at the clock and realizes it’s dawn already.

‘If being alive is like this, I don’t want it.’

She takes a bath and made herself some bacon and pancakes.

She’s already wearing her School uniform and all, but she’s taking her time to sip her tea.

Most people would drink coffee to wake themselves up, but irony to it all, it makes her sleepy. Tea, rather, wakes her up even though her eyes has been restless since last yesterday.

“I’m assuming you didn’t sleep again?”

Nayeon was sitting faced back at her, so she didn’t saw Nayeon giving an annoyed look before greeting her.

“Morning,” Nayeon forces herself as her mom leans on the sink, looking at the dishes thrown. She rolls her eyes, already know what she’s about to tell. “I’ll wash the dishes after I finish my tea, don’t worry.”

“That’s not what I was pointing out.” Her mom frowns, rather saddened that her daughter would assume that. She was about to smile, seeing that she cooked herself a breakfast, but Nayeon intervened with a negative retort. “Anyway, did you talk with your dad?”

“I was busy.”

“You could’ve at least video call him just to show your presence.”

“Mom,” Nayeon had enough. It’s always about her dad when it comes to talking with her mom. She took her mug and went to the sink, opening the faucet. “I’ll talk to him when I get the chance, okay?”

“You know we’re not getting younger, right? We could die any moment. I just want you—”

“I’m pretty sure I’m going to die first,” Nayeon laughs a little while she soaks the sponge with dish soap, cleaning the plate she used with bacon and pancakes. Cleaning makes Nayeon a little less stressed, it’s kind of weird, but she does it anyway.

“Im Nayeon,” her mom raises her voice.

The latter just shrugs her shoulder, “I was just kidding. It’s just been hell these past few weeks.”

“Then rest,” her mom decides to help her out by drying the dishes. “You always get sick, your dad and I are just worried. You’re taking School too seriously. Remember that we don’t expect you to have the perfect grades—we just want you to graduate and have a stable job that you dream of. That’s all we want.”

Nayeon’s alarm rings, which meant that she needs to go to School. She quickly got distracted and ignored her mom, brushing her teeth before taking her bag.

“It’s five in the morning and the classes doesn’t even start before eight. Sleep, even just a bit at the couch and I’ll wake you up,” her mom insists her, her eyes pleading pitifully, but Nayeon already has plans. Just looking at her daughter with big eye bags and pale lips makes her think she’s not the supportive parent she expects her to be.  

“I’ve got twenty minutes to go to School,” Nayeon smiles widely, opening the front door. “By the time I get there, I’ll sleep in my seat.”

“Soyeon takes the School Bus, you should—”

“I need some exercises, remember what the doctor said?” Nayeon declines her mom’s offer before she can even finish her suggestion.

She sighs in defeat. Nayeon’s already a grown up, she’s a stubborn child. She shouts as she stands on the front door, watching Nayeon sit on the saddle, “Did you at least took your medicines?”

“I did,” Nayeon faces her mom for the last time before she pedals. “Say Kookeu I’ll be back after classes for me! See you after dismissal!”

‘And yet, she doesn’t even have the time to say at least hi to her dad.’

 “I didn’t think you’d answer my call,” Soyeon knocked their mom from all her thinking. “Dad, the time there’s like, eleven by now. I just wanted to greet you, but you should get some rest now!”

At least Soyeon can fill her dad’s happiness.

“Nayeon? She already left.”

“Your mom told me about your relationship with your dad.”

Her doctor suddenly visited her patients, including Nayeon, and she didn’t like the fact that she’s already being observed. With all the movies and crime videos she’s watched, it’s a fact that the blank window has a purpose—possibly her mom watching her, being recorded, or other doctors looking at every words and actions she does.

Though inside the interview room is just her doctor facing her and the nurse on duty standing at the corner while she holds Nayeon’s, presumably, her record. She’s too scared to ask her doctor if someone else is on the other room.

She just ends with a nod, her head facing the floor.

“And you told me that your mom said to you that your dad feels like your distant and cold and that made him cry while you were on a vacation in Australia where your dad works,” she stated, still looking at Nayeon.

What else can she do? Nayeon thought that it’s easy to pretend in an interview room while they’re being suspected as a criminal or something, but the tension is actually terrifying. Being on a small space and knowing that you’re being read like an open book doesn’t really help her a lot, so she just stares in silence as a sign of defeat.

“What do you think about your relationship with your dad?”

That was something someone asked before.

“You’re here again.”

Sana beams at the older girl brightly before sitting beside her.

“I like watching dogs and cats get along together,” she laughs a little when the two animals were chasing each other, like little kids, but humans have brain farts. “Plus, the ocean breeze is nice.”

 “You mean the only dog and cat around the fence?” Sana teases the older girl a little. “I’m starting to think that you go here every morning just to see me, Im Nayeon.”

“That can be that, too,” Nayeon joins the little contest between them, but she quickly took it after the blonde girl takes the bait. “But I prefer animals.”

Sana seems amazed with Nayeon’s banter. She’s not like this at School at all. “Fyi, humans are animals, too. I’d like to assume that when you smile, you want to say that the moon’s beautiful.”

“You know that I basically half grew up in Japan, right?” her eyes are still glued on the two playful species even though the person she’s talking with is beside her and is piercing her eyes right through her.

Sana smirks, standing up to get Nayeon’s attention. “So what you’re trying to say is ‘I love you, too’?”

The older girl just smiles at her assumption.

Mission failed, we’ll get her next time. She didn’t get Nayeon to look at her in the eyes.

She gives up. “Come on.”

“What?” Nayeon finally looks at her finally (kind of). At least she gets to have Nayeon’s beautiful eyes on her even just a mere second, she’s satisfied with that.

“You seem to be fonder of my pets than me so I should let you meet them,” she took Nayeon’s hand and hold it tight while Nayeon seems to be more into the idea of petting Sana’s pet rather than the younger girl’s warm hand onto hers.

When she opened the door, the Japanese girl is greeted by her dog while the Korean girl is greeted by Sana’s curious little cat.

“Seems like she likes you.” Sana calls her pet, “This is Ki my ō na. She was about to be eunthanized because no one wants to adopt her from being a depressed 5-month-old kitten, but I quickly adopted her. I just felt like she just needs someone to be there for her.”

“Curious in Japanese,” Nayeon nods in agreement as she look at Sana playing with her fondly. She grew more curiosity on the latter. “That’s kind of you to do that.”

It’s kind of a cute sight, too.

“And this Shiba Inu is Sora,” she squeezes his extra fat as he lies on the ground, asking for a belly rub.

“Sky?” Nayeon furrows her eyebrows in confusion.

“Even though he’s overweight, this chonky boy jumps really high especially when someone’s holding a food,” Sana explains as they walk near the tree where her dad and mom used to lie when they’re tired after training other dogs.

“What’s his past?” Nayeon walks next to Sana, idly fiddling the end of her sleeves.

“I was in Japan to visit my grandparents when I saw him abandoned right at the airport,” She sits at