Heejin's POV

Flashback.....

"Can you take my dog Haneul to the vet, please? I would go, but I have to prepare for the party tonight. Gotta buy some food. According to the dietician, we should swap junk food for some fruits and veggies. Honestly, I'll just get a fruit salad or something. Apples and strawberries are MANDATORY for a fruit salad. No objections will be heard."

"Yves, you say that as if I was going to object to apples and strawberries in the first place."

"Ok ok, but are you able to take Haneul to the vet? Everyone else is busy and I know you have time off today."

"Yeah yeah I'll do it. I'm almost at my apartment anyway, and I think I should still have some allergy meds there. I'll head to your place right after" 

"No need to come over. I'll just drop Haneul off at your place on my way to the supermarket. I don't want to be late to the vet appointment. To be honest, the vet there kinda scares me. She was so stoic and cold while I spoke to her, but as I was leaving I heard her trying to speak to Haneul by barking. I don't think I can handle her."

*sigh* "Alright, I'll handle her, but you owe me some soju for this."

"Thanks, Heekki!"

"I wish you would stop calling me that. It ruins my girl crush image."

"HAH yeah right. All someone has to do is speak with you outside of the ring and they'll see just how much of a crackhead you are."

Now here I am, standing outside the entrance to the vet clinic, a sneezing, puffy-eyed, runny-nosed mess. I need to get my life together. Maybe if I had taken the required TWO tablets that WEREN'T expired instead of a sad, single, expired tablet, I wouldn't be in this condition right now. These sunglasses and mask don't even match my jacketttt...ugh. I'll just carry through this for Yves. She doesn't have to know about this...I don't want to make her feel bad. Whelp here goes nothing.

A small bell jingles as I open and close the door. Haneul happily trots in and quickly finds what I assume to be some other doggie friends to play with. 

"Hello, is this the...th...ACHOO"

"No, this is your local vet clinic, but you and your cute dog are welcome to stay."

Looking back up, I try to focus my vision as much as possible on the person who responded. She's wearing a yellow blouse with light blue, dusted jeans. Sadly, because of my blurry vision AND sneezing fit, I'm unable to make out the details of her face or anything else. After finishing her conversation with another family, and barking twice to a dog, she leaves and heads into another room. That's probably the crazy veterinarian Yves was talking about.

Good lord the pet dander levels here are through the roof. I think I'm about to run out of tissues soon. Someone I assume to be the receptionist is looking at me like I'm crazy.

"Hello, I'm here for an appointment with Doctor Kim Hyunjin."

"Ok, and who is the appointment for?"

"Ha Haneul, registered under Ha Sooyoung."

"Ok, Dr. Kim is actually a bit behind schedule today. Unheard of? Yeah, I was surprised too. In the meantime, want some anti-histamines and eye drops? It's clear that you are having an allergic reaction to the pet dander."

"Yes please, thank you. The medicine I took must have expired or something."

Bless this sweet receptionist for having allergy meds on stock! As I'm taking my mask and glasses off, the receptionist gasps and the blurry shape of her body freezes. Oh no...do I look that bad? Her voice drops to a whisper.

"Oh my god! You're Jeon Heejin!"

"Yep. In the flesh. Sorry, but you're obviously not seeing me at my best right now."

"Oh it's fine, you're still gorgeous, just a bit more sniffle-y than I recall. I watched your match last night. You really knocked it out of the park with your boxing, quite literally. My son and I are huge fans of yours!"

"Thank you. While I do appreciate the admiration, can I have the medicine please?"

"Oh yes, sorry, of course."

She taps the container and 2 pills fall into the palm of my hand. Walking over to my bag, I grab my water bottle and take the pills, breathing a sigh of relief knowing that soon I'll be able to hug all the animals in the world again.

I've always hated this part of myself. I'm such an animal lover, but I'm cursed with this allergy. My family did have a dog while I was growing up. We just made sure that I always had my medicine with me. I've left the house now and am on my own, so I don't usually carry medicine with me anymore because there is no need. After these current events, I should probably reconsider. I've always wanted a pet rabbit too. I just always feel connected to their cuteness. I've even gained the nickname Heeki amongst my teammates for my obsession.

My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a ding from my phone. It's Yves.

Were you able to get there on time? Did your allergies kick up at all? _(Seen)

 _(Seen) Yeah, I got here on time and I'm waiting for the doctor right now. No, my allergies are fine.

Great! Thanks once again! I just really hope Haneul is ok. He got his nose scratched up by a feral cat yesterday and is kinda limping recently too. _(Seen)

_(Seen) Oh no! That's terrible! Yet another reason I don't get along well with cats. Let's hope that we can get Haneul patched up.

Aww, Heekki, don't discount an entire species just because of Haneul! I'm sure Haneul would be happy, but cats are sweet as well. _(Seen)

_(Seen) Yeah right. Cats are just as sweet and loving as pigeons, and you KNOW how much I hate pigeons.

After waiting for what must have been 20 minutes, my allergic reaction was starting to subside. My nose was no longer running and I didn't feel the incessant need to sneeze anymore. While my eyes were still puffy my vision was starting to clear. Putting on my earbuds, I pulled up a video of highlights from my match last night. It's always good to review and reflect. That's key to learning and improving.

Hmm, I should have seen that punch coming. Her stance was setting up for that punch too...

Hyunjin's POV

What was someone with such a strong allergic reaction doing at the clinic? I think I recognized the dog, Haneul, from the other day with the tall lady Yves. That was certainly not Yves just now. The lady was shorter with a pretty lean, muscular build. 

Just as I finish the last bite of my bread, the best food on earth might I add, I hear a loud gasp from my receptionist, followed by silence. She's probably at it again with more gossip. Either that, or she saw another very cute cat. I've always been more of a cat person than a dog person. Don't get me wrong, I love many species of animals, but cats have always appealed to me more. My mother always said that my personality reminded her of a cat: usually independent but with moments of intense yearning for love and affection. I mean, I guess that's true.

A hear a ping from my computer, and the appointment notification changes from Appointment for Ha Haneul under Ha Sooyoung to Appointment for Ha Haneul under Jeon Heejin I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE'S HERE. 

Who's Jeon Heejin? Let me search her up on Naver...

Name: Jeon Heejin                       Age: 20

Nationality: Korean                       Weight class: bantamweight (~112-120lbs or 51-54kg)

Management company: Blockberry Creative

Titles obtained: former 3-time flyweight Champion within Korea, current bantamweight champion within Korea.

More info: 

• She is a part of the trio called LOONA, with the other 2 members being KimLip, aka Kimberly Lippington, and Yves, aka Ha Sooyoung.
• While fighting, she always carries a pink handkerchief in her pocket
• She has earned the alias Stitch, for the little Stitch charm she always carries.

Annnddddd . She's hot.

Wow... her facial features are so delicate that I can't imagine her in the ring. I'm sorry melon bread, but I think you have some competition for my heart now.

Under her profile are some pictures and highlights from a match that she had...yesterday?! Wow, I assumed that boxers would rest after a match. That's certainly what I do after a long day at work. While I wait for the x-ray results for the ferret I might as well check out a bit of her fighting. Oh good lord...yikes, how does one even punch so hard?! Ahem...the uhh...sweat really...glistens and highlights every muscle in her figure. Sheesh, forget what I said about delicate, she has a feline level of agility and ferocity.

I've never really tuned into the martial arts and fighting scene, but I'd probably be good at it. I've always been athletic. Soccer, basketball, you name it. Once, I was hanging out with some friends and we passed by a basketball court. There were some kids playing basketball, and I swear, if I weren't wearing high heels I would have TRUMPED them. I've always been at the top of an-

*knock knock knock* "Doctor Kim? The results from the x-ray have come back."

"Oh uh, alright. I'll go over the results with the owners. Please tell the owners to come to my office. While you're at it, please notify the next pet owner, Haneul's I believe, that I'll be with them in a moment."

"Yes, ma'am."

Narrator's POV

While Dr. Kim Hyunjin occupied herself by explaining the complexities of bone fracture to 2 very concerned ferret owners, Heejin finished watching the highlights of her match and was taking notes on her performance for future improvement. Heejin's vision was almost fully restored, and by now the swelling had almost completely gone down as well. The light sensitivity still persisted, but that could be alleviated by Heejin's sunglasses.

As soon Heejin walked out of the restroom and sat down, Haneul waddled over, curling up beside her feet. Heejin tenderly picked him up and hugged him tightly. Haneul's ears perked up This pure, unwavering warmth and love was a feeling that Heejin missed. Dumb loyalty was exactly what Heejin needed in her life. 

"Miss Jeon? Dr. Kim is ready for you. Please head to the 3rd room on the left with Haneul. She will be with you shortly."

Cradling a sleepy Haneul in her arms, Heejin collected her miscellaneous items and headed for that room. As she opened the door and set Haneul down, the yellow blouse and light dusted jeans came into her peripheral vision again. This time, Heejin could see every detail clearly. From her flowing jet black hair to the curvature of her lips during that subtle smile, Heejin could see every detail of Hyunjin.

"Hi, I'm Kim Hyunjin. You must be Miss Jeon Heejin?"

"Yes I do- I mean...yes, yes I am."

A/N: Hello! I hope you enjoy the story! As you can see, I'm going to make my best attempt to add humor and little easter eggs into the story.