MOMO's POV

My friends and I decided to walk home together after our dance practice. In the middle of our conversation someone called my name. I looked back to see a man, wearing a black tux with shades. Who would wear a tinted shades at night? People and their weird antics. I shook my head mentally.

"Momo, do you know him?" My friend, Jeongyeon, whispered.

"I don't know him." Or… maybe I do.

I looked closely at him, trying to remember at the back of my mind. I tilted my head, a crease forming in my forehead from thinking. There was something in his voice that seems familiar to me, it was like I've heard it before. And then after a whole minute of thinking, I turned around, giving up, and told them to just ignore the stranger. But, he called me out.

"I now finally found you, Hime-sama."

My eyes widened. There's only one person who call me that. Don't tell me...

The moment I heard him spoke for the second time, I swiftly ran without hesitation, and left my friends there, perplexed. I know they're beyond confused as to what was happening right now, but I gotta explain this to them tomorrow if I'm still alive. For now, I have to run away from this man as far as I can.
I heard him called me, but I ignored it.

I'm pretty and sure that my parents asked him to look  for me. He always follow what my parents would tell him, I hate him for that. He's always been my parents underdog ever since he took him under their care.

"Just leave me alone!" I shouted back. I looked over my shoulder to check how far I was from him. I turned to a dark alley, which was a wrong move. It was a dead end. There's also a group of boys at my age, I think, smoking and drinking.

Why would they do that here? This is a public place. Someone might see them, worse a police, and bring them to jail. I couldn't fathom what was on people's minds nowadays.

"Oh, look what we have here." One of them stood up, his voice raspy and, eyes red from intoxication. I took a step back, but I bumped on someone. I turned to see three boys looking at me with hunger in their eyes, the same with the first guy.

The fudge. The fudge. The fudge. I'm panicking inside! I don't know what to do. If I would defend myself, there was a 60% probability that I could take them all down. Since they were all high (in drugs), my chance of me kissing the cemented floor was higher than the former.

"Hold her." The first guy commanded. I roamed my eyes quickly, trying to find a way out. Had I told you guys that I'm cornered? Okay, now I'm telling you this: I'm cornered by seven teenage boys in this dark narrow alley.

I heaved a sigh. This was my first appearance and yet I already had a fight scene. It wasn't even supposed to be like this!

I hit the guy who was about to hold me from my back with my elbow, it landed on his jaw and I winced when realized how much it hurts. Then, I swung my bag on the the next guy I saw in my peripheral going at me, it him on the head with a sound. I tried to dodge the others punch but some of them were so good to see through me, in other words, they managed to hit me on the face.

I was dealing with ahegao jacket guy (well, all of them actually since they're trying to ganged up me all at once) when I heard a shout causing the others to snap at his direction.

"Hime!" He ran towards our direction.

I'd like to face palm right now but thought of it better, it was not the time for that. "Kai! Why did you just show up?" I yelled back, groaning.

"You're running so fast, I could barely catch up."
I rolled my eyes without answering him. I saw the others marched his way and pounced at him.

The guy wearing a loose baseball shirt managed to get a hold of my leg when I was about to kick him away on his gut. I saw how his eyes glinted looking at my "area" which I took as opportunity to roundhouse kick him on his face with my other foot simultaneously pulling the fourth guy's hair as I spin between them.

"I'm wearing a short, you ert!"

He stumbled on the ground and I the boy that I still held captive. He was holding my hand, trying to pry it on his hair I'm grasping on tight. I kneed him on his gut twice and punched him on the face. I thought it was my time to celebrate, then again, it was just my thought. I yelped when someone pulled my hair and heard a low voice near my ear.

"Little missy playing hard to get?"

Just what was wrong with these guys? Nevermind. Just what was wrong with him? Wasn't he afraid to get beaten up by me? I yelped again as he pulled my hair harder this time forcing me to face him. Forget about me beating him up, I think the table had turned.

Oh my gosh, I was just trying to live my life. How did I get myself in this situation? If I didn't run earlier, I won't be here. If I were to talk to Kai and listen to whatever he was going to say, I'm probably flying back to Japan. And of course, I didn't want that to happen! I looked up to meet the leader's piercing eyes. It wasn't looking everywhere this time and was just locked at me. His eyes were filled with anger, hunger, lust, happiness. If I were in any other situation, I would've tilt my head or scratch the back of it in confusion. Though I blinked my eye which he interpreted as me hitting on him. The corner of his lips turned up to a wide full manic smile plastered on his face. I closed my eyes to calm myself.

Oh, God! Kaii! When will you finish those thugs? I called for help, shouting in my head in desperation, as if he's gonna hear me. I felt his breath hitting my face. Ugh, it reeked of alcohol. Out of instinct, I pushed my head back before I forcefully bumped his head with mine. His grip at my hair loosened as he brought his hands on his head whilst groaning in so much pain.

I touched my forehead. My mouth formed an "o" shape in amusement. Great, I'm still hardheaded. I glanced up at Kai, who was still fighting the others, and then to the groaning boy in front of me. I smirked seeing as this was a great chance to escape Kai's eyes.

I ran constantly until my feet got tired. Catching my breath, I decided to rest on the lower stairstep of an apartment building. Taking in my surroundings, I looked around. I… have no idea where I am. I can't just go back to Sana's house, I have a feeling that Kai will still look for me now that he found me.

I slightly shivered when cold breeze hit my skin. I sighed, once again roamed my eyes and espied a fiberboard box that was leaning on the driveway's wall of this building. I stood to picked it up and unfolded the thing, stepping inside without second thought. This was just a second precaution in case Kai might still be roaming around looking for me. Knowing that guy, his persistent was no joke. I heaved a sigh in exasperation. My uniform was sticking in my body because of sweat, I felt hot, my face stung from that boy's slap, my body ache!

In the middle of me complaining, someone kicked my box making me jumped inside. I didn't move afterwards, fearing that they were one of those gangsters or Kai. I heard a low groan outside, must be the person who kicked my precious shelter. Just as I thought they left already, my eyes widened when fingers slipped in the gaps then panic rushed all over my body, watching the flaps opened in horror, silently praying to deities I know to spare my life! I promise not to be in trouble again!

"Eh?" I heard a soft-spoken voice. How many times do I have to open and close my eyes in these past few hours! I'd been doing that since I saw Kai. A woman was staring down at me, her eyes were unsteady also she was blabbering nonsense I understood yet not at the same time. She held onto the box, I sat up straight to meet her gaze, next thing I knew my uniform's covered in vomit.

I slang her hand over my shoulder after lifting her up from the ground after she calmed down. It was hard to stepped on the stairs because she barely walked and I had to half-carried and half-drag her. Luckily, she cooperated by telling me her apartment unit. As soon as we stepped inside her unit, she kicked her stilletos and headed straight to her bedroom. (She almost tripped on the way there thankfully I caught her in time.)

"Yoshiyo!" I exhaled after putting her down on the bed. I stretched my back turning around to see the woman in red sleeping peacefully. My eyesight lingered on her for a while, taking in the view laid in front of me. A beautiful woman, hair scattered on the bed some were sticking on her face, her red fitted dress complimented the shape of her body. I carefully reached for the hair that was on her face and removed it. She mumbled some incoherent words, and tried to reach her back. My eyes widened in the realization of her ping her dress and I quickly turned around when she was almost half making flustered.

"My job here now is done," I breathe out. I have no reason to further my stay here.

Just when I'm about to walk away, a hand wrapped my wrist effectively stopping me to move further. I looked over my shoulder, and saw her looking at me with pleading eyes. I tilted my head as though I was asking her.

"Ikanaide."

Huh? Was this girl crazy? Did she perhaps hit her head somewhere on the way here? Or did she fell in her head when she stumbled earlier? I gasped, realizing that I might had a share of fault here. It might be because of me that she was like this. Maybe she bumped her head on the wall while I carry her here. I didn't know why, but I've been hitting a lot of person in the head today. Not gonna lie, I was sort of clumsy myself.

"Miss, I'm so sorry but I don't thin—"  she cut me off by repeating her word.

"Ikanaide," and as if on cue, a lone tear rolled down her face. I stared at her for awhile, hurt was visible on her eyes. I nodded my head in surrender, she let go of my hand before letting herself sleep again.

Okay, this was a right time to escape right? I took a glimpse of her, she'll be fine tho. But if I leave, how about her? Geez. She's gonna be fine, she's old enough to handle herself. And If I leave, where will I go? I had no place to stay the night! On top of it, I didn't have a heart to abandon her after seeing that expression on her face.

I scrunched my nose because of the strong strange scent that invaded my nostrils. I sniffed the air to find where it was coming from, just then it came to my senses that it was my blouse smelled of vomit. First, I need to get myself clean, I thought to myself.

I walked to open her closet and examined it, looking for a pair of clothes that I could change for tonight. Chewing the inside of my cheek, I anxiously pulled out a t-shirt and sweatpants. I knew it was bad, I had no permission but I couldn't help it. I badly needed to change cause I bloody smelt from head to toe.

After changing, I went back to her room with a towel and basin in hand. I knelt down on the floor beside her bed and began to wipe her, I also removed her make up with the remover I spotted on her table. This was more nerve-wracking than exams. I tried not to look at her white soft skin as much as possible while wiping her clean with the wet towel.

When I'm done tucking her inside the duvet, I crawled to the other side of the bed, propped myself up on my elbow, my head resting on my fist, and watched her sleep peacefully. She's really pretty, I can't bring myself to stop looking at her from time to time. I poked the center of her forehead where her eyebrows meet. I wondered what she was dreaming about. I immediately retreated my hand back to mine when she moved, turned to my side, now facing me. It did not end at that, she also pulled me close to her, my head under her chin, my mouth an inch away to her collar bone, almost touching it, that I could practically smell her perfume trespassing my olfactory nerves, then her hand unconsciously caressed my hair as she tigthened her hold around me. For a second, I thought I was going to die of lack of oxygen, well thankfully, I survived, I heard her mumbled in her sleep.

"Ray, I missed you." She hummed.

Ray? Who is Ray? Was he the reason why she was like this? Letting my mind enter its trance, I didn't know I fell asleep listening to her soft heartbeat.

Morning came. I was awaken by a loud thud, which was created by me when I landed on the floor. I groaned out loud, for Pete's sake my body ached since last night. Why do I have to experienced this kind of misery?

"You don't have to kicked me." I said in my morning voice, using the bed for support to help me up.

"I-I'm sorry." She stuttered. I shook my hand dismissively in the air, sitting down the bed. I stretched my back by bending forward and backward. I could hear soft cracking sound coming from the inside.

"You're so rough, miss," I said whilst massaging the assaulted part.

"Rough?" She repeated, "what do you mean?"

Heh. I raised my eyebrow internally.

"Eh? Don't you remember anything from last night?" She stared at me for too long, realizing that she wasn't going to speak any minute now, I continued. Her eyes widened the more I spoke a word about last night. "And, oh, I borrowed your clothes." I ended my story.

"Ha?"

"I said, I borrowed your clothes."

She did not respond, so I was. After a minute of silence, I decided to break the ice.

"Do you perhaps want me to stay ?"

She stared at me in disbelief. Then her expression changed from disbelief, to shock, to panic in less than a minute. It was hilarious, if you may ask me. Wait. Was she…?

"Ahm, excuse me. But, it's not like that. Were you not listening to me?"

She walked closer to me and sat beside me on the bed. I couldn't believe what she said next causing me to roll on my back, laughing.

"Hey, tell me. Did something happen between us? Like you... and me... doing it"

I knew it!

"OMG" I uttered between laughing,  "you are so funny." This was so much fun and hilarious. I didn't know someone like her could easily be fooled by a highschool student like me.

I pushed her down the bed, trapping her with my hands on either side of her head. I fixed my gaze at her without blinking as if she's going to vanish in my line of sight. How could someone be so beautiful considering that she was a drunken mess last night and had just woke up. There was no sign of hangover in her face.

"Hey, onee-san." I started slowly to add more intense. A glimpsed of anticipation shone in her eyes, "if something happened between us, will you take responsibility of it?" She pushed me hard, knocking my off the floor.

I came out clean. I retold her the story from how she found me inside a box, vomited on my dress to how I ended up here with her only her undies. She didn't believe me at first, well that was reasonable, I would react the same thing if I were her. But still she accused me of lying and called me a high schooler.

I pouted. "I was in my last year of senior high, technically I was almost in college if it weren't for those levels! Hmp." I mumbled to myself.

She asked me why I was hiding on a box and I told her that someone's hunting me. The word slipped out of my mouth before I stopped myself; no matter how, they had the same meaning right? Her eyes widened. I bet she was thinking I was kind of a girl who brought herself into trouble, fighting people just for fun, or that I had a big debt on some loansharks and they wanted my head as a payment for not paying.

I squirmed uncomfortably on my seat when I noticed that she was now scrutinizing me. I cleared my throat and asked her if there was something on my face.

"Where did you get that?" She pointed the corner of my lips.

I frowned, lifted my hand to touch the part she pointed. I grimaced, "Ah, this? I got it when I stumbled while running" I giggled nervously, liar "I'm a kind of clutz," I added. Yes, carelessly fought with a pack of DUI teenage boys in a dark alley knowing that it could danger me.

She stood up with frown and went to the bathroom. When she came back, she was holding an emergency kit and placed it carefully on the low coffee table. She tended my bruises and wounds, dubbing it gently still continued nagging me. She advised me to report it to the authority, I argued saying that those in the uniforms will not help me, rather, they'll make it worse my handing me back to my parents. She pressed the cotton on the cut hardly, I pulled my hand back to myself as I let out a shriek.

"Ouch! It stings!" I cried while massaging it to lessen the pain. I bit my lip to keep the tears forming from falling. She took my hand back, apologizing. I reluctantly gave it back to her, but I was also afraid of my own being.

"So, why would they do that?" She's now wrapping my hand with a bandage.

"Do what?" I almost scowled.

"Hunting you? Did you do something to them?"

"Yes." I answered quietly.

She did not say nor ask anything, that was a relief. Cause I don't have a plan on telling her more, she judged me once. We suddenly heard a low grumble. Looking up to her, I smiled sheepishly. I hadn't eat anything since last night, that was why I was having a bad mood.

"It was my stomach. If it's not too much, can you cook something for me?"

She cooked me a proper breakfast. When I say proper, it was a complete meal — a bowl of rice, fried egg, soup with kimchi as a side dish. Allowing my mind to travel from the time I was living with Sana, we only ate bread in the morning. Same thing with Jeongyeon before I left her house although we ate an western style breakfast when she was in the mood to cook. I happily digged in my food.

The woman in red told me to leave after I finish eating, and left a paper bill on the table for my taxi fare. I washed the dishes after eating and consumed the rest of the hour thinking where should I stay.

I remembered my phone in my bag. I opened it, and removed my dance outfits from it. Fiddling inside my bag, I caught sight of my laptop. Oh my gosh. So this was the one that hit that boy's face. I winced, continued my mission on finding my phone. I fished it out , immediately opening it only to got bombarded with messages from my friends. Jeongyeon and Sana had a lot of missed calls.

I responded on their messages, informing them that I was still alive and they did not need to worry. I called Sana, I knew she was the one who worried the most. Sana was my best friend, we grew up together, we runaway together. Pft. What I meant was, she left Japan to went here with me, with her parents permission.

I told her what happened, that Kai was here in Korea and I couldn't afford to go back to their places because Kai might had investigated me and learnt where I resided. At least here, I was safe.

I just wished that Kai didn't find out where school I went to. Oh, what a wishful thinking. Who was I joking to? Of course, he'd found that out too. If he haven't, pretty sure he was still figuring it out.

Wasting my time watching television, I didn't know that it was already dark outside. The woman hadn't come back yet. My thoughts racing to what happened last night. The way she said don't leave me with loneliness laced on her voice. Her eyes pleading with acadness in it. The hurt in her face was so apparent that articulated how much pain she was feeling.

I was too occupied thinking about the reasons that I didn't realize that she came back. She yelled at me, asking why I was still here. Ignoring her question, I talked about Twice guesting on a reality game show. She went on though, still insisting that I should go back home or seek for help, not like I need one. Even so, I told her that I decided to live here, which, obviously, made her shocked for a moment that gradually morphed into an angry expression, her voice also picked up.

After how many convincing and entreating, she still kicked me out of her abode just like how she did to my box. I can't do anything about it, I took advantage of her situation the other night already so if she didn't want me to stay there again means I really had to look for a place to stay where any of my parents' people will not find me— specifically, that Kai. I stepped inside the lift, a sigh escaped my lips, sign that I was getting problematic. I felt like I'm getting older as times passed by and it was only a day since that incident. I tapped my foot on the elevator's floor as I watched the numbers descending and displayed 1, indicating that I arrived on the first floor.

Exiting the building, I noticed that I didn't have my bagpack, and the clothes that I currently had on was hers. Just great. Now I have to go back.
I knocked. The door cracked open, revealing an annoyed face of the woman in red. I pouted to myself. She didn't like me, did she? I cut her off by saying that I forgot my things inside. Fortunately, I didn't have to worry about my uniform for I folded them neatly and tucked inside my bag delicately. While waiting for her, a man in his mid-40's, I guess, greeted me. He asked me things almost the same with the woman in red's questions, to which I answered politely. He kind of reminded me of my father. The woman in red found us exchanging conversation, giving both of us a weird look, then she extended her hand in between us with my bag, nodding at me to get it which I complied. Seriously, she really had an attitude that she needed to work on, I rolled my eyes mentally.

Mister landlord tried to persuade her to let me stay for the night since it was already dark outside, but she said that I'm not her business. I forced a smile to the man, told him that i was going to be fine, and I came here just for my bag that I lost in the park earlier. I bid both of them goodbye before turning on my heels back to the elevator. For some reason, my heart ache tightened when she didn't make a move to stop me, I knew she was watching me.

Slinging the strap of bag to my shoulder, I stepped out of the building for real this time. It was already dark since it was already late, but I didn't expect to be this dark. I looked up, sighing, there were no stars shining up and the moon was hiding, barely peeking, behind the thick black clouds. Guess I'll be alone tonight without the heavenly bodies to guide me, I pouted, it looked like it was going to rain tonight. Well, then, I gotta start my journey now! I wonder if there was a 24-hour inn somewhere near here in this place, I should've asked Mister landlord earlier.

There was a dampness in the air, a sign that a rain was threatening to pour and soon enough, a thunder roared followed by rain pouring down above me. I didn't have to worry about my belongings for my bag was a waterproof. Stopping under the lamp post, I jerked my head up, upon seeing the bugs circled around the bulb, trying to get near it, I thoughtlessly raised my hand for the source like a fool. It light shone above me, almost blinding, but like the bugs, I wanted to reach for the light, got attracted by it, let it lead me to somewhere I know I belong.

A voice spoke. Turning my head to right, my eyes caught a figure standing three feet away from me. My chest warmed up despite me freezing in my spot, shaking to my core because of the cold air. Almost instantly I ran to her and jumped to hug her, melting to warmth her body emitted. I knew she wasn't a bad person, and there was more to her that I want to discover. She was like the light, attracting me, drawing me closer, leading me to her, and I'd be happily guided by her.

The warmth I felt didn't last long for she pushed me away, she wrapped herself afterwards while giving me a look like I just harrassed her. Forget what I said, she was still a cold-hearted person. I rolled my eyes then picked up the umbrella that fell after I launched to her, bringing back to her hold, I said,
"This is why people in movies get sick," and proceeded to walk-off.

"Let's go home."

We were both soaked when we arrived to her house. Of course, lady in red wouldn't be lady in red if she will not nag at me that I, of course, refused to listened. She instructed me to take a bath first and pointed the direction of the bathroom, I nodded in understanding like I didn't know where it was.

I stripped off 'her' clothes completely . I breath slipped through my lips as the warm water rolls down my body. My mind yet again wander off somewhere, thoughts of my situation yet again occupied it.

My parents were looking for me after a year of missing from their household. Kai found me. Then this woman found me twice, if it wasn't for her I wonder where I would be now. I didn't know how long I stared at nothing but still managed to finished off my bath. I walked out the bathroom to the living room wearing the new clothes she gave me while wiping my hair dry with the towel. My eyebrows frowned at the sight of lady in red's straight back, sitting on her sofa. I raised my brow, she looked stiff and uncomfortable in her own home.

Omg, am I making her uncomfortable?  I walked around, facing her. "Are you alright? You seem troubled there." Was it me troubling her?

She flinched away. I shrugged at her reaction. "We need to talk."

I figured. "I'm all ears."

"I will only let you stay another night."

I figured that too. "I understand," I said, pouting.

"That's the least I can do to help you. Oh, and if you wanna inform your parents—"

"Like I said, my parents aren't here," I cut her. Don't wanna waste a penny to call them when there's already someone they sent to capture me. She beckoned me to continue, "They're overseas. I only live here by myself." I said flatly.

I just didn't want to talk about my personal life that included information about my parents. I just didn't like it. I know I was not the only one. The atmosphere became quiet and I broke it by introducing my self.

"Momo's the name, by the way. You?" I introduced, not looking up from folding the towel.

"Mina." She said shortly.

"Mina..." I put my hand under my chin and massaged it. So lady in red's name is Mina. "Mina-san. Mina-kun. Mina-chan. Minari! Mitang! MINA!" Raising my voice one octave higher than the last one for every nicknames.

"SHUT UP! You'll disturb my neighbors." She reprimanded.

"Your name is beautiful." I shrugged, smiling, walking to sit next to her. She looked away tho. "Your house is quite big for one person." I changed the subject, looking around the house, memorizing every nook of it. 

"Eh, my parents bought this for me as 18th gift."

"Don't you feel lonely?" 

"No."

"You know this saying no man is an island?"

"I know that."

"I think, you need someone to be beside you. Someone to take care of you when you get sick, someone who will lift you up when you're down, someone who will look after you. Someone who's always there for you. Someone—"

 "Someone who is definitely not you." She shook her head.

"You're so cold." I told you guys! She's a cold-hearted person behind that beautiful angelic face of her! Then her face brightened and the her lips twitched to what seemed like a sneer. Ugh, see what I meant?

"Hey, I have a proposal." I tilted my head to the side, curious to whatever she was going to say although I was not that interested at all. But her smirk was giving me a creep. "You have no place to live, right?"

"Yes" I nodded. I'm a stray.

"Why not be my pet?"

"Your pet?" I repeated, confused as to what was the meaning behind the word. Was it like pet as in pet like a pet animal? Or pet like what I read in books and mangas.

"Yes. My pet. I'll let you live here with me as a pet. I'll cook you food, I'll give you things you need. But that will only happen if you will agree with my condition."

I stared at her blankly, processing her statement to sink in to me. I know I should be offended by what she offered, like I was nothing and couldn't survive by my own. But let us give a thought about it, If me being nothing and useless means getting free food — her delicious home cooked meal, a free lodge, and a beautiful cold woman whose face look like an expressionless mask.

"So, deal?"

Duuuude! Why not! It's not like everyday that you'll get a blessing like this. With a smile on my face, I reached for her hand and shook it. "Deal! From now on, I will be under your care. Please take good care of me, Master."

I was looking forward to this new experience.

——

"Mitang" I called by the nickname I gave her. I chose it because it was unique and for the reason that no one but me is allowed to call her that. I was sitting on her stomach, straddling her. My face above her, poking her cheeks. "Mitang!"

She slapped my hand. "What," she lowly growled. Oh, mama, too early for that attitude.

"I'm hungry."

"Can't you cook by yourself?"

I gawped at her with an 'isn't this why I'm your pet' look. I was supposed not to do anything but eat, breathe, sleep, play, and whatever a dog does. She pushed me lightly, groaning, and slipped out of blanket. I was grinning from ear to ear like an idiot tailing behind her.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"Egg fried rice!" She murmured something under her breath which I didn't quite catch on, but it was somewhere between 'not wanting to cook' and 'not being in the mood'. "You know, we can call for a delivery if you want?" I proposed.

"Momo, this is not a hotel. You don't get to call for a food room service." She said pointedly. A hint of amuse in her voice as if it was the most ridiculous thing she'd heard before now.

"I know, but food delivery exist." I sang-song.

"Oh my gosh, Momo. Who would ask for a delivery at seven in the morning? 7 freagin' A.M." She argued.

I raised my hand confidently. Why, there was this 24-hour dine that I used to call for delivery, though you'll only received the order an hour and a half later, but at least you are first on the line. Her face contorted more to an unreadable expression. "Well, if you do not want. Let's just go eat outside."

"Outside?" She repeated like it was not the most interesting word she'd heard. I uttered a yes with a bobbed of head, earning a loud groan in return. "Now, you want me to go outside?"

My eyebrows and eyes simultaneously frowned. "But Momo is hungry. Momo wants food. Momo wants to eat breakfast." I tantrum, flailing my arms in the air while stomping my feet like a little kid.

"Agh, Momo. Don't give me that attitude."

"Momo is hungry! And when Momo is hungry, she becomes angry!"

"I'm not in the mood for this Momo." She said, sitting on the couch. She was really not going to cook food.

"I understand. That is why I'm asking you to go out and eat with me. Mr. Sun is bright outside blessing the earth with its beneficial light, you'll get to hear the hum of the birds perched on a tree, people to talk with, the sight—" she rolled her eyes at me, tossing a piece of chocolate in , seemingly uninterested. "—of the colorful world... You're not listening to me!" I complained.

"You're blathering," she made a face.

In the end, Mitang still came with me in the convenience store in the neighborhood, telling me that she was just going because she didn't want me to buy ineadible stuffs with her money. Sitting on the chair outside the store, I happily devoured the onigiri and carton of milk she bought for me. Mina was sitting across, gaping at me similar to what she did yesterday morning while I ate. I raised my eyebrows.

She shook her head slowly upon seeing my reaction, "aren't you going to thank me?"

I beamed, "thank you, Mitang!"

She stifled a laugh, bringing her own food to . We were in comfortable silence, unalike to our previous meetings, the awkward atmosphere between us had long ceased before we both knew it. In all honesty, I was not awkward with her it was our situation that brought that atmosphere uncomfortable, in fact, she was easy to get along with.

Today, was my first day of being her pet by the way and I was already nailing it. She came out with rules that she said I 'should strictly abide or else' she'll kick me out. She was still a , though. She gave me a place of my own, her 'guest' room that would pass as storage room by the boxes and other stuffs piled inside, but for the meantime I'd sleep on the sofa until we cleaned that room and transformed it to a cozy place.

After stuffing our stomach full, I requested her to tour me around the neighborhood which she perplexedly agreed, til we reached a playground where kids play. I ran up to them, pulling Mina along with me, to join these little bundles of happiness.

"Hi!" I greeted, waving at them as big smile made its way in my face. "I'm Momo unnie," I introduced while pointing at myself then to Mina, "this is Mina u—" I didn't get to finish my introduction of Mitang because one of the kids suddenly whimpered a cry,

"That aunt is scary."

I felt like the our surroundings became dark and I was not the only one who could sense the alteration in the air; the kids waddled away to their mothers like a pups running for their mothers help, a tail tucked in between their legs, some cried while their mothers cooed then. I span to Mina, I myself would cower, seeing the dark aura enveloping her right now paired with her “usual” resting face. I grabbed Mina by the wrist and dragged her out instantaneously, apologizing to their moms at the same time. She snapped her hand from my grasp when were out of eyeshots, specially the children's.

"What was that Mina-chan?" I inquired, my brows furrowed.

"That kid called me aunt."

"Eh? Is that all? Well.. how old are you tho?" I asked in mere curiosity, but she shot me a glare which, I think I need to get used to, had me stepped back a little. It was my fault for asking a woman her age, it was rude of me. I laughed bashfully, "you shouldn't get offended by those kids for calling you—" she gave me a warning look but it was too late for the word rolled out of my tongue before I could stop myself, "Aunt."

She faced forward, not sparing a glance, not making an effort for a come back after what I said. However she murmured something, it was soft almost a quiet whisper but audibly comprehensible, like only I was meant to hear, "This is why I hate kids."

"'ey!" I playfully pushed her, earning another glare from her. "You don't have to be so harsh. They're just kids." I held her arm which she removed almost in an instant. I retaliated by holding her hand instead but she waved our hands to unlink it.

"I told you not to—"

"Mina?"

We both snapped our head to the direction of the voice. I watched Minari's shock expression morphed into a painful one as if she was pricked by something sharp under her toe, then once again back to unreadable. I looked over the person, owner of the voice, he was with a pregnant woman who mirrored his guilty expression with a hint of embarrassment in her face.

"I see, you're here too." He said nervously, a shock laced on it. It was obvious that he was anxious whether to greet Mitang or ignore her.

Mina's eyes were fixed to the man then to woman before responded, "I live around here too. Have you forgotten?" It was monotone, but you can tell that it was sarcastic. She walked passed them before I could react and followed suit. I bowed to the pair, still confused.

The journey on the way home felt walking in the pit of hell. Mitang was quiet the entire time, and I was afraid to even utter a word only to receive a snarl from her. As much as I'm confused, I'm also curious on what were those people's relation to Mitang for her to act like this, I assumed the guy was her ex-boyfriend. No way... Don't tell me he was Ray?

I hugged the cushion to myself observing Mina from the kitchen counter. She was pacing the place, getting the ingredients from the refrigerator and putting them on top of the counter, she drew out a knife from the drawer then began cutting the vegetables, her brows would arrow in the center to meet once in a while. She brought her hand to wipe her eyes subsequently blinked her eyes a little too fast, alarming me, and released a soft whimper that eventually became a series of sobs that reverberated in the room. I jumped from my seat to her direction, on the counter I saw the unfinished onion she was cutting, tracing my vision down to find her crouched on the floor, her shoulders slumped in defeat of her own vulnerability that she was trying so hard to conceal, body's shaking from crying. I sat down in front of her, reaching for her back to console her, when she didn't show any sign of refusal, I moved closer to her and pulled her in a hug, my hand sliding up and down her back to calm her, whispering comforting words to her ear.

We stayed like that for nearly thirty minutes until she recovered and pushed me harshly prompting me to bumped on the lower cabinet of the sink.

"I'll cook our lunch." She announced.

I only managed to nod, grunting in pain.