“Irene, are you not going home tonight?” I looked up from my desk to see my coworker looked at me with a knowing eyes. Yep, I was overworking myself again. She lifted her left hand up and pointed it to the tickling clock on the wall. I jumped up from my desk when I noticed the time. How could I be so careless? It is almost seven o’clock at night. I quickly thanking her, picking up my belonging and rushing out. Luckily I got out fast enough to catch a bus on time before it left without me. I got off at the nearest stop to the supermarket hoping to buy some grocery to make a seaweed soup tonight, after all it was her birthday. I gathered all the ingredient for the birthday soup before stopping in front of the array of birthday cake in front of me.

“Do you want to buy this cake, Miss?” I looked at the man in front of me clearly confuse about my quietness. I looked at the red velvet cake in front of me not sure if I should make the purchase. The red velvet cake, I still remembered what had happened the last time I gave her a birthday cake.

“Bae Joohyun, how could you do careless thing like this? You are supposed to be my sister.” I remembered how angry she was, how she threw the birthday cake on the ground and how she packed all of her stuff and walked out of the door.

“I probably shouldn’t.” I thanked the man before walking away from the store. I stopped in front of the bus stop, looking at the soup ingredient in my hand. I just wish that she would come home tonight, at least to eat a birthday dinner together. After all, how long had it been since I last saw her? Probably over a year, I guess.

“Appa help me.”

“Yah how could you say that to a little kid?” The sound of a kid crying and an adult male shouting over the top of his lung interrupted my trance of thought. I turned to the commotion and someone caught my eyes. A pairs of cat like eyes glaring right into a small girls in front of her like she was about to kill her. She didn’t reply to any of the man’s questions instead she held on tight to something inside her long black coat. Her hair was led down past her shoulder and her lips were beautifully rosy colour. The type of girl that can only be seen on television, anyone with a pair of eyes would undoubtedly fall for her beauty. Who would have thought such a beautiful being possess such an evil soul?

“Why can’t I? This stupid of a kid deserve to be thrown in the burning pit, her parents are a disgust to let such a disgrace to a humanity being born into this up world.” I could see how furious the man was, the mother was hugging her kid tight, putting her both hand on either sides of her ear. This girl is unbelievable. I walked up to them not wanting the scene to turn violent in front of a small kid.

“Excuse me, you shouldn’t be saying stuffs like that to a little kid.” I said as I stood in the middle of her and the furious father trying to shield him from hitting her. This kid will be traumatise enough, she didn’t need to see more violent. She looked at me with those cold eyes and her lips started curling up. She looked at the man behind me and started laughing like there was a joke that was being told to her or something. She suddenly stopped laughing and turned her back walking away like nothing in the world matter to her.

“Where are you going? I’m suing you, you just wait. You won’t get away with this.” I turned to the father to calm down and that he should be comforting his kid. I ran to catch up with the woman and told her to stop.

“You should apology.” She looked at me as if I was saying the most ridiculous thing in the world. She turned toward me before saying the cruelest thing that I ever heard coming out of a human being’s mouth.

“They should be thanking you for being beautiful enough to save that little ’s . If I haven’t seen such a pretty face like yours, I would have crush that kid’s skull open and stab her parents with a kitchen knife to stop them from making more of their idiotic insects.” For my 4 year of teaching kindergarten, I have never met anyone who was as cruel to a child as this lady standing in front of me. Even for someone who didn’t really like children, no one had ever think about killing children. This lady in front of me made my blood boil so hard that I did something that I had never dream of doing. I slapped her really hard across the face. She stepped back from the impact and I got a glimpse of what she was holding inside her jacket this whole time.

An injured cat, the cat was small and it was trembling so hard I’m not sure whether it was from the cold or from fear. One of its leg was covered in blood and she was holding it so gently that I almost cried from the sight of the poor soul. I looked at her in surprise. What was really happened back there? She quickly pulled her jacket back to cover the little soul and started to walk away from me again. This time I didn’t follow her, I walked back to the family and demanded to know the true story behind the incident that I just got myself involve in.

“Mister, can you tell me what happened? Why did she do that to your daughter?” He looked at me hesitated a bit before replying.

“I don’t know. That bitc- woman is crazy. My kid was just playing with a stray cat she saw on the street and that lady suddenly came and started insulting her.” I looked at the crying little human inside her embrace before pulling her father with me to a far enough amount from her.

“Tell me the truth. I saw the cat, something happened more than just playing.” I asked more demanding this time.

“Alright, my kid always play a bit roughly, okay? She just stepped on the cat leg to see its reaction because she normally a curious kid. Who know that the cat started bleeding and then it started to bite my baby’s toe. I was angry that she got hurt, so I grabbed the cat and threw it to the nearest wall. Then the lady just came out of nowhere, picked up the cat about then you came.” I took a deep breath. I owed her an apology. Even though this story doesn’t justify her behaviour and vocabulary toward a kid, I can understand her reaction.

“Sir, your daughter may be too young to understand that animal deserve to be treat the same way you treat other human being but you should be a role model to her. You should have taught the right way to live and you shouldn’t have done that to the cat.” The look on his face changed as soon as I was no longer on his side.

“What are you talking about? It’s just a cat. If one dies, there is a thousand of it will come back. Beside we better off without that kind of animal living near us.” I rolled up my sleeve and looked at the watch that was hanging on my wrist, 8:30. I will never make it back on time at this rate. Too tired to argue with him, I told the man that I will go home and suggested that he didn’t put charge on her because clearly they are even already. His kid got scolded even though a bit harshly and the woman had already been hit by me which I regretted a lot.

I looked at the little fur ball purring on the table and my heart ached. I put my finger on her little cute paw and pat her gently on her back. She looked peaceful now.

“I already her leg. There is no fracture luckily but we still need to take an X-ray just in case. So are you going to adopt her?” Joy, my friend who is a vet asked as she dimmed the light down so my little furry friend could sleep better.

“You ask because if I’m not going to adopt her, you will, right?”

“Of course, I will. Such a beautiful soul, how could I let her wander around and get hurt again?” Speaking of her getting hurt, my blood started boiling again.

“I don’t think you should get another cat. You already have two cats and three dogs. Are you planning to be single for life?” I .

“What do you mean single? I’ve dated a bunch of girls you know.”

“Speaking of dating, here she is.” I looked at Joy amuse as she waved shyly toward Wendy who ran through the door. When is she going to confess? She have been crushing on Wendy since god know how long. Tsk tsk

“Seulgi, we have to go?” Wendy said, by the look of her sweat tripping forehead and her breath that seemingly uneven, I knew what was going on.

“Joy, take care of Mickey for me. I’ll come back to get her later.”

“Wait what? Mickey?”

“Yeah Mickey the cat.” I winked at her before making my way out with Wendy.

“What is the situation?” I asked as I got into the car with Wendy on the driver seat.

“It’s a missing person case.” I nodded as she handed me a file. I opened it up and asked her to continue.

“His name is Park Kwangsoo, a member of a boy band, FORCE. He was missing since yesterday morning but his agency wanted to keep it quiet and tried to find him themselves. They only file a police report today because they got no lead.” I looked through the photos and biography of Victim. He was pretty handsome compared to the other members, I can guess that he must be what they called a visual.

“When was the last time and place they saw him? And who was the last one he met?” I asked placing the file on the dashboard before reclining my seat to make myself more comfortable.

“His manager was the last person who talked to him. He dropped him off at 11:30pm that day after their schedule was over.”

“Isn’t he supposed to stay at the dorm with the other members?” I asked, at least that is what it used to be right? Did they change already? Are they not living together anymore?

“Well the other members do live together but he is the famous one in his group so he can afford some luxurious condominium for himself.”

“A famous idol who is both handsome and wealthy. Wendy, asked the kids at the station to find out if he has a girlfriend.”

“Why? If he has one, do you think his girlfriend do it?”

“Everything is a possibility. Now drive to his place, I need to check something.”

“By the way, I’ve meaning to ask since we were at Joy’s place. Did you do something stupid to her? Because Joy’s face got so red while you looked like you got slapped on your right cheek.” What an idiot. I have told Joy a million time about how oblivion Wendy are about her feeling but that kid just doesn’t listen.

“Nothing you have to worry about. Hey when you have time, go and hang out with Joy sometime. She looks so overwork these days. I’ll sleep for a while, tell me when we’re arrive.”

“Yes, Ms. Detective.” I closed my eyes trying to sleep but who am I kidding? That beautiful face, her big eyes, her sharp and well formed nose and her kissable lips. She even looked pretty when she was mad. The moment her hand touched my cheek, I felt like I want to get to know her better.

I finally arrived home after a long way of working. Because of the commotion at the bus stop, I missed my bus. Serve you right Joohyun, you shouldn’t have meddling. You even raised your hand to hit an innocent person. I can’t stop thinking about her and how regret I was for hitting her. Can I even forgive myself? Urgg Joohyun you are in so much trouble. I walked up the stair to my apartment which was located on the second floor of the not so new building. Well that was all I could afford with my kindergarten teacher salary. I unlocked the door and wished that my sister was at home but to my disappointment she was nowhere to be seen. I placed the seaweed soup ingredients inside the refrigerator and decided to just hit the shower. I guess she hasn’t forgive me yet.