"Yesung, Heebum, dinner time!"

Yesung's ear lightly flicked at his owner's voice. Purring in response, he jumped down from a condo and gracefully landed on four feet. He sauntered to the kitchen and greeted his adopted younger brother on his way. Heebum meowed back and they headed to the kitchen together. Their human owner was holding two bowls of food and smiled when they rubbed against his legs.

"Aigooo! My babies are the cutest! Here, enjoy your meal!"

The human crouched down and placed the bowls in front of them. They cried back as a thank you once before munching on the wet food mixed with kibbles. While they were eating, their owner stayed where he was and talked to them in a cutesy voice.

"Babies, I won't be home all day tomorrow so don't wander off too far, alright? Actually, you guys shouldn't leave the house. I heard that our new neighbor has a dog and we don't know yet if they like cats or not."

A dog?

Yesung glanced up from the bowl, taking an interest in this so-called dog. There weren't many pets around this neighborhood so a newcomer always caught his attention. Obviously, he didn't like dogs because they were a goofy idiot that salivated all day and didn't take care of their fur, unlike him. He puffed his chest as he looked at his flawless fur, as white as snow. He would never associate with those lowly dogs but he was still curious about the new dog. After the meal, he jumped on a couch and lay down. Heebum joined him and snuggled with him.

"Hyung, are you going to see the new dog?"

"Yes, I'm curious about them."

"What if they're the crazy kind!!? They might eat you!"

"Don't worry, Heebum, I'll just look at them from the second-floor balcony."

He reassured his brother.

**********************************

The next day...

As soon as his owner left the house, he went to his favorite sunbathing spot on the second-floor balcony. From there, he saw a big car in front of the house to their left. Many adult men were carrying a card box from the car into the house. So many boxes... Yesung had an urge to go there and jump into a box but he shook his head. No, he was here to observe the new dog, not a box. Speaking of that dog, he couldn't find it anywhere. Was it just a rumor and there was no—

"Hello!! Nice to meet you!!!!!!"

Startled, Yesung jumped a few inches into the air. It took him a while to calm down his instinct to run away and hide. He looked around suspiciously but didn't see anyone. Just as he thought that he was imagining it, he heard a lively barking from below. Looking down, he saw a big dog grinning at him. The dog was standing on its hind legs and put its paws on the wall. Their golden fur reflected the sunlight and sparkled like a jewel.

"Hello!!" The dog barked again, "I'm Kkuru, two years old golden retriever!! I'll be living here starting today! I moved here with my owner named Park Jungsu and my older sister Shimkoong!! We used to live in a boring apartment but this place has a big yard so I'm so excited to run around!! Oh, this is my favorite toy a penguin ball!! I name him Penggyu! He's a gift from my appa and the first toy I've ever had so I really really love him!! Isn't he very round and adorable!!? Look, look! He can make a funny squeaky noise when I press him like this! He's very bouncy too! I love playing fetch with my owner and Penggyu and I can't wait to play!! What about you? Do you like to play? What do you like to play? Do you like playing with a ball? Do you want to play with me? Wait, what is your name and how old are you? Do you have a sibling too? What is your owner's name? Are they as kind as mine? I bet they'll get along! Oh, oh! I want us to get along too! I mean, we're neighbors now!! So, so!!? Will you come down and play—"

Yesung walked back into the room and shut the sliding door behind him.

.

.

.

"So? Hyung, how was the new dog?"

"Very noisy."

.

.

.

That evening, the new human brought his two dogs to greet them. While Shimkoong was very elegant and graceful, Kkuru was nowhere near his sister. The noisy dog kept barking at him while wagging his tail. Actually, if the petite owner didn't hold back the leash, Yesung had a feeling that the dog would no doubt pounce on him. So, he refused to get down from a condo and glared at the annoying dog from above, much to Heebom's amusement. He thought that he wouldn't have to see the dog again but he was wrong. His owner made it very obvious that he was interested in the dog's owner. He suspected that they would meet again soon...

***************************************

Too soon.

"Yesung hyung, Yesung hyung, let's play! I'll let you play with my Penggyu so please come down!!"

Yesung tried to ignore the hyper dog but it was really hard to do so. Why? Why did his favorite sunbathing spot have to be where the annoying dog could easily see him?

"Hyuuuuuuuuuuuuuuung!! Play with meeeeeeeeee!!"

"Could you please let me sleep in peace!!?"

He hissed at the younger dog. However, he slightly felt guilty when those two ears flopped down beside the dog's saddened face.

"...Why don't you play with your sister or owner?"

"Appa went to work since morning. My sister hates getting her fur dirty so she won't play with me..."

"W-Well, I'm sad to hear that, still, you're asking a cat to play with you?"

"Why not? I think hyung is really really interesting! Your fur is really gorgeous too!"

"Flattery doesn't work with me, unfortunately."

Although he did say that, his tail actually lifted up in satisfaction. Still, he didn't move from where he was. The dog also realized his intention so he started to play by himself, albeit dejectedly. Kkuru swatted the penguin ball at the wall, let it bounce back, fetched it, and repeated. It was rather repetitive and boring in Yesung's opinion but the young dog seemed to enjoy it. He kept watching the golden retriever from the balcony. Kkuru was a great fetcher, he admitted. The dog successfully went after every ball and looked cool at that. Maybe he was too fast to judge the dog from their first—

Kkuru hit the ball too hard so it bounced right back at his face.

The golden retriever howled in pain while rolling around on the ground. His grace just now was nowhere to be found. Kkuru covered his snout in his paws as he continued to cry and squirm. The sight was so comically hilarious that Yesung couldn't help but laugh out loud. Stupid dog! He kept laughing until he doubled over and, eventually, was all four on the floor. When he was done, he saw the dog looking up at him with a wide happy grin.

"As I thought, Yesung hyung is really beautiful!"

...Well, maybe he shouldn't judge Kkuru before really getting to know the dog.

.

.

.

"Hyung? Did you spend the entire day out on the balcony?"

"The weather was really nice."

.

.

.

That evening, their neighbor Park Jungsu came over to have dinner at their house per their owner's invitation. He brought his dogs with him again. Although Yesung still refused to get down from the condo, he didn't hiss at the golden retriever that sat in place at the foot of the condo, grinning at him while wagging his tail crazily.

*********************************************

A few days later...

Yesung had gained a new hobby: observing the neighbor's dog. Although the fetching game was boring, Kkuru's reactions were very entertaining. The dog liked to show off his cool side to him, for some reason. Most of the time, the goofy guy was indeed cool and easily captured his attention. Sometimes, however, the golden retriever made a mistake and made a fool of himself. He always laughed without holding back when that happened. He had a free show to watch and Kkuru seemed to really like his laughter. Everyone won. The day that used to be long and boring, waiting for his owner to come home, became a lot more tolerable with Kkuru. Before long, he looked forward to observing the golden retriever every day. Kkuru probably shared the same sentiment because the dog always waited for him by the wall, barking excitedly at the slightest movement of the sliding door.

Until he didn't hear Kkuru's voice one day.

Yesung panicked at the absence of a lively bark, even more so when he couldn't find Kkuru from the balcony. After debating with himself for a short while, he leaped up to the rail and jumped, landing on the wall while still looking for the goofy golden retriever. He pondered searching the house but decided to call the dog first. So, he started meowing loudly. After a while, just as he was about to jump down from the wall, he heard a ruckus from inside the house. It sounded like someone was running down the stairs from the second floor while knocking off stuff on the way. In a second, the familiar golden retriever squeezed himself through the sliding doors and came to sit by the wall, staring up at him with shiny eyes.

"Hyung! Were you worried about me!!?"

"I-I was just curious. Usually, you'd be playing with Penggyu by now."

Kkuru suddenly looked depressed. The dog hung his head low. His ears drooped and his tail hugged himself lifelessly. The pitiful sight of the usually energetic dog stabbed his heart.

"What happened?"

"...Appa and sister went out to walk without me."

"What? Why did he do that? Both of you are his pets."

"I was the one who insisted that I wanted to stay home."

"You're a weirdo. Why did you say that when you clearly wanted to go?"

"Because I don't deserve appa's love and attention... Yesung hyung, I wasn't originally appa's dog. He already had noona when my ex-owner suddenly shoved me at him. So, he had no choice but to accept me. I was an outsider and still am..."

"Nonsense. It's as clear as day that he loves you!"

"I know... but I still don't have any right to demand love from appa..."

No matter what he said, the dog always replied with "I'm an outsider" or "I don't deserve it". Yesung couldn't convince the golden retriever (without admitting that he cared, that is). So, he had to change his plan. He looked around the yard and saw a familiar penguin ball on the ground.

"Kkuru, lend me Penggyu."

Kkuru nodded gloomily and went to take the squeaky toy for him. The dog placed the ball on the ledge and he put his paw on it. Huh. This guy was right. The ball was very round and adorable. Yesung pressed the ball to make a noise and called the depressed dog.

"Kkuru,"

"Yes, hyung?"

"Go fetch it."

Yesung slapped the ball and sent it flying. The dog immediately got up and ran after the penguin ball out of instinct, before bringing it back to him. He tapped the ledge and Kkuru happily placed the ball on it. Then, he slapped the ball again and secretly smiled watching the young dog chasing after it while barking cheerfully. That was more like Kkuru that he knew. After that, he kept the golden retriever company and played with him until the dog forgot about his negative thoughts. After probably an hour or so, Kkuru fetched the ball but didn't give it to him. The dog placed his favorite toy on the ground and showed him a pink tongue and white teeth instead as he panted loudly, tired but definitely happy.

"What? Already getting tired? I thought you're more hyper than that."

"Nope! I'm just thinking!"

"Thinking about what?"

"Not only does hyung is really beautiful, but you're also very kind too!"

"Meow! Of course! Who do you think—"

He didn't get to finish his self-compliment because Kkuru suddenly booped his nose. The slightly damp snout touched his nose gently, followed by a warm tongue that gave his nose a quick once-over , shocking him to his core. While he sat frozen, the golden retriever who didn't catch on his reaction continued to bark in joy.

"Thank you so much hyung!! You were trying to cheer me up, right? You accept me and play with me even though you have no obligation to. You're the best!!!"

"..."

"Yesung hyung?"

"... How dare you me!!?"

Yesung hissed and left a paw print on the dog's cheek. Of course, he didn't forget to retract his claws. He didn't want to seriously injure Kkuru. He just wanted to hit Kkuru for... for... that!! He didn't know why it upset him but it did. He felt weird and didn't want to see Kkuru's face. So, he leaped back to the balcony and headed back inside his house, ignoring the dog's worried and confused bark. He hid inside a condo and stayed like that for the rest of the day.

.

.

.

"Hyung, you came back earlier than usual and stayed in there for hours. Are you alright? What happened?"

"The weather was too hot to stay outside."

.

.

.

That evening, the neighbor Park Jungsu came over to have dinner with his owner again. Yesung did come out of his hiding place but when he saw Kkuru, the memory of the damp boop rushed back to him at once. So, sitting on the condo, he kept his back at the dog the entire time and refused to turn around, even though the dog tried to get his attention with a quiet and saddened woof.

************************************

A few days later...

Yesung would have avoided Kkuru longer if it wasn't for Heebum and his owner telling him that the dog was very depressed. Apparently, Kkuru ate fewer meals and refused to go on a walk after being ignored by him during that dinner. Without a doubt, Mister Jungsu would be really sad if something happened to his dog. He didn't want to be a reason why his owner failed to get a date so he finally showed his face to the dog.

"Yesung hyung!! Hyung! Hyung! You finally come out to see me! Hyuuung!! I miss you!!"

"I know so calm down first."

At first, Yesung only stayed on the wall but Kkuru looked at him with authentic sad puppy eyes (and he felt bad for some reason). So, he leaped down and took his first step in the neighbor's garden. While he looked around curiously, the golden retriever was zooming around him excitedly while barking happily. He stopped the hyper dog when he felt dizzy and started to see more than one dog. Kkuru obeyed him and sat down. At first. Kkuru lay down on his tummy next. For a few seconds. Then, the dog pounced on him and almost suffocated him. He vaguely saw a crazily wagging tail behind the big dog before a pink tongue began to his face all over. He would have slapped the dog and avoided him again but he cared more about his ruined fur.

"Kkuru!! Stop!! You're ruining my perfectly-styled fur!!"

Yesung shouted at the younger dog but it was like shouting at a wall. The big goofy golden retriever still him enthusiastically until his face felt like a wet mop.

"MY PERFECTLY-STYLED FUR!!!"

After Kkuru let him go, he screamed in horror at his ruined fur that he spent hours grooming before meeting the dog today. He quickly turned around to hide his face. Oh no. He definitely looked ugly right now...

"Yesung hyung?"

"My fur is ruined... Don't look at me..."

"Eh? Why? Hyung is still beautiful!"

"... Really?"

"The most beautiful!"

Kkuru barked and nudged his back. Yesung anxiously turned around to face the dog but Kkuru just grinned at him cluelessly. Right. He forgot that this goofy guy was air-headed so that probably meant nothing. Not that Kkuru liked him or what. Nope. He ignored the beating muscle in his chest and began to groom himself instead. He his paw and used it to restyle his fur. While he was grooming himself, Kkuru kept watching him while wagging his tail. After a while, the dog brought his favorite toy and started to it clean as if to imitate him. Yesung chuckled and kept grooming himself. When the penguin ball was sparkling clean, Kkuru who had nothing to do began to groom himself too. However, the golden retriever was very clumsy and his grooming only further messed up his fur. In the end, Yesung couldn't keep quiet.

"You're doing it wrong!"

"Eh? Really? Can hyung do it for me? Pretty please?"

Kkuru begged him cutely and he couldn't turn the dog down (although his instinct told him that he just walked right into the big dog's trap). He sighed and nodded. The dog beamed and immediately flopped down on the grass. Yesung lay down beside the hyper dog. Then, he put his forelegs around the golden retriever's neck and started grooming his face. He carefully and meticulously the shining golden fur in place. While he was working hard, Kkuru didn't say anything. The dog just watched him quietly with a big foolish grin, although his tail wasn't quiet at all. In fact, Kkuru was wagging his tail so hard that he was worried that the dog might break a bone or two.

.

.

.

"Hyung, did you make up with that dog? Finally! He looked so pitiful trying to get your attention that it broke this cat's heart."

"What are you talking about? We never fought in the first place."

"Keep meowing, hyung~"

.

.

.

That evening, Mister Park Jungsu volunteered to make dinner at their house and his owner happily agreed. He only found out after he saw the two humans stepping into the house together, smiling at each other while carrying shopping bags. Kkuru tagged along as usual and immediately ran into the living room to bark at him cheerfully. This time, Yesung got down from the condo and meowed back at the golden retriever. The dog happily tackled him and they fell to the floor. Lying down together, Kkuru held him and wagged his tail at a speed of light, all the while he was busy grooming the dog that somehow got his fur messy again. After the dinner, Kkuru wouldn't stop howling and wailing when it was time to go home. His owner literally had to drag him back and Yesung kept thinking about the funny dog for almost the entire night.

*****************************************

Two weeks later...

"Aigooooo! Our baby Yesung will be heartbroken soon! Poor baby!"

"Meow?"

One night, his owner suddenly said something weird while brushing him.

"But don't worry! Appa will find a better partner for you!"

"Meow?"

Seriously, he couldn't make sense of what his owner said. Heebum who had been brushed already lay down beside him and shed some light for him.

"Appa was talking about your dog's playdate tomorrow."

"What is a playdate? And Kkuru isn't my dog."

"Yeah, yeah, anyway, someone asked Mister Jungsu to pair up that dog with theirs, saying that Kkuru is a top-notch father so they'll have great babies."

"What!! Kkuru is going to make a baby with someone!!?"

Yesung jumped in surprise at the sudden announcement. That goofy dog? Making babies? He couldn't imagine it and, for some reason, didn't want to imagine it. The possibility of Kkuru being chummy with someone else not him made him feel inexplicably upset that he accidentally exposed his claws while his owner asked for his hand. Luckily, he didn't scratch the human. His error made Heebum purr teasingly at him.

"Hyung! I thought Kkuru isn't yours? Why are you so annoyed by the news?"

"I'm not."

"That mouth can lie but not that tail! It's a dead giveaway~"

True to his little brother's words, his betrayed tail was indeed swinging from left to right slowly. Even his owner also noticed it and too.

"Aww, our Yesung is upset! Maybe it might be better if you didn't see Kkuru tomorrow."

"Meow! Meow!"

Yesung protested loudly that he didn't care but neither the grey cat nor the human believed him. In fact, his instinct didn't believe him too. He ignored the two and hid in a box until morning...

.

.

.

Alright, it DID bother him that Kkuru would be seeing someone else not him.

Yesung admitted begrudgingly as he prowled around the balcony, trying to think of a way to chase off a female dog that would be Kkuru's partner. He suddenly came up with a great idea after seeing his owner in the bedroom. He jumped on the wall and landed in the next door's garden, before meowing loudly to summon the furry cause of his distress. In less than a minute, an excited yap answered him and Kkuru showed up in the living room. The dog stood up on his hind legs and unlocked the sliding door, before squeezing himself out to greet him with an energy of a puppy.

"Yesung hyung! Hyung! Gooood morning!!"

"Kkuru, sit down and stay still."

"Woof?"

Albeit confused, the golden retriever obeyed him and sat down. Satisfied, Yesung purred and began to rub himself against the big dog. He rubbed and rubbed and rubbed while circling around Kkuru, making sure to leave behind his scent and fur as much as possible. He beckoned with a short meow and Kkuru happily lowered his head. He head-butted the dog's snout and nuzzled against the dog's face for a while, and only stopped when his instinct told him that Kkuru was about to pounce on him. The dog looked obviously disappointed when he stepped back but didn't stop him.

"Hyung? What happened?"

"Nothing. Have fun with your playdate, Kkuru."

"Date? Wait! Yesung hyung!!"

Yesung couldn't help himself and jabbed the enthusiastic dog with a sarcastic remark. Realizing what he just said, he got flustered and quickly retreated to his house, jumping onto the wall and leaping to the balcony in one go. He heard Kkuru's impatient bark behind him but ignored it. Instead, he hid in a box and only came out when Heebum informed him that the playdate partner had arrived.

.

.

.

He had never wanted to claw a dog's face as much as this before.

Yesung thought in annoyance as he stealthily observed the playdate from above a tree. He climbed up the tall tree by jumping from his house's roof and stayed below the wind to avoid Kkuru detecting his scent. So far, the woman human who was the owner seemed to be a normal kind lady but her pet reeked of a y attitude. The female golden retriever that looked older than Kkuru acted high and arrogant ever since the first meeting. She dismissed everything the younger dog said and always looked at him as if he was beneath her. Kkuru was trying to be polite by taking her to tour around the garden but the (literally and figuratively) laughed at him, saying that he was still a foolish kid. Looking at embarrassed and ashamed Kkuru made Yesung's blood boil. How dare that hurt Kkuru's feeling like that!!? He was very angry but didn't step in. Yet. He had to wait until the two humans got inside the house first. After biding his time for a while, the owners finally left their pets alone. Yesung got up, ready to climb down, but he witnessed something bull first.

"Miss, do you want to play? I'll let you borrow Penggyu."

"Play? Oh my, how childish of you! We're not here to play."

The female dog tried to shove her at the younger dog's face but Kkuru quickly scooted away awkwardly, dropping the penguin ball between them.

"Miss! Don't do this... I already have someone I like!"

"Holy dog you're so overdramatic! Quit your bull and just get this over with already!!"

The female dog snarled and slapped the penguin ball. It rolled out of the gate and disappeared. From above the tree, Yesung was able to see Penggyu roll into the footpath and was kicked by humans until he lost sight of it. Penggyu, Kkuru's favorite toy, was gone.

"Penggyu!!!!!"

Kkuru ran after the ball but stopped at the gate. Every pet was taught to not get on the road for safety reasons. While the young dog whimpered sadly, the female dog was sneering at him and insulting him for being childish, and Yesung had had enough of her bull.

"Ouch!!!!"

"Meowsie, I miscalculated my landing, my bad~"

He purred in a high-spirited manner after jumping down from the tree and landing exactly on the female dog. The older dog snarled at him angrily and exposed her fearsome teeth. Kkuru immediately came to stand in front of him protectively while he hissed back. She drew back in surprise and looked back and forth between them.

"I was wondering why this kid smells like a cat. So, it's you? Stay out of dogs' business, you nosy— wait, you're male too? Woof! No wonder you won't do it with me. You're a gay dog!"

"Whether Kkuru is gay or potato is none of your business! Get out of our sights or I'll claw your eyes out and feed them to a colony of rats!!"

Yesung pushed the younger dog aside and hissed fiercely at the older dog. Exposing his claws, he stepped forward to show that he meant it. The other dog flinched. She whimpered and ran inside the house, probably to tattle on the humans. He couldn't care less about the and checked on Kkuru instead.

"Kkuru, are you alright?"

"Yesung hyung!! You saved me!!"

Kkuru perked up but only for a few seconds. The dog then hung his head low and tugged the tail by his side. Yesung wanted to slap his mouth. Right. How could he ask that when Kkuru just lost his precious penguin ball!!? The dog's depressed mood greatly affected him. He wanted to see the goofy dog smile again and he would do anything for that! Making up his mind, he head-butted the dog to get his attention.

"Don't worry, Kkuru, I'll find Penggyu for you!"

"What? No! Hyung, don't go! The outside world is dangerous!!"

Kkuru tried to stop him but nothing could change his mind. Yesung hopped onto the wall and continued to the roof, before running off to search for the penguin ball by himself.

.

.

.

That evening, Yesung couldn't find a way back home.

***************************************

A few days later...

In his search for the penguin ball, Yesung had strayed too far away from his neighborhood and got lost. He was too focused on looking for the squeaky toy that he hadn't checked his surrounding. By the time the night fell, he realized that he didn't know how to go home. It was the first time in his life that he had to sleep outside. The bench was uncomfortable and cold at night, unlike his bed at home. He missed his owner's gentle hands, Heebum's warmth, and Kkuru's smile. Nevertheless, he didn't give up and kept searching for the ball at every corner of the unfamiliar neighborhood. He looked around a busy roadside and narrowly avoided being hit by a car. He rummaged through every garbage bin he found and almost got injured by a scary feral cat. He wandered aimlessly around a vast park and had to run away from a human wearing a uniform carrying a net who tried to catch him. His street life was brutal. He didn't know how to hunt for food (or steal it) so he only got to eat when he ran into a human kind enough to share their food with him. He was scared, exhausted, and hungry. Yet he pushed himself to keep going while thinking of Kkuru's happy smile. All of his hardship will be worth it all in the end when he returns home with Penggyu.

In the end, his effort paid off.

After about a week and a few days, he miraculously found Penggyu by chance. The penguin ball was abandoned in a deserted alley near a garbage bin. It looked dirty but otherwise completely intact. Yesung happily picked up the ball with his mouth. Now, he just had to find a way back home and give Penggyu to Kkuru!

Hissssssss 

A threatening hiss that came out of nowhere startled him. Yesung cautiously turned his head to see and instinctively assumed a defensive stance when he saw a big ragged feral cat. It had a clawing scar running across its left eye. Could it be that this alley is its territory and he unintentionally antagonized it by going through the bin? He quickly snuck a glance around, trying to locate an escape route. However, he was surrounded by a tall wall on both sides and behind him and the only exit was blocked by the hissing cat. He had to fight his way out but he couldn't do so while carrying Penggyu. He could place it somewhere but what if other cats or birds stole it? He didn't want to take a risk. Out of options, Yesung decided to surrender by showing that he was harmless. He crouched down on the penguin ball to keep it safe and meowed loudly. However, the feral cat still bared its sharp fangs and hissed throatily at him. If he fought, of course, he would win. He was pretty confident in his fighting skill. But protecting Penggyu was his priority not fighting. So, he closed his eyes and decided to leave the rest up to faith.

Bark! Hisss! Woof woof! Mrowwww!!!

A series of noises confused him but a familiar bark warmed up his chest. Is that!!? Yesung opened his eyes and saw the feral cat running away. A golden retriever was standing in front of him as it growled at the running cat. Kkuru!! Kkuru found him and saved him!!

"Kkuru!! You saved—"

Kkuru's head snapped in his direction and Yesung's body froze on the spot. The dog's maw was opened wide showing a complete set of sharp teeth and pink gum. A few drops of saliva slid down the jaw as the beast panted loudly. Those round childish black eyes were now narrowing at him with a glint of apex predator shining in them. Run. He had to run away or else he would be eaten. His instinct screamed at him and his muscles tensed up ready to bolt off. However, his heart shouted back that everything would be alright. Kkuru would never hurt him. Gulping, Yesung very cautiously took a step toward the golden retriever. Then, he meowed softly and booped the damp nose with his mouth.

"Kkuru, it's okay now. No one can hurt me."

"... Yesung hyung?"

The dog blinked once and the atmosphere instantly lightened up. Kkuru reverted back to his goofy self and happily his face until his fur was messed up beyond fixing. However, Yesung didn't stop the big dog and meowed back just as cheerfully.

"Kkuru, look! I found Penggyu!"

"Hyung... You're unbelievably stupid!!!'

He showed the rescued penguin ball proudly, hoping to hear a praise, but got an angry bark instead.

"I told you that the outside world is dangerous but you still ran off like an idiot then got yourself lost!! Do you have any idea how worried I was!!? Or Heechul hyung? Or Heebum? We went out every day looking for you until late at night. Neither I nor Heebum could eat or sleep because we kept wondering where you are!! Heechul hyung was worried sick that he couldn't focus on work! Even my appa felt bad because he thought he was the reason why you ran away!! You risked yourself just for a ball!!? You're lucky that I happened to hear your voice while searching a nearby area!!"

"But it's your favorite toy... I just want you to be happy... Kkuru, I'm sorry... Forgive me..."

Yesung mustered up his cutest cat eyes and glanced up at the dog, imitating a movie he once watched with his owner. It was very effective. Kkuru blushed and stopped complaining at once. The golden retriever sighed and pecked his cheek.

"I'm happy that hyung thinks of me but don't do this again. My life isn't the same without you."

"Meow~"

Yesung purred shyly as he rubbed himself against the young dog who was wagging his tail nonstop. Then, he leaped on Kkuru's back and settled down for a ride home. Kkuru barked cheerfully and picked up the penguin ball, before starting a trip to their home...

**************************************

"What should I do...? It's been almost two weeks now but I still can't find Yesung! Oh my poor baby! Yesung never lives in a street. What if something bad happened to him or someone was mean to him!!? God, where will he find food and a place to sleep? And his fur needs to be brushed every day! Not to say that there are many scary things outside! Yesung must be very scared and confused now!!"

"Heechul-ah, you've been searching from the morning. How about we take a short break? I'll cook something for you. You need to eat too."

"Jungsu-ah..."

Heechul hiccuped and let the smaller man take him back. He didn't want to see the cat condo without his beloved cat so his boyfriend took him to his house instead. Jungsu had him wait in the living room while he fetched a glass of water. Not long after his boyfriend headed to the kitchen, he heard a surprised gasp.

"Heechul-ah, we don't have to search for him now."

"Why? Did Yesung come back!!?"

He dashed to the kitchen and saw Jungsu smiling in relief. Looking down, tears started flooding his eyes and he cursed happily under his breath.

The golden retriever and the Persian cat were sleeping soundly together. Yesung used the dog's leg as a pillow while Kkuru had his fore and hind legs lying across the white cat. The two pets were cuddling and snoring softly among a crumb of food (probably a salmon). It seemed like Kkuru found Yesung and took him home, then raided the fridge together before falling asleep.

"Let's use your kitchen instead."

"Yeah, let them rest."

Heechul agreed with the shorter man. They left quietly after taking a few shots of the cute pair. Looking at the picture, he couldn't help but snort. It seemed like he didn't have to find a better partner for his pet now, not when Yesung already had the best partner named Kkuru.

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Extra

"MEOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!"

"Forgive me my baby but you're really dirty! Aish! Don't move around too much!!"

"It's alright Yesung-ah. You'll look gorgeous again in no time and Kkuru is here with you."

Jungsu soothed the white cat who yowled pitifully ever since the first second he was put in warm water to take a bath. Yesung whose paws gripped the basin's rim tightly cried as his owner was busy scrubbing dirt and grime off of his long white fur while he helped hold the cat still. While the Persian cat was protesting miserably, the golden retriever was pacing impatiently near his partner. From time to time, Kkuru would Yesung's face or show his penguin ball to the crying cat, his way of comforting. Heechul snorted as he looked at the unique pair and poured more shampoo on his palm.

"Pfft, Kkuru looks like an anxious husband who walks around in front of the ER room waiting for his wife to give birth."

"You know that Yesung-ah is a male, right?"

"It's just fun to imagine."

His boyfriend shrugged and continued to scrub the long fur, and Yesung also continued to yowl. If they hadn't known better, people might think that they were torturing a cat. However, Kkuru was definitely the one who was affected the most by that sad noise. The golden retriever paced in circles and barked impatiently. After a while, the dog suddenly went quiet and Jungsu had a bad feeling.

Splash!

"Kkuru, no—!"

"What the !!?"

Jungsu's hunch was spot on but it came too late. Kkuru lunged himself in the basin and sent water splashing in every direction, drenching their clothes from head to toe. Wagging his tail happily, the dog joined the cat in the bath, and Yesung significantly relaxed. He meowed quietly and Kkuru responded with a lively woof and a boop on the cat's nose.

"God, our pets are so freaking embarrassingly whipped!"

"I'm just happy that they all get along. Shimkoong and Heebum seemed to get along just fine too."

"Too well! I swear if my baby was a female dog instead of a male cat, there would be a bunch of puppies running around our house now!"

"Heechul-ah!!"

Jungsu gasped at the scandalous thing that his boyfriend said but eventually laughed along too. After that, they continued to bathe the cat (and now a dog too). After forever, it was finally done which meant time for their own bath now. Suddenly, Heechul smirked and hugged him loosely.

"Jungsu-ah, why don't we take a bath together too?"

"You're unbelievable, Heechul-ah."

Jungsu complained but obediently let his boyfriend lead him to a bathroom.

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Author's note:

It's my personal challenge to prove that everything can be kyusung if you squint hard enough xD

Really, kyusung's dynamic and chemistry are just so cute and perfect for every au! It's really fun to write different kinds of kyusung~ I hope you like different styles of kyusung too~

Take care and love you <3