"Diana! Noooo! Stop!" Kyungsoo cried out, stretching out his hand in an attempt to stop his cat who was in the midst of a passionate act with another feline. But he was already too late. With one final yowl, Diana and the male cat was done with the deed. The two cats separated. The male cat merely glanced at Kyungsoo’s direction, then it stormed off and hopped to the balcony next door.

 

Kyungsoo could only stare in defeat.

 

Ten minutes. Kyungsoo was only gone for ten minutes and this happened! He only went out to buy cheap dinner at the nearest convenience store. He had forgotten to close the sliding door leading to the balcony. The balconies in this apartment building were placed too close to each other that Kyungsoo always made sure to lock the balcony door whenever he wasn't around. For him and Diana’s safety.

 

Well, in Kyungsoo's defense, he had been out of sorts these past few days. What with all the deadlines he needed to finish this week, and his relationship with Chanyeol heading to a rocky state. It was quite overwhelming for Kyungsoo.

 

Kyungsoo chose this apartment because it was close to his work and the rent was cheap for a well-maintained unit. They also allowed pets which was a plus factor. At this very moment however, he hated the damn place. His poor beloved Diana had been molested!

 

Diana (yes, like the princess), was a white ragdoll with beautiful blue eyes. It was love at first sight for Kyungsoo when he saw the feline. Diana was originally his friend Yixing's cat. But Yixing had to go back to China for a family matter. He had to leave his pet behind because his mother was allergic to cats. Kyungsoo gladly accepted the role of Diana's new owner.

 

And now Kyungsoo had messed up big time. He had been meaning to take Diana to the vet and have her spayed. But this was Kyungsoo's first time owning a cat. He was scared to see Diana get hurt. So the trip to the vet for that purpose always gets postponed.

 

Of course, Kyungsoo also didn't mind Diana having babies. The kittens would be so cute and precious. But the timing was just not right. Not now that Kyungsoo was having a hard time juggling work and his personal life. This was another thing to add in his list of worries. It was his fault, so Kyungsoo just had to deal with it.

 

He had to deal with the owner of the male cat who assaulted his lovely Diana first. His next door neighbor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two rings of the doorbell and three knocks after, the door was still shut. Kyungsoo's patience was running thin. He tried ringing the doorbell again. And this time he wouldn't let go until the door opens. This was the last thing Kyungsoo wanted to do. But for his precious Diana, he would do anything.

 

"Who is it? Oh god! Stop ringing the damn bell! What do you want? Oh.....Kyungsoo, it's you." Jongin, his neighbor, greeted as he opened the door and saw who it was.

 

Kyungsoo had to double take for a second. He involuntarily gulped when he saw that Jongin was only wearing boxers. Jongin's toned upper body plainly into view. Kyungsoo cleared his throat to recover from the sight. When he looked up, Jongin had a meaningful smirk on his face.

 

"You like what you're seeing?" Jongin teased, leaning on the door with an arm. He flexed his biceps a little.

 

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. The nerve of this man! "I'm not here for you," he announced.

 

"Oh, you're not? But this is my house and I'm the only one here." Jongin said, arching a brow. It would take a miracle for Kyungsoo to come to his apartment unannounced. What could have happened?

 

"It's your cat. He stole my Diana's ity!"

 

Jongin frowned. "What?"

 

Kyungsoo sighed heavily. He explained the situation to Jongin. When Kyungsoo was done talking, Jongin had the audacity to laugh! He laughed so hard tears welled up in his eyes.

 

"It's not funny!" Kyungsoo huffed, crossing his arms and stomping his feet on the floor.

 

Jongin waved a hand in the air and clutched his chest with the other. He hadn't laughed like this in ages. "I'm sorry. I'm just...amused. I can't believe Panda did that."

 

Kyungsoo made a face. "You named your cat Panda?"

 

Jongin nodded. "Uh-huh, cause he's black and white. Genius, right?" He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned.

 

"That's not the point!" Kyungsoo groaned. "What are you going to do about this? What if my Diana gets pregnant? I'm not ready to be a grandpa!"

 

Jongin snorted. "Really, Kyungsoo? Are you serious right now?"

 

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Kyungsoo leaned forward and looked at Jongin straight in the eyes. Invisible lasers coming out of his gaze.

 

Jongin raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. Relax, okay? But can we please get inside? I'm basically and the neighbors are staring at us."

 

Kyungsoo turned his head from side to side. There were indeed a few people who were peering outside their doors. Were they that loud? Kyungsoo bowed to the other neighbors and apologized. Then he stepped inside Jongin's apartment. Kyungsoo nudged Jongin a bit as he passed. It was Jongin's fault for coming out without proper clothes on.

 

 

 

Unlike Kyungsoo's homey apartment, Jongin's place was dark and gloomy. The only colors were black and gray. There wasn't even a sofa or a coffee table. On one side near the balcony, there was a cat house, but it was currently empty. The balcony door was wide open. So that was why Panda could come in and out as he pleased. A foldable mattress was in the middle of the living room, in front of the TV. The mattress was a mess and had clearly been slept on. A couple of cat toys were scattered on the floor.

 

Why was Jongin sleeping in the living room when he had his own bedroom? The bedroom door was shut close. But Kyungsoo didn't ask about it. That was not the reason why he was here.

 

As Jongin was searching for clothes inside his bedroom’s closet, Kyungsoo sat down in the dining area since there was nowhere else to sit. The dining table was small and only had two chairs. The kitchen beside it was squeaky clean and bare. It was obvious that there wasn't much cooking going on in here.

 

They had been neighbors for a year now but Kyungsoo knew next to nothing about Jongin. The only thing he knew was that Jongin had a cat too. They had been visiting the same pet store. Kyungsoo would snub Jongin whenever they bumped into each other there, though. Another thing was the disturbing fact that different women (and sometimes men) would come and go at Jongin's apartment. Kyungsoo would often see them whenever he goes home from work.

 

That was why Kyungsoo decided that it was best to avoid Kim Jongin. Especially after that time in the elevator when Jongin had the nerve to try flirting with Kyungsoo. That was how Kyungsoo learned his name and Jongin's ability to smooth talk anyone.

 

Yes, Jongin was good-looking and had the charm to make anybody easily fall for him. But not Kyungsoo. Jongin's lame tricks wouldn't work on him. And besides, Kyungsoo already has Chanyeol. Although right now the two of them were not in good terms. It had been three days since the last time Kyungsoo had talked to his boyfriend. With their last conversation ending in a heated argument.

 

But Kyungsoo shouldn't think about that at this moment. He should settle this matter about his dearest Diana first and foremost.

 

To Kyungsoo's relief, Jongin assured him that he would help out if ever Diana did end up getting pregnant. Kyungsoo ignored that Jongin looked pleased with the situation. As if the man was delighted that now he had a reason to talk and meet with Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo made it clear that this was all because of their cats, nothing more.

 

Kyungsoo was already dealing with a lot of things. He refused to be involved with Kim Jongin's affairs.

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

Two weeks later, the vet confirmed that Diana was undeniably pregnant. Kyungsoo was going to be a granddad. People might think that Kyungsoo was going crazy for calling himself that way. But he adored Diana like his own child. Screw everyone else's opinions.

 

The thing Kyungsoo dreaded now was that he had to tell Jongin the news.

He might as well get it over and done with as soon as possible. Dragging it longer wouldn’t help anyway.

 

 

 

 

This time around, the door opened with just one ring of the doorbell. Jongin was also fully clothed, much to Kyungsoo's relief. But the smirk on Jongin's face remained the same when he saw Kyungsoo.

 

"Hey, gorgeous." Jongin cooed. "What brings you here on this beautiful day like yourself?"

 

Kyungsoo mentally prayed for the gods to give him strength and immense patience. He would definitely need it today.

 

"Diana's pregnant." Kyungsoo simply stated.

 

Jongin clasped his hands together. "That's wonderful news! Come in, let's sit down and talk." Jongin said, flashing his dashing smile.

 

Kyungsoo could only roll his eyes. "Fine. But I'm not staying long."

 

 

 

 

Jongin was pouring orange juice into a glass because Kyungsoo asked for it. Kyungsoo wasn't really thirsty, but he needed something to keep his hands occupied. Being here was already a hell lot of awkward. Jongin's presence made him feel.....stuff. Stuff that Kyungsoo just wanted to bury.

 

"So, what are your plans now?" Jongin asked, as he handed the juice to Kyungsoo. He took the seat from across the latter.

 

"Thanks." Kyungsoo muttered under his breath, setting the glass down on the table but not letting go of it. He pursed his lips. "Hmm...first of all, we should split the bill for every visit to the vet. And all the other expenses. Then you should find people who are willing to adopt kittens. I want to know about them in advance so send me a copy of their background. With complete details."

 

"Seriously?" Jongin asked, bewildered. Kyungsoo was too serious about this. "Is that really necessary?"

 

"Do I look like I'm kidding to you? This is partly your fault for letting your cat roam around the place without a care in the world. You should be more careful!" Kyungsoo snapped, failing to keep composed. He then counted to ten to calm his nerves. Coming here was a bad idea. He should have dealt with this by himself. He didn't need help, especially from Jongin who obviously didn't care.

 

"I'm sorry." Jongin said. "You're right. It's also my fault. Don’t worry, I'll do whatever you ask. You have all my support."

 

"T-thank you," Kyungsoo muttered quietly. He took a sip of his juice and stared at the table for no reason. He didn't know where else to look.

 

"Do I get visitation rights then?" Jongin asked all of a sudden.

 

Kyungsoo looked up and frowned. "Visitation rights?"

 

Jongin nodded. "Yeah. I want to visit Diana from time to time and check up on her. I want to make sure she's okay."

 

Kyungsoo shook his head quickly. "Oh, you don't need to worry about that. I'll make sure she's okay. She's my cat after all."

 

"But I want to be updated on her condition."

Jongin hummed. He rubbed his chin with a finger, as if thinking deeply. After a few seconds of pause, he said, "Let's exchange numbers so you can keep me updated then?"

 

As Kyungsoo was typing in his number on Jongin's phone, he couldn't help but think that he would end up regretting this day.

 

"Text me or call me anytime." Jongin uttered as he ushered Kyungsoo to the door.

 

"Sure." Kyungsoo answered. Even though he wouldn't really do it, of course. He would only message Jongin if totally and completely necessary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jongin smiled triumphantly after Kyungsoo left. Who would have thought that the way for him to be close to his neighbor would be because of his cat? He mentally noted that he should buy Panda a lot of treats the next time he visits the pet store. He stared at the new contact on his phone. The name Doh Kyungsoo clearly visible. Jongin smirked. This will be fun.

 

 

 

 

 

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