It’s raining. Momo feels it seeping through her thin hoodie, the fabric clinging to her like a wet hug. Maybe today wasn’t the best day to wear her favorite pair of worn-out Vans, the thin holes in the fabric serving little purpose in keeping her feet dry. She makes no move to walk faster or even run, choosing to soak in the sounds of fat droplets hitting the pavement and pooling on the sides of the road. Her alarm clock’s batteries ran out this morning, and the rush to get out the door this morning left her with no time to grab a thicker coat, an umbrella, or her headphones. She even forgot her bus pass, which is how she finds herself walking home currently in the torrential downpour. Her day has been rather unlucky, by most standards.

 

However, Momo pays this no mind. It’s a day for introspection, something that she has found herself doing more often as of late. Deadlines and projects and her pushy boss Nayeon (she’s not all that bad, Momo supposes - she is her favorite, Mina has pointed out on many occasions - but that doesn’t mean her workload has been any less) have made her usually slow and easy lifestyle a bit hectic lately. 

 

The sky lights up in brilliant white, a deafening clap of thunder sounds, and Momo yelps. Maybe she should focus on hurrying home first before wallowing in her current despair over her career choice. Scurrying down the street, she looks like a bit of a madwoman, she’s sure, sloshing through the muck that’s begun swirling through the flooded streets. The next time lightning streaks across the dark and gloomy sky, she braces for impact, cowering by the side of a building - it looms large and condescending above her, but she’s sure it must look much prettier when the weather is clear, as indicated by the flowerbeds on the wide windowsill.

 

The thunder rumbles ominously before crashing once again, but Momo has her ears covered, and yet she still shakes a bit. Once the worst of the thunder has passed, she pulls her hands away from her ears, only to hear the faintest whimpering sounds coming from near her. Trying to locate the source of the cry, she notices a dilapidated little box with a blanket inside and sees a pair of frightened eyes peering back at her from within. 

 

Momo rushes over, rescuing the poor pup from the box that’s nearly caved in from the weight of the rain. It immediately snuggles up against her, shivering from the cold, and she tries to tuck it into part of her hoodie as best as she can. 

 

“Poor little baby, what are you doing out here all alone? In this type of weather?” 

 

Once the puppy is situated, she prepares for the rest of the trek home. As another flash of lightning arcs across the sky, it illuminates a street sign, and she realizes that she only has two more blocks to go. The thunder claps again and she jumps slightly, but with a frightened puppy in her arms, she can’t jostle it too much, so she tries to maintain a sense of calm. Taking care of an animal has always brought her a comfort that other things couldn’t give, and that provides her with a brief sense of peace in the damp cold as she continues homeward.

 

She doesn’t notice someone watching from the shadows behind the wide windows.

 

—

 

Taking care of a puppy is hard. When Momo gets home, she instantly runs a warm bath for the little critter, forsaking her own drenched state. She scoops her into the tub and cleans her as best as she can. With each layer of grime that she gently scrubbs off, she notices that the puppy is quite pretty, with a white coat and brown patches around the face.

 

“You’re a Jack Russell Terrier, aren’t you? I used to have some of my own back in Japan.”

 

The puppy wags her tail happily, seemingly unfazed by bath time, happy to finally be warm. As Momo wraps her up in a fluffy towel, the puppy reaches up to her cheek, almost as a thank you.

 

“You’re such a cute pup. You’re lucky I found you today during such a storm. I don’t usually walk home. I was feeling pretty lonely, too, but now I have a new friend.”

 

The puppy lets out a little bark, snuggling against her as Momo giggles.

 

“Maybe I’ll name you Lucky.”

 

—

 

Lucky seems to enjoy her new name, never leaving Momo’s side as she prepares some rice and boiled chicken and sets it in a little dish.

 

“Lucky, you hungry? Let me fetch you some water, too.”

 

Lucky’s already happily bouncing up and down, tail wagging akimbo as she places the food on the kitchen tile. Once she sets the water down, she smiles fondly as she watches the puppy scarf down the food eagerly.

 

“You’re not super skinny, though… were you recently abandoned, Lucky? Someone must have put you there with your blanket…” 

 

Momo continues musing as she sits quietly the pup until a cold shiver runs down her spine.

 

“Ah-CHOO (eiouiyeoyüyouüüoooo-uh)!”

 

Momo needs a warm shower of her own before she gets sick.

 

—

 

Later that night, all snuggled up in bed with her blankets and Lucky dozing off by her side, Momo gets to work, searching on the web for lost dogs in the area that might fit Lucky’s description. Nothing comes up, and she sighs.

 

“Maybe you really were abandoned, Lucky. That’s okay. I’ll gladly be your new mom.”

 

She pets Lucky’s tummy softly, and the puppy wriggles contentedly in her sleep, squirming to get closer to her warmth.

 

“I should get some rest, too. It’s been a long day.”

 

—

 

The next day, Momo lets Lucky out into her small yard for a quick morning run. After finishing her own breakfast, she gives her a full bowl of water and food and lots of pets and kisses and promises that she’ll be back soon. 

 

It’s Saturday, and she doesn’t have work today, so she has some time to check the alley where she found Lucky and see if anyone knows anything. 

 

Momo’s new to this part of town, having only moved in recently and so swamped with work, she hasn’t had the time to explore her neighborhood save rushing to get groceries once in a while. It almost surprises her to see the gloomy and ominous buildings of the evening prior to be bright and bustling with young people and families enjoying their weekend in the warm weather.

 

The alley is located next to a cafe, which she recognizes from the flowers on the windowsill. Stepping into “Feel Special Cafe” with a little chime of a bell signaling her entrance, Momo breathes in the soothing aroma of coffee and pastries. There are plants hanging from the ceiling and the display case is filled with delicious slices of cake and muffins and scones and Momo feels water. A few couples are on dates, seated at tables all beautifully decorated with black and white accents and vases of flowers. A young woman types away at her laptop in one of the booths in the corner. It’s a quiet atmosphere with soft lofi hip hop playing in the background, and Momo falls a little in love with the place.

 

She strides up to the counter, where a pretty young woman is pouring coffee into a cup, drawing a little heart with the foam. Her tongue is sticking out just slightly in concentration, and she seems to be pouring a lot of effort into her art. Patiently waiting her turn, she smiles quickly once the girl notices her. 

 

“Hi, welcome to Feel Special Cafe! Just one moment please, I’ll be right with you. Actually- Tzuyu, can you serve this guest?”

 

Momo feels like she’s in a fever dream - this cafe is serving looks. If this first girl (Jeongyeon, she reads on her name tag with a squint) can be described as pretty, this second girl can only be described as drop-dead gorgeous. She feels a little tongue-tied just looking at her, and she swears the girl is also looking back at her with the same dazed intensity. Could this be? A cafe meet-cute? Has she just found the love of her life?

 

“You,” the girl named Tzuyu utters.

 

“...me?” Momo replies, in a daze. 

 

(‘You’re the one I’ve been searching for my whole life. Date me, Momo.’ 

‘I’d like that. Very much.’

Then they hold hands and stroll off into the sunset-)

 

“You’re the one who stole her!”

 

Momo realizes then that cafe meet-cutes only happens in dramas or in movies (or in fanfiction). 

 

“Why did you steal her?” Tzuyu has already moved around the barrier, almost crashing haphazardly into Jeongyeon and her lovingly crafted latte on a tray in her eagerness. 

 

“S-steal?!” Momo only manages a squeak, far too flustered as the girl draws closer, looming over her with a fire in her eyes, taller than she expected her to be when she first glanced at her from afar. 

 

“Tzu, what’s wrong?” The young woman who had been sitting in the booth is on her feet, a nervous Jeongyeon having served her the latte quickly before rushing back to see what’s going on. Everyone in the cafe has their heads turned to the commotion, and Momo wants to melt under Tzuyu’s burning gaze and out of sheer embarrassment. 

 

“Jihyo unnie, she stole Puppy!”

 

“What’s popi?”

 

“Puppy’s the dog in the alley that Tzuyu’s been taking care of,” Jeongyeon quips from Jihyo’s side. 

 

“Ah, Puppy! I was going to check up on her after I finished up here,” Jihyo nods in acknowledgement.

 

If Momo’s thoughts hadn’t consisted purely of ‘ground please swallow me up’, ‘everyone’s looking at me I hate attention please don’t look at me’, and ‘ oh god how does she look so hot when she’s angry but I wish she wasn’t angry at me’ she would’ve been able to hear the conversation. But alas, the universe isn’t so kind.

 

“I-I’m not a thief!” Momo squeaks again, the only words she can manage. “I’ve never even been here before!”

 

“You’re a thief and a liar, too! I saw you!” Tzuyu insists, raising her volume out of frustration, eyebrows furrowed as she looks like she’s about to cry. 

 

‘ Why is she about to cry? Beautiful girls shouldn’t cry. Oh, you’re the reason why she’s about to cry. Oof. Uh, yike. A singular yike. Hard to come back from this one.’

 

“I-I’m not a liar, please- I was just-“ Momo splutters helplessly as Tzuyu begins to cry. “Oh no no no, please don’t cry, please- I don’t like making people cry, especially when they’re pretty, I’m so sorry-“ 

 

“Pretty?” Jeongyeon snickers, seemingly not grasping the gravity of the situation.

 

“Jeongyeon. Tzuyu is crying. Get her to the back room. I’ll handle this.” 

 

In true Jihyo fashion, the young woman gives Jeongyeon a nudge before she turns and faces Momo. If Tzuyu was scary before, facing the wrath of this Jihyo girl puts the fear of god in Momo’s heart.

 

“Tzuyu says you stole her puppy. Did you?”

 

It seems that Momo’s ears are working this time because suddenly things make sense.

 

“Ah, that’s why I came here today! I was walking home in the storm yesterday - did you see how bad it was? It was so scary and I was so cold - anyway, I saw this puppy in the rain and she was drenched and alone so I brought her home and now she’s at my place but I was wondering if she had an owner or anyone who I could ask about her - oh so she’s the owner why was the puppy outside I’m sorry I didn’t mean to steal her dog-“

 

Momo rambles when she’s nervous. Jihyo smiles, used to translating rapid-fire talking, resting a comforting hand on Momo’s arm to quiet her. 

 

“It seems like this has all been a misunderstanding. Tzuyu’s been taking care of the puppy everyday when she closes up shop. Let me go get her and we can talk this through, okay?”

 

Jihyo steers Momo over to the booth, away from the prying eyes of curious customers before she goes to fetch the younger girl. Momo takes a seat, looking at the latte that’s spilled a bit in Jeongyeon’s earlier haste. A shame it is, really. The heart was quite pretty. The few minutes that she is given to settle down allows Momo to calm her racing thoughts and push back her fight-or-flight mechanism.

 

A sniffling Tzuyu is led back into the booth by Jihyo, Jeongyeon returning to her position as barista for new customers.

 

“I’m sorry, I believe there was a misunderstanding,” Momo starts timidly, haltingly. She looks a bit like a frightened rabbit, ready to flee at a moment’s notice if Tzuyu gets angry again. She hates it when people get angry.

 

“Jihyo unnie explained. You found Puppy? Are you taking care of her? Can I see her?” Tzuyu’s eyes are large and inquisitive, and she’s almost a separate person from the one she was just minutes ago. This Tzuyu is almost as timid as Momo, but it’s obvious she cares about the dog a lot.

 

“Y-yes, she’s at my place right now,” Momo rubs the back of her neck nervously, all-too-aware of Tzuyu’s wide-eyed gaze tracking her every movement. “I… is Puppy her name? I kind of… named her Lucky.”

 

“L-Lucky?” there’s a shimmer in Tzuyu’s eyes, and Momo winces, afraid she’ll cry again. “That’s… a cute name.”

 

“I just figured I usually don’t walk home and I was feeling a little lonely and her blanket was wet and I wanted to make sure she was safe and I needed a friend too- I’m sorry, I’m rambling,” Momo grins awkwardly.

 

Tzuyu just blinks, uncomprehending. Momo fidgets in her seat.

 

Jihyo swoops in, smiling graciously, “So when are you giving Puppy back?”

 

“H-hold on, why was she outside? She could’ve been in danger last night!” Momo replies, flustered, as if making up excuses so that she can keep the pup longer. It’s strange how just one night with Lucky has made her so attached. Perhaps it’s because Lucky reminds her of home back in Japan and warmth and happy memories and provides a sense of security when she feels like the world is moving too quickly for her to keep up.

 

Tzuyu bites her lip and stays quiet. 

 

“Dogs shouldn’t be outside in that kind of weather! No one should, really…” Momo tries again, shivering at the mere memory of chilly gusts of wind on wet skin and crashing claps of thunder.

 

“I- my apartment doesn’t allow pets. But Puppy is my friend. And I give her lots of food and we play with toys after work. Puppy is mine. And I want her back.”

 

“Listen, I- I’m worried that she’ll get caught in a storm again-“

 

“I was closing up shop. I was going to hold her.”

 

“But the rain didn’t stop until really late-“

 

“All night. I was going to keep her company.”

 

“I’m sorry, but,” Momo shifts uncomfortably in her seat. This girl seems very attached to the dog. She can’t tell if it’s crazy or endearing. “Wouldn’t you have gotten sick? And you’d need to sleep too-“

 

“I love Puppy. She’s mine.” Tzuyu seems ready to cry again. 

 

“Puppy reminds her of her dog back home,” Jeongyeon pipes up, returning with a freshly-made heart latte that she places in front of a surprised Jihyo. “H-here, I made a new one since the last one spilled.”

 

Jihyo smiles, taking the latte and holding it in her hands, looking at it fondly before looking up and watching Jeongyeon walk away with the same sort of warmth in her eyes. Momo an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything more. A hand grasping her folded ones across the table catches her attention. Tzuyu.

 

“I know that you aren’t a bad person now. I’m sorry for calling you a thief… and a liar. But Puppy is mine. I don’t have many friends… Puppy is my friend…”

 

Momo already feels like the worst person on the planet. She’s made a beautiful girl cry multiple times today. Jihyo clears , seemingly tuned back into the conversation after her brief daydream. 

 

“Momo, do you promise you’ll look after Puppy well?” She stares across the table at Momo, and Momo suddenly feels very small.

 

“Y-yes, I just want to make sure she has a good home. And I think she likes it there, too…” 

 

With these words, Tzuyu looks like she’s about to cry again, clearly disliking the fact that her friend is being taken away from her. Momo sits and clears and taps her feet awkwardly and clears again.

 

“How about this, Momo? You can keep Puppy and Tzuyu can come visit her.”

 

Momo can’t imagine why Tzuyu would ever want to see her again. Well, she wouldn’t be there for her. She’d be there for Lucky- Puppy. The dog’s name is Puppy. Either way, Momo’s sure she’s ruined any possible chance for Tzuyu to ever look upon her favorably. She slumps a bit in her seat.

 

“...I suppose I don’t mind. Tzuyu was taking care of her first. I just want to make sure the dog has a safe place to stay.”

 

“Then it’s settled! Tzuyu can go with you now! It’s the end of her shift, isn’t it, Tzuyu?”

 

“Jihyo unnie, I work until closing-”

 

“I’ll help Jeongyeon close today. Go see your dog.”

 

With that, Jihyo tugs Tzuyu’s arm and pulls her out of the booth with little resistance and motions Momo to follow and soon they’re both being pushed out of the front door of the cafe with a wide grin and a sneaky wink from Jihyo.

 

--

 

“Um, lovely weather we’re having… it’s really different from last night, isn’t it? It was so cold and I almost could’ve gotten sick and I got really worried about Lucky-”

 

“How far is your place?” Tzuyu cuts into Momo’s nervous rambling with a quiet interjection.

 

“Oh, not really far, actually. It’s just two blocks away; I had no idea this cafe was here. It’s pretty cute, but I’m new to the area- do you live close to here? You can always come to see Lucky, I just-”

 

“That’s good. Lead the way please.”

 

Momo shuts up. It seems that Tzuyu is not one for conversation, or maybe Momo is just not good at it. 

 

--

 

When they arrive at Momo’s home, Tzuyu is a bit surprised. She didn’t expect it to be quite so cute and homey. Momo fishes the keys out of her pocket and opens the door. Puppy is already jumping against her, and Momo laughs as she picks the dog up, her anxious demeanor completely shifted into someone who seems much more comfortable in their own skin. Tzuyu tears her eyes away from Momo’s brilliant smile at the same moment that Puppy tries to jump into her arms. 

 

There’s a slight fumble as they both lean forward to try to keep their grasp on the wriggly puppy, and maybe Momo smells a bit like mint. It’s sweet and light and comforting, but that’s not what Tzuyu is thinking about. She focuses on Puppy, who is standing happily in her arms her face and whining in such joy at being reunited with her friend. 

 

—

 

Momo clears , slightly uncomfortable once the dog isn’t in her arms, suddenly realizing that she has to play host.

 

“You can… take off your shoes and put them here; I think Lucky will chew on them if you leave them out. I can show you around the house so you know where Lucky’s stuff is,” Momo mumbles and places their shoes inside a closet by the door.

 

The foyer opens up into a decently sized living room with a long couch and another adjacent to it facing a flatscreen tv. There are a few photo frames hung on the walls showing a young Momo holding puppies that look quite similar to Lucky, as well as other photos of family, and everything smells warm and cozy. Tzuyu follows Momo through the living room and into the kitchen, where Lucky wriggles free in order to get a drink of water. 

 

“Lucky slept in my bed last night, but I was planning on going to the pet store to buy some necessities for her. Maybe you’d… wanna come with?”

 

Tzuyu nods slowly, “I will pay for some of the things. Thank you for taking care of her.”

 

Momo smiles.

 

—

 

“Puppy, stay in the cart! We can’t pick your bed if you are trying to jump out!” Tzuyu pouts, reprimanding the little critter.

 

Momo smiles at the sight of the tall girl struggling to keep a small puppy with its tail wagging at the speed of sound inside of a huge cart. 

 

“How about we let her pick which bed she wants? I’ll buy this collar and leash first so we can let her out,” Momo suggests, already heading toward the registers. Tzuyu follows, pushing the cart along. 

 

They check out and the cashier coos at Lucky and gives her a treat. Once bought, the cute pink collar and leash are placed on the pup, and Momo scoops her out of the cart and places her on the ground. She takes off, tugging a giggling Tzuyu behind her toward the toy aisle. Momo laughs, chasing after them.

 

--

 

“Well that’s my workout for the day,” Momo grunts as she sets down the bag of puppy food. “It’s a good thing the pet store is close by because I don’t think I could’ve carried this any further.”

 

Tzuyu laughs at Momo’s joke before sitting down to work on arranging the dog bed and new toys that they bought Lucky, giggling as Lucky tries to grab them out of her reach. It’s obvious that the dog’s presence has made Tzuyu warmer and less nervous, and Momo is grateful. 

 

Once they are done setting up all of Lucky’s new belongings and really making it feel like she belongs in Momo’s house, Tzuyu checks the time and realizes just how late it is.

 

“Well, I should get going,” Tzuyu says as she stands up, dusting off her jeans. “Thank you for letting me see Puppy.”

 

Momo walks her to the door and watches her put on her shoes. The air between them isn’t as uncomfortable as before, and Tzuyu smiles and thanks her again before turning to leave.

 

“Oh, can I get your number?” Momo starts suddenly.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“So that you can come and see Lucky more.”

 

“A-ah. Yes, I’d love to…”

 

--

 

A month slowly creeps by. Tzuyu drops by two times during the first week, and Momo finds it a safe respite from all of the work that she’s had to do. Now, instead of going straight home on the bus, dragging her feet and collapsing on her sofa, it’s become routine for Momo to walk home a few times a week, grabbing a free pastry at Jeongyeon’s insistence - “You’re our baby Tzu’s new friend, which means you’re our friend too. And don’t tell me you aren’t hungry, I know enough about you now and that bottomless pit you call a stomach,” - and walks Tzuyu to her place before taking Lucky out to the park together or just teaching the puppy tricks at home.

 

At first, all their talk centered around the little energetic Jack Russell Terrier, but as the two girls began getting more familiar with one another’s presence, Momo could feel the slow shift. She learned that Tzuyu was completing her master’s degree here after moving from Taiwan less than a year ago, which is why she came off as so reserved at first. She learned that Lucky reminded Tzuyu of her own dog back home, and she shared that Lucky reminded her of her own dogs in Japan. Lucky had become a source of comfort to both of them, and Momo hurts to think of how badly Tzuyu must have felt when she thought that her friend had been taken away.

 

Perhaps they were both just lonely people missing their homes before they met Lucky, and Lucky helped them meet each other. Momo definitely isn’t complaining.

 

--

 

“Lucky, go fetch!” Momo yells, throwing the tennis ball as far as she possibly can. The puppy is bouncing happily at her feet before she takes off like a bullet, streaking across the grass in pursuit of the soaring green orb.

 

“Hopefully this is the last one. Just watching her is tiring me out,” Tzuyu jokes, standing next to her and watching the puppy run freely in the distance. Momo laughs along before running after Lucky, who has decided to keep the ball instead of returning it.

 

Tzuyu watches them both fondly and wonders what it means when she feels a warmth looking at Momo that is so profoundly different from any feeling she’s experienced with a friend before. Her thoughts are stopped but the feeling continues humming pleasantly deep in her chest when a winded Momo turns to her, calling her for help to catch the rambunctious dog.

 

--

 

It’s been a few days since Tzuyu has messaged asking if she could see Lucky, so Momo is waiting at the bus stop, ready to go home. However, there’s a nagging feeling in her stomach to just walk home anyway. The sun is shining and the weather is warm, and Momo kicks her well-worn Vans against the curb before deciding that maybe a walk home would do her some good.

 

So she does, strolling along the sidewalk and burying herself in her thoughts, much like that first fateful night. Tzuyu has become a good friend, someone she can talk to about her stressors at work, and someone who has more pictures of Lucky on her phone than Momo probably does, which is saying something. 

 

Her feet lead her to Feel Special Cafe out of their own accord before she even realizes it, and she steps inside, the merry little chime of the bell pushing herself out of her thoughts.

 

“Momo! Wait here, Tzuyu’s in the back,” Jeongyeon greets before Momo can even get a word out. Momo waits by the booth before Tzuyu steps out, smiling. She sits across Momo in the booth, spending her break talking about her studies and listening to Momo complain about her new projects and Nayeon’s devilish grin directed at her as she added yet another project to her workload. Momo feels as if she’s just rambling, but Tzuyu always listens with a soft smile and laughs appreciatively at her jokes.

 

“Could I actually come over later? I’ll bring some new pastries we’re trying out. Jeongyeon wanted to see which ones tasted the best, and I don’t think I trust anyone else’s tastes as much as you.” 

 

In the past month, Tzuyu has evolved, becoming more confident and well-spoken, and Momo’s been glad to witness the process, feeling as if she’s been able to contribute if just a little bit to breaking the soft-spoken girl out of her shell. She finds herself staring just a little longer than she should, and maybe if she pays attention a bit more, she’d notice that Tzuyu is staring right back at her.

 

“Momo?”

 

“Sorry, yes- you can come over. I’m sure Lucky would be happy to see you. I know how much you love spending time with the dog.”

 

“Yeah, the dog. I love spending time with the dog…” Tzuyu mumbles quietly, a sort of shy twinkle in her eye.

 

Momo doesn’t fully understand, but maybe she doesn’t have to when Tzuyu tells her she has to go back to work, getting up and hastily pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.

 

Momo supposes that some things in life may seem bad at first but turn out for the better. She sits and watches Tzuyu work and smiles when Tzuyu catches her staring and thinks about a day of bad luck, a cold storm, and a frightened puppy. And the two girls that were brought together.