"Look at our little kitty," Sana gushed, checking if Dahyun's space buns looked properly done. "So adorable!"

Out of all three of them, Sana loved dressing up their little kitten. She seemed especially fond of putting her in blue and white outfits because with the silvery-white hair and pale skin looks like a real life cat version of Elsa from Frozen.

Today's outfit was no different. A sky blue dress with a white plaid design, a white cropped jacket, along with cream knee high socks and navy blue boots. Sana also added a pearl necklace, a few rings and two ribbon earrings as accessories. Dahyun's cat ears and tail made her look extra precious.

Momo and Mina walked in and smiled. "Awwww...." Momo coos, scratching the special part in Dahyun's ears that makes her purr. "Such a cutie pie."

Mina looks worried. "Do we have to go out? Dubu's adorable, and what if something bad happens to her?"

Sana searches through her bag. "Not to fear! I came prepared, Mitang!" She pulled out a charm bracelet with a real bell among the charms. "This will be used whenever she runs off!" Sana explained, putting the bracelet on Dahyun's left wrist. Dahyun rapidly shakes said wrist, giggling at the sound of the bell. The Japanese women all cooed at her.

"And you know this how?" Momo asks suspiciously.

"Hey! I can know stuff! And remember Chan and Felix's kitty Minho? He and Dahyun had a playdate yesterday! I learned all it from Chan!"

"I see..." Mina  mumbled, looking less worried. "Okay, let's go, then."

 

---

 

They walked around the town, Mina keeping a firm grip on Dahyun's tiny hand as the curious little kitten looked around, all three of them checking every three seconds if she was still with Mina. 

Good thing that Dahyun's a well-behaved cat, not once making an attempt to get a closer look at something interesting.

While looking around, Dahyun's observant eyes caught a fennec fox literally getting kicked out of a store, the owner yelling "bloody thief" at her. The fox looked close to tears as she turned into her hybrid form, a slightly dirty yet beautiful young girl with anime-level long, tawny brown hair, then got up slowly, wincing in pain and checking her leg.

Dahyun gasps as she saw a glimpse of the fox's face. "Ming-Ming?"

Ming-Ming, or Minju, was Dahyun's best friend in the street. They've been inseparable until the night Dahyun was found by Momo and Sana and Minju went off to get them some food.

Dahyun's been trying to look for her ever since. And finally she found her.

"Saw something you like, Dubu-chan?" Sana asked.

"Ming-Ming." Dahyun says, pointing to where the fox is.

"There? But nothing's there, baby." Momo says, a bit confused.

Dahyun pouts when she realized that Ming-Ming was gone. What should she do? She wants to follow her, but she can't leave her caregivers.

But if there's one thing she learned during her time in the streets, it's that there's always a way, it just needs to be found.

Life gave her a way later, while the little family was having lunch at a fried chicken place.

"I-I didn't steal it! It wasn't me!" Dahyun's ears perk at the voice. It was Minju, and holding her arm was the angry restaurant owner.

"Yeah, right. You ain't foolin' me this time, you dirty little fox." The man sneered, grip on Minju's arm tightening. Minju's face briefly scrunched up in pain as she weakly tries to escape.

Between the two of them, Minju was the one who always got more discrimination because of the stereotype of foxes, which apparently applies to fennec foxes too... and that sometimes she actually does steal when they're desperately hungry. Dahyun always intervenes before it got worse, unless the angry people had weapons or were just really scary, and then she'd be paralyzed with fear.

Momo, Sana and Mina were watching the whole thing, too, feeling sad that this was happening to the poor fox.

"Dahyunnie? What's wrong, baby?" Sana gently asks when she saw Dahyun was crying.

"Ming-Ming is getting hurt again." Dahyun sniffled. "And I'm too scared to stop it."

"Ming-Ming... your friend, right?" Dahyun nods.

The three Japanese girls look at the fox. "And that's her?" Dahyun nods again, wiping a few of her tears.

Feeling rage as she sees Minju crying too, Sana stands up. "Wait here, guys." She scratches Dahyun's left ear. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Sana-unnie will save Ming-Ming from that meanie." 

Dahyun's hopeful eyes made Sana even more determined. She kissed the kitten's forehead then went to the owner.

Seeing Sana walking towards him, the owner snaps out of his rage, though he still holds onto Minju, who was looking at Sana with the same hopeful eyes as Dahyun. "Hello, ma'am." he says as if he wasn't abusing a hybrid in front of many customers. "How was everything so far?"

Sana cutely taps her chin in thought. "Hmmm... let's see, the food was delicious, the service was done pretty well, and the prices are reasonable... however," Her face went from cute to terrifying. "I do not appreciate you doing what you're doing to that poor thing."

The owner's pleasant mask briefly slips off. "This fox? A poor thing?" He pinches Minju's ear, Sana's glare sharpening when Minju squeaks in pain. "She stole from my food supply!"

"Do you even have any proof that she was the thief?"

"Well... the supply was a bit low, and one of my chefs caught this fox in the alley outside! That wide-eyed look she had when she saw me proved to me that she did it!"

"That's it? Did you even ask her if it was her who did it?" She scoffed when he couldn't reply. Her look softened when she turned to Minju.

"It wasn't me! I just s-sleep in the a-alley!" Minju immediately answered. Sana knows a liar when she meets one, and Minju clearly wasn't one.

Sana gives off a dark chuckle. "It's funny, you're here accusing a fox of lying and stealing your food, when not only did she do neither, she's clearly the honest one between you too. Extra points for being shameless about abusing her infront of your customers, some of which are also hybrids." 

The owner gulped as he saw how uncomfortable everyone else was, the hybrids in particular either close to tears or already crying. He laughed sheepishly as he dropped Minju's arm and ran off. Sana caught Minju before she fell to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Sana asks kindly, frowning at the hand-shaped bruise on her arm. Minju's eyes shine with emotions before she nods.

"Do you want some food? We have a lot left." Minju hesitates for a bit before nodding, Sana cooing at how even the way she nods is cute.

The two walk back to the table, the three waiting for them.

"Ming-Ming..." Dahyun whimpers, running to the two and hugging the fox. "Thank you, unnie." She says to Sana, Sana smiling and patting the kitten's head.

"Don't worry, Dahyunnie. I'm okay." Minju smiled, hugging back. "Hungry though."

 "Oh. Now you can eat!" Dahyun grabs Minju's hand and they walk to the table, Minju slowly taking a small bite... then devouring everything left.

"Wow... strong eater." Momo gasps, impressed. The other two Japanese girls nod in agreement.

 "Sorry..." Minju mumbled after she finished, wiping . "It's been a while since I had a big meal..."

"It's okay, we understand..." Neither of the Japanese girls didn't lie, they really did understand.  Dahyun and Minju weren't even close to the human age of twenty and yet they've lived a hard life as hybrids, plus they just witnessed that life a few moments ago. 

"Does Ming-Ming get to stay with us?" Dahyun asks, little fists shaking because she wants the answer to be yes.

"Of course, baby. But..." Dahyun tilted her head curiously. "Not that long... 'cuz of..." Momo sighs. "We're not rich enough to keep 2 hybrids..."

"Oh..." Dahyun pouts, Minju copying. "What about your friends?"

Sana pulls the kitten into a hug. "Good idea, you smart and adorable baby!! We'll see if our friends want her!" 

"...Will someone want me?" Minju quietly says.

Sana pulls her into the hug. "Of course they will! You're the cutest fox I've ever seen!!"

"Sana-unnie, don't overwhelm her too much..." Mina says, taking Minju from the whining older girl. "Someone will definitely want you, Minju. Don't worry."

Minju smiles. "Thank you, unnies."

 

---

 

After lunch, the girls went home and decided to give Minju a little clean-up. First, they treated some bruises on her, then they gave her a little bath, scrubbing off every inch of dirt on her body. After drying her hair, Momo gave the too long hair a much needed haircut, up to near chest-length because Minju said she prefered her hair long. Then Sana styled her into a little blue suit with a white blouse, her hair tied into a high ponytail, plus the same boots as Dahyun but in the color black

"Ming-Ming, you're so pretty!" Dahyun squeals when she sees her, hugging her.

"Thank you, Dahyunnie." Minju mumbles shyly.