It took lots of assurance and promises to finally convince Mina that Chaeyoung wasn’t mad at her. The pout didn’t totally disappear, but Chaeyoung guessed it’s better than letting Mina feed her. She wasn’t sure if she could keep herself from combusting.

***

"I have to go to the store today. Do you want to come along?" Chaeyoung asked absentmindedly out of habit, already thinking Mina would refuse as usual.

"I don't know. Is it far?"

The pen in Chaeyoung's hand came to a halt - she was writing down the grocery list again. They're almost run out of soy sauce - she had circled the item name among other things. Soy sauce was crucial. She looked down, not at the paper but the other side, her lap, where Mina was comfortably nesting in. It wasn’t a comfortable position, as Chaeyoung had to turn her upper body to the table on her right to write down the list. It might give her back pain later, but she couldn’t ask Mina to move just so she could write. The hybrid was relaxing, and any disturbance of that was illegal, Chaeyoung was sure. Her eyes caught Mina's stare, and her hand quickly put the pen on the table and ran through Mina’s fluffy hair. It’s like a muscle memory now.

The hybrid hummed in appreciation and closed her eyes at the feeling of being petted. The movie she was watching was good, but nothing beat Chaeyoung’s hand running through her hair and caressing her ears. The feeling was new, but she found that it was exceptionally satisfying. She had never been treated like this before and she’s kind of glad none of her previous owners did this. It only made being petted by Chaeyoung more special.

"Not that far away. I need to go to the big store, which is about only three stops away. We have to walk to the bus stop, but I promise it's not too far."

"Then I'll go with you."

Mina purred, nuzzling further against Chaeyoung’s thigh. Chaeyoung raised her brows inquisitively but decided not to ask for more. After all, she's glad that Mina finally agreed to get out of the house for once. It’s just, the vibration from purring was doing funny thing to her tummy and somewhere a bit lower than that. She tried to push it to the back of her mind and turned to the paper. What was she writing again?

To be honest, Mina didn't really fancy the thought of going out there and being in a space with many people. But she hated not being with Chaeyoung even more. It's odd, in the sense that she wanted to be near a human - she had never had that urge before. However, considering this human was Chaeyoung, it was absolutely natural to feel that way.

***

It's the first time Mina went out of the house (not counting the snow fight they had a few days ago - it was in their yard) so Chaeyoung made sure the hybrid was well prepared. A fluffy beanie covered the top of her head and protected her sensitive ears from the cold. Even her tail was secured under a thick long coat. Mina didn't like to wear gloves, so she had Chaeyoung's hand wrapped firmly around hers to keep it warm. The human's hand never left hers on the whole walk to the bus stop and their whole bus trip. Mina didn't say it out loud, but it helped her a lot to stay calm in the presence of so many strange humans.

Chaeyoung fought back a smile as they walked down the aisle of goods. She thought Mina would be scared and anxious being in this space - and she had prepared to comfort Mina if any problem arose. What she didn't expect was that she would have a personal (and very cute) bodyguard. Mina's glare was out at full force, and she hissed at anyone who dared to be in half a metre around them. She didn't know if that was because Mina distrusted humans in general or the hybrid just wanted to protect her. It didn't matter. A chance of experiencing this was fun and Chaeyoung didn't want other people to be near them, either.

Mina's ears were swirling every way, keeping track of everyone in their lane. The poor beanie was shoved hastily in her pocket as soon as they walked into the store - Mina hated it when her ears were trapped. The funniest sight, according to Chaeyoung, was when Mina was torn between guarding them and exploring the world of frozen fish. All Chaeyoung wanted was to embrace the hybrid girl and tell her that she didn't have to be always guarded around others like this. Chaeyoung didn't. Instead, she squeezed the hybrid's hand and tugged Mina to a food tasting counter, where they were promoting a new brand of chopped fish. Safe to say, Mina was pleasantly distracted.

The cashier stared at them skeptically when they arrived at the checkout counter. His gaze travelled from their intertwined hands to Mina's head and stopped at her neck. Mina had pulled down the zipper of her coat after half of their supermarket trip, so now her neck was bare for other's eyes. Chaeyoung cleared to snap the man's attention back to his task, unpleasant bubbles rose at the back of . She could feel Mina's growl before hearing it and this time, she agreed with the hybrid. The poor man widened his eyes at the threat before snapping his gaze back to their basket full of items and resuming his work. Chaeyoung quickly swiped her card before pulling Mina out of the supermarket, leaving the cashier and his "have a nice day" behind.

Fuming from the cashier's behaviour, Chaeyoung quickly stepped outside only to find a grey sky and a slippery pavement welcomed her. She never hated the cold before, but there's only that much grey sky she could take. Luckily, a tuck of her hand reminded her about the other presence. As if noticing her human’s troubled state, Mina leaned in and nudged her chin, not giving a damn that they were not in the privacy of their home. At that moment, Chaeyoung's wellness came first.

The anger dissipated as soon as she looked into a pair of dark chocolate orbs. Chaeyoung smiled, putting a kiss on the side of Mina's head before murmuring a thank you.

As they continued their walk, a sight caught Chaeyoung's attention. It's a small cafe with a simple neon sign of a steaming cup and a loaf of bread. Despite its simplicity, its orange colour stood out among the grey sky and the dreadfully dirty snow on the ground, promising a warm and pleasant sanctuary for those who were tired from the cold. It wasn't until now did Chaeyoung realise how hungry she was and how much she was craving for sugar.

"Do you like some bread and hot chocolate?" She asked, and it didn't take long for Mina to answer.

"Yes chocolate!"

The exclamation made Chaeyoung chuckle amusedly. She could never forget Mina's expression of pure astonishment the first time the hybrid discovered the wonder of hot chocolate. She should have taken some photos. It was an experience that she couldn't witness for the second time. Indeed, as soon as they walked through the door, the aroma of freshly baked pastry filled their lungs, energising them even before the first bite. The decorations were a bit different from the last time she visited, which was years ago, yet its familiar, cosy ambiance fortunately still managed to make her relax.

Mina snuggled into Chaeyoung's side as soon as they settled down on the small sofa in a corner. It's the first time she's been to a public space like this and she made sure to stay as close to