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Jongwoon flicked a look over Donghae, and just as expected, he was already looking at him, standing there like a small, determined puppy. Eyes pleading, as if he was asking for something.

The pianist glared. “Don't do that.”

“But—”

“There are other ways, and climbing this tree is not one of them.”

“Well, then you do it, hyung!”

“I cannot climb a tree.” Jongwoon’s mind flew back to the much similar scene years ago. In Donghae's place was Hyukjae. Looking up at Jongwoon who was already high up, stapling over the tree in their university parking lot, trying to reach an idiot of a kitten who, somehow, had managed to get itself stuck in the tree and had screamed for hours.

“Don't fall, Jongwoon hyung.” He remembered Hyukjae calling out to him—just three seconds before he slipped his foot and fell.

Good thing he didn't break his arm—although a broken leg was inevitable.

For God's sake.

“Donghae, I said don't climb the tree, you little brat.” Jongwoon yelled when the boy stepped just a little bit closer towards the tree. The very same tree with the one he fell from years ago. Was the tree cursed or what? The cat was wailing on the very top branch, a stupid orange cat, again—was this the same stupid kitten back then, years ago? Oranges were savage yet one hell of an idiot. Reminded him to their rescue cats at home. They were screaming for food when the food was right under their nose. 

Stupid, Jongwoon gritted his teeth. And there was an even more stupider kitten standing in front of him right now. Donghae had lifted his leg to hook around the tree—staring at Jongwoon with his wide, manipulative innocent puppy eyes; hopeful that his coach would eventually allow him—but there was no way in hell that Jongwoon would.

“Your hyung would kill me if I let you.” Hyukjae's overprotectiveness over this silly boy was immense. Jongwoon could imagine the scene unfolding if he were to let Donghae climb the tree: Hyukjae putting him inside a trash bag and throwing him out towards the ocean. Yes.

“He wouldn't!”

“How do you know?”

“Then what do we do?” Donghae straightened up, eyes casted down and sullen, a stubborn pout forming over his mouth. “We can't leave him up there.”

Well, we very much can. But Jongwoon didn't say it out loud. “We need to spread our jackets.”

“Huh?”

“Like this,” Jongwoon held and stretched out the hem of his coat, making a makeshift emergency trampoline for the cat to jump on. “You do that too, Donghae.”

It took a few seconds for Donghae's eyes to shine, as comprehension fell over him. Jongwoon for a moment thought that he might go blind.

So, they spent the next ten minutes trying to coax the cat into jumping down and onto their makeshift Life Safety Net—and for sure looking like idiots in the process. People walked passed them and murmured, some even took their phones out to record—how Jongwoon's hot headed tendency was threatening to explode and he was almost lashing out to knock their phones off their hands. 

He held back the intrusive thoughts, and instead, staring back towards Donghae, who tirelessly calling out to the unintelligent cat trembling on the branch—at least they had made a progress, the cat was sticking upside down on the tree—too scared to jump down but couldn't go back to its previous safe place.

“Kitty!” Donghae called out, releasing one of his hands to rummage through his pocket. He waved a cat treat stick towards the feline. “If you jump I will give you a treat!”

Maybe it worked, or maybe the cat itself had exhausted itself trying to hold onto the tree. Jongwoon watched the scene unfolding in slow motion, as he widened his eyes and shouted,

“Donghae, get your hands back on your coat—”

The cat jumped.

Not onto the safety net, but onto Donghae's face.

.

“You are reckless.” Jongwoon grouched as he dabbed the droplets of blood from Donghae's face, and glared when the boy only laughed.

“It's worth the result.”

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