"Oh. Okay." She sighed in relief. "I'm so glad you found her. Sr. Jung will go on a rampage if we don't find her. Especially after what happened."

 

"Why? What happened?"

 

"The Young Lady, ditched her own engagement party. That's what happened."

 

What Makes a Rock Star

 

Chapter 19

(The Cat)

 

“Somebody tell me how this happened!” I felt like my nose was blowing off fire because of annoyance as I paced in front of the house keepers. “I still can’t believe it. I mean, she was drunk last night. She was sleeping soundly when I left her in her room then I woke up and you’ll tell me she managed to steal the master key!? I mean, how the hell was that even possible!” I shoot them daggers with my eyes.

 

Some housekeepers held their head low in shame but some were (amazingly annoying) giggling and chuckling in their own world as they gave me adoring glances.

 

It pissed me off.

 

“AREN’T YOU REALLY GOING TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!!!?”I shouted, glaring at the maids. The veins on my temples felt like they’ll burst at any moment. If only I could raise my hands up in exasperation, I already did.

 

But I couldn’t.

 

Tsk.

 

The chuckling maids clamped their mouths shuts. They bumped their shoulder to blame the other while holding their gazes low.

 

Just when I thought I made my point to them, it was now the female guard’s turn to laugh. Raising both my eyebrows in an intimidating manner, I turned my attention to the guard who was supposed to keep the master key.  If it wasn’t for her, this wouldn’t have happened!

 

“OH! IS THIS A LAUGHING MATTER TO YOU? DO YOU THINK THIS IS FUN~ *Toink* ~ OUCH!”

 

My skull made a dull sound when Jessica hit my head with her knuckles. She let her chin off my shoulder a bit and looked at me with lazy eyes. “You’re noisy.” She croaked before she got back to snuggling me like a touchy little cat.

 

“Awwwww~” The maids cooed in unison.

 

I glared at them to shut them up then looked at Jessica. “Won’t you come down? Cause it’s really hard to explain with you all over me.” I pointed out flatly.  

 

I meant that literally.

 

She’s all over me. She’s practically on me.

 

“Andwae~” She said cutely against the skin of my neck. That, in turn, gave me shivers. Jessica had her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. She had her face buried on my shoulders as she held on to me for dear life. If not for the blanket covering us, it would look really awkward to see us together.

 

I groaned. She had been like this since this morning.

 

A cat.

 

A very touchy one.

 

---

 

At Yul’s room this morning….

 

I stretched my arms upwards, hitting the headboard, yawning. Last night had drained all my energy. Especially, with spending almost all of it carrying Jessica on my back. It felt good to finally have a good rest.

 

I rubbed my eyes with my knuckles before bracing my hands on my side. Just when I was about to sit up, I felt something moved against one of my legs. Tucking my chin on my chest, I looked down and saw a bump under my sheet. A very big one.

 

Suddenly, I remembered the picture where Ju-on joins you under the same blanket and stares back at you when you look under it. My eyes widened. My heart picked up pace. Suddenly, I want to jump out of the bed.

 

Manning-up, I dared to move my leg.

 

It’s stuck! Something was preventing it from moving!

 

Several scenarios from the Grudge played to my mind. And for some unknown reason, they included Jessica’s scary eyes.

 

My heart skipped a beat. The bump moved again then I felt something snaking on my leg. I started breathing heavily. Desperation set it. Even though it was risky, I was too scared to think straight. I dragged my backwards as gently as possible, not wanting to anger the devilish creature. Then, the horrifying thing happened.

 

“OUCH!!!!” My face contorted in an ugly way as I screamed. Whoever that ‘bump’ was, it just freaking bit me in the leg!

 

It was the desire to keep my sanity and body together that led me to jump off the bed with all my might. I never thought I could be that strong. On one second I was on the bed then all of the sudden, with full force, I pushed myself out. As if in slow motion, my body hovered in the air with my hands outstretched. I’m flying! I’m free! I’m~

 

Not free.

 

*Blag*

 

The ‘bump’ didn’t let go of my leg. I landed face first to the carpeted floor. One of my legs was still on the bed.  My nose hurt but I couldn’t care less. I turned in horror to the creature holding my leg.

 

It was not Ju-on.

 

It was a blonde Sadako.

 

“BRAT!!?!!”

 

Jessica was curled up in my bed like a child. Her cheek was pressed against my pajama as she hugged my leg. She opened her eyes briefly to look at me before she shut them off again.

 

If the circumstances were not the same, I might have thought she looked cute but that was not the case. I knew something was wrong.

 

How did she get in my room!?

 

My eyes automatically looked for the door. It was ajar. I was pretty sure I locked it last night!

 

“S-Sica?! W-What are you doing here?” I asked Jessica nervously.

 

The brat didn’t answer. Instead, and to more of my surprise, she hugged my leg closer and nuzzled against it.

 

I stared at her wide eyed. My cheeks started blushing. For a moment, I couldn’t think of the next thing to say or do and just stared at her.

 

Before I had a chance to recover, Jessica let go of my leg.

 

Taking that chance, I dragged my body backwards wanting to be as far away from the weird girl as possible.

 

I watched in horror as she stepped down the bed. Her eyes looked heavy and cold. Like a sleepwalker, she walked towards me.

 

I felt like history was repeating itself when I found my back leaning against the wall.

 

Dugeun. Dugeun. Dugeun.

 

I was fully aware of my heart beating loudly. I gulped at the sight of Jessica’s walking figure. The panic was distorting my image of Jessica. Suddenly, she looked so big and powerful to me.

 

She stopped in front of me, looking down with those cold eyes again. Something about her breathing at a faster pace made me stare up at her sheepishly and put my hands in front of my chest protectively.

 

Dugeun. Dugeun. Dugeun. Dugeun. Dugeun.

 

She crouched down before me. She looked at me with half-lidded eyes. I looked at her, pressing my lips together like I wanted to cry.

 

Then she leaned closer. I could only close my eyes as I waited for her to touch me. This is it, I said to myself. I clenched my fists against my chest, shaking my head pleadingly. I never felt so used. So small. So weak. So vulnerable. So~

 

“Cold.”

 

Cold.

 

Wait.

 

What?

 

I opened my eyes when I felt Jessica’s forehead leaning against my shoulder. Her hot breath bounced off my skin.

 

“It’s cold~” She said breathlessly. And before I could do anything, she already s her arms on my neck and rested the weight of her upper body against mine. That was the time I realized she was feverish.

 

“Stay~with me. I~ don’t want to be alone~”

 

That was the last thing she said before she fell asleep.

 

And I was wrong when I didn’t take that literally.

 

---

 

When Jessica was sick, she had a tendency to become really clingy and touchy and needy and all the other words that denoted attention seeking. And she’ll let those tendencies out to one person she chose randomly. That was what the housekeepers’ explanation about what happened.

 

In this case, it was me.

 

Honestly, what’s the point of saying that to me now? It would have helped me if they told me that last night when they discovered that Jessica was slightly feverish. But all was gone now. I lost my chance to escape the clingy cat’s wrath.

 

Jessica shifted her position a little, creating uncalled-inappropriate-totally unwanted friction.

 

I stiffened. I blushed. I inhaled deep. I gulped. Anything to keep my mind of the sensation.

 

Suddenly I felt sort of hot. Sort of. SORT. OF.

 

I squirmed, trying to at least give our bodies more distance. But to no avail. Jessica the cat was as good as glued on me.

 

“Will she ever get off?” I looked at the maids pleadingly; desperately. I need Jessica off me.

 

They shook their heads in chorus.

 

“She’s always like that when she’s sick. Last time I was her victim. I didn’t get to go out of her room at all and she went with me even in the bathroom.”

 

“I-In the what?!!?” My mouth hung-open. “Don’t tell me…” Suddenly, I could see images of the impending doom in my mind.  I looked at Mr. Jan with desperation.

 

I exhaled in relief when he shook his head. “Don’t worry she’ll let you do your business if you need to. But in exchange, she’ll be clingier with you after that. I’m sorry Young Master.”

 

I looked around as I tried to find words to say. “How long will this last? I swear. You don’t expect me to carry her around like this all the time, do you?”

 

They held their heads low. “We don’t know.”

 

“H-How about a doctor? When will one be coming?”

 

One of the maids answered, “I’m sorry Yul-ssi, but unless it's something very serious we can’t consider a doctor. The Young Lady hates doctors. She'll throw tantrums.It'll only give you and the doctor a harder time.”

 

There was no hope.

 

I looked at the heavens accusingly.

 

“Why?! Why me?!” I whined dramatically.

 

Then Jessica the cat purred.  

 

I shut up.

 

---

 

We’re in my room; specifically, in my room’s bathroom.

 

I gulped anxiously. I was standing in front of the shower. A translucent shower curtain was obscuring the view but my eyes kept darting at the door.

 

It was ajar, just like how the girl requested it to be before she allowed me to do my thing. I could see her silhouette from here but even though she’s not doing anything fishy at all, my worry just wouldn’t stop.

 

I mean, what if she comes in while I’m in the middle of taking a bath? I would be so bare and she’ll see everything and she might suddenly think~ I began breathing heavily again. I shook my head fervently. No. No. You’re thinking too much, Kwon.

 

I hurriedly took my shirt off and quickly glanced at the door. I kept my eyes on the door even as I hesitantly pulled my pants down. Paranoid as I was, I hung my clothes near me, so they’ll be in easy access in case I needed them, and decided to not take off my underwear.

 

Finally, facing the door with persistence, I started to shower. I just couldn’t let the door out of my sight. Anything could happen with a half-conscious touchy cat.

 

And something did. On shampoo time.

 

My eyes were tightly shut as I rinsed the shampoo off my hair. Then all of the sudden, I heard the creaking of the door. My heart skipped a beat. I stiffened. Slowly and cautiously I turned my head to the door.

 

And there she was, hand still on the doorknob. Her bangs were wet with sweat. She was breathing heavy as she looked at me with the same half-lidded ones she had before.

 

I stared back at her, my hands slowly creeping for the towel. But before I managed to get my hands on it, something unexpected happened.

 

I watched as Jessica’s eyes rolled upwards. Her body swayed in an unsteady manner and before I knew it, she was slowly falling sideways.

 

I hadn’t got the time to take any piece of clothing or the towel as I hurried to catch her. Lifting the sick girl on my shoulder, I wanted to wail when I heard her mutter, “” as I carried her out.

 

I blew on the spoonful of porridge before giving it to Jessica and cooed, “Say aaah~” The cat scrunched up her nose in disgust and get back to snuggling my neck.

 

We’re in her room now. The brat was reluctant to stay in bed without me and lying on the same bed with her in this condition was not an option for me so we settled for the sofa. Jessica was sitting on my lap. It’s still awkward but at least she didn’t have her legs around my waist like before.  That would be the worst.

 

Now, I was spoon feeding the picky cat because she was shivering too much for her to eat by herself.

 

Only, Jessica didn’t want to eat.

 

“Tssst.Come on, brat! How will it get better if you won’t eat!?” I exclaimed, almost throwing the spoon because of frustration. We’ve been like this for almost a good thirty minutes but so far she only ate five spoonfuls.

 

Jessica purred. Weirdly, as if I could decode her purrs, I understood what she meant. ~I don’t want to. ~

 

My shoulders dropped. Never before in my life that I needed to take care of anybody and taking care of a very needy-stubborn-cat-like Jessica was too much for my first time. It was tiring and frustrating. But for some reasons, I just couldn’t give up.

 

Heaving a sigh, I put the spoonful back to its bowl before I adjusted Jessica on my lap. “Sica, you know you need to eat. You have a contest to win, remember? How would you win if you stay like this?” I explained gently.

 

The brat didn’t answer.  Instead, she rested her cheek against her pressed hands and leaned them on my chest. She looked like an innocent child. A sight that easily made me melt.

 

“You always get what you want, don’t you?” I asked her softly, not expecting a reply because I knew on that time, she was already fast asleep.

 

---

 

When I was sure that Jessica was deep asleep, I carried her to her bed. After neatly tucking her in, I sat at the side of her bed and checked her temperature. I smiled a little; happy that my efforts helped to lower her fever.

 

I stood up and crossed my arms. I looked at the sleeping cat proudly. Who would’ve believed they managed to survive all that?

 

Not willing to leave Jessica alone in the room, I laid down the sofa and closed my eyes. After taking care of that brat, I think I deserved a good sleep.

 

It was not long since I fell asleep when a sudden weight on the sofa stirred me awake. I didn’t need to open my eyes to know whose weight it was.

 

“You put me to bed.” Jessica said accusingly, her voice still  croaky. “Why’d you do that? I told you to stay with me!” She hit my chest lightly. I opened my eyes and saw the touchy cat kneeling beside the sofa, pouting at me. “Weh?!” She asked demandingly and scowled.

 

Heaving a defeated sigh, I opened my arms to invite her in.

 

Just this once, I thought.

 

Without second thoughts, she squeezed in the sofa and lay down with me. Laying her head on my chest, she looked up at me with watery puppy eyes. “Don’t go anywhere, okay?”

 

I nodded weakly.

 

“Promise?”

 

I didn’t answer. Instead, I put my arms around her and pulled her closer. Minutes later, she relaxed on my arms.

 

As the brat’s light snores began to resonate in the room, I looked down at her and brushed her bangs gently to the side. I placed my chin on top of her head lightly and whispered against her hair, "You’re making things harder for me, brat.”

 

Credit: The picture used in this chapter is not mine.

 

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A/N: Satisfied?

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