The high-pitched croak of the hundreds of tiny tree frogs entered the house through the open windows, lulling those inside to sleep. All seemed to be sleeping soundly, lost in their own dream lands filled with laughter, music, girls, boys, food, home and evil plotting. All except the girl finishing her final and a guest who may have given up his biggest secret in that final. He stared at the white ceiling above him as the possibility ate at him nonstop.

What if she figured it out? He tried to make sure that he wasn't seen at the music shop back in Korea, but she may have noticed him. But he had disguised himself. There's no way she would have known it was him. Then again, the owner of the shop recognized him right away. She may not have known who he was at the time, but she could have pieced it together after his arrival. Would she think that he's creepy and avoid him if she did figure it out? How would he make those thoughts of him that she had disappear?

He threw an arm over his eyes and sighed. He hoped that she didn't find out... But he basically screwed himself over with her final...

Cate's fingers glided across her mousepad and clicked the submit button on the website her professor told the students to use. She closed the laptop and stretched her arms above her head as far as they would go. A sigh escaped her lips as the thought of finally being done with her classes and being able to relax entered her tired mind. She looked over to the sleeping Anya and smirked; thoughts of the evil things she could do to her friend were very tempting.

A movement to her left caught her eye, making the evil ideas disappear as quickly as they came. Howl sat on the window sill, his tail swaying back and forth as he stared into the darkness.

“Psstpsstpsst!” Cate called out to him quietly. The kitten trilled in response and looked over to her. He climbed over Anya and sat on his mommy's lap, headbutting her face with affection. Cate smiled and kissed the top of his head.

Grrrrrr Cate flinched and moved her face away from the fluffy creature. She glanced over to his food bowl only to see that it was full. Grrrrrr

She looked at the kitten, “You know where the litter box is. If you need to poo, just go use your box.”

Grrrrrr Cate looked into Howl's ocher colored eyes, neither blinking. Grrrrrr She glanced down at her own stomach making the noise then back at the kitten, who let out another trill. “You should have said it wasn't you,” she lifted him off of her lap, setting him on the mattress so that she could get up. She rose slowly from the bed, so as not to wake Anya, and made her way out of the room and down the steps.

A quick pitter patter of feet followed her down, weaving in and out of her larger feet. She skipped a little on the stairs and put her hands out to her sides, catching herself on the walls. “Doofus!” she whispered loudly at the kitten, who was sitting at the bottom of the stairs, staring at her with big, innocent eyes. She went down to him and picked him up, placing him on his favorite spot; her shoulder. “No more trying to kill your mommy for you tonight.”

Howl began to purr as she walked into the kitchen, toward the fridge. Cate opened up the door and peered inside for something to munch on. Her eyes ran over leftovers that required use of the loud microwave, the next night's dinner that her dad was going to make, ketchup, mustard, blackberry jam, cream cheese, butter, and some things she did not want to know how long they had been there for. She reached in and grabbed the cream cheese, remembering that her mom had just bought bagels.

Taecyeon breathed in and out slowly as the thoughts raced around and around in his head as fast as the cars in the American racing sport called NASCAR. He pulled on his hair just as he was about to crash and burn after many, agonizingly long, minutes of the pointless race.

Ching! “!”

He groaned. Not only were his thoughts bad enough, but he thought he heard her too, cursing his actions that she had discovered. I'm going to be labeled a byuntae! He screamed, internally.

“Cat... Get off... I have to pick that up before I step on it.”

His eyes flew open and snapped up to attention. Something about this all seemed very familiar.

“You little flurfball! Get off of me!”

He wasn't hallucinating! She was up and in the kitchen! Again... He rose from the bed and checked his appearance in the standing mirror. Hair in place: check! Clothes straightened up: check! He reached for the doorknob but stopped short and looked back at the mirror. He took the top of his head into both of his hands and ruffled his hair. He nodded at his reflection and it nodded back.

Leaving the room, Taecyeon looked toward the kitchen. The light was on, but no one was there. He took a few steps forward, craning his neck to see over the counter. He still couldn't see anyone. Maybe it really was just in my head... He turned around and started to go back to his room.

“Hi, Taecyeon-ssi! Fancy meeting you here like this.”

Taecyeon jumped at the melodic voice that had attracted him in the first place and turned to look at the girl with a small cat sitting on her shoulder, swaying tail facing him. “Uhm... Hello, Cate-ssi.”

“Did I wake you up?” she asked as she turned around to clean the dirtied knife in the sink.

“Sort o-” he stopped what he was saying, frozen in place.

“What was that? I didn't hear you.”

He didn't answer. He didn't even blink.

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