“‘The library has a cat now.'”

Someone said this while showing a photo of a cat taken on a phone during a joint practice. The cat, with its fur all matted from wandering the streets, was unbearably cute with its big eyes, sleek nose, and adorable mouth.

So it was only natural that Eun Chae dashed to the library as soon as the practice was over. The problem was that despite turning every garden around the library upside down, she found not a single hair.

Disappointed, Eun Chae plonked down on a bench. She felt sour at the thought that the two snacks she had borrowed from a friend were now useless. As if to add insult to injury, her phone vibrated inconsiderately. When she slid her thumb to unlock it, a succinct and clear message appeared.

“Where are you?”

Without hesitation, Eun Chae tapped on the keypad to reply to Ki Joo’s message.

“I’m at the library. I’ll go to the parking lot.”

Before she could even turn off the screen after hitting the send button, the 1 on the screen disappeared.

That meant he read it right away. She didn’t even have time to be surprised at his unexpectedly quick response. Because his reply came immediately.

“Wait there.”

Reading that message, she felt strangely as if the consonants and vowels were playing separately. Eun Chae, who was pondering the contents for a moment, was just putting her phone back in her bag when she heard a faint meow from somewhere.

At the welcome sound, her eyes caught a glimpse of a cat peeking out from between the flowerbeds. It was incredibly tiny.

In her haste to approach the cat, Eun Chae startled it, causing it to hide in the bushes and go on full alert.

“Ah. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Even though the cat wouldn’t understand, Eun Chae kept apologizing and lowered her posture. Then she calmly tore open the snack for the cat.

Sensing the smell, the cat cautiously took another step forward. It didn’t take long for it to come right up to her nose, perhaps because it was used to human touch at school.

Having succeeded in gently stroking its head, Eun Chae grinned with joy but soon became serious. She had made eye contact with Kwon Ki Joo, who had quickly arrived at the library.

He narrowed his eyes in a puzzled manner, and then made a difficult face. He didn’t come any closer.

Although he was usually a very straightforward guy.

Just as she was wondering why he was acting like that, he disappeared from her field of vision. In her moment of confusion, his voice echoed in Eun Chae’s ears like tinnitus.

“Ah, I have a cat allergy.”

She had thought it was a joke. But it was true.

Overwhelmed by a subtle emotion, Eun Chae shrank her shoulders in a moment. It was because the cat, which had licked up all the snacks, brushed its tongue against her finger. Watching the cat as if it were extraordinary, Eun Chae began to tear the snacks in earnest.

It was then that she heard the sound of light footsteps approaching. As a dark shadow cast over her head, she looked up.

Kwon Ki Joo was casually bending over and watching. While Eun Chae was in confusion, the cat that finished eating the snack gently stretched its legs and rubbed its head against Ki Joo’s suit pants.

So, was his allergy a lie? Just as she was wondering that, he unhesitatingly bent his knee and sat next to her. The cat was still coquettishly affectionate towards him.

Even though she was the one who brought the gift. Eun Chae reached out to the cat with a resentful heart, but it was far from enough to draw its attention.

On the other hand, the one who monopolized the cat’s attention effortlessly pushed its forehead with the tip of his index finger. The cat resisted being pushed away. It was just like a spear and shield.

Eun Chae laughed for a moment and was immediately embarrassed.

Enjoying being with Kwon Ki Joo.

“Do you want to come again tomorrow?”

As he asked, he shook something he took out from his pocket. It was an allergy medicine with six slots, one of which was empty.

So, he had bought the medicine to come here.

As Eun Chae looked at him with a baffled face, he muttered,

“I didn’t know you enjoyed tormenting me this much.”

Ki Joo reached out his hand. Before she could avoid it, his fingers touched her cheek and fell away. As he brushed off the cat hair on his fingers, he said,

“I should have told you earlier.”

He really had an acute sense of intuition. When he received a message that he would come here, he was honestly not without the desire to test it.

“Would be big trouble if I revealed a real weakness.”

Would he tell me if I asked him to? He probably wouldn’t reveal something like that, thought Eun Chae as the cat disappeared from her sight. The cat must have had its fill of playing and was heading back to the flower bed where its house was.

Eun Chae got up, bending her knees.

“Let’s leave now.”

Before she had even finished her sentence, Ki Joo had already picked up the viola case. Eun Chae didn’t bother to try to keep the viola.

Just walked, looking at Ki Joo’s back, carrying the viola case as if it was his.