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Early in the morning, after Suyeon left the house.

A small kitten, lying belly-up on the bed, opened its eyes. Its blue eyes quivered for a moment before it urgently flipped itself over.

When its short legs hit the soft bed, the kitten was startled, but its curiosity was even greater.

A view, scent, and touch different from anything it had seen before. Everything in the small basement was incredibly fascinating for such a tiny kitten. But, at the same time, it was frightening.

The kitten felt intense curiosity about the soft, expansive surface under its paws and pressed down on it here and there.

Squish— Squish—

Wherever it pressed, it sank down, and as soon as it lifted its paws, the surface rose back up. The kitten roamed over this white floor it had never felt before. On the white floor, there were even softer things scattered around. The kitten wriggled into the coziest-looking blanket.

“……..”

The kitten, hiding tightly in the blanket with its eyes as round as they could get, observed the outside scene. A fridge, a computer, a bookshelf, an ordinary kitchen, and a small window where rain was falling. The kitten felt it might have seen these things somewhere before. It thought maybe it wasn’t in a completely new place after all.

The kitten trembled in fear.

For quite a while.

***
Lee Suyeon POV

I came back to the small basement apartment with my younger sister and Eunah unnie. As I turned the key in the door, a familiar click sounded, and the door opened. Leaving the wet umbrella by the door, I stepped inside.

“…….Where is it..?”

The moment we entered, my younger sister set down her things and immediately started looking for the kitten.

“Don’t rush at it too much… It’s probably… on the bed…”

I glanced at the bed while putting down my things. The kitten was indeed on the bed where it had been lying, though it was hidden in the blanket, hissing defensively.

“Haaaaaaaah!”

“……..Oh……”

Both my sibling and Eunah unnie froze, watching the kitten hiss.

“There are multiple signs of abuse as well…”

The veterinarian’s words from last night flashed through my mind. Watching the kitten still hissing, I was reminded once again how challenging this would be.

“…It’s okay.”

I lowered myself and slowly approached the kitten.

“Haaaaaaaah!!!!!!”

The kitten became even more wary, trying to turn its head to escape in the opposite direction. But as such a small Munchkin, there was no way it could break through the thick winter blanket. It might have looked like it was just rubbing its head and shaking its little butt against the blanket, but in reality, the kitten was desperately trying to flee from a terrifying, unknown presence coming closer.

“………It’s okay… it’s okay.”

I covered the kitten with the blanket as it tried to escape. Inside, it probably couldn’t see anything. All it could feel was the texture of the blanket and hear my voice.

I kept repeating the words “It’s okay” for a long time.

“……….”

The kitten, which had been crying out constantly, quieted down. Keeping the blanket in place, I signaled to my sister with my eyes. Instinctively understanding, my sister dug into a large bag and brought out a churu snack. I knew the kitten hadn’t tried it yet, but it might ease its tension at least a little.

I lifted the blanket slightly to create an opening and carefully slid the churu inside.

“Haaaaaah!”

The kitten, not knowing what it was, batted the churu away with its tiny paws, hissing once again.

“…It can’t eat this? Should we leave it alone?” Eunah unnie, who had been quietly observing, remarked.

“Hm… Maybe that’s best for now, unnie. I’ll feed it at home. I need it to warm up to me quickly, so we can play together. Do your best!”

“Oh.. uh… be careful on your way back!”

As my sister and Eunah unnie prepared to leave, I spoke up.

“…..Can you cook well?”

“Yes, should I make something for you?”

“….!!”

I tried to stop my sister, but she was already gone. I lightly wished good luck to Eunah unnie’s cooking skills and thought about how I might bond with this kitten.

“Hm… It’s tough…”

No matter how much I thought, nothing brilliant came to mind. For now, I wrapped the blanket up and lifted it. I felt some squirming from inside, but I carefully moved the blanket to the head of the bed, placing it there to create a small, cozy spot.

I wasn’t hungry, having eaten a hearty breakfast, and I could last until tomorrow. I started by cleaning out the fridge, tossing out bean sprouts and other ingredients that were nearly used up. Spoiled food went into a trash bag, and salvageable items were grouped together and put back in the fridge, so they wouldn’t spoil.

Then, I cleaned the house for a few hours. I swept behind the sparse furniture, and for cobwebs in corners beyond my reach, I brought a chair to clean them.

“Oh… Hello, spider friend.”

The spider, its home forcibly demolished, appeared before me. It was so tiny it was barely the size of my fingertip, but a spider nonetheless.

“Though I’ve destroyed your home, if you don’t want to end up wrapped in a tissue in that trash bag, kindly disappear from my sight?”

Though I like animals, spiders were still animals, as much as I struggled to understand that. I gave the little spider a smiling warning, and it quickly scuttled out through the window.

“No wonder it’s been a bit chilly…”

I closed the window, which had been letting in a draft, and resumed tidying up.

“……..”

Even while cleaning, I felt the intense gaze of the kitten from within the blanket, though it hadn’t made a sound. Hurriedly, I continued cleaning.

I unfolded a large, blue box I’d bought at Daiso and checked the dimensions. When closed, it came up to about my thigh—reasonable enough considering my short stature. I began organizing my computer, unplugging numerous cords, and withstanding attacks from dust that triggered a fit of coughing.

Blue boxes began to fill various corners of the room, containing clothes, keyboards, a small monitor, my old computer, a pricey headset, and some cooking tools. I wrapped cups carefully in bubble wrap I’d bought for winter use to keep them from breaking and placed them in a box.

“………Phew.”

I moved the now-full boxes to a corner with some difficulty. Sitting lightly on the bed, I gazed around at the neatly organized apartment. Large furniture like the desk, chair, and wardrobe were too heavy for me to move, so I left them, but with most other items boxed up, the apartment felt empty and quiet.

Tomorrow, when the rain stops, I’ll move this bed and that furniture to the new place as well. I ran my hand over the bed.

Then, I glanced at the blanket, where I still couldn’t hear any sounds.

“…!”

I saw something, definitely. Even in the dark, I could see white fur and blue eyes that were the exact opposite of mine, but they quickly turned away.

“Mmm… Strawberry…”

The thought just popped into my mind. I thought of something sweet, remembering the chocolate and vanilla ice cream and strawberry ice cream I’d seen on the way home last night. The first two already had owners, so it must be Strawberry.

“…Strawberry… Strawberry…”

Muttering the word that would be the kitten’s name, I checked my phone. The time had somehow crept close to 6 p.m. Although I was fine from having a hearty breakfast, the kitten might not be. I quickly rummaged through the bags scattered on the floor and pulled out the food and a pricey meat can that had been recommended for the kitten. After washing my hands and a bowl, I poured in the meat and food pellets. Shoving the trash into an already-full bag, I placed the food dish right in front of the blanket, accepting the mess it might cause.

“……”

I hid in the bathroom, peeking out to see if the kitten would come out.

“…..!!!”

The kitten pawed the air, then carefully poked its head out, followed by its little legs. It was adorable, but the kitten quickly looked around and, meeting my gaze, slipped back into the blanket.

Feeling disappointed, I stepped out of the bathroom. Placing the food dish on the floor, I checked my phone and saw it was past 6 p.m.

“Huh..? A break today..? She didn’t say anything.”

Chocoa always announced breaks the day before, even if it was for some random reason. I thought about why Chocoa might not be streaming and then realized the reason.

No Wi-Fi.

“Ah…….”

Feeling an overwhelming sense of futility, I collapsed onto the bed. I could use my data, but I’d already used most of it watching Chocoa’s replays. Swallowing my tears, I turned off my phone. Tonight would pass without Chocoa…

I decided to just sleep.

Without a blanket, I grabbed thick clothes from a box and covered myself before drifting off.
***

In the quiet night after Suyeon fell asleep.

Only hours after Suyeon had fallen asleep, the kitten finally crawled out from under the blanket. With its short legs on the bed, the kitten surveyed its surroundings with wide eyes, focusing on the food dish on the floor. It cautiously checked to see if Suyeon was truly asleep.

Creeeeeak—

“Ugh… Chocoa…”

Suyeon muttered in her sleep, shifting. The kitten flinched but continued on its mission.

“……..”

The little Munchkin found even the small bed too high. After gazing longingly at the food dish, it retreated back under the blanket.

“Meow…”

Inside the blanket, it let out a sad mewl, scratching the blanket vigorously.

Scrape—scrape—

The tightly rolled blanket unraveled under the kitten’s stress relief, allowing it to slide down to the floor. The kitten, having landed safely, remained alert as it approached the food dish.

Quietly, the soft sound of eating filled the small basement.

Chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp chomp—