Chapter Text
kitty is not really sure what comes over her, joining minho on the summer tour. the way he decides so easily last minute to join, so does she. that includes the lack of telling people of what’s happening and what she’s doing.
it takes her like 20 min max to pack some stuff into a suitcase, and maybe that should bother her, how quickly it feels like she can get ready to leave, but the truth is - she had already pre-packed some stuff just in case she wasn’t able to return back to kiss. so now even though it was originally because of her preparation for something bad, she uses it for something positive.
she’s in and out, no one any wiser to her departure. there’s a sort of rush to it, of something that nobody knows about. that only lasts for a couple hours though, before she’s texting q.
Hey just to let you know I’m joining Minho on the summer tour with his brother and dad!!
the reply is instantaneous
Girl WTF is wrong with you?? You cannot be serious?
she sends a selfie of herself at the airport with a big <3 splashed across the screen.
You’re officially insane. But is everything okay? You wouldn’t do something like that just on a whim.
technically he’s not wrong. she wouldn’t do something like that on a whim, except she has now, because she isn’t 100% okay.
Just need to get away from it all. Too much has happened at KISS this semester…
And you think touring with MINHO is going to help?
OOOOH WAIT THAT’S THE WHOLE POINT ISN’T IT. I see you Katherine Song Covey, I know what you’re doing.
kitty rolls her eyes at q’s antics and though her stomach clenches at the thought of spending all summer with minho, she knows it’ll be easy to be in his presence. either way that’s not what she’s worried about.
That’s not the point at all and you know it Q. I’ll text you when I land. Love you!! <3 <3 <3
Wait Kitty. Does Yuri know?
her stomach clenches again, this time worse than before and it takes her a couple moments before she is able to reply.
No. Don’t tell her, okay? I know she helped me and everything, but the way she treated me… maybe I'll tell her in a little bit, but not now.
I hope you know what you’re doing Kitty. Love you too girl, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, wink wink.
she locks her phone with a shake of her head and a small grin around her lips. q really was insane in the best ways.
-x-
summer tour with minho is as magical as she expected it to be, even if it was last minute. not because of him but just because of every single experience. she's never done so many new things, tried so many new dishes. it's mind blowing in the best way and it takes her thoughts away from everything that happened at KISS.
things with minho are weird. she knows he knows that she knows he has feelings for her and though it would be so easy to give into that, something stops her. a niggling at the back of her mind.
so instead, they spend the entire summer toeing the line and eventually it just settles down into something that's stronger than a friendship but not anything more than that. kitty doesn't mind much, she takes the chance to heal her heart and relax from the drama, learns how to enjoy being just by herself again without those thundering crushes sweeping her away.
she thinks she's way healthier mentally now and though minho still looks at her a certain type of way, she's not sure that she has what he wants on offer.
so when kitty comes back to kiss and starts settling into her dorm, this time in a single which was a long time coming - she's feeling good. the second q had seen her he had mentioned how she looked like she was glowing and then wiggled his eyebrows when asking for the reason, but she just laughed it off.
a small smile played around her lips as she just said “i've grown up.”
“well it looks good on you.” q winks and then helps her with her suitcase, an action so instinctive and familiar that it warms her immediately.
she has a bunch of new clothes so the suitcase is way more packed than what she originally left with. minho's dad had ended up employing her as a trainee assistant manager and she had ended up getting some money, which for someone who never really had much to spend - spend she did. souvenirs for everyone back home at every city she stopped by, unending amounts of clothes to explore her style and a few personal mementos that made her think of some people.
namely yuri. who she had exchanged messages with every so often, but kitty had a certain way of putting her all into every single present moment that sometimes it was hard to keep up with everything else. especially with someone who had torn her heart out, regardless of the fact that yuri had tried patching it up in her own way.
she remembers the first time yuri reaches out, asking about the tour and it takes a lot within kitty to not bombard her with everything that had already happened and a bunch of photos. instead, she keeps it cool and responds in a short manner, thinking it's for the best to keep some distance. yuri doesn't respond at all though and that makes kitty want to cry a little, even though that meant her plan had worked.
her heart sinks thinking of yuri and she shakes her head, a sigh escaping. a summer of nothing but excitement and healing, yet here she was only a few hours back at kiss and already falling back into old habits of thinking about yuri.
it's easier than before though, to let go of it. there's no big exciting thing left anymore to do with her family, nothing to find or search out. now the main thing she has left is to learn about them, more about this family that she didn't know she had for the longest time. she wants to bond with jiwan, with her halmoni, she wants to make up for all the lost time.
there's also the case of her studies - getting the opportunity to learn how to be a manager from one of the industry’s best (even with his many flaws) was one that she appreciates a lot, but she's not sure it's exactly what she wants to do just yet.
it feels like there's no ticking time bomb anymore though, like she has the time to explore what it is exactly she likes. maybe some dancing, she muses and though the thought of exercise makes her eyebrows frown, doing it through dance would be different. or at least she hopes.
either way, it's another year at kiss and she's excited for what it'll bring her.
her suitcase stares at her as she starfishes on the bed and eventually she groans, getting up.
“doing it now will save me doing it later, doing it now will save me doing it later.”
she mutters underneath her breath and puts on some music before getting to work. having her own space is nice and there's no fear of anyone rummaging through her stuff.
her jaw clenches a little in memory and her hands itch to reach out and check where yuri's letter is, just to make sure it's safely tucked away. she can't stop herself and soon enough her fingers are brushing the paper and pulling it out from the boxes she had brought from her previous room.
a cursive yuri stares back at her and it feels like so many lifetimes ago that she wrote the letter. there's a slight trembling to her hands as she holds it, but then just as quick as it came, it goes away with her putting it aside. maybe i'll do my entire room, she muses and tries to ignore the hiccups in her stomach as she loses herself in the minutiae of decorating and putting stuff away in the right places.
it's around the evening when she's finally done and though there's still bits and pieces to properly finish, she'll have time to do that later. now she's tired and she wants to gorge herself on food.
she texts q, her stomach growling and soon enough they're on their way to a tiny place that they had found their previous year. it's one that both her and q frequent often and holds a special place in her heart, the smell of the food wafting through immediately relaxing her once they walk in.
“god i missed this place.” she sighs out and q nods, taking their usual booth and greeting the ahjumma that smiles widely at seeing them.
“not been the same without us chatting shit here.” q laughs and kitty rolls her eyes, but inclines her head in agreement.
“how come jin isn't here?”
q waves the question away, “i haven't seen you in ages, i need some alone time with my girl.”
kitty smiles widely, her cheeks almost hurting. she's missed q a lot, even with their constant texts - seeing him in person is overwhelming in the best way.
somebody clears their throat and kitty looks up to see a girl staring at her with a small smile. her hair is cut into a bob and her face is sharp, in a way that has kitty gulping a little. she's stunning and even wearing an apron doesn't diminish it.
kitty blinks as the girl says something and she shakes her head, “sorry, what?”
q laughs a little, hiding his face when kitty shoots him a glare.
“i asked if you're ready to order. or do you need more time?”
“oh!” kitty perks up and leans over a little to see the ahjumma that usually takes their orders in front of the till, “sorry typically someone else is taking them so i didn't realise.”
the girls ahhs in understanding and flashes a warm look towards the ahjumma, “that's my halmoni, i've been helping her out for the past couple months.” she leans down towards kitty and whispers almost conspiratorially, “her age is starting to get to her.”
kitty laughs, not expecting her to be so easy going, “well you're doing great. we'll just take…”
they prattle off their orders and the girl leaves, kitty watching as she goes.
“ok you need to learn how to be more subtle.”
“shut up. she's pretty, i’m allowed to stare.”
“very long stare.” q teases and kitty swats at his arm, “guess you really aren't into minho.”
kitty groans at the topic, “it's complicated.”
q raises an eyebrow, “is it? you haven't told me anything of what happened between you two on tour and minho's been pretty quiet about it too.”
“that's because nothing happened q.”
q does a ‘so what was up then?’ expression and kitty frowns but knows he's not going to let up.
“i don't think jumping into a relationship was good for me. or for him. would've been a weird rebound situation and even though he had me feeling funny…” kitty throws her hands up in annoyance, “i don't know! it wasn't the right time and now it just feels too weird to try anything.”
“so no more feelings?”
kitty shrugs, “not really. he was really, really good to me at a time that i needed it and i will always be super grateful but i think he's not what i am looking for.”
q nods, “so you keep telling yourself.”
kitty glares half-heartedly, “you're annoying.”
“im joking.” he grins at her and then leans back, “teasing you never gets old. so! tell me everything, hearing it in person is always different.”
and so she does. they get their food and as they eat, kitty goes through every single moment again and then q does the same. it's incredibly comforting and after its done she leans back with a satisfied groan, “can't believe we're back to school again after all of this.”
“i know right. you better get your shit together this year.”
“hey! i always have my shit together.” kitty whines, “besides there's not much to distract me this time so my studies are gonna be sooo good. im planning on doing some dance and i have to get to know my family more since i never got the chance to.”
“that's true, how are you feeling about that? technically you finished your quote on quote, mission.” q looks at her curiously, playing with the sauce on the plate and kitty hums.
“well either way i'm still following in my mum's footsteps and i have a feeling that i'll find out some more stuff about her, but i'm really happy with the progress that i've made so far. it feels…” kitty slows down and looks at her hands, a small smile playing around her lips, “it feels really good. i’ve never felt this close to her before.”
“i love that for you, i’m seriously so proud.” q says, a warm look in his eyes that quickly starts glinting when he notices the waitress from earlier returning.
“you guys want anything else or would you like the bill?”
kitty flashes a bright smile at her, “just the bill! and tell your halmoni the food was delicious as always.”
“she’ll love hearing that, she keeps mentioning how nice it is to see you guys back, guess you have a fan in her.”
q wiggles his eyebrows at her, “we’re very lovable, especially my friend kitty here.”
the waitress cocks her head slightly at kitty, “oh yeah? would love to see how true that is.”
kitty’s palms get a little clammy at the attention and she shrugs shyly, “we come over quite often, so…”
the girl laughs and nods her head, “right. my grandma will get you sorted if you just head over.” she starts walking off and then stops for a second, looking at kitty, “i hope i really do see you around kitty.”
the second she’s out of earshot kitty slinks down onto her seat with a “oh my god.” and hears q losing his shit giggling right beside her.
“seeing you flustered never gets old, seriously.”
“one of these days i’m going to kill you.” kitty mumbles, her hands over her face.
“nah, you love me too much.” q says, holding the door open for her as they leave and kitty wiggles her eyebrows at him for that.
they share a laugh and walk down together, heading back to the dorms. it's late and the air is a bit chilly so kitty pulls her jacket closer around her. getting used to the weather again would be annoying.
“you know yuri's been asking about you.” q brings up after a few minutes of silence, his voice low and kitty furrows her brows at the words.
“has she? she hasn't said anything to me.”
“that's cause she probably still feels guilty, but i know she wants to see you. was constantly asking when you'd be back.”
kitty goes silent this time, mind racing. she can't deny that she has missed yuri, a lot, but they're also in such a weird place that she's not even sure how to navigate it.
“i think you should give her a chance.” q says, playfully bumping into her with his shoulder, “i know you'd love to see her too.”
kitty side eyes him, but doesn't refuse his observation, especially as he's right.
“yeah, maybe.” she fiddles with her hands as they cross the street, but with every step something in her shifts, a more confident gait taking over. they're almost back at the dorms and the point where they have to separate, so kitty turns to q and nods quickly, “i'll see you around.”
he blinks, surprised at the sudden goodbye, but throws her a wave and watches as she walks off. there's a determined look on her face and q shakes his head with a grin.
“oh she's definitely back alright.”