Chapter Text
Aglaea found a “cat” one evening on her way home from work.
The first time she saw that “cat,” she had just moved to the city alone. She was walking near her new office building with a coworker she’d recently met, chatting casually to pass the lunch break.
“Have you heard of that grilled fish place nearby? It’s amazing…” her coworker was talking dreamily. But Aglaea’s gaze was drawn to a girl sitting by the roadside not far away.
The girl was small and thin, curled up so quietly that you could easily miss her. If Aglaea hadn’t been new to the city, watching everything with extra curiosity, she probably would’ve walked past just like everyone else. The girl was wearing an old and torn hoodie, oversized hoodie that hung loosely from her shoulders. It didn’t look like she was wearing it so much as the hoodie was simply hanging on her like fabric on a hanger. Her face, half-hidden beneath the hood, was smeared with dirt so thick that Aglaea could hardly see her real skin color.
Yet despite that, her eyes were bright, clear and vivid like sapphires. Those eyes darted restlessly, following every passerby.
Just like the little cat I used to have, Aglaea thought.
Maybe sensing her gaze, the girl turned her head and looked back, her eyes wary.
“Aglaea? Aglaea!” Her coworker, who had been talking to herself, called out in annoyance, snapping Aglaea back to reality.
“Oh—sorry,” Aglaea smiled awkwardly. “But look, that kid over there, why is she sitting alone out—” She turned to point, only to find the spot empty.
Aglaea thought she’d never see that girl again. Life in the bustling city left her no time to dwell on a homeless child. But those blue eyes stayed with her, like a mischievous kitten curling up quietly in her heart.
The second encounter began with a meow.
Her apartment was on a low floor, where the street noise often kept her awake. It was another noisy night, cars rushing by outside, and no matter what she tried: earplugs, headphones, even sleeping pills, nothing worked. She lay on her bed in defeat, pulling the blanket over her head until she couldn’t breathe anymore.
Forget it. I’ll just go out for a walk.
She went downstairs and wandered aimlessly. The late summer night air was cool against her skin, making her shiver. The traffic had finally faded, leaving only the distant cry of cicadas. She realized that soon, the weather would start to turn cold.
Just as she was about to go back, she heard a faint, sharp cat meow. The sound was soft but piercing, impossible to ignore in the quiet night. Aglaea’s heart tightened. She’d never seen any stray cats around this neighbourhood. It’s said that they were “taken care” of. She didn’t want to dig deep about what that meant.
The sound came from a nearby bush. Cautiously, Aglaea approached, listening closely. The meows rose and fell—and mixed with them, she thought she heard a human whisper.
“Shh, little one, be quiet. Come with me…”
A stranger’s whisper. Aglaea stopped in her tracks, heart pounding. She stepped back, and snapped a dry branch on the ground.
Crack.
Both she and the shadow in the bushes startled.
“Who’s there!” The figure jumped up. Two startled blue eyes met Aglaea’s. Panic and anger flashed across them, clearly displeased at being discovered. Before Aglaea could react, the figure turned and ran, vanishing into the dark.
The light was too dim for her to see the girl’s face clearly, but those beautiful eyes were enough. It was the same girl from before.
I scared her off… I didn’t mean to…
“Meow…”
The cat’s cry drew her gaze downward. A tiny kitten lay curled beneath the bushes, fragile as an old toy. A scrawny tabby, no more than a few days old, its fur matted and dirty.
“Was it you calling for help?” Aglaea knelt down and gently picked it up. The little thing was so small in her hands.
Why…? That girl doesn’t even have a home herself. Why would she try to save something even weaker than her?
The kitten purred faintly as Aglaea stroked its dirty fur, whispering softly,
“It’s alright. Come home with me.”
A few days later, on her way to dinner after work, Aglaea passed by that same street again. She glanced around, hoping to see the girl. Worry and curiosity had built up inside her; that cat-like girl had settled in her thoughts and refused to leave.
She remembered her coworker’s words: “Oh, you’re new here. You’ll get used to it. The city’s full of homeless people. Most are lazy bums, not worth your sympathy.” When Aglaea frowned, the coworker added, “Seriously, they just steal and scam! My last phone was stolen by one! You better watch out too.”
Aglaea didn’t agree, but she couldn’t find the words to argue either.
Maybe the girl had done something wrong, but the light in her eyes wasn’t something a lazy thief would have.
What had she gone through? And why, even in that situation, would she still try to save a helpless kitten?
Aglaea didn’t have an answer. She only felt a faint ache in her chest at the thought of such stubborn kindness.
She couldn’t explain why she cared so much about a stranger. But these days, her dreams had been filled with the image of the little cat she once had. A kitten she’d rescued on a rainy night, only for it to vanish one night in the rain and never return.
Sometimes, she couldn’t tell if she was missing that cat, or worrying about another lonely soul.The smell of grilled fish drifted through the air, pulling her from her thoughts. She looked up and realized she had wandered to the very restaurant her coworker had recommended. The place was packed, a line stretching out the door.
“Well, I’m already here…” She touched her growling stomach. “Might as well have dinner.”
An hour later, full and satisfied, Aglaea stepped out into the damp night. The air was heavy with humidity, and she remembered the weather forecast warning of rain—she hadn’t brought an umbrella.
Just as she reached into her bag to call a ride, a shout broke out behind her:
“Stop that thief!!”
Startled, she turned around. A gray blur darted through the crowd toward the restaurant door. Chaos followed—shouts, curses, the crash of dishes. Someone tried to block the door, but the figure twisted gracefully and slipped through a narrow gap before the door closed.
The thief ran straight toward Aglaea. She instinctively stepped back, ready to stop them, until the figure glanced up. Beneath the hood, two blue sapphires flashed in the dark.
It’s her.
Before Aglaea could react, the girl was gone again, and so was Aglaea’s bag.
The street erupted in noise. People checked their pockets, others yelled for the police. The restaurant owner, red with anger, shouted into the night:
“You brat! If I ever see you again, you’re done!”
Aglaea stood frozen, the wind cooling the heat from her face until only confusion remained. Her wallet and phone were gone, she couldn’t even go home, but the first thought that came to her wasn’t to call the police.
For that brief second when their eyes met, she had seen no panic in the girl’s gaze. Instead, a flash of sly confidence, almost as if she wanted Aglaea to follow.
Maybe… she wasn’t chasing for money, Aglaea realized.
Without thinking about traps or consequences, she chose to believe, following the girl into the darkness.
The city’s downtown still had countless narrow alleys, and Aglaea nearly got lost in the maze. The girl had left plenty of traces behind: tipped-over trash bins, scattered coins, footprints leading onward. It was almost too obvious, as if intentional.
Is she running… or waiting?
The footsteps ahead slowed. It sounded like the girl had hit a dead end. Aglaea held her breath, peeking around the corner.
There she was, half crouched, counting her “loot.” Coins clinked as she laughed softly to herself. Aglaea saw her own bag lying nearby, untouched. She fought the urge to rush out and grab it.
“Hey, not bad. Guess I can sleep well tonight,” the girl said proudly, shaking the pouch of coins, smiling at the sound.
Just as Aglaea was about to step forward, the girl climbed up the tall wall in front of her with agile ease.
“Wait!”
Aglaea shouted before she could stop herself and immediately regretted it. The girl for sure would run again, just like last time.
But instead, the girl turned and smirked at her, then leapt backward lightly.
Aglaea gasped.
Before she could move, a voice came from behind her.
“Hey, Blondie. You actually followed me?”
She spun around. The blue-eyed girl stood right there, calm and steady, a teasing smile on her lips. Her hood had fallen back, revealing tangled silver hair. Up close, Aglaea saw that although she was thin, she wasn’t much shorter than herself, maybe sixteen or seventeen years old.
“Has anyone ever told you you’re way too curious?” she said, pointing at the bag on the ground. “You got your stuff back, why bother chasing me? Gonna hand me over to the cops?” She held out her hands mockingly, as if daring Aglaea to arrest her.
What a troublemaker, Aglaea thought, smiling despite herself.
Then she said softly,
“I want to take you home.”
The girl froze, staring at her as if she couldn’t understand. Her hands clenched at her sleeves, eyes flickering.
“No… I don’t need your pity! I can take care of myself!” she snapped—but her voice wavered, shrinking into a whisper. “Why… why would you want to help me…?”
“For the same reason you wanted to save that kitten,” Aglaea said with a gentle smile, extending her hand.
The girl looked up at her. The blue in her eyes trembled under the light—not rejection, but a fragile kind of relief. Like something soft breaking free inside her.
“…My name’s Aglaea. What’s yours?”
“Cifera. Or Cipher,” she replied, her voice low and trembling.
Raindrops began to fall—sudden and heavy.
The rain hit the ground, splashing up pale mist, washing over the city. It drenched their hair and faces, cool water tracing down their cheeks. Cipher stood there, uncertain, ready to run, yet something held her still.
“Coming?” Aglaea’s hand was still outstretched.
“...Yes.” A trembling hand reached her palm.
Rain filled the spaces between their fingers, blurring the streetlights and the fear.
And at that moment, Aglaea thought, maybe the rain wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
Some things only begin to grow after they’ve been completely drenched.
TBC...