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“Hi my babies,” Junhui sings as she enters the cattery. It’s the best part of her day, getting greeted by cats coming up to her, butting their heads against her shins and demanding attention while she hangs up her purse.
“I missed you too,” Junhui promises, leaning down so she can scratch behind Chae’s ears until the persian is purring happily.
“And hello to you too princess,” Junhui says when Dahyun jumps onto the counter, tilting her head like she’s waiting for Junhui to pay attention to her. Of course she’s a sucker, so Junhui is quick to press a kiss to the top of the calico’s head, laughing when she gets a lightning-fast lick to her nose in response.
“I know I know,” she laughs when Momo rises up onto her back legs so she can scratch gently at Junhui’s legs until she gets her own greeting. (One day she’ll regret not wearing jeans when she comes to work, but today is not that day.) “Hi my love.”
“Look at you sleepyheads,” Junhui coos when she finds Nayeon and Tzuyu curled up together on the top of one of the cat trees. They shouldn’t be able to fit, but somehow they’ve managed it, with Nayeon letting the younger tabby curl up tightly against her belly while they doze. It’s adorable, and Junhui takes a picture to show Soonyoung seconds before Nayeon opens her eyes to glare at the intrusion.
“Sorry baby,” she whispers, “I’ll leave you two alone.”
There’s no shortage of things to do in the cattery, and once she gives Sana and Mina their ear scratches, Junhui gets to work, cleaning the litter boxes and mentally pumping her fist that everything looks normal (they had a scare a month ago when they found some bloody urine, but that ended up just being an easily treatable uti and Junhui’s glad that each of the cats has their favorite box so it was easy to figure out that they needed to treat Mina instead of each of the cats.)
She refills the water fountains and checks that the automatic feeders are working properly before checking the cat trees and beds for messes (not that she has to, but if any of the cats got sick she wants to know about it before she ends up sitting in it like she did all the way back when she started volunteering.)
“No puke,” Junhui announces to the room, “good job ladies. I’ll let you girls nap, just pretend I’m not here.”
Junhui settles into the rocking chair in the corner of the room, pulling her laptop out even though she doubts she’s going to get much work done. She barely gets Chrome open before Momo saunters up to the chair, chirping twice before jumping up and settling herself primly across Junhui’s keyboard.
“I have important stuff to do,” Junhui sighs, as if fucking around on her gatcha game is important. (Which it is, she hasn’t done her dailies yet, but Momo doesn’t need to know they can wait until she gets up.)
A meow is the only response she gets before Momo lies down, curling up against Junhui’s laptop screen as if she’s the only entertainment Junhui needs.
“You have five minutes before I’m kicking you off,” Junhui threatens.
She lets Momo stay for twenty before she has to get up when Dahyun starts scratching at her leg, the telltale sign that it’s time for treats.
“Sorry baby,” Junhui says when Momo glares at her for daring to pick her up, “you had your time with the warm laptop. It’s snack time.”
Junhui laughs as a few of the cats all try to trip her on the way to the cabinet the treats are in, twisting between her legs as she walks but she’s done this enough times not to let them make her fall.
“Here you go,” Junhui says, waiting for the cats that followed her to sit before she places treats in front of them. “Such polite girls.”
Moving around the room, Junhui deposits treats in front of the rest of the cats until she gets to Jihyo, who doesn’t even look up from where she’s sunbathing on her favorite blanket.
That’s weird, Junhui thinks as she watches Jihyo ignore the treat. Normally she gobbles them up faster than she can give them to her, but now, she isn’t even sniffing the treat.
Junhui can’t stop thinking about Jihyo during the rest of her shift, and it’s not like she’s going to run into the next volunteer so she does the only thing she can think of, she grabs one of the cat-shaped sticky notes and scribbles a note for whoever replaces her.
Keep an eye on Jihyo, she isn’t eating her treats- Jun
For a second she feels stupid worrying so much, maybe she just ate Mina’s breakfast like she did last week or maybe Junhui didn’t make a big enough deal of handing her the treats (sometimes the cats like a little show with their snacks, and all she did was place the treat on the blanket in front of Jihyo) and maybe whoever sees the note will laugh at her but she can’t not leave a note. She’s doing her due-dilligence, and that makes her feel better about signing her name.
Junhui forgets all about the sticky note, figuring that it’s already been thrown in the trash or lost in the bustle of the busy shelter, so when she looks at the bulletin board she’s shocked to see a new sticky note where hers was.
Noted, Jihyo ignored her treats during my shift too. Keep me updated, we’ll compare notes tomorrow and make a game plan. -Wonwoo
Wonwoo. So that’s the name of the volunteer who comes in after she’s gone. Junhui can’t believe she didn’t even know their name. (She really should be less of an introvert and stick around after her shift since it’s not like Wonwoo comes in much later after her shift ends, but she has her own cat to get home to and Dino doesn’t like waiting for anything, much less his dinner.)
Going a full day without eating a treat is definitely weird for Jihyo, so Junhui makes it her mission to get the maine coon to eat at least a little bit of a treat. She breaks out the big guns (a churu pouch, because no cat in their right mind can resist a churu) and kneels in front of where Jihyo is perched on a petal of one of the flower shaped cat trees.
“What do you say baby girl,” Junhui coos, “can you eat just a little?”
Junhui barely stops herself from cheering when Jihyo’s tongue pokes out enough to lap up some of the tasty treat, and she doesn’t stop squeezing more out until nearly the entire tube is empty.
“That’s my good girl,” Junhui praises, letting Jihyo inspect her fingers before she scratches her chin.
“Don’t worry, you’ll all get some,” Junhui laughs when she realizes that eight other cats are staring at her and the churu.
For some reason Junhui can’t wait to add another sticky note to the board, as if Wonwoo’s waiting with baited breath for an update on Jihyo. (Junhui would be if she was in Wonwoo’s place, so she doesn’t let herself be embarrassed as she thinks about what to write.)
Jihyo devoured a churu! You should’ve seen her go at it, it’s like she’s never had one in her life. I’ve never been more proud of her.
I don’t know what you’re talking about, Wonwoo’s note reads, and for a second Junhui wonders if she’s made a horrible mistake and Wonwoo really doesn’t care about her stupid updates. Jihyo’s never even seen a churu before, what a sad life she’s leading.
Wonwoo’s kidding, Junhui thinks to herself, we don’t have to disappear off the face of the earth.
The note doesn’t stop there, so Junhui keeps reading it like it’s the most interesting thing she’s ever read.
Glad to hear it, I’ll report back if we get a repeat performance during my shift.
And from there, Junhui and Wonwoo keep trading little notes to each other. It starts as simple things about the cats, like when one of the cats starts to seem like she’s coming down with a cold. Junhui comes into work to find a note from Wonwoo saying that he’s noticed it too, and they can’t ignore it anymore.
Jeongie seems to be coughing, might have to put her in iso if it gets worse
I noticed that too, hopefully it’s nothing but maybe we should keep her away from the others. I’ll disinfect the quarantine room before I leave today if you want to put her in it.
We’ll just have to give her extra love before we leave until her cough clears up. Can’t have her thinking she’s been abandoned again.
Tzuyu’s nails are getting long, should probably trim them down before she gets caught on something and hurts herself
Done, I’ll work on the other girls’ nails over the next couple days so we don’t have any unfair fights
Mina really likes the bunny kicker, maybe we should get another before she destroys it or Sana steals it
I was thinking that too, I can pick one up before I come in
What do you do when you’re not here?
Junhui can’t believe what she’s reading, so she takes the note and stomps off until she can shove the note in Soonyoung’s face.
“Did you do this?” Junhui asks, because there’s no way Wonwoo is asking about her life.
“I’m not nearly invested enough in your little sticky note flirting to get involved,” Soonyoung says, sounding as affronted as Junhui’s ever heard her.
“Yes she is,” Jeonghan shouts from behind her desk, “but no, the only one who touches the sticky notes are you two.”
“It’s about time you start talking about more than the cats,” Soonyoung says, “this Jeongie did that and Momo did this was getting boring.”
“So she actually wrote this,” Junhui says, blinking like it’ll help her get over her shock.
“That’s Wonwoo-yah’s handwriting,” Jeonghan agrees, “now how are you going to tell her all you do is go home to play with your cat.”
“Dino-yah and I live a very fulfilling life,” Junhui scoffs, “we’re very happy.”
“I’m sure you are,” Soonyoung agrees, “but imagine how much happier you’ll be if you tell Wonwoo something interesting.”
“I’m interesting,” Junhui says. She is, she has Dino and went to school for dance before she hurt her leg and she takes cooking classes on the weekends. (So what if she cooks for one using the recipes and techniques she learns, at least she’s getting out and making friends that are twice her age and busy with their own lives.)
“You are,” Jeonghan agrees dutifully, “Wonwoo would be lucky to get to know you better.”
“So let her,” Soonyoung says, “tell her about your cat.”
Junhui doesn’t even know where to begin about Dino, but she has a feeling Soonyoung will be disappointed if she just tells Wonwoo about how he’s a lykoi that she used all her luck to find in a shelter near her apartment and how he loves napping in the sink or his favorite toy is her stuffed otter that he commandeered as his own the second she brought him home.
I’m a single cat mom, she writes, Dino is a full time job, but he’s the best thing that ever happened to me.
There, she thinks I talked about myself and Dino, Soonyoung can’t complain.
Just before she puts the note up, she realizes that she hasn’t asked Wonwoo anything about herself, so she takes a deep breath and adds What about you? Do you have any pets?
Pets are safe, for fuck sake they both volunteer at a cat shelter so they at least have a love of cats in common.
My roommate’s allergic to cats
Wonwoo’s even drawn a sad face on her response, and if Junhui didn’t already have butterflies in her belly (she’s talking to a girl! A girl is talking to her! It’s all very exciting.) she does when Wonwoo asks more about Dino.
Why the name Dino? I might’ve had to Google lykoi, but they look like little werewolves! Do you have pictures?
His name was Chan when I adopted him but he has the cattitide of a dinosaur so the nickname stuck. I have so many, if we ever run into each other I’ll show you my entire gallery. We do photoshoots, he loves wearing sweaters.
(They won’t run into each other because that’s too much for Junhui’s cold gay heart, but she can’t deny that she’s thought about staying just a little later in case Wonwoo comes in early and they can have the meet-cute of her dreams, but the keyword here is thought about it. Dino can’t wait for his dinner just because there’s a pretty girl Junhui wants to talk to.)
I love it. I didn’t know cats liked wearing clothes.
Most don’t, Dino-yah’s just a fashionista. Soonyoung says he has a better sense of style than she does, if you can believe it.
Soonyoung dresses like a lesbian, I very much believe a cat dresses better than she does.
Soonyoung can see this, Soonyoung’s handwriting is scrawled on a new sticky note with an angry-eyed emoji. I am a lesbian, how else should I dress? Not everyone wears dresses or cardigans when they’re going to clean up shit.
Butt out Soo-yah Junhui writes back, but not before tearing Soonyoung’s note to pieces. Where were we? Oh right, Dino’s found the cat across the street and I think they’re plotting world domination. I’m terrified.
It’s a good thing they can’t actually meet up, the world doesn’t stand a chance if a werecat joins forces with another cat. Diabolical.
He almost didn’t let me leave this morning. The fucker started making biscuits on my lap in bed right before my alarm went off. I can’t ruin his baking business.
Sounds like he let you up or I wouldn’t be writing this. Does he sell his biscuits? I’d like to buy a dozen.
Junhui doesn’t know why that note inspires her to be brave, but she ends up writing about her cooking class and they start talking about things other than Dino. (She even buys one of those little printers so she can print out pictures of Dino and some of the meals she’s proud of, because for some reason she needs Wonwoo to see them.)
Tell me why I want to become a lit teacher Wonwoo writes one day, because they’ve moved past talking about how Wonwoo wishes she could be eating Junhui’s pasta instead of the sad fried spam and rice she brings to class every day. (Junhui wishes she could too, but she keeps her thoughts to herself.) Junhui knows all about how Wonwoo’s going to school for a literature degree so she can pass on her love of reading to a new generation, and Wonwoo knows all about how Junhui has started going to dance classes again because she fucking misses it even though her leg aches.
Because you’re a nerd and want to turn kids into nerds, Junhui teases, and because what else are you going to do with a degree in lit?
Don’t remind me, I should’ve gone into business management instead. I could be our boss (xo Hannie and Shua) and we’d be rich
Sounds nice
They talk and they talk and if the best part of Junhui’s day was coming into work to see the cats, now the best part of her day is seeing what Wonwoo’s said.
Until one day, the only note on the board is her own, the one that tells Wonwoo about how she wants to try this new pizza place that just opened up across the street. (It’s not like she was asking Wonwoo to go with her, but she wasn’t not asking Wonwoo to go with her and now she’s ruined everything by being too forward.)
Junhui can’t believe it, Wonwoo didn’t even bother replying even though she thought they were friends by now, and what’s worse is that she can’t even move from the front of the bulletin board. Her feet are frozen, and instead of being left to wallow in her self-pity, Soonyoung has to catch her staring.
“Wonwoo called out yesterday,” Soonyoung volunteers, “something about a paper that’s ruining her life.”
Junhui knows the one, Wonwoo’s mentioned how she’s in the final year of her lit degree and her thesis about the sexual politics of a novel Junhui never bothered to read (not that Wonwoo’s fascination with it hasn’t triggered her curiosity, but she just hasn’t gotten around to picking it up from the library) but she didn’t realize just how much it’s affecting the younger woman’s life.
“Oh,” Junhui hums, trying to get her feet to move so she doesn’t melt into the floor in embarrassment because Soonyoung knows that she’s upset about the lack of an update.
“She should be back tomorrow,” Soonyoung continues, clearly delighting in Junhui’s misery. Her eyes are fucking twinkling as she mentions texting Wonwoo late last night, “just checking to make sure she isn’t dead, but I’m sure she’d rather be talking to unnie.”
Does she, a rather loud part of Junhui’s brain asks, one that Junhui shoves down because Soonyoung is so much more interesting to talk to than she is and Soonyoung is obviously teasing her.
“I see we’re busy as usual?” Jeonghan asks, poking her head out of the office and startling Junhui so badly that she almost falls backwards. (That’s one way to get her to move, she thinks, and at this point things can’t get more embarrassing for her.)
But of course they can, because Soonyoung opens her fucking mouth and Junhui wishes the ground would swallow her whole.
“Just talking about Junhui’s hopeless crush on Wonwoo-yah,” the bitch says.
“It’s not a crush,” Junhui tries to argue, but she’s caught off guard when Jisoo pipes up.
“It’s not hopeless,” he says, which…what?
“What?” Junhui is going to die right here when Jisoo continues.
“Come on, when have you heard Wonwoo-yah speak more than a sentence to someone who isn’t a cat?” he asks, “and yet she leaves essays on post-it notes. Jun-ah might as well leave a note that says do you like me check yes or no and Wonwoo would combust on the spot.”
“You should totally do that,” Soonyoung says excitedly as she grabs Junhui’s arm and shakes.
“I’m not doing that,” Junhui says. She isn’t brave like Soonyoung or her bosses, and if Wonwoo rejects her she could never show her face in the shelter again and she loves it here too much to risk it.
“You could just ask for her number,” Jeonghan volunteers, “like a normal person would do when they want to talk to someone.”
“You’d get more than one response a day,” Jisoo agrees, “we could totally give you her number.”
“I’m not going to invade her privacy like that,” Junhui argues, because a phone number is private and if Wonwoo wanted her to have it she would’ve offered it already.
“Then we’ll give her your phone number,” Jeonghan says, “imagine how many cat photos you could share if you could.”
“And other things,” Jisoo teases, “another kind of–”
“Darling, if you finish that sentence I’m leaving you,” Jeonghan says, “my Junnie is a pure soul who doesn’t need to hear about that sort of thing.”
Seriously, Junhui is going to combust if this conversation keeps happening.
“I should get in there,” she says as soon as there’s an opening in the conversation. “The girls are probably starving.”
“I fed them this morning,” Soonyoung says, “you just don’t want to hear about how right we are.”
“Nope,” Junhui agrees, “gotta get going, see you guys later.”
At least the cats don’t judge me, she thinks as Dahyun weaves in between her feet as soon as she’s in the cattery. Well, maybe Sana does, she adds when she catches the persian staring at her with pure judgement in her eyes. (That might be because Junhui isn’t immediately tripping over herself to say hello, but it’s judgement and she won’t stand for it.)
The babies miss you Junhui writes Chae wasn’t the same today, she wouldn’t play with the feather dancer like she usually does.
I miss you, she doesn’t say, because she’s a fucking coward.
True to Soonyoung’s word, when Junhui comes into the shelter the next day there’s a note with Wonwoo’s far too nice handwriting on it.
I think Chae forgave me, but not before she tried to shred my shoelace.
That’s what you get for wearing your nice shoes, why do you think I wear my old dance sneakers.
Imagine how much easier this conversation would be if you just had each other’s numbers, a voice that sounds suspiciously like Soonyoung’s pipes up in Junhui’s head, and Junhui can't deny anymore that her friend might be right. They wouldn’t have to wait an entire day for the rest of their conversation, and they could say more than one or two things about their days if they could chat instantly.
Next time I want pictures, if you want you can text me at 610-1996
She pins the sticky note to the board and all but trips over her own feet to get out of the shelter before she has enough time to think about her actions, because if she thinks about it she’ll tear the note down and rip it to shreds and never show her face in the shelter again.
Junhui tries to distract herself the second she gets home, putting on her and Dino’s favorite drama that they’ve managed to get behind on so she can lose herself in it while Dino curls up on her lap.
“Who’s the most handsome boy?” Junhui coos when Dino starts making biscuits on her thigh. Wonwoo would think this is adorable she thinks before she shuts any other thoughts down, because the idea of Wonwoo and Dino meeting is a little too much for her gay heart to handle.
She doesn’t think about how Wonwoo’s shift has already started by now or about how she’s already had more than enough time to see Junhui’s note, and she’s certainly not planning on how she can pretend she never listened to Soonyoung in the first place. (And oh, isn’t that a good idea. Soonyoung is the one who left Junhui’s phone number on the sticky note, the nosey bitch. Junhui would never. That’s what she’ll go with tomorrow because there’s no way Wonwoo is actually going to text her.)
Only at that moment, her phone pings with a new message that can’t be from Wonwoo.
But who else would send her a picture of Mina and Jihyo curled up in the flower bed with a caption of look at these lovebirds from an unknown number.
More pictures come through while Junhui’s still processing the fact that Wonwoo is texting her and not ignoring her like she was terrified of, Chae bunny-kicking her favorite plushie, Dahyun on her back as she basks in the sun, and Jeongie perched on the windowsill with her eyes locked on a bird.
You said you wanted pictures, Wonwoo says so I’m delivering.
I love them
One day we should let Jeongie out on a harness and she what she actually does with a bird
She wouldn’t know what to do
I think she could take one
Should we be encouraging cat on bird violence?
Probably not
I won’t tell if you don’t
Deal.
Soonyoung can never know how long Junhui spends talking to Wonwoo, their conversation quickly turning from the cats to their personal lives the same way their sticky notes have, and before she knows it her tv is asking if she’s still watching because the three episodes have gone by without her catching a single scene.
Shouldn’t you be working on your thesis?
Probably
But you’re more interesting than it is
That’s it, Junhui’s going to die. There’s no way Wonwoo isn’t flirting with her, even though Junhui can’t believe it. She rereads the message over and over just to make sure she isn’t imagining it, but her lack of a reply must make Wonwoo nervous because she sends another message.
Sorry, that was probably weird
Don’t apologize
If Wonwoo’s being brave she can be too, so she closes her eyes and hits send on a message that could ruin anything.
Sorry, I got flustered because a pretty girl said I was interesting
And who’s the pretty girl texting you?
Junui’s glad that Wonwoo can’t hear the way she snorts as she types back I think you know her, she works at a cat shelter.
You haven’t even seen my face
Soonyoung might’ve shown me a picture
Or ten
Nosey bitch
But now I can admit that she’s shown me your picture too
The one where you’re holding Nayeon and posing in front of the mirror
Junhui knows exactly which selfie Wonwoo’s talking about because she only sent it to Soonyoung as a joke (and as proof of why she doesn’t like taking photos of herself.) She’s holding Nayeon against her chest while giving her best come-hither stare, complete with lip biting and what she thinks are sexy eyes (Soonyoung just said it looked like she had something caught in her eye, the bitch.) It’s quite possibly the most embarrassing photo she’s ever taken, and Wonwoo’s fucking seen it.
That bitch
No one was supposed to see that
I’d like to die
Don’t die
Too late, you’re talking to Junhui’s ghost now
But Junhui takes sexy pictures, she can’t be a ghost
Sexy? Wonwoo thinks that picture is sexy?
That’s the least sexy picture a girl could take
I look stupid
You look gorgeous
Thank you
They talk (read: flirt) for another few minutes before Wonwoo says that she really should be working on her thesis, and Junhui’s heart almost stops when she reads her final message.
I have to get going, but would you like to get coffee sometime?
Yes, a thousand times yes
So much for being smooth, Junhui thinks as she realizes that she sounds way too eager for something that could very well just be two friends getting coffee together, but Wonwoo’s response tells her she isn’t alone in being excited.
Cool
It’s a date.
It’s a fucking date. They’re going to talk in person, and Junhui’s gay heart is going to combust.
Might be late tomorrow Wonwoo’s latest note reads I’m getting coffee with a pretty girl
Wow, I’m getting coffee with a pretty girl too. Wonder if they know each other.
Junhui spends entirely too much time picking out her outfit before settling on her favorite black and white dress with the collar that shows off what Soonyoung says are her delicate collarbones (even if she has to coax Dino from where he’s lying on the dress, it’s worth it because she knows she looks good in it.)
Are you fucking kidding me Junhui asks herself, because Wonwoo picked a table by the window and the sun is literally making her skin glow. She's too gay for this, and she almost turns around and promises herself she’ll come up with an excuse for why she bailed but then Wonwoo sees her and waves.
“I’m Wonwoo,” Wonwoo says, and the sound of her voice makes butterflies erupt in Junhui’s belly.
“Junhui,” she says, “it’s really nice to meet you.”