| the neighbor's lost cat

hanni, after a long day at their school decided to call it a day, she bid farewell to her friends with a wide smile, watching them as they exit the gate of their school together to wait for the bus to their respective houses. hanni lives the farthest from all her classmates, so she takes the dorm of their school's building, making things 'easier' for her. it's not really that fun nor easy, yes it's convenient — but sometimes it gets lonely being away from her family, the dorm life wasn't easy, missing out food made by her mom and the comfort of her bed that also smelled like her mom. the good thing is that hanni was independent, she was mature and knew what she had to do, she got used to this life pretty quick.

hanni entered the building, walking past the accountant and to the beautiful glass walls of the elevator, she pressed the 4th floor and stood still, her mind was kind of empty after a day of thinking about the endless school works being brought upon their shoulders. the elevator opens at 2nd floor, she sees a familiar classmate enter with a thick slab of papers on her hands, her head was low as she walked in the elevator. hanni watched and turned away as quick as possible after she sees the girl pressing on the same floor as her.

ban heeseo. she's that smart but lonely girl in their class, she doesn't have that much friends nor interact with the surroundings all the time, she was aloof and stayed at the same seat as always. but heeseo is nice, based on the small interactions they had before, heeseo is helpful, generous and considerate but very far away from the world. the elevator opens and they started walking side by side, the atmosphere was awkward, heeseo wasn't speaking and hanni is too tired to talk. hanni's room was next to heeseo's, they were practically neighbors but aren't always in touch with each other, heeseo's room seems to be locked all the time and the small whiteboard hanging by her wall is always blank.

heeseo entered first, immediately closing the door, hanni stood in front of hers then looked down on the floor before sighing and entering inside.

the next day, hanni did the same routine, after school she went inside the dormitories and entered the elevator but she didn't see any traces of heeseo, usually they catch up on each other, this time she's not here. when the elevator stopped, hanni was a bit puzzled, she didn't understand the lingering feeling inside her chest but she ignored it with a shake of her head. exiting, she walked on the hallway, passing the different rooms and seeing different signs hanging up on their doors. hanni stopped in front of the bulleting board, a bunch of posters— mostly are flyers asking for students to join organizations, hanni was always disinterested, who knew what those organizations have under their sleeves? but one caught her attention, it's a picture of a cat, a tabby one to be exact, laying on a bed, eyes looking at the camera as it was in what they call 'loaf' position. the poster wrote: "if anyone has seen my cat, miya. please contact my phone number ******** he's missing and i need to find him, i will try to think of a reward as thanks but for now please message me if you have seen this cat — ban heeseo, year 4 class f, dorm room 405."

hanni blinked and looked around, feeling her heart sink, she didn't know heeseo had a cat. that sucks, hanni hoped she would encounter this cat and be able to give it back to heeseo.

two days have passed, hanni had not seen any tabby cat that looked like the one in the poster, only a tuxedo one and a calico. but even that, hanni still has hope she'd be able to find the cat, unknowingly, hanni doesn't realize how much she cared for a stranger— a stranger's cat, that when it's weekends, her free time she walks around the campus, every corner, trying to spot a male tabby.

it has been a week, she still haven't seen one and weird enough, whenever it's not school hours, hanni also cannot spot heeseo around the campus, it's been a week they haven't encountered each other in the same elevator nor walked side by side in the hallway. it's driving hanni nuts, she's worried about heeseo. hanni's still trying her best to look for the tabby cat and this time she made sure she'll be able to talk to heeseo about it.

it's recess, hanni excused herself from her friends as she walked past other classmates to heeseo who sat on her seat, alone. "hey heeseo i just wanted—" "ban heeseo!" hanni was cut off by a voice from their guidance councilor, heeseo stood up and looked at hanni, raising her brows. hanni stared, the words caught up on her throat when she tried to speak, she ended up shaking her head instead. "i— nevermind, we can talk next time." she said, with a smile.

heeseo nodded, before making her way out.

it's been 3 weeks since she saw the poster, hanni had been thinking about the situation in school and now it's time for her to enter the elevator again not expecting heeseo to follow next— but she was wrong, heeseo entered inside the elevator and stood next to hanni, her usual spot after tapping the button to the 4th floor. the elevator stops and they went on with their usual lives yet one of them is bothered by the other.

hanni stayed in front of the bulleting board, where the poster of the missing cat is still stuck. hanni took a heavy breath and pulled her phone to contact heeseo's number.

*******

hello?

have you seen you cat?

i'm actually worried for him, so i asked.

the posters been here for weeks.

hanni stared at her phone, waiting for it to be delivered and be seen, she stood there as a group of girls walk past. hanni also changed the contact name to 'ban heeseo' tapping the screen of her phone every seconds until...

ban heeseo

heeseo sent a photo.

i found him.

:DD

oh my god, hanni was ecstatic at the news and the smiley emoticon, a blush spread across her face as she smiled, typing a reply.

OMG SO HAPPY FOR YOU

i've been worried about the cat and
tried looking around the campus
myself but to no luck i wasn't
able to encounter.

i'm so happy you found him!

yes, i'm happy too

thanks for trying to look for him

it does not matter if it was unsuccessful.

do you want to see him?

hanni stared at the invitation, trying to think of it deeper than it suggested. what does it mean? she thought, trying to read every word. hanni looked at the closed door beside her room, she blinked, pursing her lips. with a chuckle, hanni slapped her own cheek. "of course, oh my god. who wouldn't want to see the cutie." she whispered.

YES! i want to meet him.

that's great, he's in my room.

you can knock in my door if
you want to see him.

again, oh my god? is she talking to heeseo? or was it just a doppelganger tricking her. hanni looked up from her phone and approached the door, still the sign has no writings on it. hanni looked around her, holding her phone and she raised her right hand, hesitating yet she knocked. "hello?" she called.

hanni heard subtle footsteps, the door opens to heeseo's soft face, her not so evident smile and her very clean and wide room. hanni entered, trying not to look around. when heeseo moved away from her sight, hanni was greeted with the sight of a perfectly round cat laying on the bed, not a sleep but certainly very comfortable. hanni cooed, walking carefully at the cat, staring at it's soft fur and orange coat. "so cute... i'm so happy you found him again!" hanni looked at heeseo who nodded. "yeah... i was afraid i wasn't gonna get him back." heeseo answered, hanni smiled at her, eyes looking at heeseo with all admiration. "i was about to talk to you about it the other week, but the guidance called your name." hanni crouched to level the cat on the bed, reaching her hand to pet the cat, who immediately gave in with a purr.

"yes i remember, it was about my cat actually." hanni listened, her eyes focused at the streaks of darker orange on the cat's skin, the streaks of darker orange, the particular m on the cat's head as the pink nose touches hanni's palms. "they showed me a footage from this floor." hanni looked at heeseo who walked and sat on the bed, looking at her cat. "what about the footage?" hanni asked, tilting her head.

"oh, it's just that— my cat has been following you the past few weeks." heeseo answered, hanni gasped at the news, looking at the mischievous sleepy cat and to it's owner. heeseo chuckled and nodded. "yeah, every time you enter here, he's following you and also exiting when you open the door." hanni giggled, pulling her hand away from the cat. "how did i not notice?" hanni asked herself, face-palming. heeseo shrugged. "i thought you knew and was about to mention it to me during our recess."

hanni shook her head. "oh no! i didn't... i was about to lend a hand to look for the cat, oh my god. i just didn't realize he was entering my room." heeseo nodded with a smile on her lips, hanni almost melted, wow... heeseo is adorable, cute, pretty and beautiful, whatever words are used to describe such girl. "he's naughty but good all the time." heeseo muttered, looking down at the floor of her room. "he sure is." hanni added.

when hanni went back to her own room, she sat at her bed, smiling from ear to ear as she recall the events with heeseo. "wow, miya is such a cute cat..." she whispered. heeseo, her smile, her laugh and that cute personality of hers, she yearned for more.

promising herself she won't barge inside heeseo's dorm room anymore, hanni found herself wrong as she sat on the carpeted floor of heeseo's room, next to heeseo herself they leaned on the small wooden table. there scattered their textbooks and notes, pens and pencils. heeseo was laughing and so is hanni, miya was laying on hanni's lap.

after teaching each other lessons of different classes, hanni found herself wanting to spend more time with heeseo, leading her to always visiting heeseo's room whenever she can and she was always welcomed.

after a month, hanni got used to always visiting, it seems like heeseo isn't the type of come out of her room so hanni always felt like she needed to be there for heeseo without bothering her. heeseo always seemed happy being able to have hanni in her room, they converse in their classroom but spent more time together in her room, heeseo always felt so much better with hanni, it's like a piece of her is complete whenever hanni is beside her.

"thanks hanni for always visiting me and miya, he really loves you." heeseo said, petting her beloved tabby cat who purred to her touch. hanni smiled, feeling a blush creep on her cheeks. "it's nothing, i always find myself coming inside your room, it's so nice here." hanni answered, feeling her heart beat very fast.

"oh... thanks. here's a gift from me, i hope you like it. it's a compilation of videos from when miya is born to now." heeseo passed a videotape, holding hanni's hand and pressing the tape to hanni's hand, before gently letting go. hanni looked at the tape and to heeseo, tilting her head. "really?" heeseo nodded, smiling widely. "of course, you've been very amazing and i'm happy to have you here always."

hanni felt like crying, she sobbed, launching herself to heeseo's arms. "oh my god heeseo! you're so nice! i love you so much!" hanni cried, burying her head to heeseo's shoulder, her heart leaped in joy. heeseo giggled.

"for you always hanni, i love you too."

note:

basic calculus is only fun if you get it.
i think my prof has powers how did he even understand my horrible handwriting.