You Wrote Me a Letter (but I never learned how to read) || Wooyu ||

Cat (and when you don't)

***

"Look at this one!" Kino exclaimed in awe, as he watched a majestic white cockatoo who had a speck of red on his luscious, feathery wings that were spread as far as the cage allowed him. "It's so big and beautiful!"

The cockatoo flapped his wings and let out a powerful melodic squeak that made Kino gasp and applaud in admiration. But to Yuto it only sounded like a pained wail of another trapped animal among the many that sat caged in this pet shop. His eyes never left the green ones that were staring back at him the whole time from behind the bars. Sorrowful and pleading. Never once in his entire 23 years did a pet shop made him so unbelievably miserable, and a minuscule part of his heart longed for a life free of the idol restrictions and regulations, where he doesn't have to worry about his image or weight, where he can just take the black-furred kitty out of here and bring it home. It's almost unfair how many things he has to sacrifice to advance in a career that he's not even sure makes him happy. His fingers slowly, softly caressed Wakanda's trembling fur through the bars and he thought of Wooseok. His anxiety doubled. The way he left things with the younger before he and Kino left for the pet shop was highly worrisome.

Kino and Hui were the ones to return to the dorms first. The boys were planning to reason with the members in a calm way about the matter, but they didn't get the chance because Lee Hoetaek barged in through the door, screaming like he usually does to get the younger boys' attention, and Wakanda got so startled that she jumped from Wooseok's chest and ran under the bed, and Hui actually got a reason to be screaming about.

It was Hui, to Kino's grand shock, that took the reasonable decision of taking the cat to a pet shop as soon as possible.

"Wow, I'd never believed you'd ever be this responsible," Kino muttered.

"Alpha male, my dearest Hyunggu," he replied smugly.

"Wow..."

"And besides, your mom likes it when I take attitude like that."

"HEY!"

As Hui felt famished, he opted for staying at the dorm while the other boys took the cat to the nearest shop. Kino, who was cradling the kitty in his arms, was the one who volunteered to go with the two roommates. But as Yuto turned to face Wooseok, he unexpectedly found a dead cold stare, face blank of every emotion. He shoved his hands in his pant pockets and walked out of the room without saying anything. Kino watched the scene confused. Yuto followed the boy up to the studio room where he had to grab a hold of his fingers to get his attention. The younger pulled his hand out of his grasp immediately and turned around with the unchanged chilling expression. This act of rejection rose a pang of anxiety in Yuto's stomach. It's not something Wooseok would do. Not to him.

"Wooseok, you're.. not coming?"

"No."

His tone was ice on his tongue. Yuto swallowed thickly. In this whole time since he's known the younger, he has never been so unapproachable with him. The Japanese boy's palms were trembling, because in all honestly, he didn't know what to do or say. The change in the latter's behavior was so sudden and caught Yuto so off guard and it was frightening. He was not good in situations like these and he just wanted Wooseok to pull him in a tight hug and tell him it's okay. But that never happened, and instead, he was met with an unsatisfied stare, as if his presence was a massive inconvenience, making Wooseok waste precious time.

"I-" he stammered. "I thought you'd want to say goodbye-"

"I don't." Ice. "Just go."

The taller turned his back on Yuto and entered the studio, leaving the confused Japanese boy in the doorway.