The Ninth Life of Min Yoon Gi

5.

His days repeated this way for about a week before he felt safe enough to not bolt when the door opened. Before he knew it, he was sitting impatiently by the door at the time she would appear, knowing he would receive something delicious for his patience.

"See, I knew you were a sweetheart... deep down." She said as she offered him a piece of ham from her hand.

He sniffed it, just in case, before snatching it from her fingers and stepping back to devour it. He really liked ham.

He looked back at her, seeing her smile drop as she took a bite of her sandwich. They had spent many meals together. She often spoke about her day's activities and asked him his thoughts. He had none to share, of course. He was a cat. He liked that she never tried to touch him and never gave him a stupid name.

As the summer days turned into fall, he learned her routine and on the days she wasn't there, he would long for her presence and the promise of easy food.

So when she wasn't there for many days in a row, he got angry at first, taking it out on the fragile bodies of any viable prey that crossed his way. Then he grew sad, thinking she was gone and he should move on.

It was on a day when the fall leaves had dusted the ground and a particularly crisp breeze was chilling the air that she finally returned.

When the door opened and he looked up to see it was her, he went dashing over, stopping himself just out of her reach, not sure if he could believe she had returned after so long.

"Hey, Goyang-i," she said with a sad voice, taking up her spot on the pavement. "I'm sorry I was away for so long."

He sat and looked up at her expectantly, hoping for a morsel of his favorite meat. He licked his lips as she pulled her sandwich from its bag and he caught a whiff of chicken. She dutifully pulled a small piece off for him and offered it with her finger tips, allowing him to sniff it before grabbing it and devouring it.

"I missed you, too," she said softly.

Slowly, he reached a paw out towards her arm, tapping it gently and looking up at her curiously.

He quickly drew his paw back, licking at it, having felt a sharp sting in his pads. The pain quickly abated, but his attention was still distracted. He didn't notice the hand reach out until it was resting on his head and sliding down his back.

He bolted.

From the safety of his bush, he heard her sobbing, the sandwich forgotten on the ground by her side.