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I'm bleeding.
My old scars have opened again, crimson tide flowing out of them. The cat scratched me while I was trying to wash it. The germs are all over me. Inside me.
It's okay.
I open the kitchen cabinets to look for something, preferably some sanitary alcohol. I don't come back victorious.
There's no booze either. My father drank it all.
There's no possible way something wrong will happen just from this, right?
Jisung pops into my mind.
'If you don't bandage it you'll die, Minho.'
He's right. I mean, I wouldn't mind dying, that's my wish— but the kitten; I can't just promise him that he's safe and then leave him alone.
And so I put my hand under the running water and wait until it stops bleeding. The sting has my toes curling. I force myself to endure the pain.
Minutes pass. I'm getting tired of waiting so I decide to just wrap something around it.
My eyes fall on the cat.
"What should I name you?"
The kitty meows.
"Doongie? That's a nice name. You remind me of Soonie." I smile at the image of him in my head.
They both have orange fur combined with white. I got Soonie the same way— found him abandoned on the street.
It wasn't rainy like today. It was a friendly, welcoming weather.
What will I feed Doongie, though? There's little to no food left. I should forget about going shopping tomorrow when I can just go now.
Even if it's still raining, I can just take an umbrella.
"Let's tuck you in." I say as I pick up my new friend and rush upstairs to my room, covering him with Soonie's blanket on the chair under my desk.
"I'll be right back."
With rushing steps, I run to the store, shielded by an umbrella with cat paws printed on it. It's not far away— maybe fifteen minutes from home— so with rapid steps I arrive there in no time.
There aren't a lot of people, it's nice.
Wasting time has never been a hobby of mine. I quickly grab the items: lots of feline food, tomatoes, eggs, noodles, chips, milk, cereal, potatoes, meat and a cat toy.
The cashier scans the products then wishes me a great day.
"Goodbye." my voice is low, tired.
I hurry home, knowing that a soul is waiting for me for the first time in years. The other one didn't want to wait and left.
