Tales | jensoo

Cat Owner - III

Very rarely did Jennie find herself able to come home early.

Usually, when she finished her to-do list for the day, she would start on the ones scheduled for the next—for efficiency, of course, because she had a momentum to keep.

Today however, after a particularly gruelling meeting with the board on the delays regarding the experiment—reasoned out of her own control but had responsibility over anyway—she allowed herself have it. At least, after some coaxing from Irene and Seulgi practically threatening to kick her out of her office.

It's odd to clock-out with the sun still out when she was used to coming home at eight in the evening at the earliest. She managed to pick up some groceries—maybe some cat food—on her way home, and ordered some lo mein to-go from the cute little Chinese restaurant near Odeon.

When she arrived home, she placed her groceries aside in her fridge and cupboards, and realized she had nothing else to do until she had to get up again the next day at 5:30.

The clock on the wall read 6:00. Almost 12 hours.

It's a startling reminder. Efficiency and momentum aside, she had absorbed herself into work because she didn't have a life out of it.

With a sigh, she brought dinner, a bottle of wine and her laptop to on the couch. She didn't resist the urge and went on to check her email. For her own sanity.

It went downhill from there, of course. A new email from Hanbin at half past six means Jennie was reading through the proposal she had to proofread come next week, half of her dinner forgotten on the coffee table as she immerses herself in her work.

Jennie was only torn from her laptop when she heard the splintering of wood. She paused from reading and glanced towards the front door.

There's a meow. She blinked. "Seriously?"

Another meow.

Jennie laughed to herself. She checked the time—almost eight in the evening.

She closed her laptop and placed her leftovers in the fridge. The meowing returned. More splintering of wood. Jennie sighed and walked to the front door. She opened it to find Sneaky, tail twitching from side-to-side. He greeted her with a blink and a displeased yowl.

"Hello to you, too, kitty cat," Jennie said with an amused tilt of her head. She crossed her arms and stared down at him. "Here for your dinner?"

Sneaky answered with a meow, but he didn't actually walk past the open door until Jennie steps aside. As soon as she did, Sneaky allowed himself in, bell on his collar ringing with his every step.

"Look at that. You don't usually break into my place, huh?" Jennie mused, shaking her head as she closed the door. She turned to find Sneaky by the doorway to the kitchen. Jennie sighed. "You know, your mom's right. I am spoiling you."

Sneaky only meowed, then jumped up the counter. Jennie purses her lips then strode to the kitchen to feed the darned thing—she took the food bowls out, poured him water, emptied a can of cat food. As usual.

Sneaky mewled and digs in, and Jennie just sighed as she watches.

"I should tell Jisoo I'm feeding you, you know," she murmured. She pat his head gently. "Maybe I'll get plus points or something."

Sneaky meowed against his food. Jennie hummed. "She must be at least bi right? Her outfit last time just screamed not straight to me."

Meow.

"Do you even know what I'm talking about?"

No response this time.

Jennie sighed dramatically. "Of course you don't. You only know of being served like the mighty cat king that you are."