BTS WORLD ARCHIVE: ANOTHER STORY

Chapter 1-4: All Thanks to the Cat

We wrap the interview up smoothly and head out in the same direction.

"The bus station's down this way," Namjun informs me.

I nod, smiling. "Thanks. I don't really know this area, so that's a big help."

"Well, I'll see you," Namjun smiled back, waving me off. "This interview was fun."

"I had fun too. Can I call you if I have any follow-up questions?"

Namjun nods, dimple-ful. "Of course."

I'm sure I'll need more information. I want to learn everything I can about you.

Suddenly we hear a cat meowing loudly behind us. We turn towards the sound as expected, there's the cat, but it's not alone.

"I bought you some tuna, huh?" the little girl says. She notices us watching her. "Catnapper, why are you here?"

I fumed. "I'm not a catnapper!"

"Don't lie, are you here to try and take Toto again?" the child inquired.

"I told you I'm not!" I pouted.

She seems unconvinced.

Namjun, who's been watching the entire exchange, suddenly speaks up. He points to the can of tuna in the girl's hand. "Did you bring that for the cat?"

The girl nods slowly. "Yeah. Why?"

"There's too much sodium in that for a cat," Namjun said.

The child blinked. "...Sodium?"

Namjun smiled, mildly amused. "I mean, salt. Tuna is pretty salty.  You feed cat tuna out of the can, right?

"Yeah, it tastes good," the girl told him.

"Right. But that salty taste is really bad for cats," Namjun explains.

The little girl's face falls. "You mean it hurts Toto?"

"Yeah. That's why Toto looks so fat even though she's so hungry."

I was once again in awe. Typical Namjun. That's something I didn't even know.

The little girl dropped her guard a little at the cat trivia. "Wow, that's amazing. Are you a cat professor?"

Namjun shook his head, a bit flustered. "No, I'm nothing like that. I just live next door."

"You do?"

"Yeah. That's why this person was trying to relocate Toto." Namjun gestured to me.

I tensed. "Huh?"

"I was having trouble focusing because Toto kept crying because she was hungry," Namjun clarified. "I have to write at night."

The girl sneaks a look towards me as she replies. "So, the catnapper is not really a catnapper?"

"That's what I've been saying!" I exclaimed, slightly annoyed.

"You promise you aren't?" The girl asked cautiously.

"I promise," I insisted. "I'm a cat person. Really. Right, Toto? You remember me?" I extend out a hand towards Toto who meows and scampered over to me.

The girl claps her hands in delight. "That's greet. We should all take care of Toto together.

I blinked. "What? No, that's not what ---"

I catch Namjun's eye. He looks to be at a loss. What do we do?

As soon as I start to think about it, the young girl's stomach grows loudly.

"Oh, have you eaten anything today? You should have the tuna at least," I tell her.

The girl pouts. "But if I eat this, then Toto won't have any food."

She's so kindhearted. I feel a peg of sadness.

Namjun seems to feel the same, because he says, "I was about to eat dinner. Do you wanna eat with me?"

The girl gets giddy. "Really?"

Namjun smiled. "Of course." And he looks to me. "You should eat with us too. Reporter."

The suggestion catches me off guard, but it's a great opportunity to get closer to Namjun.

I had to double check, "Are you? Are you sure?" 

Namjun didn't seem to see it as a problem. "Two is better than one and three is better than two. It'll be nice to eat together."

Namjun is just so generous. I quickly nod at Namjun's suggestion.