CRAIGSLIST THERAPIST | hyunho ✔

.25

The cats appear at the sound of Minho's bag of treats. He rips it open like it's a condom, teeth sliding the plastic off its place, tearing it open. Hyunjin can't decide the most dreadful: dog barking or cat wailing.

Minho crouches to feed a kibble to a dark tabby cat. "One for Dori," he says in cute-talk as the cat crunches on the dry food, scrunch-nosed like it's in pain.

"One for Doongie. Ow." Said Doongie, a white-orange cat, sinks sharp little teeth into Minho's pinched fingers, but gets the treat nonetheless.

"And one for Soonie," Minho proclaims in a stern voice. It only takes the orange cat a bite for the food to be gone. Soonie looks up, all plead-eyed a la Puss in Boots. Minho pouts in feigned petulance, but then says, "Oh-kay, two for Soonie."

The five of them sit, content, on the bench. All chewing and licking their lips. Hyunjin's brought two Cornettos. As he scratches Soonie right behind the ear, Minho's tongue glides through the white cream like a snowplow machine. "Soonie's the oldest," he says. "Gran-gran."

Hyunjin gets it now, that day Minho unplugged a hairball from his sink and tried to pet Kkami. He gets the unfamiliarity, the uncertainty. Cats don't jerk their heads up toward the hand that caresses them. They duck away. Hyunjin's palm and Dori's back are same-sided magnets. When Hyunjin thinks he'll meet fur, he meets air. Minho chuckles at that. Then stops. Gets lost in thought.

"You seem sadder than when we started this."

Hyunjin blinks away from Dori. "Do I?"

"Yes," Minho states. "Am I not helping?"

"You are."

Minho is silent. Doongie begs for a lick of ice cream. Then: "Did the bangs work?"

Hyunjin touches a strand. He cut it still wet and miscalculated the length. It's mid-forehead, now. "It's very flattering with the blond hair. And the haircut."

"Usually, a change in appearance is more effective than an internal one." Is it? "Have you felt any different?"

He watches Minho swipe his tongue over the Cornetto's upper crust. It gets coated in ice cream and tiny, caramelized peanuts.

"Yes," Hyunjin breathes.

"For the best?"

"Yes," Hyunjin sighs.

"So you don't need me anymore."

"What?" Hyunjin chokes mid-chew. Dori jumps off the bench. "I need you, yes. Still need therapy."

"Why? You're cured. You seemed genuine."

Hyunjin clears his throat and wills the lump in his throat to go down. "I'm getting better."

"I see," Minho says. He doesn't seem convinced.