XO, YUNA ~ THE UNEXPECTED LOVE

009: CHUSEOK-PART 2

I spotted Kitty walking on the campus grounds the moment I stepped outside the dorm building. Somehow, I knew she'd be still there.

" Kitty, there you are!" I called out, waving as I jogged over to her. The cool autumn air brushed against my face, making me realize just how different this year's Chuseok will be for me now.

Kitty looked up and smiled when she saw me. " Hey, Yuna! I thought you went home for Chuseok." She said, surprised but still cheerful, her usual warm expression on her face.

I shrugged, trying to keep things light. " Oh, my mom's living in Paris with her fiancé, while my dad's off with my stepmom and half-sibling in states. As my grandparents passed last year. I didn't really have anywhere to go." I said it easily enough, but the sadness still lingered in my chest. " That's why, I decided to stick around here. But I'll be going home to help my relatives celebrate after the holiday."

Kitty nodded, her face softening in understanding. " I get that," She said. " My family are in the States, while my sister Margot is in London and I'm on my own this Chuseok, too." Her words were comforting, though I could tell she wasn't going to pity me. 

We started walking together across the school, the fallen leaves crunching beneath our feet. The whole campus looked beautiful in the fall—quiet and peaceful—but I wasn't really feeling it this year. I was just going through the motions, honestly.

" I actually came to find you," I said after a few beats of silence. " Q told me you're hosting a feast tomorrow for all the foreign students who don't have anywhere to go. I thought... I could help."

Kitty's face lit up, her eyes sparkling at my offer. " Really? That would be amazing! I've been stressing about it, honestly. There's so much to do, and I could use all the help I can get."

Without warning, she pulled me into a tight hug. I was caught off guard for a moment, but I quickly relaxed into it. She had this way of making people feel like they mattered, and it was hard to resist. " Thank you, Yuna! I knew I could count on you."

I laughed softly, feeling a little bashful. " Don't mention it," I said, trying to brush it off. " I've got you covered. Besides, I know a thing or two about cooking. Even though being a chaebol heiress." I gestured to myself with a playful grin, trying to keep things light.

Kitty chuckled, her grin widening. " You're a lifesaver, seriously." She pulled away as she drag me going to the nearest grocery store.

By the time we got to the store, I was actually looking forward to what we were about to do. I had no idea how much cooking and preparing for a holiday could actually feel like an adventure, but with Kitty by my side, everything felt new. The weight of my loneliness faded just a little. Helping her felt like the right way to spend my time, like it wasn't just about me anymore.

We entered the store together, and I felt that familiar rush of excitement. It was strange how something so simple, like grocery shopping for a feast, could actually be fun. Maybe it was the way Kitty made everything feel easy.