Chasing Perfection || Lee Know

Lonely Hearts

That night, after Minho left, the apartment felt way too big.

Hyejin ended up sprawled on the couch with the kittens tucked all around her like tiny heating pads. One was snoozing on her stomach, another tangled in the crook of her arm, and the tiniest one had curled up at her neck, purring so loudly it sounded like a tiny motorboat.

She kept the TV on for background noise, but really, her mind was everywhere Minho wasn't. Every now and then, she'd reach for her phone, only to sigh when there were no new texts yet.

Every now and then, she reached for her phone, only to sigh when there were no new texts yet.

The worst part? She kept hearing things - little creaks, shifting furniture - and every single time, her heart skipped, thinking maybe it was Minho coming back early.
But no. Just the house settling. Just the kittens being chaotic gremlins.

At one point, she even caught herself talking to the cats like they were Minho.

"You think he's eating properly?" she whispered to Soonie, gently stroking his tiny head.
The kitten twitched his paw sleepily, like he was giving a thumbs up.
"Yeah. Me neither," she murmured with a fond smile.

She fell asleep on the couch, the kittens piled on top of her like a blanket made of tiny, breathing, chaotic love. Everything smelled faintly of Minho's cologne - the cushions, the hoodie she was drowning in - and it was somehow comforting and lonely all at once.

Next Morning~

The next morning was chaotic in the best way.

Hyejin stumbled around the kitchen in Minho's oversized hoodie and a pair of fuzzy socks, her hair a wild mess, trying to corral three screaming kittens and make coffee at the same time.

"One at a time!" she scolded laughingly as Soonie tried to climb up her leg for food while Dori meowed like her life depended on it. Doongie, meanwhile, had decided the best course of action was to knock over his food bowl. Again.

She finally managed to pour herself a cup of coffee, blowing on it lazily, when her phone buzzed on the counter.

Minho.

She practically tackled the phone, answering it with a too-bright, too-eager, "Hello?!"

Minho's tired but warm laugh poured through the speaker. "Good morning, sleepyhead."

"You landed?!" she gasped, her whole body lighting up.

"Yeah," he chuckled, his voice already wrapping itself around her like a hug. "Just got to baggage claim. It's... so ugly here, Hyejin. I miss Seoul already."

She laughed, bouncing slightly on her toes. "Ugly? Babe, you're literally in New York, not the middle of nowhere."

"Still ugly without you," he said simply, not missing a beat - and her heart just about melted out of her body.

She coughed into her coffee, cheeks burning. "You're disgusting. I hope you know that."

"You love it," Minho teased, voice smug.

"I tolerate it," she said, grinning.

And then, with a playful twinkle, she added, "Anyway, how is yesterday?"

There was a pause. "Yesterday?"

She laughed harder, walking into the living room and flopping onto the couch. "Seoul's thirteen hours ahead of New York, dumbass. Technically you're still living in yesterday. Welcome to the past."

Minho groaned. "God, you're such a brat."

"And you're old news," she sang teasingly. "I've already had breakfast without you. Future privileges."