I puffed my cheeks out, huffing out yet another breath of air just to see it disappear once more. Dressed warmly in a maroon cardigan, I headed out to the park like how I did every single day. In my hand was a plastic grocery bag, swinging as I walked. I kept my eyes on the ground, my face half-hidden by the knitted material around my neck.
There were a lot of people at the park today, more than usual. Fidgeting nervously, I tried my best not to bump into anyone, hastily weaving through the crowds. Was there a special event happening today that I didn't know about?
I quickly ran to a familiar gathering of trees and glanced around, reaching into my bag. Soon, they started to gather around me, showing gentle signs of affection. I chuckled and crouched down, pulling out some canned cat food and fish. Excited mewls filled the place as I opened up the can, holding it out for the cats to eat.
There were seven of them; unwanted, vulnerable cats that were abandoned by their owners. If I could, I would take them all home and give them a nice, warm place to rest. Unfortunately, my apartment complex did not allow pets.
A small smile formed on my face as I watched them gobble down the food I brought for them. That was the least I could do: bring food every day and interact with the cats for a bit. I worked at a bookstore nearby, so I usually stopped by before and after my shift ended. Checking my watch, I clicked my tongue.
"Ah, it's time for me to go. I'll see you guys later." Grinning, I cleaned up the empty cans, disposing them properly in the trash can.
The walk to the bookstore only took a couple of minutes, and when I came in, Namjoon, my childhood friend and the owner of the store, had already arrived.
"Good morning, Y/N." He spoke, smiling softly at me. He was dusting a shelf of books, humming along to the old record player.
"Good morning." I mumbled back, hanging my cardigan up on the coat hanger. Putting an apron over my white turtleneck shirt, I looked at the clock ticking on the wall. "Do you want me to open the store?"
Silence followed after my question, and I sighed.
"No, not yet." Namjoon's soft voice answered after a moment of silence. "Seokjin's coming over from his cafe with coffee for us."
I nodded slowly and took a moment to stretch. Seokjin was Namjoon's beloved boyfriend, and he came over every day with sweet treats for us. By now, I was used to his chatty and bubbly nature.
"Namjoon-ah~" Seokjin came twirling through the door, a wide smile on his face. "I'm here~"
I turned around to greet the male but then froze up immediately; he wasn't alone this time.
Namjoon finished cleaning and walked over, wiping his hands on his apron. "Oh, you brought Hoseok hyung?"
Jin replied with a slight hum and gestured to the strange male. "Y/N, you haven't met SeokSeok yet, right?" He grabbed the stranger by the shoulders and scooted him closer to me, and I flinched slightly. "Y/N, this is Hoseok. Hoseok, this is Y/N."
"Nice to meet you!" The man named Hoseok chirped enthusiastically, extending his hand out.
I hesitated, staring fearfully at his hand. I glanced at my friend, silently asking for help. His soft gaze met mine, and I relaxed, taking Hoseok's hand in mine. "Nice to meet you too."
We shook hands, the awkward moment passing by with no problem at all. Seokjin and Namjoon shared a little kiss on the cheek and an embrace.
"Ah, it's almost 9... We should open up now." Namjoon said as he glanced at the clock on the wall.
