The Stray Cat

Chapter 3: Mood Swings

Chaeyeon put down a pot of cheese tteokbokki at the middle of the big wooden table placed in the center of their living room. There were several dishes she cooked that are already on the table.

"Chaeyeon, they say they're already in the elevator but Eunbi-unnie, Yena, and Yuri are going to be late. Hyewon is on her way too." Sakura informed her while fiddling with her phone, probably chatting with others before she set it down beside her.

"Oh, that's good. I'll go order the takoyaki I promised Hyewon. Maybe a box of pizza too." The younger girl giggled when she saw the pregnant woman almost salivate at the sight of the food she prepared. "Want to eat some now? We can't have our baby waiting for food."

"N-no, it's okay. They'll be here in a minute!" Sakura shook her head in denial but her eyes were still stuck on the cheese tteokbokki.

Chaeyeon sighed and smiled at her. "It's fine to eat now. They wouldn't mind plus you shouldn't hold back."

The older girl looked at Chaeyeon in disbelief, eyes teary before walking towards their bedroom. "I hate you!"

Huh? Wait. What did I do?

The younger girl was left stunned at the other girl's sudden mood swing when the doorbell suddenly rang. She quickly jogged towards the door and welcomed their guests.

"Unnie!" Minjoo hugged Chaeyeon. "Thank you for inviting us! Here are some presents from me and Chaewon."

"Hi, Chaeyeon-unnie. We got you some vitamins for both Sakura-unnie and the baby." Chaewon added who was just behind the excited Minjoo. Chaeyeon gave them a smile but her mind was elsewhere.

"Thanks, Chaewon, Minjoo."

Although she wants to greet them properly, she chose not to lengthen the conversation. Chaeyeon gave them another smile, ushering them inside in a hurry.

"Sorry, Sakura suddenly cried just a second before you guys arrived so I gotta go to her soon."

"What? Unnie, you should've gone to her first. Pregnant women are really sensitive so you should be more careful with your words and actions." Minjoo told Chaeyeon sternly while frowning making Chaewon chuckle.

"Calm down, babe." She patted her fiancee's head.

"Unnie, go to Sakura-unnie. We'll take care of the stuff here. Don't worry." Nako who was trying to stand on her toes just to let herself be seen by Chaeyeon added. A quiet Hitomi was also beside her, worry adorning her adorable face, giving her a nod.

"Yeah, just close the door, okay? Thanks. I'll go to her now."

Without waiting for their response, Chaeyeon spun on her heels and ran towards their bedroom, gently knocking on the door where she can hear someone's sniffling.

"Saku-chan, I'll enter the room."

She silently opened the door to see Sakura hiding under the duvet, crying noises audible enough for others to hear before closing the door to give them privacy. She sat beside the lump on the bed and reached for it, gently caressing Sakura's shoulder before letting herself lie down while her right arm supported her upper body.

"Hey... I'm sorry if I hurt you. Come on, don't cry. I'll be sad if you do."

Chaeyeon felt Sakura shift underneath the covers to face her. The girl slowly peeked from the blanket to see Chaeyeon's facial expression. Her eyes, red from tears. The younger girl couldn't help but sigh and give her a reassuring smile before hugging Sakura.

"I'm not mad. It's okay for you to hate me if I did something wrong. I don't want you to be sad. The baby will be sad too, you know."

"I'm sorry. I don't hate you." Chaeyeon let out a breathy laugh as she felt Sakura bury her face on the crook of her neck. "I love you."