Kitten (minsung)

35

Before the accident (this is gonna be a long ass chapter):

Minho was busy feeding his cats after several unsuccessful attempts to make a phone call to Jisung. The three cats seemed rather peaceful unlike the owner. Minho recalled his struggles upon taming Soon-ie and Dong-ie who kept yearning for Dori's attention every single hour. Both cats adored the cute maknae: Dori, as though Dori was more interested in Minho than the lousy cats.

This night though, was different. The trio immediately dozed off after being fed by Minho: the responsible cat dad. How he wished to have the ability to read their deepest thoughts as they lied peacefully on the carpet. Perhaps they're judging Minho, or maybe they didn't like the new carpet. Who knows? They're just cats; unable to emphasize with Minho's abrupt state of mind, nor give him advice. Though the thought of Soon-ie, Dong-ie, and Dori giving him advice sounded somewhat terrifying and fascinating in his head at the same time.

Minho was feeling lonely; painfully, thoroughly, excruciatingly lonely.

He hated it when the loneliness started to merge into his body, taking control. Every once in a while, all those memories flashed before his eyes. The beautiful ones, of course. But the most beautiful one comes in with the most hurtful truth. It reminded him how empty his heart has been ever since the accident.

Usually on nights, Minho would check out the flowers in his garden which were all planted by his father. Thrilling was the perfect word to describe the flowers. They're all arranged in a way that made their house looked like Barbie's garden. Not to mention that the night sky made the flowers looked prettier, as the moonlight illuminated each petals, making them looked more vibrant, especially in the eyes whom appreciate nature's beauty.

In the afternoon, he usually watched as his mother tried to communicate with bees, telling them to suck the nectar inside each flowers. The bees somehow understood her, although she was practically using obscure language. Translation's still needed, or so his father said. Minho would've just laughed it out whenever his parents' natural science knowledge collided with each other.

However everything changed. It was all because of a drunk truck driver whose truck literally crushed his parents' car and killed them right before they're about to have their romantic anniversary dinner. Everything went wrong on that night. The night that was supposed to be beautiful changed Minho's life forever in the most terrible way.

Minho remembered seeing an uninvited woman knocking on his front door instead of his parents. Minho recognized her face as she used to hang out with his mother. She claimed herself to be his mother's best friend and the moment she told him the news, he could only stood frozen with wide eyes. He was only eleven years old when he realized that he's going to be an orphan.

Everything felt different with his parents' absence. His grandparents took him after since. However, that woman who came to Minho's house at the saddest day of his life helped his grandparents raised him because they're unable to raise him. He started calling her 'Auntie', though they're not blood-related. She wasn't his legal guardian, yet he cared so much about him. She fed him, taught him everything he needed, gave him enough affection, also bought him three cats to accompany him. She said that animals can sometimes be better than humans; they would listen to their owner without giving judgment. And she's absolutely right about that.

Just thinking about the past, he felt both anguish and asphyxia-the anguish of sinking into depravity, and asphyxia because he kept pretending about his wellbeing.