Chapter Text
The storm that had rolled in came in fast, like a snap of the fingers. One minute, the sun had been slowly setting on a clear evening, gorgeous shades of oranges, yellows and purples staining the sky like bruises. Then, at the behest of some irritated god, the storm had crashed in, roaring with thunder claps reminding the residents of the true power of nature. Rattling windows, blowing over bins, even shaking cars back and forth as they navigated the pouring rain.
Rumi flinched away from the window at latest crack of thunder, but her hand remained pressed to the glass, enjoying the percussive feeling against her palm as the rain rattled vainly. Her viewpoint from above the city gave her a good vantage point as the storm raged across Seoul, causing anyone foolish enough to be outside to run for cover.
Being up this high was enthralling (for the most part). Looking down on millions of people living their lives was a good way to keep yourself in perspective, Rumi had found. Always important to remind yourself that you’re one of many, and that you have been very blessed to get this far. But on nights like this, where you were so high up... Well, that was a little scarier.
Mira and Zoey were giggling in the background, lounging around on the couch. They’d been discussing new song ideas, but from the sounds of the conversation, it had long since left the topic of work and retreated into recreation and... tapas, apparently.
Rumi had needed to retreat for a bit, just for a breather. Afterparties were always a raucous affair in their shared apartment, but everyone needs downtime, even idols. Especially idols who were trying to execute plans that didn't involve her groupmate's prying eyes, even if she trusted them more than anyone in the whole world.
See, for a few months now, Rumi had been sneaking around behind their backs, at least a few times a week.
Whoa, wait a second, hold it right there!
This wasn’t for any nefarious reasons, of course! It was certainly nothing scandalous.
*~*
There was nothing particularly special about that day, when Rumi had found herself distracted by a poster for another up-and-coming group. The rest of the entourage had moved on and left her behind while she was caught in her musing. So, for the first time in a while, she’d been alone.
Glee had set in. A handful of quick moves, and she’d whipped up her hood, tucked away her long braid, used a mask to cover her face, and found a nice pair of shades to cover what was left of her exposed face.
With that disguise, if for just a little while, she was able to walk through the busy streets of Seoul. Able to hang in a record shop and browse new releases. Free to walk amongst everyday people and just… people-watch.
She’d watched a busker tunelessly sing a cover of one of Huntrix’s songs, and placed a crisp green 10 thousand won bill in his guitar case for his trouble.
Even observed a couple having a very public argument that chained into a breakup, and into a “take me back” speech that had gotten very short shrift from the infuriated now-ex-girlfriend.
It had been when Rumi was borderline drooling into her mask over a decidedly not-on-the-prescribed-diet cream puff that she’d caught a glimmer in her peripheral vision. Thoughts of delicious baked goods were immediately abandoned for mysteries of the unknown.
Maybe Mira was right when she said Rumi had the attention span of a hyper puppy.
The glimmer seemed to be reflecting off something in an alleyway, so she carefully crossed the street, looking both ways (no jaywalking for idols!), and tried to find the responsible party.
The reflection drew her into the mouth of the alleyway, where she could now make out the sun reflecting off some kind of shiny pendant. A quicker examination showed it to connected to a silver chain, draped into a cardboard box. Using her sneaker to brush some shattered pieces of a glass bottle out the way, she picked it up, and that’s when she heard it.
A sickly mewling, weak and thin, was coming from the cardboard.
Rumi peeled back the damp cardboard, and revealed the source of the sound. Inside was a tiny kitten. The poor thing was so ragged she could see its ribs through its matted fur. The little mewls it was whimpering out were so pathetic that she wanted to scoop it straight against her chest and hold it close.
The little shivering mess struggled to look up at her, and her throat clutched shut as she realised why such a little thing had been abandoned.
When she reached out to pet it, she realised just why it had been abandoned.
The little cat’s head was deformed, giving it a weirdly wide head and odd-looking eyes. It didn’t look like a ‘normal’ cat, so it had been dumped here. Abandoned. Her stomach plummeted. People could be so cruel that they’d abandon such a weak little creature, and for what? Their own “perfect” self? It was enough to make her grind her teeth in anger
Anger at the cruelty of the world lit up her blood, and a ringing whine started in her ears. Rumi snuck her finger under the poor little creature’s chin and twirled it around a few times, stroking as it nuzzled her finger as best it could.
While she lingered in comforting the kitten, so intent was her focus that she didn’t hear the approaching footsteps. Not until a voice broke the quiet atmosphere.
“I hope you haven’t run off - oh, uh, hey.” Surprised, Rumi glanced around and came face to face with a (handsome) guy wearing a mask. The guy was tall, and carrying a cat carrier in his left hand. Rumi’s eyes flickered from his wrists, tracing up his exposed forearms. Weird tribal tattoos plastered them, swirling and dancing up to his elbows, before hiding under the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt.
His sense in fashion was pretty chic. Well-put together outfit, jacket, nice chinos, new sneakers, great hair. But the mask was odd: it had a set of teeth emblazoned across it, and she couldn’t for the life of her pick out what kind of animal the jaws were supposed to be from.
None of that mattered, though, because in an instant, she’d figured out what he was here for.
“Is this your doing?” Rumi lurched to her feet before she’d even realised it, pointing an accusatory finger at his chin. Her hair bounced around in her hoodie, but managed to be held in place. Rather than leaning back, the man stayed where he was. There was an odd intensity radiating off him. It was like he was sizing her up for a fight, but finding her to be lacking.
“What are you talking about?” His eyebrow moved up a notch, and that was enough to draw a snarl out of her. It was the kind of gesture that made her blood pressure rise, made a deep anger writhe in the pit of her gut. It made the words starting pouring out, like June
“This poor thing! How could you abandon it? It’s freezing outside for a baby like that. And to toss him aside just because he’s a little weird looking? What is wrong with you?” Each sentence she jabbed her finger at him again, trying to put him on the back foot. Rather than doing that, he stepped in.
“Look, gonna need you to cool that pretty head of yours reaaal quick.” His words were snappy, sharpened to a point. “I didn’t dump the poor little guy, I found him before you did and went to grab a carrier so that I could take him back to my place and get him warmed up.” He mimicked her pointing, placing the tip of his finger against hers. “Maybe if you didn’t jump to conclusions, you wouldn’t feel so silly right now.” Before she could respond, he swerved around her and knelt down by the kitten, rubbing its face back and forth.
At the gesture, the kitten mewled, desperate in its want for more attention. Rumi, still frozen in place, glanced down to where it was squirming around in the box. The guy might be rude, but the kitten seemed to want him around.
“Well, it sure likes you, I guess,” she said, with a slight harrumph, still unimpressed. In her cautious interest, she took a few careful steps towards him, trying to get a better look at what he was doing.
“That’d be on account of my winning personality,” he replied, his voice turning up the last syllable. Rumi was surprised by how much musicality his voice had, dancing up and downward like trained fingers on ivory, slight bends onto words to change their intention. He reached into his jacket pocket and rummaged around for something, before producing a small can. Rumi craned her neck to try and read the text. Was it some kind of cat food?
The kitten’s mewls were increasing as he waved the little can back and forth in front of it. She couldn’t see his face, but it felt like he was smiling. He had to be right? Her feet crunched in the pebbles and mud as slid down into a crouch alongside him.
In one smooth motion, he yanked the can’s pull tab back, and reached in, pulling out a small bit of what looked like tuna. “Eat up, eat up.” Rumi had good ears (great, even) but even she was straining to hear his faint words. Even a strong breeze would have covered it up.
While the little ball of fur and ribs nibbled away at the piece of food, he was already pulling a larger piece apart into smaller, bite-sized bits.
“Uh.” Sure, she was a world-recognised idol, but she was still more than capable of fumbling her words. The guy glanced at her, and she could feel the cocksure energy radiating off him. Rumi could swear that he was snickering behind that dumb mask. She felt her cheeks prickle and shunted it off. World-class performer! Shape up!
“Ahem. Are you going to be taking him home then?” He hummed, short and sharp. Again, that sense of musicality. Was he also a performer?
“Well, it’s clear someone like you isn’t going to take care of a kitten, so yeah, I’ll be taking him. You got a problem with that?”
“Do I have a- of course I have a problem with someone so rude taking in such a sweet little kitten. You’ll infect him! With bad vibes! And your rudeness!” Her own grouchy tone didn’t seem to bother him, still radiating the same indifference he’d worn like a coat this whole conversation. Ignoring her accusations, he instead opted to reach down grab the little kitten. Snatched the little thing straight by the scruff and lifted it right up into the air.
The kitten didn’t seem to appreciate the gesture, giving indignant while it dangled, taking a few soft swipes at his hand. Released from the box and its shadows, she could see it more clearly.
The little thing ‘s coat was a blueish grey, with odd patterns of darker colouring, almost like the stripes on a tiger. His little teeth also jutted oddly, probably due to his weirdly shaped head. He was goofy looking, but also very cute. She scrunched her feet around a few times so she could get a better look, reaching out to give him a few more chin scratches as payment for his cuteness.
It was at this moment Rumi had the horrifying realisation that while staring at the cat, she had angled herself in such a way that she was now looking deeply into this guy’s eyes. He wasn’t looking back, so she snuck the opportunity to check him out. Well, the little of him that she could see, at least.
Compared to other men his age, he had surprisingly nice skin. Like the kind of skin that showed care was put into it. Not a bad face either. At least, what she could see of it. Dark eyes guised by thick and long eyelashes, his irises all freckled with amber. But something about his eyes looked tired. He had a look she associated with her own all-nighters, accumulated fatigue.
Deep down though, her impulsive side wanted to rip down the mask and see if the rest of his face looked that nice. Particularly his lips… Rumi had to admit that her imagination conjured up some pretty nice possibilities.
While her mind wandered, he’d finished wrestling the complaining kitten inside the carrier. His eyes were on hers and she panicked. Desperate to seem nonchalant, she looked away, finding a very interesting spot on the ground. Hoping that he hadn’t noticed her long stare, she tried to remember what they were talking about.
“If you’re that worried, you can always come and visit him. You know, to make sure I’m not training him to be an attack cat or something,” he said, at the least ignoring her weirdness. It was just a casual invite. Something anyone would do. But for Rumi, it was the kind of thing that spelled all kinds of headaches.
She started babbling. “No, I can’t. I mean, I can and I want to, but I can’t-” and it was like it snapped something in the conversation. That kind of thing you can only feel from the pressure in the air, the temperature shifts, those little changes in tone.
“Ah. You’re one of those types, huh?” He got off his knees and stood up, grimacing a bit as he stretched out his left arm. This time she could really get a sense of how tall he was. Sure, Rumi wasn’t as tall as Mira, but she wasn’t exactly short, and he’d still be a head over her.
“One of those types? What is that supposed to mean?” Rumi clambered to her feet and spat the words out. She was certainly glad that her own face was so covered right now so he couldn’t see how angry she was. Also, for the added bonus that no lurking fan, hater or paparazzi could catch her having a “moment”.
“That’s right. One of the types of people who likes to go halfway and make themselves feel better, while also justifying not committing to finishing the job you started.” He peeked into the cage, not even giving her the courtesy of eye contact. The arrogance made her core temperature rise a notch, but she fought to keep it down. “What, did you think I meant some kind of nasty thing?”
“That is still extremely nasty to say about anyone, let alone a girl you just met! Jeez, didn’t your mother ever tell you to be nice to strangers?” He recoiled a bit at that last line, as if she’d physically smacked him in the face.
For a moment, his eyes lost their spark, and his shoulders slumped slightly. “...No, she didn’t.” The cockiness was gone, the condescending eyes replaced with distance. But with a little sigh and a shake of his head, it was gone as fast as it had come in. “Look, just give me your arm.”
“Huh, wa-” Before she could react, he grabbed her wrist, and yanked out a marker pen (what kind of normal person keeps a marker pen on them) and scrawled an address across her forearm, a little doodle of a cat, and a name. Jinu. He nodded, satisfied.
“I’ll make it easy for you. Come, or don’t. We’ll find out what kind of person you really are, right?” He slapped two fingers across the drying marker text and leaned in, so close she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. “Seeya later, Rumi.”
The heat in her veins was immediately replaced with pure ice. He’d known the whole time? Then he knew better than anyone that she couldn’t just visit his home. But at the same time, she did want to see that kitten again. She could certainly tolerate this Jinu guy enough for that, surely.
Noone could be mad at her for bending the rules for an adorable kitten, right?
Surely.
*~*
Jinu’s lit cigarette crackled softly between his fingers as he stared out at drizzling rain.
The last of the day’s warmth had long since shuffled off, replaced by a unfriendly cold breeze and a steady drizzle.
He’d staggered into the apartment a few hours earlier with the carrier, and since then watched as the cat ran around excitedly knocking all his possessions over. A quick call to Abs had brought him over with essentials, and while Jinu took a smoke break outside, Abs was inside teasing the new resident with a feather wand.
He was exhausted. Jinu had been awake for the past 30 hours straight and was only awake through a life-threatening amount of caffeinated energy drinks. If he didn’t watch himself, he’d fall asleep right here to the soothing voice of the rain against the roof of his balcony.
The balcony lights were off, so he was sitting in the dark, alone, in a wicker chair, with a few butted out cigarettes in an ashtray.
A few rays of light radiated onto the balcony, whispering their way out from the apartment’s heavy blinds. The odd lighting cast the balcony in odd shadows and silhouettes. Every time the wind gusted, a few splatters of rain whipped over the balcony and straight into his face. Pleasant. He sighed, loud enough to draw attention from inside the apartment.
“How many times is that now, five?” Abs peeked out through the sliding door, a massive smirk plastered on his face. “Any more sighing and one might even accuse you of being smitten.” Jinu sneered in response, and stubbed out his cigarette.
“Me, smitten? With who? The only things I hang out with are you guys and now also a cat.”
“Oh, the fans will looooove to hear that one. You know how they are about potential romances.”
Jinu waved it off, “Yeah, much like everything, they’re extremely normal about it.” He grumbled a little bit and rolled his shoulder. His cut off sleeves had his shoulders out, but he felt pretty sore from work. Abs glanced at his tattoo and grimaced.
“Make sure you keep that covered at work. Last thing we need to be bitten is by your past bad decisions.”
“Hey, it’s not like you haven’t got one too.” Abs looked sheepish at Jinu’s retort, but still laughed. A big whole-body affair.
“Yeah, I do. But unlike you, my past self was smart enough to get it inked on his upper thigh, so unless we decide to strip on stage or something ridiculous, I think we’ll be fine on my side of things. Meanwhile you stamped yourself with a gang symbol on your shoulder, for everyone to see. I might be the dumb one, but you still make mistakes.” He ruffled Jinu’s hair and slid back into the apartment. “I’ll see you tomorrow. The boss wants to know about our earnings.” Jinu grimaced at the mention of the boss.
“Yeah, I know.” When he heard the entrance door click shut, he slid another cigarette out his case and placed it between his teeth, once again letting the rainy night dominate his vision.
“You better stay away.” Speaking to no one was a bit embarrassing, and Jinu grimaced. What am I, fifteen? He sparked his lighter and sucked hard on the new cigarette, letting the nicotine-ladled smoke crawl its way down into his lungs. He closed his eyes. Focus on the job, not a girl.
*~*
Well, fine, perhaps it was a little scandalous.