The Stray Cat

Chapter 1: Responsibility

"Miss Lee, here are the remaining papers to be reviewed and signed."

A small girl wearing a formal office attire handed a thick folder towards a pudding-haired woman who was busy fiddling with her laptop, eyes deeply focused on her work.

"Thanks, Nako."

Taking a break from her work, the woman gave her a sweet smile before stretching her tired body; eyes closed, joints cracking, her black hair with silver ends dancing in every move she made.

The girl laughed at her boss and smiled, "Miss Lee, you should just go home for now. It's already eight in the evening."

"Nako, you should stop calling me Miss Lee. It's making me age faster plus you already clocked out so you're not working anymore. No need for formalities." The woman pouted at her secretary, Yabuki Nako, who was also her friend since high school.

"Fine, Chaeyeon-unnie. You should go home soon."

"I still have to fini—"

"Unnie, just go. If you don't, I'll stay here with you."

"Hey, you're not going to be paid for overtime work already. Just go home. It's been three hours."

"You do realize that you've been camping in this office since a week ago, right? I know you're sad so you're drowning yourself with work and you have your things inside your private room here but going home is another thing. Please rest. I won't leave until you do."

"But don't you have a date with your girlfriend?"

Nako groaned in frustration. "That's why I'm telling you to go home so I can go to her already!"

"What's her name again? Honda..."

The shorter girl hissed. "Hitomi. Honda Hitomi. So hurry up, the clock is ticking. If we break up, I'm going to kill myself and haunt you forever."

"I don't want to be haunted by you, of all people." Chaeyeon chuckled and closed her laptop, immediately stuffing it inside her bag.

"Good. Let's go!"

She laughed at the excited Nako. "What time is your dinner with Hitomi?"

"Thirty minutes from now."

"You're safe then. Well, good luck! Have fun!" Tapping her secretary's shoulder, she proceeded to walk towards the stairs.

"Why are you using the stairs? It's the 20th floor..."

"I want to exercise."

"Just go for a walk outside instead of killing your poor feet with the stairs. You can breathe some fresh air when you walk across the Mapo Bridge on your way, not some stuffy humid air inside the stairway. You can leave your car here, after all."

The taller girl hummed while pondering. "Okay. My home's not that far anyways."

Getting inside the elevator, Chaeyeon remembered the phone she picked up a few days ago that she left inside her bag.

"What are you doing?" Nako shot her a curious look while looking at her who was digging through her bag.

"Looking for a certain phone. I hope it's still al— ah! I got you."

The tall girl clicked the power button of the phone, hoping it's charged properly before it was left behind and she was glad that it really is charged. Though there was only half of it left. She swiped the phone to unlock it, no passcode needed it seems but Chaeyeon was startled when the phone started to vibrate endlessly, receiving calls and messages it missed after being revived again.