Despite the feline calamity that day, Kongpob was able to sleep comfortably because, eventually, he learned, surprisingly, on that night too, that cats are the best cuddle buddies while slumbering. Or maybe it's just this particular cat. Maybe it's because the comfort Arthit brings to him transcends whatever form he's in.
The next morning, while biting his lip, Kongpob texts Knot, using Arthit's phone, telling him that "he" is back in his hometown because "his father is sick." Right after that, Kongpob apologizes to Arthit for using his father in a lie and thanks him for not putting a password on his phone.
Arthit, with his cat face, just stares at him.
Kongpob then prepares for his class after having texted Em for yesterday's notes. Em replies with "you know I don't take down notes. Ask Sun," which Kongpob can only shake his head to.
Putting his missed notes off for later, Kongpob takes a look at the friend he has to take care of in the next few days—if he can call him that. He exhales through his nose.
He already missed all his classes yesterday, and he cannot afford to do it again.
Kongpob, being the always-ready and responsible student that he is, read the university's policies and procedures manual before even the semester started, and he's certain there's nothing written about bringing animals on campus, though he's also certain it's because it should be common knowledge already that a student cannot bring an animal while in class. There are stray cats roaming around the university grounds, but it's not that he can't let Arthit stay with them. Who knows if Arthit, being in a feline body, was given feline sexual desires? What if he gets with another cat, and that other cat gets pregnant? Would that mean Arthit would have kittens as his children? Would they be normal kittens? What if, since Arthit is really a human, the kittens would be able to turn into humans too?
Kongpob physically shakes his head at the possibilities. He's definitely not bringing Arthit to the campus.
Kongpob also tries to ask the only other person who knows about what happened, Namtarn, if she can cat-sit her own friend for the day, but, just like him, she also has her own classes to attend.
The actual way to solve this kitty problem comes in the form of an Internet search.
"It isn't bad to send him to daycare while I'm in class, right?" Kongpob asks himself, though Arthit, with his now high-frequency ears, also hears him and almost extends his claws out.
But despite the squirming body of a cat in his arms, Kongpob isn't aware of this, so he types on his phone: cat daycare near me.
His search returns with a million results, 99.9% of which, he's sure, aren't very helpful. He scrolls down for a bit, and there he finds it: a cat day nursery five blocks from campus. It's outside the premises of the dormitories, but he can definitely take a brisk walk there, drop Arthit off, and run to his class. He can just get him back later in the afternoon.
Convinced that it's a plan, Kongpob flies to his feet, startling Arthit, and goes straight to the shower room. If Kongpob doesn't hear Arthit clawing at their shower room's door, it's because the sound of the shower drowns the noise from outside.
~
"P'Arthit, I know you're hungry. This will finish cooking in a bit!" Kongpob says to his meowing roommate.
The "cooking" he's referring to is the currently being-boiled fish balls that are leftovers from the instant ramen he haphazardly prepared for breakfast. After the incident, Kongpob isn't sure whether he'd still use magick when cooking, though, by the looks of the over-cooked fish balls swimming in the pot, he should stay out of cooking altogether.
