Ch.3535. When the Curtain Falls and Night Comes – side. Hwanabi

“…I’m home.”

-Beep.

I unlocked the door by tapping my wallet’s key card against the lock, and as always, I greeted the empty house as I entered.

-Meow.

Ah, I guess it’s not empty anymore. As I stepped inside, Nabi, a kitten with stubby legs, welcomed me at the entrance.

Watching her move around skillfully with her still-unsteady steps, it seems she’s been waiting eagerly for me to come home.

“Oh, our Nabi. Did you wait for your big sister?”

At first, it felt a bit awkward, like I was referring to myself in the third person, but after calling her that a few times, I’ve gotten somewhat used to it.

After gently soothing her, I quickly picked Nabi up into my arms. She shouldn’t be allowed to wander around freely yet. It’s because kittens can’t regulate their body temperature, which could be dangerous.

“Sorry, did big sister come home late? Want some food?”

She already seems to understand human speech, responding with a -meow. I carried Nabi in my arms to the kitchen.

Before feeding her, I first washed my hands with soap, then prepared formula and a bottle for the kitten.

“The bottle… ah, here it is.”

I’m tempted to skip sterilization since I did it this morning after feeding her, but just to be safe, I washed it once more with hot water and dried it with a towel.

The preparations are done. Now I just need to put the powdered formula in the bottle and dissolve it well in lukewarm water using a whisk.

“The formula temperature seems… about right.”

I checked by dropping some on my wrist, and the temperature was appropriate. Nabi’s body temperature also seems suitable for feeding, so I should be able to feed her without worry.

“Here, Nabi. Let’s eat.”

It’s more like milk than food, but I guess the name doesn’t really matter?

I gently held around Nabi’s neck and put the bottle to her mouth. She adjusted herself into a comfortable position and started sucking on the bottle.

“Our Nabi eats so well.”

I wish she could wean off formula soon so I’d feel less anxious. Maybe because she’s still a kitten, I can’t help but worry when I take my eyes off her. And I can’t hire someone to help either.

When I was living at my parents’ home, I didn’t have to worry about these things, but now it’s different. Moreover, Nabi is a kitten less than three weeks old, and there’s surprisingly a lot to take care of.

I need to regulate her temperature, feed her on schedule, help her with toilet needs since she can’t control them yet, and rush to the vet at the slightest sign of something wrong… These are just the things that come to mind immediately, and there are many more details if I dig deeper.

“Sigh.”

It would be easier if there was someone to help take care of her.

With that thought, a face suddenly came to mind.

The very man I was holding just a little while ago.

“…What was I thinking?”

Recalling it now, my cheeks burned hot. What on earth was I thinking when I said those things? To be honest, I hadn’t planned to go that far.

I was just going to say a few words to reason with him nicely, but when he kept acting deliberately shameless despite knowing better, I suddenly got heated and launched a physical attack(?).

“…I must be crazy, absolutely crazy.”

It was truly fortunate that tomorrow was the weekend. If it had been a weekday, I would have had to face him right away. Just thinking about it made my already flushed face burn even hotter. Anyone who saw me would surely think I had a fever.

-Meow.

“Already finished? You must have been really hungry.”

I bought formula that’s supposed to be fine with just morning and evening feedings, but given the time, she must have been quite hungry.

Nabi, having devoured the formula in the blink of an eye, looked up at me with her small, bright eyes. Her expression seemed to say, ‘I ate well, so please praise me.’

“Heh, who did you take after to be this cute?”

They say pets resemble their owners, so maybe that’s why.

-Buzz.

As I was gently scratching Nabi’s chin and having these idle thoughts, my phone in my skirt pocket vibrated.

A call? Who could it be at this hour? Wondering, I quickly checked my phone.

[Han Siwoo]

“…Hiccup!”

The moment I saw the caller ID, I involuntarily hiccupped.

How does this person always call with such perfect timing? …Surely it’s not intentional. It would be difficult to do even if someone tried, so that must be it. It’s probably just a coincidence.

“Hoo, ha.”

Even though no one was watching, I was nervous and took a deep breath before answering.

“Y-Yes.”

…I accidentally bit my tongue. I wish there was a mouse hole I could crawl into… But the caller didn’t seem to be laughing.

Wondering if he hadn’t heard me, I turned up the call volume and noticed there was a lot of noise in the background. Is he still outside?

[Ah, hello? Can you hear me?]

“Yes, yes. Is this Siwoo?”

[Yeah, sorry. It’s a bit noisy there, isn’t it?]

“Yes. Are you still outside?”

[No, I just got home. But there seems to be some kind of garden party or something going on. That’s why it’s noisy.]

“Ah… a party.”

As I answered, my heart inexplicably raced. After all, what he just said meant…

He contacted me first as soon as he arrived home? It might be a small gesture to him, but somehow I was pleased by his thoughtfulness.

[By the way, is Nabi healthy?]

Is this person doing this on purpose? He could just say “the cat” and I’d understand perfectly well, but he deliberately asks about her in a way that sounds like he’s calling my name.

“Yes, she’s eating well.”

[Really? That’s good then.]

“…”

With that, the conversation momentarily paused.

Honestly, it’s a little, no, very awkward. If it had been a text message, proper communication might have been possible… If we were face to face right now, I probably wouldn’t even be able to speak properly.

There were things I almost did but didn’t, and there were meaningful words I left hanging at the end.

I shuddered. Ah, really. Why did I say such things?

As I was holding the phone, unable to decide what to do next:

[Well, get some rest then. Tomorrow’s the weekend.]

Already? Perhaps he was feeling just as awkward, as he suddenly seemed to be ending the call. I felt slightly disappointed by this and found myself blurting out:

“Ah… yes. You too, Siwoo.”

[…Do you have something else you want to say?]

“Huh? What do you mean all of a sudden?”

[Nothing, you just seemed like you had something to say. If not, that’s fine. I’ll hang up-.]

“Ah, ah! Siwoo, wait a moment!”

[Hm? What is it?]

Regret washed over me immediately after speaking. I had stopped him from hanging up because I didn’t want the call to end, but what should I say now? To be honest, I hadn’t thought that far ahead, and my mind suddenly went blank.

“Um, uh. Well, you see. That is…”

[…?]

What should I say to continue the conversation naturally in this situation…? If I had similar experiences to reference, it would help, but this is my first time talking on the phone with a guy my age, so I don’t know what would be appropriate to say.

So the words I chose were somewhat ridiculous.

“Um, good night!”

…My face instantly flushed. Ah, who greets someone like this? I was so flustered that a polite evening greeting came out. This is the kind of formal greeting you’d use with adults, definitely not something you’d say to a peer.

I bit my lip hard and waited for his reaction.

…But even after 5 seconds, 10 seconds, there was no response from him. Did the call disconnect? I checked my phone, but that wasn’t the case. The call was still connected.

“Um… Siwoo?”

Wondering if something was wrong, I cautiously called out to him. Then he suddenly cleared his throat with a fake cough and said something strange.

[Sorry. I was just grateful.]

“Huh? What are you suddenly grateful for…?”

Was there anything in our conversation that would make him express gratitude to me…? As I tried to piece together the context with my steaming brain, I heard a small laugh from the other end of the phone.

“S-Siwoo? Why are you laughing?”

[Ah, really. Could you please stop asking questions with that voice? It’s cute and it makes me laugh.]

“…C-cute? M-me?”

What, what is this person saying? Such unexpected words popped out that I found myself stuttering. In response, he started laughing outright on the other end of the phone.

“Why, why are you laughing? Siwoo, are you making fun of me right now?”

[Whew, ah. It’s not like that. You’re really cute, that’s all.]

“P-please stop saying I’m cute. It only sounds like you’re teasing me.”

[Heh, okay, I’m sorry. I won’t do it anymore.]

“…As long as you understand.”

Only after giving him a piece of my mind did I finally calm down a bit. This person is really something. Suddenly calling in the middle of the night and then repeatedly saying I’m cute.

It’s nice to hear… honestly, it’s a bit embarrassing. It’s my first time being complimented so directly… you know.

“…Ahem.”

Of course, expressing these honest feelings would be extremely embarrassing, so I absolutely, under no circumstances, will say them out loud. As I was making this internal promise:

[Well, if there’s nothing else, that’s fine. Sleep well.]

This was the second time he was saying goodnight. It was truly time to end the call now. I should just respond with “Yes, you too, Siwoo” and naturally hang up.

I know. I know that, but… somehow I didn’t want to. I don’t know why exactly, but I just wanted to keep talking.

[…Hwa Nabi? Are you there?]

But I couldn’t just selfishly insist on continuing. After all, it would be inconsiderate to him. Didn’t he just say they were having a garden party at his house?

That means he probably doesn’t have much time to spare for me. It’s highly likely that he’s only continuing this call because of me.

So… what should I do?

“Um, Siwoo.”

[Yes, go ahead.]

After a moment of contemplation, I impulsively blurted out:

“…If it’s okay with you, would you like to talk like this every day?”

It was a somewhat absurd proposal that didn’t fit the context of our conversation at all. Realizing this, I quickly added:

“I mean, you must be curious about how Nabi is doing, right? I can send you pictures every day, and it would be nice to chat too… you know.”

I couldn’t continue and squeezed my eyes shut. Even though they were my own words, they were truly a flimsy excuse. If it’s just about checking on the cat, why would we need to call? A simple text message would be sufficient, wouldn’t it?

There was no response from the other end of the tightly held phone. He must have been taken aback by my outlandish suggestion. A moment of silence hung between us through the phone.

…I shouldn’t have said anything. As I was regretting my rash move:

[…Would this time be okay?]

Just as I was thinking that, he cleared his throat and spoke. His voice had a slightly trembling quality. Surely he’s not… embarrassed too? Probably not.

“Um… are you really okay with it? Aren’t you busy?”

[No matter how busy a high school student is, can’t I spare a little time for a call at night?]

My throat felt dry just listening, and I swallowed hard. He continued:

[And like you said, I am a bit curious too. Of course, I know you’ll take good care of everything, so I don’t need to worry much, but that doesn’t mean I don’t worry at all. About Nabi, and about you…]

…”And about you.” What was he going to say next? I was holding my breath waiting, but he suddenly cut himself off and changed the subject.

[…Anyway. Shall we talk about something else now?]

“…What were you going to say? What were you about to tell me?”

[It’s nothing. It wasn’t anything important.]

“What? Siwoo, you can’t just stop mid-sentence. Please finish what you were saying. Please?”

[…Are you going to keep this up? Should I just hang up?]

“Ah, wait! Okay, I understand. Let’s talk about something else. What should we start with? Stories about Nabi? Or what happened at school today…?”

…And so, our night deepened.

Throughout our conversation, a small smile remained on my face.

I’m still not sure why I was smiling so much.

So I can’t be certain, but…

Looking back now, I think perhaps,

It was a smile anticipating the spring that was soon to come.

That’s what I cautiously believe.