Chapter Text
The hum of air conditioner is the only noise filling the lonely night. Dan stands behind the counter waiting for customer. Usually who come at this hour either people looking for midnight snack or overwork worker buying cheap can of alcohol or cigars. It’s been an hour or so since his shift start but nobody came.
As time goes by he decide to open his phone, scrolling to social media. He mostly follow account that give information of place that’s hiring part time other than it just his old colleagues. He scroll after post and post about job offer he unable to fulfill the requirements, a post from his one of his old colleagues shows up.
It’s just a collage of pictures, picture of his colleague and a cat. It’s suppose to be nothing special, just somebody sharing pictures of their pet like everybody does on the internet. Yet Dan continue to stare at those pictures longer than he would like to admit. There something eye catching about them.
Perhaps the way the owner kiss the little forehead of the cat, the way their arm wrap around the little creature, or the smugness on the adorable face of the cat. Seeing those pictures Dan is reminded of the cat in front of the mini market. He looks outside through walls of glass and see the feline deep asleep on top of boxes.
The cat is an orange cat with soft fluffy fur, it has brown eyes and dilated black pupils that hold no thoughts whatsoever. Due to its cuteness the locals or customers who come by tend to feed it. Never a day the orange cat goes hungry. Passers by will tend to stop on their way and pat the cat or rub its belly. Even if it’s a stray it is loved by many.
Dan deep in his mind, his soft caramel like color eyes keep on looking at the cat. He sighs ‘If I was a cat...’ he shakes his head, ‘what a stupid idea’ he thought to himself. However he presume to think about it. Seeing no other customer come, Dan decide to see the cat.
When Dan approaches it, it doesn’t move or open its eyes. His finger stroke its forehead and it purrs, when Dan starts to scratch under it neck the cat will give in to him. Dan smile softly yet he wonder. How can such creature live with no fear?
Compare to it, fear wrap his life like two dancers in an endless ball. From morning to dawn, Dan is continue being haunt either by his debt. There is no promise that will he be able to eat or not the next day. With loan sharks chasing after him, there is no place secure for him. With the death of his grandma, the last person he has, there is nobody that can shield him from the loneliness now.
Losing his grandma is the worst part. Prior to his grandma death, their house was abolish. Many precious things were left by especially his grandma’s bridal wardrobe make of mother of pearl. He can’t afford to rent a storage room and the place he moved to was too small. As it happen his barely able to afford his place so with heavy heart he sell the beloved wardrobe of his grandma.
Now all left of his grandma is the picture of her and Dan when he was a child, folded neatly in his wallet.
“How lucky you are.” Dan whisper to the orange cat who still in slumber. His hand start to rub its body and seeing it doesn’t hiss or bite him, he allow himself to be tender with the other god’s creation.
After a while the cat wakes up, it yawns and open its eyes. It does a big stretch and jump down, leaving Dan alone. Dan goes back to the counter, one or two customer come during dawn. As his shift come to an end, one customer come. This one customer catch Dan’s eyes immediately ‘So tall.’ Dan look at him in amazement as the man enter the place.
He watch as the man take a bottle of water and bring it to the counter. As he is standing his body tower over Dan. Dan take a look of the stranger face ‘I’ve seen him somewhere.’ He thinks “Do you have a member card, sir?” Dan goes to ask the usual questions, the man cut him off “Can you shut up and scan that already?” Dan is stunned for a second but he nods “It will be 500₩, sir.” The man put a 10.000₩ “Save the change.” he says.
Not long after the man leave, a number of men enter. Most of them have a ruffle look on their face, the smells of cigarette and cheap cologne can be smell immediately “Finding you is much more harder these days.” The voice Dan wish not to hear is breaking the peace of the dawn.
Seeing the loan sharks, Dan steps back unconsciously “Sir, I-I know I’m a bit late with this month payment but give me sometime-” While he busy babbling to save his life, the loan shark’s leader role his eyes.
BANG!
The man’s fist hit the counter, Dan knows better and close his mouth “We give you enough time.” The leader says. The loan shark’s right men goes to Dan and pull him by the collar, dragging him out side.
Punch after punch, kick after kick, and hit after hit, Dan endures it all. As the color blue and purple start to paint his skin, he wonders what has he done to deserve such thing? What sin has he commit to drown in this life worth to be called hell? Perhaps his greatest sin is to be born.
The loan sharks left yet he still coop in front of minimarket, all by himself as nobody came “Mew.” Dan turn his head down, the orange cat is back. With all of his strength his hand caress the soft fur. The cat goes to his laps and purr, for now at least he doesn’t need to be lonely
“How come mankind is so much kinder to you?” he whispers, a smile still on his face despite his words. Tears well up as the pain consuming his body, and the so aching jealousy. He knows it foolish of him to be jealous of a cat. Let him be foolish. Let him dream of a better days.
Dan’s eyes grow heavy, he doesn’t have the strength to stand up and walk back to his place and also there’s a cat on his lap, why should he move? As tiredness eating him out, he falls to a bliss.
When the bright sun shine, his eyes flutters. He wakes up, he is still by the minimarket door but why everything seem so big and tall? Or perhaps why he is so small? Dan drags his body to look at the glass door. He doesn’t see a man but instead an orange cat.
