A figure came out of the dark alleyway and into the dimly lighted street. The figure didn't walk properly, the figure staggered, nearly losing balance with each step it took. The figure flinged its hands into the air and uttered some words that were confusing to those who passed by it. No one stopped to check if the figure was a mad fellow or a drunken idiot. Everyone walked by the figure, with their thoughts to themselves.
The figure laughed hysterically, getting the attention of those walking by, but no one cared enough to stop in their track. The figure finally got to the main road and stood by a streetlamp. The figure's shoulders were dropped, as the figure stood, resting on the lamppost. People passed by the figure cautiously. They could not see the figure's face, nor could they see how big the figure was, because of the bulky coat the figure wore even though the cold was not much, the face was also covered with a face-cap and a nose mask.
A young teenage girl decided to act differently from other passers-by and walked right next to the figure. The figure staggered as before, but the act frightened the girl, who was now close to the figure. Wanting to run away, she trips herself and falls on her buttocks.
The figure heard a thud and looked to its right and was surprised to see a shivering girl on the floor. The figure crouched down to help the frightened girl back to her feet. The figure stretched its right hand out to the girl to help her back on her feet. But from the girl's view, she only felt fear as the figure offered her its hand. The figure's face was now closer, and she could see something she had never seen before in real life, except for in movies.
The fear she felt only increased, as she felt that the figure might be a bad person. She flinged away the hand and got up in a rush as she ran away.
The figure remained in that position. The fear he saw in the girl's eyes made him remember why he drank himself to stupor.
*****
"Hee-Mang, Hee-Mang, you have to come see this."
A young lady's voice rang along the corridor.
A young man, probably in his twenties, stretched his neck out of a door, looking around in search of the owner of the voice.
"Yoo-Na unnie." the young man said as soon as he sighted the young lady.
"Ha, there you are."
She raced over to the young man and stretched out her phone to him.
"Ain't the cat cute?"
Hee-Mang looked at the cat displayed on the screen, then looked at her face and smiled.
"Very cute." he said in a very gentle voice and face.
Yoo-na smiled while still staring at the phone, oblivious to the gentle way Hee-mang looked at her.
"I thought so too." she said
She looked away from the phone and looked at him with a playful smile.
"Since you find it cute, I'm gonna adopt it for you."
Hee-Mang looked at her and smiled
"No need Unnie, I'm not that good at taking care of cats."
Saying this, he stepped back into the kitchen to check on the rice porridge he was cooking. Yoo-na walked right behind him, while looking at the beautiful pictures of the cat. She stopped right behind him and stretched her legs and neck to look over his left shoulder.
"Come on Hee-Mang. You do know you are the best at taking care of cats, that's why my cats love you. And just take a good look at the eyes, it has beautiful eyes just like you Hee-Mang."
Hee-Mang turned over with two bowls of rice porridge in his hands. He passed by Yoo-na, trying not to look at her, cause he was sure that she was looking at him with cute puppy eyes, and he knew a weak heart to that.
Personally, he didn't want a pet of his own, but he had no issue taking care of hers'.
"Okay Unnie, let's do it this way." he said as he sat on the dining table.
"Which way?" Yoo-na also joined him at the dining table and placed her phone aside, as she picked up a spoon ready to eat.
"You adopt the cat, I'll help take care of it, just as I do take care of the others. A good offer right?"
Yoo-na could only nod her head in agreement, seeing as she could not force him to adopt the cat.
They both ate in silence, and when they were done eating, they washed their dishes, and off they went to school.