Archive of Our Own

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Seven (barely) interconnected oneshots of TwiceVelvet

1

The Best Thing My Sodalis Ever Did

Jeongyeon's Sodalis Azari is never the most cooperative vixen. But she's her best wingwoman ever, and they make do.

2

Customer Service

Years after Jeongyeon married her soulmate, they open up a small, homey cafe together. Their first employee and their first customer is a pair made in heaven.

3

Of Timid Hugs and Kisses

Veteran trainee Kang Seulgi meets a crying, Sodalis-less girl 3 years her senior and she can't find it in herself to leave the girl alone.

4

The Perfect Gift

Having been with her soulmate since childhood has its own up and down. Chaeyoung is desperate to celebrate her soulmate's 21st birthday in the most memorable way possible and she has been drained of ideas after 15 birthdays passed together.

5

Minatozaki Delivery Service

Every Friday night, Sana would receive a call to deliver a cup of latte and a bowl of miso soup to the apartment complex on the 37th street.

6

Soulmate Allergy

Sooyoung has an allergy of cat. Her Sodalis is a cat. Sodalis is a person soulmate's counterpart. Her Sodalis = a cat = her soulmate. In conclusion, Sooyoung has an allergy of her own soulmate.

7

Dragon Cinderella

Jihyo thinks having a Sodalis is nice, unless yours is a 10-meters long Dragon with sparkly golden scales who kind of cuddles everyone in sight.

Hahaha I don't know what I'm doing but do look forward for it, I guess?Titles (and ideas) ought to change if I feel like itAnd it has officially been established that I can't move on from my first main ships :')
Special thank you for Kairos for the cute af cover and bg! Find them here!

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

If there is one thing Yoo Jeongyeon hates most about Monday morning, is the fact that she has to go to school and the fact that the sun always shines so brightly. Okay, that's actually two things, but in Jeongyeon's defense, she has a lot of things to hate on Monday morning. Aside from those two, she also dislikes (not hate, because deep down, she still loves it) the wet sensation all over her face courtesy of none other than her Sodalis.

"Azari no, stop."

In a futile attempt to swat her Sodalis away, Jeongyeon rolls to her stomach, hiding her face from the relentless licking of her vixen Sodalis. She could hear the annoyed huff coming from Azari but she ignores it. At least, until Azari bites the exposed skin on her nape and pulls hard.

"Aaaaah! That hurts! Alright alright, I'm awake I'm awake!" Jeongyeon jumps up from her bed, throwing her Sodalis away before her legs getting tangled on the blanket and she falls ungracefully to the floor. The girl groans at her pained body then groan louder at the degrading barks coming from her vixen's mouth.

Irritated, Jeongyeon throws a pillow to Azari which the vixen dodges fairly easily. With her head held high and tail puffing up in arrogance, the red-white-furred vixen struts around Jeongyeon's room, cocky golden eyes not once leaving her Master's annoyed stare. Azari then proceeds to slide Jeongyeon's closet open, pulling out a set of uniform from its storage and throws it to the girl still laying on the floor.

"Fine, we're going to school," Azari sits down and curls her tail around her body. Jeongyeon swears she could see her Sodalis raising her eyebrow at her. "And yes, fine, I'm going to bathe you and you're going to school with that pretty ribbon Seungyeon-unnie gave you."

Despite her feisty nature, Azari yips excitedly at that and runs closer to her, nuzzling her furry face to Jeongyeon's neck. The Master chuckles as she taps Azari's head and presses a kiss to the space between her pointed ears. "I know, I know. You love me so much."

Azari swats her tail across Jeongyeon's face before she turns so her ass is facing Jeongyeon. But the human only laughs harder as she rises to her feet, bringing her Sodalis up and hugs her as tight as she can until Azari yelps.

"Alright, we all know you, tsundere. Now don't bite my face off when I scrub that dirt off of your fur."

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To have a Sodalis is a blessing. Or so that's what Jeongyeon's parents and everyone around her had told her. They are your best friend, part of your soul that connects with your fated one and a mark designed by a higher power up there to make finding your soulmate easier. Find someone whose Sodalis loves yours, and rest assured that the Master of that Sodalis is your soulmate.

Azari showed up in Jeongyeon's life on her seventh birthday, manifested from thin air right in front of the excited little girl's eyes. Ever since then, the vixen had become Jeongyeon's everything. Sure, her Sodalis is not the best Sodalis everyone would ask for–she's noisy, cocky, sarcastic and would do everything to make Jeongyeon follows her every whim–but Azari is simply everything Jeongyeon would want in her soulmate.

(maybe it's the sentiment, or maybe it's just that Jeongyeon had grown too accustomed with Azari's personality she will accept her soulmate with no further complaints)

((or maybe it's that because she had fallen in love with the mere shadow of her soulmate, but it's not like Jeongyeon will admit it))

Sometimes Jeongyeon wonders what her soulmate's Sodalis would look like. She wonders if her animal extension is a bird because Jeongyeon likes bird. Or maybe it's another mammal, though Jeongyeon wouldn't protest even if her soulmate's Sodalis is a lizard. After all, it is supposed to perfectly represent her like a mirror and she has no saying in what God thinks of her.

Jeongyeon also wonders what her human soulmate would look like. Azari is gorgeous (like, hella gorgeous), probably the prettiest fox Jeongyeon had ever seen in her life. Her eyes are sharp, smart yet thoughtful. Her fur is the fluffiest and Azari loves to keep her pelt intact of any dirt, so it makes her look even cleaner and silky. Azari also walks with her head held high, chest puffed up and tail raised high in the air, showing her proud and beautiful stature for everyone to envy for.

If her Sodalis is already this pretty, Jeongyeon thinks her soulmate will certainly be prettier.

Man, how lucky would she be?

.

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"Jeong!"

A slap on her back elicits a groan from Jeongyeon, who begrudgingly raises her head from her desk to look at her disturbance. She finds one of her friends, Sowon, grinning at her with her rabbit Sodalis, Davi, tucked comfortably in her arms. Jeongyeon rubs her face as Azari leaps to her desk to sniff at Davi and yips when the rabbit taps her face excitedly.

"What is it?" yawning, Jeongyeon sits up straight while Sowon pulls another chair from the desk beside Jeongyeon. The taller girl lets Davi go to play with Azari.

"It's almost Valentine, don't you have anything to do, Jeong?" Sowon asks with a wide grin on her face.

"Is that an expression of concern or an insult?"

"A little bit of both."

"Fuck you," Jeongyeon flips her middle finger to Sowon but the girl only laughs harder. "Stop bullying me just because you have your soulmate already."

"Hey, I'm just concerned, you know," Sowon shrugs as she leans to the desk, resting her chin to her joined hands. Jeongyeon rolls her eyes at her words and Sowon shakes her head. "Jeong, look. We both know that your soulmate is here already. You're just being a coward by not making any move towards her."

The short haired girl groans. She slumps to her desk, hiding her face to her arms as she groans louder until Sowon has to pat her back. "Won, she is not my soulmate."

"Says who?" the taller Korean raises her eyebrow, just in time when Davi and Azari return from their mini-game of tag. The fluffy grey rabbit jumps up to Sowon's arms while Azari jumps to Jeongyeon's desk. The vixen yips annoyedly when she sees her Master sulking on her seat before she bites Jeongyeon's shoulder, hard, to the point that Jeongyeon shrieks in pain.

"STOP THAT!"

As usual, Azari evades Jeongyeon's attack easily as she barks, as she berates her Master for being one sad lump of a human. Her bushy tail effortlessly slaps Jeongyeon across her face, eliciting a pitiful whine from the ever-defeated Master.

Sowon shakes her head again at the duo's interaction. Before she could speak some more, the bell rings, indicating that the recess period is over. The girl taps Jeongyeon's head once as she returns the borrowed seat to its designated place. "You know what? Just think about it. Soulmates will come to you eventually, but if you do nothing to chase or keep them with you, then everything might come to waste."

"I told you–" ruffling her blondish short hair, Jeongyeon grumbles. "She's not my soulmate. Just look at her Sodalis. Did you ever see me reflected in that lioness? I don't think so."

The rabbit owner shrugs again. "I'm just saying that you should try. If you guys are not soulmates, Azari will let you know. We're already in our third year, Jeong. Don't let your chance go or you will regret it for the rest of your life. With that well said, adios, mi amigo."

Sighing at Sowon's retreating back, Jeongyeon turns her attention to Azari, who now seems more concerned than angry. That elicits a small smile on Jeongyeon's lips, knowing that her Sodalis might seem like a total jerk around others but would act caring and being a fluffy little sweetheart when they're alone.

"I'm fine, Az," she strokes the vixen's head to ease her. "Just have a lot of things in my mind."

Azari huffs before she slides down to Jeongyeon's lap and curls her body, letting the human pets her as the teacher walks in.

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Her name is Im Nayeon.

The girl Sowon is hell-bent on telling Jeongyeon that she's her soulmate.

Okay, Jeongyeon maybe had taken notice of some things Sowon had told her. First of all, Nayeon is gorgeous (like, hella gorgeous) with bunny-teeth that is too cute to be true. She's one of those students that everyone would call as a 'Queen-bee' due to her celebrity-like nature. Aside from being one of the smartest students in the whole high school, Nayeon is also the student council's vice-president, the head of the cheerleader team, the face of the school, Moon Goddess reincarnate, etc etc. She has this peculiar 'Your Highness' aura around her that seems to attract everyone around. Not that she's arrogant, no, Nayeon is actually one of the most kind-hearted girl Jeongyeon had ever seen. It's just that she has this sarcastic and proud blood in her that makes people sometimes think that she's a stuck-up, self-centered kind of a bitch.

Reminding you of someone?

If your answer is that one vixen currently grooming her fur, then you're correct.

Sure, Jeongyeon had seen some resemblance on her Sodalis with that girl. But then again, Jeongyeon would never dare to think of herself as Nayeon's soulmate. The other girl's Sodalis is that of a lioness, proud and strong and charismatic and certainly does not look like Jeongyeon at all.

If someone has to describe Jeongyeon (which Sowon will gladly do) they will depict her as your regular nerd often found in high school. With short blondish hair, thick eyeglasses she rarely takes off and neat uniform tucked to her skirt. Thankfully, she's not antisocial like how most other nerds in this school are. She excels in soccer and she joined the club to become one of the top strikers, though she had never really interacted with Nayeon despite the latter constantly cheering for her in competitions. She's not the captain either so why bother?

Tl:dr; Im Nayeon is pretty and Jeongyeon is too lazy (or cowardly) to properly talk to her.

Tl:dr as explained by Sowon; Jeongyeon is an idiot.

Sometimes, Jeongyeon thinks that Sowon is right.

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Then again, Jeongyeon also thinks that Sowon is a bitch sometimes.

"Jeong! Look! Look! Eunha gave me this chocolate for Valentine!"

Jeongyeon could only stare at her best friend as the tall Korean swirls on her seat, giddy that her soulmate had given her a present this special day. It's actually just a bar of chocolate which Jeongyeon is sure she saw yesterday on a minimarket, but Sowon told her that Eunha is a walking disaster in the kitchen and that she appreciates the gift simply because of the sentiment.

Her soulmate loves her, gifted her a chocolate bar out of love and out of consciousness that she can't cook to save her life, and Sowon is forever grateful for that while Jeongyeon could only look with envy.

"Isn't she adorable?" Sowon says with dreamy eyes and Jeongyeon wants nothing more than to strangle her.

"Sure, she's adorable and congratulations for having such a loving soulmate," Jeongyeon sighs. "But please, don't shove it to my face all the time. I'm sick with all the love in the air."

It's true. Most students here are already finding their soulmate, whether students in the same school or not, so they are all currently being high with romance. The other people (the singles) like her are either belching with disgust or brooding in some corners, all lamenting their still-non-existent love story.

"Awww, I'm sorry," the taller of the two drapes her arm over Jeongyeon's shoulders and pulls her close. "I'm just a bit happy. It's fine. You'll find your soulmate one day, Jeongie. Don't be discouraged!"

That tugs a small smile on Jeongyeon's lips. Sowon may sometimes be a bitch but she cares for her nonetheless. "Yeah, thanks, Won."

"Anyway," Sowon looks around, seemingly trying to find someone. "Where's Az? Is she not with you today?"

Jeongyeon shrugs. "I don't know. She was restless for the whole lecture so I severed our link for a while to let her roam the school."

Sowon nods. One of her hands strokes Davi's grey fur as the bunny sniffs Jeongyeon's desk sadly. "Well, tell Az next time she shows up that Davi misses her. I gotta go, Rex's looking for me."

Jeongyeon then turns to the window, immediately locking eyes with a giraffe peeking through the glass. The tall animal is Eunha's Sodalis (alias Sowon's animal counterpart) and the reticulated giraffe had known already where to look when her Master's soulmate is nowhere to be found. She huffs to the glass as Sowon salutes, then blinks at Jeongyeon in gratitude before she leaves.

Following Sowon's departure, Jeongyeon slumps back to her seat. The recess period spans for 15 minutes and it's still 10 minutes into it, so she still has at least five minutes to get some shut-eye.

Or so she thought.

Jeongyeon yelps when a fluffy creature leaps straight to her head, effectively stomping on her face and swipes a bushy tail over her closed eyes. The girl grumbles as she finds her previously missing Sodalis already sitting prettily on her desk. Despite her irritation, Jeongyeon raises one hand to pet Azari's head which the vixen appreciates with a purr.

"Where have you been, eh? Dav was looking for you."

Azari's eyes twinkle at the mention of Davi's name. But she does nothing about that particular information so Jeongyeon sighs. "Right. Next time, tell me where you're going to, okay?"

The vixen barks and Jeongyeon closes her eyes. She only manages to get at least five seconds of relaxation when something hit her head again, this time something with corners that feels like it just stabbed her scalp.

"What the heck Azari!" the vixen simply bark. Jeongyeon hisses as she rubs her throbbing head only to look down to find a small brown box with a pink ribbon around it laying on her desk. She pauses. "Wait, where did this come from?"

Azari yips.

"You got this from someone?"

The vixen rolls on the desk, purring.

Jeongyeon scratches her head. "Hmmm... wonder who," she picks up the box, examining it and pulls the ribbon off. She opens its cap to find a single piece of chocolate flavored candy in it. Once again, she examines the candy and the box, even turning the box upside down to see if the sender included a note or whatever, only to find it empty.

"Oh, well," the girl shrugs as she opens the plastic packet, immediately devouring the (admittedly delicious) candy while Azari slinks to her lap. "Happy Valentine to me, I guess?"

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.

.

Maybe Jeongyeon shouldn't look too deep into it, but now she's terrified.

The chocolate doesn't stop only at Valentine day. It's been exactly two weeks after the first candy and she keeps on receiving a piece at each and every day. Azari will always be the one picking it up from God knows where but she will never tell Jeongyeon from where did she get her daily supply of chocolate candy.

"You're exaggerating," says Sowon after Jeongyeon told her everything. "Look, it's been two weeks and you hadn't died yet so I think the sender genuinely gave them all to you as a... token of appreciation, maybe?"

Jeongyeon shudders. "B-but what if they are actually a stalker? Sowon, you know what usually happens when someone stalks you!"

"You'll be killed?"

"Don't say that!"

"Well, you tempted me to say that," Sowon sighs and rolls her eyes. "Relax, Jeong. If that someone truly wants to do something bad to you, do you think Azari will listen to them and send the gifts to you?"

Jeongyeon pauses, thinking hard.

The taller Korean has no more patience and slaps the back of Jeongyeon's head. "Of course not, dumbass! It's fine! Whoever that person is, he or she has no ill intention by giving you the chocolates. In any case, you should be flattered that someone so nice that even Azari listens to gives you chocolates! No big deal, my man!"

"That hurts, you know," Jeongyeon grumbles at Sowon, then exhales heavily as she contemplates Sowon's words. The tall girl, as random as she could get at times, does have a point. So Jeongyeon slumps down on her seat with her eyes staring at Sowon. "Maybe you're right. But... Azari is way too wary of outsiders to easily trust people like that. What if... what if the person forced her to do so?"

"And with her returning back each day? I don't think so, Yoo."

As if on cue, Azari returns from her daily escapades, jumping straight to Jeongyeon's lap and barks happily to Sowon. Davi who was perched on Sowon's lap sniffs her happily and Azari barks again in appreciation. The vixen then turns to Jeongyeon to offer another small box undoubtedly filled with a piece of chocolate candy.

This makes Jeongyeon sigh, although she accepts the gift with a small smile, patting Azari's head to show her gratitude. "Thank you, Azari. Now, wouldn't you tell me who told you to send this?"

Azari shakes her head.

"Ah," Jeongyeon sighs again, heavier this time, her small smile from before disappearing. "Alright. Thank you, though."

Looking at her seemingly depressed Master, Azari huffs, angry, before pawing at Jeongyeon's chest. The girl simply pushes her Sodalis' head down to stop her with no motivation whatsoever, making even Sowon feels bad for her blonde-haired friend.

"Hey, cheer, Jeongie," Sowon pats Jeongyeon's back to show her support. "You should look at this in bright light. The person must have genuinely like you to send a gift every day. You have a fan!"

"A stalker."

"A fan. Anyway, I have an idea," that piques Jeongyeon interest, and the girl lifts her head to face her friend. Sowon is grinning, wide, the kind of weird grin that makes you feel like something bad is going to happen extremely soon. "Why don't you send a gift back to them with a note and see if they respond?"

Jeongyeon blinks. Sowon watches her with a beam.

Then, the blonde squeals loudly she almost makes Azari falls down from her lap. "Holy shit Kim Sojung you're a motherfucking genius! Yes! That's what you are! G-E-N-I-U-S!"

"I know, right?" the taller of the two cackles as she flips her hair dramatically. "Be thankful that you have a friend as amazing as me."

"Oh my God, oh my God," Jeongyeon grips her own hair, face in awe as if she had just received a world-changing revelation. "Oh my God, yes. Why didn't I think about that before? Oh my fucking God Kim Sojung you're a Godsend I love you so much I'll marry you too bad we're not soulmates–"

"Jeong, you're rambling."

"–yes! yes! That's exactly what I'm gonna do! I'm gonna write now and–"

Sowon puts her hands on Jeongyeon's shoulders and pushes her down. "Whoa, whoa, calm down, mate. I know that you're excited but writing the note now would not be appropriate."

"Ehhhh??" Jeongyeon looks up to Sowon, betrayal and confusion clear on her face. "Why not?"

The girl knows by the look on Sowon's face that she's tempted to just deck her on the face. "Because, duh, my idiot Yoo Jeongyeon. That person first gave you the chocolate on Valentine Day. It's only appropriate for you to give them a gift back on White Day. Or, well, maybe a day before that so you guys could go on a date on White Day."

Jeongyeon gasps as she puts her hand on her chest. "A date with a stalker? No! I'll be dead by the end of the day!"

"Why can't you be a bit optimistic for once?" Sowon slaps Jeongyeon back again until she yelps in pain. "Mark my words, Jeong. Send a letter a day before White Day, ask your admirer to meet you and I bet my whole love life in this that you're going to get yourself a date."

Despite a bit appalled by her friend's saying, Jeongyeon sighs, then shakes her head as she pouts at Sowon.

"Fine. But only because you bet your love life in it."

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Hello

I believe you had known who am I by now, but I'm still going to introduce myself

I'm Yoo Jeongyeon, nice to meet you

I really appreciate your gifts and I'm delighted to know that someone like you likes me enough to give me these gifts

By any chance, can we meet? I would love to know about you more and I want to give you something back for all the chocolates

How about tomorrow, 3 p.m at Wonder Girls cafe?

Thank you very much

Sincerely, Yoo Jeongyeon

p.s. the chocolates are so delicious. Thank you :)

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The chocolates keep on coming even until March 13th. As usual, Azari escapes Jeongyeon's hold the moment the first studying hour strikes. But Jeongyeon is well prepared now. She had bought a pretty ribbon collar for Azari that has a small ball compartment hanging on it. She slipped her note inside it and told Azari to give the note to the chocolate giver.

The girl waits with great anticipation to the point that she can't even concentrate in class. She keeps on scribbling random doodles on her notebook, obviously not paying attention not anything the teacher says. Jeongyeon is much too excited yet also dreading if her 'admirer' will answer her message or not.

She hopes they will. Aside from being deadly curious, Jeongyeon didn't lie that she wants to give them something back for all the chocolates. She could just send the gift back through Azari, sure. But deep inside, Jeongyeon hopes that whoever this person is, they are somehow is her soulmate who she hadn't met.

I mean, Azari obeys them. Of course, it has to be someone she regards as important enough for Jeongyeon for her to listen to.

When Azari returns that afternoon, not only she brings a box of chocolate candy, she also brings a neatly folded paper bitten between her teeth. Jeongyeon welcomes her Sodalis with widely open arms and a yell of excitement as she quickly unfolds the paper.

It's a date, soulmate ;)

-Im Nayeon

Sowon was right and Jeongyeon's scream turns to pure horror.

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"I CAN'T DO THIS!"

Sowon sighs heavily at the sight of a panicking girl before her. The two are currently located inside Jeongyeon's room after the owner of the room called her best friend in panic. Sitting on the foot of the bed are Davi and Azari, both staring in confusion at the blonde Korean who busies herself ransacking her own closet.

"OH MY GOD, WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE HER?"

"Because you're her soulmate, duh," Sowon groans and rolls her eyes. "Stop panicking. It's just a date."

Jeongyeon almost pulls her hair off in frustration. "Yeah. A date with the most gorgeous girl in the whole school, the smartest, prettiest, Moon Goddess reincarnate, etc. etc. How can I not be panicking?! And it's tomorrow for God sake! How does she even know that I am her soulmate?! We've never ever talked properly before!"

"It's because you're a dumbass. And as far as I know, it was you who asked for tomorrow?"

"I know I did! But what should I do?! What should I wear?!" the blonde shrieks again. Her entire closet is already out in the open yet she still doesn't know what to wear to her 'date' tomorrow. "And I can't just give her back another bar of chocolate that would be hideous and embarrassing she's going to regret to have a soulmate like m– AW!"

Azari bites Jeongyeon's calf hard. The Master turns angrily but Azari bravely returns her stare, before diving to the pile of clothes strewn around the room and starts digging.

"Uhh... Az, what are you doing?"

The vixen walks backward after she finishes digging Jeongyeon's clothes, pulling a light coat that Jeongyeon usually wears in autumn. She puts the piece of clothing right in front of her Master then starts digging again. In maybe fifteen minutes or so, Azari manages to pull a complete set of clothing and presents it to her Master.

"W-what do you–" Azari yips, once more pushing the pile of clothing to Jeongyeon's feet. "You want me to use these?"

The vixen wags her tail.

Blinking in confusion, Jeongyeon looks over to Sowon to ask for her opinion. Sowon simply shrugs. "Just do what she says."

"Okay, fine," Jeongyeon takes off her clothes and puts the one Azari had given her once Sowon flips and closes her eyes. It doesn't take long for her to put it all on. "Okay. How do I look?"

What she wears is actually just a simple beige light coat over a high-collared black t-shirt along with a pair of ripped jeans. She also wears a necklace with a single silver ring hanging from it. Sowon whistles at her appearance before taking something from her desk.

"Casual, but good," the taller girl slips Jeongyeon's eyeglasses to her ears. "And now you're perfect."

Jeongyeon wails. "I can't use my glasses to a date are you kidding me?"

Sowon glares. "Nope. You can because you look better with this."

"Alright fine," the shorter girl sighs, ruffling her hair as she had been defeated by her friend. "Outfit, clear. Moving on to the most critical question tonight, what should I give her tomorrow?"

She doesn't know that Sowon shares a glance with Azari, which the vixen smirks in answer. Sowon nods and puts her hands on Jeongyeon's shoulders. "A chocolate. Because it's White Day."

Jeongyeon sighs again. "I told you chocolate is–"

"No," Sowon shakes her head. "I mean homemade chocolate. Chocolates that you make with your own hands."

"But I can't cook."

"So do I."

Silence. Jeongyeon narrows her eyes and Sowon grins.

"I know someone who does."

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In retrospect, Jeongyeon should have thought this through thoroughly.

It's five minutes to 3 p.m and she seriously is starting to reconsider everything. She repeatedly fixes her coat collar, or fiddles with her necklace, or clears her throat to the point that Azari slaps her face to stop her. She glares at her Sodalis but Azari simply ignores her, the vixen also seemingly excited to meet Nayeon and her lioness Sodalis. Inside Jeongyeon's bag is a box of homemade chocolates she had begged her elder sister to make. Seungyeon, her elder sister who also owns a bakery, teased her endlessly for the whole night and Jeongyeon would have murdered her already if only she didn't need her help to make some chocolates.

Though she wouldn't lie, Seungyeon helped her a lot and the chocolates they made turn out delicious as fuck.

"Will she come, Az?" Jeongyeon asks nervously, eyes glancing to the clock that shows 3 p.m sharp. "What if she doesn't want to come?"

Azari is staring at her with a bored face before she nibbles her knuckles lightly. Jeongyeon sighs then pat her Sodalis' head, understanding that Azari tries to alleviate her nervousness. She always cares for her Master and Jeongyeon is grateful that her Sodalis loves her just as much as she does.

"Thank you, Az," the vixen purrs, bumping her head repeatedly to Jeongyeon's open palm. Jeongyeon uses her thumb to stroke the soft fur between the vixen's ears and it makes Azari purrs even louder.

The two continue doing that, Jeongyeon stroking Azari absentmindedly while the vixen basks in her touch, before suddenly Azari turns her head and her ears to the cafe entrance, alert. She then barks excitedly and leaps down from the table, just in time when a golden coated lioness walks through the open door. The vixen yips as she nuzzles the lioness' forelegs which the bigger animal answers with a lick to her head.

Following the big lioness is a girl with a light green cardigan over a simple floral dress. A brown accessory belt hugs her slim waist nicely and Jeongyeon feels her breath hitches. The girl kneels down to pat Azari once before she stands up again, beaming the moment she meets Jeongyeon's eyes that are staring at her with unfiltered awe.

"Hi, Jeongyeon."

Oh my God, her voice is pure honey.

Jeongyeon knows it's rude to stare, but she can't help to and she stutters when the beauty before her giggles. "H-Hi..?"

"Am I late?" Nayeon fixes her bag for a while before she pulls her chair back, but Jeongyeon snaps out of it at the right moment and scrambles to pull her chair back for her. She almost melts when Nayeon giggles again in amusement. "Thank you. So gentlemanly of you."

"Yeah, uh," think, Jeongyeon think! What should I say in this situation?! "A girl as pretty as you deserve that and more."

Nayeon laughs. "I didn't know that you are this cheesy."

No. She's actually not and now Jeongyeon wants to kill herself.

"Anyway," the girl with the bunny-teeth grins, showing her cute row of gleaming white pearls and gestures her Sodalis to come closer. The lioness obediently walks over and Jeongyeon could already see one resemblance of herself with the lioness. "This is Vito, my Sodalis and your animal counterpart. Vito, say hi!"

Vito roars (it's actually just a tiny 'rawr' but Jeongyeon doesn't know what to describe that as) as she paddles towards the blonde. Jeongyeon puts her palm down and Vito immediately nudges it with her jaw, asking Jeongyeon to scratch the underside of her chin. The lioness growls lowly before she rolls on the ground showing her lighter-furred stomach.

"Please bear with her, she loves belly rubs greatly," says the girl when Jeongyeon looks over her rolling Sodalis curiously.

"O-oh, I like belly rubs too."

Nayeon blinks. Jeongyeon despairs.

"I-I mean–"

But then Nayeon laughs, loudly and freely and Jeongyeon squirms on her seat in embarrassment. "Aw, you're so cute, you know that? Stop being so nervous I don't bite."

Of course, she doesn't because apparently it's Jeongyeon herself who has more tendencies to bite, considering how Vito is practically mauling Azari right now.

"Have you ordered something?" Nayeon opens the menu book on the table.

"No, not yet. I was waiting for you," this gets the lioness owner to smile softly and blush.

"You don't have to do that, you know," her smile widens, making Jeongyeon melts instantly over how cute this girl is. "Any recommendation? I've never come here before so I don't know if anything is good."

"Well," Jeongyeon shifts when Nayeon hands her the menu. She skims the menu then points at some of the food offered. "I gotta say that this cafe's strong point is in their coffee. My favorite is the cappuccino frappe but the mochaccino is great, too. If you don't like coffee, their tea is also superb and I like the lychee tea the most. For the food, I will recommend the sushi they are so good especially the salmon one. If you only want cakes or so, my personal favorite is the red velvet cake and the blueberry roll."

"Oohh, how do you know that I like salmon sushi?" the girl's giggle almost makes Jeongyeon faint. "Alright. Have you decided? I'll order for us."

Jeongyeon smiles, trying to relax when everything Nayeon does up to this point is nothing but being nice and stunning. "No. I'll order. It's on me."

"Oh, really? You don't have to do that."

"As I said. I want to give you something back for all the chocolates. What do you want to order?"

Nayeon hums a bit as she scans through the menu once again. "I'll order a plate of salmon sushi and lychee tea because you say those two are the best."

Jeongyeon nods. "Salmon sushi and lychee tea. Any dessert?"

There's a naughty twinkle in Nayeon's eyes that Jeongyeon doesn't miss. "How about.. you?"

"Wh–" heat erupts on Jeongyeon's cheeks as Nayeon laughs, teasingly and amusedly when the other girl stutters. But then Jeongyeon decides to tease back and grins. "Well if I'm a dessert then you must be a full course meal."

Nayeon winks at her but Jeongyeon could see the tint of red on her cheeks. "Of course, I am. I'm fabulous."

"Sure you do," as she saunters to the cashier to order and pay, Azari follows behind her. Vito also seems to be extremely fond of Azari already so the lioness trails behind the two, at times biting down Azari's tail or nape that makes the vixen yips in surprise. Jeongyeon nudges Azari with her feet and the vixen looks up. "You want something?"

It's not like Sodalises even need food, but Azari leaps to the cashier, scanning the menu until she puts her paw on the vanilla ice cream dessert.

"You want that, Az?"

Azari shakes her head then points at Vito.

"Vito wants this?"

The lioness shakes her head as well.

Jeongyeon furrows her brows. "Oookay...? Then why did you ask for it?"

Azari stares at her with an expression that clearly says, "seriously?" and only by then does Jeongyeon understands. "Ah, you mean for– alright. Ma'am, one vanilla ice cream, please. For the dessert, yes."

When she returns to the table, Nayeon is already waiting for her with a beaming smile. Jeongyeon can't help but smile as well just as Azari races past her, jumping straight to Nayeon's lap and purrs as she asks for attention. Nayeon gladly plays with Azari while Vito curls on her feet.

"She seems like she likes you so much," Jeongyeon states. The other girl giggles and nods.

"Azari is so pretty," she says as she keeps on petting Azari. "Just like me."

"How bold of you."

"Nah, I take that back. I'm prettier than Azari."

Jeongyeon makes a face. Laughing harder, Nayeon pulls Azari into a tight embrace which makes the vixen yips happily. "Come on, Azari and I are basically the same. We are pretty, don't you think so, Jeongyeonnie?"

"Nicknames already?" Jeongyeon shakes her head at Nayeon's hearty giggle, though she clearly is not against it as seen by the fond smile on her face. Nayeon's cheerfulness is starting to rub to her and she finds her nervousness from before all gone. "Well, I gotta admit that you are pretty. That, and more."

The girl with the bunny teeth blushes. "Flattery will get you nowhere, you know that."

"Was I flattering? Because I think I was just being honest."

"Sweet talker."

"Seriously, though," Jeongyeon grins and shakes her head again. "How did you know that I'm your soulmate? I mean... I don't think I look a lot like Vito here."

Hearing her own name, the lioness looks up. She yawns at Jeongyeon before she moves away from her Master's feet towards Jeongyeon's, once again curling and closes her eyes peacefully. Jeongyeon reaches down to stroke the thick fur on the lioness' nape, earning herself an appreciative huff from the sleepy beast.

Nayeon shrugs at her Sodalis' lazy gesture. "Well, first of all, both of you are blondes."

Jeongyeon looks at Nayeon incredulously. "I dyed my hair blonde."

"Still blonde."

"There are tons of blondes out there."

Still with that nonchalant tone of her, Nayeon grins. "You're the closest to me."

"The closest–" Jeongyeon is at a loss of words. "Alright, fine. What about the others?"

"Well, first of all, you're a nerd," one strike straight to Jeongyeon's heart, "Just like Vito, she likes to listen to me reading things to her. I figure if she's a human, she must have been a nerd. Vito is also, as you can see, one lazy-ass lioness," two strikes too close to home, "If only she's not linked to me all the time, she must have become a hermit already. She's also awkward around people and panics a lot, just like you."

A total of three strikes had destroyed Jeongyeon.

"But," it seems like Nayeon is not done and Jeongyeon prepares herself for more fact-based insults coming her way. She peeks to her (still questionable) 'soulmate' from beneath her bangs only to find Nayeon smiling softly at her slumbering Sodalis. "Vito cares about me so much. She might be disgusted by my antics at times but she would only scold me or look at me tiredly. Just like you, too, Vito is really polite and gentle and honest. I see her in you as I see you in her. That was what make think that you're my soulmate."

She didn't expect to be touched like this. Jeongyeon holds her hands above her chest, trying to calm her heart even if the blush on her cheeks perfectly reflects her thought right now.

"T-thank you."

The other girl hums before she adds. "Oh, and you both are hot. Period."

Eyes widening in surprise, Jeongyeon points at herself. "Me? Hot?"

Nayeon nods.

"Are you blind?"

"No, you blind," the girl holding the vixen pouts. Even Azari looks so done with her Master. "Have you seen yourself when you play soccer? I guess not because you're being oblivious right now."

"No, I–" Jeongyeon's voice gets caught in her throat. "I'm not hot. Like, at all."

Nayeon giggles again. "That's for you to say. You're hot in my eyes and you look like a goddess in those glasses. Are those real?"

"Yes. I have bad sight."

"Ah... I understand now why can't you see your own hotness, Jeongyeonnie," the other girl giggles in amusement. Jeongyeon feels her blush returning in full force. "Then again. If only Azari didn't approach me first I admit I would never have the courage to send those for you."

A pause as Jeongyeon glares at her Sodalis. "Wait. Azari approached you first?"

"Mhm," Nayeon seemingly doesn't notice Jeongyeon having a glaring competition with her Sodalis as she's too occupied in grooming Azari's fur. "She didn't tell you? She's always been with me whenever you train with the team or having a match."

You little snitch

Azari's face is so arrogant right now that Jeongyeon is tempted to throw her to some random forest. But just then, the waitress arrives with their orders and Jeongyeon has to suppress that temptation to focus on her date and her food. She almost forgets to breath when Nayeon practically lits up the moment she sees her salmon sushi. The girl puts Azari down, reaching for the utensils while Azari slinks to curl close to Vito.

Despite having been to this cafe for hundred of times already, only now does Jeongyeon truly appreciates and declaring her love to the employees here, especially the chef. Nayeon enjoys her food so much because she's been blushing and moaning about how good the sushi is to the point that Jeongyeon feels like it's not appropriate in public anymore. The other girl also loves her lychee tea so Jeongyeon is grateful that her recommendation is right on point.

In between their meal, they talk about a lot of things. Mostly gossips around the school. Even if it's actually Nayeon who does most of the talking while Jeongyeon simply being a good listener, it's clear that the two adore this rhythm already. Jeongyeon doesn't need to talk a lot but Nayeon knows that she's being appreciated, listened to because Jeongyeon's eyes are focused at her and she would tell her opinion at times.

"Ah, this is so good," Nayeon puts her chopsticks down with a wide smile. "Thank you, Jeongyeonnie. Now I know another good cafe to visit when I need sushi."

"The pleasure is mine."

Nayeon grins. "Next time, I'll show this one other good cafe I love."

Jeongyeon quirks her eyebrow, smirking a bit. "Next time?"

"Well," Nayeon winks, fully understanding the tease in Jeongyeon's tone. "I would love if there will be a next time. Do you?"

A soft chuckle resounds from Jeongyeon's throat. "With you? Should I?"

"Come on, don't play hard to get."

The waitress from before arrives again, this time bringing the ice cream Jeongyeon had ordered before. Nayeon seems surprised at the dessert but beams nonetheless.

"Is this for me? How did you know that I absolutely love vanilla ice cream?"

Jeongyeon shrugs still with her smile present. "Just a hunch."

She gives a secret thumb up to Azari under her when Nayeon scoops a bit. "This is really delicious. Here, do you want some?"

The blonde contemplates whether she should accept Nayeon's offer or not, but the other girl seems so happy with a spoonful of ice cream hanging between them, so Jeongyeon leans in to eat the ice cream. She has no strong feeling whatsoever about vanilla ice cream, but perhaps Nayeon's hopeful smile is the one that sends butterflies in her stomach and in her chest when the sweet taste surrounds her tastebuds.

"Sweet. Just like you."

Nayeon laughs with a blush. "You have such a pretty mouth. Stop that or I might fall for you."

"Haven't you already?"

"Oh, shut up."

Nayeon finishes her ice cream slowly until it melts, savoring it and seemingly reluctant in ending their small date. Jeongyeon, too, a bit saddened when she peeks outside the window, finding the sun already low and is close to setting.

When Nayeon puts her spoon down, Jeongyeon smiles at her.

"I'll walk you home."

.

.

.

Azari snatches her wallet a few meters away from the cafe but Jeongyeon gives her no attention. She chooses to walk alongside Nayeon with Vito trailing closely behind them, once again lost in a random conversation about everything in general. The gentle spring breeze caresses them gently even when dusk is minutes away.

There's a tug in Jeongyeon's heart when Nayeon shivers a bit, telling her to grab her tiny hand with her own. She needs a few seconds of considering her decision before she takes Nayeon's hand and squeezes it to give her warmth.

The blush and the shy smile on the other girl's face nearly make Jeongyeon's heart to burst.

"I have fun today," says Nayeon as they arrive in front of a minimalist house with green paint. The girl is still holding Jeongyeon's hand tight, unwilling to let her go. "Thank you, Jeongyeonnie."

Jeongyeon smiles and nods. "Too bad we only have a few hours."

"Yeah," Nayeon giggles, slowly pulling her hand back with a heavy heart. "Next time, make sure that we have a whole day and not on school days."

"So, the next time offer still stands?"

"You big meanie," the other girl's pout is so adorable and Jeongyeon couldn't help but pinch Nayeon's flushed cheek.

"Next time, then."

A wide smile blooms on Nayeon's lips. "It's a promise."

Jeongyeon takes a step back before reaching to her bag, pulling out a box of chocolate she had made with Seungyeon yesterday. Nayeon widens her eyes when Jeongyeon offers her the box and beams at her.

"This is for you. As a..." Jeongyeon clears her throat. "White Day gift. Because you've given me gifts since Valentine Day."

"Thank you so much, Jeongyeonnie," Nayeon giggles, bashful, hugging the box tightly against her chest. "The box is so cute."

"Yeah, uh... I made it myself."

"That's even cuter," Jeongyeon doesn't know someone could be this adorable with the blush reaching her ears. "I can't wait to try it."

A grin makes way to Jeongyeon's face. "I hope it won't be bad."

"Anything from you will taste great. I believe so," Nayeon then rummages her pocket to pick out her phone. "Can I have your number, by the way? So we can... communicate easier."

"Oh, sure," Jeongyeon recites her phone number, only pocketing it back once they confirmed each other's contact. "I think I should go. It's dark already."

"Be careful, Jeongyeonnie."

But before Jeongyeon could do as much as turning back, a bark echoes from somewhere near them. They find Azari running to them from the main road with a stem of white rose between her maw. The vixen stops before Nayeon and jumps around, barking excitedly until Nayeon accepts the rose.

"Seriously, you guys are so sweet."

Azari answers with a happy bark as she rolls around on the ground, Vito licking her gently with the equal amount of excitement.

"I'll be going, then, Nayeonnie," Jeongyeon copies Nayeon's way of addressing her and the other girl flushes. "See you tomorrow at school?"

Nayeon giggles then jump, placing a brief peck on Jeongyeon's cheek. "See you tomorrow, soulmate."

The girl's laugh still echoes when Jeongyeon stands dumbly with a hand pressed to her cheek.

.

.

.

"YOU LOST MY WALLET?! AZARI FOR GOD SAKE MY CREDIT CARDS AND IDENTITY CARDS ARE THERE!"

.

.

.

A Sodalis is not only a person's soulmate's animal representation but also a companion that will forever be a person's best friend. Azari might be an obnoxious, annoying vixen at times, but Jeongyeon wouldn't deny that having Azari on her side is the best thing ever happened in her life.

Well, maybe second only to having Nayeon.

"So I guess the date went smoothly?"

Jeongyeon grins at Sowon's question. "Very. Even though I lost my wallet."

"That's..." Sowon knits her eyebrows. "Uh, congratulations? But I kinda feel bad for you."

"Oh, it's fine," Jeongyeon waves her hand. "I could just cancel and make a new one. But yesterday's experience worths more than my entire wallet."

"The first date is always the most memorable one," Sowon chuckles.

Jeongyeon's smile grows soft as she looks over to her Sodalis who is playing around with Davi. "It is. I have you and Azari to thank for that."

The vixen tilts her head hearing her name being addressed. Jeongyeon winks at her and Azari barks, tails swiping back and forth while her eyes twinkle in a familiar light Jeongyeon had seen inside Nayeon's eyes.

Jeongyeon understands what Nayeon meant by "seeing you inside my Sodalis" because now Jeongyeon could only see Nayeon in everything Azari does.

"Thanks, Az," she says when Sowon and Davi leave, when Azari leaps to her lap to ask for her daily share of petting. "I would scold you for pulling a stunt like approaching Nayeon first, but I guess you were brave and right to do so. Thanks again for helping me yesterday. You really are the best Sodalis ever."

Azari purrs in appreciation, curling her body comfortably over Jeongyeon's lap.

Her parents said that having a Sodalis is a blessing, and Jeongyeon had never been more agreed with anything aside from it.

.

.

.

08.03 p.m —From : Im Nayeon

The chocolates are really delicious

I really can't wait for our second date, Jeongyeonnie ;)

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

After seven years of knowing each other and two years of marriage, Jeongyeon doesn't usually question Nayeon's moral in decision making. At least, well, until now."Nabongs, you sure you want this one?"The bunny-teethed woman nods, so sure of her choice. "Yup. One hundred percent sure. I like her already. And it's not like we have any other applicants right now. What's the matter?""I don't know, she–" The younger woman turns her attention to the young adult before them.It's a girl, with unruly black hair and a smile so wide it almost splits her face in half. She has this dazed, dreamy look in her eyes that makes Jeongyeon shivers. On the girl's lap is a majestic white swan, calm and collected and seemingly so content in being petted by her Master. The swan opens her eyes when Azari leaps to the desk between Nayeon and the girl, then narrows her eyes dangerously when Azari even do as much as sniffing her or her Master."Uh," Jeongyeon scratches her head. "What was your name again?"The girl just has the audacity to salute before she answers, "Hirai Momo, ma'am! I'm Japanese but I'm currently stuck in South Korea!"Jeongyeon's eyes turn to slits in suspicion. "I'm sorry– currently stuck in South Korea?""Yes, ma'am!""Can you elaborate why?""I'm sorry, ma'am, but that's confidential!""You're not a criminal, don't you?""I sure am not, ma'am!""Are you–""Jeong," Nayeon calls, sternly, and Jeongyeon has no choice than to back out because "the wives are always right".(wait, isn't she's also a wife–)"So, Hirai Momo?" the older woman addresses the girl before her. Momo nods enthusiastically as her hand keeps on stroking her Sodalis' feather. "Tell me, why do you want to apply as a chef here? And what quality do you think you possess to become a chef?"Momo takes a few moments to process Nayeon's question. "Well, I don't have money anymore and when I saw the ad for your new cafe, I kinda had a feeling that I have to try to work here. I can cook almost every dishes and I love food. Though most of the time I can't really afford good ingredients, I think the foods I make are always sufficient for me."Nayeon nods in satisfaction at Momo's answer. She doesn't acknowledge Jeongyeon's disbelief as she turns her attention, to the white swan that looks like she's about to attack Azari for sniffing her Master. "Is that your Sodalis? Please tell me about her.""Oh, this is Ei," Momo pats her swan's head twice. "Einaris. She's a bit distant and silent most of the time but she' soooo clingy! I'm so sorry but we're a package deal!""Yeah, I can see that," Nayeon says slowly when Einaris pecks Azari harshly with her beak. The vixen yelps before she falls down the desk in surprise, straight to Vito who is lazing around on the floor. The older woman shakes her head, amused, raising her eyebrow at Einaris who seems to be wary of her.Jeongyeon takes the silence as a chance to say something. "Well, Momo. As you can see, we're a small, independent cafe only about to be opened so of course, we can't promise you a high-pay. But hopefully, if your cooking is as good as I hope it to be, we could attract customers and give you a raise one day."Momo simply nods at Jeongyeon's words, trying to digest it all. Jeongyeon sighs once before continuing. "So we would like to... well, test you on what kind of dishes you do best, and what dishes you're less comfortable with.""Okay..." the girl trails off. "I prefer Korean or Japanese... and I'm kinda lacking in Middle-Eastern dishes."Jeongyeon looks at her soulmate to ask for permission and Nayeon grins. The younger then turns to the girl five years her junior. "That's good enough for us. It's not like we'll offer that much kind of dishes, after all. Shall we begin, now?"When Momo agrees, the two soulmates lead her to the kitchen to let her have her way with the utensils. It takes Momo only one look to decide the best dish she should make when she was given the ingredients. The girl presents her creations to Nayeon and Jeongyeon not much longer than fifteen minutes later, who both immediately slam their hands on the table once they take a bite."BITCH, YOU'RE HIRED!"...Jeongyeon gotta admit, trusting and hiring Momo is one of the best decisions she Nayeon ever made in her life. Forget about how weird and painfully oblivious she is at times. Momo makes excellent food no matter what ingredients or what recipe. She has a good sense to mix-and-match the ingredients, modifying recipes to be to her liking, or even making some new weird but delicious dishes that soon developed into their authentic menu of the cafe.Despite the sketchy background (still confidential until now), Momo is kind, tolerable, highly focused if she wants to and is overall a really pleasant person to have around. They've grown close to the point that Momo's already comfortable in calling them "unnie". Jeongyeon is also well aware that in the short amount of time they have been together, Nayeon's been inviting Momo to their supposedly private dates because "she's a poor, lonely girl who needs to be accompanied".Jeongyeon feels like she should have been jealous of her soulmate's attention to someone else. But as far as Jeongyeon's concerned, it seems like Nayeon's been regarding Momo as her long lost daughter.She's quite sure that Momo regards Nayeon as her long lost mother, too...."Jeong?"It's the day before the grand opening of their cafe when Nayeon suddenly calls Jeongyeon, if a bit distressed. The three of them are currently setting up the small space of their cafe as a preparation for the grand opening. The younger who was enjoying her task of sweeping the floor immediately approaches her wife."What's up, Nabongs? Are you okay?""Yeah, I'm fine. It's just..." the older glances nervously to the cafe's main door. "There's a... weird-ass-looking cat stalking in front of the shop."Nayeon does not lie. Jeongyeon furrows her brow when she finds a large, skinny yellow cat with black spots walks around in circles in front of their cafe, sniffing as a dog would. Vito steps beside Nayeon with her back hunched, seemingly wary yet also curious over the other big cat. While Azari happily prances to the door and barks to the spotted cat.The cat, which they are sure now is some random person's Sodalis, seems surprised by Azari's appearance but leans closer to the vixen. They sniff each other despite the glass barrier, Azari jumping around in excitement and the cat watching her antics in amusement. It's only when Vito roars and approaches Azari in a protective stance does the spotted cat flattens its ears in fear.Nayeon stares at her Sodalis incredulously."Is she jealous?"Seems so.Vito keeps on growling whenever the spotted cat walks closer to the door, biting and pulling Azari back to her side when the vixen tries to be friendly. That earns the lioness an annoyed swipe to her jaw. Azari then proceeds to scold Vito by barking at the dejected lioness repeatedly.Watching the three animals' interaction, Jeongyeon shakes her head. "You know, I think we should drive that leopard away from here unless we want Vito to maul it.""A leopard?" it seems like Nayeon focuses on the wrong part of the speech as she turns to her wife with disbelief clear on her face. "That's not a leopard! That's a jaguar!"This makes Jeongyeon whip her head and glares at her wife. "Excuse me? Jaguar? Nabongs are you blind or what? Look at how skinny that cat is! There is no fucking way that Sodalis is a jaguar!""That's not–!""That's a cheetah."A new voice from behind them stops Nayeon and Jeongyeon from clawing each other's face off. Momo saunters from the kitchen, wiping her greasy hands to her apron. It used to be unusual for the Japanese girl to show up without Einaris, but the swan had declared the kitchen as her nest so it is now normal for Momo to be seen without her Sodalis trailing behind."The difference is in the spots. Cheetah is the only one whose spots doesn't have any orange coloring inside them," the chef says, proudly because she could explain something and for once does not look as clueless as she usually is. "Cheetah is also the fastest land animal there are. It looks so cute, isn't it?"Well, now that the cheetah is rolling around trying to get to Vito's good side, it does look a little cute.And a little stupid, but Jeongyeon wouldn't have the heart point that out.Jeongyeon clears her throat. "Do you have any idea on why does that cheetah suddenly come here?""I don't know, unnie," Momo shrugs. "Maybe it's hungry?""Could be..." Nayeon trails off, nodding when her lioness roars again in annoyance to the innocent-looking cheetah."Should we let it in?""I think we should."The cheetah Sodalis seems so grateful when Momo opens the door for it. Though, Nayeon has to keep Vito from outright mauling the other Sodalis even when the cheetah seems to ignore her altogether. It sniffs around happily, even more so when she smells the fragrance of food left on Momo's apron."What, you want some?" the cheetah makes a sound, excited, before resuming its action of sniffing Momo's apron."What were you making back there, Mo?"
Nayeon asks when the cheetah seems to be drawn by the smell. "Something with meat?"Momo nods and she pats the cheetah's head, beaming when the cat doesn't shy away from her touch. "Yeah, I was making jokbal for dinner."The cheetah immediately looks up with a hopeful gaze in its eyes. It meows then, standing on its hindlegs to lean its forelegs to Momo's chest, pawing urgently as it keeps on making various sounds. Momo wobbles when the cheetah leans on her, more in surprise rather than the burden of the cheetah's weight."Wh–" the girl catches the cheetah's wrists to stop it from pawing her, eyebrows knitted in confusion over the cat's strange behavior. "You want jokbal?""Mraw!""You like jokbal?""Wreowww!""Frieeendddsss!!!"Both Nayeon and Jeongyeon glare in disbelief when Momo hugs the cheetah then proceeds to swirl it around. She stops after five spins then stumbles on her own foot, dizzy, but Momo keeps her tight hold around the big cat as she beams to it."I'll give you jokbal! Wait here!" Momo says, running back to the kitchen. The cheetah meows again happily before it sits down, its tail swiping back and fro in excitement.Somehow, that cheetah acts more like a dog and less like a cat.Momo returns a few moments later with a plastic bag in her hands. She gives the bag to the cat who accepts it gratefully, its shining golden eyes staring at Momo with gratitude and love pouring out from them. The cat turns to Nayeon and Jeongyeon once to flick its ears gleefully then dashes out of the cafe in haste.Crossing her arms over her chest in satisfaction, Momo exhales. Jeongyeon takes a step closer to tap Momo's shoulder."You just gave that jokbal to the cat for free.""I know.""Why is that?""Because every being who love jokbal are blessed by the God himself.""I see...""...""That jokbal will be cut from your first pay, then.""DAMEYO KUDASAI."...None of them would expect the cheetah to return, but returning is exactly what the cheetah does. It's a few days after their grand opening (which was a great success thanks to Momo's exquisite cooking) when the cheetah prances into their cafe. It immediately approaches Azari who sits on the cashier as the helper, meowing as the vixen barks in greeting. Vito who sees the other big cat's arrival growls but let the cheetah alone when it cowers in fear.Jeongyeon is the first to notice the cheetah's appearance between the customers. "Hey, you're the cheetah who asked for jokbal, am I right?"The cheetah meows."What's the matter, bud?" deciding that there are no customers in need of a waitress' assistance, Jeongyeon kneels, leveling her eyes with the cheetah's golden orbs. "Do you need anything?"The big cat purrs as it bares its neck to Jeongyeon. Only by then does Jeongyeon notices a pouch attached to its leather collar. The tall woman knits her eyebrows in confusion before she takes the pouch from its place, patting the cheetah's head once then pulls the tie off. Inside the pouch are money rolled into one and a small note. Jeongyeon is hit with a wave of nostalgia as she herself used to message Nayeon using notes relayed by their Sodalises, and she opens the note first to read the message..
Hello

My name is Myoui Mina

I'm truly sorry about Strelka, she likes jokbal and she always wanders around on her own to ask for food

I hope this money is enough to pay it

Thank you and I'm sorry
."So your Master's name is Myoui Mina?" the female cheetah who now Jeongyeon knows goes by the name Strelka meows. The woman takes the rolled money and unrolls it. "Well, okay, then. Tell your Master that we've received the money and we're really grateful– holy shit! Just how expensive does a jokbal worth to your Master?!"In Jeongyeon's hand is two hundred and fifty thousands Korean won, courtesy of this 'Myoui Mina' who seems to overestimate the price of a single serving of jokbal. But Strelka only yawns and wags her tail, ignoring Jeongyeon who is still trying to comprehend her Master's way of thinking to sniff around the cafe."What, hey, we can't take this all," Jeongyeon says as she tugs Strelka, slipping two hundred thousands won back to the cheetah's collar. Just after that, a customer calls Jeongyeon and she hurriedly pats Strelka's head. "Tell your Master thank you and that she gave us too much. See ya later, Strelka."But Strelka doesn't budge. She stays beside the cashier counter even when Nayeon urges her to leave in case her Master is looking for her. Nayeon gives up after five tries because Strelka seems adamant to stay, even to the point of laying down and closing her eyes. The cheetah doesn't even move when Azari curls on her stomach, finding warmth, with Vito eyeing them warily but then following the two to cuddle near Nayeon's feet."Jeong, it's been hours but she doesn't want to go," Nayeon reports when Jeongyeon approaches her just after the younger closed the cafe.It's night, and she's worried if Strelka has been away from her Master for far too long. A Sodalis can't be away from their Master long or their link will be severed, causing harm to the spirit animal that might kill them if left unattended. Yet, the cheetah seems to be content laying around the cafe, with Vito already warming up to her and even nudging the smaller cat to play with her."Maybe she wants to meet Momo?" Jeongyeon says as she pats Strelka's head. "Like... I don't know, want to thank her for giving her jokbal?"Strelka purrs."...she wants to see Momo."As if on cue, the chef saunters into the cafe from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. Momo is already wearing her casual clothes and not her chef uniform as she beams to her two unnies with Einaris in tow."Hey, hey, what did I miss?" Momo greets with a grin. She immediately notices Strelka who, quite literally, turns into a statue the moment Momo shows up. The innocent Japanese grins wider as she steps near the hyperventilating cheetah and strokes her head. "Hello, cheetah. I can't believe you come here again!"But Strelka gives Momo no attention as the cat keeps on staring at the swan walking elegantly behind Momo. Einaris tilts her head when she notices Strelka's presence. The white swan squawks, tone happy if a bit bashful, then walks to the cheetah and nuzzle her head to the underside of Strelka's jaw.Strelka makes a strangled meow, taking a very deep breath once then faints.Momo screams in horror."EINARIS YOU KILLED THAT CAT!!!"...If not for Nayeon's expertise in bluffing and persuading people, Momo wouldn't waste her supposedly-resting-time following Strelka through the dead cold night. The Japanese shivers as she wraps her coat tighter around her body. The cheap watch circling her wrist as given by Nayeon shows half an hour past 11 p.m.No wonder there's no one else wandering the street, aside from Momo and the two animals that had latched together since Strelka woke up. Einaris is practically glued to the cheetah's back, comfortably nestling, making Momo worried over the health of Strelka's backbone as she's being burdened by another Sodalis almost 1/4 her weight.(or at least, that was what Momo had found on the internet about their estimated weight)Strelka doesn't seem to mind, though, for the slim cheetah jogs on the sidewalk with a few small jumps in her steps. She seems happy to be able to become Einaris' carriage. She also looks elated to have Momo following her as she keeps on looking back, as if making sure if Momo is still tailing her. The cheetah's golden eyes will always brighten up whenever she sees Momo behind her."Soo... where are you taking me?" Momo finally asks after ten minutes of walking down the street. Strelka simply meows, swiping her tail to Momo's calf but gives no definite answer. Heaving a sigh, Momo shoves her hands to her pockets, opting to keep her thoughts to herself.Nayeon had successfully convinced her that Strelka's Master, Myoui Mina or whatever her name is, is the one and only Momo's soulmate. The bunny-teethed woman had been so sure of that because both Einaris and Strelka seem to be fond of each other, though it's mostly Strelka panicking (a gay-panic, said Jeongyeon) around Einaris while the swan acts shy around the stupidly adorable cat.It's not like Momo doesn't want to meet her soulmate. In fact, she's extremely happy if she's able to. And it's not like she doubts Nayeon's explanation because her usually anti-social Einaris, too, latches on Strelka like a leech since the first time the swan catches sight of the cheetah.The one thing bothering her is the time, actually. Call Momo an idiot, but she knows at least basic manners and she knows that visiting a person at this time of the day would likely make the person hates her for life. But she has no means of rejecting her unnies' request especially when Strelka pleads at her with those wide golden eyes of hers.She just hopes that her soulmate won't be irritated at her for visiting this late at night.Just as Momo's train of thought reaches its end, Strelka meows loudly. Momo stops her steps, raising her head then knits her eyebrows when she realizes where Strelka had led her."A hospital?" the girl asks as she reads the bright sign on top of her head. She looks at Strelka who looks back at her with a slightly saddened stare. "Is your Master a patient here?"The cheetah nods. Momo notices Einaris shivers and pecks the back of Strelka's head softly. Strelka meows, turning her head to lick Einaris' cheek once, as if trying to comfort her. She then nudges Momo's leg with her muzzle before she continues her journey.Now, Momo's even more afraid because disturbing a person is one thing, but disturbing a sick person is a different thing in entirety. The moon is high and Momo is sure that the nurse or the security will kick her out of the hospital because she visits at such a weird hour. But Strelka gives her no chance of backing away when the cheetah bites her thigh, more serious than playful, telling her that the spotted cat is determined for Momo to meet her Master.(strangely, no nurse or security come to kick Momo out. She wonders why)It's not more than five minutes later for them to arrive at a door with the number 37 plastered on it. It's a VVIP room, Momo could tell, and she dreads whatever it is she's going to encounter inside, dreading if Myoui Mina won't accept a soulmate who doesn't have any speck of common sense. Ignoring Momo who is having a panic attack, Strelka easily pushes the door open with her face then meows in greeting before she even enters properly.It seems like the cheetah's Master is still awake because Momo could make out a faint voice from inside the room."Strelka?"The voice is so soft and so cute and Momo has to stop herself from hyperventilating."You're finally back... oh, you bring a friend with you?"Momo could hear Strelka's loud meows, excited and incoherent mixed with her Master's soft giggle. She could also hear Einaris' equally faint squawks and flaps of her wings, telling Momo that her soft-spoken yet clingy Sodalis had taken a great liking to whoever that is inside.Right. So it's confirmed that this Myoui Mina is her soulmate.Now, what should she do?The girl stays outside the room with the rusty gears in her mind forcing themselves to work out something. Until Strelka returns to her, biting the long sleeve of her coat and pulls her through the ajar door. Momo is about to protest because she hasn't prepared her heart enough before she catches sight of the person inside.And Momo short-circuits.Sitting on the hospital bed is a girl around her age. Correction, an angel around her age. The angel is so beautiful, heavenly so, with dark chocolate hair framing her perfect face. The thing Momo immediately notices are the moles adorning her pale skin, like a constellation of stars in the night sky. Her full, pouty lips are parted in a semi-surprised expression, probably not expecting her Sodalis to bring another person with her.Then she smiles, shyly with a tint of red painting her cheeks. "Hi.""H–" Momo makes a strangled noise, taking a very deep breath once then faints...."Momo, I'm disappointed in you.""Unnie, I'm disappointed in me."Jeongyeon shakes her head at the Japanese girl sitting across the table. It's only eight in the morning yet Momo looks miserable, almost lifeless with her eyes staring blankly into nothing. Even Einaris looks so concerned over her Master's well being, as the swan keeps on cooing, nudging her with her head.Still, Momo stays stationary."Well, Strelka fainted when she first met Ei," comes Nayeon bringing tea for the three of them. She sets the teacups on the table before she settles beside Jeongyeon, easily leaning to her wife's stretched arm. "So it's kind of expected that you faint when you meet this Mina.""But– but–" hanging her head low, Momo pulls her hair in frustration. "That was embarrassing! I've been embarrassing myself enough to visit her near midnight! But then I just have to faint of all reaction available the moment I saw her!"Jeongyeon sips her tea before she asks, "So she's a patient in that hospital?"Momo sighs. "Yes...""Because of...?""I don't know, unnie," the only Japanese in that household wails. "I only saw her face, she's so pretty like ay, Dios mio, then the next thing I knew I woke up in the ER."Raising her eyebrows, Nayeon picks up her own tea. "And... now you come to us to rant. Why don't you ask your parents or your family on how to approach your soulmate? I mean, usually, they have juicy tips on how to do that. Back at our high school, I stalked Jeongyeon because that was what my father told me to do."Her wife glares at her but Nayeon dismisses it, as the next thing Momo says halts her entire thinking process."You guys are the only family I have."Momo keeps her gaze low as not to meet her unnies', but Nayeon could see the pout and the glaze in Momo's eyes. She swallows, awkward, about to ask but then Jeongyeon strokes her thigh. The two women share a look before Jeongyeon nods."Well, now as your self-declared daddy, I advise that it's better for you to get your ass going to the hospital now," says Jeongyeon calmly. Momo raises her head in surprise only to see Jeongyeon raising her eyebrow, lips pulled back in a smirk. "Come on, you have less than two hours until the cafe opens. Visit her, prepare yourself and apologize. It might become good from there on."Blinking, Momo stutters for a while before she sighs again. "But... what if I faint again?""That's why I said prepare yourself. I believe she's also happy to meet you. Don't be intimidated."Momo pauses before she mumbles."...will I be okay?""Of course, you will," it's Nayeon's turn to speak. She reaches over the table to grasp Momo's hand firmly. When Momo looks at her with a fragile gaze, Nayeon nods and smiles. "Trust your mom that you'll do great."...Deep breath, deep breath.Momo reminds herself as she stands before the closed door with the number 37 on it. Einaris is beside her, head continuously nuzzling Momo's sweaty palm as an act of support. Regulating her breath, Momo pats Einaris' head once and tightens her grip on the plastic bag she brings, filled with jokbal and ketchup as recommended by her trustworthy Sodalis.
It's now or never, Hirai
She's tempted to scream, "Delivery!" to the door but she pushes the thought down. Instead, Momo opts to knock thrice, announcing her arrival with a shaking, "Annyeong."There's a rustle from inside the room followed by the door creaking open. Peeking from the crack is the familiar face of Strelka, who immediately lightens up once she recognizes Momo and Einaris. The cheetah meows in excitement, bouncing on her paws with her eyes shining before she, once again, bites Momo's wrist and drags her to the room.Just like how she was yesterday, Mina looks surprised when she sees Strelka dragging Momo to her ward. She also has that faint blush across her cheeks as she nods, smiling at Momo and waves her hand."Hi.""H–" don't faint don't panic calm down she's just your soulmate she's so pretty oh my gerd– "Konnichiwa Hirai Momo-imnida."That was uncalled for. Momo blushes deep when her bilingual introduction elicits a laugh from Mina. Though, she could feel that Mina's soft laugh does not mock her at all. She's just amused, and probably entertained by this weird girl her Sodalis had brought."Watashi wa Myoui Mina-desu. Hajimemashite."Momo blinks. "A– wait. You're Japanese?"The girl on the bed (it's Mina, her soulmate, Momo reminds herself) nods again. She seems like an adorably shy girl because she keeps on glancing downwards, though Momo catches her eyes looking back at her because Momo's practically gawking at Mina."Wow, cool. I'm Japanese, too!" the knowledge that they come from the same country somehow reverts Momo back to her usual self. She quickly sheds her timid, stuttering persona as she approaches Mina with a wide smile. "So... I guess we're soulmates?"Mina blushes again. "I– I guess we are..."As if Einaris nestling on top of Strelka's belly is not obvious enough. The cheetah is laying on her back on the floor, purring happily, while the white swan sits on her lighter-furred stomach with her eyes closed. Strelka tilts her head when she notices the attention on her and meows."Your Sodalis," Mina speaks up still with that faint and soft voice of her. Only by then does Momo notices the cast on the other girl's left leg when she focuses on her. "She's so pretty."Einaris opens her eyes when Momo's laugh echoes. "She is! And so do you!"Mina's shy "thank you" makes Momo's heart leaps to her throat.Damn, she loves this girl already."By the way, I bring you some jokbal," says Momo as she offers Mina her plastic bag. The other girl takes the gift with her eyes glinting. "Einaris suggested me to put some ketchup in there. Do you like ketchup?""I love ketchup. Thank you very much," Mina blushes again. She hugs the plastic bag near to her chest while Momo beams at her, happy that her small yet whole-hearted gift had been accepted."I'm sorry," suddenly hanging her head low, Momo sighs. She knows that Mina is looking at her with befuddlement as she plays with her fingers out of nervousness. Momo takes another deep breath and counts to ten before she speaks. "Yesterday was... very not nice of me. I visited at such a late hour and I... I fainted before I could even greet you. I'm so sorry. I tend to panic whenever I'm about to face something big so... yeah, that was not an excuse. I'm sorry."Silence for a while which Momo thinks as Mina judging her, but then she hears a melodious laugh from the girl. She looks up, confused, finding Mina giggling in amusement showing her gummy smile to Momo. "It's alright, Momo-ya. I was... also surprised and overwhelmed when I saw you yesterday, especially after how Strelka seems to be so comfortable with Ei.""But you didn't faint," Momo pouts and Mina laughs again.After her laughter dies down, Mina keeps her mouth shut, opting to put her attention to the two cuddling Sodalises. Einaris seems so content with Strelka's head on her back grooming her feathers. The cheetah also looks happy to be able to give attention to her avian counterpart, repeatedly licking Einaris' head which the swan answers with a soft head bump."Ah, I have to go."Mina shifts her attention when Momo suddenly declares, with a pitiful tone and a sad glance to her watch. Momo gives Mina an apologetic smile as she rises from her seat."Where are you going?""Well, I work and the cafe I'm working at is going to open at 10 a.m.""Oh, okay."The girl looks so sad and dejected that Momo can't help the next sentence spewing out from her mouth."I promise I'll come tomorrow.""Will you, really?" the hopeful smile Mina gives her is enough to melt Momo's entire being."Of course, I will," Momo playfully winks, making her soulmate blushes. "See you tomorrow, Mina."...Momo really does come the next day. And the next. And the next, until suddenly it's a week after Momo first showed up inside Mina's room. Every morning, Momo religiously visits Mina's ward for two short hours before she has to go to work. The girl always brings jokbal with her and gives them to both Mina and Strelka, though the former would only eat a bit before her own Sodalis devours them straight from her hands.The two might be shy at first. But thanks to Momo's obliviousness and her ability to make any random thing a topic, they grow close in such a little time. Maybe it's because they are soulmates, or simply because Momo is just that easy to talk to, that makes Mina (shy, introverted, timid Mina) warms up around Momo in a matter of days.They've talked about a lot of things–age, job, newly debuted girl groups, and many other topics brought by Momo. It's mostly Momo talking, though, narrating about everything in her life to Mina who listens intently. She had told Mina about her job, Nayeon and Jeongyeon also their Sodalises ("You should meet them one day!"), and her life in South Korea. While Mina is content enough with Momo's companionship and appreciates her stories with her soft giggles and shining eyes."So... what happened to you?" Momo finally asks after a week of constantly visiting Mina, gesturing to the cast around Mina's leg to further emphasize her point. She hadn't been brave enough to ask beforehand because she feels like they are not close enough to pry. But now that they've spent a few hours together each day for a week, she dares herself to ask about Mina's condition.Mina sighs once before she pats her cast. "I was hit by a motorcycle. It broke my tibia and... well, here I am.""I'm so sorry," Momo's apology receives a soft smile from the other Japanese."It's not your fault. Why are you saying sorry?""I know. But I feel bad for you," with a glum tone, Momo puts her hand on Mina's cast. "It must have been difficult."The other girl gives Momo a laugh, covering her hand with her own and grasps it tight. "It's not a big deal, truly. My college had given me time to rest until I fully recover. And it's not like I have any other responsibilities other than attending college.""Oh, you're in your third year, right, Mina?"Mina nods. "I am. Momoring are you not attending college? You said you're working full time?""No, nope," Momo shakes her head with a grin. "Or at least, well, not again. I was dropped out of a culinary school five months ago.""Eh? Why so?""Yeah," scratching her head, Momo shoots a small smile to her soulmate. Mina immediately notices the saddened expression on the older girl so she tightens her hold, trying to comfort Momo who is now sighing. "Things happened and I... I'm alone now. I can't continue my degree like this so I decided to work."There's a pang in Mina's chest when Momo looks aside, her gaze forlorn and distant. The older girl heaves yet another sigh but she turns to her soulmate with a smile after that. "Hey, it's fine. I'm okay now. I met Jeongyeon-unnie and Nayeon-unnie and they are really nice! I promise, Mina, if you've recovered already, I'll bring you to our cafe! You can order eeeeverything! It's on me!""You make a lot of promises," Mina says, smiling back when Momo grins at her."I make promises if I know I can fulfill them! So no worries!""I believe so," beaming at the older girl, Mina gives Momo's hand a gentle squeeze. "I mean... you always return here every day."Momo pats her chest proudly. "Of course I am! I love spending time with you!"The younger smiles bashfully, hiding her blush to her collar. She says nothing for the next few minutes, entertaining herself in watching Strelka who is grooming Einaris' feather. The white swan has her eyes closed as she leans to the spotted cat, seemingly sleeping peacefully within Strelka's gentle licks and the paws around her body."I'm kinda alone, too, you know," Mina finally says after a few moments of respite. She knows that Momo is looking at her with a puzzled expression but she keeps her attention directed to the two Sodalises. "Not like you, but... my parents are always so busy. My brother lives all the way across the globe so I'm kind of... yeah, alone."Strelka lifts her head when she hears her Master's soft explanation. Her ears flatten and she meows dejectedly, laying her head above Einaris' back which receives the swan's confused hum. But Mina smiles and Strelka flicks her ears to Mina's direction. "I'm lucky I got Strel. She's always been there for me no matter what happens."The cheetah meows again but happily this time. She wags her tail and nuzzles her face to Einaris' wings. Watching how Mina stares so fondly at her Sodalis tells Momo just how important Strelka is in Mina's life. How Strelka must have been Mina's one and only confidant at the worst time of her life.Just like how Einaris is in her own life."Then, from now on, I'll be the one who will always be there for you!" Momo exclaims confidently, with a smile so bright she almost rivals the sun. She grins when Mina looks at her in surprise but she continues on. "We won't be alone anymore because we'll be together!"Momo promises herself not to let Mina feels alone anymore. She knows how painful it is to be left behind, to feel like it's only her against the world. She wants Mina to know that she's here now, she won't ever leave her soulmate, and this time it's going to be them against the world."I promise, Mina."A blush creeps up Mina's neck, over her cheeks until it dusts her ears with a pink hue. She further shrinks to herself as her face flares. The girl avoids Momo's loving stare not to make an embarrassment out of herself by blushing furiously. Though Momo only tilts her head, still with her bright smile and Mina blushes harder."We're soulmates, aren't we?" says the older when she senses that Mina won't say anything to her.Mina nods and now she's sure that she's as red as a tomato. "B-by the way, Momo, why do you always bring me jokbal every day?"Resorting to changing the subject, Mina is grateful when Momo gets distracted due to the mention of her favorite food. "It's because jokbal is life and so you can heal faster!""Huh?" Mina blinks in confusion. "So I can heal faster?""Yes!" Momo nods rigorously. "I've been eating jokbal a lot and I know that jokbal is full of protein! So I hope if you eat jokbal every day, your leg will heal faster and you can walk in the near time!"Momo's innocence makes Mina giggles. She once again takes Momo's hand between hers, liking the way Momo immediately strokes her skin with her fingers. "Momo, it doesn't work that way."The older's expression falls. "Oh, it doesn't?""Noo..." shaking her head in amusement, Mina smiles at Momo who seems so disappointed with the fact revealed. "But I'm sure I'll heal soon with all the love you're pouring me."This seems to lift Momo's mood because the girl's smile returns with full force. "If that so, doctor Hirai here will give you all the love you need to recover, Miss Myoui!"Just as that, the clock strikes 9.30 a.m, the designated time for Momo to leave for work. She gives Mina another squeeze on her hand as she stands, Einaris following suit despite Strelka's sad meow and the droop of her ears. Momo laughs when the cheetah purrs to her legs before jumping to Mina's bed to lay across her healthy limbs."See you tomorrow, Mina," waving at the bedridden girl, Momo leads Einaris out of the door when Mina suddenly says."One last thing–"Momo whips her head back, confused. Mina has to swallow the lump in her throat before she opens her mouth again."Momo-ya, uh..." the way Mina blushes right now is so adorable Momo prays for herself not to dive and hug the younger. "C-Can I call you Momoring?"A wider, happier smile filled with nothing but love immediately blooms on Momo's lips. "Only if I can call you Mitang.""Okay," Mina nods, relieved, exhaling the breath she had held before. "Okay. See you tomorrow, Momoring.Momo decides that she likes the way "Momoring" rolls off of Mina's pretty mouth."See you tomorrow, Mitang."...Momo fulfills her promise to come, like how she always is."What?"But Mina isn't there.With a stutter in her word and a tremble on her tone, Momo stands before the nurse station, trying her best to comprehend the situation she is currently in. In front of her is a nurse wearing a pitiful expression as she watches the Japanese visitor who appears rather shaken by the news she had delivered. Beside the girl is Einaris, also seems like she's shocked to the core."Mitang is... gone?""No, not like that," the nurse quickly responds when Momo is about to go straight into depression. "She's not gone, gone. Miss Myoui had been permitted to leave the hospital because she's already healthy enough to continue the treatment at home. Her family had agreed to take her home and she had left the hospital since yesterday afternoon."The nurse's explanation leaves a bitter taste on her tongue. Momo turns to look at the closed door with number 37, reminiscing the short days she spent with her soulmate. She could still feel Mina's presence, smiling and talking so softly Momo swoons. She could still imagine Strelka prancing around the room or cuddles with Einaris. Could still sense the fleeting touch Mina has on her hands.The girl chokes. "C-Can I have her address?""I'm sorry, miss," the nurse bows. Her monkey Sodalis on her shoulder bows, too. "But we are not allowed to disclose any personal information regarding a patient to a stranger.""But I'm not a stranger!" Momo argues stubbornly. "I'm her soulmate! Does that not make me qualified enough to know about her address?"The nurse stares at Momo in pity.Momo bawls."Just her address, please. I don't have a phone I can't contact her. Please, ma'am, please.""I'm sorry, miss," just those words are enough to destroy Momo's entire heart. "Unless you're married, even soulmates are not allowed to be informed. Please excuse me."The nurse leaves, leaving Momo alone to sweep the broken pieces of her heart. Einaris nudges her Master's hand with her head, worried at Momo who looks like she's dying inside.Correction, Momo's already dead inside."Let's go home, Ei," the Japanese mumbles. She taps her Sodalis' head once before she saunters away from the nurse station, with her chest hollow and an uneaten double serving of jokbal clenched between her fingers....Jeongyeon watches with a saddened gaze at her chef who is slumping around the kitchen for the past few days. After Mina's unannounced departure from the hospital, Momo has been nothing but an empty shell of her former self, still working diligently and cooking good food yet with a blank stare almost each and every day. There will be times where Momo looks a bit energized especially when Nayeon gives her homemade snacks, but then their self-proclaimed adoptive daughter would continue to sulk until they close the cafe."Jeong.""Hm?"Nayeon slinks straight to Jeongyeon's semi outstretched arm and settles herself in her wife's hug, also staring at their youngest with concern. Their Sodalises follow Nayeon, Azari perched on Vito's back comfortably. The vixen and the lioness flatten their ears to their head when they see Einaris brooding on the corner of the kitchen."Shouldn't we help Momo?" asks the older when Momo yelps as she hits a shelf with her head.Jeongyeon sighs and tightens her hug. "We should but... I don't know how. I mean, we have no means of contact to this Mina so we wouldn't be able to help her.""Yea, I know," Nayeon bites her lip. "I've tried to search her name online but the only thing showed up is her college. She's a business student at the same place as us and knowing our college, they won't tell us Mina's address, either.""Well, that's too bad.""What should we do, then?"The younger of the two lets out a heavy sigh before she releases her wife from her arms. She approaches Momo, who is silently tidying up her stuff to prepare to go home. Momo gives Jeongyeon a defeated smile as she slings her bag to her shoulders."I'm going home, unnie," Momo bows once to Jeongyeon. "See you tomorrow."Saying nothing, Jeongyeon opts to pull Momo to her embrace, sensing when the younger girl sighs and wraps her own arms around Jeongyeon's slightly bigger build. They stay for a while until even Nayeon joins in, draping herself over the two other females. She strokes Momo's soft hair and pats her back repeatedly to the point that Momo chuckles."Thank you," Momo takes a step back from the hug, her eyes glassy. "I'm sorry. I'll be fine in a few days. Or weeks. I'll still work as how I usually am.""Take it easy, Mo," Nayeon hugs Momo again and the girl buries her face to the older's neck. "We understand, it must be hard. We hope you'll be able to find Mina again someday."The youngest nods slowly. "Yes, unnie. Thank you very much.""By the way," Jeongyeon clears her throat after Momo seems a bit better than before. She waves a small pamphlet in her hands and Nayeon lights up, followed by Momo who takes a few seconds to understand. "I've decided to hire more employees to help in our cafe. I've posted the ads at some place and I've promised them to hold an interview two days from now on. You girls on to become an interviewer?""Yes!"The first one to nod is Nayeon, who gleefully claps then throws her arms around her wife's neck, pulling her to a kiss. Momo only claps in excitement before quickly turns on her heels (still clapping), unwilling to witness the slightly violent exchange of love from the two older women. Nayeon only stops devouring Jeongyeon's mouth when the younger smacks her butt, breathless and shocked because of her wife's unexpected assault.It goes on okay, thankfully. The interview session lasts for a full day and in the next morning, the three of them had decided to hire three other people to work at their little cafe. The first one is a young, short yet energetic girl named Chaeyoung along with her falcon Sodalis, Inex.("Hi! I'm Son Chaeyoung or you can call me Chaeng! This is my Sodalis, Inex, and that person plastering her face on the door is my soulmate and her Sodalis, Dahyun and Rao!")They end up offering Dahyun to work there as well. Turns out, the girl with the lynx Sodalis is still pursuing her education, so they refrain from asking her again even when she visits her soulmate often. The next person in line is Minatozaki Sana, who is also a Japanese and so immediately clicked with Momo. It helps that their Sodalises are both avians and they also seem to hold respect to each other.("Hi, I'm Sana! This crow is my Sodalis, Midnight. Lame name, I know. It seems like my soulmate is a very uncreative person so remind me to slap her with a naming book once I've met her.")The last girl is Park Jihyo. She's a nice girl, quite reserved and looks a bit more normal than the other two. The only downside is the fact that she brings alongside her a massive flying serpentine creature.("WHY IS THERE A DRAGON'S HEAD IN MY KITCHEN.""That's Astra.""TELL HER TO GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE SHE'S DESTROYING EVERYTHING.")All in all, the cafe's good, the three new employees are fast enough to learn about absolutely everything and it makes their growing business more and more nurtured. Momo is able to forget about Mina as her days are filled with cooking and getting involved in any kind of shits her new friends are doing. In between Sana being a clumsy wreck, Chaeyoung being too cheesy to customers, or Jihyo having to shoo Astra away before she roasts people who disturb her Master with her fire-breath, Momo has her hands full and she has no more time to think about Mina.In a way, Jeongyeon and Nayeon are grateful that the arrival of their new "children" could take Momo's worry away. In another way, they are still sad because they could see the way Momo's gaze drop when she remembers about her missing soulmate. Though they are still relieved that Momo had returned to her usual self, surrounded by the love given by her new family members.It's almost three months after that when Jihyo suddenly approaches Nayeon, a nervous look in her eyes."Unnie?""Yes?" Nayeon averts her attention away from the cash register, eyebrows knitted when she finds Jihyo fiddling with her fingers. The cafe's already closed and they're currently only tidying up for tomorrow, so she's a bit baffled on why does Jihyo looks like that. "What's the matter, Jihyo?"The younger girl clears her throat. "There's a... uh, weird-looking cat rolling around in front of our cafe."It needs Nayeon no more than five seconds to bolt out of the cafe. The woman arrives at the place Jihyo had told her, with her chest heaving for she hadn't exercised for God knows how long. It's night, and it's almost pitch dark around them, but there's no mistaking the yellow, spotted cat laying on her back, four paws outstretched to the looming dragon above her with an excited expression. Astra blinks at the cat but gives no apparent responses, too confused with the apparition but also mildly interested with the energetic cat."Strelka!" Nayeon yells, tears brimming in her eyes and the cat stops her wild movement. Strelka meows loudly when she recognizes Nayeon, jumping to her feet and runs towards the now kneeling woman. She purrs when Nayeon strokes her head and flicks her ears when the woman pinches her cheeks."Where have you been?" Strelka lolls her tongue out of her mouth. "Momo's been so sad and worried! Where have you been these past months, Strel?"Hearing Nayeon's words, Strelka hangs her head low. She meows sadly but nudges her head under Nayeon's jaw and meows again with an innocent look in her eyes.Nayeon waves Jihyo who is standing dumbly beside her. "Call Momo. Tell her that her soulmate's here."The Japanese arrives not less than a minute after. She has new bruises on her face (Jihyo says Momo fell and hit almost everything when Jihyo told her the news) but the light in her face is so bright, especially after she sees Strelka. Einaris who follows her Master also squawks loudly, happy to be able to meet her soulmate again."Strel!" the cheetah immediately jumps to Momo's arms when she hears her name being called, meowing and purring and licking Momo's face with glee. Momo pushes the cheetah away from her after a short while, keeping her feline face between her hands and stares right into Strelka's golden eyes. "Oh my God.... you're back? You're back!"Strelka meows. Her tail wags when Einaris easily leans on her.Momo hugs Strelka again once. "Oh my God... this can't be happening. You're back! You're back! Tell me, where is your Master? Is Mina okay? Has her leg been healed? Oh my God I hope she's–""I'm okay, Momoring."Momo halts. The cheetah in front of her meows, turning her head then sprints toward the source of the voice. With her neck tense and anticipation building in her, Momo shifts, holding her breath when she looks to her left to find a person standing beside her.A person. A girl. With her serene smile and her loving eyes focused on Momo and Momo only. The girl she had been missing for the past few months, the girl who is now able to walk on her two legs without any crutch to help her standing upright. Mina beams at her with her eyes glassy and Momo can't help the sob escaping her lips."Konbanwa, Momoring.""M–" Momo laughs, tears streaming down her cheeks and she shots up to her feet, quickly crushing Mina into her embrace. Her heart and her mind are overwhelmed by the fact that her soulmate had returned to her, healthy and well and she can't fight her laugh, relieved to be able to be close and to touch her soulmate again. "Mitaaang!!!"Momo releases Mina only to hug her again in the next second, her face buried to the other girl's soft brown locks. "I miss you–hic–Mitang I miss you so so much! Why did–hic–why did you leave me I'm–hic–I'm so sad. I miss you. I miss you Mitang I miss you so much!"Mina could only laugh and sniffles her tears back, tightening her arms around Momo when the older girl cries to her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that I was permitted to leave and I... I was unable to tell you because–""Sssshh!!" Momo shakes her head vigorously. "It's fine. It's fine. Whatever that had happened, it's fine. You're back and that's what important to me. And your leg had healed, too! For now, it's enough, Mitang. It's enough. Explanation later because all I want now is to hug and ingrain every single thing you are in my brain.""Okay, then," Mina giggles, elated. "Okay. Okay."A few minutes after that and Momo lets Mina go. She still grasps the younger's hand in her own, though, because she doesn't want to let go that quickly after months of not being able to meet each other. Mina is blushing at Momo's gentle hold and she hides her face to her collar again. Just like how she usually is whenever she's embarrassed."I've eaten a lot of jokbal," she suddenly says. Her eyes are twinkling when Momo looks at her in surprise. "You were right. I heal faster with jokbal rather than not. The doctor told me that I need four months to fully recover but here I am... three months and I could already run with my own legs."Momo's face turns to concern real fast. "While I'm glad that you've recovered with jokbal, please don't exert yourself you might be hurt again.""I won't Momoring," Mina giggles. "I have you now. After all, the main medicine prescribed for me is your love, wasn't it?"Momo's a bit slow to understand but once she does, her lips are upturned in a smile as she once again pulls Mina into her hug."I love you, Mitang."Mina giggles softly. Her heart races at the knowledge that she had found her soulmate again. Something in her chest and her stomach flutter by Momo's warm embrace, uplifted by the words whispered into her ears. She feels glad that she's back with Momo, back to enjoy her mere presence alongside their ever loyal Sodalises under the gentle moonlight and the cool breeze on her skin. It's like nothing holds any matter anymore when she's with her Momo. Momo who is warm, Momo who is gentle, Momo who is everything, and Mina finds herself helplessly falling.So she buries herself deeper into her soulmate, closing her eyes in contentment and whispers her love back."I love you, too, Momoring."