Windows | NCT Ten

Chapter 19

Yeona's POV

It feels so weird, leaving my house to do something that isn't college or work related. Especially when it isn't even a normal thing, like going to a restaurant. I'm out here to help my neighbor, a person that I've just met, find his lost pets.

I round the corner of my building, unsure what to expect. It strikes me that I'm actually meeting him in-person for the first time. I've never even seen his face before. I swear, if Tae ends up being some old man who happens to be a cat owner, I'm going to have major trust issues-

Turns out I was just overthinking again. Tae is a normal guy who's just looking for his beloved cats. He looks about the same age as me.

Oh, and he has really good style. I'm no fashionista or anything, but he just does. Although, he is wearing a mask, which is a little sus, but maybe he has pollen allergies or something. Anyways, it's none of my business. 

I'm not here to judge others. I'm here to find Louis and Leon, which is what we're going to do. Hopefully.

"Hi Tae," I greet the guy, my voice wavering a little. Where has my confidence gone? Oh right, it never existed.

He looks up, and I can see in his eyes that he's genuinely worried for his cats. "Hey Yeona." After a pause, he says, "So uh, this is a weird situation for us to meet under... Thanks for agreeing to help, though."

I nod. "of course. So uh... what happened?" I cringe at my own words, but tell myself that it isn't a good time to worry over how much of an awkward person I am.

"Uh, well basically, I let Louis and Leon out of my room for a minute, right? Then a moment later, Hen- I mean, my friend- comes running to tell me that they've disappeared. Honestly, I'm not too sure what happened either," he explains.

I nod, absorbing all of the information. "Wait, so why are we outside again?"

"My other friend came back from walking our dog just about the time that they disappeared, meaning that they might have slipped out the door," he explains.

I don't question the information. "Alright, I guess we have a lot of ground to cover, then."

The two of us split up to cover as much ground as possible. I start checking around my building, while he continues looking around his.

I keep an eye out for any sign of the cats. Paw prints, fur snagged on a bush, anything that shows that they've been here. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like there are any clues.

We meet up in the courtyard again, both of us empty-handed. "Well, I guess they've already taken off," Tae sighs, looking dejected. "By the way, sorry for leaving you and Luna earlier without saying anything."

"Don't worry about it," I respond with a small smile. "Oh, speaking of Luna, it looks like she's interested in what we're doing."

We both look up and see my cat, staring down at us with wide eyes. My eyes drift towards Tae's window, which is missing Louis and Leon. Then I realize something.

"Wait, you live on the same floor number as me, right?" I ask, seeing that our windows are directly across from each other.

"Yeah, why?" he responds.

"Our apartments are pretty high up. What are the chances your cats managed to slip out of your apartment, take an elevator down, somehow get through the main doors, and end up outside?" I ask.

He considers this for a moment. "Oh wait. You've got a really good point. That's pretty much impossible, right? Especially the part with the elevator."

"Honestly, I don't think that they're outside. I feel like they might still be inside the building," I explain. I really hope that I'm not coming off as rude, because it's just a sudden idea that I had.

"I'll tell my friend to double-check the dorm," he says, pulling out his phone and quickly sending a text to someone. Not gonna lie, this guy seems to have a whole lot of friends. Couldn't be me.

A second later, Tae's phone dings with a notification. He reads the text, then turns to me, a sheepish smile on his face.

"Well, we've been clowned. They were inside my apartment the whole time."

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yes, they were inside the whole time 🤡

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