Jinri heard their conversation vaguely through the door and with each word the man spoke, the more irritated she was. She wanted him to leave because it was clear to what his motives were. Why couldnât Seonjae see that heâs a potential asshole. Jinri, of course, didnât have proof that Dongju was one but there was just a vibe coming from him that she didnât like at all. The red panda flailed yet again, only to curse when her paw hit the bed frame above her. Now she was mitigating the pain by holding it tightly close to her chest.
When the topic of animal control came up, the red panda froze in her place. Seonjae wouldnât⊠would she? She had been taking care of her for so long already and Jinriâs been happier than she ever was if she were to stay with her father - though she did visit back often enough to not agitate him too much. Of course, her father wouldnât be angry with her because he cared for her - at least she hadnât missed any important events that her father needed her to attend for publicityâs sake. Otherwise, he could care less whether or not she was around.
Seonjaeâs answer wasnât really reassuring to her either. Maybe her owner really didnât know, or was it a rhetorical question? Jinri was panicking that Seonjae would actually consider having someone take her away. Maybe she was a burden. But it was safer for the red panda to be here than to return to the place she called home. The thought of returning terrified her.
Then her mind fled over to the fact that she hadnât even revealed her true self. But how do you do that to someone who seems to be oblivious about the supernatural world? A human shapeshifting into an animal - or rather, in Seonjaeâs case, a red panda shifting into a human. Sheâd be seen as a monster. A freak. She had heard all of that before even though she was only a red panda of all animals.
What if Seonjae didnât want to see her anymore after that? Where would be her safe haven? The thought of never seeing Seonjae again pained her because despite staying in her animal form, Jinri had grown to like the human quite a lot. Something she hadnât done in years since she had kept everyone in armâs distance. She didnât know what she was going to do if she were to part from the human, who had no reason to treat her as well as she was.
When Seonjae returned, Jinri peeked around her shoulder but had yet to come out from her hiding spot. She knew the man was gone, but the thoughts were still plaguing her. She looked at the eyes staring back at her, keeping their eye contact for god knows how long before her little feet eventually brought her back into the open. A weak little whine escaped her lips before nuzzling Seonjae.
She didnât want to leave.
  The girl felt exhausted. It felt like a weight had been added, on top of everything else she already worried about. Should she be worried that Dongju brought up the whole animal control topic? Would he call them? Did she have to hide Bomi now? A million questions swirled around in her mind and she didnât have the answer to any of them. It only made her grow even more anxious to the point where she could feel her pulse pick up.
  What was she supposed to do now? Should she call him and ask him? Seonjae needed to clear her head, she knew she would probably spend the rest of the night obsessing over the topic at hand if she didnât give it a rest now. She needed something to distract her, and she needed to do it quickly. But she also needed the reassurance that Bomi was still there, with her, that no one had taken her. So as she hung upside down form her bed, trying to get the red pandaâs attention, the girl immediately felt somewhat relieved. Bomi was still there. And she seemed okay.
  Talking to Dongju only made her remember the day Seonjae had brought her in, the state she found her in. The human wouldâve never thought that she would grow so attached to the red panda. She had actually planned to contact animal control once Bomi got better, but after spending so much time with her, she couldnât find the strength or willpower to do it. She grew too attached to the small panda. And honestly, she wouldnât have it any other way. Seonjae wasnât sure what she would do if the panda disappeared.Â
  Bomi had somehow turned into her confidant, if anything felt too awful she would immediately think of Bomi and how relieved she would feel once she got to her. It was easier to interact with her than with her friends, even though the panda couldnât actually answer her, she seemed to always convey her feelings in some type of way, wether it was a gesture or a sound that escaped her tiny form. Their relationship didnât seem to bring any type of misunderstandings, they always found their way back even if Seonjae scolded her. It wasnât as easy to do the same with her friends.Â
  Seonjae stared back, probably flushed by that point, all the blood rushing to her brain. But she waited patiently, not wanting to startle the red panda. The girl knew what it was like to be reprimanded by a person and then have that same person act like it was okay minutes later. Not only was it confusing, but it made her act cautious around them. Seonjae would understand if Bomi didnât want to come out, sure it would break her heart and make her feel awful, but she would have to accept it. She never quite understood what her parents went through whenever she distanced herself from them, but she had a feeling that, to some extent, it was the same as what Bomi was doing right now. It did hurt her feelings that she didnât come out right away, but she understood why she hadnât.
  Picking her up carefully, Seonjea repositioned them on the bed, letting Bomi rest on top of her and softly stroking her back. She didnât take her eyes off of her, almost like she was afraid that the small animal would disappear if she blinked just for a moment. âAre you okay?â she questioned faintly, making sure to show the panda that she wasnât mad anymore. She knew it was pointless to even ask her, but it brought her comfort to just speak to her. âI love you, okay? You need to know that I love you and would never ever ever give you away.â she continued, just as quietly as she did before. âEven if it gets me in trouble.â she concluded pressing a gentle peck right above her eyes.Â