[The Next Morning]
Catte woke up, his body feeling heavier than usual. The nightmares… they never stopped. Every single night, the same cycle repeated.
"Am I an Omega?" he thought to himself. "No… no way. That's impossible. I'm just stressed… that's all."
Shaking his head, he turned to look at Ruby, who was still fast asleep. Despite going to bed early, Ruby slept like a rock. His breathing was steady, his face peaceful.
"How does he sleep so soundly?" Catte wondered. In contrast, his own nights were filled with restless tossing and turning.
Sighing, he decided to ignore the thought. He needed a break from all these overwhelming emotions.
Getting up, he realized something—today was his day off.
"Maybe I should go outside for a bit… get some fresh air," he muttered before heading to the bathroom.
After having breakfast, Catte went outside to breathe in the fresh air. Suddenly, a voice called out from another direction.
"Catte!" said Frost.
Catte turned and saw Frost, who had grown taller and looked energetic. He had also successfully continued his secondary school studies alongside Catte, but they hadn't met in a long time because Catte had been busy with important work elsewhere.
Catte and Frost decided to go to the market to buy some necessities for Catte.
"Hey Catte, let me pay for it," Frost offered.
Catte thanked Frost for his kindness, and they continued walking while reminiscing about the past.
"Hey Catte, do you remember when we used to draw together?" Frost asked.
"Yeah, I still remember," Catte replied.
"Oh yeah, do you remember our friend? We always called him 'Taco,' right? He had to mop the school floor because he spilled his drink! Hahaha!" Frost laughed.
"Hahaha..." Catte responded with a weak chuckle.
Frost noticed the lack of enthusiasm in Catte's laughter. Feeling concerned, he placed a hand on Catte's shoulder and asked,
"Catte… are you okay?"
"I'm fine… just a little tired," Catte replied.
Frost immediately understood—he could see that Catte's life hadn't been easy.
"Oh yeah, have you ever liked any Alpha? Because I noticed you talking a lot with that shark guy. Who is he?" Frost asked curiously.
Catte was startled by the question but quickly answered,
"Eh, no… he's just a distant friend. His name is Colin."
"Oh, I see. Well, I think Ruby must be feeling lonely, so you should check on him. Also, I need to look for a job after this," Frost said.
"Oh, good luck with that, Frost," Catte replied.
[Catte Apartment]
After talking with Frost, Catte returned to his small apartment and saw Ruby suddenly coming out of the bathroom after relieving himself. Catte immediately told Ruby to clean himself properly, while he went to prepare breakfast.
[On the other side: Frost]
Frost walked around, deep in thought. Besides drawing with Catte, he also used to draw with "Taco," whose whereabouts were now unknown.
Frost then went to a workplace to apply for a job, but unfortunately, the position required a high entry fee. Feeling disappointed, Frost decided to look for a simpler job to save up money for that opportunity.
[Catte Apartment]
On the other side, Catte was also thinking about how he used to talk a lot with "Taco." Unfortunately, he had lost contact with him ever since "Taco" decided to transfer to another high school. Catte suddenly realized that every time he talked about him, he would always refer to him as "Taco" instead of his real name. Brushing off the strange feeling, Catte decided to focus on cooking.
[Chapter 19:End]