RIIIIINNGGGGGGGG
Dwayne jolted from his seat. He did not notice that he actually slept! As a result, his knee bumped into the table drawer, and he groaned in pain.
"Damn, that hurts."
Dwayne wiped his mouth, just in case he had some drool staining on his cheeks. The manager will kill him if he finds him sleeping at the counter again.
What can he do?
Graveyard shifts are so quiet and peaceful, he doesn't need to interact with humans.
The familiar bell of the glass door rings. Dwayne sat up from his seat and walked towards the cashier. He fixed his soft, curly hair, exercising his mouth to greet the customer.
Dwayne has brown curly hair that matches his brown peach blossom eyes. As a 19-year-old college student, his height can be considered too short for other men his age. He also has a small face that girls love to pinch.
Girls love him!
Although the way they treat him is like seeing a cute pet, you can't resist petting him.
A shadow of a man came into view from one of the shelves. Dwayne can hear his footsteps approaching him. He fixed his hair again, especially that stubborn curl right above his forehead.
"Oh, Dwayne? "The man's slurry voice echoed in the quiet convenience store.
"Graveyard shift again? "
Dwayne's head bobbed, making the stubborn curl in front bounce.
"Good kid. It's 4 a.m., you can clock out now."
Dwayned flashed a brilliant smile and bowed in front of the man, who turned out to be the manager of the convenience store.
"Thank you, Manager Roan! "
"Yeah. You've worked hard. Be careful on your way home."
Dwayne dashed towards the locker, picked up his things, and went out of the backdoor to ride his bike.
The cold, gentle wind made him shiver. But he did not pay it any attention as he walked towards his bike with familiarity.
In this quiet neighborhood, people will still be sleeping at 4 a.m. But at 5 a.m., the early joggers and those with early classes or jobs will come out of their houses to start their daily lives.
Dwayne stifled a yawn. When he reached his bike, he saw a white cat sitting at the side. It looked at him with bright blue eyes.
"Hello! "He greeted.
The cat ignored his greeting and continued to stare at him.
Dwayne, as a helpless cat lover, did not hesitate to ransack his backpack and offer the beautiful guy a yummy tuna snack.
He kept it for himself after Manager Roan asked him to throw the cat snacks away. It's expiring tomorrow, so it's still good!
Dwayne opened the snack sachet in excitement and offered it to the cat. But it seemed unfazed. It glanced briefly at the snack he was offering, then looked back at Dwayne.
Dwayne was confused.
"You don't like it? That's weird. The cats in my neighborhood like it."
The white cat turned its head with a hmph and leapt to the wall at their left. It gave him one last glance before disappearing to the other side.
What a strange cat! But cute!! Dwayne thought.
Dwayne hurriedly paddled his way home. His class starts at 9, so he only has 4 hours to sleep.
He was thinking he would not see that beautiful white cat again. But he was mistaken. On the next day, it appeared beside his bike. He tried to feed it with salmon flavor this time. However, it ignored the food and stormed away.
In the next few days, Dwayne encounters the said white cat beside his bike. It became an everyday scene that he was getting used to seeing the white fluffy gentleman guarding his bike.
It never occurred to Dwayne that the cat was observing him. Assessing him for uncertain intentions.
A month later, in a hot late afternoon,.
Dwayne said goodbye to his kind senior after recommending him a part-time job in a newly opened café near his home. Dwayne was so excited his small face is full of smiles, and he keeps bobbing his head out of happiness.
"I'm sure the owner will like you! You have a cute face that attracts girls." The senior praised his cute face and rubbed his curly hair.
"I'm. not. cute."
"Yeah, yeah. You're not. Anyway, good luck. And let me know if you get hired."
"Okay! "Dwayne waved goodbye to her. Unluckily for him, his bike broke. So he needs to stop by the repair shop first before commuting towards the café.
The moment Dwayne turned around, he saw the white cat sitting in front of him. As if it had been there the entire time, waiting for him to notice it's there.
"Oh, hello! "He crouched down.
"How did you get here? "Dwayne asked. The location of the convenience store where he saw this cat was at least 6 km away from his school.
So how come it's here?
Maybe it's a different cat.
Dwayne took another glance at the cat. The familiar deep, shining blue eyes and white fluffy fur are strikingly the same.
Dwayne could not contain his curiosity. Does this cat have an owner? How can it be here, where it's usually at the convenience store?
Just as he was about to stretch his hand and pick it up, the cat suddenly turned its back and ran away.
"Ah…"
Dwayne was left standing, feeling dumb.
Should he go after it? After all, he was worried. He was sure the cat's home was in that neighborhood, not here.
Dwayne scratched his hair in confusion.
"Ahh!! I can't ignore him." Dwayne pushed his bike forward with more strength. His legs were walking fast. In fact, he was trying to walk as quickly as possible with the weight of his bike.
So far, there's been an increase in his speed. But when compared to other tall men walking in the same lane, it was still the same speed.
Dwayne: "…."
After walking for a few more minutes, he saw a glimpse of the white cat.
It was sitting in front of the pedestrian lane.