The walk to the vet clinic was a strange parade.
Two cats. Six students. Three half-functioning boxes.
Pancake, swaddled in an old towel inside a grocery bag, meowed in protest every few steps. Chloe carried her like a sacred offering.
"She's being dramatic," Ivy said.
"She's scared! You try riding in a plastic bag and not panicking."
The second cat, still bandaged from the night before, rode quietly in a shoebox Elias had poked air holes into. Zhihao carried it like it was made of glass, not cardboard. He didn't speak the entire walk, but every so often, he'd peek inside and whisper something that made the cat flick its ear.
Riley led the way, checking her phone for directions. Garry followed with a bottle of juice and a bag of snacks he refused to share. Elias walked behind them all, content.
At the clinic, the group gathered in a mismatched line of chairs while a vet tech took the cats inside.
"How do we know they'll be okay?" Chloe asked.
"We don't," Ivy replied.
"Thanks for the emotional support."
The vet returned not long after, pulling off gloves. "They'll be fine. Minor injuries on one, some stress in both. They'll need rest, food, and a calm environment."
"No microchips," the tech added. "No owners, either."
A pause.
"So..." Garry said. "Now what?"
They looked at each other.
"I'll take this one," Chloe said instantly, pointing at Pancake. "We vibe."
"That wasn't a vote," Ivy muttered.
"I second it," Garry said.
"We're not voting."
"Still seconding."
Zhihao cleared his throat quietly. "I can take the other."
All eyes turned.
He scratched the back of his neck, eyes on his shoes. "Only if that's okay."
Elias shrugged. "She already likes you."
"She likes your jacket," Garry said.
"Same thing."
They left the clinic with two sleepy cats and a silent agreement: for now, the cats had found their homes.
On the way back, the group split. Riley and Garry veered off to hit the campus store. Chloe and Ivy walked slower, talking about curtains and flooring.
"She really did pick you," Chloe said. "You're officially her person."
"I didn't volunteer."
"Too late. You've been chosen."
Ivy glanced at the bag in her arms. Pancake slept soundly, face smooshed into the fabric.
"It doesn't feel terrible," she admitted.
Chloe grinned.
That night, Ivy sat on her bed, legs tucked up, textbook open but ignored. Pancake was curled into a perfect circle at the foot of the blanket, tail twitching softly.
Chloe was already asleep, mumbling something into her pillow.
Ivy glanced at the cat. Then at the page. Then back.
Maybe this was okay.
Meanwhile, in a different dorm, Elias read under a lamp while Zhihao adjusted the blanket around the injured cat.
She blinked up at him, then stretched, pawing gently at his knee.
Elias didn't look up. "You named her yet?"
Zhihao looked thoughtful.
"No. I want to see what she likes first."
Elias turned a page. "You really like cats."
Zhihao nodded. "Yeah. They're cute."
Elias raised an eyebrow.
"That's it?"
"Isn't that enough?"
The cat purred. Elias chuckled.
"Fair."
Zhihao leaned back against the wall, letting the silence settle. The cat climbed up into his lap, curled in tight, and closed her eyes.
He smiled down at her, soft and content.
Elias peeked over his book. "You're a total cat person, aren't you?"
Zhihao didn't answer.
But the smile didn't go away.