That's My Spot

I spread my jacket out on a bench behind the venue and retied my shoelaces.

When I looked up, Ieum was sitting on my jacket.

“That's my spot.”

My older sister, Sesangbit, paused with her notebook halfway out of her bag and looked at me.

“You haven't even sat down yet.”

“My jacket was saving the seat.”

“Looks like Ieum thought so too.”

Ieum brought its front paws neatly together. When I looked at it, it turned just its head away.

I tapped an empty spot on the bench with my hand.

“Ieum. Over here.”

One ear turned toward me. Its body stayed still.

“You heard me, right?”

“Yeah,” Sesangbit said.

“Then come over here, Ieum.”

Ieum yawned. The green leaves on its head swayed a moment later.

She placed her hand on the end of the bench.

“It's warmer over here.”

I laid my palm flat on the sunny part of the bench. Ieum glanced at my hand, then rested its chin on my jacket.

“Guess it's not the sun, then.”

“It's my jacket it likes.”

“Then leave your jacket there and sit beside it.”

“But I need to wear it later.”

She laughed and moved her bag from the end of the bench to the ground. I perched where the bag had been. My jacket lay spread out beneath Ieum.

Ieum stretched out its front paws. I watched the sleeve bunch up but couldn't bring myself to reach for it.

“Oh, I couldn't wake it up if it fell asleep like that.”

“You're saying that already?”

“I can't just wake it up when it's asleep.”

“It's not asleep yet.”

Ieum was looking at me with its eyes open.

I closed my mouth. She covered hers with the notebook.

With nothing else to do, I quietly hummed the chorus I'd played for her last time. I tried a slightly different ending, then stopped.

Ieum lifted its head.

“I think it's listening to my song.”

She looked down at my foot.

“You're tapping the bench with your foot.”

I set my heel on the ground. Ieum put its chin back down.

For a little while, neither of us spoke.

Ieum got up just as she checked our next rehearsal time and closed her notebook. It stretched its back, reached its front paws forward, then stretched out its hind legs one at a time.

Once I was sure Ieum had moved off my jacket, I slowly picked up the jacket. I folded it in half and put it on my lap. Only then could I sit properly on the bench.

“There.”

Ieum stood on the bench, looking at my lap.

I looked at the cat, then at the jacket on my lap.

“Don't tell me.”

Its two front paws came up first. Its hind paws soon followed. Ieum circled once on the folded jacket, then curled up and closed its eyes.

I put my hands down on either side of my lap.

“Hey.”

“What?”

“How am I supposed to get up now?”

“You were just saying you had nowhere to sit.”

I laughed, and my knees moved a little. When Ieum opened its eyes, I immediately held still.

“That really is my spot.”

Ieum tucked its tail beside its front paws. Its eyes closed again.

She picked up her bag.

“Want to head inside?”

I looked down at my lap. A little white fur stuck out past the edge of the folded jacket.

“Just five more minutes.”

She put her notebook in her bag and sat down beside me.