I immediately looked at the photo Iris sent to me, only to see Ley standing outside the building of Iris' own animal shelter.

"Get over here," she immediately texted.

I was already done with my workout and shower, so it was an ideal opportunity for me to go there immediately.

The animal shelter was just near the school, so I was able to hastily run my way there in just five minutes.

After arriving at the back entrance of the building, Iris opened the door for me, immediately letting me enter as she instructed me on what to do.

"You and Mom are the only people who can interact with him comfortably, so deal with this," Iris said to me.

Hearing her order me, I immediately went outside to meet with Ley.

"Hey... what are you doing here?" I asked.

"Oh... hey. You're here," he greeted back. 'Wow, this shelter is huge."

"Why are you here?" I asked again.

"I actually don't know. All I did was follow an orange cat," Ley answered.

"I see. I guess that's weird," I commented, unsure of what to say.

Hearing my reaction, Ley stared at me weirdly as if it were an insult, saying that following a cat was weird? Or is it? Either way, I had to apologize.

"It's really not weird to follow a cat," Ley determinedly said.

"Is that so?" I asked to confirm, relieved that he didn't sound insulted by my comment.

"Yes, it's not." Iris joined the conversation, answering my question.

"See?" Ley remarked. "And I don't know why I'm here, but since I'm here... can I get a tour of the shelter?"

Iris didn't know how to answer, whether to agree or reject him straight on. And I'm not sure if she'll let a person, especially a trigger, into the shelter, something she values the most.

"I didn't really need a tour; I'm incredibly sorry." Ley turned to Iris, apologizing. "But I do insist that I meet your cats. Can you please take me there?"

I wanted Iris to accept after hearing Ley plead, but it wasn't my place to say so, especially when she's the owner of the place and she outranks me.

"Hmm... Sure," Iris accepted.

I couldn't believe that she'd agree to Ley's insistence, but I went along with it. Maybe she knew something I didn't.

Iris guided Ley to the cats' area, while I silently followed the two. As we arrived there, we saw Iris' employees diligently working on a specific cat.

"What's the ruckus over there?" Ley signaled using his head, asking Iris.

"My employees are just working with a newly rescued cat named Red," Iris answers.

Ley's face showed curiosity and concern after hearing Iris' answer and immediately walking there to check the ruckus out.

Ley was our immediate priority, and Iris knew not to reject Ley in a way that'll upset him, so we quietly followed pursuit after him.

"I found her," Ley whispers. "So, what's the story about her?"

"It's a six-month-old orange cat, whom we just rescued twenty-four hours ago. She eats, drinks, and sleeps, but she's not doing well with human interaction," Iris answered.

"I see. Is that why your team is there? Trying to think about ways on how to interact with her?" Ley asks.

"I believe so," Iris confirms.

"I take it that none of the strategies have helped?" Ley questioned.

"I'm afraid so," Iris answers.

"May I try?" Ley politely asks.

"Sure," Iris accepted.

Ley immediately went inside the room the cat was in, gently walking as he reached the center. And after reaching the center, he faced our way, closed his eyes, titled his head down, and calmly knelt.

"What do you think he's doing?" I asked Iris.

"I'm not sure, but I don't know if what he does will help; seeing even the top animal behaviorists I hired struggled with Red," Iris answered.

Iris signaled her employees to head back and watch Ley with us. The employees immediately asked Iris why Ley was inside and what he was doing there.

Iris answered them with complete silence, and so, we kept watching him, observing him as he continued to kneel in front of us for two minutes.

At first, nothing happened, but then a view of an orange cat suddenly appeared, coming out of the box they placed inside the room.

I turned my head around to Iris and her employees after hearing their joyful sighs as we viewed the same thing of a cat going outside of its box and interacting with Ley, but I didn't grasp or understand why they felt that way.

Ley gently opened her eyes, stroking the cat and holding it like a sleeping baby as he went outside the cat's room.

The employees silently praised Ley while Iris stood beside me, silent and still. Though the curiosity in their faces was obvious.

"How did you do it?" Iris curiously asked Ley, while the employees leaned forward as they waited for Ley's answer.

"I think... I was sent here by her mother," Ley answers.

"Right... you mean the cat that you followed here?" Iris said doubtfully.

"You don't believe me?" Ley asks.

"I honestly don't know what to say," Iris replies.

"There was a cat skeleton near Red when you rescued her, didn't you?" Ley confidently asked.

"Wait, how did you know that?" Iris asked.

"That's irrelevant," Ley answers. "So, do you want to touch her?"

"Yes, but I don't think she wants me to since she made it clearly before," Iris answered.

"Let me reintroduce you to her, then," Ley exclaimed.

"Hey, Red... This is Auntie Iris..." Ley baby-talked his way to introduce Iris. "You should hold out your hand."

Ley gently took Iris' hand and softly guided her hand to pat the cat, making the cat look satisfied with both their pats.

"Red now likes you. Here," Ley said, handing the cat to Iris. "I think my job here is done."

"I'm really sorry for the unexpected visit, Ate Iris," Ley apologized. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to address you, Ate Iris; it just felt disrespectful if I didn't."

"It's fine, I'll allow it. You did help us with Red," Iris assures Ley.

"You know what 'ate' means?" Ley asked, surprised by Iris' reaction.

"It's just the Filipino word for sister, right?" Iris answers. "You're basically just calling me 'Sister Iris."

"Yeah," Ley voiced his relief. "I have to say. What you're doing with this place is incredible. It's wonderful to know that someone flexible with money is helping stray animals."

"As a cat and dog lover myself, I wish people were like you," Ley said to Iris.

"That... really means a lot. Thank you," Iris responded. "You can come here anytime you want, courtesy of the owner herself."

"I see! Thanks, but I need to go home now. Mrs. Smith—your mom—might scold me if she finds me wandering outside without her permission," Ley replied.

Iris immediately booked Ley a car to get him in the house as fast as possible to prevent Mom getting mad.

"See you guys back at the house!" Ley said his farewell to us as the car drove him back off to our house.