A soft blue leather collar dangled with a small bell and a pendant.
Even the adorable paw-shaped charm had “Bae Kkongddeok” meticulously engraved into it. Its cuteness was oddly unsettling—enough to make him hesitate to even touch it.
“You’re seriously giving this to me? Expecting me to wear it?”
“Yup.”
…What the hell is wrong with this lunatic? Sure, he might’ve been his pet cat once, but this was way over the line. He was human now. A person. Someone with actual human rights. The second he put that thing around his neck, this room would become ground zero for a human rights violation.
Unbothered by Go Hoon’s disgusted expression, Bae Jung-yoon calmly pulled out the collar himself.
“Look here.”
He flipped the pendant over to show the back.
“My name and number are engraved back here.”
So what, you little shit? Go Hoon stared at him like he was out of his mind. Was he supposed to be thankful for that? What was he—a lost toddler who needed a tag in case he wandered off?
His chest simmered with everything he wanted to say but held back. Meanwhile, Bae Jung-yoon smiled sweetly and held the collar out to him.
“Just try it on once.”
The whole thing was so absurd that he couldn’t even muster a laugh anymore.
“No.”
Go Hoon cut him off without hesitation. He’d have to be completely out of his mind to wear that thing. Just because it was a gift didn’t mean he had to accept it. No way in hell.
He shook his head and tried to get up, wanting to escape this ridiculousness. But before he could, Bae Jung-yoon grabbed his arm tightly and pushed him right back down onto the bed.
“Come on, just try it on, Hoon-ah. I need to see if it fits right. If it doesn’t, I’ll have to get it adjusted.”
Standing in front of him, his tone was soft and coaxing—but it was clearly a command disguised as a suggestion. Go Hoon pulled on his arm to get free, but the grip held firm.
“Did you forget? You promised to do me a favor.”
That’s when the condition he’d completely forgotten about hit him. In return for helping Go Hoon, Bae Jung-yoon had asked him to grant a favor of his own choosing. And now, here he was, cashing in.
Go Hoon let out a deep, heavy sigh. There was no point in arguing. It would just go in circles. Bae Jung-yoon was the type to never back down until he got exactly what he wanted.
“Later. Not now. I can try it on before bed or something.”
It was a temporary delay tactic. Fine. He’d have to transform into a cat at night anyway—might as well wear it then. Just once. Apparently, it had been custom-made too. And judging by how it looked, it definitely wasn’t cheap. That’s the thing with custom orders—they never are.
“You had no problem transforming when it worked in your favor.”
The low murmur made him lift his eyes. Bae Jung-yoon’s gaze locked with his, smiling faintly.
Go Hoon winced. He was obviously referring to the night before—when Go Hoon had turned into a cat just to avoid being clung to.
Still, no. He didn’t want to do it. Especially not if it meant wearing that. Seeing his stance hadn’t changed, Bae Jung-yoon muttered under his breath with a resigned tone.
“Well then, I guess I’ll just have to put it on you like this.”
Go Hoon’s eyes went wide. What the hell? Like this? In human form?
“Are you out of your damn mind? How would that even fit me?”
“I can stretch it a little.”
He recoiled in horror as Bae Jung-yoon moved like he really intended to fit it around his neck.
“There’s no such thing as a human-sized pet collar!”
“That’s why it’s custom-made.”
The calm reply left him speechless. But Go Hoon quickly snapped out of it and shook his head furiously.
“No way. I’m not doing it.”
“It’s fine. I’ll do it for you.”
What the hell is fine about this?!
“I said no! Get lost, seriously!”
Backing away in full defensive mode, Go Hoon retreated to the bed, shuffling backward on his butt. But even with his firm refusal, Bae Jung-yoon didn’t stop. If anything, his smile grew deeper.
“I said I’m not doing it!”
He tried to scramble out from under Bae Jung-yoon as the man climbed over him, but there was no getting away from that kind of brute strength. Pinning Go Hoon’s arms down with his thighs, he smoothly unfastened the buckle and wrapped the collar around his neck.
The feel of the soft leather made Go Hoon’s skin crawl.
In the end, he couldn’t take it anymore and transformed. There was no way he’d wear something like that in human form. Not even for a second.
Watching him shrink instantly into a small animal, Bae Jung-yoon let out a laugh, like he’d been expecting it.
“Ha ha, I knew it—”
“YIAAAANG!”
What the hell are you laughing at?!
Fur bristling and brows furrowed, Go Hoon stood up in a panic and shook himself off with vigor. But Bae Jung-yoon didn’t bat an eye. With a soft chuckle, he gently pulled Go Hoon toward him.
The collar clicked into place around his neck.
Thanks to the soft material, it didn’t feel uncomfortable when he moved. Not that he’d ever admit to liking Bae Jung-yoon’s gift—absolutely not.
Bae Jung-yoon kept fiddling with the pendant. After quietly staring at his own name engraved on it for a while, he whispered,
“Looks good on you, Kkongddeok-i.”
As he was patted on the head, Go Hoon looked up at him with obvious displeasure.
But the gaze that met his was warm, unwaveringly so. And for some reason, that gentle look seemed to sand down the sharp edges of his irritation.
“You’re adorable.”
The sweet voice brushed against his ears, and with it, all resistance melted away. Fine. Collar or no collar, do whatever the hell you want.
***
“Hey, we’re opening a bar for the festival. You should swing by.”
Jo Seong-il, sitting next to him and scrolling on his phone, tossed the words out casually. It was only then that Go Hoon realized the festival season was right around the corner.
It felt repetitive to even admit it at this point, but the truth was, he’d never really enjoyed a festival before—let alone gone on an MT (Membership Training trip). He hadn’t had anyone to hang out with, and he’d always been too busy.
But now? Things were different. Since quitting his part-time job, time was the one thing he had plenty of. So naturally, what Jo Seong-il said sparked his interest.
Especially with how everyone was raving nonstop about this year’s incredible guest artist lineup—it was hard not to be curious.
On the other hand, Bae Jung-yoon seemed completely uninterested in the whole thing. Rumor had it that two months ago, the Student Council President had asked him to join the festival planning committee, but he’d flat-out declined, saying he was too busy.
Total bullshit, obviously. From what Go Hoon could see, Bae Jung-yoon had been “busy” hanging around the house with him lately.
Still, whether he was interested or not didn’t matter. It might actually be nice to go check out the festival vibe on his own. Since the Student Council—along with Jo Seong-il—was running a bar, he could always swing by for a bit.
That vague thought crossed his mind and slipped away. He completely forgot about it until a few days later, when the day of the festival arrived.
The campus was buzzing louder than usual, thanks to the main event. Groups of people—probably outsiders—wandered around everywhere.
After class, Go Hoon headed for the library. He was supposed to meet Bae Jung-yoon there.
Thanks to the festival, the usually packed library was nearly deserted.
Being stuck with assignments on a day like this was a little depressing—but Go Hoon forced himself to focus on his laptop.
He needed some reference material for a business report, so he browsed through several news articles. That’s when one headline caught his eye and held it.
***
[Economy Focus] VisionCloud Becomes Korea’s First Unicorn in Cloud Tech
VisionCloud, a company specializing in cloud infrastructure and solution services, has emerged as a promising unicorn—defined as a privately held startup with a valuation of over $1 billion.
…
The driving force behind VisionCloud’s unicorn status is CEO Woo Gun-hyung. At just 29 years old, he has captured global attention as the “World’s Youngest Unicorn CEO.”
***
At the top of the article, there was a photo of the interviewee.
Go Hoon’s eyes narrowed. The man in the picture was absurdly handsome.
Soft double eyelids, eyes set wide and sharp, a high-bridged nose, and a jawline that was just slightly angular. Reclining slightly on a sofa and offering a gentle smile, the man had an undeniable presence.
If he looked this good in a news photo, he probably looked like a full-blown celebrity in person.
Look at you—so eager to avoid your assignment that you’re ogling some guy in a business article.
Closing his laptop, Go Hoon stood and stretched out his stiff body.
He stepped into the quiet hallway, stretching lazily as his gaze wandered outside the window.
Booths had been set up across the quad, rows of tents lining the grounds. He took it all in silently.
Even though the sun hadn’t set yet, the area was already packed with people. He thought for a moment about heading out to take a quick look.
That’s when a voice called out from behind him.
“What are you doing?”
Go Hoon jumped and turned around in surprise.
Bae Jung-yoon was leaning in, both hands resting on the window frame, effectively trapping him in place.
They were so close that as Go Hoon turned his head, his lips brushed against Bae Jung-yoon’s cheek.
But Bae Jung-yoon didn’t even flinch. He just stared at him, calm and unfazed.
