Go Hoon didn’t have a first period today, so he left the house more leisurely than usual. Whenever Bae Jung-yoon wasn’t with him, he always chose to walk to campus. Something about walking the route made his body feel lighter, and it helped clear his mind—it just felt good.
He stopped by a convenience store for a quick breakfast, and his eyes drifted to the cigarette display. Ever since his senior had finished his service, smoking no longer suited his taste, so he’d quit. But today, for some reason, that acrid smoke felt oddly tempting.
Licking his lips, Go Hoon eventually bought the pack that looked the most familiar and headed to the smoking area on campus.
Past the science building at the base of the hill, he saw a spot littered with cigarette butts. As he got closer, a familiar face came into view.
“Ah, fuck. What the hell am I supposed to do? It’s not like I backed out. It’s that asshole Yoon Yeong-jae who suddenly dropped out.”
Jo Seong-il hadn’t noticed Go Hoon yet and was still deep in an animated phone call. Go Hoon quietly stepped up beside him, dimples forming in his cheeks as he spun the wheel on the lighter he’d just bought.
Hss— He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. The thick white smoke seeped through his teeth, the acrid scent filling his mouth and lungs.
It had been a while, but yep—it still wasn’t good. Still, wasting a full cigarette felt like throwing money away, so he kept at it.
As soon as the damp filter touched his lips again, an image flashed through his mind—Bae Jung-yoon’s face, illuminated in shifting, colorful light. Those obsidian-like eyes, watching him in silence.
Eyes so close their lips almost touched. Just watching. Jet-black and unblinking. That gaze wouldn’t leave his head. Like it had been carved into his mind.
“Alright, fine. Just hang up. I’ll try to find someone else.”
After arguing for a while, Jo Seong-il finally ended the call, clearly annoyed. Then he noticed Go Hoon and blinked in surprise.
“Oh—Go Hoon.”
They exchanged a quick nod, and Seong-il stubbed out his cigarette before strolling over with a grin.
“Hey, what the hell? You smoke now?”
“Just a bit in the army. I quit after.”
“Then what’s that?”
“Felt like one today.”
“Oho, didn’t see that coming. Since you’re here, I might as well have another.”
Looking excited for some reason, Seong-il pulled out another cigarette and lit up. As he glanced over at him, Go Hoon casually brought up the phone call he’d overheard.
“Someone bail on you?”
“Yeah, group blind date. Yoon Yeong-jae said he’d go since he broke up with his girlfriend, but now they’re back together and he suddenly backed out. And now Jeong Chan-bin won’t stop harassing me to find a replacement.”
The name sounded familiar—even if they weren’t close—and Go Hoon immediately scowled.
“That guy’s old enough to know better, but he’s still into that childish crap?”
“Hoon-ah~ ♪ What’s wrong with my age~ Is there an age for love~ ♪”
Seong-il sang a line from a trot song and chuckled to himself.
“This is my last time, seriously. I’m gonna start job hunting next year for real.”
The guy had already finished his military service and still hadn’t gotten it together. And it was almost exam season. Shaking his head in disbelief, Go Hoon looked away, only for Seong-il to suddenly jab him in the ribs.
“Since we’re talking about it… you wanna come?”
Go Hoon’s expression immediately twisted in annoyance.
“Who the hell would want some ancient fossil like me showing up?”
“Then what about me?”
Seong-il made a flower pose with his hands, grinning wide. Go Hoon stared at him and answered flatly.
“You’re a fossilized relic.”
“Bro, that was too real. That actually hurt,” Seong-il groaned, grabbing his chest and exaggerating a pained expression.
“Bullshit.”
Suppressing a dry laugh, Go Hoon ground out his cigarette.
“Come on, let’s go together. A guy like you? Everyone would be thrilled. Even among the freshmen, there are more girls into you than you think.”
“I’ll pass. No time. Not into that kind of thing.”
He actually had plenty of time lately, but he had no desire to be involved. Group blind date? Please. What kind of position was he even in to date someone right now?
With no intention of reconsidering, Go Hoon flicked the butt into a trash can and walked away from the smoking area. Seong-il hurriedly snuffed his cigarette and chased after him.
“Ah, wait~ Go Hoon-ang~ Let’s do it together~”
“Piss off.”
As Seong-il clung to him with that disgusting nickname, Go Hoon shoved him away with one hand, deadpan.
“Ah, wait~ Hoon-ah, Hoon-ah~ Let’s do it together~”
Even after the cold rejection, Jo Seong-il clung to him with a grin, persistently trailing behind. Go Hoon ignored him all the way to the lecture hall. The moment he sat down, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
Business Major Bae Jung-yoon
[Hoon-ah]
[Let’s have lunch together. Text me when your class ends.]
9:36 AM
After reading Bae Jung-yoon’s message, Go Hoon sent a simple reply: Okay.
Even after hitting send, his eyes lingered on the chat window for a while.
Lately, living with Bae Jung-yoon had been smooth—almost too smooth. Sure, he occasionally pulled a prank or two—though calling them pranks felt generous—but overall, Go Hoon was eating and sleeping under his roof, getting paid, and living more comfortably than ever. And Jung-yoon was using him to get restful sleep, just as he wanted.
So yes, everything seemed to be going well.
And yet, something felt off. Deep down, Go Hoon couldn’t shake the sense of unease—like he was teetering on the edge of a line he shouldn’t cross, one foot already slipping over. It felt like the kind of calm that comes just before a storm.
If he was being honest, this sense of instability stemmed entirely from Bae Jung-yoon’s casual attitude—the way he touched him so naturally and without hesitation.
Go Hoon knew better than to read into it. He understood he shouldn’t assign meaning to every little gesture. Jung-yoon was just playing around, using him to amuse himself.
There was never any real affection behind it. It wasn’t sincere. He reached out like it was a joke, like it was just a game—temporary entertainment, nothing more, nothing less.
And yet, even knowing that, his heart kept reacting. That was what really bothered him.
Why did it have to be him? Of all people, why did it have to be Bae Jung-yoon who found him and took him in when he’d turned into a cat?
Why didn’t he give up looking for Kkongddeok when he ran away? If he had, they wouldn’t be this tangled up now.
Even now, Go Hoon couldn’t make sense of it. Why did Jung-yoon go so far—paying 7 million won, no less—to keep this strange arrangement going?
He claimed it was because of his insomnia. But was that reason enough to show this kind of devotion? Go Hoon didn’t know. He had never felt that strongly about anyone before, so he had no way of understanding it.
He thought back to the collar Jung-yoon had given him as a birthday present—the one with a pendant engraved with his name and contact info. A tag that felt like a mark, as if to make sure he never forgot who he belonged to.
“Why do people like cats so much?”
The question slipped out as Go Hoon sat there, lost in thought.
An answer came immediately from the seat next to him.
“Because they’re cute.”
“Besides that?”
“Because they’re pretty.”
“Other reasons?”
Jo Seong-il, still staring at his phone and answering half-heartedly, finally furrowed his brow when the question repeated, and looked over at him.
“What are you trying to hear, Hoon?”
Good question. What was he hoping to hear by asking?
Go Hoon unfolded his arms, tapped the edge of the desk with his fingers, and turned to face Seong-il completely.
“Just hear me out.”
“Alright, go ahead.”
Putting his phone aside, Seong-il gave a little wave of his hand—plenty of time left before class, clearly willing to hear him out.
“There’s someone I know who really, really likes cats.”
“‘Someone you know’?”
His look said it all. There’s never been a story you told about someone else that wasn’t actually about you. That was the message in Seong-il’s eyes. But Go Hoon ignored it completely and answered.
“Yeah.”
“Really likes them?”
“Yeah.”
Seong-il let out a thoughtful hum.
“So?”
“I’ve been wondering why that person likes cats so much.”
“…Isn’t that basically the same question as before?”
“It’s different. I said really. It’s not a normal level of fondness.”
Then what was different? Seong-il’s expression tightened in confusion. Noticing it, Go Hoon paused before continuing.
“They’re kind of… unhinged.”
Yeah. There was something off about Bae Jung-yoon. Not something you could point to specifically—just a general, unsettling oddness.
He recalled what Choi Joo-won had once said:
“Bae Jung-yoon raising a pet? That’s unexpected.”
“When did you even start living there? That nutcase Bae Jung-yoon’s actually nice to you?”
From that, it was clear: before taking in the cat version of Go Hoon, Bae Jung-yoon had never kept any animals.
Well, maybe he’d never owned one, but still liked them. Didn’t he mention once that his mom used to keep a cat when he was little?
Even so, something about what Joo-won said stuck in his mind. It wasn’t just that he hadn’t kept pets—it sounded more like he had never shown any interest in animals at all.
“How unhinged are we talking?”
How the hell was he supposed to explain that? How do you measure someone’s deviation from normal behavior?
Go Hoon seriously considered how to respond—then gave up and mumbled,
“Just… really unhinged.”
That was all he could say. It wasn’t like he could start listing everything the guy had done.
