You must not get used to this life. You’re a human, after all. If you grow too comfortable with this kind of idle existence, reality will hit even harder when you return to being human.
Just thinking about it made his head throb—he had been skipping work at the factory without notice for over two weeks now. Once he returned to his human body, how the hell was he supposed to deal with the fallout? The factory manager would be absolutely livid.
Before enlisting, during a short-term gig over summer break, Go Hoon had built a connection with the factory manager. He was undoubtedly a good person—but also someone with a rigid sense of right and wrong.
Once you earned his favor, he had your back completely. But if you fell out of grace? Good luck dealing with him. That’s the kind of guy he was.
The factory manager was probably glaring at the door at this very moment, waiting for Go Hoon to walk in. So when Go Hoon returned to his human self, getting a thorough dressing-down was all but guaranteed.
On top of that, he had been away from his apartment for far too long. Rent day was coming up. If he had known things would turn out like this, he would’ve set up automatic payments.
Still, despite all those worries, his body remained completely slack. Humans, by nature, are creatures of adaptation. Especially when it comes to comfort—anything even slightly convenient, we pick up on it like instinct, and before you know it, it becomes second nature.
‘This isn’t the time to be lounging around like this.’ Go Hoon jerked upright from the top perch of the cat tower where he had been curled up.
The more he adjusted to the life of a cat, the more distant the human world felt. Was he seriously going to end up living out the rest of his life as Bae Jung-yoon’s pet cat? A sudden, creeping dread rose from deep within his chest.
If he really had to spend the rest of his life like this, the most pressing concern would obviously be lifespan. Except for a few special cases, animals typically had much shorter lifespans than humans.
How long do cats live again? Dogs usually make it to around ten, right? Then cats must be similar.
According to the vet, he was currently a one-year-old adult cat. If that estimate was accurate, he’d only have about nine years left. …The more he thought about it, the more absurd it all sounded.
‘No. Don’t jump to conclusions.’ If you worry too much, those fears might manifest. Isn’t there a saying that goes, “The unthinkable is what gets you”? He had turned from human to cat—surely there had to be a way to reverse that.
‘If a man does not work, he shall not eat.’ That old saying floated into his head. Maybe the reason he hadn’t returned to being human yet was because he hadn’t done anything—he hadn’t put in the effort.
There’s that other saying too: Before asking God to help you win the lottery, you need to actually buy a ticket. So instead of just sitting around on his furry butt, he needed to try something—anything.
Thinking back, he had totally let himself get sucked into this cushy lifestyle, putting off the real problem over and over. Recognizing his own complacency, Go Hoon immediately started grooming himself, tail flicking as he fell deep into thought.
‘How to return to being human. How to return to being human…’ He kept repeating the phrase until a sudden idea sparked.
Alcohol. Maybe the booze was the trigger that started all this.
The night he’d passed out on that freezing roadside—it had all begun because he’d gotten stupidly drunk. So maybe if he downed a bunch of soju again, just like that night, and blacked out, his body would return to normal?
The plan was simple: recreate the circumstances of that night as closely as possible. Rewind the clock to the moment everything began. Just drink until you collapse.
It was a dumb idea, sure—but it was all he had. Then another problem popped up right in front of his nose.
Bae Jung-yoon’s house had no soju.
Not that it was alcohol-free—on the contrary, his place was stacked with more booze than some bars.
Go Hoon padded over to the kitchen and looked up at the liquor cabinet. His eyes gleamed as he eyed the neatly lined-up bottles, glistening with elegant colors.
The world was full of exaggerated rumors, but the one about Bae Jung-yoon coming from money was at least 99% true. Otherwise, there was no way someone could afford to fill an entire display case with premium liquor like this. Not just whiskey—he had a whole wine cellar stocked to the brim too.
‘When the hell is he gonna drink all this?’ When he first saw the cabinet, Go Hoon assumed Bae Jung-yoon was a serious drinker. But in reality? Not at all.
During all his time in this house, Go Hoon had never seen Bae Jung-yoon drink once.
So maybe drinking wasn’t his thing—maybe collecting was. But then what’s the point of buying booze you don’t even plan to drink? From Go Hoon’s perspective, it was just another rich-guy eccentricity—but hey, wealthy folks always seem to have at least one classy hobby, right?
Anyway, while Bae Jung-yoon’s house was loaded with alcohol, it was all expensive stuff. What Go Hoon really needed was good ol’ cheap, efficient soju.
“Kkongddeok-i.”
As he sat glaring at the liquor bottles, a voice called to him from the living room.
‘Ugh, so annoying.’ Go Hoon pushed his irritation aside and ambled over to Bae Jung-yoon.
He was at least trying to do the bare minimum. After all, he was freeloading in this guy’s house—eating, sleeping, pooping here. Even if he couldn’t fully repay him, he had to offer something in return, didn’t he?
“Meow.”
As he walked up behind Bae Jung-yoon and let out a cry, the man turned and gave him a small smile.
“There you are.”
Dressed and ready to head out, Bae Jung-yoon crouched down and gently scratched under Go Hoon’s chin. His head tilted back instinctively, and a soft purring sound vibrated from his throat.
One thing he’d learned living as a cat—though it was true for humans too—was that cats were incredibly honest creatures. Honest to their instincts.
You couldn’t hide whether you were feeling good or bad. Before you even realized it yourself, your body gave it all away.
Like when a person hears a chilling story or feels a sudden draft—goosebumps rise on their skin without any conscious effort. That’s what this was. Involuntary reflexes that couldn’t be helped.
Apparently, Bae Jung-yoon had gotten really good at reading him. Lately, he’d been scarily accurate at picking up on Go Hoon’s moods.
He picked up on these silent exchanges instantly, catching the mood and physical state at any given moment. Of course, that didn’t mean they were actually communicating perfectly.
At best, it was a rough grasp of how he was feeling. Sometimes, it honestly felt like the guy could understand everything he said.
Go Hoon leaned his head heavily into the hand stroking him. With his eyes closed, he rubbed his cheek and forehead against the back of Bae Jung-yoon’s hand. Bae Jung-yoon watched him quietly through narrowed eyes, then lowered his head.
Smooch. Lips pressed against his forehead.
Go Hoon blinked his sapphire eyes slowly. Bae Jung-yoon’s smile deepened, and the hand stroking down his spine grew more affectionate.
“You’re so pretty today too, my Kkongddeok-i.”
At first, Go Hoon was absolutely revolted by Bae Jung-yoon’s cringey tone and excessive displays of affection. But no matter how hard he tried to dodge it, the guy would relentlessly follow him around doing the same thing until he just got used to it.
Bae Jung-yoon clearly had a thing for physical affection. He’d pin Go Hoon to the floor whenever he got the chance, press his face into his belly to sniff it, and even blow raspberries on it. He’d fiddle with the soft pads on his paws, hug him to sleep every night—it was an endless barrage of bothersome behavior.
He probably had an easygoing personality to begin with, but did he act like this even with his close human friends? That thought crossed Go Hoon’s mind every now and then.
Still, it wasn’t something worth dwelling on. What did it matter how he treated other people? It wasn’t any of his concern. He shook his head.
“Kkongddeok-i, I’m heading out for a bit.”
“Mraow.”
‘Yes, go. Please, by all means, leave.’ Go Hoon practically waved him off in his mind, eager to see him go.
Other than the day they first met, Bae Jung-yoon always went out regularly for exercise.
And he didn’t just stick to one sport—there was jogging, tennis, boxing, basketball, you name it. Go Hoon could usually guess the day’s activity based on which bag he packed.
The guy was good at anything physical. And his well-toned body was proof of that. Go Hoon himself wasn’t in bad shape either, but compared to someone who trained like it was a mission? No contest.
Despite his broad frame, Bae Jung-yoon moved with agility.
Go Hoon remembered once catching a glimpse of him back in their freshman year at Hankuk University, playing basketball on the campus court. He’d dodged a defender, leapt lightly into the air, and cleanly dunked the ball with a movement so fluid it seemed effortless.
Lost in thought, he watched Bae Jung-yoon straighten up. Judging by the gear he had packed, today’s workout was swimming.
“Be a good boy and watch the house, okay?”
“Meow—”
‘Yeah, yeah. Just get going already.’ He was practically shoving him out the door with his thoughts.
‘Once you’re gone, I can finally do what I need to without having to watch my back.’
“Don’t get into trouble.”
Bae Jung-yoon reached out and gave him a few strokes on the head and under the chin, then kept looking back as he headed out the door.
Thud. The front door closed with a heavy clunk. At last, freedom. Finally, no interruptions. Complete solitude.
Whenever Bae Jung-yoon went out, he usually stayed out for at least three hours. That meant about three hours of freedom ahead.
It was tempting to relax, but he wasn’t in a position to be leisurely. Go Hoon immediately walked over to the liquor cabinet.
Even at a glance, he could tell these were high-end bottles. Stuff he’d probably never taste in his entire life. Some were probably worth hundreds of thousands of won—maybe even into the millions.
Sure, he’d had soju that night, but honestly, did the type of alcohol even matter? The goal was to get drunk. That’s it. ‘Screw it. If I’m gonna die today, might as well die drinking the good stuff.’
But… how the hell was he supposed to open it? These soft little paws could hardly be called “hands,” let alone used to twist a cap.
That left only one option: body slam.
‘It’s a shame to waste it like this, but whatever.’ Becoming human again took priority.
Grunting, Go Hoon wedged himself behind the bottles, then used all his strength to shove one toward the edge. The heavy glass bottle tilted—and with a loud crash!, it shattered on the floor. Shards of glass flew in every direction with a sharp, metallic sound.
The shelf was higher up than he thought, so the noise was louder, and the mess much worse than anticipated. Still, the objective had been achieved. Amber liquid pooled on the floor, releasing a thick, intoxicating scent of alcohol.
The pungent oak aroma stung his nose—he already felt a bit drunk just breathing it in.
‘Alright. Now I just need to drink it.’
Leaping down from the counter and carefully avoiding the shards, Go Hoon made his way toward the spilled liquor.
Just then, a foreboding sound came from the front door.
“Kkongddeok-i.”
