Was he staring into those bright blue eyes—or was he seeing something beyond them? Was he looking at Go Hoon himself?
Just as that odd feeling washed over him, Bae Jung-yoon closed his eyes.
Before long, the sound of calm, steady breathing began to fill the room. Even in the darkness, Go Hoon could clearly make out Bae Jung-yoon’s face and stared at it in silence.
…Would he die if I just covered his mouth right now?
As the wicked thought crossed his mind, Hoon quietly extended his paw until it hovered just in front of those lips. His gaze sharpened, quietly observing. But instead of following through, he changed course and lightly tapped Bae Jung-yoon’s nose.
Maybe it wasn’t a lie that people slept more deeply with a cat next to them. Bae Jung-yoon didn’t so much as flinch.
He looked just like an angel like this, sleeping so peacefully. Hard to believe someone so violent could be hiding beneath that face.
Go Hoon still didn’t know how to deal with Bae Jung-yoon.
He was too dangerous to treat casually, without keeping his guard up. After all, the guy had already used force against him without a second thought.
But really—what could he do now? The contract had already been signed. All he could do was carry out his role, as agreed.
Besides, wasn’t there that old saying: give an extra rice cake to the brat you hate?
Sure, Bae Jung-yoon could be obnoxious and infuriating at times, but maybe it was worth trying out the wisdom of the ancestors.
Go Hoon curled himself into a ball and closed his eyes. The familiar, comforting scent of the other soaked gently into his senses.
***
May 17th.
A day that, on the surface, seemed no different from any other—but in truth, it was Hoon’s birthday.
Or rather, it was the day Go Hoon was found in a pile of garbage in a dirty alley, long before he ever had a name.
It was May—the month some people call “the month of children”—when Hoon was abandoned.
Because of that, he never liked May. Or more precisely, the day people insisted on calling his “birthday.”
He even turned off the birthday reminders in his messenger app on purpose.
He hated getting sudden messages from people he barely spoke to, acting like they cared. And besides, he wasn’t even sure that day was really when he was born.
So having people wish him happy birthday just felt off. Especially when the ones who should be there to celebrate with him didn’t exist in his life at all.
He didn’t know the exact circumstances, but sometimes he thought—maybe his parents hadn’t been all that happy about his birth in the first place.
What other explanation could there be for abandoning a newborn so mercilessly? They were probably off somewhere now, happily living their lives with someone else.
Whenever thoughts like that came to him, his mood sank like a stone.
So he tried not to think about them—those parents whose faces he couldn’t even remember.
But on his birthday, without fail, the word “parents” would creep into a corner of his mind and stay there.
Director
[Happy birthday, Hoon-ah.]
7:02 a.m.
The message came early that morning, and Hoon stared at the screen for a long time.
He’d told her not to, but she never listened.
Every year, without fail, she sent a message just like this.
Go Hoon almost typed out a reply—but gave up halfway through.
Nothing felt right to say. Typing “Thank you” felt too stiff, and reaching out to ask how she was seemed awkward, too.
Since leaving the orphanage, Go Hoon hadn’t replied to a single one of her texts. He’d just quietly slip his phone into his pocket, like he always did.
The surname “Go” was a name she had given him. She had given her surname to so many children, and beyond that, given them names of their own. To her, there were countless children born from her heart—names that would never fade away.
And that was exactly why Go Hoon chose not to respond. There were too many others she had to care about. It wasn’t just him.
Picturing her wrinkled face, always carrying that kind, gentle smile, Go Hoon stared blankly at the pavement.
Right now, he was waiting for Bae Jung-yoon.
After parking in the outdoor lot and heading toward the Business building, Bae Jung-yoon had suddenly said he left his phone in the car and told Go Hoon to wait here for a bit—then walked off.
They weren’t even attending the same lecture, so there wasn’t really a reason to wait. But leaving without saying anything felt too cold, so Go Hoon stayed quietly in place.
When’s he coming back…
As he waited, a bored expression on his face, a massive bouquet suddenly appeared in front of him. It was so close that the strong scent of the flowers hit his nose immediately.
Go Hoon wrinkled his brow and stared at the bouquet in front of him.
Pastel-colored roses and an assortment of unnamed flowers were wrapped neatly in a soft lavender wrapper.
He could feel the stares of people passing by, sneaking glances as they walked. Snapping out of it, Go Hoon pushed the bouquet away, a bit roughly.
“What is this?”
He demanded an answer from the one holding the bouquet. The response came easily, without a hint of hesitation.
“It’s your birthday today.”
Even though Go Hoon’s voice was clearly unimpressed, Bae Jung-yoon smiled brightly, completely unfazed, and held the bouquet out to him again.
“Come on. Take it.”
But Go Hoon just blinked, frozen in place. He really should’ve known something was up when Bae Jung-yoon made that rare mistake earlier.
Telling him to wait here of all places—that should’ve been the first clue.
He never could’ve imagined Bae Jung-yoon would prepare such an unwelcome surprise.
He hadn’t even considered the possibility that Jung-yoon knew it was his birthday.
How did he find out?
With that question, Go Hoon’s eyebrows arched in disbelief. His eyes, fixed on Bae Jung-yoon, brimmed with suspicion.
“I’m pretty sure I never told you when my birthday is.”
Did this bastard actually dig up my personal history?
The thought edged toward paranoia—until Bae Jung-yoon gave a quick smirk and clarified.
“It was on your resident registration card.”
Ah. The ID. He’d completely forgotten about that.
…Still, whether it was this or that, it felt just as invasive.
And the most infuriating part was how unbothered Bae Jung-yoon looked, even after snooping through someone else’s private information.
Wearing an expression like he’d chewed on something rotten, Go Hoon brushed past him and walked off. Naturally, Jung-yoon followed right behind, keeping up and chattering away.
“You’re really not gonna take the flowers, Hoon-ah? My arm’s getting sore here.”
“Then carry them yourself. Go ahead—strut around with them all day.”
“Don’t you think you should acknowledge the effort at least? I even made a reservation to get these, you know. C’mon, Hoon-ah? Hoon-ah?”
Bae Jung-yoon kept calling his name over and over again as he trailed behind him, loud enough to draw every nearby gaze.
The repetitive calls were so relentless, Go Hoon thought he might develop a neurosis on the spot.
“Oh for fuck’s sake…!”
He finally snapped, spinning around mid-stride. Jung-yoon stopped with him, met his eyes quietly, and once again extended the bouquet.
“Happy birthday, Hoon-ah.”
In that moment, the old saying suddenly made sense: You can’t spit on a smiling face.
What could he possibly say to someone looking at him like that—smiling so brightly, so innocently? Even if that smile belonged to a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Even if he knew better.
Right now, at least, the gesture felt strangely sincere. So with a deep sigh, Go Hoon took the bouquet.
No—snatched it, really, like yanking it away from Jung-yoon’s hands.
“What the hell were you thinking, getting something like this?”
It was huge. Gaudy. Embarrassing. How was he supposed to carry this around in public without dying inside?
He picked up his pace, deliberately muttering complaints loud enough for the gift-giver to hear. He wanted Jung-yoon to feel at least a little bad. Instead, the guy just laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world.
“How about we get something good to eat tonight?”
His voice was practically bouncing with excitement.
Go Hoon glanced sideways at him.
It’s not even your birthday—why are you so damn cheerful?
“What do you wanna eat? Beef? Or how about tuna sashimi? Ooh, or we could go somewhere for a full-course dinner. I know a decent place.”
By the time they reached the front of the lecture hall, Go Hoon suddenly stopped walking.
He turned sharply, the wind kicking up at his feet. Even under the weight of Go Hoon’s silent, direct stare, Bae Jung-yoon didn’t flinch or rush him.
He simply waited. Waited until Go Hoon decided to speak first. His eyes shone—like someone quietly staring at a planet on the brink of explosion.
“What the hell’s got you so happy, huh?”
Go Hoon finally said, after a long pause.
What’s so thrilling about this for him?
What kind of reaction had he expected from that ridiculous bouquet? He couldn’t understand Jung-yoon at all. And that only made him more curious.
“Because it’s your birthday.”
The answer came instantly, without hesitation. But it still didn’t make sense.
“Yeah, it’s my birthday. So why are you the one grinning like a fool?”
It’s just a birthday, he muttered under his breath.
He didn’t feel happy. Didn’t feel special. So why did Jung-yoon look like he was the one celebrating?
“Because,”
After a brief pause, Bae Jung-yoon looked him straight in the eye and said,
“You’re someone important to me.”
Go Hoon froze, caught off guard.
His grip on the bouquet tightened involuntarily. He felt something stir—a small, gentle gust moving through his chest. His palms were warm.
That heat didn’t stay put—it began to spread, slowly blooming outward. It was… honestly kind of romantic. But at the same time, it felt strangely off.
Go Hoon couldn’t shake the doubt.
Did he really mean that? Was this really how he felt?
He couldn’t be sure. So he stayed quiet, just staring back. Jung-yoon’s jet-black eyes stared right back at him, unwavering. Then, after a long beat, he smiled softly and added,
“Of course it’s important to me. It’s the day Kkongddeok-i was born.”
There it is.
The moment Kkongddeok-i came up, it all clicked.
It wasn’t Go Hoon the person that mattered—it was Kkongddeok-i the cat.
He’d spent the last few days thinking it through. All of Bae Jung-yoon’s actions—what was behind them? The conclusion had come easily enough. He mattered because he could become Kkongddeok-i.
Jung-yoon had been suffering from insomnia. Then one day, by chance, Go Hoon had transformed into a cat. He’d been cared for, shared a bed—and just like that, Jung-yoon’s insomnia had subsided. It probably wasn’t some supernatural effect. More like psychological comfort—like hugging a teddy bear. He found security in holding a warm body close. That was all. That’s probably where his fixation with Kkongddeok-i started.
So no—Bae Jung-yoon didn’t like him. He liked the version of him that could become a cat. If he’d never turned into one, would they even be talking right now? Would they have shared any of this?
He seriously doubted it.
After all, everything between them began with Kkongddeok-i. Did Jung-yoon even care what he might be thinking in this moment?
The thought sparked a wave of bitter self-awareness, but Go Hoon shut it down quickly.
There was no need to feel disappointed. This was a relationship born out of need.
He needed money. Bae Jung-yoon needed sleep.
Drawing that cold line in his mind, Go Hoon was about to turn away—
When Jung-yoon leaned in slightly and whispered,
“You were born to meet me.”
“You really think the whole world revolves around you, don’t you?”
Go Hoon shot back, sharp and dry. But somewhere deep down, he couldn’t help but feel a flicker of amusement.
Why was I even born?
Why did I come into this world, only to be thrown away?
He used to wonder about that sometimes—vaguely, aimlessly. But hearing Bae Jung-yoon say it so matter-of-factly—
It hit him.
At least one person in this world claimed to need him.
Even if it wasn’t really him that Jung-yoon needed—
Even if it was the cat.
I hate this ML