He froze on the spot, staring blankly into space for a long moment. Then, at last, Go Hoon snapped out of it. He couldn’t just sit there in a daze—he needed a plan. If he stayed like this, someone was bound to find him, and then he’d either be thrown out or dragged off somewhere with no way to resist.
It was far too risky to wander around while still in cat form. Rather than venturing outside, the smarter move was to stay put and try to get help from Bae Jung-yoon. His bright blue eyes, lost in thought, suddenly flicked toward his pants pocket.
His phone. He could call Jung-yoon.
Having made up his mind, Go Hoon sprang into action. After some struggling and straining, he finally managed to pull the phone out of his pocket.
He wiped his sweat-drenched, soft pink paw pads on his clothes. He had tried so hard that the fabric was left with damp paw-shaped marks.
With cautious paws, he tapped in the phone’s passcode. He messed up a few times but forced himself to stay calm. Refusing to give up, he kept at it with delicate, precise taps—and finally, the lock screen slid away.
Got it. He held back a cheer and opened the recent call history. As expected, it was filled with Bae Jung-yoon’s name and a bunch of spam numbers. He hadn’t been talking to anyone else lately.
Even while working, Bae Jung-yoon often called him to ask random questions—like what he’d had for lunch or how his studies were going.
All the calls from Bae Jung-yoon were incoming. Go Hoon had never really called him first. And this was the first time he was trying to reach him at this hour.
Would he even pick up? Hopefully, he was free to take the call.
Go Hoon swallowed hard and tapped his number. The screen shifted, and the call tone began to ring faintly through the speaker.
—“Hoon-ah.”
Before the first ring had even finished, a soft voice answered. Bae Jung-yoon! Go Hoon shouted internally, quickly tapping the speaker button.
—“Hello? Hoon-ah?”
The tender sound of his name was a relief. But Go Hoon hesitated. What if someone came into the restroom? And would Bae Jung-yoon even understand what he said?
Sensing something off, Bae Jung-yoon asked again.
—“Hoon-ah, is something wrong?”
“…Myaang.”
Pressed by his concerned tone, Go Hoon gave a timid little meow. The other side went completely silent. It felt like he was pausing to assess the situation. Then, a moment later, he called out again.
—“Hoon-ah?”
“Meow.”
This time, Go Hoon answered more loudly. That seemed to do it. Bae Jung-yoon must have realized something was seriously wrong. His voice lowered.
—“Where are you? I’m coming right now.”
“Uh, yeah—Hey, I’m in the bathroom, so I’ll call you back in a bit.”
Right then, the restroom door creaked open, and an unfamiliar male voice echoed from outside.
Go Hoon’s pupils dilated instantly. He crouched low to the ground, ears flattened, body tensed as he stared at the stall door. Thankfully, Bae Jung-yoon caught on quickly and went silent.
The man started humming to himself, followed by the sound of running water. Soon after, the bathroom grew completely quiet again.
Go Hoon stayed still, listening carefully. Once he was sure it was safe, he opened his mouth and let out a long mewl.
“Uuuung—”
You heard what that guy said, right? This is the bathroom. He stretched the meow deliberately to convey the message. Bae Jung-yoon responded with a firm voice.
—“Just stay there. I’ll be there soon.”
***
Business Major Bae Jung-yoon
[Don’t move around. Stay hidden and avoid people’s eyes.]
[I’ll be there in 10 minutes.]
1:09 PM
After checking Bae Jung-yoon’s message, Go Hoon closed the toilet lid and climbed on top of it. A storm of thoughts rushed through his head.
Was his body still changing? Too many strange things were happening—things he’d never experienced before—and it was throwing him into confusion. What if he really was stuck like this forever, forced to live the rest of his life as a cat?
What on earth was causing this? Could it be something he ate? What had he eaten yesterday? Nothing seemed all that different from usual.
As his mind spiraled through possibilities, he even began to wonder if it had something to do with how often he and Bae Jung-yoon had been having sex lately. Maybe getting thoroughly ravaged night after night had drained him so much it triggered… whatever this was.
That aside, what about Bae Jung-yoon’s job? Was he really dropping everything to come here?
A pang of guilt hit him. He didn’t know all the details, but surely it wasn’t okay for him to just leave work like that. Still, as much as he worried about Bae Jung-yoon, his own future felt more urgent right now—and there was no one else he could turn to. All he could do was sit tight and wait.
In the meantime, a few more people came and went from the bathroom. Curled up tight, Go Hoon waited with aching anticipation for Bae Jung-yoon’s arrival.
He focused every ounce of his feline hearing, like a loaf of bread baking in hyper-alert mode, when he suddenly heard quick footsteps outside. The sound of someone moving swiftly drew closer and closer, and his pitch-black pupils widened into perfect, round circles.
The presence grew more distinct—and then the bathroom door opened.
A breathy gasp followed, as if someone had sprinted all the way here.
Go Hoon’s ears perked sharply. At the same time, his nose twitched instinctively. A familiar scent reached him. Still cautious, he climbed down from the toilet and peeked under the stall door, eyes narrowing as he stared at the pair of shoes outside. Were those the ones Bae Jung-yoon was wearing when he left earlier? Just as he tried to recall, a familiar voice called out.
“…Go Hoon.”
His tail, which had been curled tightly beneath him, shot straight up. The moment he realized it really was Bae Jung-yoon, a wave of joy crashed over him. Without hesitation, Go Hoon shoved his head beneath the stall partition.
“Waang─!”
He called out boldly—and their eyes met.
“Yaang, aang.”
Go Hoon hurriedly scrambled out from under the stall and clung to Bae Jung-yoon’s leg.
“Wa-uung─!”
What took you so long? I was waiting! Flooded with relief, his meows tumbled out one after another.
“Haah… I’m sorry. I came as fast as I could, but traffic was rough. You waited a long time, didn’t you?”
Bae Jung-yoon spoke as if he understood every word, exhaling a heavy breath as he apologized. Then, he gently scooped Go Hoon up into his arms.
The moment he was lifted from the cold bathroom tiles and pulled into that warm chest, the tension drained from his body. He could hear the steady, pounding rhythm of Bae Jung-yoon’s heart. When he nuzzled his forehead against Jung-yoon’s chest, a low voice murmured above him.
“What were you doing in here?”
Go Hoon looked up at him. His face was hard, serious—like he was scolding him.
You think I wanted to be like this? His body wouldn’t listen to him—what was he supposed to do? Feeling unjustly blamed, Go Hoon let out a sad, shaky mewl.
“Myaaang, uuung─.”
But no matter how much he moved his mouth, actual words weren’t coming out. Still, his frustration seemed to get through.
“I’m not upset with you. I was just worried something might have happened.”
Bae Jung-yoon stroked Go Hoon’s head gently, his tone soft and calming.
“Let’s go home, first.”
Go Hoon didn’t object. Whatever they needed to deal with could wait until they got back. A man in a suit and a puff of fur didn’t exactly belong in a public bathroom.
Still, he had to grab his belongings first. He squirmed in Jung-yoon’s arms and jumped to the floor. Then he bit the hem of the navy slacks and tugged him toward the closed stall.
“You want me to go in there?”
“Waong.”
Exactly. Go Hoon’s eyes sparkled as he nodded eagerly. For once, it felt like they were completely in sync.
Bae Jung-yoon gave the locked door a push, then stepped into the next stall. Closing the toilet lid, he climbed up and peeked over into the adjacent stall. Then, using his height, he easily jumped over.
There was a soft thud as he landed, and the stall door opened soon after. In his hands were Go Hoon’s clothes and bag.
As Go Hoon trotted up, Jung-yoon lifted him again and looked into his bright blue eyes.
“Ready to go home now?”
Go Hoon nodded with a low u-reung.
***
The rain had completely stopped. Unlike the gloomy, overcast morning, the sun now beamed brightly. The roads had already dried when they arrived home.
Back at the house, Go Hoon immediately tried to start a proper conversation.
[My boay isn’t tunring bacl]
He tapped it into a blank notepad on the laptop keyboard. Even with utmost care, his rounded paws made precise control impossible, and typos kept slipping through.
“Your body won’t change back?”
Despite the messy typing, the message was understandable. Bae Jung-yoon read it aloud with no hesitation. Go Hoon nodded, then began tapping again.
[Latelu, my bodu’s bee. unstbale‘?]
When he finished, he turned to look up at Jung-yoon.
“Since when?”
[The dya you fond out]
It was clear. That day too, his condition had already been unstable. The transformation in front of Bae Jung-yoon hadn’t been his choice.
While he was at it, Go Hoon decided to reveal the part he’d kept secret until now: the full story behind the day they first met. How he’d woken up in Jung-yoon’s place after a night of heavy drinking—having somehow turned into a cat without even realizing it.
Even though the conversation dragged due to his painfully slow typing, Bae Jung-yoon was patient and attentive. Once they’d finished talking, the quiet room was suddenly filled with the sound of vibrations.
It was Jung-yoon’s phone. Judging by the long buzz, it had to be a call—but he didn’t even glance at it.
Was it his grandfather? Or someone from the office?
The thought hit Go Hoon like a flash. He stepped forward quickly.
[Work?]
Reading the word, Jung-yoon let out a quiet chuckle.
“No typos when you’re trying to guilt-trip me. You’re ruthless.”
Look at this guy, Go Hoon narrowed his eyes at him. But Jung-yoon didn’t flinch. He just reached out and gently rubbed Go Hoon’s back.
He’s way too calm for this. Clearly, he didn’t grasp how serious the situation really was. Go Hoon clenched his mouth shut, stifling a sigh, and sank deep into thought.
What could he even do in a situation like this? Googling wouldn’t help. He had no leads, no ideas—he was completely lost.
“Have you ever met anyone like you before?”
After silently watching him for a while, Bae Jung-yoon finally asked.
Someone like him? That couldn’t be possible. Go Hoon furrowed his brows and was about to shake his head—when suddenly, a memory flashed across his mind.
Maybe… not a person. But something.
