Choi Joo-won looked marginally better than Bae Jung-yoon. At least there weren’t any blotchy marks on him. No, wait. On closer inspection, there was a reddish mark around his neck.
That’s not from a scratch… It looked more like he’d been strangled by something.
Go Hoon narrowed his eyes without realizing it, staring intently. Just then, as if sensing the prickling gaze, Choi Joo-won turned his head.
“Uh, what are you?”
Hair a tangled mess like a bird’s nest, he stumbled toward the hiding box, eyes fixed on Go Hoon with curiosity. After spending last night drunk out of his mind, it seemed he was only now registering Go Hoon’s presence.
Go Hoon straightened up as the large body approached. Even now, the reek of alcohol clung to Choi Joo-won.
How much the hell did he drink to still stink like that? Go Hoon was overwhelmed by the urge to pinch his nose—or better yet, bury his face deep into the blanket still carrying Bae Jung-yoon’s scent.
“Bae Jung-yoon raising animals? That’s unexpected.”
Unaware of Go Hoon’s thoughts, Choi Joo-won crouched right in front of the hiding box and began studying the unfamiliar cat.
Go Hoon instantly felt a wave of discomfort. Between Choi Joo-won’s splayed legs, his thin underwear failed to hide his bulging crotch, leaving his manhood shamelessly outlined.
Why the hell are these two wandering around half-naked in the damn morning?
With nowhere else to rest his eyes, he settled his gaze on the man’s handsome face.
Is this Bae Jung-yoon’s type? Well… he wasn’t bad-looking, to be fair. Even fresh out of bed, his skin looked soft, and his features were pretty damn good overall.
Lost in such useless thoughts, Go Hoon instinctively backed away the closer Choi Joo-won got. But the space was small to begin with—there wasn’t much room to retreat.
“Damn, you’re pretty. Are you a girl?”
The fuck? What part of me looks like a girl? I’ve got the frame of a born general, goddammit.
Go Hoon scowled in protest, and Choi Joo-won, still examining him from different angles, gave a puzzled look.
“Well, there’s nothing visible down there, so I can’t tell if you’re male or female.”
He was sorely tempted to raise his ass and flash his solid pair of balls right then and there, just to make a point. But he held back. No way in hell was he about to offer this idiot a look at his jewels just to settle the matter of his sex.
“Hey, get up for a second. Let’s see if you’ve got a pussy or a dick.”
This son of a bitch…
The combination of that crude remark and the leer in his eyes made Go Hoon want to bite the guy’s balls clean off.
But again, he suppressed the urge, glaring with thinly veiled disgust. No way was he about to waste his precious fangs on some low-grade pervert.
“And why the hell is a cat this good-looking, huh?”
Choi Joo-won grumbled in a tone that suggested this was somehow a problem. Go Hoon gave him a look as if to say, So what? Got a problem with that?
His piercing blue eyes bore into Choi Joo-won, sharp and wary. Undeterred by the cold glare, the man leaned in even closer, practically folding himself into the hiding box.
“When did you start living here? Is that nutjob Bae Jung-yoon treating you well?”
Why do humans insist on talking to creatures that can’t respond? And not just that—they insist on using human language, which is entirely meaningless to the other party.
If you really want to talk to a cat, at least try learning the damn language.
I used to be human, too, but now that I’m seeing this from a cat’s perspective, I can’t make sense of it either.
“Grrrr…”
Go Hoon let out a low growl to express his discomfort. It was a clear warning—do not come any closer.
He knew full well he was being needlessly prickly toward Choi Joo-won. But so what? He simply didn’t like the guy. People don’t always need a reason to dislike someone. Maybe their energies just didn’t match from the start.
That’s enough attention from you. Don’t cross the line any further.
Go Hoon meant the warning with all his heart, but sadly, it didn’t seem to register with Choi Joo-won at all.
“Hey, come here. Let me pet you.”
The guy reached out without hesitation. ‘Like hell you’re touching me.’ Go Hoon sprang to his feet and dodged to the side, avoiding the hand with agile precision.
“Well, well. Did you just dodge me?”
The stench of Bae Jung-yoon clinging to Choi Joo-won was unbearable. More specifically, it was the mix of both their scents that set Go Hoon’s nerves on edge. The unmistakable traces of sex still lingering on his body were an eyesore, too.
“Tch. What a damn weird cat. Hey, come here.”
But this guy didn’t know how to take a hint. Choi Joo-won reached out again. When Go Hoon slipped away once more with graceful agility, the man’s expression soured further, clearly annoyed at being rejected.
“You’re a real fucking piece of work, you little shit.”
‘That’s why you don’t go around touching whatever you want, you fucking bastard.’ Go Hoon hurled silent curses at him while glaring daggers.
“Mrrrrrr…”
A low, warning growl rumbled from his throat once again, an audible sign of his growing irritation.
“You little fucker. I’m just trying to pet you—what’s with all the running?”
Choi Joo-won muttered angrily under his breath. Go Hoon, meanwhile, began grooming himself as if he hadn’t heard a word. Responding would only invite more hassle.
“Oh ho, now you’re pretending not to hear me?”
Apparently, that behavior got even more under Choi Joo-won’s skin.
“Hmph. Playing deaf when you clearly heard me, huh, you little shit.”
Apparently, his senses were only finely tuned for crap like this—Choi Joo-won was pointlessly sharp.
With this much cold shoulder, he should’ve gotten the hint and backed off already. Why the hell did he keep running his mouth and being a pain? It’s not like I’m avoiding you because I’m scared—I’m avoiding you because you’re disgusting. If you won’t leave, then I will.
Flicking his ears like swatting away a fly, Go Hoon stood up, intent on moving somewhere else to avoid the guy altogether. He darted out of the hiding box with swift, practiced ease, dodging Choi Joo-won who looked thoroughly pissed off.
“You disrespectful little shit of a cat.”
His glare clung like a sticky film, threatening violence at any second.
He was clearly underestimating him because he was a creature that couldn’t speak. That much was obvious. The way Choi Joo-won got this furious over a cat that couldn’t fight back said everything.
Only tough with the weak. The kind of guy who never bares his teeth to anyone stronger than him, but lashes out freely at those he thinks are beneath him.
First impression was bad, but he’s even worse than I thought.
Clicking his tongue inwardly, Go Hoon turned his head sharply and walked away—only for Joo-won to suddenly grab his fluffy tail in one hard yank.
“HISSSSSK─!”
His body was pulled back by sheer force. Letting out a sharp cry, Go Hoon reflexively slashed with his claws, smacking the man’s hand away.
“Argh!”
Joo-won yelped in pain, clutching the back of his hand. It had happened in an instant. Go Hoon hadn’t meant to attack. But after repeated violations despite clear warnings, his body simply reacted on instinct.
“Fuck, that hurts…”
Grimacing through his teeth, Joo-won revealed his hand. Blood ran in thin streams down his pale skin, a fresh, vivid claw mark streaked across it. His expression turned vicious as soon as he saw his own blood.
“You fucking piece of shit!”
He roared, enraged.
“You filthy animal, you dare scratch me?!”
His eyes burned with fury as he glared at Go Hoon.
“YIIIIAAOWWW!”
Go Hoon wasn’t backing down. He bared his sharp fangs and growled ferociously, fur standing on end from his back to his tail, body coiled with tension as he stared the man down.
You’re not the only one pissed off, asshole. First you barge into my territory without a shred of respect, then you try to touch me without permission? The fuck is wrong with you?
“This fucking wildcat doesn’t know his place.”
Go Hoon hissed and stamped both front paws on the floor, trying to drive Joo-won back. If a human had even a shred of sense, they’d know to back off at this point. But this guy? He did the opposite.
“Animals like you, who don’t know their place, need to be taught a lesson.”
Muttering in a low, dangerous voice, Joo-won lunged at him with murderous intent. His eyes were fully gone now—completely unhinged. Go Hoon’s instincts screamed in warning.
THUD—!
He tried to dodge fast, but Joo-won’s kick landed a split second quicker. His hind leg was struck, sending his body flying. Without even a scream, Go Hoon crashed to the floor and rolled into the wall.
The back of his head slammed against the wall, the shock ringing in his skull. Pain exploded from where he’d been kicked. That son of a bitch. Go Hoon cursed silently.
“…Mew…”
But only a faint whimper slipped from his mouth. He tried to push strength into his aching leg, but it wouldn’t obey.
Thank god he hadn’t taken that blow to the stomach. If that kick had landed dead-on, in a body this small and fragile, he might’ve been done for.
Even with Go Hoon lying helpless and silent on the floor, Joo-won didn’t calm down. His face was still twisted in rage as he walked over with heavy, threatening steps.
But just then, click, the bathroom door opened.
Joo-won froze mid-step, snapping his head around with a startled look.
It seemed that only now was his scattered mind snapping back to reality. As the fury clouding him began to fade, he glanced around, his expression now uneasy.
Bae Jung-yoon stood in front of the bathroom, wearing only pants and holding a towel in one hand. After switching off the bathroom light, he began walking toward the living room—then stopped when he sensed something was off.
He looked straight at Joo-won.
“What were you doing over there?”
His voice came out low and slow, like a heavy weight settling over the room.
“Bae Jung-yoon, I, uh…”
As Joo-won’s attention shifted to Bae Jung-yoon, Go Hoon managed to push himself up and move.
Only then did Jung-yoon notice him lying there.
His eyes narrowed as he saw Go Hoon limp, that sleek black body dragging a damaged leg.
Go Hoon ignored his gaze. Everything about this situation was pissing him off. ‘This is exactly why you don’t bring trash like that into your home.’
Every step throbbed with a brutal ache through his left leg. Avoiding those black eyes that followed him relentlessly, he hobbled toward the lowest level of the cat tower and crawled inside.
Maybe it was the hit to the head, but his vision started to blur. Water still dripped from Bae Jung-yoon’s wet hair, but he didn’t seem to notice as he stared at Go Hoon, now collapsed and motionless inside the nook.
He stood frozen like that for a moment before dropping the towel on the floor with a soft thud and walking quickly over.
“Kkongddeok-i, come here.”
He knelt and reached out with those long fingers. Anticipating his touch, Go Hoon’s expression immediately changed. He bared his fangs and claws in a sharp, hostile warning.
“HSSSSSS!”
With a piercing screech, he smacked Jung-yoon’s hand away. The man instantly froze in place.
Jung-yoon stared at the blue eyes locked on him with intense wariness. Then, silently, he rose to his feet.
His eyes turned toward Choi Joo-won, who was still frozen in place, tense as ever.
“Choi Joo-won.”
The low call of his name made Joo-won flinch visibly.
“What did you do to Kkongddeok-i?”
Jung-yoon’s voice was calm, but carried an icy edge of interrogation.
