“A-Ah, no, Bae Jung-yoon…! That damn cat scratched me!”
Joo-won protested frantically, his voice full of indignation. Like a rat driven into a corner, lashing out in desperation. It was a stark contrast to how furious he’d been earlier, ranting about animals. Now, he was completely submissive.
Even through the haze of pain, Go Hoon found it unexpected to see Choi Joo-won so frightened. Yes, he was definitely trembling in fear. And yet, his opponent was Bae Jung-yoon, of all people.
There was no telling why he was reacting this extremely. Choi Joo-won looked as if he truly believed Bae Jung-yoon might kill him.
What could have terrified him to this extent? Just as that question surfaced, Go Hoon’s thoughts came to a halt when Bae Jung-yoon, who had his head bowed, looked up and their eyes met.
It was a face he’d never seen before. The gentle, warm expression had vanished entirely, replaced by pitch-black eyes that glinted darkly. Whatever emotion lingered in his gaze was unreadable. A chilling coldness radiated from those eyes, so much so that it sent a shiver down his spine.
Am I hallucinating? Is this it for me? Am I about to die now? I really don’t want to die looking like a cat. That would be too damn unfair. His thoughts tangled into a chaotic mess.
“Ha, Choi Joo-won.”
After squeezing his eyes shut and opening them again, Bae Jung-yoon let out a short, derisive laugh and called out in an icy tone. At the same time, he turned his back completely on Go Hoon.
“That doesn’t mean you can just touch my cat like that. All this fuss over a little blood?”
“Hey, J-Jung-yoon. I’m sorry. I mean… it’s just a cat, right? Let’s let this one slide.”
Choi Joo-won forced a smile, lips trembling as he begged. But it was clear Bae Jung-yoon had no intention of letting it go. As he began to move slowly, Choi Joo-won’s face crumpled in fear and he instinctively backed away, step by step.
“Just a cat?”
“T-That’s not what I meant—”
“Choi Joo-won, you really don’t seem to understand the situation right now.”
Bae Jung-yoon chuckled softly, the sound cold and dry, then continued in a voice that could freeze the air.
“I told you before. I don’t care about most things, but I really hate it when people mess with what’s mine.”
The distance between them steadily closed.
“I-I didn’t know you cared this much about the cat….”
Choi Joo-won, in a complete panic, had no idea what to do. Watching Bae Jung-yoon approach, he kept stumbling backward.
But he didn’t get far before he hit the wall. The space between them narrowed until there was just one step left. Exactly one. And Bae Jung-yoon stopped right there.
Choi Joo-won’s throat bobbed. As Bae Jung-yoon calmly looked down at his tightly clenched face, he suddenly raised his leg and slammed it into Choi Joo-won’s stomach.
His body smacked against the wall and crumpled to the floor. It all happened in an instant. Choi Joo-won didn’t even manage a scream as he curled up on the ground.
He gasped, choking and sputtering, probably because the kick had landed squarely in his solar plexus. But Bae Jung-yoon didn’t stop there.
“Get up.”
He ordered in a low voice, but Choi Joo-won didn’t move. He probably wasn’t in any state to respond. So Bae Jung-yoon grabbed him by the hair, forced his head up, and without hesitation, punched him.
Smack—!
A brutal sound echoed through the living room. Then came a series of dull thuds—thud, thud!—and they didn’t stop. Go Hoon’s mind slowly began to freeze as he witnessed the merciless scene unfold.
A primal fear crept in. What the hell is this? Is that really Bae Jung-yoon I’m looking at? He started to doubt what his eyes were seeing.
Bae Jung-yoon’s violence toward Choi Joo-won was savage. They didn’t look like two people who had shared the same bed just hours ago.
“Ugh…!”
Choi Joo-won’s once-neat face turned to a mangled mess in no time. Blood, from who knows where on his face, dripped steadily to the floor, forming a dark red puddle.
As Bae Jung-yoon finally let go, Choi Joo-won’s body slumped sideways. Collapsed on the floor, he didn’t move an inch—he’d completely lost consciousness.
Bae Jung-yoon let out a low, drawn-out exhale and turned his head toward Go Hoon.
Even his immaculate face had blood splattered on it. The red dots smeared across his pale skin looked grotesquely out of place. He looked like the god of death himself. A grim reaper sent to take away a life nearing its end.
Go Hoon’s dazed thoughts were quickly consumed by fear, but all he could do was lie in the corner, unable to move.
His body wouldn’t respond. Pain pulsed through every limb, making his entire frame throb, and drool leaked from beneath his jaw. Even breathing was difficult—he panted with his mouth open, ragged and strained.
“Bae Kkongddeok.”
The soft voice calling him felt especially cold today.
Instead of answering, Go Hoon curled up tightly. Step, step—he heard the footsteps approaching. Blood-covered hands came into view. As that hand reached for him, a strong scent of iron hit him all at once.
“NyaaAAANG—!”
Fear and pain tangled together. He couldn’t resist as violently as before, but he still couldn’t bear to surrender his body either. The moment the hand touched him, sharp pain shot through his nerves.
‘Don’t touch me!’ Go Hoon bit and scratched instinctively. It was a desperate struggle to escape the agony. But Bae Jung-yoon only gripped him harder.
“I know it hurts, doesn’t it? Just hang in there a little longer.”
Bae Jung-yoon whispered softly as he hastily wrapped Hoon’s body in a plush blanket and grabbed his phone with one hand.
“Hello? My cat is seriously hurt right now. Can I bring him in to the hospital immediately?”
As his voice grew more distant, Hoon’s consciousness began to fade.
“Kkongddeok, hang in there. Hyung will take you to the hospital right away.”
The frantic pounding of Bae Jung-yoon’s heart rang painfully in his ears. And then, total darkness swallowed him.
***
When Go Hoon regained consciousness, he was lying alone in a space enclosed by glass walls.
He carefully raised his upper body. His neck felt stiff, and when he scratched at it with his paw, something hard like plastic snagged against his claws. It seemed a cone collar had been put on to prevent him from licking his wounds.
He took a moment to assess the situation and glanced around. Just as expected—it was an animal hospital. Not the one he usually went to, though. This one looked much bigger.
Thankfully, the searing pain that had once turned his brain white was now completely gone. Lowering his gaze, he saw his hind leg firmly wrapped in a bright yellow cast printed all over with cheerful smiley faces. An IV was hooked into his opposite foreleg.
‘So I really got hospitalized, huh.’ Go Hoon slowly traced back his memories. And with that, a string of curses erupted from deep within.
That fucking bastard. If I ever get my human body back, you’re dead. I swear you’re dead.
But then a blood-covered face flashed in his mind. Choi Joo-won’s face, so swollen and mangled that it was barely recognizable. No way… he didn’t die, right?
Joo-won’s final appearance was so gruesome it made one wonder whether he was even still breathing. What happened after that? Was he taken to the hospital?
And what now? After getting beaten that badly, wouldn’t Choi Joo-won report Bae Jung-yoon for assault?
If this incident led to Bae Jung-yoon going to jail, what would happen to me? Would I end up handed over to his family? But what if they refused to take me in? Don’t tell me I’ll be sent to some stray cat shelter…
Sitting alone in a strange place, his mind filled with one worst-case scenario after another. No. No use in thinking negative. For now, healing is the most important thing. Let’s just stay calm and get some rest while I’m here.
Shaking his head, Go Hoon looked around the small room. That’s when he noticed something.
The thick blanket Bae Jung-yoon used to line his hideout with was laid out on the floor, and nearby was the fish-shaped plushie he used to play with. It looked like Bae Jung-yoon had left them on purpose so he wouldn’t feel scared in an unfamiliar space.
“Meowww….”
He let out a weak cry and sluggishly moved to the glass door, scratching at it with a paw. He hoped the sound would bring Bae Jung-yoon’s face into view, but there was no sign of him. Not even a voice came in response.
His paw flopped to the floor. He had no strength left in him. During the two months he’d spent under Bae Jung-yoon’s care, he must’ve started to unconsciously see him as his guardian.
“Kkongddeok, hang in there. Hyung will take you to the hospital right away.”
His voice pierced through his memory without warning.
The very last memory before losing consciousness was how warm Bae Jung-yoon’s embrace had been. And how his heart, thudding against Hoon’s side, had beat with such frantic unease.
Go Hoon walked over to the water bowl and took a few sips, then returned to the corner. Now that the one who had always been by his side was nowhere in sight, his chest started to flutter anxiously.
Burying his nose in the soft, fluffy blanket, he inhaled deeply. The scent of home seeped into his nostrils. The familiar smell of Bae Jung-yoon’s body, infused into the fabric, was oddly comforting. In this box-like room, that spot felt like the only place he could cling to.
Go Hoon curled into a tight ball and shut his eyes. His body felt heavy with exhaustion, yet for some reason, sleep wouldn’t come. Only the occasional mechanical beeping filled the stillness of the space.
He tossed and turned for a long while before finally drifting off to sleep.
***
“Kkongddeok.”
Someone called his name gently.
Go Hoon, still wandering the edges of sleep, slowly opened his eyes. And there, he immediately locked eyes with a familiar face.
“Were you okay without hyung, all by yourself?”
