Go Hoon didn’t know much about cats to begin with. Life was already hectic enough trying to take care of himself—what use was it to show interest in some other animal? As far as he was concerned, his logic was perfectly sound.
Standing upright on the dining table, Go Hoon stretched out his front paw with all his might. But just before his paw could reach the grilled fish, a hand blocked his way. Bae Jung-yoon’s palm came down right in front of the plate.
“You can’t have this. It’s already seasoned. Cats get sick if they eat too much sodium.”
Go Hoon snorted dismissively. Get sick, my ass. Frustration welled up inside him. Why do you get to eat the good stuff while I get nothing, you jerk? The golden-brown fish looked unbearably tempting, almost as if it were beckoning him to come take a bite.
“Yaaang.”
So your mouth’s a mouth, but mine’s just a snout? Pissed off, Go Hoon climbed up onto the table entirely and made a lunge for the fish. Bae Jung-yoon quickly caught his front paw. Their eyes locked sharply for a fleeting moment in midair. At the same time, Go Hoon struck out with his other paw like lightning.
“I said no.”
As a result, Bae Jung-yoon grabbed him firmly by the scruff of the neck with his large hand. And that’s when something strange happened.
A wave of déjà vu swept through Go Hoon’s mind. A bizarre sense of familiarity overtook him—like he’d been in this exact situation before. Like someone had grabbed him like this once.
But the thought didn’t last long.
“Kkongddeok, you’re not listening. You’re supposed to eat your own food.”
Bae Jung-yoon scolded him in a tone even stricter than before. At the same time, he held the little ball of fur’s face in his large hand and shot him a stern look.
Go Hoon stared back at him with clear displeasure. The standoff continued for a moment, but it ended when Bae Jung-yoon lifted Go Hoon’s body and set him down beneath the table.
‘Tch. Fine. I’m not eating out of sheer pride.’ The moment all four of his paws touched the floor, Go Hoon spun around and marched back to the sofa. He could feel Bae Jung-yoon’s gaze clinging to him, but he ignored it, propped his chin on his front legs, and shut his eyes.
Night crept in further. After finishing his meal, Bae Jung-yoon went straight to the bathroom for a shower. Go Hoon flicked his tail back and forth in boredom. He considered turning on the TV but figured it would just be noisy and distracting, so he gave up.
After about ten minutes, Bae Jung-yoon came out of the bathroom.
He was wearing a bathrobe. His damp hair looked even darker than usual. The open front of his robe revealed a firm, sculpted chest.
‘Damn, he’s built.’ Just how much does someone have to work out to have a body like that?
“Want to come to the bedroom with me?”
Their eyes met, and Bae Jung-yoon motioned toward the room.
‘As if.’ Go Hoon sprawled across the sofa, making his disinterest clear. Bae Jung-yoon, who had been watching him quietly, eventually turned off the living room light and went into his room.
Darkness settled in, and Go Hoon’s pupils dilated wide. His vision shifted, and as if he had been waiting for this moment, he stretched out his limbs.
He couldn’t just sit around in shock because something unbelievable had happened. There was no way he could live like this forever.
‘Somehow, I’ve got to get my human body back.’ He decided to start with the simplest idea that popped into his head.
Shock therapy.
In dramas, when someone had amnesia, didn’t they often try shocking the person to bring their memory back? It wasn’t exactly the same, but maybe it was a universally effective method. A sharp enough jolt to the head might trigger something.
Honestly, he didn’t expect much. But he had to try something. True to his straightforward nature, he decided to go with the most straightforward approach.
Steeling himself, Go Hoon spun in place a few times like he was warming up, then locked his eyes on the wall and charged at it with all his strength.
Thud! A dull impact rang out, and sparks flew in front of his eyes. A searing pain surged through the top of his head.
“Kkyaang!”
Clutching his head with both paws, Go Hoon rolled around on the floor.
“Waaang…”
Shit. A groan escaped his lips. The pain was way worse than he expected. He must’ve gone too hard. ‘Should’ve taken it easy…’ Regret hit him late as he whimpered and writhed on the floor. Then, the light in the dark living room clicked on.
“What the hell?”
Hearing the noise, Bae Jung-yoon marched over.
“Kkongddeok, what are you doing?”
His voice was laced with concern. But Go Hoon couldn’t give up after just one try. Life always gave you three chances. He sprang up again and made a run for the wall—but was scooped up in midair.
“Kkongddeok, seriously, what are you doing?”
Bae Jung-yoon’s voice was filled with disbelief as he looked at Go Hoon, now dangling helplessly in his grip. Go Hoon flailed his limbs.
“Nyaaong!”
‘Let me go!’ Now that it had come to this, he was going to keep trying until it worked. The interference only made him more stubborn.
“Tch, no way.”
Bae Jung-yoon warned him sternly and tightened his grip. Go Hoon struggled with all his might for a little longer before finally going limp.
In front of Bae Jung-yoon, he was powerless. In that moment, he was struck by just how overwhelming and intimidating a human was compared to a mere animal.
“What the hell is even going on…”
Once Go Hoon stopped struggling, Bae Jung-yoon supported his bottom with one hand and pulled him close to his chest, holding him snugly against his body. Thump, thump—the slow, steady rhythm of Bae Jung-yoon’s heartbeat reached him.
It was a completely different pace from Go Hoon’s rapid, frantic pulse. Maybe that’s why… the turmoil inside him began to settle little by little.
Go Hoon lifted his head and looked up at Bae Jung-yoon. And there it was—his shiny face just inches away. His eyes, locked on Go Hoon, were filled to the brim with concern.
“Are you hurt somewhere?”
‘My heart’s hurting, you little shit. My heart.’
Go Hoon groaned internally. ‘Seriously, what the hell am I supposed to do now?’
***
Go Hoon was sprawled out on his back, belly up to the ceiling, fast asleep. Then, suddenly, his eyes shot open. He sat up in a flash.
‘What the…? Did I… turn back into a human?!’ He quickly bent his head down to check his body. But the slim hope in his eyes was soon replaced by bitter disappointment.
Nothing had changed. Everything was exactly the same as before he’d fallen asleep. The neatly arranged, cozy bedroom of Bae Jung-yoon. His own soft, furry paws and limbs.
Letting out a weary breath, Go Hoon collapsed back onto the plush bed and lay there, recalling the events of the previous night.
After that whole commotion in the living room, Go Hoon had been caught and escorted straight into the bedroom by Bae Jung-yoon. He had claimed he wasn’t expecting much, but having racked his brain for that little trick, it stung when it flopped so pathetically. With the bitter taste of failure clinging to him, all he was left with was a heavy emptiness.
Unaware of all this, Bae Jung-yoon had gently set Go Hoon on his thigh and softly stroked the back of his neck for a long while. That lazy, tender hand, the subtle scent radiating from Bae Jung-yoon’s body, and the cozy texture of the bathrobe—it all blended together, and before he knew it, Go Hoon’s eyes had started to flutter shut.
It seemed he’d dozed off in Bae Jung-yoon’s arms. And when he woke up, the room was silent and still like this.
Bright sunlight was pouring in through the window. ‘Where did Bae Jung-yoon go?’ Go Hoon lifted his head and looked around, but there wasn’t even a hint of him anywhere.
Stretching out his limbs in a long yawn, Go Hoon naturally began grooming himself. He licked the fur on his foreleg with his rough tongue—then froze mid-motion.
‘Wait, what the hell?! Why am I just casually licking my own fur like it’s nothing?’
‘Pull it together, Go Hoon! Stop moving on instinct, damn it!’ He shook his head wildly. His body, moving on its own like it didn’t belong to him, sent a chill down his spine.
Trying to redirect his focus, Go Hoon hopped down from the bed and padded quietly into the living room. He had thought Bae Jung-yoon would be somewhere in the house, but his presence was nowhere to be found.
‘Where the hell did he go? Did he go to school?’ Go Hoon sat his butt down in front of the front door, glancing around.
There was no trace of the owner, but the floor was warm—probably because the boiler was still running. The cozy air in the house suggested that Bae Jung-yoon hadn’t gone far. Most likely, he’d just popped out to the convenience store nearby.
Funny how yesterday, Go Hoon had been wishing for Bae Jung-yoon to leave the house. But now that he was actually gone, there wasn’t much to do. Not really.
He’d already abandoned the idea of trying to escape. Without a solid plan for what to do even if he did get out, risking it didn’t seem worth it.
‘More than anything, I need to turn back into a human first… Ugh. Whatever. I’m just thirsty right now.’ Staring longingly at the front door that felt more like a fortress, Go Hoon suddenly became aware of his dry throat. He wandered over to the water bowl in the corner of the living room.
‘Is this even fresh water?’ He peered down at the clear liquid in the bowl, cautiously sniffed it. No scent. Still, something about it felt… off.
‘He probably didn’t refill it today, huh? Maybe it’s yesterday’s’. Go Hoon narrowed his eyes in suspicion, gazing at the bowl for a moment, then turned his head toward the kitchen.
He spotted the water purifier on the sink. Squinting, he recognized it as the exact same model that a famous idol had advertised on TV.
Curious, Go Hoon padded up to the sink and leapt up. With his light body, he easily landed atop a space several times his height.
‘Damn, these legs are something else.’ He was momentarily impressed by his own athleticism as he stepped toward the purifier.
‘Now how the hell does this thing work?’ Its sleek design suggested it was a modern, touch-type model, but there were no labels, and he couldn’t tell what to press.
Go Hoon eyed the purifier with curiosity, inspecting it from every angle. When he glanced down, he noticed a sensor. Raising a paw, he waved it in front of the sensor.
Whirrr—the upper panel of the purifier sprang out with a sound. Surprised, Go Hoon instinctively took a step back. Only then did the hidden touch buttons appear.
‘Fancy-ass purifier,’ he thought, impressed. But his thoughts quickly shifted to something more practical.
He didn’t have five human fingers capable of fine motor control. All he had were these tiny, squishy, utterly adorable cat paws that squeaked just from being moved. Realistically, using a cup was out of the question.
‘Can this even register my touch?’ He looked skeptically down at his soft pink paw. Then, with a sliver of hope, he pressed the cold water button.
