Myo tribe. Beings who could freely shift between human and feline form. If he could just turn back into a cat, then this whole mess wouldn’t be such a problem anymore.
Of course, Ries never planned to keep it a secret from Justyn forever.
But not right now.
He needed time to brace himself. He didn’t want their relationship to change so suddenly and without warning.
—Tch, already losing your nerve at your age…
He easily ignored the grumbling voice.
The accidental transformation had worried him at first, but now that he was trying to shift back on purpose, it was surprisingly easier than he’d expected. He focused on the sound of his heartbeat, imagining his blood swirling inward, spiraling into the center of his chest…
—Hey, just one question.
“…What now?”
His shaky visualization shattered instantly at Sefiut’s voice.
Ries rolled his eyes and looked over. Sefiut, who’d been floating awkwardly in the air moments ago, had now planted himself upright.
—You made sure the brat’s asleep, right?
“? Yeah. I checked.”
—Hmm. That so.
Sefiut blinked a few times, looking none too pleased.
Something about his tone, his posture, and the way his eyes seemed to stare straight ahead—or maybe beyond—sent a slow, creeping dread up Ries’s spine.
He didn’t even get the chance to ask what was wrong.
Rumble—
“…!”
The wall—closed just seconds ago—was now opening.
Heavy, deliberate footsteps echoed through the air. Ries knew exactly who they belonged to. There was only one person they could belong to.
“…Ries?”
He instinctively whipped around. Beyond the cracked-open wall, from the pitch-black darkness, a pair of crimson eyes gleamed—silent, alone, and unmistakable.
Thump. His heart crashed against his ribs.
Did… did their eyes just meet?
“Hic.”
The moment the thought hit him, a hiccup slipped out—and his whole world dropped several inches. A heavy curtain fell over his head with a muffled whoosh.
He looked down.
Soft white fur, tiny front paws, and a familiar pink paw pad poking out from the middle—he’d seen this body countless times. Tears of relief pricked his eyes.
…But that wasn’t the issue.
Did… he see me?
He didn’t even think to move. He held his breath, frozen in place. Hic, hic. The only sounds left in the hall were the soft, kitten-sized hiccups echoing through the air.
His head spun.
It had been just a second, but he was sure their eyes met. The thoughts he’d shoved aside now came crashing down like a wave.
…What do I do?
He squeezed his eyes shut. Should he say something? Maybe it’d be better to come clean right away instead of hiding and hoping it went away.
But he couldn’t find the courage to meet those eyes again. Paralyzed, caught between choices, he stood there—rigid as ice.
“Well, now.”
Justyn reached him in a few swift steps and pulled the curtain away. Light flooded back into his darkened view.
Instinctively, Ries looked up.
Justyn’s face—calm, unreadable, and unchanged—filled his vision.
“…You disappeared all of a sudden. I was worried.”
His hands reached down and gently scooped Ries up. The touch was no different from before, as if he were handling something precious and fragile.
Bare hands. No gloves. Had he rushed out? Ries’s chest tickled.
“Night walks aren’t the best idea. It’s getting pretty cold.”
“…Meow.”
He let out a soft, reluctant cry. Justyn chuckled and stroked his head with practiced ease, clearly pleased with the response.
Ries leaned into the hand without thinking—then snapped back to his senses. His cheeks heated up as he realized he was now curled up like a doll in Justyn’s arms.
He snuck a glance upward. Justyn looked the same as ever. Gentle. Calm. The balance in Ries’s mind started to shift back to neutral.
…Maybe he didn’t see?
He thought their eyes had met… but now?
Two versions of himself bickered in his head—one yelling “He totally saw!”, the other arguing “If he did, would he really be this calm?”
But before either could win the fight, Justyn glanced once around the hall—and without a hint of hesitation, turned and walked away.
Suddenly, he remembered why he’d come here in the first place.
Sefiut!
Ries instantly latched onto Justyn’s clothes, practically clinging like he was grabbing him by the collar. It wasn’t elegant, but he didn’t have the luxury to care. This was urgent.
There—off in the distance, he spotted Sefiut. Somehow, the distance between them had grown. Their eyes met, and Sefiut gave a slow, lazy wave…
The message was clear as day: “Figure it out yourself. I’m not getting involved.”
Ries was speechless.
“?”
Justyn gently stroked his back in smooth, calming motions. His voice, as always, was soft and kind.
“You can take your walk during the day.”
Ries couldn’t even come up with a response. Just like that, he was carried out of the hall, past the window where the curtain had been ripped down, up the silent stairs, and back to the room they shared.
Only after being laid down gently on the bed did he realize—he’d been clinging to Justyn the entire way. Sheepishly, he relaxed his tiny paws.
But inside, his thoughts were a mess.
What… even was that?
Why call him over at all, if it was going to end like this? His confusion quickly gave way to irritation. His frustration flared—and so did his claws, popping out with a soft snikt.
“Shh. Easy now.”
…And just like that, they retracted. Justyn’s calm, affectionate words drained all the fight from his body.
What was the point of resisting now? He was already back. If he stayed up stewing all night, the only one who’d lose sleep would be Justyn.
He flopped over beside him, syncing with the slow, gentle rhythm of Justyn’s pats. The warmth had faded, but the bed was still cozy and familiar.
He closed his eyes.
Would he even be able to sleep? He’d woken in the middle of the night, and so much had happened all at once.
First, he’d randomly turned human. Then, once he thought he’d finally transformed for good, he realized he was naked. He tore down the curtain, drained all his strength, stressed about the future until it made him sick…
And none of it had even been resolved. He’d almost been caught by Justyn. And the one who caused this entire mess? Completely ignored him.
Anxiety bubbled back up.
…He didn’t see me, right?
Because if he had, this whole situation made no sense. But still, something about it gnawed at him—like an itch under the skin he couldn’t reach…
“Good night, Ries.”
Justyn’s tender voice fell softly over him, and all those worries dissolved like they’d never been there.
“…Mrrrow.”
As the calm settled in, sleep crept in to match. Ries responded out of habit—his way of saying “You too, master.”
Grumble.
Not long after, he drifted off completely.
***
The next morning.
Not only had he slept well—he’d overslept. Again. Not that it surprised him anymore.
A cool breeze tickled his nose.
Something brushed across his snout, and Ries cracked his eyes open with a sleepy blink.
He rubbed at his nose with a paw, flicked his ears once, and let out a massive yawn. That was about when the usual morning greeting arrived—
“Good morning.”
“Myak.”
The voice was warm and velvety. Ries meowed back happily and hopped down from the bed.
Looked like Justyn had been up for a while. Had Ketir already come and gone? The mountain of paperwork on the desk was downright hostile, and Justyn’s hands were a blur trying to get through it.
Ries vaguely remembered hearing somewhere that cats woke up at the crack of dawn to bug their humans…
Yeah, that’s not me.
Early rising? Not a chance. He was too busy sleeping in. Probably a beastman thing, not a regular cat trait.
That pointless thought drifted around for a bit before fading. Ries was half-heartedly grooming himself, one back leg lazily stretched out—then he suddenly froze mid-lick.
Something… didn’t feel right. Like he was forgetting something?
He looked down at his fluffy white paws, then up at Justyn, still immersed in paperwork.
Then it hit him—hard.
Right. Last night. He almost caught me, didn’t he?
“……”
Wait. Almost caught? Was that even accurate?
He hastily wrapped up his grooming and sat up straight.
He’d had the same nagging feeling last night, right before falling asleep. Justyn had patted him so gently that he’d drifted off without a fight—but not this time.
Narrowing his eyes into feline slits, Ries began studying Justyn. Whether he was working, eating, or brushing Ries’s fur during a break—he watched him constantly.
He was so absorbed in surveillance that—
“Guess you’re not interested in a walk today.”
“…MROWW!”
He’d almost forgotten his walk. With a yelp, Ries sprang up and bolted to the drawer holding his collar, scratching at it frantically.
In the end, Justyn gave in and pulled the collar out. For some reason, there was a faint hint of regret in the eyes peeking out from behind his mask.
Normally, Ries would’ve just flopped back down dramatically and pretended he didn’t care.
“Alright. I’ll get it ready in a minute.”
¿Alguien sabe cada tanto pasan el contenido a gratis de premiun?