Si-yul’s apartment was the textbook example of a single man’s studio.
It was on a high floor, so the night view was beautiful, and the windows were large. The interior was done in cool tones of blue, just as the owner preferred.
Even the wool curtains in a dawn-sky blue color were to Hae-in’s liking.
“Mew?” (It’s neat.)
For a man living alone, he had surprisingly good taste.
Without even realizing it, Hae-in began sniffing around the apartment as she looked around.
It was part instinct, born from living outdoors, and part pure curiosity.
She leapt straight onto the white leather sofa.
Every inch of her body tingled with the urge to shout Long live civilization!
“Hey.”
“Hm?”
“You have to try on the dress.”
As Hae-in was in the middle of exploring the apartment, Si-yul spread out the dress he had bought.
“Right now?”
Wearing that signature sly smile of his, he fluttered the light apricot-colored dress as if to say, It’s this pretty—don’t you want to try it on right away?
He seemed to be rushing a little.
His expression looked genuinely thrilled—like he had been waiting for this very moment.
“Yeah, go on, try it.”
The real reason Si-yul had bought the dress was because he wanted to see Hae-in in her human form again.
The more he thought about it, the more incredible it seemed. A cat that could transform into a human?
What makes her special? Or is she exactly the same as any other human? Does she still have ears or a tail after transforming?
“……I’m really not in the mood right now.”
Even more than her own reluctance, it was the way Si-yul looked at her—with such expectant eyes—that made Hae-in not want to transform.
People are always more reluctant when they’re told what to do.
“You promised, didn’t you? You said you’d show me. It’s not like it wears out, so hurry up and get it over with.”
“It does wear out! Very clearly!”
“Oh, is that so?”
Roughly 24 hours per month—if she gathered it all up, it barely lasted about 40 minutes total. Turning into a human felt like a poor return on the energy invested.
Still, a promise was a promise. She had diligently stored up about 20 hours just in case, so she decided to be generous for today.
Hae-in looked around Si-yul’s apartment again and asked,
“So… where do I change?”
“You won’t do it in front of me?”
Si-yul stroked his chin as he spoke, making Hae-in’s jaw drop.
“…You pervert!”
“What? I’m a man of science! Just pure, innocent curiosity.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! You’re a doctor!”
“Same thing. Medicine is a branch of science.”
What a shameless man. Even if she wasn’t completely naked right after transforming, Hae-in had absolutely no desire to let anyone see that process.
That moment felt like her greatest vulnerability.
She had a deep, instinctive feeling that it was something she should never reveal to anyone.
“Then I’m not transforming!”
“All right, all right. What about the bathroom?”
Si-yul, on the other hand, was burning with curiosity about the moment when the law of conservation of mass was clearly defied.
A cat turning into a human—that thought alone made his blood boil and body ache with excitement.
But he knew too well that if he pushed too hard, this cat would definitely get sulky.
Resigning himself to at least seeing the aftereffects of the transformation, he gently nudged Hae-in toward the bathroom. She was extremely moody—just like a cat.
Though she walked off reluctantly, Hae-in still felt uneasy about the whole thing.
“If you peek, I’ll kill you!”
She bared her teeth with a sharp snap! as she glanced back.
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Don’t even think about looking!”
Though she sounded fierce, the truth was, Hae-in had gotten so used to living as a cat that her shame or resistance toward being unclothed had significantly faded.
And that only made her feel the need for clothes even more—to protect her dignity as a human, to recover the blurring identity of Park Hae-in the human.
The more I feel myself becoming catlike day by day, the more urgent it feels.
Si-yul handed her the dress through the bathroom door, and, unable to resist one last question, asked,
“Hey, uh… do you know how to wear underwear? I mean, if not, I’m—sorry.”
But when Hae-in raised her claws threateningly, he immediately retracted the question.
Apparently, his feet hadn’t been trained enough to dodge that.
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
Standing on two feet again after so long felt strange.
It was a serious problem—she was originally human, but now that form felt awkward. It had been nearly a month since she last wore clothes.
Stumbling out of the bathroom in the dress, Hae-in looked clumsy.
She didn’t particularly like skirts or fluttery clothes, and this one was way too feminine.
It felt oddly embarrassing—like wearing a skirt for the first time in her life.
Her bare feet embarrassed her too.
Why do my five toes look so unfamiliar?
Looking down at her knees, then curiously studying her own legs, Hae-in finally raised her head slightly and asked Si-yul,
“So… how do I look?”
Her eyes, unable to meet his directly, held a shy gaze that made her look just like a bashful girl.
Her large, soft brown eyes were adorable.
Her long hair, parted without bangs, framed her face and flowed gently over her shoulders.
And her long, slender legs extending beneath the dress gave her a distinctly human appearance.
“…Wow. You actually look like a real person.”
Si-yul’s eyes widened to their limit.
The cat that went into the bathroom came out as a human—an unexpectedly pretty human, with pale legs.
Clap, clap, clap!
“You’re pretty.”
Si-yul clapped with all his might, as if applauding a child’s performance. It left Hae-in feeling sheepish.
Still, being called pretty didn’t feel bad. She did a little spin on the spot.
It was a pretty dress.
Then a curious thought crossed her mind.
“But how did the underwear fit perfectly, even the size?”
“It was just… a coincidence.”
“Really?”
Though she found it strange, she brushed it off.
No way Si-yul figured out my size just from one glance… right?
“Can I touch?”
“…Huh?”
“Just a little?”
Before she knew it, Si-yul was standing right in front of her. Hae-in hesitated, then gave a reluctant nod.
Well, he did buy me clothes. I guess letting him touch my hand once is fine…
She quietly reached out her hand, and Si-yul took it without hesitation, holding it tightly like an explorer discovering a new continent.
He examined every joint and fingernail in detail.
Gently running his fingers over the soft back of her hand, he felt the bones, the tendons, and the faint thrum of her pulse.
He laced their fingers together, then slowly let go again.
His touch as he traced the edge of her soft skin held no inappropriate intent.
“That amazing to you?”
“Mm.”
Just like he said—he seemed more like a scientist or doctor, investigating the unknown.
“Incredible… You really are human.”
Si-yul muttered in awe as he looked at Hae-in.
To him, Hae-in’s very existence was a shocking revelation.
This woman in front of me… is actually a cat.
How could he possibly make sense of that?
He reached out to touch the nape of her neck. A clear, steady pulse beat against his fingertips.
“Wh-What are you doing?! That’s creepy!”
“You’re really alive, you know?”
“…Of course I am!”
“Incredible. Seriously incredible. Even your heartbeat is just like a human’s.”
Well, I was human to begin with…
Before she noticed, Si-yul’s hand had slid down from her collarbone—
And up, toward her chest.
He touched over the fabric, so she didn’t realize at first.
That’s my chest!
“You…!”
Hae-in flinched slightly.
But what she saw in Si-yul’s eyes and felt in his touch was pure admiration—nothing more. So she wasn’t sure whether she should be angry or not.
What he was fascinated by wasn’t her chest, but the heartbeat within it.
“How the hell is this even possible? Huh? What’s up with this heart? Even when you were a cat, your heart was oddly big…”
“I don’t really know either.”
Si-yul was clearly growing excited.
Sensing the shift in his mood, Hae-in instinctively took a step back.
“You really don’t know? How can you transform like this? When did you first realize you could? Was it just natural from the start? What kind of energy does it use when you change?”
Hae-in only shook her head.
This body belongs to the underworld.
And even she knew only a fragment of what this grim reaper mask was capable of.
It wasn’t a human artifact to begin with—so how could any human possibly understand it?
Si-yul’s thirst for knowledge and curiosity had reached their limit.
He couldn’t hold himself back anymore. Grabbing Hae-in’s wrist, he tugged her closer and demanded,
“Open your mouth.”
“What?!”
“I want to see inside. Just a quick look. Please? I’ll only touch a little!”
“No!”
Hae-in shouted at the top of her lungs, but Si-yul clung to her, refusing to budge.
Just as he had once shoved his fingers into her mouth when she was a cat, now he looked desperate to do the same again.
He was dying to know what the inside of this mysterious being looked like—what her anatomy was like.
As his fingers brushed near her lips, Hae-in snapped her mouth shut and violently shook her head.
Letting some random guy put his fingers in my mouth? Absolutely not!
Even if he says it’s just touching, that doesn’t make it okay!
What am I, a cow? Getting a dental exam?!
“What’s the big deal? We’re close, aren’t we? C’mon, show me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! We’re not even close!”
Worried she might get ambushed again, Hae-in mumbled as she clenched her jaw as tight as possible.
But Si-yul just shrugged casually and replied with a bright smile,
“We do share secrets.”
“I… don’t know your secrets, though.”
Hae-in looked at him suspiciously.
Si-yul slowly crept closer. As Hae-in backed away, her knees bumped into the sofa, and she ended up sinking down onto it—an even more vulnerable position.
She turned her head away to avoid his gaze, but Si-yul kept pursuing it.
Right. This guy is dangerous.
“My secret is that I know your secret.”
In the end, Hae-in was cornered into Si-yul’s arms, backed against the sofa. The moment she saw the glint in his eyes, she knew—
She was in trouble.
“Mmngh?!”
And her instincts were right.
Si-yul shoved his fingers into her mouth.
With one hand gripping her chin to keep her from moving, he traced the inside of her mouth, feeling around her teeth, the roof of her mouth—deep inside.
It was merciless. The way he held her jaw, keeping her from biting down, made it feel like she was just some kind of animal.
He must’ve done this kind of exam countless times on animals—his hand moved with practiced ease.
Hae-in tried to resist, grabbing his wrist and struggling, but how could she overpower a grown man holding her down with strength?
“Hmm… is it a bit cold in there?”
“Ah—ugh…! S-Stop…!”
The sensation of a stranger’s fingers inside her mouth, touching her tongue and the soft tissue of her inner cheeks, made her feel like she couldn’t breathe.
His long fingers reached all the way back to her throat. The gag reflex came up and retreated in waves.
She couldn’t even speak properly.
This isn’t how a human should be treated!
Maybe if I were still a cat, but right now…!
Even as Hae-in raised her arms to push him away, Si-yul didn’t budge.
His firm grip felt like stone, immovable.
He’s really treating me like some kind of animal!
He pinched her tongue gently between his thumb and forefinger as he muttered,
“It’s exactly the same as a regular human’s oral structure…”
“Mmngh!”
“Ah, wait, just a little more, okay? Almost done?”
All Si-yul wanted was to figure out what part of her was different from a normal human.
Hearing his coaxing voice, Hae-in burst into tears.
Am I really just… a beast to him?
“…Why are you crying?”
Si-yul finally snapped out of it and withdrew his hand. Hae-in was finally released—but her tears were falling freely now.
“I said no…! I told you I didn’t want to!”
“I had to see it for myself.”
“You… You bastard! I’m a person! Right now, I’m a human being!”
“But you’re originally a cat, aren’t you?”
How were they supposed to reconcile such vastly different views?
Hae-in, overcome with frustration and sorrow, lashed out. She hit Si-yul’s chest and forehead with her hands, crying with all the rage she had.
“I’m not a beast!”
“Then what are you?”
“Can’t you tell just by looking?!”
A girl. A woman! Do I really have to say it out loud?!
Hae-in was furious. If this was what he bought her the clothes for, she wanted to rip them off and throw them away right now.
Her pride was trampled, her dignity violated.
Sure, he thought of her as a cat, but right now, she looked every bit like a human being.
Her face flushed from the effort of holding back sobs. As Si-yul reached out again, she shoved him away as hard as she could.
Her bottom lip quivered with anger, and she refused to look at him.
Si-yul awkwardly dropped his hand to the floor.
“…Seriously.”
She looked exactly like a girlfriend throwing a fit. It made him doubt if that fierce black cat had ever existed.
Still, the hurt expression on her face did sting his conscience.
At this point, Si-yul was starting to feel like he’d done something really awful.
Why did she have to act like a person when she was clearly a cat? Why did she mess with a human’s heart like this?
“H-Hrrk!”
Even knowing she was a cat, seeing her cry like that messed with his head.
She acted so much like a woman—like she wanted to be treated like a woman.
But then… how was he supposed to taste the inside?
After a short pause, Si-yul asked, almost casually, like he was asking to touch her hand again,
“…Can I kiss you?”
Hae-in’s tear-brimmed eyes widened in shock and locked onto him.
Her lips parted, but it definitely wasn’t to say yes—it was pure disbelief.
Si-yul, as if it were obvious, added,
“A deep kiss.”
Like hell you can, you crazy bastard!
Hae-in thought, absolutely appalled.
But she couldn’t say it aloud—
Because her lips were blocked.
Something hot and soft was already pressing into her mouth.
