With Taeil and Gi-do off for an overnight shoot, the only ones left in the apartment were the housemate—and the housemate cat. That cat, still in human form, was fuming.
She leapt up with a snarl, shouting at Siyul as if ready to pounce and bite him at any moment.
“What the hell is this?! I said I didn’t want to!”
“What’s the problem? You’ve always wished for something like this. Now you’ve got an identity. Just… go meet him.”
“Ugh! Why is everything up to you?! You… you dog! You mutt! Mangy stray mutt!”
With no one else around, Haein didn’t need to hold back.
She hurled every insult she could think of, shouting with all her might. But Siyul, frustratingly calm, didn’t waste a single drop of energy reacting.
He was casually browsing through CDs.
Not paying Haein any attention—that was the real trap. Infuriated by his indifference, Haein stomped over and snatched away the CD he was pretending to read.
The distance she crossed was barely half a step.
“What the hell are you thinking, you idiot mutt?! Say something!”
They were close enough that their clothes brushed.
Too close. Yet Haein hadn’t even realized that she’d walked straight into his game.
“Why do you think I did it?”
Before she could react, Siyul reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist.
It was an unbelievably languid touch. Haein’s eyes widened in alarm.
“…L-Let me go!”
“Why do you think I set you up on a date with him—when you said you didn’t want to?”
His hands gently held her, even as she started squirming to escape.
Then he pulled her closer, closing what little space had been left between them.
Only then did Haein realize—she was trapped. She’d walked right into his snare.
I… I have to get away. I’m in a predator’s jaws right now.
She’d let her guard down because Siyul had been keeping his distance lately. Not realizing, that too had been part of his plan!
“I-I’m not curious anymore!”
Why he arranged the date? Who cared about that now. She’d take anything if he’d just let her go.
Haein struggled hard.
She grabbed at Siyul’s sleeve with both hands, trying to pull away—but he didn’t budge an inch.
Instead, his face drew even closer. Haein gasped, instinctively clamping her hand over her mouth.
He’s going to kiss me again, isn’t he?
Siyul chuckled and leaned in, whispering softly by her ear. His voice, a low and deep baritone, unsettled her even more.
“Go on that date with him… and then go on one with me too.”
He pulled her body closer with his hand, his strong arms tightening around her slender waist.
“Compare the two… and choose me. I’ll love you more.”
“…What?”
“I’m confident I will.”
His voice brushed against her ear, sweet and gentle—so much so that it gave her chills.
Then his breath slid into the curve of her ear, as if to kiss it, and Haein jolted in shock.
Oh my god!
“Kyah!”
It was the first time she’d experienced this kind of overwhelming intimacy. She threw her head back and shrieked.
What is even happening?! her eyes screamed.
She’d never experienced anything like this in her life. To be held like this, whispered to like that?
And then—his tongue… in her ear…
“Hhwaaah!”
The sheer unfamiliarity of it had her shrieking again. Her voice came out in wild, embarrassing bursts.
She knew how ridiculous she looked, but she was too shocked to control herself.
Then again, wouldn’t it be even weirder if she were used to this?
Her only romantic experience had been one vague, puppy-love relationship back in high school.
Of course she wasn’t equipped to deal with something like this.
Siyul, on the other hand, wasn’t just experienced—he was dangerous. Haein had thought it before, but now she was sure: this guy was a total player!
“Wh-What do you think you’re doing?! That’s disgusting!”
“Pfft. If you think that’s bad, how do you expect to survive a real kiss?”
“KYAA!”
Siyul licked the curve of her ear—slowly, deliberately.
Haein had no idea why he was doing this.
Is he grooming me?! Why does he keep doing these weird, ticklish things?!
Finally, she yelped and clamped her hands over her ears.
“Why are you making me scream like this, huh?”
Tiny animals that don’t know what to do with themselves are cute by nature.
Siyul, far from offended, kissed her delicate neck. His lips slowly trailed downward to her shoulder.
He had that nasty tendency—to want to tease things more, the more adorable they were.
“Ahhh… Ugh, aaah!”
With him messing with her like this, of course Haein could only scream.
Her mouth opened and closed like a fish, her eyes wide in disbelief.
What the hell is this guy doing to me?!
“Use words. If not, at least meow a little. That would be cute…”
“Why… Why are you doing this to me all of a sudden?!”
It was the first full sentence she managed, and it came out as one big question.
“I told you. I like you. You’re adorable. I want you to love me.”
Don’t just say stuff like that so smoothly, you player!
He’d teased her, tormented her, and now suddenly he was saying he loved her?
That wasn’t easy to accept.
Even being held like this—especially being held like this—felt unreal.
“Liar! You’re just messing with me again!”
Haein growled, looking far more cute.
Siyul only shrugged and held her tighter. The soft embrace was so ticklishly tender that it was torture.
If she were still a cat, she could’ve wriggled free. But right now, she was human.
“It’s true. Even I wouldn’t joke about love.”
In his broad shoulders, her little body was completely enveloped.
Siyul seemed momentarily lost in holding her, as if he didn’t see the problem.
Haein, stiff as a board, protested weakly.
“Y-You! You said you’d… dissect me…!”
“That was just to see if you could understand speech. I didn’t mean it. You know that now, right?”
“Ugh… Still!”
“If I hadn’t threatened you, you wouldn’t have revealed yourself. Right?”
As much as she hated to admit it, Siyul was mostly right.
If he hadn’t said he’d dissect her, she never would’ve confessed to being a talking cat.
Still holding her, Siyul whispered again, so close it was impossible to tell if it was speech or a kiss.
He could’ve spoken normally—but no, he just had to breathe against her ear like that.
“Just… let me go!”
“I will, if you agree.”
“Agree to what?!”
“I said I like you. Just keep that in mind.”
You’re insane! I’m not falling for this!
“Wh-Why are you suddenly saying that?!”
“What, should I have scheduled a love confession?”
“…Y-Yeah. A warning would’ve been nice…”
“That’s a new one.”
Haein had to get out of this panic. If not, she’d keep getting swept up.
Mom always said—even in a tiger’s den, stay calm and you’ll survive!
Then… in that case…!
“I’m a cat!”
It was probably the first time she’d ever said that with such joy.
Nice! she thought.
Reason number one why Siyul couldn’t possibly love her.
And by extension, why she couldn’t love him back.
But Siyul, unsurprised, stayed infuriatingly shameless.
“But you can become human.”
“…That’s true, but—”
“I’ll treat you well. Everything will be different now. I’m going to seduce you.”
Their necks were so close she could feel his Adam’s apple bob with every word.
Was this terrifying… or thrilling? Haein was starting to lose track.
“I-I told you… I’m a cat…”
“I said I don’t care.”
“It matters! It does!”
The firm yet smooth texture of his skin was suffocating.
“It doesn’t.”
“Why do you get to decide that?!”
“Because you’re capable of liking a human. Like your owner, for example. So why not me?”
The more she tried to run, the more tightly he seemed to trap her.
This guy’s brain is too powerful. Too flexible!
Then again, how many people in the world would find a talking cat interesting, not terrifying?
“Besides, haven’t you seen those old horror dramas? Gumiho and humans got along just fine.”
“H-Hack!”
Siyul was a man of strong likes and dislikes.
He hated ambiguity and always knew what he wanted.
Why don’t people understand their own feelings?
That baffled him.
Admitting he was infatuated with a cat-turned-human was hard, but once he did, he acted like claiming her was only natural.
“You’re kind of like that.”
In a word: a genius. Siyul was clearly not normal.
He’d even deduced facts that Haein herself had only recently learned from the Reaper.
“…I’m not a fox… I’m a cat!”
“Well, gumiho had babies too.”
“Eep?!”
Siyul looked down at her seriously.
“Actually, do you know any foxes? Ask one how to become fully human.”
Even if she did, they’d probably demand a hundred livers in exchange.
Seeing Haein shake her head firmly in his arms, Siyul swallowed dryly. Just as expected—Haein’s resistance was no small thing.
“W-We can’t even get married…!”
“Do you have to marry someone just because you love them? I don’t think so.”
“…Of course you do! If you love someone, you… you get married! But we… we can’t…”
“If that’s really what you want, I’ll help you get registered as stateless.”
He’s terrifyingly thorough!
Haein was horrified. Siyul was beyond what she’d imagined. He was too seasoned, and she was just a naive little cat.
Somehow, she’d gotten used to his touch—his arms around her, his fingers brushing through her hair, his soft kisses on her cheeks and forehead.
All of it slow, gentle, almost dreamlike.
And in that languid rhythm, she’d forgotten to resist.
She’d grown used to it, without even realizing.
Like a frog in boiling water.
“Why am I even having this conversation with you?! You tormented me! You were horrible!”
At some point, she snapped out of it and pushed him away.
Siyul clicked his tongue.
She was almost completely charmed…
He’d been holding her gently, so he had no choice but to let go. But her absence left a strange emptiness in his arms.
We were just talking about marriage a second ago. What now?
He reached out again.
“I won’t do that anymore, okay?”
“It’s not okay! I don’t trust you! You’re a pervert! A playboy!”
“What don’t you trust?”
“T-This is too dangerous…! How can you say you love me?”
That overwhelming seduction snapped her out of it. She couldn’t trust someone so good at this.
Realizing Siyul was deliberately seducing her made her furious. He was clearly not new at this.
“…Playboy? Not even close.”
“You are! Look at what you just did! My god… Mom, help!”
Haein trembled, stepping back as if he were some kind of predator.
She kept rubbing her arms, disgusted.
“Scared? That’s rude. Why are you acting like this? I usually date for over a year, you know.”
“Liar…! If you were a cat, you’d have a hundred kittens by now!”
“A hundred…”
With that shout, Haein ran straight out of the room.
What kind of human male emits pheromones like that?!
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
Haein escaped from Siyul and, taking advantage of Taeil’s overnight absence, made a stealthy break for it. It was a perfect chance to slip away—and she used it to return home.
She ran straight to her mother.
Of course, she missed her. And there were so many things she wanted to say… though she wouldn’t be able to say them all.
“So where have you been all this time?”
It had been three months since her last visit, and her mother had clearly put on a bit of weight.
Despite her daughter’s sudden reappearance, she seemed more preoccupied with sorting through travel photos from a recent trip.
Even if Haein had said she’d been in the countryside for work, wasn’t this a bit too casual?
Honestly, Mom, really.
“Uh… a mountain temple. Deep in the mountains—no cell service or anything!”
“A temple, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s it called? How many monks live there? Is it even occupied?”
Though her mother asked the questions, she wasn’t pressing too hard. Haein offered vague replies.
Ever since Haein moved out two years ago to work on her art, her parents hadn’t really interfered with her day-to-day. If she showed up, well, that was that. If not, they barely asked why.
“Um… two monks.”
She’d turned Siyul and Taeil into monks on the spot. But lying never came easy to her.
She didn’t have the talent to make things up smoothly. Thankfully, her mother wasn’t the sharpest when it came to reading between the lines.
“Sounds like it’s pretty remote. What about food?”
“Oh, I eat fine! Anyway, I can’t stay long. I just came out to pick up some new supplies—and to see you.”
“Really? You show up after months and won’t even stay the night?”
“Mom…”
“Before you go, clean up your old room. It’s a trash heap.”
Haein had started to feel touched—so Mom did worry about her after all—only to feel let down again.
So much for sentimentality.
“And take one of these souvenirs with you. You owe them something for letting you stay, right? I’m not giving this to you because I like you, brat. I just bought too many.”
Her mother shoved something into her hand. It was a miniature replica of a Chinese cultural monument, stacked in a pile atop the dresser.
It looked exactly like the kinds of souvenirs students bought on school trips—useless trinkets that ended up in drawers forever.
What am I supposed to do with this?
“Take two.”
“…Two?”
“You said there were two monks, didn’t you? They’ll like them. These are rare, you know!”
“Sure, they’ll love it.”
Haein could only stare, dumbfounded, at the kitschy tourist souvenirs. She couldn’t throw them out, but actually giving them to those sleek, refined men felt just as ridiculous.
How was she even supposed to offer them?
Seriously, moms were always like this. So random. So tragically old-fashioned.
“Want more?”
“…No. These are plenty.”
Still, she was glad. At least she got to see her mom.
She’d have to sneak back before sunrise—it was only a temporary escape. Haein decided she’d head back before Taeil returned.
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
Sure enough, Siyul noticed her absence and was waiting at the front door when she got back.
If she’d taken much longer, he probably would’ve gone out searching for her.
I knew it, Haein thought warily as she stepped inside, keeping her guard up.
“You should’ve told me you were leaving!”
“…Hmph.”
“You!”
“Take one step closer, and I’m going out again!”
Siyul hated not being able to account for her whereabouts. Where had she gone running off to like that?
Didn’t she know how worried he was? And yet she ran off every chance she got.
His insides boiled with frustration, but he swallowed it down.
If he took more than a couple steps toward her, she’d just backpedal again, watching him warily.
All this over one little advance. Just the other day she was rubbing up on me like it was nothing! Now what, does the house need to be on fire for her to let me touch her?
Cats. This was the problem with them.
“…H-Here. Take this.”
With a deep scowl on her face, Haein shoved the gift toward him from a safe distance.
It was a tiny paper box that didn’t exactly scream ‘this is a thoughtful present.’
Haein wouldn’t have thanked anyone who gave her something like that.
“What is it?”
“Just take it.”
Siyul, surprised to receive something from her at all, instinctively took it.
He opened the box and found himself even more bewildered.
She ran off, got angry, warned him not to come close… and then handed him this? A weird, cheap-looking souvenir that made no sense?
“…It’s a gift. That’s all.”
“Oh… thanks.”
He never imagined he’d receive a gift from a cat that wasn’t a dead mouse.
Just what had this cat been doing out there?
Holding the pagoda-like trinket, Siyul genuinely wondered—was this some kind of cursed object?
What if just keeping it in the house gave him nightmares?
That’s how strange the thing was.
Still, he couldn’t bring himself to say that out loud.
Because it was the first gift Haein had ever given him.
And for that alone—it meant something.
