Hae-in anxiously stared at the clock.
The time for him to return was drawing closer and closer. Cold sweat began to form, and she couldn’t sit still.
Si-yul had become frighteningly punctual about coming home lately—because he knew that Hae-in was always waiting for him at home, without fail.
As soon as he finished work, he didn’t even glance anywhere else. He came straight home, following his instincts.
If the two of them had actually been a married couple, he would have been the model of a devoted newlywed husband.
“Hey! Pour me another!”
“There’s none left.”
“Liar.”
“Look for yourself—it’s empty!”
Hae-in, on the other hand, was far from a proper, gentle newlywed bride.
After all, she had let that thing into their cozy little love nest. At this rate, they might both get kicked out together.
Yaho had already drained an entire container of cocoa and was now pouting for more, making a scene as if the world owed him sweets.
“Then bring me something similar!”
“You—! You’re not a child! Stop eating already!”
Did he have a bottomless pit in his stomach? Or was it because he was originally a tiger that his appetite was monstrous? He was a thief, plain and simple.
“Why? Is cocoa only for kids?”
“Well, no, but—”
“Then give me more!”
“Are you serious right now? You’re a tiger who’s lived for hundreds of years!”
“Then respect your elders.”
Yaho pointed lazily toward the kitchen, his eyes half-closed but full of confidence, and Hae-in found herself speechless.
What could she possibly say to an ancient being demanding respect?
To make things worse, Yaho had dirt on her.
How dirty. How cheap.
Was this what it meant to be powerless?
After being pampered and adored by Si-yul every single day, having to serve someone like this was downright torture.
Hae-in pouted and rummaged through the kitchen cabinets. Finally, she found something similar to cocoa.
It should taste close enough… right?
It was chocolate pellets—used for baking cakes.
Si-yul often melted them in a double boiler when making desserts. She remembered sneaking a few pieces while watching him cook; they were quite good.
She wasn’t sure if this would satisfy Yaho, but it was worth a try.
She considered melting them into something cocoa-like but quickly decided it was too much work—and Yaho wasn’t cute enough to deserve it anyway.
Hae-in dumped a handful of chocolate pellets into a bowl, like scooping dog food, and placed it in front of Yaho.
“What’s this?”
“Chocolate. Haven’t you seen it before?”
“Looks like goat droppings.”
“…It’s way tastier than that. Just try it.”
“What about cocoa?”
That damn cocoa!
Yaho was still in human form just to drink cocoa. Annoyed, Hae-in shoved a few pieces of “feed”—no, chocolate—into his mouth.
He chewed reluctantly at first, but soon his expression softened.
“Ooh, satisfying. Why’s everything here so delicious?”
Clearly, this was no wise elder worthy of respect. Still, at least it would keep him quiet for a while.
“Huh!”
A sound brushed past Haein’s ear—the elevator stopping. On this floor.
“Hm? I only chewed a few times and it’s gone. Got any more—”
“I’ll give you the whole bag! Just go in the room! Now!”
“Waaah.”
When she handed him the whole bag, Yaho’s face lit up with genuine joy. Haein hurriedly shoved him into her room and whispered quickly,
“When Kang comes home, I’ll explain a bit before calling you. Don’t come out until I say so, got it?”
“Got it.”
“And transform before you come out.”
“Okay, okay.”
It was better if he appeared as a beast than a random grown man—that would earn her less scolding. Yaho nodded obediently, probably because of the chocolate, and Haein added one last warning,
“The small one… not the big version.”
She made a small shape with her hands to show him. Yaho munched noisily on chocolate, staring at her.
“Do I look stupid to you?”
“…”
“I’ll walk around in my real form.”
He really doesn’t understand how the world works, does he?
To Hae-in, whether Yaho appeared as a man or as a cub, he still carried the same aura—the shadow of the great tiger, Dae-ho.
“Ha! Just because I don’t know a few human customs—do you even know who I am? I’ve trained for—”
“Quiet, just get in!”
There was no time for chatter. The king of this territory—and the man who was impossible to deceive—had arrived.
He was right beyond the front door, pressing the keypad.
Hae-in swallowed dryly.
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
“You did something, didn’t you?”
Eek! I didn’t even say anything yet!
The moment Si-yul stepped inside and saw her face, those were his first words. His expression hardened slightly as his eyes scanned the room.
He was clearly searching for whatever mess she’d made.
“Kang…”
“I can tell just by your eyes.”
“T-that’s not—”
“Your voice is higher than usual, pupils are constricted, you’re sweating, your hands are trembling, and you keep checking my reaction. You definitely did something.”
Even while stating this like a detective, he couldn’t find anything wrong in the living room. He looked back at her expectantly, waiting for a confession.
He was sharper than ever. Honestly, more perceptive than the actual tiger hiding in her room.
Haein’s eyes flicked nervously toward her room. Si-yul took off his shoes and started walking that way.
She had no subtlety at all.
“That room, huh?”
“Wait! Kang, hold on!”
Panicked by his determined advance, Hae-in clung to his waist.
Couldn’t he at least give her a moment to explain? But no—this man had a terrifying ability to piece together the situation on his own. Mercy for the guilty was not in his vocabulary.
“Don’t tell me you brought home a stray cat or something—”
“It’s not that!”
Well… maybe halfway true. Haein’s face crumpled as she tried to stop him, but the door was already flung open.
She hadn’t explained a single thing yet.
“…I knew it.”
The only saving grace was that Yaho had turned into a tiger cub instead of staying human. Though at the moment, he was buried face-first in the chocolate bag, devouring it greedily.
“I knew sooner or later you’d—wait…”
Si-yul’s voice trailed off as he took a step closer. The closer he got, the more his tone warped in disbelief.
That… was no kitten.
He grabbed Yaho by the scruff and lifted him up, inspecting the little creature’s chocolate-smeared face carefully.
Once again, he figured it out instantly.
“…Hey! This is a tiger cub!”
“…Yeah.”
Of course. No way he wouldn’t notice. With that absurdly majestic face, how could he not?
Si-yul stared back and forth between Hae-in and Yaho several times.
Yaho just licked his lips contentedly. Even dangling midair, he looked nothing like a cat. His ears, for one, were shaped differently—and his paws were far too large.
You could usually tell an animal’s adult size by the size of its paws. And Yaho’s paws were several times that of a normal kitten.
“Good grief, where the hell did you even find this thing…”
Si-yul’s disbelief was understandable. Hae-in felt exactly the same way. There really was a tiger in the house.
“Explain.”
“Um… well…”
Trying to dodge, Hae-in mumbled incoherently, but Si-yul brought Yaho right up to her face, as if demanding an answer. The cub’s fur brushed her cheek.
What could she possibly say to make him believe her?
“He’s… kind of a friend?”
“A friend? This baby tiger?”
“An acquaintance’s tiger… asked me to watch him for a while…”
Her original plan had been to insist it was a cat, but that was no longer an option.
Si-yul wasn’t the type to be fooled. Still, she could hope.
“So your cat’s friend is a tiger? What a close bond—do they babysit for each other too?”
“It’s kind of hard to explain. Can’t you just… let it slide?”
“Let it slide?”
“Just this once! I won’t do it again!”
“Then at least make up a believable lie! You’re terrible at this. You could’ve said you found it after it escaped from the zoo.”
That would’ve been better!
Her eyes lit up with belated realization, and Si-yul sighed deeply.
Hae-in hadn’t wanted to cause him this much stress. Asking him to accept a mysterious tiger living with them was absurd…
Then suddenly, she had an idea.
The curse she was under only forbade her from revealing the reaper’s mask secret—not anything about Yaho.
So she could talk about him, couldn’t she?
And if Si-yul got along with Yaho, maybe that could help later.
Her face brightened.
“Right, Kang! This guy’s actually—Baek—”
“Oh, you can’t say that.”
“…Eh?”
“…Sigh?”
“Because if you do, I’d have to erase his memory. I forgot to mention that. So we’re good.”
Excuse me?!
Talking tigers were fine, but names were off-limits?!
Apparently, even the Heavenly Realm erased memories to cover up exposure. Which meant Yaho was basically a walking time bomb.
And I thought he’d be useful somehow!
Mouth agape, Haein stared at Yaho dangling from Si-yul’s hand.
Yaho tilted his head curiously, looking unbearably smug.
“What? Safe. Means we’re safe, right?”
“Well… technically, yes…”
“Ahem! I’ve learned a lot, haven’t I?”
While Yaho looked absurdly proud of himself, Si-yul slowly set him down on the floor.
“…”
“…”
At this point, Yaho’s identity didn’t need any more explanation—he’d revealed it himself by speaking.
Si-yul didn’t even look that shocked. Maybe because this was the second time something like this had happened.
By now, he was used to talking animals.
But his eyes narrowed, and he spoke in a calm, low tone that somehow sounded both resigned and incredulous.
“…Just one question.”
“Huh…?”
“Does it transform?”
He pointed at Yaho, who was sniffing the chocolate bag again.
And just from the look on Haein’s face—hesitating as if she wasn’t sure whether she could answer or not—Si-yul already had his answer.
“Forget it. I get it.”
Surrender. Defeat.
Si-yul raised both hands in resignation and left the room. Hae-in hurriedly followed him out, but not before leaving one last instruction for Yaho.
“Hey, stay here! Don’t come out of the room, okay?”
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
“Kang, um…”
“What.”
“Are you… mad?”
Sweating nervously, she glanced at him cautiously. Si-yul sat down on the edge of the bed and gestured for her to come closer.
She hesitated, but when she finally approached, he pulled her gently onto his lap. He didn’t speak for a while.
Then, pressing his forehead against her slender shoulder, he let out a quiet sigh.
Since she’d begged him to just pretend not to notice, there had to be a reason. He supposed he could let it go—but still. A tiger? Out of nowhere?
If anyone saw that she was keeping one in their home…
“When is it leaving?”
“…A month! At most, a month! Maybe just two full moons’ time…”
“That’s too long.”
“I’m sorry.”
They barely had enough time alone as it was, and now there was an uninvited guest. Of course, Si-yul’s expression made it very clear he was not pleased.
Hae-in wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed her cheek slowly against his forehead, trying her best to comfort him.
It wasn’t exactly her fault—but right now, she was the only one who could calm him down.
“I’ll send him away as soon as I can, okay? I really can’t help it this time…”
“Did he blackmail you or something?”
“…Please don’t be mad, hmm?”
Why is my man always so good at guessing everything?
Hae-in marveled at his sharp intuition and pressed her lips gently against the crease between his furrowed brows.
Smooch.
The more she kissed that tense spot, the more his frown began to ease.
“Ugh… I’m not exactly angry. I’m just… stunned.”
“Just be nice to him for a little while. He might actually help us.”
“Help? Him?”
“I’m serious. Even I have a hard time with that tiger. We can’t afford to offend him.”
Si-yul finally relaxed, his frown smoothing out as he reluctantly accepted her kisses. Then he guided her face closer, steering her kisses from his forehead toward his lips.
As she kissed nearer to his mouth, his eyes fluttered shut—only to snap open again as he suddenly asked,
“Wait… that thing. It’s male, isn’t it?”
“Well, yes, technically.”
“Then we should throw it out.”
“But you saw it! It’s just a cub!”
“Cub or ancient beast, how should I know?”
Apparently, Si-yul was actually jealous of a tiger.
Hae-in quickly tried to calm him down before his jealousy boiled over.
“Don’t worry! He’s definitely not my type. My type is you, Kang!”
“…That’s definitely nice to hear.”
She’d just said it without thinking, but he clearly liked it—his mood instantly brightened. Their lips met in a slow, intimate kiss.
Hae-in, a little dazed, followed his lead and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Even though the words had come out in a rush, they were true.
Of course her ideal type was Si-yul. Her taste, her love, her husband—everything was him.
“Mmm…”
The kiss deepened naturally. Si-yul’s arms tightened around her waist, pulling her closer until their bodies were pressed together.
So close that the boundaries between their skin began to blur.
Yes—this was how it had been lately. Every time they were alone, they seemed to grow closer, as if trying to make up for all the time they’d been apart.
“Ahem, excuse me…”
“Ah!”
“I’ve got really good hearing, you know… I can hear everything. Ahem.”
A head poked through the slightly open door—it was Yaho.
Hae-in yelped in shock and jumped off Si-yul’s lap.
Yaho might have good hearing, but he moved so silently that she hadn’t noticed him at all.
Was this the hunting method of a top predator?
Of course, neither Hae-in nor Si-yul had forgotten that Yaho was still around. But still—like this? Like this?!
“Anyway, can I sleep here too?”
You’ve got to be kidding me.
“I just… miss being around people, you know? It’s been so long since I was human. Let me sleep between you two.”
“…Do you even know what ‘no sense’ means?”
“Huh? Me? No?”
“You really have no sense—”
“It’s fine! It’s fine! Come on up!”
Hae-in hurriedly cut Si-yul off before he could say something harsher. There was no point in making things worse between them—and she still had to keep Yaho in a good mood.
Si-yul looked furious. His expression was so dark that he seemed ready to explode.
And it was the kind of anger Hae-in didn’t even dare try to soothe.
Ugh, this time kisses won’t fix it, will they?
She was already terrified, wondering how she would ever deal with the fallout.
At that moment, Hae-in hated Yaho with all her heart.
