It was the second night since Haein had been left at Siyul’s house.
Taeil spent his nights reading. He wasn’t a fan of television and preferred quiet moments. He was the very embodiment of tranquility.
Sitting in the living room with the lights dimmed just right, he enjoyed the silence and his books.
When you were near him, the only sounds you’d hear were his steady breathing and the soft flutter of turning pages.
Siyul, on the other hand, was his complete opposite.
“Got something you’re watching?”
“…Not really.”
As soon as night fell, Siyul turned on a variety show, plopped onto the sofa, and cracked open a can of beer.
In the dark living room, the TV splashed his face with shifting colors. It felt a little louder than the nights Haein had recently grown used to, but in truth, it resembled the nights she had once enjoyed.
Especially that beer…
“You want some too?”
“N-Not really.”
“Hmm… but if you did drink, would you even get drunk?”
Haein tilted her head.
I don’t know. Ever since I became like this, I haven’t eaten or drunk anything.
“I’m not sure.”
It was a body that didn’t need food—and didn’t suffer from the lack of it. So she was always in a state of fasting.
The thought of having to, well, expel whatever she consumed was off-putting.
Still, if she had to list a few things she’d like to eat… chicken and beer, chicken feet with soju, soft steamed eggs with rice, spicy beef stew, grilled pork belly…
As the list of cravings tumbled endlessly through her mind, Haein forced herself to stop.
Her mouth was starting to water.
“Have you ever had alcohol before?”
“…Of course I have!”
“Hmm. Really now.”
He was obviously teasing her. Siyul was clearly doing it on purpose, knowing full well that Haein couldn’t stand being made fun of.
She told herself not to fall for it—but ended up puffing her cheeks and pouting anyway.
“I’ll have you know I can hold my liquor!”
A chubby-cheeked cat puffing up and yelling not to be underestimated—it was hardly threatening. Honestly, it was just funny. Especially since she was bragging about her drinking capacity in a body she hadn’t even tested.
“Then prove it.”
“Hmph!”
“You can’t drink, can you? Liar.”
“I can!”
She glared at him, but words alone wouldn’t prove anything. Sitting up, Haein flicked her tail high.
She was in deep internal conflict.
One can won’t hurt, right? That’s not even enough to buzz me. One beer? That’s basically sniffing alcohol.
She’d been able to relax a bit after confirming her mother was doing well.
“There’s plenty. Just have a sip.”
“…If it were you, would you drink with someone like you?”
“Hey, I haven’t done anything weird lately, have I? I even took you on a walk yesterday. Come on, trust me a little.”
To be fair, Siyul had been rather gentlemanly these days.
Maybe it was because he’d figured out Haein had a crush on Taeil. He seemed to be making an effort to behave.
…Gulp.
Is this some sort of withdrawal from accidental sobriety?
The cold sensation of beer sliding down her throat flashed vividly through her memory—it was too tempting to ignore.
A little bit of liquid shouldn’t hurt… right? Just a little?
After a long battle with herself, Haein finally gave in.
She couldn’t drink with Taeil, and the thought of enduring ten more months of forced sobriety sounded like a nightmare. So she chose compromise.
Truthfully, she’d gotten too used to being a cat. The tension she once held had worn thin.
“Then… just one drink…”
The moment she decided, her throat burned with thirst.
Siyul smiled—and that was where Haein’s calculations went horribly wrong. After all, this wasn’t her original body. The one that could actually hold its liquor… was gone.
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
Who would’ve thought a body with so many enhanced features would be so weak against alcohol?
Even the Grim Reaper hadn’t warned her this form would be alcohol-intolerant.
She never imagined one can of beer could hit this hard.
In order to drink, Haein had returned to her human form—and after a single sip, she was already reeling.
It was the first time in her life she’d been this drunk. Unbelievably, from just one can.
Do Grim Reapers not drink? Is that why they didn’t bother putting in any detox system?
After spinning around a few times with a dizzy head, she collapsed face-first onto the sofa.
“Huuagh…”
“…Are you stupid?”
Siyul looked amused at first, but quickly became exasperated.
Boasting about her alcohol tolerance and then downing a whole can without knowing her limit? This cat was just plain dumb.
“I thought you said you could drink?”
“…I thought I could…”
Despite her usual cautious nature, Haein was instantly down for the count. Very fitting for a cat—unexpectedly clumsy.
“This is so… weird…”
Is this really the alcohol I know?
Haein couldn’t comprehend what was happening. She tried to fight the drunken haze that had never once happened in her life before.
But really, all that struggling amounted to was a tiny twitch of her fingers on the sofa.
And Siyul, seeing an opportunity, leaned in and whispered:
“Hey, turn back into a cat. I’ll carry you to the bed.”
“…Nnnngh…”
“Come on. Transform. It’ll be easier.”
Siyul whispered like a devil again.
One of the things he most wanted was to witness the moment Haein transformed—from human to cat or vice versa. That magical shift.
This was an unexpected opportunity, but one he wasn’t about to miss.
Even in her drunken state, Haein stubbornly resisted showing that moment. That instant of vulnerability—it was her biggest, worst weakness. Her very instincts screamed not to let it be seen.
“Nnngh… nooo…”
“Come on. It’ll feel better.”
Liar! Con artist! Demon! Bastard!
Haein resisted with every ounce of her strength. Which basically meant groaning while flopped on her stomach.
“…Liar… cheater… demon… jerk…”
Trying to escape Siyul’s reach, she struggled to sit up. But even standing was beyond her now.
Her feline sense of balance was utterly gone. Every time she tried to rise, she ended up face-first in the sofa cushions again.
Eventually, Haein decided crawling was the only option.
Like a little worm, she squirmed away—only for Siyul to watch her in silence for five minutes before finally picking her up.
She hadn’t moved more than a few feet in all that time.
This stubborn beast…
He needed to get her to bed properly. As much as he wanted to see the transformation, she looked like she was about to die.
Then again, her original form only weighed around four kilograms. Even if she was human now, a single can of beer might’ve been too much.
Siyul’s expression twisted into something dark.
“You said you had a high tolerance!”
“I used to… hngh…”
“Ugh! Do you have a fever? Nausea?”
He laid her on the bed, genuinely worried now.
A cat drinking alcohol was basically suicide, and as a vet, Siyul couldn’t help but feel alarmed.
He remembered how in Korean folktales, gumiho liked alcohol. In Japanese ones, fox spirits loved drinking too. So he figured maybe Haein was like that.
And she did say she could handle it. And now look at her.
“No more alcohol for you. It doesn’t suit you. Hey! Are you listening?”
For once, Siyul asked with real concern—but the response was far from coherent. Not even human language, in fact.
“…Awwng, awwng.” (Water… water…)
“Are you nauseous?”
Her body might’ve been human, but her mouth only let out cat sounds. She really was drunk.
He checked her forehead. No fever. Her complexion was a bit flushed but nothing alarming.
Placing his ear over her heart—he didn’t have a stethoscope after all—he listened carefully. Still nothing wrong.
He checked the pulse at the nape of her neck too. Normal.
After a good round of poking and prodding, Siyul finally exhaled in relief.
If she’d been a regular cat, she might’ve died from alcohol poisoning. She really was special—getting drunk like a human.
“Nngh…”
“…Want some water?”
Curled into a ball, Haein didn’t seem to hear his voice anymore.
Siyul fetched a glass of water just in case she got thirsty later. In the meantime, he hoped she’d transform back into a cat.
That would be easier for her—and for him to treat.
But Haein stubbornly remained in human form, haunted by the instinctive fear that she must not transform—not now.
“Hey, want to turn back into a cat? I won’t look.”
He tried to sound sympathetic, but it didn’t seem to reach her.
Hair a mess, arms wrapped tightly around her knees, cheeks pressed against them—she lay there with her eyes closed.
She shifted and groaned, trying to sleep, but clearly couldn’t get comfortable.
Her hands fumbled around the bed, searching for something.
Siyul covered her with a blanket, but she immediately kicked it off.
He had no idea what she was looking for. Haein, growing frustrated, rubbed her face into the sheets.
“Miang… no… that’s not it…”
Half of it was cat language again.
She wanted to fall asleep, but her human body in an unfamiliar bed just wouldn’t cooperate.
Turning back into a cat would’ve helped—but what could you expect from a drunken cat?
Eventually, her wandering hand found something.
It stopped—on Siyul’s chest.
“…What the…?”
She pressed down cautiously, then—apparently satisfied with the firmness—lifted her face from the pillow.
Found it.
That was the look on her face.
“…Take it off.”
“…What?!”
Siyul had been shocked by Haein more times than he could count. The woman had a talent for it, even if she didn’t realize.
Haein, eyes half-closed in drowsiness, tried to threaten him in her own way—and then sniffled.
“Take it off. I said take it off…”
Realizing she wasn’t just rambling, Siyul had to process for a moment. Then, as she tugged at his collar, it became clear: she meant exactly what he thought she meant.
He hesitated, but it wasn’t that hard—so he gave in.
The moment he pulled his T-shirt over his head, Haein collapsed onto him.
As if his chest were a pillow. Her cheek rubbed against him, her expression finally one of contentment.
“…This is it.”
She looked so relieved, as though she could finally sleep.
It didn’t even cross her mind that she was practically clinging to him. Her expression was downright blissful.
“…Wait. Don’t tell me… do you always sleep like this with your owner?”
“Meow-meow.”
“Answer me!”
Siyul wanted desperately to believe he was wrong. But he couldn’t push her away.
The soft, very adult woman clinging to him so snugly made his entire body tremble.
His throat felt parched from the softness of her skin. He couldn’t believe it.
How am I reacting to a cat? A cat!
This was the biggest humiliation of his life.
And Haein… had no idea she was getting her revenge.
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
As promised, Taeil came to pick up Haein exactly three days later. Considering he’d said it might take longer, it was a relatively early return.
Haein was thrilled. She meowed excitedly, fluttering her ears as she leapt into Taeil’s arms and licked the underside of his chin with her rough tongue.
It was a greeting, a sign of affection, a symbol of closeness—and also a way of marking territory.
Right now, it was just her way of saying she was happy to see him again. But depending on the situation, this action could carry dozens of different meanings.
It could be an expression of comfort when the other person seemed sad or sick, a plea for attention when bored, or even a way to stake claim by leaving her scent.
In short, cats usually only did this with those they trusted and liked.
But among all those meanings, “sexual intent” was never one of them. A cat licking someone was nothing more than a cat’s way of saying hello. No different from a tail flick or a gentle paw tap. As a veterinarian, Siyul knew that better than anyone.
That’s all it was. Just… that.
Then why am I so mad right now?
His head throbbed.
“Hyung-nim, you don’t look so good.”
“…You.”
“Yes?”
Lick.
Siyul tried to shrug off the sight of that tongue darting out again—tried to remind himself, it means nothing, it means nothing—but it was no use.
He was boiling inside.
Watching Haein lick Taeil’s face so nonchalantly while Taeil simply laughed and wrinkled his nose at the ticklish feeling—everything about it looked wrong.
Why did I react like that…?
Siyul bit down on the inside of his cheek.
“…Do you normally sleep naked?”
“Huh? Oh. How did you know?”
Taeil chuckled, rubbing noses with Haein. To him, Siyul seemed unusually tense today.
He looked like something had seriously annoyed him. His whole demeanor was off. Even his usually polished appearance was rough around the edges—his eyes shadowed with dark circles, lips dry and cracked.
Yet despite it all, he was still undeniably good-looking—a sexy, disheveled adult man if there ever was one.
Siyul pressed his forehead as if trying to relieve a headache. His voice came out low and uneven.
“…She kept trying to get inside my shirt all night.”
“Oh. I guess she’s developed a habit.”
“…Hahaha.”
Siyul laughed. But it was a broken, hollow sound—like something inside him had snapped.
Taeil looked puzzled.
“Did she cry all night again? Is that why you didn’t sleep?”
He clearly remembered how, the last time Haein had run away and ended up in Siyul’s care, she had cried herself hoarse in just one day.
“That’s not it.”
“If it was, then maybe it’s better not to leave her with you again—”
“I said that’s not it. Look at her—her voice is perfectly fine.”
And it was. Haein’s voice was clear, her mood upbeat—if anything, she seemed a little giddy.
“Meow-meow! Meow-meow!” (I didn’t cry! I just passed out drunk!)
“…Well, that’s a relief, then.”
“Meow-meow?” (Was that the first time I ever blacked out?)
As if inviting him to listen, Haein gently dragged her front paws—claws retracted—down Taeil’s chest. She was “reporting” last night’s events with all the excitement of a child returning from a field trip.
Apparently, her time at Siyul’s house hadn’t been so bad this time.
She remembered drinking. She remembered sleeping.
Everything after that… was a blur.
She had no idea why Siyul was grinding his teeth, or what had him so irritated. She simply assumed he was being his usual grumpy self.
“Hahaha!”
Siyul let out another broken laugh—but this one was laced with something else.
He looked betrayed.
She doesn’t remember any of it? Not a single thing?
All those long hours of humiliation, that emotional rollercoaster, the turmoil of feeling something for a cat—and she remembered nothing?
This beast… had completely, thoroughly, unwittingly… won.
