That night, after returning home with Taeil, Haein fell into a deep sleep for the first time in a while.
By now, this place felt as comfortable as her own home. Curling up near Taeil’s chest and dozing off to the rhythm of his heartbeat was, in its own way, a kind of happiness.
[Haein. Park Haein.]
Suddenly, a voice called out to her.
That familiar, echoing sound reverberating through her mind—it was unmistakably the Grim Reaper. Haein instinctively sprang up and looked around.
“Mya?” (Reaper-nim?)
[Over here. At the window.]
When Haein kept failing to spot him, the Reaper tapped his beak on the glass. Outside the large window that spanned one wall of the bedroom stood the Reaper—his first appearance in nearly two months.
A white bird floating motionless in the black sky, not even flapping its wings—it was eerie to look at.
And when he passed straight through the glass to enter the room, Haein’s jaw dropped.
“Eek!”
But before the Reaper could land on her nose, the space around her twisted—and Haein found herself no longer in Taeil’s room.
She was back in that grey, directionless void—the Reaper’s realm she had first entered the moment she’d sensed her death.
Floating in zero gravity, Haein felt as though she’d been cast into outer space.
[I read your letter.]
“Oh, that…”
[What on earth is this nonsense, girl?]
The Reaper flicked the note he held in his talons toward her, but Haein averted her gaze and changed the subject.
“I’m not a girl.”
[Ah, right. My apologies. Been dealing with too many clones lately, I got confused. Come to think of it, you speak quite well now.]
The Reaper seemed a bit impressed. His tone was noticeably more familiar than before.
Haein gave him a sulky glare.
“So, how’s the body-making project going?”
[Oh, quite well! It’s about the size of a bean now.]
“A fetus, then?”
[Exactly. There are still eight months to go before we send it to the Celestial Realm. So it’s only just begun. A tiger hermit from Mount Baekdu is watching over it.]
“A tiger? Why a tiger?!”
Startled, Haein flailed in midair.
[Did I not mention that? Ah, you were too overwhelmed back then, so I skipped the details.]
“Of course you did…”
She was certain there were many more things this Reaper had conveniently “skipped” out of sheer laziness.
[I’m busy, you know. I can’t be hovering around your fetus all day. It’s an important stage now, so I left it in the hands of a trusted friend with more free time.]
“A tiger is a carnivore though…!”
Leaving a child with a tiger—it sounded like leaving a fish with a cat.
Haein couldn’t help but tense up, suddenly feeling her future was in perilous paws.
[He’s more of a Taoist than a tiger. A tiger who practices Tao to ascend to the Celestial Realm—just like how snakes become dragons when they attain enlightenment. He’s an old friend of mine.]
“Ah… Tao, huh.”
[Think of it as a virtuous deed on his part. You should be grateful.]
A tiger who practices Tao… The Reaper’s whole world felt utterly divorced from human logic.
[More importantly—what is this letter even about? Is it true?]
The note floated back to Haein at a mere glance from the Reaper, fluttering open in front of her eyes.
So he had telekinesis, apparently. Of course. Why wouldn’t a Reaper have strange powers?
Passing through glass. Creating this realm. Having a Taoist tiger for a friend. Crafting a human body through the Celestial Realm.
But for someone surrounded by such fantastical mysteries, the Reaper was surprisingly willing to explain it all. Hadn’t he once warned her that the afterlife was full of secrets?
[Answer me. You say you’ve fallen for a human?]
“…Yes.”
[How did that happen?]
The Reaper asked as if it were truly curious.
And honestly, Haein wondered the same. How had it happened?
Maybe she’d just needed somewhere to rest her heart. And the person she clung to… just happened to be an exceptionally good person.
It’s probably only natural to fall for someone who stayed by your side when you were at your weakest.
“I fell for the man who became my owner… because he was someone I couldn’t help falling for.”
[My, my… humans. Honestly.]
Haein couldn’t believe herself either.
Falling in love while stuck in this ridiculous situation—what a joke.
“I know it’s stupid… but feelings… don’t always make sense.”
[Even if your body is a cat, your heart is still human. It makes perfect sense you’d fall for one.]
“Y-you think so?”
[Do what you want. You were originally human, and you’ll have a human body again. So what’s the problem?]
“…Really?”
She’d expected him to scold her—but he was unexpectedly nonchalant. Almost… supportive?
This Reaper—what was his game? Haein had half-written that letter wanting to be scolded. She’d wanted someone to tell her this was wrong, to stop her.
[Actually, I didn’t tell you before because I thought it’d be too much for you, but that body of yours? It can be charged with yang energy too.]
“Huh…?”
Yang energy? Haein tilted her head, clearly not following.
[You usually charge up with moonlight, right?]
“Right.”
[That’s yin—feminine energy.]
“I see…”
The Reaper explained with unusual patience.
[Yang is masculine energy. It’s stronger and more efficient than yin.]
“…And?”
[To put it bluntly: if you transform into your human form and, say… sleep with a man, you can charge your body with yang. Simple, isn’t it?]
“Pfft—!!”
Haein choked.
Simple?!
S-s-sleep with someone?!
Still reeling from the shock, she barely heard the Reaper continue.
[Intercourse. Or sexual contact.]
“Kyaaa!!”
[Put simply, you absorb yang through male sexual energy. It’s stronger than yin—far more effective.]
“I’m not a gumiho!!”
[You’re not far off.]
This Reaper had zero sense of tact.
Haein was practically frothing with horror. She’d never imagined her body had such… terrifying functions.
Even as she writhed in shock, the Reaper carried on as if nothing was wrong.
[I didn’t tell you because I figured you’d never do something like that in this body. But honestly? A few kisses from a man charged with desire would be way more effective than a month of moonlight.]
“No way!”
[The spirit mask was originally based on yokai. That’s the only way we could incorporate the transformation function.]
Haein wanted to unhear everything.
Return to her blissfully ignorant past.
Or erase this moment from her brain altogether.
A yokai that feeds on male energy?!
[Told you I kept it secret for a reason.]
“You should’ve kept it secret forever!”
[But you’re in love, aren’t you? So why not make use of it? If you’re going to kiss anyway, might as well get something out of it. Two birds with one stone.]
Still half-panicked, Haein suddenly remembered—she had kissed someone in this form.
With Siyul.
“…Huh?”
She lifted her paw, as if filing a formal objection.
“Reaper-nim! I have a question!”
[What is it?]
“So, um… there was this one time, purely by accident! Totally unintentional! But I kissed someone—and nothing happened! No charging!”
She kissed Taeil almost every day, too, but never once had she felt her energy rise.
[I said sexual contact.]
“Sexual?”
[Let’s say… a kiss between a father and daughter? That won’t produce any yang. The man has to be sexually aroused, craving you, wanting you, and full of desire when he kisses you…]
“Stop, stop, stop!!”
[You asked, didn’t you? Why freak out now?]
Haein flailed like crazy. Whether from embarrassment or breathlessness, she didn’t know anymore.
“Isn’t this too much?!”
Tears welled up.
It was already bad enough that she’d been turned into a cat—but now she was some yokai that fed off sexual energy?
But the Reaper had no sympathy.
[If you don’t like it, just stay here.]
“…Ugh!”
[Isn’t that how humans say it? If it feels good, it must be right. Yokai have been seducing men and absorbing their yang for centuries. As long as you don’t kill anyone doing it, it’s not even illegal.]
What kind of logic was that?
Haein had never imagined she’d one day need to consume yang to survive.
She tried to shake it off—but the Reaper casually dropped another bomb.
[Anyway, don’t feel pressured. Try seducing someone. Once your body is complete and your soul returns, you’ll forget everything anyway.]
“…What?”
[I told you. I’m going to erase your memories.]
Even in this zero-gravity space, Haein felt like the world was shaking.
Everything inside her trembled.
She couldn’t even recall what she’d said next.
Forget? Forget everything?
Before she could process it, the Reaper twisted the knife.
[Of course. You know too many secrets. I’ll erase everything from the moment of your accident so you can live a normal human life again.]
“But…”
[Everything, Haein. That you lived as a cat. That you loved someone in that state. That you met me. That you died.]
His words stabbed deep—cold, matter-of-fact. Each one a blade.
[When you eventually pass on and stand before the King of the Underworld, none of that can remain. Otherwise, all this effort will have been pointless.]
She tried to recall everything that had happened over the past two months. But the Reaper was saying it all needed to be erased?
Being taken in by Taeil. Meeting Siyul at the clinic. Running away. Getting rescued again.
All those moments with Taeil—and even with Siyul, whom she’d once resented.
Their faces flooded her mind.
[You’ll have to forget it all. It’s not your real life.]
So that was why the Reaper had so freely shared forbidden knowledge—because it would all be wiped anyway.
Haein couldn’t say a word.
She knew it was only logical. But it felt… so wrong.
Why did her heart hurt so much? And why… was it not just because of Taeil—but also Siyul?
“…But what about these feelings?”
She’d said she was in love. But the Reaper ignored her, like it didn’t matter.
As if this “love” was just something to burn off in exchange for yang.
[Feelings? Listen carefully, human Park Haein. They’re fleeting things. What feels precious now might be something you wish you’d never known a few years from now. That’s what human love is like.]
“…But sometimes it’s not.”
[Is that so? Then let’s try this. If these feelings are really that important—if you want to keep them forever—live the rest of your life as a cat.]
“What…?”
[If you choose to stay in that body, I’ll let you keep your memories. For as long as your lifespan allows.]
“So you’re saying… unless this love is worth trading my whole human life for, I should just throw it away?”
[Exactly. You can either become fully human again, or give that up. It’s not a hard choice, is it?]
The Reaper clearly thought little of human emotions.
If it’s not worth your entire life, then it’s not worth anything at all.
[Not that such love actually exists, of course.]
“…Ah.”
The Reaper didn’t believe anyone could love that deeply. And Haein… couldn’t argue.
He dealt her one final blow.
[The more memories you pile up, the heavier they become. If you’re afraid of forgetting them—don’t go back. Stay here instead.]
“I…”
[What’s the point of creating memories that will just be erased?]
She thought of Taeil. Of Siyul. Only*those two filled her mind.
She shouldn’t value them more than her family or her future.
They were just two people she’d known for a few months.
[Will you stay here?]
She had to choose—suffer more for ten extra months of memories, or avoid the pain now and forget them all.
Her logic screamed don’t do it, don’t get hurt—but her heart…
“…I’ll go back. Even so…”
And she cried.
Her voice came out in broken pieces. Her eyes brimmed with helpless sorrow.
She couldn’t explain why—but something on the other side was worth the pain.
Something she didn’t want to let go.
Something she needed to remember—if only for a little while longer.
________✧⑅˖♡∘˚˳°↝^._.^_________
Haein returned once more to her peaceful routine.
That is, the routine of a cat’s life.
Outwardly, her movements were the picture of laziness—lounging under the sun by day, basking in moonlight by night.
The third month, said to be when habits begin to feel natural, passed by in a daze. As Haein drifted through it listlessly, time seemed to speed ahead.
And during that month, while she remained still, Siyul and Taeil grew rapidly closer.
Before long, they were calling each other “hyung” and “dongsaeng,” opening up like old friends.
“Hyung, to be honest… I became a photographer not for models, but because I wanted to shoot vast landscapes. Rainforests, swamps… that sort of thing. It doesn’t sell well, but still.”
“Really? I thought fashion magazines suited you. Your photos are great. They’re accessible, too.”
“Of course, models are beautiful. But sometimes… I pause, remembering why I started this in the first place.”
Especially when drinking, men had a way of sounding like they’d known each other for years.
“Well, I guess I should open my own practice someday. I can’t be working under someone else forever. My boss is great and all, but we have very different views.”
“Like what?”
“He wants to prolong life at all costs, even if the animal is suffering. I… tend to recommend euthanasia if there’s no hope. That’s the difference.”
“……Hyung.”
“Anyway! Every vet dreams of having their own clinic, right? Cheers to that!”
Their conversations grew deeper, drink by drink. They’d become too close. Haein noticed… but all she could do was stare blankly.
After meeting the Reaper again, it was like she wanted to be numb. She rolled around doing nothing, as if on purpose.
No strength. No motivation. No idea what she was supposed to do.
Everything would be forgotten eventually, so what was the point of getting attached?
Swallowed by helplessness, Haein simply observed the world in silence.
“But doesn’t Kitty seem out of it lately?”
“Yeah, she might be struggling with the heat.”
“Makes sense. It’s the rainy season too.”
Their concern wasn’t misplaced.
Even now, she was doing nothing—but she wanted to do even more nothing. Her face practically radiated the desire to be left alone.
But what truly left Haein powerless was the Reaper’s new curse—one final restriction, cast like a spell.
[I, Grim Reaper Modal, place upon the soul of human Park Haein the Binding Curse. Regarding matters of the afterlife or your true identity, you shall remain silent and still. By the weight of my soul, this curse shall not be broken.]
It was a curse, plain and simple.
She could neither speak of nor act on anything related to the Reaper, the afterlife, or herself.
[If it’s any mercy… I’ll allow you to meet your family. But you must not speak of your true self—not even as a cat.]
Mercy?
What kind of mercy was that?
Haein had no choice but to spend each day gloomy and subdued.
Watching her suffer, Siyul—who couldn’t stand doing it but was deeply worried—decided to take action.
One evening, after Taeil got thoroughly drunk, Siyul shook his shoulder and brought it up.
“So hey… Taeil.”
“Yeah, hyung?”
Taeil was such a good-natured younger brother. Siyul had no doubt they would’ve gotten along even without the cat.
He took a deep breath and said it.
“Wanna go on a blind date?”
“Huh?”
“Just do it. She’s really pretty.”
“……Nya?”
Behind them, Haein—who had been melting into a puddle—suddenly shot her head up.
That.
That blind date—the one she’d completely forgotten about because of the Reaper.
