No matter how wildly she struggled, she couldn’t escape the carrier. Even if she were a lion, there was nothing she could do now. Once inside, there was no getting out on her own.
She cried out, pleading to be let out, but Taeil seemed to think it was just typical cat fussiness and headed straight for the hospital.
Through the narrow window of the carrier, she could see people’s feet passing by and glimpses of the city streets. A chill ran down her spine—a sensation she’d never experienced before.
The hospital?! No, this can’t be happening!
Her fur bristled again the moment Taeil actually pushed open the door to the animal hospital and stepped inside.
The overwhelming mix of animal scents stung Haein’s nose as Taeil placed the carrier onto the reception desk. A nurse appeared, one who looked perfectly capable of holding a struggling animal down and jabbing it with a needle.
“Meeyaaawk!!” (Nooo!)
“We have an appointment under Shin Taeil. A health check and…”
Clank, clank!
The carrier shook violently from Haein’s tantrum, but it was pointless. Instead of earning her release, she only got labeled as an aggressive cat and was carried, carrier and all, straight into the examination room.
Haein whimpered miserably.
If they take an X-ray, I’m finished. This body doesn’t even have normal organs! The only thing in here is a heart! Just a heart!
That had been one of the grim reaper’s most serious warnings. Beware of X-rays.
I scoffed at the time, thinking, when would I ever need to get an X-ray? And now look at me—
“Kiiyaaaak!!” (Nooo!)
I had no idea that moment of comfort would lead to this disaster! Oh, heavens, Father, Grim Reaper—please! I’ll go back to living on the rooftop! I swear!
But her desperate prayers went unheard.
All she could hear was the conversation between the veterinarian and Taeil.
Is this how it ends? Getting labeled an alien and hauled off to a lab for dissection?
“She’s quite fierce. What breed is she?”
“She’s not actually my cat. I found her alone on the rooftop. I thought she might have an owner somewhere, but… ah, I looked it up online, and she looks most similar to a Bombay cat. She’s pretty big, black fur, gold eyes…”
“Probably not. Bombays are rare in Korea. But lots of mixed breeds look similar. Let’s have a look.”
Shivering like a patient about to undergo surgery, Haein retreated deep into the carrier. But, of course, a human’s arm was longer.
I have to be ready to die.
She unsheathed her claws and scratched at the approaching hands with all her might, but her opponent was a professional. The veterinarian skillfully restrained her claws and pulled her out with ease.
No, no, no, let me go!
“Meeyaak, Miyak!” (No, put me down!)
“She’s really aggressive.”
The hand holding her wasn’t Taeil’s—it belonged to the worst possible person: a veterinarian.
Haein’s sharp eyes landed on the young veterinarian. He had bright, Beckham-styled hair, looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties, and though he was undeniably handsome, Haein couldn’t care less about that right now.
He’s tall, his hands are huge… that lazy smile of his looks just like the devil’s. Maybe it’s just my terror making him seem that way, but still—
When Haein bared her teeth with a sharp hiss, Taeil looked flustered. He had never seen her act so ferocious before.
“That’s strange. She’s usually calm.”
“All animals act like this at the hospital. It’d be odd if she didn’t.”
“Really?”
“Yes, they get nervous here—Ow, ow!”
“Hey, hey, careful!”
The moment an opening appeared, Haein bit down on the vet’s hand. It wasn’t a conscious choice—it was pure instinct, driven by fear.
“It’s fine. Actually, it might be better if you wait outside for a moment. The more aggressive the cat, the worse they get with the owner nearby. They need to feel like they have no backup.”
“…Will she be okay?”
“It’ll be over quickly.”
Taeil left. Coldly. Just like that. He followed the doctor’s instructions so easily, which only made Haein more anxious.
Strong hands pinned her down onto the examination table.
Please… please let me go… I don’t want this…
The vet, skilled at restraining cats, was an overwhelming predator to Haein.
Is this how a cow feels on its way to the slaughterhouse? This crushing despair?
She flailed her tail, smacking it weakly against his face and hand, but it was utterly ineffective—more cute than threatening.
“There, there, good girl.”
“Mimi-mi-mi-ming!!” (Help me, please!)
“Hey, stay still, hey!”
She cried out, but no one understood her. To them, it was just a cat’s meow.
What if the blood they draw isn’t even cat blood? What if the X-ray shows I don’t have cat bones? And what’s with that beeping device he keeps pressing to my body?
Haein, trembling on the cold silver table, lost all her fight.
What are they doing now…?
“Hyak…?!” (Huh?!)
“We’re almost done, little lady.”
The vet firmly tucked her under his arm and lifted her tail straight up. From the vet’s perspective, it was just a routine rectal exam.
But for Haein, it was worse than death.
What the hell do you think you’re putting in there?!
Her eyes widened in horror.
With her mouth agape, she watched as the vet brought something long and translucent toward her backside. The fact that she understood exactly what he was about to do only made it more terrifying.
If I were a real cat, I wouldn’t even know what’s happening… If only I really were just a beast!
Driven mad by panic and humiliation, she shouted.
“You perverted bastard!!”
The veterinarian’s eyes flew wide in shock.
The room fell into stunned silence. Both the talking cat and the human froze, unable to believe what had just happened.
The vet slowly scanned the empty room, confirming once more that it was just him and the cat.
Realizing what she’d done, Haein despaired.
Apparently… I can only speak human when I’m cornered like this… And honestly, I wish I didn’t know that now.
“You… just now…?”
The vet couldn’t help but ask, though he was still in disbelief. Haein, on the verge of forgetting to breathe, did the only thing she could—play dumb.
She averted her eyes and let out a pathetic meow.
“M-miyaaong…?”
But maybe because she was too nervous, it sounded more like a human imitating a cat than an actual feline cry.
Her desperate meowing only made the situation more awkward.
As she anxiously darted her eyes around, the vet’s sharp gaze narrowed.
Crap…!
Panicking, she unsheathed her claws and scrambled forward, trying to escape—but the examination table restrained her completely. All that happened was the unpleasant screech of her claws dragging along the metal surface.
The vet tried to make eye contact. Haein frantically avoided his gaze, wriggling and thrashing with all her might.
But trapped in a cat’s body, she couldn’t do much. The vet easily grabbed the loose skin on her back and lifted her into the air.
It was pathetic—the way her small, black body dangled helplessly from his hand.
The vet, at least, didn’t lift her by the tail—a small mercy.
“Hey.”
“Kyaak, kyaaaak!!”
Haein bared her teeth and lashed out with her claws, furious at being handled like this.
But the vet calmly examined her flailing limbs, his expression growing increasingly intrigued.
Dangerous. He’s dangerous. He suspects something!
“Say it again,” the vet demanded, disbelief still clouding his eyes, but his suspicion deepening.
“Mii~~yaa~~ong?”
Haein forced the sweetest, most innocent meow she could muster, but it still sounded fake—a human clumsily imitating a cat.
Cold sweat pooled beneath her soft, pink paw pads as she avoided his gaze.
“…”
The tension thickened. Suddenly, the vet yanked her tail down sharply.
“Ugyak?!”
He clearly knew how much cats hated that.
Say it. Now.
The vet wasn’t just skilled with animals—he was clever. He understood what had happened, and now he wanted confirmation.
“You definitely spoke, didn’t you?”
His voice wasn’t just curious—it was a professional’s intrigue toward the inexplicable.
In retaliation, Haein dug her claws into his wrist and dragged them down hard.
“Argh! Damn it!”
Blood spurted out as soon as her claws sank in. If he didn’t let go, she was ready to bite, but he reflexively flung her away.
She landed gracefully and bolted.
“You little…!”
Behind her, the vet—demon in a white coat—gritted his teeth and gave chase.
Damn it! I’m trapped!
She clawed at the door handle, but it was heavy, designed specifically to keep frightened animals from escaping.
Unless I transform into a human, there’s no getting out…
Crushed by her own helplessness, Haein let out a pitiful cry like a cornered animal as the vet closed in.
She darted right—blocked by his foot. Left—blocked again.
His long legs were like the bars of a cage.
Cornered, Haein trembled and squeezed her eyes shut.
“Huhnyaa nya nya…!” (Somebody help me…!)
The vet, still bleeding, loomed over her with eyes sharp as blades.
He grabbed the scruff of her neck and pinned her down so she couldn’t bite.
“Stop faking it. Speak.”
“M-Miyaaak… myamyamyamya!” (Y-you psycho! Cats can’t talk!)
Psycho!
The words nearly slipped out in human speech, but Haein barely swallowed them back.
She clung to her act, meowing weakly.
The vet quickly restrained her on the steel examination table, securing each limb—then her neck.
Only then did Haein realize the severity of her situation.
Strapped down like an alien on a lab table, unable to move, her slender black body trembled.
The vet approached with a lamp, a dangerous smile curling his lips.
“Talk, or I dissect you.”
Whether he truly believed she could understand him, or was just bluffing, the threat sent chills through her.
As she flinched in terror, his certainty grew—this cat understood human language.
He examined her claws, ears, ribcage, expression unreadable.
Haein nervously flicked her tail against his hand.
I’m sorry, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have bitten you, please let me go!
But the vet wasn’t interested in her tail’s pleas.
He rummaged through a metal cabinet, clattering tools, his cheerful voice disturbingly casual.
“You know what a scalpel is? It cuts open bodies. Suction drains the blood. But first, anesthesia. You know what a syringe is, right?”
You’re a monster! A sadist! A pervert!
Grinding her teeth, Haein tried to endure like some patriotic martyr.
But when the vet returned, holding a scalpel, she broke.
The terror was unimaginable—it felt like she’d be cut open alive.
“Before dissection, I should collect tissue samples—”
“N-no… I don’t want this…!”
“Oh?”
“I don’t want to be dissected! I said I don’t want to, you pervert! I don’t want it! Waaah!”
Tears welled in her golden eyes as she sobbed, completely surrendering.
I’ll curse this sadistic interrogator for generations…
