[Didn’t you know? Oh, right—you wouldn’t have.]
“Meow!”(Of course I didn’t!)
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[Born with a wanderer’s spirit, prone to solitary living, and perfectly capable of playing alone. Occasionally cries out of nowhere when loneliness hits. Highly curious but hopelessly fickle—rarely sticks with anything for long. Strong artistic tendencies and frequently hears that she’s hard to understand. Once she opens her heart to someone, she showers them with boundless affection but treats everyone else like they’re crazy. How about it? Pretty accurate, right?]
This grim reaper really should be laying out a mat to read fortunes. Haein thought as she blinked her wide eyes, only to quickly remember—this was still a grim reaper.
Sometimes he seemed emotionless, then suddenly he’d show concern, and now, he was casually revealing people’s past lives.
Still…
“Meow?” (Do I have fur?)
[You’re a cat now.]
“Mew?” (Do I have a tail too?)
[Moves well. Seems like it’s a good fit. You’ll be fine in the human world just as you are. Excellent, excellent.]
Haein really was on all fours, with sleek, stiff black fur covering her entire body. Her vision was wider. Her body, infinitely more flexible.
Oh my god. She was a cat.
And naturally, she was meowing.
“Meowww!” (What is this?!)
She’d thought she was dead, but now she was a cat? Who asked for this?!
As she let out one shocked yowl after another, the grim reaper continued, sounding lighter now.
[Once you get used to that body, you’ll even be able to speak human language. That’s the extent of my underworld skills!]
“Meow meow! Meow meow meow! Meow!” (But I can’t do it now! How can a cat speak human language? The anatomy is completely different! What is this nonsense?)
[I understand you just fine though.]
“Hiss!” (You quack doctor!)
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[You’ve become even more irritable as a cat, huh? Well, don’t nitpick too much. It’s just your outer form that’s feline. Technically, it’s a Death Mask created in the underworld. We use them when we spy on the human world. Naturally, it operates on principles humans can’t understand.]
Death Mask? Haein recalled the crow she’d just seen and her own current form as a black cat. A curious thought crossed her mind.
“Meow… meow meow meow?” (Wait… so is the whole “crows and black cats bring bad luck” thing because of you guys?)
[Yup. That’s because when we pass by in those forms, someone always dies.]
“Meow?!” (You gave me something like that?!)
[Well, nowadays, we mostly use white versions. The white ones are kind of the modern style. Ever since humans started seeing black as ominous, we switched to these.]
A small, white bird fluttered its wings adorably. What a pity for the crows and black cats—what did they ever do to deserve this?
[Oh, and the best part about that body is that if you gather enough energy, you can transform back into a human. Pretty useful for you, right?]
Still grumbling and letting out sharp hisses, Haein paused. Honestly, she was tempted.
“Meow, meow?” (A human?)
[Yeah, but you’ll need a certain amount of energy. Death Masks are based on yokai, after all. They need yin energy to function.]
“Meow?” (How do I gather that?)
[The simplest way is to bask in the moonlight every night. With that method… let’s see… one month of moonlight should let you transform for about a day. That cat mask is a bit outdated, so it’s not very efficient. Newer ones, like this bird, can hold a day’s worth of transformation with just one full moon.]
Haein was horrified. A cat suit that charges like a battery? This underworld technology was beyond comprehension.
But after a moment of panic, she calmed herself.
Once she thought it through, it wasn’t such a bad deal. If she could safely remain as a cat and eventually transform, she could at least let her mom know she was okay.
Moonlight charging? She didn’t understand it, but it was better than drifting around as a loose soul.
“Meow… meow.” (Th-thank you.)
[…Don’t make me feel bad now.]
“Meow meow…?” (Well, you should, a little…?)
Haein had already accepted that her life was over the moment she thought she’d died. Being able to live as a human, even for just one day a month, was something to be grateful for.
Still dazed, she curiously examined her cat body, the soft pads on her paws, the claws that popped out when she flexed.
[You can probably sustain yourself like that for about a year. In the meantime, I’ll work on reconstructing your human body.]
“Meow meow?” (Exactly like before?)
[Of course. I’ll replicate your original form exactly. I’ll grow it from a part of your flesh to make a complete body. Plus, the cat form will transform into the human shape you remember. Death Masks naturally take on the form your soul recalls best.]
“Meow, meow meow meow?” (Any precautions I should know about?)
[Hmm… mostly you just need to watch out for evil spirits or other reapers. But other reapers will only see you as a regular cat. Our fieldwork is strictly confidential, so no one would know it’s you… Oh, not exactly a precaution, but once you return to the human world, you’ll need to stay there for a full year.]
The reaper paused, tilting his head in his little white bird form, his dark eyes shining.
[And I’ll be swamped making your body and handling my usual workload. You’ll have to get used to life on your own in the human world.]
His tone had snapped back to business as usual, as if saying, “Well, this is how it is. Deal with it.”
Even as a cat, Haein firmly nodded.
[Also, while you’re in that body, I won’t be able to sense your energy at all. It’s designed to completely hide your identity. That’s part of why I chose it—it’s safe.]
She hadn’t expected the reaper to suddenly pull something like this.
“Meow? Meow meow!” (Wait, then how will we meet up?)
[We need to set a meeting place. Let’s decide where to meet exactly one year from now.]
Haein was probably making a miserable face, but as a cat, her expression didn’t really show.
“Meow…” (Okay…)
[Don’t worry too much. As long as you’re in that body, you’ll rarely be in danger. That Death Mask functions like armor, protecting your soul.]
He went on to explain a few more things.
The Death Mask was sturdy, but she still needed to avoid serious accidents. She wouldn’t need to eat, but she would feel hunger. Eating would fill her up, but it also meant she’d need to… relieve herself. Outwardly, it would seem like a real living creature, but its internal structure was completely different, so she should avoid doctors or scholars.
The Death Mask was tougher, stronger, and faster than actual animals, making it perfect for wandering around.
After a while, the reaper spoke again.
[Well, time to go.]
“Meow?” (Go where?)
[To the human world.]
He really seemed to be in a hurry. Before Haein could even process the situation, he perched on her head.
Then, he gripped her fur tightly with his talons.
A white light spread from above her head, quickly wrapping her entire body, followed by a powerful gust of wind.
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Haein felt the cold air brush against her fur and cautiously opened her tightly shut eyes.
First her right eye, then her left.
Countless city lights sparkled below her. She was flying high above the city.
And Haein was afraid of heights. Even as a cat.
“Aaaaaah! Meow! Meoooow!” (Aaaaah! Save meeee!)
[Huh? What’s with you?! Stay still! You’re going to—]
Instinctively, she flailed with all her might.
The reaper’s claws lost their grip.
And Haein fell. Fast. Hurtling toward the distant ground.
She thrashed her four legs in sheer panic, desperate to survive.
Just before she crashed onto the rooftop of a building, the reaper snatched the scruff of her neck with his tiny bird claws.
Haein went limp, her vision spinning.
Honestly, she’d screamed so much while falling that she was completely out of energy.
“Mrrr…” (Oh my…)
[You almost died! What were you thinking?!]
What was? This Death Mask thing? Haein was too drained to even argue and could only sob.
“Meow… meoooow… meowww…” (Mom… I want my mom…)
Reapers are terrifying. This was all too much. She sobbed, but to others, it was just a cat crying.
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[Even though the mask is tough, falling from that height would have destroyed it! And if the mask breaks, your soul would pop right out! Evil spirits would swarm you instantly!]
“Meow, meow…” (I’m sorry…)
[Oh, this is a nice place. It’s a rooftop garden.]
Haein, still woozy, forced herself to look around.
The area was full of plants, with benches and big trees, carefully arranged like a small park. It really did seem like a rooftop garden.
Was this the top floor of an apartment building?
[Let’s make this our meeting place for next year.]
“Meow…” (Okay…)
[Great. If you urgently need to contact me, tie a note to that tree over there. I’ll check when I can.]
“Meow.” (Understood.)
Haein wasn’t exactly thrilled, but she accepted it. The reaper had a mountain of work, after all.
And he was also in charge of rebuilding her body.
She didn’t feel like complaining anymore. Like it or not, the reaper was her only lifeline now.
When Haein agreed, the reaper nodded, then fluttered up into the dark night sky. Just as she thought he’d disappeared, he turned in midair and left one final warning.
[Obviously, the existence of the Death Mask is top secret! If you tell anyone, it’s a crime equivalent to breaking the heavenly laws.]
“Meow?” (Would I even have the chance to tell anyone?)
[…Fair point. Still, be careful.]
It felt like they were covering up a mistake with a lie, but what could they do? Both wanted to survive.
Haein stared at the reaper’s retreating figure, and just before he vanished completely, she shouted.
“Meow meow meowww!” (Don’t you dare forget me!)
The reaper gave a brief nod and disappeared.
Haein, still in shock from the whirlwind of events, felt lost and uneasy.
She waved a paw into the empty air, staring down at it.
Her black fur shimmered faintly blue under the moonlight, sometimes even purple, depending on the light.
She flipped her paw over, inspecting the soft pink pads.
And suddenly, an overwhelming urge to lick them surged inside her.
It made no sense to her human mind—but her feline instincts…
Click.
“Meow!” (Eek!)
Startled by the sudden flash and camera shutter, Haein’s fur bristled, her tail puffing up like a raccoon’s.
Hearing footsteps rustling through the bushes, she quickly turned toward the sound.
“Oops, sorry! Did I scare you?”
Could a human’s voice sound this pleasant? A man approached, his low, textured voice warm and kind.
Her sharpened senses easily caught the scent of his skin.
A strange man at night should’ve been alarming, but Haein leapt down from the bench and walked toward him on light paws.
Somehow, she was just happy to see a person.
Even though she’d always disliked strangers trying to talk to her.
The reaper had just left, and Haein already missed him a little.
She just wanted something—someone—to cling to.
“Meow.” (Nice to meet you.)
She purred softly, her tail swishing gently, though she didn’t realize it.
“You’re quite friendly, huh?”
When the man stepped into the moonlight, Haein shrank back in surprise.
He was… unbelievably handsome.
When he reached out and softly scratched under her chin, Haein flinched at first, but then instinctively leaned into his touch, purring in contentment.
His touch was so warm, so gentle, so affectionate.
“Purr…” (Mmm…)
“You’re such a pretty little one.”
Pretty… He was talking about the cat, not the real her, but Haein still blushed inside.
His sweet, pleasant voice echoed in her ears.
She had never been so directly praised by a man before.
Click. Click.
The man crouched in front of the bench, taking photos of Haein’s unusual fur, where purple, blue, and black shimmered together beautifully.
When she was human, Haein had hated being photographed. But now? It didn’t seem to bother her at all. Being the center of his attention felt strangely pleasant.
After taking a few shots, the man looked up at the sky and stood.
Haein, balanced on all fours atop the bench, meowed softly.
“Meow?” (Are you leaving?)
“See you again, little cat.”
He gently stroked Haein’s perky ears, then left the rooftop.
Haein watched the door he disappeared through, then padded after him, only to find the door already shut.
She realized she didn’t know how to open it.
Wait. She could become human, right? But… how? There was no instruction, no incantation… nothing.
She pawed at the door’s handle, but it was too high.
“Meow?” (How do I get out?)
When she pressed her paw, claws popped out, but scratching the door was useless.
She looked around for something to climb, but found nothing.
After pacing in frustration, she finally noticed a smaller, white door on the opposite side of the rooftop. It read “Staff Only”—and it was slightly ajar.
Haein carefully approached the open door.
She was amazed at how quietly she could move, but walking on four legs felt awkward at first. The stairs were also tricky—going down them as a cat was like a human scaling a wall.
But her agile body quickly adapted.
“Meow?” (Thirty-seven?)
She was horrified to realize she was on the 37th floor.
How was she supposed to get down all those stairs? Sure, there’d be elevators—but how could she, as a cat, use one?
Would she really have to walk down 37 floors?
It felt like climbing Everest might be easier.
And even if she did get down—how would she get out of the building? The emergency doors were too heavy. And then what? What could she even do out there?
Her only thought had been to see her mother—but how? She didn’t even know where she was.
Even if she did, would she walk there? Take the subway? Not likely.
It would take days, maybe weeks to walk there—and what if she got caught? She’d end up in an animal shelter.
All these thoughts flooded her mind.
She remembered what happened to stray animals in the city.
She knew. Everyone knew.
Stray cats without owners were either sterilized or euthanized.
She remembered her cat-loving friend who had ranted passionately about TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) programs, which involved catching stray cats, sterilizing them, and releasing them again.
But not all cities funded that.
Unlucky strays often ended up euthanized because it was cheaper.
Humans could be so cruel.
Thinking she might end up as one of those strays sent chills through her entire body.
Dying was bad, but so was being a stray cat.
She didn’t want to die, didn’t want to lose an ear, and definitely didn’t want to be euthanized.
Realizing the brutal reality awaiting stray animals, Haein turned around and began climbing back up to the rooftop.
Living as a cat would not be easy.
