Haein, left alone on the rooftop, found that as a cat, all she could really do was drift off into daydreams—or fall asleep.
Fortunately, sleep came to her easily, just as she wished. They say cats are known for being sleepy creatures—perhaps she was experiencing that firsthand.
Countless sounds disturbed her daily, but Haein firmly kept her eyes closed and ignored them all. She was terrified of being seen by people and chased away, so she stayed hidden in a dense corner of the rooftop, curling herself into a ball and sleeping the entire day away.
When the sky turned dark, she would bask not in sunlight—but in moonlight.
She would roll around beneath the moon or lean over the railing, peeking down at the glowing city below. At first, she couldn’t look for long, but over time, she even found herself perched on the railing.
Maybe she was adapting. Or perhaps it was the cat’s instincts awakening within her. It could have been remnants of her soul’s past life. Either way, she was seeing the beauty of the city at night—a beauty she never noticed before.
“Myaaaooo~” (Oh wow…)
Despite having a fear of heights, that fear was slowly fading away.
Soon, the height didn’t bother her at all. In fact, she started to enjoy it. Most nights, she would sit along the railing and gaze down at the tiny figures moving far below.
At some point, she even began to savor the thrill of it.
It was clear to Haein that she was slowly becoming more cat-like. Her intelligence remained unchanged, but her senses—hearing, sight, agility—were sharper than ever. She needed more sleep, her tastes were changing, and her moods had become even more unpredictable.
Her only joy was flicking her tail and watching the ant-sized people move about below.
One night, as she was watching the world beneath her, she heard someone approaching the rooftop. Startled, she quickly hid behind the bushes.
The heavy footsteps told her it was one person—and a man—just from the sound alone.
From her past few nights of experience, men who came to the rooftop this late were usually there to smoke.
That’s what she assumed—until she heard a rather ridiculous voice call out:
“Meow… Yaaaoong? Meow, meow… Kitty?”
The clumsy imitation of a cat’s meow coming from a human’s mouth sounded utterly ridiculous to her feline ears.
But that voice—it wasn’t unfamiliar. Curious, Haein cautiously peeked out from the bushes.
A tall man stood there, looking around awkwardly and calling for a cat. It was the man from a few nights ago—the one who seemed so kind, the one she instinctively wanted to rub against for no particular reason.
Her animal instincts told her he meant no harm. She wondered if he’d come to take more photos, but all he carried was a black plastic bag. Why was he here? Why was he calling for her?
After a moment of hesitation, Haein slowly crept out from the bushes. The man gave off an aura of pure kindness—and more importantly, he seemed safe.
He already knew she was here, and besides… she was so lonely. Painfully lonely. If it was the man who petted her before, surely, he wouldn’t take her to a shelter.
So, she carefully called out to him.
“Nyaa…?” (Are you looking for me?)
Their eyes met, and Haein trotted toward him.
There was no one else around, and something about him made her trust him, so she approached without hesitation. Her instincts didn’t betray her—the man beamed as he gently scooped her up.
His touch was soft and cautious, unfamiliar with holding animals but filled with warmth. It felt… nice. As he lifted her into his arms, her long cat tail dangled down.
“There you are.”
“Meow.” (Yeah.)
“Are you here all alone?”
“Yaaang.” (That’s right.)
His gentle strokes continued as he sat on a nearby bench, petting her sleek fur from her head to her back. Then, setting her down on his lap, he opened the plastic bag.
“Want to eat?”
Curious, she peeked inside to see cans of cat food and a few packs of ham.
But she wasn’t particularly hungry. Besides, thinking about what came after eating—the litter box situation—she didn’t feel like having anything, so she shook her head.
She was hungry, sure, but she’d gotten used to that feeling.
“Nii.” (No.)
“You don’t want it? Not hungry?”
This time, she gave a small nod. She couldn’t help but wag her tail slightly, enjoying his concern, and rubbed the tip of her nose against his chin. Purring faintly, she responded:
“Niyang.” (Yes.)
“…You can understand me, can’t you?”
“Niya!” (Yes!)
“I’ve heard cats are smart, but this… this is something else.”
His hand brushed along the back of her neck.
“Looks like you don’t have an owner…”
Hearing his soft mutter, Haein pretended not to notice. Of course, she didn’t have an owner—and though she looked like a cat, she wasn’t truly one. She was human.
But there was no way to reveal that… and she shouldn’t, either.
Not only because of her promise with the Grim Reaper… the mere thought of being exposed sent chills down her spine.
She’d imagined countless “what-if” scenarios. A talking cat? Terrifying. A cat that turns into a human? Equally terrifying.
If anyone found out, she might end up as some lab experiment—or a sensational news story. The thought was horrifying.
Even she thought her situation was unbelievable, so how would others react? It had to remain a secret, no matter how kind this man seemed.
She reminded herself not to act too intelligent. Stay cat-like. But how smart were cats supposed to be? Haein wasn’t sure.
“Come to think of it… I was wondering why a cat like you was all alone up here. Did someone abandon you…?”
“…Yaaang.” (It’s a secret.)
“Hm… Should we go to my place? It’s cold here.”
The sudden suggestion startled Haein, and she immediately shook her head.
No matter how much she looked like a cat, she was still human at heart. Forget revealing her secret—she couldn’t possibly live under the same roof with an unfamiliar man.
She squirmed in his arms, trying to break free.
Startled by her unexpected resistance, the man loosened his grip, and Haein quickly jumped down, retreating a few steps.
His face showed disappointment.
She appreciated his pure intentions, but that wasn’t an option. If she were truly a cat, she might’ve happily gone with him…
“You don’t want to come with me?”
“Miyang.” (Sorry.)
With a faint meow, she slipped back into the bushes, fleeing from him.
“Kitty?”
The man called out, his voice flustered, but Haein only pressed deeper into the tangled shrubs. Being alone was scary. Being a stray was terrifying.
But she couldn’t become someone’s pet. Living like an ordinary cat… that wasn’t an option for her.
The man called for her for a long while, but Haein stayed hidden, eyes tightly shut, worried they might gleam in the darkness.
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Later that night, heavy rain poured down.
Haein curled up, drenched and trembling when suddenly, a familiar voice reached her ears.
“Kitty! Where are you, kitty?”
“Nyaa?” (Huh?)
The man had returned, entering the garden and pushing through the wet bushes with his bare hands, shoes soaked and ruined.
Despite being drenched and muddy, he frantically searched for her, calling out with increasing panic.
Watching him through watery eyes, Haein’s heart clenched. She couldn’t bear it anymore and poked her head out.
The moment her small, cat head appeared, the man spotted her and leapt over the bushes to her side.
Standing in front of the soaked, muddy Haein, he scooped her up again.
This time, Haein didn’t resist. She felt guilty seeing how desperately he’d searched for her.
She let out a faint, sulky meow—the best she could manage in cat language.
“Miyaaaong?”
(Why are you so kind to me?)
“Goodness… you’re soaked… I can’t leave you here. Let’s go to my place.”
“…Miya? Nyan-nyan-nyan!”
(Wait… No, no, no!)
Her protests came too late. The man firmly held the drenched black cat to his chest and left the rooftop.
No matter how she squirmed, his grip didn’t falter. She was just a small cat in his arms.
It was, in essence, a classic case of “cat-napping.”
“Miyaak!” (This is kidnapping!)
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The warmth of a hairdryer caressed her fur, and Haein’s eyes drooped halfway. Ah, how long had it been since she enjoyed such modern comforts?
She rubbed her face against the clean towel beneath her—her forehead, her cheeks, her chin—everything felt so soft and warm.
“Good girl.”
The moment they entered his home, he had given her a warm bath. He seemed to know exactly what she needed.
At first, she resisted out of courtesy, but the soothing warmth quickly melted her resolve. Now, she was basking under the dryer, wrapped in comfort.
She purred, golden eyes narrowing, as his hand gently stroked her velvet-like black fur. She looked utterly adorable.
“Purrrrr…” (Feels so good.)
“Can’t believe it started pouring… If I’d been a little later, who knows what could’ve happened?”
Looking around, she noticed his walls were filled with framed photos—landscapes and animals. She remembered the camera he’d carried.
Was he a photographer? If so, maybe they had some similarities. After all, she had been a writer.
“Still not hungry? Want something to eat?”
“Miya.” (No, thank you.)
She shook her head, curling into his lap to enjoy his gentle touch. His fingers toyed with her pointed ears, then her soft pink paws.
Occasionally, his hand strayed to her belly or chest.
At those times, she immediately rolled away.
“What’s wrong?”
“Minyang.” (Off limits.)
“Hm?”
She wouldn’t let him touch her belly or chest—it just felt too awkward, even as a cat. Instead, she playfully offered her tail, swaying it in front of him.
“Miyaaang!” (Tail’s okay!)
When his hand touched her tail, she curled it around his fingers.
The man laughed softly, low and warm. He was strikingly handsome.
His kind smile, his gentle hands… They made her feel so safe that she drifted off to sleep right there in his arms.
The relief of him not forgetting her, the pleasant bath, his tender gestures—all of it lulled Haein deeper into sleep.
Maybe it was her exhaustion, or perhaps it was the cat body’s unusually high need for sleep.
Before long, Haein lay flat, tail gently swaying, and fell fast asleep.
The man lifted her and carried her to his bedroom. He set the soft, black cat with velvet-like fur onto his bed, removed his shirt, and lay beside her.
Though her golden eyes were closed now, by morning, they’d be staring back at him. That thought filled him with quiet joy.
Listening to her soft, rhythmic purring, he, too, closed his eyes.
With one arm, he pulled the small, warm body against his chest. It was comforting. For both of them, it was the first peaceful sleep in a long time.
A faint moonbeam slipped through the curtains, illuminating the bed where Haein and the man slept.
The moonlight drifted down, brushing against Haein’s tail—then spread, glowing softly across her entire body.
Though the moon shouldn’t have reached her face, it crept upward, bathing her features in light.
Her body began to glow faintly, a silvery radiance filling the room.
“Miiiii…” (Mmm…)
Whether she noticed or not, her body was slowly changing, glowing brighter.
Her frame stretched, slender limbs growing longer, fur fading away into soft, porcelain skin.
Her black fur vanished, replaced by long, jet-black hair cascading down her shoulders. Thick lashes framed her delicate, pale face. Her petite nose and slightly parted, rosy lips gave her the appearance of a sleeping beauty.
When the glowing finally faded, only Haein’s sleeping, naked human form remained beside the half-naked man.
In her dream, she became human—and perhaps, in reality too.
