Archive of Our Own ^beta

The thing was that Felix had never had the world’s best memory.  He always had problems distinguishing something that happened last week from something that happened when they were trainees.  Events and occasions tended to get mixed up in his head. However, Felix was fairly sure he would remember if he had ever randomly transformed into a cat before, because that’s just something you're not likely to forget. 

It was not an insignificant transformation.  One moment Felix was standing in the bathroom, combing his fingers through his hair and the next he was…well there was no other way to describe it…a cat . 

He was on four legs.  He had a tail. He was softer and fluffier than he ever had been in his life and naturally completely freaking out.

I’m a cat , thought Felix in a panic as he ran from one end of the bathroom to the other.  His body felt so different, so light and effortless and when he looked down all he could see was his fluffy white fur. Oh my god I have fur, thought Felix with another wild lurch.  Nothing in his life had prepared him for this.  

He glanced up at the doorknob.  It was too high for him to reach now, meaning that he was stuck in the bathroom as a cat forever.  And what were the members going to say when they saw him?  How was he going to explain it to them?  Left with no other option, Felix ran around the bathroom as if trying to shake off his new feline form.  

I can’t be a cat.  I just can’t be.  

The next moment something miraculous happened.  Suddenly, he transformed back and was on all fours on the bathroom tiles, in sweatpants and t-shirt. 

Felix heaved a great sigh of relief as he tilted his head back, breathing in and out slowly to pacify his racing heart.  It was just a weird dream , he told himself as he slowly got to his feet.  

He glanced into the mirror suspiciously, as if expecting to see whiskers and slit pupils, but his reflection looked perfectly normal and very human.  Felix relaxed, placing his hands on either side of the sink and tilting his head down.  What the heck was that? he thought, remembering the curious sensation of being in that light compact body.  

He shook his head violently.  

No, whatever that was, it’s probably best if I just don’t think about it .  I’ll just push it out of my head and go on with my life.  

And that’s exactly what Felix did.  Until of course his cat form came back.  

This time it happened in his bedroom.  Felix had been folding a clean stack of laundry and carefully placing it in the drawers of his dresser when an unfamiliar sensation came over him.  It was like suddenly he really needed to sneeze, but something was preventing him, and the next moment the room seemed to grow.  All of his possessions were high up away from him, and when he looked down his body was fluffy and white.  

This can’t seriously be happening , thought Felix, panic pulsing through him.  What was he supposed to do?  What did people do when they suddenly turned into cats? He ran the length of the room, in his small agile body, desperately seeking some sort of solution.  

He tried to recall what he had done last time. He couldn’t remember doing anything in particular; he had just gone back to normal after a small amount of time. Maybe that’ll happen again, he thought hopefully, trying to calm himself down. 

He would just wait to come back to his own body; that seemed logical.  

Felix looked up at his bed longingly.  He wished he could lie there until this thing passed, but it was out of reach.  He would have to jump, but how did someone jump on all fours? He scooted his body back, eyeing the spot he wanted to land and getting into position.  He kicked off and leapt and for one terrifying moment Felix could feel nothing but the rush of air through his fur until he landed lightly on his blue comforter. 

Felix curled up, feeling tiny in the vastness of the bed, his fluffy tail wrapped around him.  It’s going to pass soon, it’s going to pass soon, he told himself.  And yet another part of his brain was admiring how lovely this new form felt.  He was so light.  So flexible.  So agile.  His fur felt so soft, and he loved the way that he sunk into the comforter.  Felix shut his eyes, breathing in deeply.  It’s going to pass, it’s going to pass.  

And it did.  When Felix woke up he was himself again, with legs, and sweatpants, curled up at the edge of his bed in a fetal position.  What the heck is happening to me? he thought as he slumped over in bed, staring up at his ceiling.  He had no idea what to do, who to turn to.  He had never heard of this happening to anyone before and now he had a nasty, nagging suspicion that it would happen again.  

It did happen again, this time when Felix was in the shower.  One moment he had been humming to himself and lathering up his body and the next he was shrinking back from the stream of hot water, hissing at it wildly, his fur drenched and soggy.  It was the most miserable moment in his life.  Why did water feel so dirty when you were a cat? 

It had taken him ages to figure out a way to move the shower door with his paws and then he sat miserably on the rug, shivering, his small body desperate for warmth and coziness.  Showers are the worst thing that has ever been invented , thought Felix as he stared unhappily at the continual stream of water.  

He just wanted out of here.  He wanted his soft comforter, or a nice box, wouldn’t a box be great right now? He tried to make himself as comfortable on the bathroom mat as possible, waiting to return to his body again.  

When he did Felix breathed a sigh of relief. It was over, he was human again, but he found that his disdain for the shower did not wear off along with his cat form. Showers were so… unnatural… so wet…. so unpleasant. Why did humans take showers anyway?

He quickly dried himself with a towel and dressed, eager to get back to his room and bury himself somewhere really warm and toasty.  

It was after that incident with the shower that Felix started to realize that he was changing.  Suddenly he was cold all the time, and he found himself seeking warmth in big sweaters, blankets, Changbin.  But that was just the start of it.  There were other changes.  Suddenly seafood became his favorite meal, and he loved being in small spaces so much that he curled up in the middle of the bed with comfy sweaters and blankets around him, like a little nest.  He was sleeping more than he ever had before, taking naps every time their schedule allowed, and usually curled up as close to the other members as he could manage. He couldn't help it; they just felt so warm and safe.  

Waking up from one of these naps, his head on Hyunjin’s lap, Felix felt the other boy touching his hair, stroking it softly with his long fingers.  And god, Felix just wanted to purr, it felt so nice.  He couldn’t understand why any of this was happening, but it just felt natural.  As if this was a normal stage everyone went through, like puberty. 

Sometimes during the night Felix would wake up, and the world would look different. It had a sharpness to it that he was not accustomed to, and he would realize that he had woken up in his cat form.  It was happening all the time now, in little hidden moments throughout his day.  One instant he would be brushing his teeth, or playing a video game, and the next he would be fluffy and white and wanting to find a nice window to look out of, and he didn’t understand any of it. 

-

The first time Jeongin turned into a cat he managed to convince himself that it was a dream.  After all, he had been taking a nap, his long body stretched out from one side of the bed to the other and his arms flopped to his sides.  He loved that they each had their own rooms now. It led to higher quality, longer naps, and he could see the effects of that reflected on his face and on his mood. 

He woke up that day feeling unusually warm, like he was covered in a soft blanket, although Jeongin distinctly remembers falling asleep over his comforter rather than under it.  He lifted his head, staring beady eyed across the room at his alarm clock, only everything looked kind of different. The colors, the sharpness of his vision, it wasn’t normal at all.  And then Jeongin noticed that his vision wasn’t the only thing that was strange.  His body felt peculiar: it felt small, and less firm than usual.  He looked down at his arms, expecting to see pale skin, but instead there was fur. He had white and gray stripes across his arms, and he had paws instead of hands.

Jeongin jolted up in bed.  This had to be a weird dream.  His room looked gigantic, and he was taking up a tiny fraction of the bed.  Oh, my god, I think I’m a cat.   For a moment he felt concern for his career, for what this would mean for Stray Kids, for how he would explain it to their manager, but then those quieted down.  It’s just a dream , he told himself, settling back on the bed and closing his eyes. It’s not a big deal.  

-

Sometimes Felix wished that he could just be a cat.  It was a good life! You were beautiful, soft, and agile in an effortless way that no human could ever achieve.  There were always lots of interesting things to explore, and little cozy corners to hide into.  It was just a good life.  Sometimes when Felix was alone in his human form, he would think about Minho’s cat vlogs.  His hyung was such a good cat butler, he treated his cats like they were tiny gods, and Felix found himself wondering what that would feel like.  What would it be like to have someone feed you, and pet you, and kiss the top of your head.  It just sounded so lovely.  

And more and more when Felix was alone he found himself transforming into his cat form.  It was easy, like taking off your work clothes and putting on some cozy pajamas.  He loved sleeping as a cat. He loved feeling how soft his body was.  He loved tucking his tail around him.  He loved how big the bed felt when he was so little.  As far as Felix was concerned, sleeping as a cat was 10 times better than sleeping as a human.  Actually, if it hadn’t been for the issue of showers Felix would have gladly been a cat 24/7.  

The only thing he was really afraid of was the other members seeing him like this.  It had happened a couple of times that one of the members came into his room while he was a cat. But on both of those occasions it had been easy to hide. They had come in, not seen a human and left, not bothering to check the tiny gap between his two pillows where cat Felix loved to take naps.  

But they all lived in close quarters, and they spent a lot of time together, and Felix couldn’t always control when he transformed.  The idea of the other members seeing him as a cat felt so surreal.  It was like finally admitting that whatever this change was real, and possibly permanent, and Felix wasn’t sure that he was ready for that. 

However, one day the inevitable happened.  Felix was perched on his desk, staring out of the window at the street below, fascinated by the passing cars in a way his human form could never be, when the door opened without a knock.  

“Sorry, I just came for my headphones, I’m pretty sure I left them here last-” Seungmin’s voice died out.  He was standing in the middle of the room, the door opened behind him, his eyes wide as he stared at cat Felix. 

Well fuck.  

Seungmin frowned as he looked around the room.  “Felix?”

What the hell am I supposed to do now?

He walked forward, towards cat Felix, his eyes wide.  “Where did you come from,” he asked as he stretched out his hand cautiously.

Felix could not have explained what happened.  It was like a strange instinct took over him. Suddenly he needed to rub his head against Seungmin’s hand, he needed to be petted, it was of paramount importance.  He nudged his head hard against his friend's hand, rubbing himself and allowing Seungmin’s fingers to go through his fur. 

“Wow, you’re friendly aren’t you,” said Seungmin.  “But I still don’t understand where you came from.  Are you Felix’s? Did he forget we’re not allowed pets?”

Felix was hardly aware of what Seungmin was talking about.  He loved getting petted.  It was so soothing that soon, exhibiting absolutely zero control over himself, he had flopped over onto his back, desperate for Seungmin to rub his belly. 

“I know you’re not one of Minho’s, you're too little and white.”

Seungmin was caressing him so softly.  Suddenly Felix felt a strange vibration in his body.  I’m purring , he thought with surprise. 

“I don’t even like cats much, but you’re really cute.”

He was scratching Felix behind his ears, when Felix sensed that a transformation was about to happen.  He swatted Seungmin’s hand away and the next moment, he was sitting on his desk, in jeans and a white t-shirt, very much human. 

“Hi, Seungmin,” he said, staring up at his friend. 

“Felix, what-” he shook his head. “What was that?”

“What was, what?” said Felix, hoping he could pass the whole thing off as a weird hallucination. 

Seungmin fixed him with a stern, almost parental gaze.  “You turn into a cat now?” he said, keeping his tone surprisingly level.  

“Oh,” Felix deflated. How was he going to explain something that he didn’t understand himself? “Just sometimes.”

“Sometimes?!”

“Yeah, just usually when I’m alone, or sleepy. It just happens, it’s not a big deal.”

“It absolutely is a big deal!” said Seungmin, his voice raised and Felix couldn’t understand why but he suddenly felt like a little kid who had disappointed his parents.  

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t know how it’s happening-” He could feel himself welling up.  He was no good at confrontation.

Seungmin eased up, putting his arm around Felix and pulling him close against him.  “I didn’t mean to upset you, it just freaked me out.”

“But I’m a good cat,” said Felix, even though he knew that wasn’t the point at all.  

His sentence made Seungmin laugh. “I mean, yeah, you look like a good cat, but the point is you’re a person, not a cat.”

“Can’t I be both?” asked Felix.  He really loved being both. 

He felt Seungmin hold him tighter, putting his chin onto Felix's head.  “Were you always like this? Are you part of like a cat-hybrid family?”

He laughed, and pulled away from Seungmin.  “No, it started a couple months ago.”

“Was it like… all at once?”

Felix nodded. “Yeah, but now it’s happening more and more, and I don’t know, I think it’s affecting my human self too-” He explained it all to Seungmin: how he sought after warmth, how he loved small spaces, how difficult showers had gotten, and his friend listened patiently, occasionally nodding. 

“And you can control it?”

“Kinda, sometimes, a lot more now than I used to.”

“So if I asked you to transform again, you could?”

“Maybe,” said Felix.  “Should I?”

Seungmin nodded and Felix closed his eyes.  He thought of his small, flexible, furry body, and when he opened them again he knew he was sitting on the desk as a cat again.  

“Wow,” said Seungmin, going on his knees before the desk and staring at him at eye level.  “You’re a really pretty cat, Felix.”

Felix stretched his neck proudly. Of course he would be a very pretty cat.  

“Is it okay if I pet you again?”

It would feel unnatural to nod in this form so instead Felix stretched out a paw towards Seungmin, indicating that he could.  He loved the feeling of Seungmin’s nearness, and how gentle his fingers were as they touched him.  Felix relaxed against his touch, settling down on the desk and closing his eyes. Oh, this is nice, I could get used to this.

-

The second time Jeongin transformed it was harder to pretend that nothing had happened. One moment he was talking to his brother on the phone and the next he was sitting on the phone with his whole striped little body.  

“Hello, hello-” came his brother’s voice a couple of times before just hanging up.  

Jeongin jumped off the bed, moving quickly, the wind rushing through his fur as he went to the full length mirror that hung behind his door.  What am I going to do about this? he thought as he stared at his small tabby body with a sinking feeling.  I can’t be an idol like this!  And they won’t take me to the University either!  What am I supposed to do?

He ran the length of the room, exercising his power legs.  It felt fantastic, so he continued running, making laps around the room until he was tired and panting.  Jeongin lay down underneath the bed, his body stretched out as he tried to recover his breath, and then a moment later he had returned to his original form. 

He crawled slowly out from underneath his bed and collapsed on his back in the middle of the room, staring up at the ceiling with a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.  This can not be happening to me.  

-

Felix had convinced Seungmin not to tell the other members about his cat form, but it was kind of wonderful having someone know his secret.  Now if Felix got sleepy or too cozy whenever they hung out together, he could just transform and feel the pleasure of Seungmin’s warmth and company in a way his human self just couldn’t.  

“I love napping with you in cat form,” whispered Felix to him one day while they were driving to JYP and he was regrettably human. 

Seungmin smirked.  “I thought you were cuddly as a human, but you’re so much worse as a cat.”

“Worse? Is it a bad thing?”

He shook his head, passing his arm around Felix’s shoulder and pulling him close.  “Nah, it’s definitely a good thing.”

Good , thought Felix, cause cat me is definitely spending the night with you again.

-

For Han the first time happened while he was eating noodles and watching anime.  He was huddled in his room, the blinds drawn, the darkness encompassing him, and he was having a really good time.  One moment he was raising chopsticks full of noodles to his mouth and the next he was eye-level with his bowl, the chopsticks slumped on his comforter.  

He hissed.  That was his first instinct.  To hiss .

He registered the sound as coming from himself, but it just didn’t sound like anything that had ever come out of his mouth before.  He shuffled on the bed, away from his bowl, and that’s when he noticed how small he was in proportion to the room. 

Han leapt off the bed gracefully onto the carpet below, trotting with determination towards his closed door.  He knew that he needed to get out here.  He needed to get help.  This was an emergency!  

He scratched at the door, clawing desperately against it. He didn't know exactly what Changbin or Bangchan or Hyunjin would do when they saw him, but he did know that they were a team and whatever the hell was happening to him was inevitably their problem too.  He balanced on his hind legs, stretching his small body up in an attempt to reach the doorknob, but he was too small.  Why were doorknobs so high up?

He meowed disconcertedly, miserable, the panic infesting him like a poison, and then in the blink of an eye, he was human again, sitting pathetically on the floor and looking up at his door knob as if it was a forbidden object. 

“CHAN!” he yelled, loud as he could. 

There was scrambling and the sound of footsteps, and Han barely had time to scoot back from the door before it was opened by Chan and Changbin, both looking bewildered.  

Chan instantly dropped to the floor next to him.  “Are you okay, are you sick?” 

Han shook his head.  He knew that he was okay now but he just couldn’t shake off the panic.  

“Han?” said Chan softly, his hand just on his forearm.  “Was it a panic attack?”

Han had had those before, ever since they were trainees, but usually during tense moments: before showcases, before performances, in meetings with JYP, or when they were entering areas with a lot of people, where he was likely to be touched by strangers. Han hated being touched by strangers. He shook his head. “No,” he said in a small voice, wondering how he was going to explain this.  

“Was it some family news?” asked Changbin. 

Again Han shook his head. He was trembling. His whole body was trembling. “I think I’m going crazy,” he said, his mouth dry. “I think I’m hallucinating.”

Chan and Changbin exchanged looks.  

Han had always had that fear. He had always known that he did not experience the world like most people.  But nothing like this had ever happened to him before - not even close - this was extreme.  

Chan carefully rubbed his shoulder. “Want to tell us what happened?”

“I was just eating and then-” he breathed in through his mouth.  “It’s going to sound stupid-”

“Not stupid,” interjected Changbin.  

“It was like I wasn’t in my body.  I was something else.  I was really small, and like-” now that it was over it felt impossible to describe.  “I hissed,” he said remembering that terrible sound that had come out of his throat.  

“Hissed? Like a cat?” asked Chan. 

Han nodded and then glanced up at him. “Am I crazy?”

“Is it possible you were dreaming?”

“No,” said Han. “I was holding chopsticks - I was eating - they’re still on my bed.”

There was silence for a moment and then Chan wrapped his arms around him, holding him tight.  In a way it made Han feel like he was fifteen again.  It had been years since he felt this disoriented, this confused.  

“What am I going to do?” he asked.  

“I don’t know, we’ll just take it one day at a time, okay?”

“But what if it happens in public, what if I lose it,” he said as soon as he said it the fear felt real, and he broke down, sobbing on Chan. 

“You’re not gonna. You’re going to be fine. You always come back to yourself and I’m not letting you go, never going to let you go,” said Chan.  

Changbin came and joined their hug, till Han was encompassed between them. There was a sense of safety there. Their presence was reassuring and Han needed that but he still couldn’t shake off the feeling. It had been so strange inhabiting that other body. Hissing. Clawing at the door. Being locked in.  It was one of the worst things that had ever happened to him. Although he didn’t say so, Han felt that it was bound to happen again.  He could feel it.  This was a part of him now. 

-

It was a blessed Sunday off and Felix had spent most of it baking.  He had made cookies and brownies, and he was determined to feed them to everyone, diets be damned.  He sent Minho off with a tray of them to visit his parents, he had fed Seungmin who was writing his diary on the couch, and Jeongin was the natural next target.  

Felix knocked on Jeongin’s door.

“Brownie time!” he said in a sing-song voice. 

“You can come in,” Jeongin. 

Felix pushed the door opened to Jeongin’s large, neat room.  He was playing video games at his desk, the old-fashioned music he liked coming out of one of the speakers. “Thank you,” he said as Felix handed him a plate with a small piece of a brownie and a cookie.  

“They smell so good, I could smell it from all the way over here.”

“You’re welcome,” said Felix.  He loved feeding his boys, and Jeongin in particular because he really appreciated food.

Felix saw Jeongin’s hand moving from the computer mouse towards the brownie and then suddenly he was gone.  It didn’t even happen in the blink of an eye; it was faster than that. Jeongin was just gone, and there was something else in the chair.  A cat. A striped gray cat, with long yellow eyes. 

“Oh my god,” breathed Felix, staring at him, his eyes wide. 

Without even thinking, he scooped cat Jeongin in his arms and bolted from the room towards the living room.  

“Seungmin!” he said, lifting Jeongin high so that he was most visible. 

Seungmin looked up from his journal and his mouth dropped.  “What is that?”

“It’s Jeongin!” said Felix.  “I swear I was just talking to him, and then he-” Felix looked down at cat Jeongin.  “He transformed, just like me!”

“You can’t be serious-” said Seungmin, starting from Felix to the little striped cat. “Both of you?”

“I-” there was a familiar warmth and Felix just knew he had seconds before he too would transform.  He quickly handed cat Jeongin to Seungmin, and an instant later he had shrunk down to his fluffy cat form. 

“This is ridiculous,” said Seungmin as Felix leapt up on the couch next to him.  “I can’t handle this,” he said, looking from one cat to the other. 

Felix gave him what he hoped was a consoling meow. Jeongin meanwhile had wiggled his way out of Seungmin’s arms and crossed over to the other side of the couch.  He was looking at Felix, his eyes sharp.   He was a beautiful cat, striped light and dark gray and white.  The stripes were particularly striking around his face, but just now he looked a little scared as he cowered on the other side of the couch, his fur puffed.  

Timidly Felix approached him, his movements slow and deliberate.  Jeongin was frozen on the spot, so Felix gently rubbed his head against the other’s side.  It’s me , Felix wanted to say. We’re in this together. He felt Jeongin reluctantly relax against him, and they settled close together, a little bundle of fur. 

Seungmin stared at them from across the couch.  

“This is really not normal.”

Felix meowed his agreement. 

“We have to tell someone; it’s getting worse.”

Felix stared fixedly at him, narrowing his eyes slightly. 

Seungmin sighed. “Felix! Come on, this is serious.”

He made a small, pathetic little sound and saw Suengmin’s resolve break down.``Whatever, I guess we can keep hiding it. No big deal, right? So what if you two turn into cats, that happens to everyone -” he said sarcastically.

Felix nudged Jeongin and they moved closer to Seungmin, Felix sitting directly on his lap. 

“It’s so hard to argue with you when you’re this fluffy.”

-

“What does it feel like?” Seungmin asked Jeongin and Felix, once they had both come back to their human form.  

“Nice,” said Felix.  “It’s cozy, like being in a really good sweater.”

“I do sleep better when I’m a cat,” said Jeongin with a nod. 

Seungmin turned to Jeongin. “Don’t you think it’s a stupid idea to hide it from the other members? Don’t you think it might make things worse?”

Jeongin considered.  “I’m still hoping that it’s just going to go away.”

“Mine started months ago,” said Felix. He didn’t feel like it was going to go away, nor did he want it to.  He was taken by his cat form.  

“And if it’s happened to two of you, that's even weirder,” said Seungmin. 

Felix pouted. “Please don’t tell anyone Seungminie.”

Seungmin sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “I mean it’s only a matter of time; they will find out sooner or later, Felix.”

“Then let it be later,” said Felix.  He knew that this would stress Bangchan out, and he had no idea how their manager or JYP would feel about it.  So far it hadn’t been an issue; occasionally turning into a cat was not affecting their work in the least so Felix didn’t really see a reason to tell the others. 

-

Han’s second transformation happened late in the evening right before he was about to brush his teeth.  After their busy schedule he had really been looking forward to getting to bed, but as soon as he put the toothpaste on his toothbrush he felt something strange: a kind of warmth, and with it panic.  He dropped his toothbrush and his hand instantly went to the doorknob.  He barely managed to pull the door open before the transformation happened.  

Han felt like the room was getting bigger, taller, growing upward.  He found himself on all fours on the cold tile floor, and his body; well it didn’t feel anything like his body. It’s happening again , he thought with horror, as he looked down at where his hands should have been and saw furry gray paws instead. It was so difficult to process that this was actually happening, that the furry thing was himself. 

He felt an urge to pull his knees into his chest and scream for Bangchan, but his vocal cords didn’t allow him to do that.  Instead a weak little meow came out.  I’m going crazy.  I’m going to have to leave the group,  realized Han with horror.  He wished he could scream, or cry, or call someone.  There was something so helpless about being in this form.  He felt so vulnerable .

But the door was opened, and his members were in the apartment.  I could go to them, ask for help, thought Han, but then he hesitated.  If he was really hallucinating so badly that he thought he was a cat, could he end up acting in a way he normally wouldn’t - could he get violent, hurt his friends? 

He had just made up his mind to stay in the safety of the bathroom until whatever this had passed when the door was pushed open.  Han scrambled back, instinctively hissing, his fur on end and his back curved.  

It was Hyunjin at the door, and his eyes went wide as they went over Han’s new form.  He was frowning, almost comically, his mouth agape.  “Kitty?”

Han meowed indignantly – he was a whole-ass human, not a little cat – but then suddenly he realized, Hyunjin thinks I’m a cat too .  He moved towards him and Hyunjin took a step back, as if he was afraid.  Han wanted to laugh at him; what kind of person was afraid of a little cat.  He rubbed himself against Hyunjin’s ankles, curling his tail around him.  

Hyunjin leaned down, his hand patting Han gently on his side. “How did you get in here?”

I’m not hallucinating. I’m not going crazy.  I’m just a cat . Han felt so much relief with that thought that he began to purr, pulling more of Hyunjin’s attention towards him.  His friend was scratching his ears with his long fingers and Han could feel it ease away his panic. Not crazy, I’m just a cat, I’m a cat .  But of course as he thought that he began to realize that he had no idea how he could possibly have become a cat.  This just didn't happen to people, except in anime and comic books. In anime it usually meant you came from a long line of cat-people, but Han didn’t - his parents didn’t even like cats.  And in comic books it would usually mean he had been bitten by a cat, and that had never happened to him either, cats tended to ignore him.  

So what had caused this? And why had it happened when he was brushing his teeth? It just didn't make any sense.   

“You’re cute-” said Hyunjin in English as he stroked Han’s furry little cheek.  

Han rubbed possessively against him.  He didn’t really understand why, but it just felt like the thing to do. As this was happening, Han felt a shift.  He looked up at Hyunjin, alarmed–  something was about to happen, something – and then the next moment Hyunjin was gone, and in his place was a very regal looking white cat, with orange markings on its face.  

It was bigger and taller than Han, with tufts of fur between its delicate white paws.  Han stared at it, and he could feel his panic coming back in.  What if he had hallucinated Hyunjin? What if nobody had come into the bathroom? What if his reality was breaking? Real people didn’t just turn into cats.  

Suddenly Han felt like he had no control over himself or his emotions and he could feel his heart beating out of his chest. He needed to run.  Han knew that logically this made no sense, but it just felt right in the moment and the next thing he knew he was leaping over a stunned cat Hyunjin and bolting down the hallways.  

Gotta shake this off. Gotta shake this off. 

He had no idea where he was going. He just knew that his light, compact body was carrying him so quickly that the wind rushed through his hair.  It was satisfying, like sticking your head out of a car window.  He raced across the living room and into the kitchen where a stunned Changbin was looking at him.  

Changbin! Han wanted to scream.  He stopped in front of him, looking up into the other’s face.  He looked just as stunned as Hyunjin had when he opened the bathroom, and the look was so realistic.  How can I be making all this up? thought Han miserably.  

“Han! Hyunjin!” yelled Changbin. “Who let the cat in? I’m allergic!”

Han wanted to laugh. Of course Changbin was allergic. 

He was about to rub his body on Changbin’s legs just for the fun of it when he heard a distinct meow .  Han’s ear twitched, and he turned his head towards the bathroom.  There was pain in that meow, confusion. He didn’t know how, but Han just knew that it was asking for help, for assistance.  

Changbin turned his head towards the sound too.  “There’s more of you?” 

Han slinked away from Changbin, crossing the living room and the hallway towards the bathroom.  Cat Hyunjin had taken cover underneath the sink, his long fluffy tail wrapped up around him.  He was crying, deep sorrowful meows leaving him.   He didn’t even notice that Han was in the room until the other was rubbing his head against Hyunjin’s side.  Hyunjin stiffened, his amber eyes opening wide.  Han wanted to tell him: It’s me, we’re in this together but he had no way of saying that, so he just cuddled close to him.  

Hyunjin stopped crying, as if he found comfort in their nearness. Han had to admit that there was something lovely about embracing like this. They were both so soft, so warm.  It was like sinking into the world’s best pillow.  

“You need to get here quick,” said Changbin. 

Han turned his head and saw that the other member was at the doorway talking into his phone. 

“It’s my mum’s birthday, I can’t come tonight-” said a voice from the other side and Han’s ears twitched. It was Minho 

“But there are cats here.”

“You’re fucking with me.”

“No, I’m telling you there are two cats here! One is white with orange, and the other is gray!”

“How would cats get in?”

“I don’t know! But you’re the cat person, you have to deal with this.”

“Changbin it’s my mum’s birthday, I told you I’m not coming home till tomorrow, and especially not to take care of fictional cats.”

“But what am I supposed to do with them?”

“I don’t know, give them fictional cat food?”

“Minho, I’m serious!”

“Then get someone else to help you.”

“I shouted, but there’s no one here.”

There was a moment of silence. “Han texted he was going to bed, he’s probably in his room.”

Changbin called out again for Han and Hyunjin and silence followed.  “I’m telling you there’s no one here.”

“That’s weird…”

“Yeah, now that you mention it, where is everyone?  I mean, Chan is still at JYP but Han and Hyunjin were here a few minutes ago.”

“Look I gotta go, but text me when you find them.”

The line went dead, and Changbin sighed.  

“Han! Hyunjin!” Changbin called out again.  “Is anyone here?” His voice was echoing around the tiled walls of the bathroom.

Cautiously cat Hyunjin pulled slightly towards Changbin and gave a weak meow, but Changbin barely noticed, he was making another call.  Please don’t send us to a cat shelter, we’re not real cats , thought Han desperately. 

“Hey, you like cats right?”

“Mmm… why would you ask that?” asked Felix’s voice from the other end.

“Because I have two in front of me.”

“Where are you?”

“I don’t know how but there are two cats in the apartment, and no one else is here, and Minho’s visiting his mum, and I’m allergic. Could you take care of them?”

“Where is everyone else?” said Felix. 

Changbin sighed and ran a hand over his hair. “I don’t know, Chan is at the studio, but Han and Hyunjin were here a few minutes ago and now I can’t find them. Any chance they’re with you guys?”

“No- oh -”

“Oh, what?”

“Don’t do anything to the cats, I’ll be right there,” and suddenly the line went dead. 

“Don’t do anything to the cats? What does he think, that I’m going to eat you?” said Changbin, rolling his eyes. He sat down right on the doorway, as if to prevent them from running outside.  

Han didn’t know what to make of any of it.  Was this real, or was this his brain? Neither seemed very logical.  How could his hallucination be so vivid and realistic? But what was the alternative? That he and Hyunjin had actually turned into cats? That was preposterous. Things like that just didn’t happen.

Han heard the front door of the apartment open and Felix taking off his shoes.  A moment later he could spot his slender frame running up the hallway to them.  

“Thanks for coming,” said Changbin but Felix ignored him entirely, jumping over him and then crouching down to look at Han and Hyunjin.  

Hyunjin gave a weak meow. 

Felix stretched out his hand, petting Han first and then Hyunjin, and looking at both of them intensely.  

“Do you know these cats?” asked Changbin curiously.  

“I think so-” said Felix, and the next moment he was picking Han up and pulling him onto his lap.  He looked deep into his eyes. “Han?”

A sense of elation came over Han instantly and he meowed loudly, affirming.  Felix recognized me!

“Oh, you’re so little, so cute,” said Felix in English, before turning his attention to Hyunjin.  “And look at you, you’re so fancy,” Felix stretched out his free hand and his fingers went over Hyunjin fur.  “You look a little like me actually, that’s sweet.”

“Felix, what are you talking about?” said Changbin..  

Felix gave a small sigh, and then picked Han up again, pulling him up till he was eye level with Changbin.  “Look at him, look into his eyes-”

“What?”

“Just do it! Look into his eyes.”

Changbin sighed, but obliged, staring straight at Han. 

“He’s not a stranger, and he’s not a cat, this is Hannie,” said Felix as if it was the most natural thing in the world.  

“You’re crazy,” said Changbin. 

“No, I’m not,” said Felix lightly, setting Han down and then pulling Hyunjin away from the sink.  “Now, look at this beauty,” he said, lifting him up to.  “It’s Hyunjin, of course it’s Hyunjin, who else would be this fancy.”

“Felix you’ve lost it, these are cats .”

Felix shook his head. “No, it’s been happening to me too.  I wanted to keep it hidden, but I guess Seungmin was right, whatever is happening is spreading.”

“Literally what are you talking about.”

Felix set Hyunjin down.  “I can show you if you want.  But you have to promise not to freak out. Transforming is scary enough the first few times; these two looked scared to death,” he said and he stroked both of them softly. 

“What are you going to show me?”

Felix grinned. “You’ll see.”

The next moment Felix was gone, and in his place was a small fluffy white cat with blue eyes.  And that’s when Han knew for certain that he wasn’t crazy, that this wasn’t happening in his head.  It was simply too elaborate. 

“What the fuck?” said Changbin, standing up and taking a step away from the three cats in the bathroom.  

Hyunjin instantly backed away under the sink again, giving off a weak meow, but Felix was braver. He stepped forward, confidently, until he was right beside Changbin’s feet and he gave a single meow.  

“Felix?”

Cat Felix meowed again, and then proceeded to rub his body against Changbin’s ankles. 

“I don’t understand.”

Well, neither did Han. At least Changbin had the privilege of not understanding the situation as a human, Han had to not understand the situation as a cat. 

The next moment Felix had transformed into a human again.  “It’s been happening to me for months, so I guess I’m used to it now. It’s not that weird.”

“Months?”

“Yeah and it’s not just me, it’s Jeongin too.”

“Actually-” he grabbed Changbin’s phone out of his hand. “Can I call him and Seungmin over? I want them to see how cute these two are.”

“Mmm… I guess.”

But at this Han had to put his paw down. They were not just going to treat him like he was a cute little kitty that could be passed around and petted.  He was a person! He was about to start hissing again when the most incredible thing happened; he felt himself become human again.  

“I don’t want any cat pictures of me!” he said, making Felix and Changbin both jump.  

“Oh, you’re back,” said Felix, instantly hugging him.  

“Yeah, and I don’t want there to be cat pictures of me,” he said firmly. 

“Okay, no cat pictures then,” Felix pulled away.  “Was that your first time?” 

“My second- do you-” he looked embarrassedly at Changbin.  “Do you remember that night I freaked out and yelled for Chan?”

Changbin nodded. 

“That was the first time.”

“Yeah, I was scared at first too, but then you gain more control, and it becomes kinda nice.”

They migrated out of the bathroom and into the living room, Felix carrying cat Hyunjin in his arms. “Poor baby is shaking,” he said, stroking the top of his head. 

Han was shaking too, although he was trying to hide it, his hands buried into the pockets of his sweatpants.   “What if he can’t become human again?” asked Han, trying to keep his voice level. 

“Well then, I guess we’ll just have to tell everyone we got a cat,” said Felix, but when he saw Han’s expression he said quickly, “He’ll turn back. Don't worry about it, really; he’ll be back to himself in no time.”

“The question is do we want him back to himself,” said Changbin. “He’s a lot cuter and less annoying like this.”

Felix laughed, and cupped his hand over cat Hyunjin’s ears.  “Don’t listen to them; you're plenty cute in your human form.”

The main door to the apartment opened and Seungmin and Jeongin came in, both wearing bathrobes over their pajamas. 

“Oh my god-” cooed Jeongin the second he saw Hyunjin.  “He’s beautiful,” he said, kneeling by Felix and gently petting cat Hyunjin’s forehead with his index finger.  

“This is really too much-” said Seungmin with a shake of his head. “It’s  half the members now!”

“But what can we do about it?” asked Felix.

Han pulled one of the cushions against his chest. He literally felt unwell.  It was hard to understand why everyone else was treating this so casually.  The fact that he might transform into a cat at any point was really going to mess with his life.  He would never be able to be in public, or perform, without thinking about what might happen if he transformed in front of them.  

“Are you okay?” asked Seungmin, and Han realized he was talking to him.  

He nodded.  “Yeah, I just don’t like this, at all. It’s creepy.”

Changbin reached out an arm and put it on his shoulder.  Han sighed, running his fingers through his hair, and pushing it back.  

“We’re all in this together, Han,” said Felix gently.  “If there’s something wrong with us, then it’s all of us.’

He nodded.  That was the one good thing to come out of this.

“Besides-” said Felix but his words were drowned as the next moment the cat on his lap turned back into Hyunjin, who instantly gave a shriek, and tumbled forward onto the carpet and gave a yelp.

“You’re so dramatic,” muttered Changbin. 

Hyunjin turned indignantly towards him.  “You don’t even know what it’s like! It was terrifying! And I kept wanting to hide, and keep out of sight, but Felix kept lifting me up.”

“Aww sorry,” said Felix, extending a hand and grabbing hold of Hyunjin’s, pulling him to his feet.  “You were just really pretty.  Our cat forms are actually the most similar.”

“We know, we know, you find all of us adorable as cats,” said Jeongin. “But seriously, do we tell management?”

“No.” It was unanimous across the group.  If JYP caught wind of this, who knew what would happen.  

“I think the answer is that you all have to learn to control it,” said Seungmin. “I’ve seen Felix: he can turn into a cat anytime he wants, and he can turn back when he wants.  If he can just teach you all that, then we don’t have a problem.”

There was general agreement but Han squirmed.  He knew that conquering and controlling his transformations was important, but at the same time it would mean he would have to get used to being a cat and right now that felt like the last thing he wanted.  

“Well,” asked Changbin. “How do you control it?”

Felix made a thoughtful humming sound.  “I don’t really know.  For me, being a cat is about being cozy, you know, and being warm, and when I just think about that feeling and-” it happened again a moment later. Han watched with a turn of his stomach.  It happened instantaneously, one millisecond to the next.  He had just been talking and now he was a cat. 

Hyunjin shrank back from him.  “That’s scary!”

In another moment Felix was human again.  “And then I just think of my body and come back to it.”

“It’s not that simple for me,” said Jeongin.  

“Well try,” said Felix, jumping to his feet.  

Suddenly it felt like they were having some sort of weird choreo practice. They were standing around in a circle, all trying their best to become cats while Felix guided them. Han would have laughed, if his hands hadn’t still been shaking.  

It took about 10 minutes for any of them to turn again, and this time it was Hyunjin, who instantly went and hid behind Seungmin’s feet, curling his long fluffy tail into himself.  Han watched as Felix knelt down beside him gently petting him and guiding him through his transformation.  Han had half expected it to be instantaneous, as if Felix had some magical spell, but it took over half an hour for Hyunjin to become human again and by then Jeongin was sprawled on the couch yawning and looking at his phone.  

If Han was honest he had barely been trying.  He understood the logic of learning to control it, but the fact remained that he did not feel safe as a cat which was just confirmed by Hyunjin saying: “I hate being that little. It feels so vulnerable,” as he drank a glass of water, his arms around himself.  

“Hey,” said Han, suddenly realizing that it was almost 1 in the morning. “Where’s Chan?”

They all looked around, as if they expected him to have just appeared amongst them without any of them noticing.  Changbin withdrew his cellphone.  “That’s weird. He hasn’t even texted, let me give him a call.” They heard the phone ring but there was no answer.  

Han fidgeted in his seat, almost sinking into it.  

“What if,” said Seungmin, voicing his own fears, “he can’t answer his phone and he can’t come because he’s a cat.”

Hyunjin laughed.  “I can’t picture Chan as a cat.”

Han did not think it was funny.  “No, this is bad, what if someone finds him and kicks him out of the studio, or worse what if-” his mind was going a mile a minute.  “What if they see him transform, and then we’re all in trouble.”

“They can’t punish us for this; it’s not our fault,” said Hyunjin.

There was silence and Han would have bet his life that they were all thinking about Hyunjin’s forced hiatus.

“Felix, why don’t you and I go to the studio and check on him?” suggested Seungmin.

Felix agreed and they left to change out of their pajamas. 

Han stayed on the chair, his arms around his knees.  He didn’t want to act like a baby, but he wished that Minho or Chan were here; he needed their support right now.  He didn’t know why but being a cat just affected him, and it brought out all these fears. He shuddered and closed his eyes, wishing there was still a possibility that this was just a weird dream. 

-

Felix and Seungmin rushed through the lobby of JYP and up the stairs to Chan’s room, trying to go as quickly as possible while also not raising any suspicions among the night security team.  

Felix reached the door of Chan’s room first and pushed it open, stepping into the familiar room.  All of Bangchan’s things were there: his cellphone was on the table, his laptop too, but there was no sign of him. Felix crouched down, looking underneath the desk.  

“Channie it’s me,” he whispered softly.  “Channie.”

At first he could see nothing but darkness, and then it felt like the darkness began to move.  Felix instantly shuffled back, frowning at the underside of the desk, and then a moment later he saw him.  “You’re beautiful,” said Felix, extending a hand to pet Bangchan.  

Bangchan had turned into what looked more like a small panther than a cat. He was full black, his fur shiny and sleek, his body graceful, muscled, perfectly blending into the darkness.  His eyes were more orange than yellow and he was staring at Felix fixedly while he stroked his large pointed ears.  

“Are you sure that’s really him?” asked Seungmin as Felix gently pulled Bangchan out from underneath the desk.  

“What do you mean?” said Felix, holding the large cat in his arms.  “Look at his face, of course it’s Channie.”

Seungmin stared at his face and then gave a small shrug.  “If you say so.”

“Now, Chan,” said Felix looking down at him. “We’re gonna get you out of here, but I need you not to freak out.  It’s okay, we’ll get you back to being a human when we’re at the dorms, okay?”

Bangchan gave a resigned meow and Felix smiled. 

“Felix stop fawning over cat Bangchan and let’s get out of here,” said Seungmin pulling at Felix’s sweatshirt.  

Felix pouted. “I don’t think you’re appreciating how beautiful he is,” he said, lifting up cat Bangchan in his arms.  

“Yes, he’s very beautiful, but we gotta go before anyone finds us.”

Felix’s fingers stroked Bangchan from his head all the way down the top of his sleek body.  He glanced up at Seungmin.  “He’s really big, how are we supposed to hide him?”

“Can’t he fit in your sweatshirt?”

Felix stretched his sweatshirt, trying to put it over Bangchan.  It didn’t look right, it was lumpy and tight and it made him look like he was about to give birth to an alien.  “That’s not gonna work,” he looked up at Seungmin’s open coat.  “Maybe you can try, your coat is bigger?”

Seungmin sighed. “I don’t even like cats.”

“But you like Chan.”

“I guess.” Seungmin leaned down and took the cat from his arm, resting him against his chest, and then closed the coat to shield him from view. 

Felix grabbed his cellphone and put it in his pocket, and took Seungmin’s hand.  “Just act like everything is normal.”

Seungmin narrowed his eyes. “Like that’s so easy with a freaking cat on me.”

Felix giggled as he pushed open the door and led them back down the corridor. 

-

The ride back to the dormitory was not fun for Seungmin.  He could feel Bangchan struggling the whole way, his paws pressed against Seungmin’s chest, his tail twitching from side to side.  He peeked down, moving the coat away and looking into his deep orange eyes, like embers.  He had no idea how Felix recognized Chan like this. He looked wild, dangerous, like a small panther. 

“What are we going to do when we get home?” Seungmin whispered to Felix. 

“Like I said, we all have to learn to control it.”

“But what if they can’t? Han and Hyunjin were both really freaked out back there.”

Felix sighed and rested his head against Suengmin’s shoulder. “I don’t really think there’s another option for us,” he said quietly. “If they find out about this-'' he didn’t finish, but he didn’t need to. 

-

Han was still curled up on an armchair when Seungmin and Felix returned.  He was in human form, thankfully, sitting with his arms around his knees. He wished they had taken longer. He did not want to be told that he needed to transform again; he just wanted to sleep, retreat to his quiet room, and pretend this was not happening.

“Did you find Chan?” Changbin called as Seungmin and Felix stepped in from the entrance.

“Yep,” said Seungmin, withdrawing a large black mass from under his coat. 

Jeongin and Hyunjin both gasped. 

“Why is he so big?”

“I don’t know,” said Felix, taking him gently from Seungmin’s arms.  “But he was so scared, poor baby, he was underneath the desk.”

He set cat Bangchan down on the floor and went on his knees.  “So, the thing is Channie, this has been happening to me for a while, and now it’s happening to all of us. Well, except for Minho and Changbin and Seungmin – most of us then.  You’ll turn back -  you just have to give it a moment.”

The cat made a pained meow and Han closed his eyes.  He wished Felix would take cat Chan elsewhere. He hated thinking about Chan trapped the same way he had been. 

“For me it’s helpful if I think of my human body, of being tall and able to grab things,” said Felix. The cat was just staring at him as if desperate to understand. 

“Okay I’m gonna turn into a cat too Channie. You’re gonna see, it’s not that hard-” and a moment later Felix had transformed his body into a fluffy white cat.  He looked comically small next to Chan, just a little kitten. 

It took almost an hour for Chan to regain his human body, and in the meantime there was chaos around Han. Hyunjin turned into a cat while holding a cup of water and spilled it all over everything, including his fur.  Changbin accidentally stepped on cat Felix’s tail and Jeongin was practicing the art of transformation, going from human to cat, and cat to human, so many times it made Han feel sick to his stomach.  

He stayed in the armchair, wanting everyone to forget about him. Occasionally Felix would ask him if he wanted help with the transformation but Han would just shake his head. 

Human Bangchan was as freaked out as Han felt. “That was so crazy, I really thought - it’s over for me-” he said, shaking his head. 

“It was a long one,” said Felix comfortingly by his side, patting a hand on his shoulder. 

“Thank you for coming to get me,” he said. “I had been a cat for like hours already when you showed up.”

“Yeah, I don’t know what’s happening today,” said Felix.  “But it’s getting stronger; now five of the members are transforming.”

Chan nodded solemnly and then glanced up at Han.  “How are you feeling?”

He shrugged unconvincingly. 

Chan came over and sat on the floor by his armchair.  “I know it’s really scary.”

“I hate it,” said Han bitterly. 

“But Felix is right.”

Han sighed and closed his eyes. No, he did not accept Felix being right about this. “I’m not gonna do it.”

“What’s the alternative?” asked Changbin. “If we don’t get a handle on this it could happen during a performance, an interview, on the street.”

He had heard this argument before, and he knew that it was solid, logical, but he didn’t feel solid or logical at the moment. The cat fiasco had made him feel strange, like there was something temporary about his body, his reality.

“I really don’t think I can do it,” he whispered so that only Chan could hear. 

Bangchan put a hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes.  It was a parental look: steady, trusting, and Han could see the faith that his leader had in him.  “You can,” he mouthed.

Han shook his head and in response Chan squeezed his elbow.  “I’ve seen you do a lot of things you thought you couldn’t,” he said.  “This is just going to be one more of them, okay?”

“What if I get stuck like that?”

“Not gonna happen.”

“You can’t guarantee that.”

“If you’re a cat, Han, then so am I. We’re not gonna let anyone get stuck by themselves. We’re in this together.”

Han sighed.  He could feel the pressure in the room, but he also knew that Chan meant every word he had said. There was no way he would ever abandon his kids.  

Grudgingly Han nodded.  “Okay, let's do this.”

-

For Jeongin it felt like hours of pure chaos.  It felt like they were trying to learn new choreo while totally inebriated and Jeongin might have found it funny if it hadn’t been such an emotional process.  Felix had become their teacher, speaking soothingly to them as they went in and out of cat form, and giving them hints and advice on their transformation. 

Jeongin had managed to transform and turn himself back into a human several times during the course of the night, but each time it felt exhausting, and he always returned to his human form with zero energy.  

“How do you do this over and over again?” he asked Felix.  

“I don’t know, for me it kinda feels natural,” he said with a shrug, as he gently pet cat Hyunjin on his lap.  

Hyunjin and Bangchan were not having a very good time. They had both managed to turn back into a cat, but they had a very hard time becoming humans again. Hyunjin began crying, making high meowing sounds that pulled Jeongin’s heart strings. 

Bangchan took the opposite route and simply attempted to behave like their leader, even though he was a cat.  He would pace around them and nudge them to get back to work with his head, which was probably more comical than he realized. 

Han was the only one who seemed stumped. He was trying very hard to turn back into a cat, but it just wasn’t working. His legs would shake underneath him as he stood and no matter what Felix said it just didn't seem to be happening.

“Maybe it means it’s not gonna happen to me again-” he said, his voice betraying his lack of faith in his own words. 

“I think it’s going to happen to all of us eventually,” said Seungmin.

“No, not to me,” answered Changbin, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s never happened, and it never will.”

Seungmin leaned forward like he was about to say something but in the blink of an eye Changbin had disappeared, and in his place was - was - Jeongin was not entirely sure.  It looked like a kitten, but a very oddly shaped one.  Changbin wasn’t like any cat Jeongin had ever seen really.  He was black and white, with rounded ears, big eyes, and a body which was low to the ground but unproportionally long.  

“Ahhh!” shrieked Felix coming from the other side of the living room.  “Oh my god,” he said, dropping to his knees in front of the armchair now housing Changbin’s strange cat form. “He’s a munchkin.”

“He’s a what?” asked Jeongin.

Felix was stretching a hand to gently pet Changbin who was looking alarmed, his eyes round and startled. “You’re a little munchkin cat, oh that’s so cute Binnie,” he cooed. “I love you.”

“Cute?” said Hyunjin.  “He looks misshapen.”

“Yeah, munchkin cats are a little weird, but I think they’re so cute-” he said, pulling cat Changbin against his chest.

“Well, I guess this proves my theory,” said Seungmin.  “I think this is going to happen to all of us.”

“We don’t know that,” snapped Han.  

“But it’s most likely,” retorted Seungmin. 

Jeongin skillfully went between them before Han said anything back, picking up cat Bangchan on his way.  “Let’s just help Chan turn back into himself.”

“Yes, poor Binnie,” said Felix in a baby voice as he rubbed Changbin’s rounded ears. 

“Poor Chan, he’s been stuck like that for hours,” said Han, pointing to the black cat in Jeongin’s arms. 

“Well really,” said Seungmin. “It’s not like anyone is having a good time.”

“Felix is,” said Han.  

Jeongin knew his roommate well, and he could see that all this stress and anxiety was really getting to him. He wasn’t usually this argumentative; luckily neither Suengmin nor Felix took the bait. 

“You know it’s already 6 AM and we didn’t sleep at all,” said Felix.  

“And somehow we’re supposed to go to work today,” muttered Han.

“Well, I mean, with Chan and Changbin as cats, and everyone else possibly turning into cats,” said Seungmin saying the words as if he couldn’t believe they were real. “Then I don’t think we can.”

“We didn’t have a lot to do today,” piped Jeongin. “Just a recording session in the afternoon, but we can push that.”

“That is true,” agreed Hyunjin. 

“But how do we explain it? Like what do we tell our manager?”

“Maybe we just send him a picture with this cutie,” said Felix pointing to Changbin who was curled up on Felix’s lap.  

“That’s really not an option-” said Seungmin, remaining the voice of reason. “We have to keep trying to control it, all of us.”

“Easy for you to say!” said Han. “You haven’t transformed yet.”

Jeongin reached over and put a hand on his shoulder. “That’s not his fault,” he reminded him quietly.  “Maybe we should take a little break.”

“I am sleepy,” said Felix, his fingers absentmindedly stroking Changbin’s fur. 

“I guess we could make some coffee and breakfast,” suggested Hyunjin.

They agreed, and as a group they moved back to the kitchen.  It was funny to see cat Chan moving behind them, as he always did, their leader, their protector.  And it was cute too to see little Changbin with his short legs running to keep up with them.  

Things really are never boring around here, thought Jeongin as he took a seat at the breakfast table, watching as Felix leaned down and asked two cats what they would like for breakfast. 

-

Minho had a playlist ready for his ride home.  He was sitting in the back of an uber, staring out of the window at the cars passing by on the highway, one after another.  His arm was against the door, leaning slightly out, so that the sunshine hit the right side of his body.  

Minho loved going home.  He loved the moment that he got a break from his life with the other boys, his life as an idol, and went back to something that was more simple.  He took a lot of pride in being a good son and a good father, and he returned home as often as he could manage.  

This visit had been a nice one.  It had been his mother’s 45th birthday and he had sent her off on a spa day while he and his father cooked dinner for her and her friends. Everybody had been so impressed with him, and all his aunties had brought Stray Kids merch along with them, saying how handsome the members were, and how talented they were, and asking in a roundabout way if they were available to date their daughters and nieces, and sometimes even pulling up Instagram pages to show him how pretty they were. 

Minho complimented all the girls but privately snickered to himself, knowing there was no way in hell they would end up with any of the members.  

Of course besides seeing his mother so happy and glowing with pride in him, the best part about coming home was spending time with his cats.  

He had never quite gotten used to living in the cat-less dorm room.  Never having to share your pillow with anyone, never being greeted at the door by a fluffy friend. He missed it.  For Minho no place could really feel like home if there wasn’t a cat there.  

In fact, lately he had been dreaming of bringing the cats into the dorm.  Maybe it would be possible now that he had three roommates instead of seven. Of course he would have to approach the request cautiously, but it would truly make him a lot happier, and maybe the members would understand that. Lately he had been dreaming about cats almost every day, and he had even done a sort of ‘vision board’ during the summer that largely featured cats, because that was quite possibly his greatest source of happiness. 

If he couldn’t live with them, maybe there was another way to interact with them.  He had suggested many times that they have a cat themed music video, so maybe that could happen, or maybe he would just take Han to some cat cafes and hope that that was enough to fulfill his need for feline company.  

He started searching for some on his phone, checking the reviews and the pictures as their car brought him closer and closer to their dorm rooms.  

When he arrived Minho thanked the driver, and then got out, pulling his small backpack along.  It was only as he climbed the stairs that he remembered the strange call Changbin had made to him the night before. It had obviously been some sort of prank, but a peculiar one, and not very funny.  Minho pulled out his phone. It was strange that Changbin hadn’t texted him back, and for that matter none of the boys had; even their group chat was silent.  

He frowned down at his phone.  He had sent Han three messages that morning already and none of them had been answered.  

For a moment he lingered at the door of his apartment, then instead of going in he climbed up another flight to the apartment that Changbin shared with Han and Bangchan and Hyunjin. Although he didn’t live here, he had the key and he entered, pushing open the door.  

“Hello!” he called out as he entered. “Hannie?”

He had expected to hear some sort of noise – a tv, a stereo, the members talking or  laughing, but the apartment was ominously quiet.  

“Han!” he yelled. 

“Minho–” came a reply from the living room. 

He frowned; he knew that voice. Why was Seungmin here?

Quickly he removed his shoes, left them with his bag by the door, and moved towards the sound of Seungmin’s voice, but he didn’t make it very far. 

The next moment he saw something that made him freeze in his tracks.  

There was a cat , a real life cat approaching him.  It was small, fluffy and white with large blue eyes.  

Minho dropped to his knees as it approached, extending his hand to touch its fur as it rubbed its head against Minho’s leg. 

“Seungmin! Why is there a cat?”

“I don’t have the energy to explain it,” came his defeated voice from the sofa.  

“What do you mean?”

There was a sigh.  “It’s not a cat.”

Minho stared at the small furry creature with the large blue eyes. He knew cats and this was definitely a cat. “I’m pretty sure it is.”

“No, that's-” there was a scramble and Seungmin sat up where he was lying on the sofa to look at the cat in front of Minho. “Oh, that’s just Felix.”

“Wh-” Minho was about to ask another question when he spotted another cat, peeking out at him from the other side of the sofa.  It was a gray striped cat, with narrowed yellow eyes.  “There’s another one!” he said with amazement, staring from this second cat to Seungmin.

What was happening?

“You should temper your excitement; there are six of them.”

“Six of what?”

“Come on everyone, come on out, greet the great cat butler-” said Seungmin in a bored voice as he stifled a yawn.  

Minho stood up. He was about to ask if they were filming for some bizarre new reality show or something when movement caught his eyes.  A large majestic black cat had just hopped on the back of Seungmin's sofa, and there was a little Munchkin cat underneath the coffee table and–

Minho would never be able to describe it, or explain why, but the moment he saw this cat, everything changed for him. He took one step towards it.  It was a beautiful gray cat, its fur even, smooth, with an almost bluish tinge, as if it had stepped right out of an anime.  Its eyes were green and they were looking at him and instantly Minho just knew. 

“Han?”

“Wow, you recognize him as a cat; that’s impressive,” said Seungmin. 

Minho took a step towards him.  Han looked so small as a cat, and his body was quivering slightly.  Minho wouldn’t say he was the best at reading people, but he knew cat behavior, and he knew that this little guy was terrified.  

He went on his knees in front of him, extending his hand, letting the Han approach at his own pace.

For a moment those green eyes stared at him, cautious, frightened, and then he took a step towards him, nudging his small body against his knee. 

“Honey,” said Minho, in his softest tone, his fingers gently scratching as his ears.  It was the strangest experience Minho had ever had.  It was like he was looking at Han without looking at Han. There was something in the way this cat moved, in the way he looked at him, that was so familiar, so endearing.

He stayed on the ground for several minutes, petting the cat, and then he looked back at Seungmin. 

“What happened?

“Well, Felix started turning into a cat months ago, and now apparently his cat-disease is contagious and we all have it.”

“You too?”

Seungmin shook his head. “Not yet.”

“But Felix hasn’t been like this for months ; everyone else was normal a couple days ago.”

“Oh, they can switch back and forth. Well some of them can, others still have difficulty,” said Seungmin pointing directly at Han.  

“We’ve been using a timer, it’s set every seven minutes, they’re supposed to change when it goes off. Felix and Jeongin can do it perfectly by now, and Changbin and Hyunjin are getting the hang of it. It’s these two that are the problem-” he pointed first at Han and then at the massive, black cat that was perched on the back of his sofa. 

“That’s Chan!” Minho exclaimed, laughing. “Why is he so big?”

Seungmin shrugged. “No idea, no idea about any of it actually. I’ve stopped trying to make sense of it.”

Suddenly a loud buzzing echoed through the room.  It was Seungmin’s alarm and he held his phone up looking at all the cats in the room.  “Alright, time to turn back everyone!”

If interacting with cat Han had been weird then there was no word to describe how strange it was to witness Felix’s sudden reappearance into the room, in the exact spot the little white cat had been.  

“Hey, Minho-” he said, coming over and hugging him from behind. “Missed you.”

“I would have come sooner if I had known there were cats involved-” he said laughing. 

Jeongin had come back to himself too, and he was crouched by the sofa, his head leaning against the arm rest sleepily, but in front of him Han was still very much a cat. 

“Aren’t you supposed to transform-” he whispered to him, poking his front leg. 

Poor cat Han was shaking. 

“He’s had a hard time,” said Felix.  “He really doesn’t like being a cat.”

“Neither do I!” came Hyunjin’s voice.  Minho glanced behind him to find Hyunjin on all fours behind one of the armchairs. “It’s terrifying.”

“But at least you’re getting really good at transforming,” said Felix, who had stood up and was going over to Chan who had jumped to the coffee table.  Minho watched as he knelt by him, whispering encouraging words. 

As he said it, Minho spotted a little black and white Munchkin cat and burst out laughing.  “Changbin?”

The little cat seemed to glare at him, gathering its dignity.  

“Yeah, he’s the cutest,” said Felix.  

Minho stared down at Han.  No , he didn’t think so.  

Within a few minutes Changbin had changed back, and the six humans surrounded Chan and Han, the remaining cats. 

“Come on you can do it old man,” said Changbin poking Chan.  

Han was snuggled against Minho’s hip, curled up into a little gray fur ball. He had such feelings of tenderness towards him at that moment. 

“I think I want a moment alone with him,” said Minho, suddenly getting to his feet, Han’s big green eyes following his movements. 

“Come on, let’s go to your room.”

As he went he felt Han’s light steps following him. 

Han’s room was familiar, comfortable, a part of him, and Minho closed the door and sat down on the unmade bed.  Han had left clothes all over the floor, and his cat self maneuvered around them before hopping up onto Minho’s lap. 

“I know you hate this-” Minho began.  “But no matter what I’m gonna be with you, you’re not alone, and you’re not defenseless.”

He leaned down and kissed the top of cat Han’s head. “I always got you-” he whispered softly. 

A moment later cat Han had turned into a very human Han, his ass on Minho’s lap, his legs dangling down.  

“Ah,” he groaned, tilting his head back so that it touched Minho’s shoulder.  “That was awful.”

Minho put his arms around Han’s middle. “You looked cute though.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better.”

Minho hummed, he was close to him, his face buried in the other’s hair. “But you did it; you managed it.”

Han nodded and hopped off of him, running a hand through his brown hair.  “Let's go back and see if Chan has changed back.”

The five others were still in the living room, cat Chan sitting by Felix.

“Oh, he’s back!” said Jeongin. 

“Yeah,” answered Han sheepishly, immediately taking a seat on one of the armchairs. 

“Now, it’s just-” began Felix but as he said it cat Chan turned back into real Chan. 

“Ah! We’re all human again,” said Felix, putting his arms around Chan.  “I love that.”

“Well I wasn’t going to leave Hannie alone,” said Chan smiling at Han.  

One by one they took seats around the sofas.  Minho ended up piled with Han almost on his lap and Chan sitting so close that their bodies felt like they were glued together.  He listened to them go one by one telling the stories of their transformation and how it felt.  Minho loved moments like this, when all of them were together, limbs intertwined, so that it was difficult to know whose arm or leg that was.  He always appreciated that closeness, that sense of affection that they had for each other. 

Soon the conversation turned on the why.  Why had this happened?

“Maybe it’s an idol thing,” suggested Hyunjin.  “We should ask some other groups?”

“Oh, yeah cause that sounds normal. Sorry Hoongjoon, are you and your boys turning into cats by chance?” said Han sarcastically. 

“I would probably start with Sana; it could be a JYP thing,” said Chan. 

“No, that’s ridiculous; if it was an idol thing we would have heard already,” countered Changbin. 

“But what else, contaminated water?” asked Hyunjin. 

“Or a radioactive cat?” suggested Felix. 

“But we weren’t bitten-” insisted Han.  

“And why has this not affected Minho and I?” asked Seungmin. 

Minho leaned forward. It was strange, but he couldn’t help but think that something about this had to do with him.  It felt like this was the result of the vision board he had made all those months ago. He had asked for more cats in his life and more cats had appeared, but how could he say that without sounding crazy.  

Well, with the situation being as it was, Minho figured that it was impossible not to sound crazy.  

“I think this is my fault-” he said, speaking up above the other members.

As one, everyone turned to him.  “I mean I don’t know how ,” he emphasized.  “But basically I’ve been missing my cats a lot, and wanting to spend more time with my cats, and a few months ago I made a vision board with a lot of cats in it, and-” he shrugged.  “I guess I’ve been praying too, asking for more cat time in my life.”

“Mystic Minho,” said Felix, eyes wide. 

“Yeah, and even the fact that Seungmin didn’t transform, that feels right because he’s-” he wrinkled his nose. “Not a cat, he just doesn’t have the right energy.”

“Oh my god, you’re so powerful,” said Hyunjin. 

Next to him Han put a hand on thigh.  “You did this?”

“I didn’t mean to! I just, I don’t know. I have a feeling it was me.”

“Well, thank you,” said Felix, who was seated between Jeongin and Hyunjin. “I really love being a cat.”

Minho laughed. “I always thought you were very cat-like.”

Felix smiled, all sunshine, and the next moment he transformed into a little white fluffy kitty.  And even though Minho knew objectively that it was a human and not a cat, he left the sofa and sat down on the floor as he approached, stroking his head, his pointed little ears.  

“I guess we’re just cat boys now?” said Hyunjin, watching the interaction. 

“Speak for yourself,” said Seungmin, smirking. 

“Hey, if they’re all cats, then do you know what that makes us?” asked Minho.

“What?” asked Seungmin with a hint of apprehension in his voice.

Minho grinned. “We’re both full time cat butlers now.”

There was a round of laughter and then one by one the members began turning into cats until Minho was surrounded.  Hyunjin beautiful and regal, Changbin with his short little legs and his circular ears, and Minho was just filled with love for all of them. 

The only one who hadn’t transformed was Han. 

“I’m really sorry that you hate this so much,” said Minho. “I didn’t mean to freak you out like that.  I had no idea I had the power to do this.”

Han moved from the sofa to the floor, putting his arms around Minho and resting his chin on his shoulder. “It’s okay,” he said, and then he added, “They are pretty cute; look at striped Jeongin,” he added, extending a hand to pet their maknae. 

Soon Seungmin had joined them on the floor too, and it had turned into chaotic cat hours again.  

As strange as it was, Minho could honestly say it was one of the best moments they had ever spent as a group.