Chapter Text
It kept on happening over and over again, as if according to a pre-made scenario. Chaeyoung was no longer surprised by anything. Her family and friends too. There was no logical explanation for this, and she couldn't find an illogical one either. It just... was like this. And it hasn't changed for about ten years.
Chaeyoung was loved by cats — every one of them, absolutely without exception. Both homeless and belonging to her friends. The cats always followed her around, rubbing against her legs and purring, trying to attract her attention. And they also walked her home from school every day. Because of this, classmates nicknamed Chaeyoung the "Cat Charmer".
She loved cats, too. They were so cute, fluffy, soft, and warm that it was impossible to resist. And it also seemed to the girl that they were looking out for her.
But her parents didn't like it. There was even a rule in their house: no cats. For this, Hank was adopted, whom they got from a man with a pretty... ambiguous reputation. There were rumors he was a witcher or something like that. Chaeyoung didn't believe it, of course, but the man always made her feel an unpleasant heaviness in her chest.
There were two more rules. One of them was that a trip to church was mandatory on Sundays and could't be missed for any reason. Chaeyoung was okay with this requirement; her parents were devoted Catholics, so she saw nothing unusual in it.
She didn't understand only the third ban — about the trips to Korea to her grandparents. Her parents always gave her the same answer: "Tickets are too expensive." It made little sense, because they used to fly there every summer. But it's been ten years since they stopped. It was a little sad, but Chaeyoung was already used to it.
All her days were the same. School, home, extracurricular activities, and church. And cats. Only lately, something had changed, and the girl didn't know what to think about it.
Usually, only cats accompanied her home, but now she started to feel the presence of someone else.
It started shortly before her eighteenth birthday. Her parents looked somehow excited and tired, and after the holiday itself they took Chaeyoung to the church, where she was purified. But it didn't give her any peace.
Chaeyoung felt like she was being watched. It's as if someone hidden was looking at her from a distance, repeating her every step. But when she turned around, unable to withstand this feeling of someone else's gaze, she didn't see anyone.
What was even stranger was that this person didn't seem dangerous to her. She didn't know how to explain it. Yes, someone or something followed her wherever she went, but it didn't cause the girl fear. These gazes... It was like another cat was watching her. Only it definitely wasn't.
Chaeyoung got used to it over time, too. And then the dreams began.
They were vague, incomprehensible, and confusing. It seemed to be Korea, but not quite. Wrong, as if turned inside out.
Chaeyoung recognized her grandparents' house, but here it was empty and overgrown with grass. She also recognized the forest behind this house, but the trees were different. Taller and more ancient, causing a kind of awe. She recognized the river, the roads, and the rice fields. There was only one element that was unfamiliar to her.
If you walked along a barely noticeable path, as if laid by small animals, deep into the forest, then there, in a clearing hidden behind a tangle of branches, was an old altar.
In the dream, Chaeyoung always approached it cautiously but without fear. There were cats lying at its foot, and on the platform itself was a statue of one of them.
She felt the same gaze on her as in the real world. Only now could she finally see who it was.
Short stature, shorter than Chaeyoung herself. Dark hair, straight and slightly disheveled. A stealthy, soft gait. A sly smile. And the eyes... The cat's eyes.
It was a girl, but Chaeyoung was sure only outwardly. Her eyes betrayed her true nature.
In the dream, Chaeyoung realized that they were always the same. Each of the cats that met her on the street and that accompanied her home had this girl's eyes. They were her.
Her dreams usually ended with this thought, but the girl followed her into reality. Now, when she turned around, Chaeyoung always saw her silhouette.
She didn't tell her parents about it. A small voice in her head whispered that you shouldn't. They will only worry even more. Let it be our secret. A little secret just for two. And Chaeyoung kept silent.
Her days were no longer monotonous. The girl was restless, as if she was living in anticipation of something. She had to go somewhere; she couldn't stay here. Chaeyoung needed to go to Korea.
"Why do you suddenly want to go there?" Her mother looked at her in surprise. "Roseanne, you know why we stopped flying there. Tickets are too much..."
"Expensive. Yes, I remember." Chaeyoung interrupted her. "But I want to see them, especially grandpa. He's been sick for a long time; this may be my last chance. I want to hug him while it's still possible."
Mrs. Park studied her daughter. She didn't know if she was telling the truth or not. They left Korea in a hurry and swore they wouldn't return there. It was dangerous. All these ten years, they've been trying to protect Roseanne, to hide her from this... demon. They were told to wait until she came of age, but the Park couple still couldn't get rid of the feeling that the threat hadn't passed yet.
The woman hesitated. She understood her daughter, but still...
"Honey, nothing... unusual has happened to you lately?"
"No." Chaeyoung pretended to be confused.
"And the cats... are they still following you?"
The girl tilted her head slightly, examining her mother. She knew something. Well, yes, of course she did. But she refused to talk about it.
"They do. But they're just cats, right? They've always done that."
"Yes, just cats." Mrs. Park was quiet for a few moments. "Okay. But promise me you'll be careful. And you will obey your grandparents, whatever they ask you to do."
Chaeyoung smiled.
"Of course, mom."
A familiar path, a familiar altar. Already a familiar girl. She was standing right in front of her, and the palm on Chaeyoung's cheek was so soft and warm.
The girl blinked slowly and squinted a little.
"Soon we will meet for real. I'll be waiting."