Chapter Text
Yeowoon had just left work and was on his way home.
.
.
.
The sun had long set, and the sky had turned dark. Yeowoon finished late, as always.
At this time, the neighborhood was peacefully quiet, save for the distant hum of the traffic.
As he was wandering down the sidewalk...
...a figure emerged from one of the alleys.
"Greetings, I am Magic Man." walking out of the shadows, he magically introduced himself in a magical tone.
He wore a dark blue cloak with yellow stars scattered all over it, a long plastic wand, the kind you'd find in a toy store for children, and a wizard hat. It was as if he was a reallife magician. It was magical.
Yeowoon blinked in confusion, unsure whether to laugh or to walk away quickly. Before Yeowoon could say anything, the 'Magic Man' continued, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
"I will turn you into a cat now!" he said enthusiastically. With one flick of his lowquality wand, a bright glow surrounded Yeowoon.
In a blink, Yeowoon's hands transformed into furry paws, a tail springing up from his lower back, his whole body shrinking into a much tinier size. The world around him only seemed to grow larger.
Yeowoon was now in the form of a small cat. He looked at his paws, which were covered in soft, brown fur.
"Ta-da!" The 'Magic Man' exclaimed dramatically, turning around and exiting.
What???
Yeowoon stood frozen on the pavement, utterly bewildered.
Is he dreaming?
No...this seemed all too real.
How was this possible?
Did that person really just leave?
What is he supposed to do now?
Is he really a cat?
How the hell does he even turn back?
Does he just nicely walk into his home as if nothing had happe-
Wait.
Jigu.
He could find Yoon Jigu.
Café Earth should be open at this hour, right?
Is Jigu still working?
What if he already went home?
Will he just be stranded on the streets?
Especially during the night...doesn't sound nice at all.
Thousands of scenarios overcame him.
No, snap out of it. He must find Jigu.
Yeowoon finally freed himself from his thoughts, trying not to overthink too much, practically sprinting to Café Earth now.
With each step, he stumbled, not used to running on all fours. His short legs felt quite awkward as his paws skidded on the pavement, making him trip every few steps. He rounded a corner too sharply, nearly colliding with a lamppost, but quickly regained his balance. Heart racing, he dashed into a narrow alley for a quicker route, darting past dumpsters, trying to ignore the fear slowly overtaking him.
At last, he reached the café, going into an abrupt stop.
It was just as he had hoped. The lights were shining brightly through the windows. A wave of relief swept over him, but it was quickly followed by another surge of anxiety. Could Jigu be there?
He scrambled up onto the windowsill, nearly hitting his head on the tall window. Yeowoon focused his eyes ahead.
And right behind the counter...
Was Yoon Jigu!
He seemed to be nearly done with his shift - cleaning up the tables, collecting finished cups of coffee and taking off his apron. There were no customers left. Looks like Yeowoon made it just in time!
Jigu waved and said his goodbye to a woman that looked to be his mother, walking towards the entrance.
At the sound of the café bell ringing, Jigu paused at the opened gray door and was met with the cool night air. He stood there for a brief moment, letting the calm breeze brush over his face.
Jigu closed the door and slightly glanced beside the café by chance, only to double-check and look again.
That's when the two locked eyes.
The cat jumped down and ran up to him while meowing. Jigu knew the area pretty well and also fed a fair share of the local strays, but he hasn't seen this one around yet.
When it came closer, he noticed it's features - brown fur, a long thin tail and eyes that almost perfectly matched it's pelt color. That's one rare combination for a cat.
Although...
It looked just like Yeowoon.
Cute.
"Meow! Meow meow meow, meow!!!"
"What's the matter little one? Are you lost?" Jigu asked in a soft, comforting tone.
Yeowoon's fur bristled at the thought of being called "little one", which didn't sit right with him at all.
"Meow meow meow, meow, meowwww?!"
No matter how hard Yeowoon tried, all the words he frantically wanted to say ended up translating to panicked meows.
So the 'Magic Man' didn't even give him the luxury of being a talking cat and communicating normally, huh?
Jigu, on the other hand, only seemed to grow more concerned.
"Sorry, I don't have any treats on me right now...you poor thing..." he murmured sympathetically.
Yeowoon supressed the wince at his words, putting on a cute and pitiful face no one could refuse.
He started striking various poses, trying to pursue Jigu into taking him home.
He flopped onto his side in dramatic way, bringing one paw over his face and kicking his legs up in an exaggerated, helpless gesture. It was ridiculous for him to be acting like this, but also effective.
Jigu kneeled down, reaching his hand towards the furry creature - and when the cat didn't pull away, he started petting him.
"You seem oddly friendly, though. Do you have an owner?" Jigu reached to find a nametag or a collar of some sort, and to his dismay, he found nothing.
But looking for the owner was too troublesome for him at the moment.
Scratch that, Jigu was going to take it home for the night and take a look at it properly in the morning.
He couldn't just leave the cat by itself.
"Would you mind if I took you home? I promise you'll feel comfortable there~ You'll even have a friend!"
Yes! The plan was working!
He wasn't going to spend the rest of his life on the streets!
Seeing how the cat appeared to look somewhat relieved, Jigu scooped it into his arms in a gentle manner and carried it home.
The only thing on Yeowoon's mind was to find out how to turn back...