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pat, pat, pat - tiny paws traversed the concrete jungle, hurrying somewhere. they jumped over ruined roads and pavements, evading fallen debris and huge chunks with ease and precision. somewhere in the distance, monster shrieks and rumbles rang out, but it was none of the cat's business.
‘damn it, why did a dungeon have to break out today of all days.’
grumbling internally, i jumped over a hole in the pavement, speeding past a shop i used to frequent on my way home. i hope the owner lady is safe.
i was almost halfway through the dungeon break area. it's a good thing monsters don't react to normal animals like they do to humans, otherwise i would already be dead. although even if they did, running in the cat form is far better, because this way, I'm smaller, harder to spot, and way faster. sure, being a human is also great, but sometimes turning back into a cat isn't half bad.
another rumble rang out closer than before. turning my head, i locked eyes with a tall, handsome man. the seseong guild leader sure is hard at work. fighting.
just then, not breaking our eye contact, his hand smoothly called for a golden chain floating around him protectively. something inside me screamed to run, but-
jjjik-!
i was too slow. the bastard! he bound me with his chains and smiled at me, pulling me closer.
“apologies, I can't exactly afford to be gentle at the moment. i hope you bear with me while i clean this place up.”
he looked at me with so much interest in his eyes, like i was a new lifeform he just discovered after years of scientific drought… with my f rank strength against his s rank one, i could do nothing but hiss at him in response. so that's all i did.
—
the seseong guild leader made swift work of rogue monsters, even though they were supposed to be at least b rank. it was annoying, but his grip was also strong and rather stable for someone who was in the middle of dealing with a dungeon break all by himself. i tried to scratch and bite at him with all my might, but he only chuckled as if it was ticklish, which only pissed me off more, yet i still couldn't do any damage to him. those damn s ranks and their tough skin.
“that's right, you shouldn't needlessly waste your energy. wait until i get home, it's almost over now.”
he lightly scratched my chin with his finger when i stopped resisting and smiled as i glared at him. it's okay. he'll definitely drop his guard down when he fights the boss. that's when I'll take my chance and flee.
…except i didn't. the boss was an a rank against an s rank, sure, but he didn't even break a sweat! the monster could do nothing but shriek when faced with that man’s mana charged chains aiming for its neck. i almost felt bad for it, seeing the battle end without it even having a chance to fight back. honestly, the seseong guild leader might be more of a monster than the dungeon boss… and just like he promised, after it was over, he went home.
so now, for some reason i cannot even begin to point down, i was at seseong guild.
—
sung hyunjae didn't spend long exchanging pleasantries with his guild members, who were asking him how the dungeon break went and who this cat was. after passing a few requests and commands, he finally made it past the mini portal leading to his residence, at last.
the cat in question seemed to have resigned its futile escape attempts, now looking at its new surroundings curiously and completely ignoring the man holding it securely.
when he got to the second floor and put the cat down, telling it to feel at home, it didn't waste a second and immediately scurried under a nearby sofa, not even sparing him a glance.
—
the first few hours with the new guest were rather uneventful. all the cat did was stay under a sofa, hissing and glaring at its neighbour if he happened to lock eyes with it. but other than that, it didn't move. and neither did sung hyunjae. he finished all his work with a laptop he took from a drawer, now leisurely observing his new pet. surprisingly enough, the cat did the same. it was staring at him rather intensely, quietly hitting its tail against the floor in contempt.
sung hyunjae knew it when he first met its eyes, but he was even more sure now. this cat wasn't ordinary.
normal pets under normal circumstances would bolt as soon as they saw even d rank hunters, but this one only did it after it saw him pull his chains closer, as if understanding what he was going to do. the few moments before that, there was not a twinge of concern in the cat's eyes, as it looked at him head on. it was as if it was simply passing by a street sign, not an s rank hunter in the middle of a fight.
but before that, the cat was taking a stroll in a dungeon break area. and in the very centre of it, too. now isn't that a first? that is why sung hyunjae decided on a whim: he couldn't let this cat go.
since the cat didn't seem to have any intention to move with him in the room and had nowhere to go, sung hyunjae decided to go to the kitchen to prepare its dinner for his new cohabitant.
as he opened the door, he heard tiny hurried footsteps behind. but he pretended not to, only smiling lightly and going on as if nothing was going on.
taking his time to skillfully brew a cup of tea and unzip 4 different kinds of cat food he had his guild members prepare for him beforehand, sung hyunjae placed 4 small bowls on the kitchen counter for the cat to choose. after finishing up, he finally turned to his guest, who was still standing in the doorframe and observing him.
as soon as he met its black eyes, the cat's hair stood on end and it started hissing again.
“my, you're rather shy. I'll leave you alone, so please eat to your heart's content.”
with that, he graciously walked out as if his job here was done, not forgetting to take the tea with him.
as soon as the view was clear and the cat was left alone in the room, it's bristled hair smoothed out.
‘well, that's at least something.’
it was annoying enough that he kidnapped me, but why did he stay in the same room all the time? do s rank guild leaders have nothing better to do? even yoohyun- …no, he also didn't go out much. hm. i guess s ranks don't have much incentive to go outside, anyway. or it would just be bothersome, what with them being akin to celebrities.
but still, i was finally left alone. looking at the bowls full of cat food did make my stomach grumble a bit, but sorry, i swore to stop eating this stuff long ago. even though it's presumably pretty balanced and healthy.
confirming once more that the seseong guild leader won't be coming back, i looked around the kitchen.
…and wow. as expected, it was really spacious. I don't think a single person needs such a big kitchen. there were all sorts of appliances and utensils, some of them i’ve never even seen before, a big oven and a table large enough for at least six people to sit at with room to spare. ugh, why do you need a camera in your own house? that guy was weird, after all. although it was obvious by the fact that he took a random cat home on a whim. even preschoolers know not to pick animals off the streets, you bastard. although I wasn't exactly an animal.
anyway, i wasn't going to stay here any longer. should i be thankful that yoohyun was in a dungeon? at least this way, there wouldn't be a collision of s ranks, since he won't find out I'm not home yet.
jumping on the counter, i looked at the full bowls for a bit. I'm not usually one to waste food like that, but neither of us is going to eat it, so it doesn't matter. calm down, my conscience. even though the brands looked expensive, i doubt the seseong guild would go bankrupt over some cat food. but even if it did, it wouldn't be half bad.
i lifted my paw and swiped the first bowl to the floor with all my might. this jerk would probably be watching this. hurry and come. then i looked at the next bowl. all the cat food looked pretty much the same for me at this point.
it wasn't until all four bowls were on the floor and i reached for a full bag that i felt a presence at the doorframe. took you long enough. demonstratively dropping the open bag on the floor even after seeing that guy enter, i innocently looked straight at him.
sure, i made this mess, but you're not going to get mad at a cute little kitten, right? hurry and call a cleaner.
after a brief moment of looking at me and the floor, sung hyunjae sighed like it couldn't be helped.
“i see the food wasn't exactly to your taste. i apologise. of course, store food can't compare to homemade meals.”
then he turned a corner and… what… he started swiping the floor… by himself… what's wrong with him?
…i had assumed he'd be the type of person who leaves trivial stuff to everyone around him, and when he'd call a cleaner I'd just sneak out, but this guy was cleaning the messy floor himself. with his own two hands. and he looked ridiculously good doing it.
while i was stunned and simply watched the broom move from side to side, he finished and the floor was sparkling. then the crazy guy took a piece of beef from the fridge, a cutting board, a knife, and started slicing the meat into tiny pieces. my gaze unconsciously followed his every movement, and after a while, he slid a plate in front of me. full of beef. probably expensive beef. …really good smelling beef.
“meat is way better for you than any dry food.”
i was baffled beyond words. looking up, i noticed his gaze. the intensity of it made my fur stand and brought me back to my senses a little. …his face was practically telling me to not ever try making another scene.
“well then, I'll leave you to it. starving yourself won't benefit either of us, after all.”
saying that, he smiled in satisfaction, scratched behind my ear a bit, and left the kitchen. …shit. that was scary. still, that made me smile a bit, as much as i could afford with the limited facial features of a cat. so you're saying i should do my best entertaining you, huh. I'll take your challenge then, bastard. the beef was really good, even raw and without seasoning.
—
after the first ruckus, the black cat settled down a bit. of course, it was still extremely hostile and cautious, but it wasn't hiding under furniture. when it came from the kitchen after eating all the beef that time, it looked at sung hyunjae and settled down on an opposite sofa. then it started grooming its fur and laid down, sneaking glances at sung hyunjae from time to time, as if keeping him in check, but it didn't fall asleep in his presence.
it also ate better after the first time. it still didn't like sung hyunjae's company and would hiss at him until he tearfully left, but after that, it would gobble everything down. seems like the beef was to its taste.
it also felt like the cat had an uncanny sense of awareness. it usually stayed behind when sung hyunjae went to prepare food in the kitchen, and would show up only the moment he was done. any normal cat would follow right away at the mere implication of receiving food, or some lazy ones might lay around until the smell calls for them to come right away. but after watching back the camera footage, this cat was listening in until the moment sung hyunjae vanished to the kitchen, then looked to make sure he was really gone, and immediately bolted to survey the house.
the fun part was that it's like his new neighbour knew that it was being watched at all times. while looking at every nook and cranny, even in the walls and the ceiling, it would happen to land its gaze on a camera and flick its tail in discontent, before promptly looking away and continuing its walk. it happened way too many times to be called a coincidence. sung hyunjae found that extremely fascinating. the cat also never looked at the same camera twice. it was like it noted down the position of every one of them and was looking for more. loitering around the entrance seemed to be its favourite activity. then when it felt like food was almost ready, it padded to the kitchen, just in time to shoo sung hyunjae back to his room, and followed after finishing the meal. and then they continued to sit in silence, observing each other.
that's how most of their time together was spent. those few short days were rather pleasant. there weren't any urgent matters to attend, no dungeons that needed raiding, and no dungeon breaks. all his paperwork could be done from home, which he did diligently in the company of his new cohabitant. he was also curious what chief song taewon would think about this little home stay of his. the news of a cat the seseong guild leader brought with him after a dungeon break would probably reach his ears as soon as he finished his raid. he was looking forward to it, chuckling to himself. the cat must've found it strange, as it hissed at him and continued to look around the room.
—
sung hyunjae washed his hands after preparing a meal for both his housemate and himself early in the morning, when he got a message on his phone. the cat that just arrived in the kitchen saw him reading it.
[please let the cat go.]
it was a short message lacking context, but he instantly understood everything he needed to know. chief song taewon finished his raid. he must've been tired, but receiving a report about the seseong guild leader taking a cat home and shutting himself in… must've been unnerving. he let out a low chuckle and put the phone into his pocket.
“seems like I'll have to leave you alone today. i can count on you to behave, right?”
he asked, turning to the doorframe where the cat was observing him.
at the words, the cat's ears pricked up. its tail lifted slightly and its pupils dilated. it mewed quietly, as if saying ‘yes!’ at this sight, sung hyunjae nodded with satisfaction and started preparing to go out, leaving the cat in the kitchen. he heard it munching with a lot more energy than usual. taking his laptop with him and putting on a coat, he headed out to the awakening management office in high spirits.
—
honestly, i thought I'm gonna have to live the rest of my life with this guy. guild leaders seriously have nothing to do. he hasn't gone out a single time in those few days… annoying prick. of course, i didn't sit idly during this time.
his house was really big. i noticed it even when that guy dragged me in, but this place spelled the word ‘luxury’. it looked like a fancy hotel reception room, with a three storey high ceiling and an enormous fish tank in the middle. and that was just the lobby. the second floor was the living area. the kitchen, bathroom and all the rooms were here. the kitchen was separated from this guy's bedroom with a hallway, and it's where i had the displeasure of spending most of my time, including my nights. he would close the door to the hallway for the night, and would sit around watching me at day, so i could only move around freely when he went to the kitchen. but i made every minute count. he was probably having fun, knowing i wanted to sneak out, just dangling the possibility in front of me for a bit of time during our meals. but he still allowed me to wander, probably because he knew i couldn't run far enough in that time frame and he'd catch me right away.
and just like i thought, this crazy guy had cameras everywhere. in the short time i had while he was busy cooking, i checked every corner that could possibly have a camera installed, and lo and behold, it was there. it was even more annoying knowing that that guy would see the footage later, so i made sure to let him know i was annoyed after each camera i found. but he was probably finding this fun too. after i checked everything, i found almost no blind spots, but it wouldn't matter once i escaped anyway. the entrance didn't have any passwords or anything like that either, just a mini portal, so i could just walk out.
the biggest hurdle was this guy. all i needed was maybe an hour or two where he would go out for some business and i would be able to make a swift escape. and today.
‘seems like I'll have to leave you alone today. i can count on you to behave, right?’
i almost couldn't believe my ears when i heard this. i was getting a bit desperate because my little brother was supposed to finish his raid soon, but to think such an opportunity turned up when i needed it the most! of course, i said yes. in the only way i could with the limited vocal cords of a cat. he shouldn't worry and just go, he doesn't even need to come back. ever.
after finishing my meal that seemed to taste so much better today, i waited for around 10 minutes just to be safe, and headed to the bathroom after checking that everything's clear. it was the only place without a camera installed, for obvious reasons.
sneaking in, i could finally breathe as a human again. my eye level has been incredibly low all those days, so looking from so high up felt a bit unfamiliar now. it felt kinda like the first time i turned into a human. i even grew a little excited. still, i had to move quickly. taking out a note and a pen from my inventory, i quickly wrote him a message, purposefully writing in a different handwriting from my own, but keeping it readable and pretty. i even drew a little doodle in the corner. i smiled in satisfaction and put the pen away, then unfortunately turned back into a cat again.
then i padded away, following a route i already mapped out and visualised days ago, taking my sweet time. and finally, i was at the exit, at last, tasting freedom. i lifted my eyes and looked straight at a nearby camera.
honestly, he probably guessed that i wouldn't stay put. but he wouldn't be able to stay locked in his house forever, so 9 out of 10, he took this opportunity to see what I'd do if i had the perfect chance to run. and there's a high chance he'll watch the footage for his own amusement later. thank you for your curiosity, sir, sincerely. and fuck you for everything else. I'm leaving today. the beef was good.
meowing my thanks for the hospitality into the camera, i walked through the mini portal. i won't be back.
—
in the interrogation room with just the two of them, song taewon didn't ask anything about the cat. he silently waited for the other man to explain everything himself. the golden eyes looking at him thinned like crescent moons, and sung hyunjae silently sat down across song taewon. the space felt really cramped now.
sung hyunjae opened his laptop to show footage from his house. he rewinded to the time he left the house and opened the kitchen camera.
song taewon’s brows furrowed slightly when he saw a black cat with a white tail tip and socks eating on a counter.
“so it really is a cat…”
sung hyunjae nodded leisurely, but song taewon felt tense. small animals are usually afraid of hunters starting from as low as d rank, and being next to higher ranks would make them stressful. some pets could be taught to be comfortable around people they already knew, but that was more so an exception to the rule. and seeing that that cat was with sung hyunjae for days now didn't make song taewon happy in the slightest.
“we had a fun time together. although it didn't like me very much, and would much rather roam the house when it wasn't busy watching me.”
while explaining his daily life for the past couple of days, sung hyunjae skipped about 10 minutes and turned the screen back to song taewon.
the cat jumped down from the counter and walked out from the kitchen on its tiny paws. then across the hallway. then it walked into the slightly ajar bathroom door, one that sung hyunjae left like that so the cat could relieve itself at any time. a couple minutes later, the cat walked out confidently. it wasn't in a hurry, walking in a path like it rehearsed that route many times before. the two pairs of eyes followed its movements from the screen, one confused and one intrigued, watching it make its way through the house and changing cameras. it moved swiftly in one direction only, going down the stairs and passing the aquarium in the lobby. and just before going through the mini portal, the cat stopped. it looked straight at the nearby camera for a while, then meowed. and left.
all of that only took about 5 minutes. a clean escape. it would probably already be far away by now. and most likely, no one in the guild even tried stopping it, thinking it was just a cat.
song taewon tore his eyes off the screen and looked up, asking what all that was about. sung hyunjae had a big bright smile on his face.
“it's a cute one, right? it's been preparing an escape plan right in front of my nose all this time.”
song taewon closed his mouth. the way that cat acted after spending time with an s rank awakened person certainly wasn't normal. after mulling over it in his head, and while sung hyunjae was excitingly waiting for his next words, he finally opened his mouth.
“...could it be a beast transformation skill?”
it wasn't impossible in a world that got turned upside down just a couple years ago, and where people could shoot exploding arrows, freeze someone from the inside, or crush a tank with their pinky finger. and although there weren't any beast transformation skills known to the public, it didn't mean that they didn't exist. because if one had them, hiding them would be much more beneficial. hunters hid their skills all the time.
“I'm not ruling out that possibility. no, I'd welcome it. doesn't a cat transformation skill sound rather fun?”
sung hyunjae's voice was full of intrigue. whoever that person or animal is, song taewon felt bad for them. and he was glad that it had run away after having to spend days with the seseong guild leader of all people. but then, another thought crossed his mind.
“...if it is indeed an awakened person with a beast transformation skill, then hunter sung hyunjae might get charged with kidnapping and holding a person in captivity.”
“...”
at the blunt remark, sung hyunjae's eyes widened slightly. the grin he had earlier was nowhere to be found, and he was silent for a moment. he touched his chin, lost in his thoughts.
“...that is so, you're right.”
a new smile bloomed on his face, one even brighter than before. he hadn't considered a beast transformation skill before, only thinking that the cat was quite intelligent, but looking at the situation from that angle…
sung hyunjae started laughing. if that really was a person transformed into a cat, that would make the situation so much more fun.
“I'll have to find that cat and apologise to it properly then, don't i?”
song taewon couldn't help but let out an earth-shattering sigh as he looked at that laughing face. he felt very sorry for the cat person and wished they'd never cross paths with the seseong guild leader again, living a peaceful life.
—
as sung hyunjae made it back home in the evening and was preparing to go to sleep, he noticed a note on the bathroom counter. it was written in a neat way, like a human would, and he was sure there was no paper nor pens in his bathroom before.
the note read: [the stay was awful. 0 stars. -cat]
next to the signature was a small paw doodle. it made sung hyunjae chuckle.
—
i was finally home after those awful, long days! now able to turn back into a human and stretch out! wow, having hands and feet was genuinely amazing. I don't know how i could live without them before.
to pass time, i cleaned the house and rewarded myself for surviving the seseong guild leader with some fried chicken and beer. hm, that beef wasn't bad. still, seasoning is amazing. then, while watching tv and enjoying my rightful freedom in the evening, i got a message from kim sunghan.
[the raid is over. guild leader is safe.]
i immediately jumped up from my seat. that guy finished earlier than expected. he better have rested properly without rushing it again…
i quickly cleaned the table from my evening snack and put on the first jacket i found in the closet.
‘...ah. i should've cooked something for him. well, I'll do that when we're both home.’
i smiled as i put my shoes on and closed the door. i should cook something with a lot of meat for him. i didn't forget to throw the evidence of my reward meal in the trash outside. a car was already waiting for me in the parking lot. yeah, being human is definitely better. i texted kim sunghan as i hopped in.
[I'll be there soon.]
—
but my peace was short-lived…
i came back home with han yoohyun, forced him to sit still while i cooked meat for both of us, saying that he must've been tired, and then we both sat down for a meal.
“thanks, hyung. it tastes good, as always.”
that brat practically had ‘i’m finally home~’ written all over his face with that huge broad grin. i couldn't help but smile back.
“here, eat more. you worked hard. but did you rush again? i told you to rest properly and take your time in dungeons. you're the only one responsible for both yourself and your team.”
i frowned, putting more beef on his plate. yoohyun's face then turned serious all of a sudden, and so did mine.
“i couldn't help it. i had a feeling that something happened to you. I would've come out faster if it weren't for the team. nothing happened while i was away, right? you seem healthy… no, a bit healthier.”
saying that, he smiled lightly, saying ‘so you finally took care of yourself, I'm glad'. well…
“nothing happened. i made sure to get plenty of rest and ate three full meals a day. there was even someone to keep me company, so i didn't spend all day on my phone.”
i spoke lightly on purpose. technically, it was all true. i had a lot of time to lay around with a bastard who kidnapped me, but he also fed me well, and i didn't touch my phone even once during my involuntary stay. remembering it pissed me off, but i put on a reassuring smile for my baby brother.
“so there's nothing to worry about. eat well and rest well today, you deserve it.”
and right on cue, as i said it, yoohyun's phone rang.
“who's that?”
“team leader seok…”
that snake? doesn't he know to let a kid rest? i furrowed my brows. and after looking at the message he received, so did han yoohyun.
i snuck a peek at his phone, only to see… a news article. about the seseong guild leader's missing cat. with a picture of me attached, front and centre.
ah. um. curiosity really did kill the cat.