Archive of Our Own

The dangers of working in the field of paranormal rescues were many and varied. Some days, an agent might lose a limb or perhaps an organ; on other days, they might become trapped in a supernatural dimension, doomed to lose all traces of their humanity.

Today, Kim Soleum found himself transformed into a house cat.

All things considered, the veterinary clinic themed ghost story that he had entered earlier this morning hadn't been particularly dangerous, but he had gravely underestimated the number of vet techs employed there. He had managed to escape just as they were about to throw him into one of the holding cages—but not before they could turn him into a patient more suitable for their clinic. Thus, Kim Soleum reported to duty this morning at the Disaster Management Bureau in the body of an ordinary black cat.

According to the agents at the contamination infirmary, his feline form wasn't life-threatening or dangerous, but only if the curse was allowed to fully run its course. In the meantime, there was nothing they could do for him. The bell they had placed on his collar would help stabilize his sense of self, they told him, but the rest was up to chance.

"One more thing before you go, Agent Grapes," the infirmary agent said. "You'll recover faster if you have a safe space to rest and recharge. So just take it easy for now, okay?"

"Yes, understood," Kim Soleum tried to say.

Due to his current affliction, however, what came out of his mouth was instead: "Meooow~"

For a moment, the infirmary agent was visibly taken aback by the unexpected response. Though she shifted her expression back to the polite but inscrutable smile of a seasoned veteran, a few of her more junior colleagues could not hold back their stifled laughter.

"…"

Without any further meows, Kim Soleum left the infirmary. Due to his contamination, he was escorted on his return journey to Hyunmu Team 1's waiting room for his own safety. Even from inside the pet carrier, he felt the curious stares of the agents passing him by.

This is so embarrassing…

Fortunately, this curse was projected to last three days at the very least but no more than one week. He would have to use some of his annual leave for it, but in the grand scheme of things, living as a cat for a few days wasn't the worse danger this bizarre ghost story world had to offer.

Unfortunately for Kim Soleum, he was currently for all intents and purposes a cat. He may have had the mind of a human, but his instincts and behavior were purely those of a domestic cat. And, being a cat, there were certain temptations that he now found nigh impossible to resist…

Back in the waiting room, Kim Soleum jumped up onto his desk to find Braun sitting next to his computer, right where he had left him.

– Friend! You're back!

– So, were they able to lift your curse? Or will you be trapped in this unfamiliar body for eternity?

– An exciting twist for the audience following along at home, to be sure, but one that would pose all manners of challenges for you… Hoho.

Braun's speech grew more animated as he went on to speculate on the various trials and tribulations that Kim Soleum would face were he to continue employment as a Bureau agent in his feline form. However, Kim Soleum was hardly paying attention to those words. Instead, he sat eerily still, staring at the pink bunny doll before him with his pupils large as if he were in a trance.

Sensing something odd, Braun paused his monologue.

– Friend…?

Thwack! Kim Soleum shot his paw out without warning! He struck the stuffed bunny toy, sending it tumbling to the floor. When Kim Soleum leapt down from the desk and chased after Braun, it was not to rescue him but to torment him further.

'No! Braun, I–I'm sorry!'

The human part of Kim Soleum's brain was in full panic mode as he continuously assaulted Braun's stuffed body with his soft cat paws.

– Hm. Clearly, my friend is not in full control of himself right now.

– Do not fret, for this Braun understands!

In response, Kim Soleum swatted Braun right on his face multiple times in rapid succession.

– ……

If cats could sweat, Kim Soleum would be drenched by now.

At that moment, a large shadow cast over Kim Soleum and a scarred hand descended upon him and removed Braun from his clutches.

"Grapes-ya, did you hear me?"

The sound of that voice pulled Kim Soleum out of his strange hunting-induced trance and back into reality.

Agent Choi!

Grinning, Agent Choi ran his free hand up and down Kim Soleum's back, ruffling his fur in the process. Kim Soleum backed away from that touch and whipped his tail back and forth in annoyance, but he stopped himself from unsheathing his claws out of gratitude. After all, Agent Choi had just saved him from an early death.

After dusting off Braun's stuffed body and returning him to his spot on Kim Soleum's desk, Agent Choi crouched down in front of Kim Soleum once more. To Kim Soleum's relief, the hand that reached out to stroke him this time was much gentler. Agent Choi smoothed out his fur so that it stood in the correct direction again, then scratched him under his chin with a finger. Having lived the majority of his life as a human, Kim Soleum had never experienced such pleasures before. Though it was embarrassing to be petted, it felt so good that he could not help but close his eyes in bliss. Suddenly, he understood why wildcats allowed themselves to be domesticated all those thousands of years ago.

In the midst of this revelation, Kim Soleum heard someone let out an exasperated sigh.

"Agent, please don't do that to Agent Grapes," Ryu Jaekwan said with a frown. "It's not dignified."

Kim Soleum jolted out of his stupor.

…! T–That's right, I am not a cat but a person! A human being!

"Really?" Agent Choi gave Kim Soleum a few scratches on his cheek. "But Grapes seems to like it!"

As if on cue, Kim Soleum leaned into that touch and tried to follow Agent Choi's hand even as he pulled away and stood up. Displeased that petting time had been cut short, Kim Soleum placed his forepaws on Agent Choi's thighs and stretched himself tall so that he could stand on his hind legs and look up at Agent Choi with large, crimson eyes. Those eyes might have successfully manipulated any other cat owner, but Agent Choi only picked Kim Soleum up and carried him to the couch.

"As I was saying, Jaekwan and I are off to a meeting." Agent Choi placed Kim Soleum on the seat cushion, then headed towards the door to join Ryu Jaekwan. "Grapes-ya, just stay put and rest in here. We'll be back soon!"

With that, Kim Soleum was left all alone in the waiting room.

What the hell was that?! I'm so embarrassed!

Begging for pets from Agent Choi, even purring… None of this was acceptable workplace behavior. One week was far too long—Kim Soleum needed his human form back now.

When he was sure that Agent Choi and Ryu Jaekwan had left the vicinity, Kim Soleum hopped from the couch to the coffee table where he had placed his smartphone. Perhaps the wiki had more information about animal transformation and the process of restoring one's human body.

It took several tries, but Kim Soleum managed to unlock his phone with his paw. As his home screen came to view, an unexpected notification popped up: Baek Saheon had sent him a text message.

This was no time to reply to a non-urgent message, so Kim Soleum decided to swipe the notification away. But as he tried to do so, he instead opened the message; when he tried to close the app altogether, he instead sent a response. Modern smartphones truly weren't made to accommodate a cat's paws.

The read receipt popped up right away. Kim Soleum hadn't meant to hit send, but now that the recipient had seen it, unsending the message was pointless.

It'll be fine, he thought. It's very clearly a missent text. Baek Saheon will figure it out.

Meanwhile, at Daydream Inc.

Baek Saheon stared at his phone, but no matter how many times he read and reread the text on the screen, he was unable to decipher its deeper meaning.

At first glance, the message appeared to be a mere typo, something that Kim Soleum had sent by mistake. And yet Baek Saheon knew that couldn't be the truth—his former roommate and ex-coworker might have been a lunatic, but he was certainly no fool. Kim Soleum, Baek Saheon knew from firsthand experience, was a calculating sadist who liked to toy with people for dopamine.

The only logical conclusion, then, was that this text was a coded message, perhaps an acronym of some sort. Kim Soleum was trying convey something to Baek Saheon, but… what could it be?

Just what does that godforsaken psycho want from me?!

Unbeknownst to Kim Soleum, Baek Saheon would go on to spend the next several days agonizing over his accidental text…

Back at the Bureau headquarters, Kim Soleum exited out of his chat with Baek Saheon. In his hurry, however, he accidentally pressed yet another wrong button with his clumsy paw.

The call picked up immediately, before Kim Soleum could even think to disconnect. A reptillian face appeared on his phone screen, staring at him with expressionless eyes.

Section Chief Lizard…!

Someone from somewhere out of frame spoke, their voice a bit distant: "Um, Squad Leader? Are you video calling a cat?"

"No." Lee Jaheon turned his head to look towards the source of that voice. "He video called me."

"… Right," the person said.

Lee Jaheon turned to look into the camera again and spoke: "Mr. Roe Deer."

This time, the unseen person was joined by another as they both shouted in bewilderment. Noises from off-screen came muffled through the phone receiver, and then the camera shook before it stilled again. Two additional people now appeared on each side of Lee Jaheon, both of them wearing matching expressions of surprise.

"Roe!" Park Minseong exclaimed. "Roe, is that really you?!"

"Wait a minute, are we sure it's not a filter?" Eun Haje suggested.

If only that were the case. Kim Soleum's cat ears and whiskers drooped in gloom.

"Mr. Roe Deer," Lee Jaheon said. "If you require assistance, say 'meow, meow.' Otherwise, vocalize three times in a row."

It's strange to hear the section chief say that word…

"Meow, meow, meow," Kim Soleum replied.

"…!"

The three of them asked Kim Soleum several more questions about his strange condition, and he tried his best to answer with his limited language. Only after they ascertained that this feline form was neither permanent nor dangerous did the atmosphere calm.

"So, our maknae got himself turned into a cat? I suppose this sort of thing comes with the job," Eun Haje said, sounding like she wanted a smoke.

Y–Yeah…

After making Kim Soleum promise to come have a meal with D-squad sometime, they said their goodbyes and hung up.

Now that the video call had concluded, Kim Soleum could finally pull up the wiki on his phone. The results, however, deeply disappointed him. Several entries made mentions of animal transformations, but none contained any information that he didn't already know. It seemed that his best bet truly was to wait for the curse to run its course.

Sighing internally, Kim Soleum folded his paws under his body and tucked himself into a loaf position.

Let's just try to bear with this for now. It will only be for a few days.

Honestly, living as a cat wasn't so bad. Maybe Kim Soleum would learn to control his feline urges once he became more used to this body. Then he wouldn't have to embarrass himself in front of his seniors again, or risk dying an early death by gnawing on Braun's stuffed toy body.

As Kim Soleum pondered his new life as Hyunmu Team 1's newly adopted pet cat, a slight, almost imperceptible movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention.

The door—it was ajar!

Agent Choi must not have closed it properly when he left for his meeting earlier. In the first place, the door hinge was worn out anyway. True to its reputation as a government entity, the Disaster Management Bureau's office building hadn't been renovated in years.

It was one thing for Kim Soleum to tell himself he needed to resist his feline urges, but another thing to actually go through with it. Curiosity got the better of him, as it did with most cats. He pawed at the small gap between the door and the door frame until he created an opening just wide enough to accommodate his body, and then he ventured out into the hallway.

Immediately, Kim Soleum realized he had made a mistake.

Outside was an unfamiliar potpourri of scents and sights and sounds. The attack on his sensitive feline senses was too much for him to handle; everything in his being screamed at him to run away and hide somewhere dark. Yet in the midst of it all, he detected a faint yet comforting aroma, something that anchored him to reality when it felt like he was being washed out to sea. Feeling inexplicably drawn to that scent, he marched forward with urgency and purpose and followed that quickly fading scent to its source.

The human part of him understood well that he could have simply chosen to return to the safety of the waiting room, but cats weren't known for their rationality. Above all else, he felt compelled to seek out the source of that scent even if it meant venturing into the unknown.

Passersby whispered and stared with curiosity, but none tried to stop Kim Soleum. His luck ended, however, when he turned into a corner and a pair of legs suddenly blocked his path.

"It's him! Everyone, I found him!"

"Kyaaaa! Agent Cat! So cute!"

To a house cat, even a small human was a titan capable of immeasurable brutality. Kim Soleum shrank away from the two approaching strangers only to bump into the legs of yet another giant. Before he knew it, a stampede of people had appeared out of nowhere and surrounded him in a circle.

As they closed in on him further, his fur puffed up with fear. He tried to make himself look bigger, but what use was that when his opponents were several times his size?

The legion of giants only seemed to grow in numbers. One latecomer, relatively small in stature for a human, moved to and fro in an attempt to get a better look at the cat agent. In doing so, they created a small gap between themself and the person to their right. Kim Soleum saw his chance and sprinted toward that gap with all his energy. He ran and ran until he disappeared into a corner, only coming out from behind the potted plant where he hid himself when he was sure that the crowd was gone.

Whew. I think I lost them.

But that wasn't the only thing Kim Soleum had lost. The scent trail had all but disappeared.

Perhaps it would be best to start from the beginning, back at the waiting room. Kim Soleum tried to retrace his steps, but now that he was a cat, everything in the building looked different. His surroundings were at once familiar and foreign, as if he were in a strange maze. The longer he walked, the less sure of his exact location he became, and the more disoriented he grew.

Finally, just as he was about to give up, a voice called out to him.

"Agent Grapes!"

It was Go Yeongeun, who didn't seem at all surprised by Kim Soleum's current appearance. Word of his transformation must have finally gotten around the office.

"So you really did get turned into a cat," Go Yeongeun murmured. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Mrreow," Kim Soleum responded, miming with his paws that he was okay.

Go Yeongeun sighed with relief before furrowing her brow in concern. "But, Soleum-ssi, why are you wandering in the hallway? Don't tell me you're still working even in cat form…"

That wasn't it at all. Kim Soleum was only trying to find the source of that smoky scent.

Come to think of it, couldn't he ask Go Yeongeun to point the way to his destination? Although, he wasn't sure how he would even go about explaining his objective without words. Not to mention, Kim Soleum didn't know where that scent was coming from, so it wasn't as if he could ask her to take him there. A human nose likely wasn't sensitive enough to detect all the complexities of the scent either, especially not from this distance.

Yeah, that scent is so faint now that even I can hardly sense it anymore…

While Kim Soleum was in the midst of pondering his next steps, he was suddenly thrown off balance. He tried to steady himself, only to discover that his right forelimb had disappeared!

The dokkaebi flame shot up high above Kim Soleum, twisting and flipping itself in an acrobatic manner before transforming back into a cat's forelimb. From this angle, Kim Soleum could not clearly see the dokkaebi flame's afterimage glowing bright blue above him, but he heard Go Yeongeun make a small noise in understanding.

"Ah, so you're looking for…!" Go Yeongeun smiled. "I can help. Please follow me."

Go Yeongeun led Kim Soleum to the elevator and pressed the buttons that he could not reach. As the doors closed, Kim Soleum meowed in thanks and waved goodbye. What the dokkaebi flame had written was a complete mystery to him, but Go Yeongeun seemed to understand what he was looking for. For that, he gave his right paw an affectionate lick in gratitude.

Thank you, dokkaebi flame…!

His paw moved on its own to give him a thumbs up.

As soon as the elevator doors reopened, Kim Soleum knew exactly which direction to go. Though still faint, that aroma was much stronger here, and he followed it to its source. Fortunately, the employees on this floor didn't seem surprised by his presence. By now, everyone must have heard that a certain agent had been temporarily transformed into a cat. It was embarrassing to think about being discussed like that in the anonymous agent group chat, but even so, it was a relief that nobody here chased after him or tried to pet him without his consent.

With no obstructions now, he could concentrate on following that scent trail. It was a familiar aroma, something smoky like incense rising from a censer, clinging to clothing after prayer or ritual…

As he headed around a corner, Kim Soleum nearly ran right into a pair of legs. Fortunately, this time they belonged to a familiar face.

"Oh! If it isn't Agent Grapes." Agent Haegeum stopped in her tracks when she saw Kim Soleum.

"Meow," Kim Soleum greeted politely.

"One moment, Agent." Agent Haegeum turned around and pushed open the door to the room that she had just exited. "Choi-ssi! Come get your runaway cat."

Agent Choi is here too?

Kim Soleum's feet moved on their own, bringing him past the open door and into the meeting room. Inside, a few stragglers remained even after the meeting had wrapped up, chatting with one another as they gathered their belongings. Agent Choi and Ryu Jaekwan, who were halfway to the door, came to a halt as they saw Kim Soleum trotting towards them.

"Aigoo. Didn't we agree you'd stay put, Grapes?" Agent Choi said. "Hyung-ah will die of a broken heart if you go missing."

"Agent Grapes, you should be resting," Ryu Jaekwan said with a slight frown.

Kim Soleum knew that, but he found it tremendously difficult to control his own behavior. Even now, it took all of his energy to resist the desire to weave in and out of Agent Choi's legs. He must have been more contaminated than the infirmary agent's initial estimate.

"Grapes-ya, let's go back to the waiting room now!"

Yes, that seemed like a good idea. Perhaps if he rested properly, Kim Soleum would be better equipped to fight against his strange feline urges.

Upon returning to the waiting room, Agent Choi gathered a few blankets and created a small nest on the couch as if he had read Kim Soleum's mind. The makeshift bed, built just so that it was perfectly sized for a cat, looked soft and inviting. Kim Soleum climbed into the blankets and closed his eyes, eager to fall asleep.

Minutes passed, yet sleep did not come. Not even after he contorted his body into all sorts of positions impossible for a human was he able to sleep.

As a frequent sufferer of insomnia, Kim Soleum knew very well that it was best to get out of bed if he was unable to sleep, so he did just that. He climbed from the couch to the top of the bookshelves, and from his vantage point there, he surveyed his territory. Everything was in order: Ryu Jaekwan at his desk sorting through some papers, Braun propped up against Kim Soleum's computer monitor, and Agent Choi…

Agent Choi was typing away at his desk, back facing Kim Soleum and attention entirely focused on his computer screen.

The sight brought great displeasure to Kim Soleum, whose ears flattened with dejection. He knew that Agent Choi was only doing his job, yet Kim Soleum could not let the matter go. At the same time, he felt oddly compelled to observe Agent Choi from a closer distance, perhaps even join him in his activities.

It probably wouldn't hurt to just watch him for a bit. I'll try again to sleep afterwards.

And so began Agent Choi's long battle against his junior-turned-cat.

"Grapes-ya, no matter how long you sit on hyung's keyboard… I won't give you co-author credit on this report, haha."

"Ah~ I see you're interested in the copy machine, Grapes. I'm just about finished here, so I'll leave you to it. … Oh, you're following me!"

"… Hm? Is Grapes planning on accompanying me to the bathroom too? No, that's a bit…"

When it came time for Hyunmu Team 1's weekly equipment maintenance, Agent Choi could only watch helplessly as Kim Soleum lay atop his jakdu and roll his body against it so that he shed all over the blade's surface. Though Kim Soleum knew he was actively hindering Agent Choi from important work, he could not bring himself to stop. Ryu Jaekwan, who was inspecting his glass handgun, glanced at the sullen Agent Choi but said nothing.

"Jaekwan-ah, I can't get anything done like this. I think Grapes is trying to keep me from working!" Agent Choi bemoaned. He pulled the tassel danging from his jakdu out of Kim Soleum's reach, only to be struck by a paw.

Kim Soleum, deliberately obstructing Agent Choi's work? It certainly appeared that way. He shuddered to imagine what Agent Choi would think were he still a corporate spy.

"… It's attention-seeking behavior."

P–Pardon?

If Kim Soleum was engaging in such behavior, he wasn't doing it on purpose. As he had no human vocal cords, however, he was unable to refute Ryu Jaekwan's theory.

"Agent Grapes needs an outlet for his energy," Ryu Jaekwan continued.

"An outlet, huh?" Agent Choi rubbed his chin. "Then, shall we take a break from working for now?"

Under Ryu Jaekwan's guidance, Agent Choi created a homemade cat toy for Kim Soleum—a piece of paper hooked onto some wire. The paper bobbed and danced in the air, enticing Kim Soleum's interest with ease. He sat up and watched the paper with large, unblinking eyes.

Could this really be the solution? Kim Soleum supposed it was worth a try.

The piece of paper hopped onto the sofa with uncoordinated movements, shifting closer and closer to Kim Soleum. He readied himself to pounce on his prey, but unexpectedly, it pounced on him instead! Agent Choi was now dangling the paper so close to Kim Soleum's face that he could hardly see it anymore. All Kim Soleum could feel was the paper repeatedly tapping his nose, much to his annoyance.

"Agent, please stop. Your technique is improper; you'll only provoke Agent Grapes this way," Ryu Jaekwan criticized.

Thank you, Agent Bronze…

As it turned out, stray cats liked to gather behind the bookstore where Ryu Jaekwan had once been employed, and so he had spent many days observing the timid but charming creatures. Ryu Jaekwan took the wire toy from Agent Choi and dragged the small piece of paper along the floor, expertly mimicking a prey animal's gait.

The result was immediate: Kim Soleum's body tensed with excitement and his eyes locked onto the paper. Enchanted by the sight, he watched the toy's every move, his tail behind him whipping uncontrollably as he stalked his paper prey. At the opportune moment, he pounced on the critter…

But the critter was faster!

Or rather, Ryu Jaekwan's hand was faster.

"Grapes-ya, you have to try harder or you'll never hope to catch it!" Agent Choi teased from the sidelines.

Spurred on by that comment, Kim Soleum launched himself towards his prey once more, this time nearly trapping it under his paws. His bell jingled with each pounce and swipe of his paw. He played and played for a long time, until he was out of breath and could hardly move anymore. Even now, he watched the paper critter from where he lay on the floor, his paws twitching as if he longed to continue his hunt.

Then came the sound of a can being pulled open followed by a mouthwatering aroma, and once more, Kim Soleum found the energy to stand.

After "hunting," Ryu Jaekwan explained, it was mealtime.

"Grapes-ya, you're eating deliciously," Agent Choi said as Kim Soleum devoured the canned mackerel as though he hadn't eaten in days.

It felt a bit odd to eat in this position—on all fours and hunched over—but Kim Soleum could hardly bring himself to care. He knew that this canned mackerel had been retrieved from their emergency rations and was nothing special, but somehow, it tasted like the most delectable gourmet meal that he had ever eaten.

Agent Choi, who hovered over Kim Soleum as he enjoyed his lunch, gave him a few discreet pats on his butt. Before Ryu Jaekwan could scold him, Agent Choi quickly withdrew his hand and pretended instead to remove a speck of dust from Kim Soleum's back.

After Kim Soleum lapped up the last of the sauce, he headed off to a quiet corner of the room and began to clean himself.

"That should have been enough to deplete his energy," Ryu Jaekwan said.

Agent Choi hummed in acknowledgement. From where he sat on the couch, he observed Kim Soleum as he rubbed his ears with his paw and then licked it clean. "What happens after he finishes grooming?" Agent Choi asked.

"After grooming…" Ryu Jaekwan trailed off.

As if he were eager to answer that question himself, Kim Soleum walked over to join the other two agents. Agent Choi's lap looked warm and inviting, and there was nothing Kim Soleum wanted to do more right now than to lie down there. Of all the strange urges that he had tried to suppress today, this was undoubtedly the strongest and most difficult to resist. Perhaps because that play session had worn him out, he was finding it particularly difficult to make sound judgements. So, he leapt up onto the couch and made himself right at home in Agent Choi's lap.

"Oh!" Agent Choi made a noise of surprise, but he did not attempt to shoo Kim Soleum away.

"After grooming," Ryu Jaekwan uttered in a quiet voice, "comes naptime."

"Naptime?"

Stretching his forelimbs out, Kim Soleum pressed one paw against Agent Choi's stomach and then repeated the motion with his other paw. He felt more and more sleepy with every passing moment. When Agent Choi looked down at Kim Soleum, he returned that gaze with slowly blinking eyes.

For some reason, this feels really soothing…!

The drowsiness was beginning to set in, especially now that Agent Choi was stroking his fur so gently. Kim Soleum's kneading grew weaker and slower until he pulled his paws back and tucked them under his body for extra warmth. He shifted in Agent Choi's lap until he found a satisfactory position and curled into a ball.

"Aigoo~" Agent Choi laughed silently when Kim Soleum began to purr. "Grapes-ya, don't you like me a little too much?"

… Like? Kim Soleum contemplated that word. In his human form, he would have disregarded Agent Choi's question as mere teasing, but now that he was on the edge of consciousness, with his usual inhibitions stripped away, he paused to consider those words with care.

All day, Kim Soleum had sought out Agent Choi and followed him like a second shadow. Even now, Kim Soleum knew he was able to fall asleep only because he was in Agent Choi's arms.

I understand now. Towards Agent Choi, I feel…

As if it were a mere dream, that epiphany faded as quickly as it had come.

Sleep overtook Kim Soleum. The subtle aroma of incense filled his lungs as he fell into a deep slumber in Agent Choi's embrace.

The first thing Kim Soleum noticed when he awoke was that he was lying directly on the couch. At some point during his nap, Agent Choi must have removed him from his lap and cruelly abandoned him. The betrayal filled Kim Soleum with profound disappointment, but he soon realized why Agent Choi had chosen to relocate him.

As Kim Soleum tried to stretch his stiffened body, his legs—his long, human legs—knocked against the arm rest. Which meant… he was no longer a cat! That realization caused him to shoot up into a sitting position. Exactly how long had he been asleep? The infirmary agent had told him it would take at least three days for the curse to fade away. Kim Soleum pushed aside his blanket and hurriedly reached for his phone that was sitting on the coffee table.

… It's still the same day. I've only been asleep for a few hours.

Right, the infirmary agent had mentioned that resting in a safe environment would facilitate recovery. Kim Soleum supposed that the Disaster Management Bureau headquarters was one of the safer places to be, given its concentration of veteran rescue agents.

"Oh, you're awake!" Agent Choi's grinning face poked out from behind his computer monitor.

If Kim Soleum had still been in his cat form, he would have vaulted towards the ceiling. It had been completely silent in the room up until Agent Choi had made himself known.

"Agent," Kim Soleum said, his voice hoarse from sleep.

The work day should have ended already, but Agent Choi was still here. He grabbed the unopened water bottle on his desk and held it out to Kim Soleum as he walked towards the couch.

"Jaekwanie left a while ago, but I stayed behind to get some work done," Agent Choi explained. "How are you feeling, Grapes? No urge to chase mice or scratch the furniture, right?"

Kim Soleum took a sip of the water, and then several more sips. He was thirstier than he had initially realized. "No," he replied in between gulps. "None at all."

It was as the infirmary agent had said: the curse had run its course, and Kim Soleum had come out of it completely unharmed.

"Good, good. We don't have the budget for a pet cat, you know," Agent Choi joked.

With how slow the bureaucratic process was, it would take far too long to get a budget approved—that was, assuming the higher-ups would approve it in the first place. Kim Soleum might grow tired of waiting and run away to find a different master. Daydream Inc. could probably set him up with several luxurious cat towers and a state-of-the-art automatic feeder. They certainly had the money for it, anyway.

"But, Grapes, you must be hungry. All you've had today was canned mackerel," Agent Choi pointed out. "I'm just about done with this report. Let's go get something to eat."

"Yes," Kim Soleum replied.

Like he had done all day, Kim Soleum followed Agent Choi as he walked out of the waiting room. Kim Soleum wasn't a cat anymore and no longer had the sensitive nose of one, but a faint aromatic scent enveloped him as he stood close to Agent Choi in the elevator. An emotion rose in Kim Soleum's chest, but he could not quite identify its nature.

"Grapes-ya, what do you want to eat?" Agent Choi asked. "It'll be my treat. Just don't tell Jaekwan, hahaha."

As Kim Soleum opened his mouth to answer, he saw Agent Choi's phone screen flash bright for a moment. Agent Choi had unlocked his phone to search for a restaurant on the Internet, and in doing so he revealed his new wallpaper: a photo of a black cat twisting its body into a strange position, its mouth comically ajar as it slept. Even without having to take a closer look, Kim Soleum could recognize that cat as himself.

Ah, please…

Kim Soleum pretended not to see it.

"What are you thinking, Grapes?" Agent Choi smiled as he awaited an answer.

For a moment, Kim Soleum said nothing and only stared at Agent Choi.

It was in a cat's nature to choose a favorite person. During his brief time as a cat, Kim Soleum had favored Agent Choi, preferring his company over that of anyone else. Perhaps some residual effects of the contamination still influenced him, because even now, he felt a strange affection for Agent Choi, an inexplicable but undeniable feeling that pulled him towards the other man.

"… I want seafood," Kim Soleum finally said as the elevator doors opened with a ding.

"Okay~ If our maknae wants it, then seafood it is," Agent Choi replied.

As he walked alongside Agent Choi in the golden light of the sunset, Kim Soleum thought the person next to him seemed more dependable than ever.