The one who grabbed me by the scruff and lifted me up was the leader.
What? When did he get here?
“Hrraaak!”
I bared my teeth and puffed up my fur threateningly, but the man blinked slowly and raised his hand.
Was it because of that old dream? On instinct, I squeezed my eyes shut. More than a few loan sharks had smacked me for yowling too loudly.
But the man only gently rubbed my forehead with his finger — the spot where I’d knocked it against the wardrobe.
“No bump. What were you dreaming about that made you headbutt the furniture?”
Even though my body was dangling in midair, the man’s touch was gentle. His hand was large enough to wrap around me entirely, yet he used just one finger to part my fur and check that nothing had gone red.
Don’t get hurt, that tender touch said, soothing the sore spot — and for no reason at all, something unsettled in my chest. It was the first time anyone had stroked me like that since my mother left. But I swatted his wrist with my tail.
My mother left me behind in the end too. And the person in front of me right now is a dangerous Suin. A loan shark on top of that! It makes no sense to feel any comfort in a man like that’s touch!
He looked at me for a long moment, then set me down carefully. I stayed on guard and slipped under the nearest sofa.
“Still very wary.”
He didn’t seem bothered at all — not by me swatting his wrist with my tail, not by me running away. If anything, he got up and came back a little while later carrying something.
I was used to that particular metallic sound by now. The rich, savory scent had my nose twitching on its own.
“You need to eat on time. Or are you tired of the same flavor? Don’t we have something different?”
“It was all the same.”
“Th-That one was the most popular because it has broad appeal…!”
Now that I thought about it, I was hungry. I’d charged out boldly in my escape attempt, come back in despair, eaten everything in the bowl — and hadn’t eaten anything since.
The man placed the can in front of me and took a seat on the sofa across the way.
I crouched low and kept a close eye on him. I’d already happily eaten several cans the man had given me, so there was no reason to turn it down.
I hooked the can with my claws and dragged it under the sofa. Keeping an eye on the man, I turned my back to him and ate with great enthusiasm.
Still so good!
My eyes lit up and my tail shot straight up. Once I’d polished off the can, I nudged it out from under the sofa and, watching the man’s reaction, made my way up the cat tower.
I knew it was a space he’d set up, but there was a little hideaway house on it where I could tuck myself out of sight. And from up high, I had a good vantage point to observe him.
Since he was convinced I was a cat anyway, I decided I might as well act like one to my heart’s content.
I watched the man calmly. He didn’t seem to know he was being observed — he was just leisurely doing something on his own. He’s back home and instead of resting he’s at it again. What is he doing? I craned my neck to look, and all I could make out were sheets of paper covered in dense black text.
He seemed to pay attention to me while also ignoring me, keeping just the right distance. As if he knew exactly when my irritation was about to peak, he would make himself scarce.
Is it because we’re both Feline that he understands me and treats me so gently? With the man sitting perfectly still, my eyes began to slowly droop.
A full belly brought on drowsiness. I wasn’t normally one to sleep a lot. I’d always thought sleep was something you could catch when you were dead.
That made sense, given how little time I’d had for it. Since striking out on my own as an adult, I’d cut ties completely with my father and thrown myself into work without looking back. Up at the crack of dawn for construction site labor, then an evening shift at a barbecue restaurant.
Maybe that was why. Just staying curled up quietly, sleep kept washing over me.
It had been a busy morning too. I’d thought I was finally making my escape, only to wear myself out in the forest and drag myself home with nothing to show for it. Then strange men showed up looking for me. I’d run around trying to shake them off, and in the end realized there was simply nowhere to escape to.
Money — money is the real problem.
Then something suddenly snapped me wide awake.
Right, money! What about the living expenses I’d been quietly saving up behind my father’s back? What about the part-time job I’d barely managed to get? I’ve been fired, haven’t I?
The barbecue restaurant owner hadn’t particularly liked me, but I’d had a way with the customers — friendly even to drunk ones and rude ones alike — and they’d always taken a shine to me.
After spending time in the company of loan sharks again and again, it took quite a bit to rattle me, and I could be warm even toward people with rough mouths.
It was such a good job — I got to know the regulars, I got tips, I could sneak leftover meat on the side! Three days of no-call no-show, of course I’ve been fired! I wonder if the money I earned up to now has even come in yet?
Furious, I shot the man a fierce glare.
“Does the little one want to play with me? He’s staring — what do you think?”
“…I think you should do as you please, Executive Director.”
Who said I want to play with you! I took back what I’d thought earlier about him understanding me because we were both Feline.
But you’re quite high up, aren’t you. I think my father called him Executive Director too — but at the time I was so shaken by the betrayal that I hadn’t paid much attention.
So he wasn’t just the leader among Suin — he was also a high-ranking figure in some company. Ordinary loan sharks usually got called hyung, like that leech of a subordinate of his.
Squeak squeak.
“Want to play with this? Don’t you like the plushie?”
The man held out a fish plushie that had fallen on the floor, but I batted it away with my paw.
At that, the man’s brow furrowed slightly. It seemed like he was a little put out, and I did feel a tiny twinge of self-consciousness — but I held my ground. He let out a long sigh.
“Then wait just a moment.”
The man had only glanced at his subordinate, and the subordinate gave a nod and headed out. The unexpected timing meant a potential escape window had slipped right past me.
“He picks up on things quickly in that regard.”
“He does what he’s told well.”
Changgyu said it evenly, and the man shot back with an amused smile.
“He’s going to go buy toys for the little one to play with. Our little one is cute but brave — a good hunter — so a plushie like this won’t satisfy, will it?”
My ears perked straight up. He’d been calling me “little one” so often I’d assumed it was condescending — but apparently not.
“He still doesn’t feel at home here, so he keeps thinking about leaving….”
The man’s soft murmur didn’t quite reach my ears.
I had no particular interest in playing with toys, but for some reason I was oddly looking forward to it and couldn’t fall asleep. I waited hours for the subordinate who’d gone out, but there was no sign of him.
It was now confirmed beyond any doubt that the mansion was far removed from the city.
“His Highness the Cat appears to be tired.”
I’m not tired, I’m bored. You’d think I do nothing but sleep here. I thought back to all the sleeping I had in fact been doing here — and decided to brazen it out anyway.
“He ran around quite a bit today…. When is Yeongho getting back, I wonder.”
Just then, the door swung open with a creak. He’d come back so quickly that Yeongho was already inside before I even had a chance to get near the front door.
“H-Hah! I got it all, hyung!”
“Speak of the devil.”
“I bought a good variety this time!”
Changgyu muttered quietly, and Yeongho held out an enormous bag to him like a dog proudly dropping off a hunt.
I looked between the three of them in turn. All three were Suin. The one with the highest standing was the leader — the Executive Director. And that man Yeongho, who was always hovering nearby, was a Suin alright, but clearly not Feline.
He smells like a dog, if anything…. How did a Canine Suin end up sticking to a Feline Suin?
Common wisdom had it that Feline and Canine Suin didn’t get along particularly well. But I was different.
I’d never had a pack to run with, and I didn’t dislike dogs. We couldn’t exactly talk, but during my time wandering in my true form, I’d come to know a good few kind ones who’d shared their food with me.
“There’s kibble in here too.”
“The pet shop from yesterday — when I mentioned the cat was an adult, the owner started going on about how the right kibble changes with age and kept recommending all kinds of things, so I ended up with….”
“But do you think he’ll eat it? All things considered… he won’t touch kibble.”
“The little one has a discerning palate.”
“W-Well, they said since I was buying so much canned food, it really was better to have some kibble too….”
Met with an icy reception all around, Yeongho went on making excuses — something about the shop owner being especially pushy and leaving him no choice. He stood there taking it quietly as Changgyu grumbled at him for wasting money on something useless.
Yeongho seemed to get a rough time of it for not being a Tiger Suin. Come to think of it, the leader had a habit of swatting him too.
Could it be he’s in a similar position to me? A strange sense of kinship came over me.
“Nutritionally speaking, eating a little might be better for him. Looks like he hasn’t been eating well for a while. Lots of nutritious things… little one?”
While the leader was mulling it over with a serious expression, I had quietly crept up to Yeongho and started sniffing at him.
This really does smell like dog. Not an ordinary dog, though. A Canine predator — but what kind?
I hadn’t noticed the temperature in the room drop, nor that Yeongho had gone completely rigid the moment I drew close.
