Ch. 19 A Cat That Manages The Fishing Grounds (2)

It wasn’t until 9 o’clock in the evening that Tae-il arrived at the hospital. His eyes were ringed with dark circles as if he had come straight from the shoot set. However, his expression brightened as soon I welcomed him in the most enthusiastic way possible.

“Is Mr. Shin Tae-il here?” Si-yul said.

“Yes?” Tae-il replied.

Tae-il and l both looked in the direction of Si-yul. I settled in Tae-il’s arms and stared at the vet with a cold glare. I even bared my teeth slightly, sending a silent message for Si-yul to remember his promise. Tae-il could never know as much as Si-yul did. I just wanted to live as a normal, happy cat with him.

Si-yul bowed his head regretfully. “I apologize deeply for Bow Meow’s leg. It’s a result of my neglect, and you won’t be charged for the hotel bill.”

“It’s fine,” Tae-il said. “I appreciate your integrity.”

“Really…I’m sorry.”

Tae-il felt that Si-yul’s apology was sincere and accepted it.

***

I was finally returned to my safe, comfortable home at last, but I was not in a good mood.

“What’s the matter, Bow Meow?” Tae-il asked worriedly, but I closed my mouth and turned away. Normally I would have answered with a meow, but I kept my mouth silent in protest.

After a week in hell, I finally arrived home…but it wasn’t just the two of us in his apartment. I thought we would spend time alone in the living room together!

“Of course she would act that way, with a name like that,” Mr. Glasses replied.

Tae-il looked affronted. “What, why? Bow Meow is such a cute name.”

In order to celebrate his return, two of his friends came over with drinks—Mr. Glasses, the manager friend, and a pretty woman. They were the cause of my present irritability.

While I didn’t like Mr. Glasses, I hated the woman even more. She kept tucking her chestnut brown her behind her ears, and an air of cloyingly sweet perfume lingered around her. The way her lustrous hair was arranged naturally displayed the nape of her neck.

Once there was someone in my territory, I couldn’t help but feel discontent.

The apartment was loud, uncomfortable, and annoying.

I found myself becoming increasingly sensitive to other people’s presence, as if my temperament was really becoming like that of a cat’s. It was impossible to calm the sickening feel swelling in my stomach.

However, this was Tae-il’s home. I couldn’t express my discontent with words, and I just kept waving my tail unhappily.

“The cat looks upset.”

“Well, cats have emotions too.”

“Maybe it was stress from being at the hotel.”

No, it was because I hated the smell of the woman’s perfume. I wrinkled my nose, suppressing the urge to gag.

I watched the three people drink and talk in the living room. From their conversation and intimacy around one another, they seemed to have been friends since they were students.

I didn’t like it.

My tail kept waving unhappily.

“Hey, kitty. Try this. Ujoojoo.” (TN: an expression of love for a baby or something that is cute)

Mr. Glasses held out a can towards me. He thought it would be the best way to curry favor with an animal, but I didn’t deign to acknowledge him.

Hmph! I turned my head, and found that the woman was annoying me this time.

“Come here, kitty. Ujoojoo.”

She had such a beautiful, clear voice. I pretended to be lured in by her cooing, and then I turned on the couch and wiped my feet on it.

I hate you!

“Wow…sh-shocking. Isn’t that what a cat does when it covers its poop?” the woman asked.

“I don’t know. Never raised a cat before,” Mr. Glasses replied.

“…Maybe she doesn’t like the smell of my perfume.” The woman seemed shocked, saying I was the first animal to hate her.

Hurt at my rejection, and she leaned against Tae-il with a pout. I knew they have a good relationship, but I didn’t want them to be together.

Not as a man and a woman!

I squeezed right between the woman’s waist where she leaned against Tae-il, ignoring the way the smell of perfume and alcohol smothered my nose.

“Do cats get jealous?” she asked.

“…I think so?” Mr. Glasses said.

The two friends had dumbfounded expressions on their faces, but Tae-il seemed pleased.

Deep contentment rushed through me. I loved Tae-il very much, and I wanted to be the only one he looked at and called pretty. I rubbed my forehead against his elbow, asking for pets. As soon his hand stroked by head, a deep rumbling purr came from my chest.

“That cat is picky,” Mr. Glasses observed.

“Amazing! She really likes you, Tae-il,” the woman enthused.

At that moment, I suddenly realized that I was quite possessive of Tae-il.

It was kind of weird, isn’t it? Could a pet cat really be possessive of a person this way? Why did I crave his attention and didn’t want him to look at another woman?

I became intensely confused about my identity as a cat and as a human.

And I realized.

It wasn’t with my cat heart that I like him. I liked him with the heart of a human woman.

“Yeah, I’m happy she likes me too,” Tae-il beamed.

My eyes widened in denial, but I looked up at him and he flashed me with a dazzling smile.

I was forced to admit it.

I liked Tae-il.

While I was in the body of a cat.