Ch. 28 An Irritated Cat (1)

Si-yul’s home was a typical bachelor’s officetel. He lived in a high-rise apartment that had a large window and offered a view of the city at night. The interior was decorated with various shades of blue, and I especially took interest in his sky-blue woolen curtains.

“Mya?” (It’s clean?)

It was a very sensible place for a man living alone. I looked around the living area, my nose twitching as I gathered information about the place. Various items here and there caught my interest, as I had been living outdoors for a while. I jumped onto the white leather sofa, and I nearly shouted, “I love civilization!”

“Come on,” Si-yul said.

“Huh?”

“Try on these clothes.”

I was more interested in exploring the apartment, but he lifted the bags in his hands.

“Now?” I said.

Si-yul gave a tempting smile as he took out a pastel-colored dress from one of the bags. The look on his face seemed to say, “Don’t you want to try it on?” Somehow, he seemed to find amusement in this situation.

“Yes, go and dress.” The reason Si-yul bought clothes right away was because he wanted to see Hae-in’s human form again. The more he thought about it, the more absurd he realized the situation was. A cat that could turn into a human. What was so special about her? Was she just like a person? Do the cat’s tail and ears remain intact even after transforming?

“…I don’t feel like it anymore,” I muttered, suddenly nervous at the expectant look in his eyes. Now that he had asked me to change into a dress, I didn’t want to do it anymore.

However, Si-yul continued to press me. “You promised me, right? Show me. It’s not like you’re that tired.”

“Tired? Clearly I am!”

“Oh, is that so?”

I could transform back into a human for 24 hours in one month, or I could transform 40 minutes per day. Changing into a human too often was inefficient and I couldn’t maximize my 24 hours, even if I spent all day gathering energy. However, a promise was a promise, and in any case I had already saved about 20 hours.

I looked around Si-yul’s house. “But where do I transform?”

“You can transform in front of me, can’t you?” he said, stroking his chin as my jaw dropped open.

“…You’re a pervert!” I yelled.

He looked mildly offended. “What? I’m a pure scientist. So it’s pure scientific curiosity.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! You’re a doctor!”

“They’re the same thing. Medicine is a branch of science,” Si-yul pointed out.

I had no desire to transform in front of this brazen guy, especially if I would be naked afterwards. That was my biggest weakness. My instincts screamed at me not to show my body to anyone else.

“Then I won’t change!” I pouted.

“Okay, okay. How about in the bathroom?” Si-yul, however, was curious if the law of conservation of mass would be obeyed. He yearned to see the transformation himself, but pushing too much turned the cat sulky.

I reluctantly allowed myself to be led to the bathroom. I was more on edge when I was a cat.

“If you peek at me, you’ll die!” I looked at him behind me and revealed my teeth in warning.

“Yes, yes.”

“No peeking!”

Although I was already naked as a cat, I felt a million times more vulnerable with bare human skin. I needed clothes to recover my dignity as a person, and the longer I stayed as a cat, the more urgent the feeling.

Si-yul transferred the clothes to the bathroom.

“You know how to put on underwear? If you don’t know—ah, sorry.” He hastily changed his words when I drew out my claws.

***

After I finished dressing, I opened the bathroom door and stepped out with my bare pale feet. It had been almost a month since I dressed in human clothes. I wasn’t fond of skirts or fluttery fabrics, and this was a very feminine dress. I felt self-conscious, as if I was wearing a skirt for the very first time.

I looked down at my knobbly knees and bare legs. My ten toes looked strange to me.

I looked back up at Si-yul.

“Um…how is it?” I said nervously.

Si-yul’s eyes widened to the limit. “…Wow. You really look like a person.”

Clap clap clap!

“Very pretty.”

He broke into enthusiastic applause at my appearance. I didn’t know if he was joking or not, but I wasn’t going to be offended if someone called me pretty.

I spun around in place, and the dress fluttered around my legs. He really had chosen a cute dress. Then, a thought suddenly struck me.

“Why does my underwear fit me perfectly?”

“It’s a coincidence,” Si-you said immediately.

“Is it?” I frowned in suspicion, but I soon dismissed the thought. Si-yul couldn’t have known my underwear size just from seeing my body once.

He held up his hand. “Can I touch you?”

“…Eh?”

“Only a little.”

I nodded reluctantly and then stood in front of him. Si-yul looked like an adventurer ready to discover a new world.

I held out my slim hand and he took it. He lifted it to his eyes, turning it over and examining my knuckles and fingernails. His eager hands explored my palm and felt my bones, tendons, and pulse.

“Is my hand really that amazing?” I asked him.

“Yes,” he said, completely engrossed in his work. He really looked like he had discovered the unknown, like a scientist or doctor.

“You really are a person,” he murmured in stunned awe.