Chapter 33: Paws and Awkward Pats
6: Cats Go Meow
The morning of a holiday is quiet.
Aside from the occasional hum of car engines outside, the only sounds in the house are the meaningless chatter from the TV speakers.
Even with four people gathered, it’s no different.
We’re at Kanghyuk’s place, but with nothing to do, Kanghyuk’s scratching his belly on the bed, Junseo’s sitting on the floor watching TV, and Min-jae’s engrossed in something on his phone.
No one’s talking, so silence blankets the room.
I think about starting some silly conversation, but every time I see Junseo’s face, I recall my embarrassing fall from last time and can’t open my mouth. My cheeks feel like they’re burning. Just my imagination, right?
It’s not just that embarrassing moment, but I don’t know why I keep blushing. Maybe my cold isn’t fully gone?
I touch my cheeks.
Soft.
Hmm.
Anyway, with me too shy to speak and the others silent, the room is so quiet it’s hard to believe four people are here.
In this silence, any sound would stand out sharply. And then—
Grrrrr!
Kanghyuk’s chubby stomach lets out a thunderous growl, true to its impeccable biological clock.
I check my phone: 1:30 p.m. Perfect time to be hungry.
The growl sparks life into the quiet room.
“Hamburgers?”
“Yup.”
I’m holding a burger famous for its stretchy cheese that oozes out with one big bite. I’ve never tried it but always wanted to.
It doesn’t look much bigger than other burgers, but maybe because I’m smaller now, it feels huge.
Swish.
I bring the burger to my mouth and take a big bite without hesitation.
Crunch!
The crispy patty breaks apart. I taste salty cheese, and as I tilt my head back, the cheese stretches out.
Stretch.
Streeetch.
STREEEEETCH.
“Mm? Mmph.”
How far does this stretch?!
I extend my arms and lean back, but the cheese keeps stretching endlessly, showing no sign of breaking.
“Mmph! Mph!”
Now it’s personal. Lose to burger cheese? Not me.
I shake my head side to side, attacking the cheese. It weakens, thinning out, starting to sag.
Streeetch!
Your end is near, mortal cheese, daring to defy this heavenly apostle—
“Want me to break it?”
Snap.
The cheese, already at its limit, breaks with one flick of Junseo’s hand and flies onto my face, sticking with a splat.
“….”
“Uh… sorry?”
I peel the cheese off my face and pop it into my mouth. Savory. Mmm, nice.
I lick the grease off my thumb and index finger, wipe them with a napkin, and go for another bite—
“Why’re you staring?”
“Huh? Nothing.”
Junseo’s eyes were on me. Being stared at makes me shy. I focus on the burger to stop my face from burning again.
Chomp chomp.
Delicious.
My halo glows brightly with each chew.
…
…
…
After the burger feast, silence creeps back in. No topics to discuss. So quiet.
Kanghyuk and Junseo are glued to the TV, while Min-jae’s still on his phone. He was on it even during lunch—what’s he looking at?
Curious, I sidle up to him.
My halo’s light reflects off Min-jae’s glasses. He turns to me.
I tried to be stealthy, but my halo gave me away. Guess I’m no good at hide-and-seek anymore. Sad.
“What’re you looking at?”
“Cats.”
Oh.
I peek over his shoulder. Cats everywhere: climbing cat towers, eating treats, and a cat beastman eating a treat tube.
Beastman?
“What? A variant?”
“Oh, this? A cat café run by a cat beastman.”
“Oh…”
That’s cool. I heard beastmen get along well with their species’ animals. They must have an advantage in animal-related jobs.
…
Why don’t angels have perks like that…?
I feel a sudden pang of sadness. My halo dims.
Whimper.
As I sulk in a corner, radiating gloom, Min-jae gasps.
“Hey, look! This cat café’s nearby!”
“What?”
Min-jae pushes up his glasses, eyes glinting.
“We’re going there today.”
And just like that, our destination changes from the PC café to a cat café.
I read the caution signs on the door, change into slippers, and sanitize my hands before entering.
“Wow…”
A spacious, clean room, mostly white. Cat towers stand in the center, with catwalks crisscrossing the walls and ceiling.
The middle is the cats’ domain, while tables and chairs for people line the walls.
Soft ceiling lights create a cozy atmosphere. My halo responds, glowing gently.
The café’s warm orange lights versus my bright yellow halo.
Hehe, mine’s brighter.
Feeling a subtle victory, I step inside. Min-jae’s already puffing with excitement.
You have to order a drink to cover the entry fee, so I head to the counter.
A person with cat ears and a tail greets us—the beastman from Min-jae’s video.
“Hello~”
“Hello.”
Animal-eared beastmen are common among variants, but I haven’t met many.
I’m thrilled to see one up close. Those twitching cat ears, that swishing tail—so new! I want to be friends. What should I say?
“Can I touch your tail?”
“No way.”
…
…
…
“Haha, my tail’s a bit sensitive. I only let close friends touch it.”
“Oh… Sorry for asking so suddenly.”
“It happens. I was actually surprised to see an angel variant.”
Thankfully, the staff member is kind. I’d probably be flustered if someone asked to touch my wings out of nowhere.
My wings aren’t sensitive, but it must vary by species.
Wait, when Junseo touched my wings before, I felt something weird. Maybe they are sensitive?
I glance at Junseo. He looks back, puzzled. I spread my wings toward him.
“Wanna touch?”
“Why?”
“… Never mind.”
Feeling shy, I retract my wings.
I turn back and notice a treat tube, already opened, with signs it’s been eaten.
No cat could’ve eaten it that fast. I see something on the staff member’s lips…
“You ate it already?”
“… No.”
The cat beastman blushes and quickly hides the tube.
Hmm.
I won’t mention it.
I’m a kind angel. I understand others.
Watching them wipe their mouth with a tissue, a question pops up.
“Do you ever say ‘nya’ when you talk?”
“No way!”
We order drinks and sit. I get orange juice; the others get Americanos. My juice arrives.
Hehe, looks tasty.
I sip through a straw, sweet orange juice filling my mouth. Bliss.
My halo glows brightly, lighting up the café. Cats playing or napping perk up, staring at me.
“Oh no…”
I remember the cat attack from last time and cover my halo. But you can’t hide the sky with your hands—its light spills through my fingers.
Warm yellow light draws the cats’ eyes. Slowly, they approach…!
“Meow!”
They climb onto me—one, two, three…! My stiff body gets buried under cats!
“Ugh… Why don’t they come to me?!”
Min-jae reaches for a cat, but it bolts, leaving him wailing.
Hey, how about helping me?
More cats pile on. They love my halo’s warmth, climbing over each other to reach it.
A mountain of cats! A hill of fur! I’m buried underneath! Save me!
I look around. Min-jae’s crying over his rejection, Kanghyuk’s petting a chubby cat, oblivious to me.
Thankfully, Junseo’s watching. I shoot him a desperate help me look.
“….”
“….”
A hand reaches out. Salvation.
I wait for Junseo to free me. His big hand approaches. The cats, unaware, yawn and sprawl over me.
Hah, enjoy it now, cats—you won’t soon! Regret it!
Pat.
Pat pat.*
“Huh?”
“… What? Weren’t you asking to be petted…?”
…
The air turns awkward.
My face burns red.
“What… what are you doing…!”
“S-Sorry, my bad.”
It was obviously a cry for help! Why pet my head?!
Ugh.
Ughhh.
The weird part? It didn’t feel bad.
I don’t know why.
It took a while to regain my composure, stuck buried under cats for far too long.