Chapter 34: Cat Chaos and Dragon Drama

6: Cats Go Meow

Meow.

Nyaowww.

Cats are battling to claim my halo.

Round 1: Light orange cat vs. chubby gray cat. The orange cat flees, overwhelmed by the gray cat’s belly.

Chubby cat wins.

Round 2: Chubby gray cat vs. haughty white cat. The white cat ignores my halo and struts off.

Chubby cat wins again.

Round 3: Chubby gray cat vs. silver-haired angel. I desperately fend off the chubby cat’s advance.

“Tch…”

Stay back!

“Meow.”

Zzt. Sparks fly between my eyes and the cat’s. A tense standoff… and then, the critical moment of battle!

“The cats really like you.”

“Oh, yeah.”

The cat beastman owner swoops in, scooping up the chubby cat. It meows but docilely lets itself be carried away.

Hehe. My victory.

The owner sits at a nearby table with a juice. Wait, is it okay to sit during work hours? They continue:

“It’s fine, no customers right now. And I’m the owner, so…”

“Oh…”

Not a staff member, but the owner.

Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen any other employees.

Min-jae, sharing my curiosity, asks:

“You run this alone?”

“Yup. I hire part-timers when it gets busy.”

Meow. A tiny cat rubs against my leg. I gently pick it up, cradling it. It dangles its tail, swaying lazily.

Min-jae, still cat-less, wails again. I give a wry smile and keep talking to the owner.

“I heard beastman variants connect well with their animal counterparts. Is that true?”

“Yup. Not like we talk, but it feels like we understand each other.”

The owner smiles, picking up a passing cat. It taps them with its tail.

Meow. The owner’s ears twitch. A cat-eared person holding a cat—it’s indescribably cute.

“It’s protesting to be let down.”

“Oh…”

“Before I became a beastman, it would’ve squirmed. Now it’s calmer.”

Nyaow.

The owner releases the cat, which darts to a sunny spot, flops down, and rests. It glances at us like, What’re you looking at?

Hmph, I don’t need a cat like you. I pet the small, sweet cat in my arms. It purrs.

The owner returns to work.

Cats start gathering around me again. Min-jae’s still crying, rejected by them.

“Hey, look! This one’s sleeping on my belly.”

I turn. On Kanghyuk’s chubby belly, a chubby cat naps, its belly rising and falling.

Do chubby things recognize each other?

“Nice. You’re Park Kanghyuk No. 2 now.”

“Pfft, what’s that?”

Kanghyuk, pleased with his chubby cat buddy, pets it contentedly. The cat sleeps soundly.

No need to check on Min-jae—he’s a lost cause.

Junseo… I brace against blushing from earlier and look. A black cat matching his hair sits on his head.

Wow…

I lift my cat and place it on my head. The tiny cat nestles into my halo, startled at first, then relaxes in its warmth and falls asleep.

Mmm.

A reward for not attacking me, little cat. You’re the only one not pouncing among all these cats.

I pet the cat on my head. Meow. I pet again…

Pet my head?

“Eek.”

That moment from earlier flashes back. My face burns.

No, calm down.

Calm down, Garam Lee.

Friends can pet each other’s heads, right?

… No, that’s weird.

Why would guys pet each other’s heads?

Normally, that’d feel gross, right? But earlier, it didn’t…

No, wait. I’m a girl now, so it’s fine… Am I a girl? I was a guy until recently… but now I’m a girl?

My thoughts tangle like knotted yarn. I can’t sort them out. My hand stops petting the cat. It meows, urging me to continue.

Sorry, little cat. I’m wrestling with a life-altering dilemma. I’m not even sure what I’m agonizing over.

Click!

A camera shutter snaps me out of my spiraling thoughts.

I look up to see Min-jae, teary-eyed, frantically snapping cat photos.

“If cats hate me… I’ll at least take tons of pictures… sob.”

“Lame☆”

Kanghyuk, now one with his chubby cat, teases Min-jae. Min-jae trembles but can’t retort, focusing on photos.

Soon, the chat fills with cat pics: cats playing on towers, a melted marshmallow-like cat, a goofy-faced cat.

And ones atop us three.

Aww, so cute.

I download the ones with me to save.

Thinking of Jimin-unnie, I send her a photo. Three seconds later, a reply:

—There’s a place like that?
—Where is it?

Messages flood in.

—Search ○○ Cat Café, it pops right up.

—Got it!

Even in text, her excitement is palpable. She loves cute things, so she must love cats too.

I pocket my phone. Time to finish my orange juice.

I sip through the straw.

…

Delicious!

My halo glows brightly.

Minutes later.

Surrounded by cats, I freeze in shock at the person walking through the café door.

“Hi, Garam-ssi~”

“Jimin-unnie?!”

It’s Jimin-unnie. Her wagging tail shows she’s thrilled.

My friends, not knowing her, have question marks above their heads.

Three seconds later:

“Garam-ssiI’veMissedYouSoMuchYou’reSurroundedByCatsSoCuteDidYouSendThatPhotoToMakeMyHeartRaceYouDidRightYou’reSoCuteTheCatsAreCuteYou’reCuteIWannaHugYouSoBadKyaaa!”

“Mmph, mmph!!”

Time out! Time out!

I tap her shoulder frantically. Only when I’m nearly suffocating does she let go.

Jimin-unnie’s tail wags wildly. My friends blush slightly, their eyes glued to her… imposing upper body.

Hey, what’re you staring at?! Look away!

“Uh… hi…?”

“Oh, hi~ Are you Garam-ssi’s friends?”

Junseo breaks the silence.

“Yup. Kim Junseo.”

“Nice to meet you~ I’m Seo Jimin.”

A quick introduction. I didn’t expect my friends to meet Jimin-unnie so suddenly.

But we’re not the only ones startled by her arrival.

Meow.

The small cat in my arms bolts. The cat on Kanghyuk’s belly and the one on Junseo’s head scatter, keeping their distance from Jimin-unnie.

“Huh?”

“Oh?”

Even the owner’s tail puffs up at the sight of Jimin-unnie… then calms.

The cats’ sudden behavior change must be linked to Jimin-unnie, the only new factor.

“… Is this a dragon trait?”

“Seems like it…”

Jimin-unnie looks crestfallen as the cute cats flee from her. But she quickly perks up.

“It’s fine! I love watching cute things too.”

She orders a drink and sits nearby, her upper body swaying noticeably. Kanghyuk’s eyes follow…

Stomp!*

“Ow!”

“What’re you looking at!”

“Don’t worry. I’m used to stares. They’re hard to miss… I get how guys feel.”

“See, Garam? She says it’s fine… Ow!”

“Who stares that blatantly!”

“Hehe. Garam-ssi, you’re so close with your friends.”

“Yup, we’re tight.”

Min-jae seizes the moment to show off, pushing up his glasses with a glint.

Junseo looks oddly impressed.

“What’s with you?”

“Dragon…!”

Junseo’s eyes sparkle as he asks Jimin-unnie:

“Do you breathe fire?”

“Nope.”

What’s with you?