silly supi

They say all is fair in love and war. After Jeonghan’s not so pleasant conversation in the kitchen with Seungcheol, he’s made the decision that he doesn’t need to fight fair. He’s not going to outright tell you to pick him, but he’s going to fight like hell to prove he’s the one.

After Jeonghan's encounter with Seungcheol you immediately know something happened. Jeonghan is trying to act normal, but you can tell he seems to be overthinking everything. Hell, even Seungcheol is acting weird. It’s been a long day at school studying and you’re sitting in the kitchen with Jeonghan and Joshua working on some homework. Seungcheol comes into the kitchen and watches you guys for a minute. He’s standing holding two coffees.

Joshua looks up and gives Seungcheol a confused look. “What’s up Cheol?”

“I just came from class and stopped by a coffee shop to grab coffee. ____ I got you the banana latte I know you like.” You look up and knit your brows confused by his sudden nice gesture.

Jeonghan leans back and crosses his arms. It’s clear Seungcheol wasn’t lying, he planned on trying to win you over. Jeonghan looks at you, watching you study Seungcheol for a moment before finally speaking. “Thanks Cheol. You didn’t have to do that.”

“I kept thinking of you today, and I thought you might enjoy a surprise coffee.”

Jeonghan knew Seungcheol wasn’t going to make this easy. “I’m just stopping by, before heading to the gym for Jihoon. Maybe we can all order pizza tonight.” It’s been months since the entire apartment hung out together. Jeonghan is literally silent, unsure of even what he should say. You’re also quiet, this is all very unexpected.

“I planned on staying home. I think Kitten might come over.” Joshua’s other best friend coming over might make this whole situation a little less awkward.

“How does it sound like eight?” Seungcheol asked.

“That works.” You chime in.

Seungcheol heads off to the gym and shortly after Jeonghan excuses himself, leaving you alone with Joshua.

“I should go pick up Kitten. You should maybe talk to Jeonghan.”

Closing your laptop you look at Joshua for a moment. This whole apartment feels filled with tension. “Is Jeonghan mad at me?”

“No, you silly goose.” Joshua pats your head. “I think he is just under a lot of pressure at school and Cheol and him have been butting heads.” There is a nauseous feeling in your stomach at the thought that you’re the reason he and Seungcheol are butting heads. “Just go spend time with him before the movie. I’ll be back soon with Kitten.”

Walking into Jeonghan's room you shut and lock the door behind you. You find him sitting on his bed scrolling through his phone. “Hannie, are you okay?”

He looks up and gives you the best smile he can muster. “Yeah.”

“That doesn’t sound convincing.” Putting your knee on the bed you crawl towards him. You move so you’re sitting on his lap. He silently watches you as you push his hair away from his face. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”

“You, you’re always on my mind. Even before we could comfortably be intimate. You’re always on my mind. You’ll probably be on my mind forever.” Since he met you, he’s known he was going to fall head over heels in love with you.

“Are you upset with me?” You rest your hand gently on his cheek.

“No, I’m not upset with you.” He shakes his head gently.

“What’s wrong?” It’s clear you don’t plan on dropping this.

“Seungcheol pissed me off the other day.”

Your face falls instantly. Jeonghan hates that you immediately seem sad. “Hey, don’t worry about it—” he pauses. “Darling?”

“Yeah?”

“I just want you to know, I care about you so much. I like you, like I have never liked someone before.” He wants to tell you he loves you, but until he can figure out the Seungcheol situation he doesn’t want to confuse you more, by just blurting it out.

Leaning forward you rest your forehead against his. “Hannie—”

“You don’t have to say anything else. I just want you to know that I care about you.” He rubs his hand up and down your back. Leaning forward you press your lips to his for a gentle kiss.

“Darling, why don’t we just lay here for a little while?”

Pulling back you give him a small smile. You wanna cancel tonight. You just want to stay locked away in his bedroom, away from Seungcheol. “Can I sleep in here tonight?”

“Of course.”

Wrapping his arms around you, he moves you both so he’s laying down with you practically plastered on top of him. Your head rests on his chest. Mindlessly, he runs his hands up and down your back. Lifting your baggy sweater, he drags his hand across your bare skin.

“We have about two hours.” You sigh.

“Does that mean we can nap?”

Looking up at him you give him a mischievous smile. “All you want to do is nap?”

He captures his bottom lip between his teeth. “What are you suggesting?”

“I don’t know.” You rest your head back down on his chest.

“Baby look at me.”

Looking up at him through your lashes, you can't help but think he looks good. “Hannie, what should we do?” Shifting your leg you grind against his thigh. “Can you eat me out?”

“Take off your panties and leggings, baby.”

Rolling off him, you follow his request. You leave your sweater on, you’re sprawled out on his bed. Your feet rest on the grey cotton comforter, with your legs spread. He’s laying on his stomach. His face is buried in your wet core. Your fingers are tangled in his dark hair holding him against your core. He’s so good with his mouth. One arm is wrapped around your thigh, while the hand is busy teasing your wet entrance.

Biting your bottom lip you try your hardest not to scream. You moan his name like a prayer. “That’s it baby.” He moans, pulling away slightly.

“Fuck—” Every muscle in your body feels tense as you get close to the edge. “Please.” You’re practically begging for your release. Jeonghan adds another finger, pumping them in and out of your tight walls. “Han—nie.” You whine.

The noise he’s pulling from you, is enough to make him hard. He grinds against the bed hoping for some relief as he pushes you close and closer to the edge.

Your high hits you hard. Rolling your head back, you bite your bottom lip so hard you’re worried you might draw blood. Your walls flutter around his fingers. He slowly licks at your clit, helping you ride out your high.

Pulling back, he’s wearing a grin. He puts his fingers in his mouth licking your release. “You taste so sweet.”

He pushes himself up sitting on his knees between your spread legs. His erection is straining against his lounge pants.

“Do you want me blow you, or do you want to fuck me?” You push your sweater up just below your bra.

“Baby what do you want?”

“I want you to fuck me.”

“As you wish.”

He gets off the bed long enough to remove his clothes. He pumps his length slowly watching you. His length is leaking precum, he’s clearly ready to go. Crawling back on to the bed, he sits on his knees between your spread legs.

He takes his cock in hand and runs it through your wet folds. Earning a moan as he nudges your sensitive clit. Pushing into you slowly, a gasp passes your lips as he bottoms out.

“I want you close.” You want to feel him as physically close as possible.

He moves so he is practically resting on top of you. Your fingers tangle in his dark hair. He’s staring at you, as if you’re the only person in the entire world.

He moves at a slow and deep pace rolling his hips into you. One of your legs wrap around his waist. Your foot rests just above his butt, pulling him closer to you.

He grabs one of your hands, holding it above your head. His fingers are laced with yours. He continues thrusting into you with deep thrust. He starts picking up the pace.

“Fuck—” You moan against his lips.

“You’re so good.” He groans.

He grabs your other hand, pinning it above your head. His nose rests against yours. Desperately you want to kiss him.

“Hannie—”

“Close.” Your body feels like a live wire.

“Cum for me baby.” He crashes his lips against yours. He kisses you like he needs you to breathe. The world feels as if it’s stopped moving and all that matters is you and Jeonghan. Your walls contract around him as your release crashes over you.

Logically he should pull out, but all the logical parts of his brain have shut off. He picks up his paces, chasing his own high.

He falls apart moaning against your lips. His milky release fills you to the brim. He still for a long moment. He releases your hands. Reaching up he pushes your hair away from your face. Closing your eyes you give him a dazed smile.

“My pretty girl.”

Gently he pulls out, watching as his release starts to drip. Without thinking, he runs his finger through your wet folds, pushing his cum back inside you. There is this dirty little voice in the back of his head that’s happy about the fact that even though Seungcheol wants you, you’re filled with his cum. He hates that he has that possessive thought.

“I need to clean you up.” He hops off the bed and grabs his lounge pants. He throws them on before jogging off to the bathroom to grab a wet cloth. Crawling back on the bed he sits between your legs, and gently wipes away the mess he’s made.

“Thank you.” You sound dazed.

“You don’t need to thank me.” He rubs your thigh.

“You made me feel good though.” You sigh.

“My one goal is to make you always feel good.”

“Can you lay down with me?” You pat the bed next to you. Without saying a word he lays down next to you. You reach over lacing your fingers with his. “I know Cheol is upsetting you. I just want you to know, I want you.”

You saying that should ease his mind, but he’s so scared he’s going to lose you. He’s not sure he can handle the heartbreak of watching you slip through his fingers. “I want you too.”

There is a long beat of silence. “Why don’t we take a nap before movie night starts.” You cuddle close to him.

-

Joshua and Kitten have arrived back at the apartment. The first thing you notice on the side of Kitten’s neck is two hickeys. You saw her yesterday, and she definitely didn’t have them. You’ve had a sneaking suspicion for a while something was going on with her and Joshua. And by the way she’s watching him set the pizza up at the table, you’re starting to think your suspicions are right.

Realizing you can’t find your phone you head off to Jeonghan’s room to find it. You quickly find your phone sitting on his nightstand. Walking out of the room you’re greeted to the sight of Seungcheol exiting his room right across the hall.

“How was your coffee?” He asked, leaning against his door.

“It was good. Thank you for thinking of me.”

“Contrary to popular belief, I actually think about you all the time.” He has a good idea what unfolded between you and Jeonghan while he went to the gym. Jeonghan isn’t going to make this easy, so there is no point in Seungcheol trying to be subtle.

“Cheol.”

“I meant it when I said I was sorry. I also meant what I said about wishing I would have acted on my feelings.” He steps closer to you.

“I have something really good with Jeonghan, and you’re complicating it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t think you’re sorry.” You tilt your head studying him.

”I just want to prove to you I can be a good guy.” He reaches out slowly, testing the waters. His hand lingers against your cheek as he pushes the hair away from your face.

“Darling, can you grab my spare phone charger?” Jeonghan shouts from the living room. Pulling away from Seungcheol you snap out of it.

“Sure.” You yell back.

You step back from Seungcheol and rush off to Jeonghan room. Stepping inside you take a deep breath. Being that close to Seungcheol makes your head spin.

Walking towards Jeonghan you hand him his phone charger. He gives you a smile before leaning in and kissing the side of your mouth. You don't need to turn around to know that Seungcheol is watching you closely.

Everyone quickly devours the pizza. The boys take this time to pick something to watch. You could careless what you watch. You're honestly too distracted by Seungcheol.

Sitting on the living room couch, cuddled close to Jeonghan. Joshua is sitting on the couch next to you with Kitten sitting on the floor between his legs. Your eyes keep flicking over and watching him mindlessly play with her hair. Seungcheol is sitting in the chair next to the couch. You can feel his eyes burning into you. After way too much arguing between the boys, they decided to turn on some action movie. Personally, you aren’t paying attention, you’re focused on Jeonghan’s arm that is thrown over your shoulder. His hand resting by your shoulder is toying with your sweater.

The longer the movie plays the harder it is for you to stay awake. The movie ends and Joshua takes Kitten home. You're left on the couch as Seungcheol and Jeonghan silently clean up. You're in a twilight sleep, barely awake.

Jeonghan is try to focus on making the apartment look decent so he can escape Seungcheol and take you to bed. At this moment all he wants to do is hold you.

Jeonghan is washing a few of the dishes that were used while Seungcheol is putting away left overs.

"Jeonghan?" Seungcheol closes the fridge.

"What Cheol?" He continues washing the last dish.

"Do you want me to carry her to bed?" Seungcheol already knows Jeonghan is going to say no, but he can't stop himself from asking.

"No."

"She's tired."

Jeonghan shuts off the sink and lets out a heavy sigh. "I'm aware. I'll get her into my bed. Just leave her alone." He wipes his hands dry on the towel hanging near him.

"Are you really that territorial of her?"

"Fuck off Cheol. I'm too tired for your bullshit."

Seungcheol lets out a bitter laugh, "You act like I asked if I can take her to my bed."

"I'm not playing this game. I'm going to bed."

He walks out of the kitchen and heads straight to the couch, where you're sound asleep. He pushes your hair away from your face. Seungcheol stands in the door way watching both of you.

"Baby, let's go to bed." Jeonghan calling you ‘baby’ feels like a stab to Seungcheol’s gut.

Your eyes flutter open. You had barely fallen asleep. You slowly blink at Jeonghan. A silent yawn passes your lips. You stand up with Jeonghan's help.

Looking over by the kitchen you find Seungcheol watching you both with a hurt look on his face. Lacing your fingers with Jeonghan he leads you off to his room.

Stripping down to your panties and shirt you've left in his room. You crawl under the covers.

Laying on your side you watch Jeonghan start getting ready for bed. He seems tense.

"Hannie?"

"I'll be there in a minute, darling."

"I like when you call me baby."

He turns around, tension slowly dissipates from his body. "Okay, baby." You've always loved that he's called you darling since you met, but now that things have shifted between you, you've grown fond of him calling you baby.

He pulls back the cover crawling into bed next to you. Pulling your body close, he pushes your hair away from your face.

A quiet yawn passes your lips. He can help but smile at how cute you look.

"Someone is ready for bed."

He lays on his back, pulling you close to him. Your bodys as close to eachother as possible. Your head is resting on his chest, as your leg is thrown over his stomach. It doesn't take long before you're sound asleep in his arms.

Jeonghan lays there hold you. He hopes no matter what happens he never loses you.

-

This morning is off to a terrible start. You forgot to set your alarm, and normally Jeonghan would wake you up, but he's has a super early class in the morning.

You start throwing on any clothes you can grab that make you look at least decently nice.

Rushing out into the kitchen you're praying Joshua is home so he can take you to work. Instead you're greeted to the sight of Seungcheol making a cup of coffee.

"Fuck." You say under your breath.

Seungcheol glances up from his coffee. "What's wrong?"

"I'm definitely going to be late for work. I overslept. Jeonghan is at class and I was hoping Shua was home."

"I can take you. I don't have class today. I was just going to go to the gym in an hour."

"It's fine." You turn on your heels.

"It's clearly not fine. Let's go, I'll drive you." He sits his coffee on the counter.

This is probably a terrible idea, but you can't say no. You can't be late for work, and Seungcheol is your only option.

He grabs his keys sitting on the table next to the door. You silently you follow him. Arriving at his car, you're reminded of what unfolded between the two of you in the back seat.

Hopping into the passenger seat, you push away the vivid memories of his hands all over your body. Staring out the window you focus on the road.

The drive is filled with silence. The radio lightly plays giving a little bit of background noise, slightly cutting the awkward tension. Seungcheol loosely grips the steering wheel as he strums his fingers. Leaning your head against the window, you try to focus on anything other then him. This day is terrible and it just started. You somehow forgot to set your alarm. It's also Jeonghan’s long day at school, so there is a good chance he can't pick you up. Maybe Joshua can pick you up after work.

Seungcheol clears his throat catching your attention.

"What time are you off?" He asks breaking the awkward silence.

"At five."

"Jeonghan has school until seven, and Joshua mentioned something about dinner with Kitten's parents." You might not realize it, but Seungcheol is actually very observant. He tends to always know what is happening in the apartment.

"I know about Jeonghan's schedule, and I assumed Shua was probably busy." It looks like you're taking the bus home from work.

"I can pick you up. I don't want you walking home or taking the bus." He pulls into the parking lot of you work.

Unbuckling your seatbelt you glance at him, knitting your brows together. In the last two days, Seungcheol has been going out of his way to be nice to you.

"It's okay, you're busy, I can take the bus."

"I would prefer I pick you up." He turns the car off.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'll see you right here at five."

Work was quite uneventful to say the least. On your break you were checking in with Jeonghan, trying to see if he wanted to do something for dinner. You weren't expecting him to tell you he's going to be at school even later then normal.

When work finally ends you find Seungcheol leaning against his car outside. The worst part is he looks incredibly good. He's dressed in jeans and a shirt that shows off all his muscles. Staring at him for probably too long, you're reminded of your stupid crush on him. Closing your eyes, you take a deep breath.

"How was work?" He ask as soon as you get close enough.

"Uneventful."

You open the passenger door and get into the car. Seungcheol hops in and watches as you buckle your seatbelt.

"Do you have dinner plans?" He asks.

"I was trying to have dinner with Hannie, but he's stuck at school." You let out a sigh.

"Joshua said he's at Kitten's place tonight." You're hit with the realization that it's really just you and Seungcheol tonight. "Did you maybe want to grab something on the way home?"

"I'm not sitting down in a restaurant with you." That would feel too much like a date, and you refuse to do that to Jeonghan.

He holds his hands up surrendering. "I was thinking we could grab take out. Hell we can even pick food up for Jeonghan."

Your brows knit together trying to think of what to say. This entire situation feels weird.

"Sure."

"Did you want to stop by that Thai food place I know you like?" You realize that Seungcheol pays attention to you more than you thought he did.

"You know which Thai food place I like?"

"Yeah, it's the one off third street. I always see the menu in our kitchen." He gives you a gentle smile.

"Oh."

Seungcheol buckles up and starts driving towards the restaurant. You send Jeonghan a text letting him know you'll have dinner for him once he's finally home from school.

Arriving at the restaurant, you both head inside together. You order pad the Thai and tom yum soup that you and Jeonghan both like, and before you can pay, Seungcheol jumps in and adds to the order. He hands over his credit card before you can even process what's happening.

"You didn't have to do that." You say as you walk over towards little table to wait for your food.

"I know but I wanted to."

The wait for the food only takes about ten minutes. Seungcheol grabs the bag and you both head out to the car.

Arriving home you follow Seungcheol into the kitchen. He sets the bag down and starts grabbing bowls and plates. You work on dishing yourself and saving Jeonghan's food for him. You set it aside and join Seungcheol at the table.

This is definitely and odd experience, in the whole time you've lived with Seungcheol, you don't think you've ever had dinner just the two of you.

You eat in silence for a few moments before Seungcheol finally speaks. "This place is really good. I can see why you and Jeonghan like it."

"He actually found it. He took me there one night to get me to stop studying. I had given myself a headache from studying nonstop and he begged me to take a break. He bribed me by telling me he found the place with the best pad Thai around." You remember that night fondly. You were well aware of your feelings for Jeonghan long before then, but you realized that night you fallen so hard for your best friend/roommate.

"Jeonghan has always been really good to you." He sounds sad as he says it.

"He is."

"I wish I had treated you better." He wishes he could go back and change things.

"I didn't need you to treat me better." You sit your spoon down. "I know you regret things Cheol, but maybe it's best you didn't complicate things back then."

"Back then?" He raises his brow.

"You're complicating things now." You don't want to have this conversation. You don't want him to know that he does nothing but confuse you.

"I am?"

You pick up your chopsticks and take another bite of your food. Seungcheol carefully watches each of your moves.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"Things should be easy for me and Hannie, but you've managed to make things complicated." You let out a sigh, putting your chopsticks back down.

"Are they not easy?"

"No, because you're confusing me. I'm doing nothing but hurting Hannie because I'm so fucking confused."

"How am I confusing you?" He respones.

"Because for some reason I don't just have feelings for him." It hurts to say it out loud. You don't want Seungcheol to know you feel something for him.

"Do you like me?"

"No." You stand up quickly.

"Liar." He follows you and stands up.

"I don't want to like you. I want love only Jeonghan." You point your finger at him.

You saying you love Jeonghan feels like a bucket of ice cold water being poured in him.

"You love Jeonghan?"

"Yes. I haven't been able to say it out loud to him yet because I'm scared I'm going to hurt him."

You turn on your heels desperately needing to escape this conversation. Seungcheol grabs your hand stopping you from leaving. "Why would you hurt him?"

"Because I can’t shut off my feelings for you." You practically seethe. He drops your hand and stares at you completely shocked.

"Darling."

You shake your head. "Don't call me that."

Seungcheol stomach is twisting at the thought of you being so upset. He doesn't mind pushing Jeonghan's buttons while fighting for you, but the thought of you being upset at the idea of having feelings for both of them hurts. Seungcheol never wanted to do anything to upset you.

"I'm sorry." That the only thing he can think to say.

"I think dinner is over." You pull your hand away and instead of going to your room, you go off to Jeonghan's to wait for him.

It's close to ten at night with Jeonghan finally walks into the apartment. He finds Seungcheol sitting on the couch looking extra pouty.

Jeonghan knits his brows and debates on even interacting with him.

"What's wrong Cheol?"

Seungcheol glances up. "I just had a bad night. I'm going to stay with Jihoon tonight. You two can have the apartment to yourself."

Jeonghan instantly knows something happened between the two of you.

"She's in your room." Seungcheol says before heading out.

Jeonghan walks into his room and finds you laying on his bed. You're dressed in a baggy shirt that you've definitely stolen from his closet and a pair of panties. You instantly light up at the site of him.

"Hi, Hannie."

He walks over and presses his lips to yours for a quick kiss.

"Cheol, said we have the place to ourselves tonight."

"Oh." He was expecting more of a response then that.

"Is everything okay?" He starts to remove his clothes he's worn today, and gets dressed in just a pair of sweatpants.

"Seungcheol was just annoying me. Nothing new really." He can tell there is more to the story, but if you don't want to talk about it he won't push you.

"I have Thai food waiting to you."

You both head out into the kitchen. You get Jeonghan food and place it on the table. You both sit there chatting as he eat a very late dinner.

"With tomorrow being Saturday, why don't we spend the day together?" Jeonghan asks between bites.

"That would be great." Desperately need some alone time with Jeonghan, especially after today.

"Maybe we could take a trip to the aquarium. I know you mentioned wanting to see the jellyfish."

"I would love that."

Jeonghan takes a couple more bites of his food. "Darling, what actually happened with Seungcheol?"

You let out a heavy sigh and look down at the table. “We kinda got into a fight, or I guess you could say I just yelled at him." You feel embarrassed thinking back to it.

"About what?"

"Just about how he's interfering with what's going on with us."

Jeonghan puts his chopsticks down and reaches across the table. He takes your hand and gently squeezes it. "Baby, he's not messing up what we have."

"I feel like I'm just hurting you, because I can't turn off my feelings for him."

"It's okay. As long as your like me that's all that matters. It doesn't matter that you like him too." Jeonghan has told himself that if he loves you and you like him nothing else matters. He knows what you have together will be nothing compared to Seungcheol.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

He gives your hand another squeeze. "Baby stop stressing about Cheol. Just let yourself enjoy what we have. We can figure out the whole Cheol situation later."

You both clean up the kitchen before heading off to Jeonghan's room. You're curled up in bed next to him. He's scrolling through his phone as your head is resting on his chest.

"Hannie, thank you for being patient with me."

He leans down and kisses the top of your head. "I'm just glad I finally get to be with you." He wants to tell you he loves you, but he knows right now isn't the time. He's just happy he gets to go to bed holding you every night right now.

Early in the morning Jeonghan wakes up and makes you both a cup of coffee. He left you in his room sound asleep.

Can't help but let out a little laugh at the sight of Joshua slowly sneaking back into the apartment looking disheveled.

"Must have been one hell of a sleepover." Jeonghan says startling him.

Joshua stops and looks at his roommate. "Nothing happened."

"The three hickies on your neck says otherwise." Joshua can pretend all he wants that him and Kitten are being sneaky, but it's very obvious to everyone that lives in this apartment what is going on.

"We're not discussing this." Joshua lets out a sigh and walks towards Jeonghan.

Jeonghan rolls his eyes and sits down at the kitchen table. "Fine we don't have to discuss it."

Joshua walks over and steals the coffee that was intended for you. "So what's going on with you and darling?"

Jeonghan takes another sip of his coffee. "We're definitely together. We haven't labeled it officially, but to me she's my girlfriend."

"Why haven't you labeled it?"

Jeonghan isn't sure how much Joshua knows. In this apartment, there aren't many things that are kept a secret.

"Cheol has complicated things."

"Is it because they slept together?" Joshua is a smart man, and he was clearly able to put two and two together.

"You know about that?"

"She hinted about it one day, and after she was covered in hickies a while back I just assumed that's when it happened."

"I don't care that they slept together. Things are just complicated."

Joshua has been one of Jeonghan's best friends for a while now. If anyone could give him advice, it would be him.

"How are the complicated?"

"Darling likes me a lot, and I love her. The problem is she has feelings for Seungcheol too. She said they're not as strong as what she feels for me. She just said she can't seem to shut off what she feels for him."

"Does it matter to you?" Joshua asks, before taking another sip of his coffee.

"Honestly no. As long as she likes me, it doesn't matter. I just want to be with her. I don't think one day she'll decide she wants to leave me for him."

"Then I say tell her that. Tell her you love her."

Jeonghan lets out a little chuckle. "How did you know that I havent told her I love her?"

"Because I know you."

"I need to tell her."

-

Standing in the middle of the big glass that looks out in the sea of jellyfish Jeonghan pulls out his phone to snap some photos of you. He doesn't want to forget this moment ever. You turn around and signal for him to join you.

Walking over, he stands right next to you. You reach out lacing your fingers with his.

"Thank you for bringing me here." You glance over at him.

"Anything for you darling." He looks out at the dark water, watching as the fluorescent jellyfish move around.

He glances at you watching as you smile. You look so incredibly happy, to the point you're practically glowing.

"Can I say something?"

You glance over at him. "Of course."

"I love you." Instantly a weight feels as if it's been lifted off his shoulders as those three little letters finally leave his lips.

"Hello?"

The cat's ears twitch.

Then, with all the dignity of a tiny king inspecting his territory, it stands up, walks directly over your shoes, and begins rubbing against your ankles.

"Oh," you say, immediately folding. "You're friendly."

The cat lets out a short meow.

It sounds less like a greeting and more like a sigh.

You crouch down carefully, setting your groceries on the floor, and reach out a hand. The cat sniffs your fingers before accepting a scratch beneath its chin, closing its eyes briefly as if granting approval.

"Do you belong to someone?"

The cat opens one eye. You swear it looks offended. Before you can investigate further, the sound of hurried footsteps echoes down the hallway. A moment later, a man rounds the corner.

A very tall man.

A very tall man who looks as though he's been running through the entire apartment complex for the last twenty minutes. His dark hair is sticking up in several directions, his hoodie is half-zipped, and he looks simultaneously exhausted and relieved when he spots the cat.

"There you are!"

The cat immediately walks behind your legs. The man stops. The cat stops. You glance between them. The cat presses itself against your ankle. The man sighs. The cat somehow manages to look smug.

"...I'm guessing this is yours?"

"Unfortunately," the man says.

The cat meows loudly.

"See? This is exactly what I mean."

You laugh before you can stop yourself. The stranger's expression brightens instantly, as if he hadn't expected anyone to find this situation amusing.

"I'm Jun," he says, holding out a hand. "From 8B."

You shake it. The cat bites his shoelace. Jun doesn't even look surprised.

"I'm Y/N."

"Nice to meet you."

The cat bites harder. Jun pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Please stop embarrassing me in front of my neighbours."

The cat releases the shoelace only to immediately sit on top of it. You laugh again. Jun looks delighted by this reaction. The cat looks annoyed by both of you. 

And that, unfortunately, is how it starts.

—

Three days later, the cat escapes again. 

Five days after that, it somehow ends up outside the building entirely.

A week later, you discover it sitting inside the communal laundry room watching a washing machine spin with the concentration of someone studying advanced physics.

At this point, you and Jun have exchanged numbers entirely for cat-related emergencies. Your conversation history consists primarily of photographs. Most of them are from Jun. Most of them are evidence.

[JUN] Found him inside my kitchen cabinet.

[JUN] *image attached*

[JUN] How did he get there?

[YOU] You own the cabinet.

[JUN] That's not the point.

[JUN] I was using that cabinet.

[YOU] Clearly he disagreed.

The responses usually arrive immediately. Jun, you discover, texts exactly the way he talks—enthusiastically, slightly randomly, and with enough exclamation marks to suggest every thought is exciting. 

You also discover that he is alarmingly easy to like.

Not because he's famous, although you'd recognised him eventually after spending an embarrassing amount of time wondering why he looked familiar. Not because he's handsome, although that certainly doesn't help.

Mostly it's because Jun is kind. He remembers things. The name of your favourite convenience store drink. The fact that you hate mornings. The bakery near your office that sells those strawberry pastries you mentioned once in passing.

Small details seem to stick in his mind as naturally as breathing. Unfortunately, he applies this same energy to the cat. The cat, meanwhile, seems determined to make his life difficult.

—

You are in the middle of watering your plants when your phone rings. 

Jun. 

You answer immediately.

"Hello?"

"He's gone."

You glance at the clock. It's eight in the morning.

"Good morning to you too."

"He's gone."

"Have you checked under the couch?"

"Yes."

"The bed?"

"Yes."

"The cabinets?"

"Every cabinet."

You hear rustling.

Then silence.

Then a muffled curse.

"Jun?"

"He was in the laundry basket."

You pause.

"...Was?"

"He escaped again."

You close your eyes.

"How does one cat keep defeating you?"

"That's what I've been asking."

The answer arrives ten minutes later when a scratching sound comes from outside your apartment. You open the door. The cat strolls inside. Not into the hallway. Into your apartment. Like it lives there.

"You have got to be kidding me.”

The cat jumps onto your sofa. You call Jun.

"I found him."

The groan that follows sounds deeply personal.

—

The cat's official name is Dumpling. The cat hates this name. You know this because every time Jun says it, the animal visibly reacts. Not dramatically. Just enough. A flick of an ear. A narrowed stare. An expression that somehow communicates disappointment.

"You know," you tell Jun one evening, "I don't think he likes his name."

Jun looks scandalised.

"Dumpling is adorable."

The cat turns its back on him. You point.

"See?"

"He's being dramatic."

The cat knocks a pen off the coffee table. Jun gasps. The cat knocks another one down.

"I raised you better than this."

You nearly choke on your tea.

"You've had him for three weeks."

"That's enough time to learn manners."

The cat jumps onto the back of the sofa. Jun sighs heavily.

"Maybe he's entering his rebellious phase."

"Maybe?"

The cat stares directly at him while deliberately pushing a coaster off the edge of the table.

The silence that follows is incredible.

"Okay," Jun admits. "Maybe definitely."

—

You spend more time in Jun's apartment than you mean to. It starts innocently enough. A movie recommendation. An extra portion of dinner.

Help assembling a cat tree after Jun accidentally orders one with instructions written entirely in a language neither of you can read.

The cat supervises from the couch. Correction. The cat judges from the couch.

"Pass me the screwdriver?"

You hand it over. Jun smiles. The expression catches you off guard every single time.

Warm. Open. The kind of smile that makes a room feel brighter.

You look away before he notices.

Across the room, the cat watches the interaction with unsettling focus.

"Why is he staring at us like that?" you ask.

Jun glances over.

"Dumpling?"

The cat doesn't move.

"Yeah."

"He always does that."

"That's concerning."

"I think he's just curious."

The cat continues staring. You are unconvinced.

—

The strange thing is that the cat almost feels human sometimes. Not in a creepy way.

Just...

Odd.

He understands too much. Not commands. Not tricks. Conversations.

You mention a specific toy once and find him playing with it the next day.

You complain about a difficult coworker and the cat appears beside you with suspiciously good timing.

Sometimes it feels as though he's listening. Actually listening. When you mention this to Jun, he beams.

"I know."

"That wasn't supposed to be a positive observation."

"He's smart."

The cat puffs up proudly. You point immediately.

"See? That. Why did he react to that?"

Jun follows your gaze. The cat instantly stops. The three of you stare at one another.

No one says anything.

Eventually Jun shrugs.

"Dumpling is just special."

The cat looks pleased. You look concerned.

—

The moment everything changes happens on a rainy Thursday evening. You aren't supposed to be at Jun's apartment. That's important.

You're only there because he'd left his umbrella at your place after movie night and you happened to notice the weather getting worse.

The walk takes less than thirty seconds. You knock once. No answer. You knock again.

Still nothing.

Maybe he's showering. You try the handle. The door opens.

"Jun?"

You step inside. The apartment is quiet. Rain taps softly against the windows. Somewhere deeper inside, you hear movement.

"Jun?"

A voice answers. But not Jun's.

"Wait."

You freeze. The voice sounds unfamiliar. Young. Panicked.

"Don't come in here."

Your stomach drops.

There is a stranger in Jun's apartment. You move toward the kitchen anyway. The stranger appears around the corner at exactly the same moment.

Orange hair. Wide eyes. An oversized hoodie. For one impossible second, they stare at you. Then their expression shifts from surprise to absolute horror.

"You weren't supposed to see that."

"What?"

The stranger points at you.

"No, no, no, no—"

You blink. The stranger vanishes. Not runs. Not ducks away. Vanishes.

A flash of movement. A burst of orange and white. And suddenly, sitting in the exact same spot on the kitchen floor—

—is Dumpling.

The cat stares up at you. You stare down at the cat. Neither of you moves. Then, very slowly, the cat closes its eyes.

As if already accepting its fate. And somewhere in the distance, you hear Jun's voice calling from the hallway outside.

"Y/N? Are you here?"

—

The first thing you do is scream. Not loudly, and definitely not dramatically (it was only a cutesy scream, you swear.)

More like the sound a person makes when their brain has completely stopped functioning and is desperately trying to restart itself.

The cat flinches. You point. The cat stares back. You continue pointing. The cat continues staring.

The front door opens.

"Y/N?" Jun calls. "Sorry, I had to grab a package from downstairs—"

The cat launches itself across the kitchen floor. You have never seen something move that fast in your life. One moment it's sitting in front of you. The next it has disappeared beneath the dining table. Jun rounds the corner.

"There you are."

You whip around. Jun pauses.

"You look pale."

You look at Jun. Then the table. Then Jun again. The cat remains hidden. You wonder if this is what having a breakdown feels like.

"Y/N?"

The cat's tail appears briefly from beneath a chair. Then disappears. 

You inhale. Exhale. Inhale again.

"Everything okay?" Jun asks.

No. Nothing is okay. Five minutes ago you watched his cat become a person.

"Yeah."

Jun blinks.

"Really?"

"No."

"Okay."

You appreciate the honesty.

Unfortunately, you cannot explain the situation because explaining the situation would involve saying, Jun, your cat is a human being and I watched him transform in your kitchen.

You are fairly certain that conversation would not go well.

"Work stress," you blurt.

Jun immediately looks concerned. The guilt nearly kills you.

"Do you want tea?"

You almost laugh. Because of course that's his solution. Tea. The world could literally be ending and Jun would probably offer snacks.

"Sure."

While Jun busies himself making tea, you slowly lower your gaze toward the underside of the table. Two golden eyes stare back. The cat has the audacity to look embarrassed.

—

You leave twenty minutes later. Not because you want to. Because if you remain in that apartment for one more second, you might accidentally start asking questions.

Such as:

Why is your cat human?

Why was your cat wearing clothes?

Where did the clothes come from?

And perhaps most importantly:

Why did your cat seem more worried about being caught than transforming itself?

The answers arrive at eleven thirty-seven that night.

In the form of scratching.

You stare at your apartment door. The scratching continues. Three scratches. Pause. Three more scratches. Pause. Three more.

"That is either a cat or a serial killer."

The scratching grows more impatient. You open the door. The cat immediately walks inside. Not unusual.

What is unusual is the folded piece of paper tied around his collar. You stare. The cat stares.

Slowly, you remove the note. There are four words written on it. WE NEED TO TALK. You look down. The cat nods. Actually nods. You close the door.

"This is somehow worse."

—

Half an hour later, you are sitting cross-legged on your living room floor while the cat sits opposite you.

Neither of you speaks. Mostly because one of you physically cannot. The cat seems annoyed by this limitation. Eventually he hops onto your coffee table. A notebook slides toward you. You blink. The cat taps it with one paw. Then taps the pen.

"Oh."

The cat taps again.

"Right."

You open the notebook. The cat immediately begins writing.

His handwriting is surprisingly neat. 

YOU SAW THAT.

You stare.

"Unfortunately."

The cat writes again.

I CAN EXPLAIN.

"I would love that."

A pause. The cat writes:

IT SOUNDS STUPID.

"Try me."

Another pause. Then:

I AM CURSED.

You stare at the words. The words stare back. The cat waits.

"...That's it?"

The cat narrows his eyes.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT'S IT.

"I mean," you say carefully, "if someone had asked me yesterday what explanation I'd expect for a human turning into a cat, curse would've been pretty high on the list."

The cat seems genuinely offended by this.

—

The explanation takes nearly an hour. Partly because writing everything down is slow. Partly because the cat keeps stopping to glare whenever you laugh.

Apparently, several years ago, he had been travelling through a small village and accidentally destroyed an elderly woman's herb garden. Not maliciously. Just catastrophically. 

There had been a bicycle. A slope. A misunderstanding. Several chickens.

The story somehow becomes less believable every time he tells it. The woman, who may or may not have been a witch, cursed him. Since then, he has spent most of his life stuck as a cat.

Sometimes he transforms back. Sometimes he doesn't. Strong emotions tend to trigger changes. Unfortunately, emotions happen constantly.

Which means so do transformations.

"And Jun doesn't know?"

The cat writes:

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

"Why?"

The answer appears immediately.

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY.

You consider this. Fair point.

"How long have you been living with him?"

THREE MONTHS.

"Three months?"

The cat nods.

"He just found you?"

Another nod.

"That's insane."

The cat points at himself. Exactly.

—

The following week becomes a disaster. Not because of the curse. Because now you're involved.

Monday afternoon, Jun texts you.

[JUN] Question.

[YOU] That depends.

[JUN] Can cats learn how to unlock doors?

You immediately sit upright.

[YOU] Why?

Three dots appear. Disappear. Reappear.

[JUN] No reason.

[JUN] Hypothetically.

[JUN] If my cat opened the bathroom door while I was showering.

[YOU] HE WHAT.

[JUN] Hypothetically.

You receive a photograph. The cat is sitting outside a bathroom door. Looking entirely too pleased with himself. You put your phone down.

The cat, currently sleeping on your couch, opens one eye.

"You need to stop doing crimes."

The cat closes his eye again.

—

Tuesday is worse. You stop by Jun's apartment after work. The door opens.

Jun smiles immediately when he sees you. Something warm settles in your chest.

Dangerous. Very dangerous.

"Perfect timing."

You blink.

"Why?"

"Dumpling's hiding."

You look down. The cat, currently in human form, is standing behind the kitchen counter.

His eyes widen. Your eyes widen. Neither of you says anything.

Jun continues.

"I haven't seen him for an hour."

The human-cat begins gesturing wildly.

"That's weird."

"Right?"

The gestures become increasingly desperate.

You cough. Loudly.

The human-cat dives beneath the counter. A second later, an orange tail appears. Jun notices instantly.

"There he is!"

The cat emerges. Now fully feline. You do not ask questions. For the sake of your own sanity.

—

The problem is that keeping secrets creates opportunities for friendship. You hadn't intended to become friends with the cat.

It simply happened. Mostly because he's surprisingly easy to talk to. When he isn't stealing food.

Or causing problems. Or nearly exposing supernatural secrets.

One evening he appears on your windowsill carrying another notebook. You let him inside.

"What happened now?"

The notebook opens.

JUN BOUGHT ME A SWEATER.

You laugh.

The cat looks deeply unhappy.

HE HAS ONE TOO.

"That's adorable."

I LOOK RIDICULOUS.

"You look adorable."

The cat glares. You continue smiling. The cat eventually writes:

YOU ARE BOTH IMPOSSIBLE.

—

The truly unfortunate part is that the more time you spend around Jun, the harder everything becomes.

Because he's thoughtful. Because he's funny. Because he still texts you photographs every day. Because he always seems happy to see you.

And because your life has somehow become intertwined with his in ways neither of you planned.

Movie nights become routine. Shared dinners become normal. Sometimes you'll realise hours have passed without either of you noticing.

The cat notices. Unfortunately.

One evening you're sitting on Jun's couch watching a movie when his head slowly drops onto your shoulder.

At first you think it's accidental. Then you hear his breathing deepen. He's asleep.

Your entire body freezes. The room suddenly feels very warm. Across from you, the cat sits on the armchair.

Watching. Judging. Witnessing.

You glare. The cat stares back.

Slowly, he picks up a notebook from the side table. Writes something. Then turns it around.

OH YOU HAVE IT BADDDD.

You nearly throw a cushion at him. The cat looks delighted.

—

Later that night, after you've returned home and the apartment has fallen quiet, a folded note appears beneath your door.

You already know who it's from. The handwriting confirms it.

THANK YOU.

You smile despite yourself. Then flip the paper over. Additional text has been squeezed into the corner.

PLEASE DON'T TELL JUN.

You shake your head. A second line sits beneath it.

HE WOULD WORRY.

And somehow, more than the magic, more than the curse, more than the impossible situation you've found yourself trapped in—

That is the thing that makes your chest ache.

Because he's right. Jun would worry. About everyone. About everything. And maybe that's exactly why neither of you can bring yourselves to tell him. Not yet. Not when he smiles every time he sees the two of you waiting for him at home.

—

The first member to meet the cat is Soonyoung. This is unfortunate for everyone involved. 

Especially the cat.

"HE LOOKS LIKE A TIGER."

The declaration arrives less than ten seconds after Soonyoung steps through Jun's front door. The cat, currently loafing on the sofa, visibly flinches.

You witness it. The cat witnesses it. Unfortunately, Soonyoung witnesses absolutely nothing. Jun lights up immediately.

"I told you he was cute."

"Cute?" Soonyoung repeats. "Jun, this isn't a cat."

The cat narrows his eyes. Soonyoung points dramatically.

"That is a tiger trapped in a smaller body."

The cat turns away.

"You hurt his feelings," you say.

"I spoke the truth."

"You compared him to a completely different species."

"So?" Soonyoung asks. "I'd be honoured."

The cat appears unconvinced.

—

The second problem is that Jun has started inviting you over so frequently that you've stopped knocking. At some point during the past month, the line between neighbour and friend had quietly disappeared.

You have your own mug in his kitchen. You know where he keeps spare blankets. You can navigate his apartment in the dark. Nobody ever discusses it.

It simply becomes normal. Dangerously normal.

The cat notices immediately. You know this because every time you arrive, he watches the interaction with increasingly concerning levels of interest.

Not judgment. Observation. Like he's conducting research. Like he's documenting evidence.

One afternoon, you arrive carrying takeout and find the cat sitting on the kitchen counter beside a notebook. The notebook is open. Several pages are filled with writing.

The moment he notices you looking, he slams it shut. You narrow your eyes. The cat narrows his eyes back.

"What are you writing?"

NOTHING.

"You're literally writing."

NOTHING IMPORTANT.

"You realise I can read."

The cat hugs the notebook against his chest.

You immediately become suspicious.

—

The situation worsens when the rest of Jun's friends begin appearing. Joshua arrives first. Then Minghao. Then Seungkwan. 

The apartment somehow doubles in volume.

You are halfway through helping Jun prepare snacks when voices spill in from the hallway.

"Oh, Y/N's already here."

Your stomach performs an embarrassing little flip. Not because of Seungkwan. Because of the way Jun smiles. 

Bright. Immediate. Unconsciously happy.

"Yeah," Jun says. "They got here earlier."

The cat, perched on the back of the sofa, immediately looks between both of you. You pretend not to notice. The cat continues noticing.

—

The evening begins normally.

Or as normally as possible when several members are crammed into one apartment arguing over board game rules.

The problems start approximately thirty minutes later. Specifically when Seungkwan begins paying attention.

"Wait."

Everybody ignores him.

"Wait."

Joshua continues setting up the game.

"Wait."

Minghao sighs.

"What?"

Seungkwan points.

At the cat. The cat freezes.

"That cat is weird."

The room falls silent. You nearly choke. The cat stops breathing. Jun blinks.

"Dumpling?"

"Yeah."

"What about him?"

Seungkwan squints. The cat squints back.

"He's looking at me."

Jun laughs.

"That's what cats do."

"No."

Seungkwan points harder.

"He's looking at me like he knows my tax information."

The cat immediately looks away. You cover your mouth. Minghao's shoulders start shaking. Joshua physically leaves the room because he's laughing too hard.

"See?" Seungkwan says triumphantly. "THAT."

"What?"

"That guilty look."

The cat leaps off the sofa and disappears into the bedroom. Seungkwan gasps.

"HE KNOWS."

—

The cat spends the next week avoiding Seungkwan. This only makes things worse. Apparently, if a person believes a cat is suspicious, the correct response is not to act suspicious.

Unfortunately, nobody explains this to the cat. The result is catastrophic. Every time Seungkwan enters a room, the cat leaves. Every time Seungkwan sits down, the cat relocates. Every time Seungkwan tries to pet him, the cat stares into the distance like he's remembering a war.

"It's personal," Seungkwan concludes.

"It's not personal," Jun says.

"It feels personal."

The cat immediately jumps off the couch. Seungkwan points.

"SEE?"

—

Minghao notices first. Not the curse. Not the transformations.

You.

Specifically, the way Jun looks at you. Which is significantly worse. The discovery occurs during movie night.

The apartment is quiet. The lights are dim. Everybody is focused on the screen except Minghao.

Minghao is focused on Jun. Jun is focused on you. The cat is focused on everyone. Minghao slowly turns toward Joshua.

Joshua follows his gaze. Then pauses. Then smiles.

"Oh."

The cat immediately notices. His eyes widen. Minghao notices the cat noticing. Now three people are aware of something.

You remain blissfully ignorant. Jun remains even more oblivious.

—

A group chat appears two days later. You discover its existence entirely by accident. Specifically because Jun leaves his phone unlocked while helping carry groceries. A notification appears.

[seungkwan] he smiled again

[minghao] i know

[joshua] it's getting embarrassing

[seungkwan] should we tell them

[joshua] absolutely not

[minghao] this is free entertainment

You immediately lock the screen.

Your face feels approximately one thousand degrees. Across the kitchen, the cat watches everything.

Slowly. Deliberately.

He gives you a thumbs up.

You nearly drop the groceries.

—

The truly alarming thing is that Jun keeps getting more comfortable around you.

Not intentionally. Not consciously.

It happens in small moments.

He hands you the first portion of food automatically. Saves your favourite seat. Texts you whenever something funny happens. Includes you in plans before asking if you're free.

As though your presence has become expected. As though you're already part of his life.

One evening you arrive after a particularly exhausting day. You don't even have time to say hello before Jun notices.

"Tough day?"

You blink.

"How did you know?"

"You look tired."

The answer is simple. Casual. Immediate. Something in your chest aches.

"Work was awful."

Jun frowns. The expression looks genuinely offended on your behalf.

"Want dinner?"

"That's your solution to everything."

"Dinner helps."

"It really doesn't."

Jun considers this.

"Okay."

A pause.

"Dinner and dessert?"

You laugh despite yourself. Across the room, the cat quietly writes something down.

—

The disaster happens on a Friday. Naturally. Disasters always happen on Fridays. 

You arrive at Jun's apartment carrying coffee.

The door is unlocked. You let yourself inside.

"Jun?"

No response. The apartment appears empty. You walk toward the kitchen. Then stop. Human.

The cat is human. Very human.

Very surprised. Very standing in the middle of the kitchen holding a spoon.

The spoon falls. Neither of you moves. The cat closes his eyes.

"Oh no."

The front door opens.

"Oh no," the cat repeats.

Jun's voice echoes from the hallway.

"Y/N?"

Panic erupts instantly. The cat grabs your shoulders. You grab his shoulders. Neither of you has a plan.

"Hide."

"Where?"

"I don't know."

"Helpful."

Footsteps approach. The cat spins in a circle. You spin with him. Somewhere in the distance, Jun gets closer.

"Guys?"

"Window?"

"We're on the eighth floor."

"Right."

The cat gestures wildly. You gesture back. Neither of you contributes anything useful.

Finally, the cat dives behind the kitchen island. A second later, orange fur replaces human limbs.

You stare. The transformation still feels impossible.

Jun enters. The cat immediately appears from behind the counter.

Looking innocent. Looking normal. Looking completely unbothered.

Jun smiles.

"There you are."

The cat meows. You stare. The cat stares back.

Slowly. Very slowly. A tiny smirk appears.

The little menace is enjoying this.

—

That night, a folded page appears beneath your apartment door. You already know what it is. You unfold it. The familiar handwriting fills the page.

—

[CASE NOTES]

Current Threat Assessment:

Seungkwan suspicious.

Minghao observant.

Joshua entertained.

Jun oblivious.

Additional Notes:

Y/N and Jun spent thirty-two minutes talking in the kitchen today.

Neither realised everyone else had already left.

Concerning.

—

A final line has been squeezed into the bottom corner. At first glance, the handwriting appears rushed. Almost hesitant.

I think Jun likes you.

You stare at the sentence. Then immediately flip the page over. Nothing else is written there.

When you look back, the words haven't changed. The cat's handwriting remains stubbornly visible.

I think Jun likes you.

For some reason, that possibility feels far more terrifying than any curse.

—

The cat begins sabotaging your love life on a Tuesday. Unfortunately, he begins by sabotaging Jun's.

You don't realise this immediately. Mostly because the disaster starts small.

A missing shirt. A mysteriously hidden wallet. A phone that somehow ends up inside the linen cupboard.

Individually, none of these events are particularly suspicious. Together, however, they create a pattern.

Specifically, the pattern of a cat committing crimes.

"Have you seen my jacket?"

Jun is standing in the middle of his apartment looking genuinely confused. You glance up from the sofa.

"No?"

"I left it right here."

The cat, sitting three feet away, immediately looks out the window. You narrow your eyes. The cat narrows his eyes back.

Jun continues searching. The cat continues pretending to be innocent. Nobody is convinced.

—

The explanation arrives later that evening. Specifically after you corner the cat in your apartment and refuse to let him leave until he talks.

Human form this time. Mostly because he can actually explain himself.

"You're hiding things."

"I'm not hiding things."

"You hid his phone inside a cereal box."

The cat looks offended.

"It was a strategic location."

"You are impossible."

"So I've been told."

He drops onto your couch dramatically. You wait. The cat waits. Eventually, he sighs.

"It's because of the date."

You blink.

"What date?"

The look he gives you suggests you're the stupidest person alive.

"The blind date."

Oh. Right.

A few days earlier, one of Jun's friends had apparently decided he needed help finding romance. The resulting blind date had been arranged for this weekend.

Jun had agreed.

Mostly because he was too nice to refuse. The cat had hated the idea immediately.

Apparently.

"You've been sabotaging a blind date?"

"I've been delaying a blind date."

"That's worse."

"It's different."

"It isn't."

The cat folds his arms. You stare at each other. Eventually, he looks away first. And suddenly, for the first time since you've met him, he looks genuinely upset.

Not annoyed. Not dramatic. Just... sad. The change catches you off guard.

"What is it?"

The cat doesn't answer immediately. His gaze settles somewhere near the window. The city lights glow softly beyond the glass. For a long moment, the apartment feels strangely quiet.

Then—

"If the curse breaks, I'll leave."

The words land heavily between you. You freeze. The cat continues staring outside.

"I was always supposed to leave."

You don't know what to say. Because the thing is—

You've never actually thought about it. Not really. The curse has become part of daily life. 

The transformations. The notes. The absurdity. The cat himself.

Somewhere along the way, he'd stopped feeling temporary. Stopped feeling like a problem that needed solving. Instead, he'd become...

Family.

The realisation hits harder than expected.

"I don't want to leave."

His voice is quiet.

"So don't."

The cat laughs. Not happily.

"You think curses work like rental agreements?"

"You're being dramatic."

"I learned from Jun."

You can't even argue with that.

—

The problem is that the conversation stays with you.

For days. Long after the cat leaves. Long after movie night. Long after Jun walks you home and lingers outside your apartment door for a few seconds longer than necessary.

The thought keeps returning. If the curse breaks. If the curse ends.

Then what? The cat leaves. Life changes. Everything changes. The idea feels wrong.

Uncomfortable.

Like imagining a missing piece in a picture you've grown used to. And perhaps that's why, a week later, you finally ask the question that's been bothering you.

"What actually breaks the curse?"

The cat pauses. He'd been halfway through stealing food from your kitchen. Now he simply stares.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I know what the old woman said."

"Which was?"

The cat sighs.

"'You'll return to yourself when you're accepted as yourself.'"

You blink.

"That's it?"

"That's literally it."

"That's incredibly vague."

"I KNOW."

The frustration in his voice sounds years old.

—

The answer arrives from somewhere completely unexpected. Seungkwan. Because, apparently, life enjoys irony.

It happens during one of the increasingly common group dinners at Jun's apartment.

Everyone is present. Food covers every available surface. Conversations overlap. The cat is currently asleep on Jun's lap. Which would be adorable if you didn't know he was actually a person.

"So," Seungkwan says suddenly.

You immediately become suspicious.

"So?" Jun asks.

"I've solved the mystery."

Nobody likes the way he says that.

"What mystery?" Joshua asks.

Seungkwan points dramatically. At Jun. Then at you. Then at the cat.

"The three of you."

Silence. The cat opens one eye.

"What about us?" you ask carefully.

Seungkwan leans back. Looking entirely too pleased with himself.

"You all act like a family."

The room falls silent. Completely silent. The cat stops moving. Jun blinks. Minghao immediately looks interested. Joshua looks delighted. Seungkwan continues.

"It's weird."

"Thank you?" Jun says.

"No, seriously."

Seungkwan gestures vaguely.

"You."

Pointing at Jun.

"Cook."

Then you.

"You clean."

Then the cat.

"That one commits crimes."

The cat looks offended.

"That's a family."

Nobody says anything. Because somehow—

As ridiculous as the statement is—

It doesn't feel wrong.

—

That night, after everyone leaves, Jun walks you home. The journey takes less than a minute. Neither of you seems particularly eager to end it. The hallway is quiet.

The building mostly asleep. For a while, neither of you speaks. Then Jun laughs softly. You glance over.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Jun."

He smiles. A little sheepish.

"A family, huh?"

Your chest immediately betrays you. The worst part is that he doesn't sound embarrassed. Or uncomfortable. Instead, he sounds...

Happy.

Like the idea itself makes him happy.

"Seungkwan says a lot of things."

"He does."

You reach your apartment door. Neither of you moves. The silence stretches. Comfortable. Dangerous.

The kind that makes you suddenly aware of every little thing. The warmth of the hallway lights. The softness in Jun's expression. The fact that he's standing much closer than usual.

For one impossible second, you think he might say something. Instead, he smiles.

"Goodnight."

The disappointment is immediate. And embarrassing.

"Goodnight."

Jun turns. Walks away. Then pauses.

Just before reaching his own apartment. He glances back. Smiles again. Then disappears inside.

Your heart remains absolutely useless.

—

The next morning, a note appears beneath your door. The handwriting is familiar. You unfold it.

—

[CASE FILE #004]

Subject: Curse Investigation

Status: Ongoing.

Recent Findings:

Jun considers Y/N family.

Y/N considers Jun family.

I consider both idiots.

—

You laugh despite yourself. There is more. The writing below is messier. Less organised.

Like it was added later.

I think I finally understand.

You frown. Understand what?

The final paragraph answers.

For years, I thought breaking the curse meant becoming human again.

Maybe that was never the point.

Maybe the point was finding somewhere I didn't have to hide.

The words hit unexpectedly hard. Because for the first time, they don't feel like notes.

Or reports. Or evidence. They feel like a goodbye. And somehow, deep down, you know something is changing.

The curse is getting weaker. The cat knows it. Maybe even understands it. And for the first time since all this began—

You think he might finally be close to going home. The problem is that home isn't a place anymore.

It's Jun. It's you.

And none of you know what happens when the magic finally lets go.

—

The truth comes out because the cat finally gets tired.

Not physically. Emotionally.

Years of hiding have a way of wearing a person down, and despite all evidence to the contrary, the cat is still a person.

It happens on an ordinary Sunday. Which somehow makes it worse. There is no dramatic thunderstorm. No magical prophecy. No ancient witch appearing out of nowhere to explain things.

Just takeout containers, a half-finished movie, and Jun complaining because someone keeps stealing food off his plate.

"I'm serious," Jun says.

The cat, currently curled beside him on the couch, pointedly avoids eye contact.

"Every time I look away, something disappears."

You nearly choke on your drink. The cat looks offended. Jun narrows his eyes. The cat narrows his eyes back.

And then—

Without warning—

The room fills with golden light. 

Everybody freezes. The cat freezes. You freeze. Jun freezes.

For one impossible moment, the entire apartment falls silent. The light swirls around the cat.

Brighter. Warmer. Familiar.

The same glow you've witnessed dozens of times before.

Except this time it doesn't stop.

"Oh."

The cat's voice returns first. Human. Entirely human.

Sitting where the cat had been seconds earlier. The takeout container slides off his lap.

Nobody reacts. Nobody breathes.

Jun stares. The cat stares back.

And after months of preparation, after endless contingency plans and increasingly ridiculous emergency scenarios, the only thing the cat manages to say is:

"...This isn't ideal."

—

The silence lasts approximately four seconds. Then Jun speaks.

"Oh."

Another pause.

"Oh."

The cat winces. You consider hiding. Jun continues staring. The cat continues existing.

You continue questioning every life decision that led to this moment.

Then, unexpectedly—

Jun stands up. Walks forward. And pokes the cat's forehead. The cat blinks. Jun blinks. The cat blinks again.

"You're real."

The cat stares.

"That is your first question?"

"What was I supposed to ask?"

"I don't know!"

The cat throws his hands into the air.

"Maybe why your pet is secretly a human?"

"That was definitely my second question."

"Jun."

"I'm getting there."

The cat looks ready to scream. You honestly can't blame him. For several long moments, Jun simply stands there processing. Then his expression changes.

Softens. The panic never comes. The anger never comes. Instead—

"You've been dealing with this alone?"

The cat freezes. The question hangs in the air. Everything suddenly feels very quiet. Because out of every possible reaction, somehow that is the one none of you expected. The cat's shoulders slump. Just slightly.

"Yeah."

Jun's expression crumples immediately.

"Oh."

And somehow that single syllable contains more heartbreak than any dramatic speech could.

—

The explanation takes hours. Mostly because Jun keeps interrupting. Not with accusations. Questions. Thousands of questions.

Have you been eating enough?

Where did you sleep before?

Were you scared?

Why didn't you tell me?

Did the veterinarian know?

The answer to that last one is apparently no. Thankfully. 

The cat buries his face in his hands.

"I knew this would happen."

"What?"

"You worrying."

Jun looks genuinely confused.

"Of course I'm worried."

The cat laughs helplessly. And for the first time since you've met him, you realise just how exhausted he's been. How much effort it must have taken to keep carrying this alone.

Jun notices too. Because of course he does.

Without hesitation, he moves beside him on the couch. Close enough that their shoulders touch. Close enough that neither of them has to pretend anymore.

"You idiot."

The words are fond. The cat immediately starts crying.

—

The curse breaks completely three days later.

Not with magic. Not really. Not with fireworks or dramatic declarations. Just certainty.

The cat wakes up human. And stays human.

Morning becomes afternoon. Afternoon becomes evening. Nothing changes.

No tail. No whiskers. No transformation. The curse is gone.

Just like that.

The moment should feel triumphant. Instead, everybody ends up strangely emotional. Including you. Especially Jun. The apartment feels different.

Not empty. Just unfamiliar. Like a favourite song rearranged into a new key. Better.

But still strange. The cat notices immediately.

"You're mourning me."

"No we're not."

"You absolutely are."

"We literally saw you this morning."

"Then stop looking at me like I've died."

Jun points a chopstick at him.

"You used to fit inside a tote bag."

"That's not a normal thing to miss."

"It is for me."

The cat groans. You laugh. For the first time in days, everything feels normal again.

—

The confession happens because Seungkwan finally loses patience. As expected.

Everyone has gathered for dinner. The former cat now occupies an actual chair. A development that continues to disturb Jun. Halfway through dessert, Seungkwan slams both hands on the table.

"ENOUGH."

Everybody jumps.

"What?" Joshua asks.

"No."

Seungkwan points. At Jun. Then at you. Then back at Jun.

"This has gone on long enough."

The room immediately erupts. Minghao starts laughing. Joshua covers his face. The former cat sighs dramatically. Jun looks confused. You look terrified.

"What's happening?"

"You like each other."

Seungkwan says it with the confidence of someone announcing the weather. Silence. Then:

"What?"

Jun and you speak simultaneously. The entire table groans. The former cat drops his forehead onto the table.

"You are unbearable."

"No," Seungkwan says. "I've suffered enough."

"Seungkwan—"

"No."

He points at Jun.

"Do you like Y/N?"

Jun opens his mouth. Closes it. Looks at you. Then looks away. His ears turn red. The entire room explodes.

"Oh my god."

"I KNEW IT."

"Finally."

"THANK YOU."

Jun hides his face. You consider moving countries. The former cat looks seconds away from standing up and applauding.

—

Somehow, eventually, everyone leaves. Except Jun. And you.

The apartment grows quiet. The dishes remain forgotten. The city lights glow beyond the windows. For several moments, neither of you speaks. Then Jun laughs softly. Embarrassed.

"I think they planned that."

"They definitely planned that."

"Yeah."

Silence returns. Not awkward. Just fragile.

The kind where everything important sits between two people waiting to be acknowledged. 

Jun rubs the back of his neck. Looks down. Then up again. And suddenly he looks more nervous than you've ever seen him.

"I do, by the way."

Your breath catches.

"What?"

He smiles. Small. Warm. Entirely sincere.

"I do like you."

The words are simple. Which somehow makes them hit harder. No dramatic speech. No rehearsed confession. Just honesty.

The kind that's impossible to hide from.

"I think I've liked you for a while."

The smile spreads before you can stop it. Jun's eyes soften immediately. The sight nearly destroys you.

"Good."

His voice comes out quiet. Hopeful.

"Good?"

"Because I like you too."

For a second, neither of you moves. Then Jun laughs. The relieved, disbelieving kind. And somehow that's what finally pushes you both forward.

The kiss is gentle. Warm. A little awkward. 

Perfect.

When you pull apart, Jun immediately starts smiling again. Like he physically cannot stop. You suspect you look exactly the same.

—

The next morning, a final note appears beneath your apartment door. The handwriting is instantly familiar. You unfold it.

—

[CASE FILE: CLOSED]

Former Alias: Dumpling.Current Status: Human.Curse Status: Broken.Additional Findings:The old woman was right. Being human again wasn't the solution. Being loved was.

—

Your chest tightens. A final paragraph sits beneath it. Shorter. Messier. Like it wasn't rewritten a hundred times.

Thank you for seeing me. Even when I was a cat.

You stare at the page for a long moment. Then smile. A knock sounds at your door. You already know who it is.

When you open it, Jun stands there holding breakfast. And flowers. And the most hopeful expression you've ever seen.

"Hi."

You laugh immediately.

"Hi."

"Would you maybe want to go on an actual date?"

The flowers shake slightly. Nervous. Endearing. Very Jun. You take them from his hands. His smile brightens instantly.

And just like that, standing in the hallway where all of this began, surrounded by neighbours and ordinary apartment walls and absolutely no magic whatsoever, you realise something.

The curse was never the story. Home was.

"Hello?"

The cat's ears twitch.

Then, with all the dignity of a tiny king inspecting his territory, it stands up, walks directly over your shoes, and begins rubbing against your ankles.

"Oh," you say, immediately folding. "You're friendly."

The cat lets out a short meow.

It sounds less like a greeting and more like a sigh.

You crouch down carefully, setting your groceries on the floor, and reach out a hand. The cat sniffs your fingers before accepting a scratch beneath its chin, closing its eyes briefly as if granting approval.

"Do you belong to someone?"

The cat opens one eye. You swear it looks offended. Before you can investigate further, the sound of hurried footsteps echoes down the hallway. A moment later, a man rounds the corner.

A very tall man.

A very tall man who looks as though he's been running through the entire apartment complex for the last twenty minutes. His dark hair is sticking up in several directions, his hoodie is half-zipped, and he looks simultaneously exhausted and relieved when he spots the cat.

"There you are!"

The cat immediately walks behind your legs. The man stops. The cat stops. You glance between them. The cat presses itself against your ankle. The man sighs. The cat somehow manages to look smug.

"...I'm guessing this is yours?"

"Unfortunately," the man says.

The cat meows loudly.

"See? This is exactly what I mean."

You laugh before you can stop yourself. The stranger's expression brightens instantly, as if he hadn't expected anyone to find this situation amusing.

"I'm Jun," he says, holding out a hand. "From 8B."

You shake it. The cat bites his shoelace. Jun doesn't even look surprised.

"I'm Y/N."

"Nice to meet you."

The cat bites harder. Jun pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Please stop embarrassing me in front of my neighbours."

The cat releases the shoelace only to immediately sit on top of it. You laugh again. Jun looks delighted by this reaction. The cat looks annoyed by both of you. 

And that, unfortunately, is how it starts.

—

Three days later, the cat escapes again. 

Five days after that, it somehow ends up outside the building entirely.

A week later, you discover it sitting inside the communal laundry room watching a washing machine spin with the concentration of someone studying advanced physics.

At this point, you and Jun have exchanged numbers entirely for cat-related emergencies. Your conversation history consists primarily of photographs. Most of them are from Jun. Most of them are evidence.

[JUN] Found him inside my kitchen cabinet.

[JUN] *image attached*

[JUN] How did he get there?

[YOU] You own the cabinet.

[JUN] That's not the point.

[JUN] I was using that cabinet.

[YOU] Clearly he disagreed.

The responses usually arrive immediately. Jun, you discover, texts exactly the way he talks—enthusiastically, slightly randomly, and with enough exclamation marks to suggest every thought is exciting. 

You also discover that he is alarmingly easy to like.

Not because he's famous, although you'd recognised him eventually after spending an embarrassing amount of time wondering why he looked familiar. Not because he's handsome, although that certainly doesn't help.

Mostly it's because Jun is kind. He remembers things. The name of your favourite convenience store drink. The fact that you hate mornings. The bakery near your office that sells those strawberry pastries you mentioned once in passing.

Small details seem to stick in his mind as naturally as breathing. Unfortunately, he applies this same energy to the cat. The cat, meanwhile, seems determined to make his life difficult.

—

You are in the middle of watering your plants when your phone rings. 

Jun. 

You answer immediately.

"Hello?"

"He's gone."

You glance at the clock. It's eight in the morning.

"Good morning to you too."

"He's gone."

"Have you checked under the couch?"

"Yes."

"The bed?"

"Yes."

"The cabinets?"

"Every cabinet."

You hear rustling.

Then silence.

Then a muffled curse.

"Jun?"

"He was in the laundry basket."

You pause.

"...Was?"

"He escaped again."

You close your eyes.

"How does one cat keep defeating you?"

"That's what I've been asking."

The answer arrives ten minutes later when a scratching sound comes from outside your apartment. You open the door. The cat strolls inside. Not into the hallway. Into your apartment. Like it lives there.

"You have got to be kidding me.”

The cat jumps onto your sofa. You call Jun.

"I found him."

The groan that follows sounds deeply personal.

—

The cat's official name is Dumpling. The cat hates this name. You know this because every time Jun says it, the animal visibly reacts. Not dramatically. Just enough. A flick of an ear. A narrowed stare. An expression that somehow communicates disappointment.

"You know," you tell Jun one evening, "I don't think he likes his name."

Jun looks scandalised.

"Dumpling is adorable."

The cat turns its back on him. You point.

"See?"

"He's being dramatic."

The cat knocks a pen off the coffee table. Jun gasps. The cat knocks another one down.

"I raised you better than this."

You nearly choke on your tea.

"You've had him for three weeks."

"That's enough time to learn manners."

The cat jumps onto the back of the sofa. Jun sighs heavily.

"Maybe he's entering his rebellious phase."

"Maybe?"

The cat stares directly at him while deliberately pushing a coaster off the edge of the table.

The silence that follows is incredible.

"Okay," Jun admits. "Maybe definitely."

—

You spend more time in Jun's apartment than you mean to. It starts innocently enough. A movie recommendation. An extra portion of dinner.

Help assembling a cat tree after Jun accidentally orders one with instructions written entirely in a language neither of you can read.

The cat supervises from the couch. Correction. The cat judges from the couch.

"Pass me the screwdriver?"

You hand it over. Jun smiles. The expression catches you off guard every single time.

Warm. Open. The kind of smile that makes a room feel brighter.

You look away before he notices.

Across the room, the cat watches the interaction with unsettling focus.

"Why is he staring at us like that?" you ask.

Jun glances over.

"Dumpling?"

The cat doesn't move.

"Yeah."

"He always does that."

"That's concerning."

"I think he's just curious."

The cat continues staring. You are unconvinced.

—

The strange thing is that the cat almost feels human sometimes. Not in a creepy way.

Just...

Odd.

He understands too much. Not commands. Not tricks. Conversations.

You mention a specific toy once and find him playing with it the next day.

You complain about a difficult coworker and the cat appears beside you with suspiciously good timing.

Sometimes it feels as though he's listening. Actually listening. When you mention this to Jun, he beams.

"I know."

"That wasn't supposed to be a positive observation."

"He's smart."

The cat puffs up proudly. You point immediately.

"See? That. Why did he react to that?"

Jun follows your gaze. The cat instantly stops. The three of you stare at one another.

No one says anything.

Eventually Jun shrugs.

"Dumpling is just special."

The cat looks pleased. You look concerned.

—

The moment everything changes happens on a rainy Thursday evening. You aren't supposed to be at Jun's apartment. That's important.

You're only there because he'd left his umbrella at your place after movie night and you happened to notice the weather getting worse.

The walk takes less than thirty seconds. You knock once. No answer. You knock again.

Still nothing.

Maybe he's showering. You try the handle. The door opens.

"Jun?"

You step inside. The apartment is quiet. Rain taps softly against the windows. Somewhere deeper inside, you hear movement.

"Jun?"

A voice answers. But not Jun's.

"Wait."

You freeze. The voice sounds unfamiliar. Young. Panicked.

"Don't come in here."

Your stomach drops.

There is a stranger in Jun's apartment. You move toward the kitchen anyway. The stranger appears around the corner at exactly the same moment.

Orange hair. Wide eyes. An oversized hoodie. For one impossible second, they stare at you. Then their expression shifts from surprise to absolute horror.

"You weren't supposed to see that."

"What?"

The stranger points at you.

"No, no, no, no—"

You blink. The stranger vanishes. Not runs. Not ducks away. Vanishes.

A flash of movement. A burst of orange and white. And suddenly, sitting in the exact same spot on the kitchen floor—

—is Dumpling.

The cat stares up at you. You stare down at the cat. Neither of you moves. Then, very slowly, the cat closes its eyes.

As if already accepting its fate. And somewhere in the distance, you hear Jun's voice calling from the hallway outside.

"Y/N? Are you here?"

—

The first thing you do is scream. Not loudly, and definitely not dramatically (it was only a cutesy scream, you swear.)

More like the sound a person makes when their brain has completely stopped functioning and is desperately trying to restart itself.

The cat flinches. You point. The cat stares back. You continue pointing. The cat continues staring.

The front door opens.

"Y/N?" Jun calls. "Sorry, I had to grab a package from downstairs—"

The cat launches itself across the kitchen floor. You have never seen something move that fast in your life. One moment it's sitting in front of you. The next it has disappeared beneath the dining table. Jun rounds the corner.

"There you are."

You whip around. Jun pauses.

"You look pale."

You look at Jun. Then the table. Then Jun again. The cat remains hidden. You wonder if this is what having a breakdown feels like.

"Y/N?"

The cat's tail appears briefly from beneath a chair. Then disappears. 

You inhale. Exhale. Inhale again.

"Everything okay?" Jun asks.

No. Nothing is okay. Five minutes ago you watched his cat become a person.

"Yeah."

Jun blinks.

"Really?"

"No."

"Okay."

You appreciate the honesty.

Unfortunately, you cannot explain the situation because explaining the situation would involve saying, Jun, your cat is a human being and I watched him transform in your kitchen.

You are fairly certain that conversation would not go well.

"Work stress," you blurt.

Jun immediately looks concerned. The guilt nearly kills you.

"Do you want tea?"

You almost laugh. Because of course that's his solution. Tea. The world could literally be ending and Jun would probably offer snacks.

"Sure."

While Jun busies himself making tea, you slowly lower your gaze toward the underside of the table. Two golden eyes stare back. The cat has the audacity to look embarrassed.

—

You leave twenty minutes later. Not because you want to. Because if you remain in that apartment for one more second, you might accidentally start asking questions.

Such as:

Why is your cat human?

Why was your cat wearing clothes?

Where did the clothes come from?

And perhaps most importantly:

Why did your cat seem more worried about being caught than transforming itself?

The answers arrive at eleven thirty-seven that night.

In the form of scratching.

You stare at your apartment door. The scratching continues. Three scratches. Pause. Three more scratches. Pause. Three more.

"That is either a cat or a serial killer."

The scratching grows more impatient. You open the door. The cat immediately walks inside. Not unusual.

What is unusual is the folded piece of paper tied around his collar. You stare. The cat stares.

Slowly, you remove the note. There are four words written on it. WE NEED TO TALK. You look down. The cat nods. Actually nods. You close the door.

"This is somehow worse."

—

Half an hour later, you are sitting cross-legged on your living room floor while the cat sits opposite you.

Neither of you speaks. Mostly because one of you physically cannot. The cat seems annoyed by this limitation. Eventually he hops onto your coffee table. A notebook slides toward you. You blink. The cat taps it with one paw. Then taps the pen.

"Oh."

The cat taps again.

"Right."

You open the notebook. The cat immediately begins writing.

His handwriting is surprisingly neat. 

YOU SAW THAT.

You stare.

"Unfortunately."

The cat writes again.

I CAN EXPLAIN.

"I would love that."

A pause. The cat writes:

IT SOUNDS STUPID.

"Try me."

Another pause. Then:

I AM CURSED.

You stare at the words. The words stare back. The cat waits.

"...That's it?"

The cat narrows his eyes.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT'S IT.

"I mean," you say carefully, "if someone had asked me yesterday what explanation I'd expect for a human turning into a cat, curse would've been pretty high on the list."

The cat seems genuinely offended by this.

—

The explanation takes nearly an hour. Partly because writing everything down is slow. Partly because the cat keeps stopping to glare whenever you laugh.

Apparently, several years ago, he had been travelling through a small village and accidentally destroyed an elderly woman's herb garden. Not maliciously. Just catastrophically. 

There had been a bicycle. A slope. A misunderstanding. Several chickens.

The story somehow becomes less believable every time he tells it. The woman, who may or may not have been a witch, cursed him. Since then, he has spent most of his life stuck as a cat.

Sometimes he transforms back. Sometimes he doesn't. Strong emotions tend to trigger changes. Unfortunately, emotions happen constantly.

Which means so do transformations.

"And Jun doesn't know?"

The cat writes:

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

"Why?"

The answer appears immediately.

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY.

You consider this. Fair point.

"How long have you been living with him?"

THREE MONTHS.

"Three months?"

The cat nods.

"He just found you?"

Another nod.

"That's insane."

The cat points at himself. Exactly.

—

The following week becomes a disaster. Not because of the curse. Because now you're involved.

Monday afternoon, Jun texts you.

[JUN] Question.

[YOU] That depends.

[JUN] Can cats learn how to unlock doors?

You immediately sit upright.

[YOU] Why?

Three dots appear. Disappear. Reappear.

[JUN] No reason.

[JUN] Hypothetically.

[JUN] If my cat opened the bathroom door while I was showering.

[YOU] HE WHAT.

[JUN] Hypothetically.

You receive a photograph. The cat is sitting outside a bathroom door. Looking entirely too pleased with himself. You put your phone down.

The cat, currently sleeping on your couch, opens one eye.

"You need to stop doing crimes."

The cat closes his eye again.

—

Tuesday is worse. You stop by Jun's apartment after work. The door opens.

Jun smiles immediately when he sees you. Something warm settles in your chest.

Dangerous. Very dangerous.

"Perfect timing."

You blink.

"Why?"

"Dumpling's hiding."

You look down. The cat, currently in human form, is standing behind the kitchen counter.

His eyes widen. Your eyes widen. Neither of you says anything.

Jun continues.

"I haven't seen him for an hour."

The human-cat begins gesturing wildly.

"That's weird."

"Right?"

The gestures become increasingly desperate.

You cough. Loudly.

The human-cat dives beneath the counter. A second later, an orange tail appears. Jun notices instantly.

"There he is!"

The cat emerges. Now fully feline. You do not ask questions. For the sake of your own sanity.

—

The problem is that keeping secrets creates opportunities for friendship. You hadn't intended to become friends with the cat.

It simply happened. Mostly because he's surprisingly easy to talk to. When he isn't stealing food.

Or causing problems. Or nearly exposing supernatural secrets.

One evening he appears on your windowsill carrying another notebook. You let him inside.

"What happened now?"

The notebook opens.

JUN BOUGHT ME A SWEATER.

You laugh.

The cat looks deeply unhappy.

HE HAS ONE TOO.

"That's adorable."

I LOOK RIDICULOUS.

"You look adorable."

The cat glares. You continue smiling. The cat eventually writes:

YOU ARE BOTH IMPOSSIBLE.

—

The truly unfortunate part is that the more time you spend around Jun, the harder everything becomes.

Because he's thoughtful. Because he's funny. Because he still texts you photographs every day. Because he always seems happy to see you.

And because your life has somehow become intertwined with his in ways neither of you planned.

Movie nights become routine. Shared dinners become normal. Sometimes you'll realise hours have passed without either of you noticing.

The cat notices. Unfortunately.

One evening you're sitting on Jun's couch watching a movie when his head slowly drops onto your shoulder.

At first you think it's accidental. Then you hear his breathing deepen. He's asleep.

Your entire body freezes. The room suddenly feels very warm. Across from you, the cat sits on the armchair.

Watching. Judging. Witnessing.

You glare. The cat stares back.

Slowly, he picks up a notebook from the side table. Writes something. Then turns it around.

OH YOU HAVE IT BADDDD.

You nearly throw a cushion at him. The cat looks delighted.

—

Later that night, after you've returned home and the apartment has fallen quiet, a folded note appears beneath your door.

You already know who it's from. The handwriting confirms it.

THANK YOU.

You smile despite yourself. Then flip the paper over. Additional text has been squeezed into the corner.

PLEASE DON'T TELL JUN.

You shake your head. A second line sits beneath it.

HE WOULD WORRY.

And somehow, more than the magic, more than the curse, more than the impossible situation you've found yourself trapped in—

That is the thing that makes your chest ache.

Because he's right. Jun would worry. About everyone. About everything. And maybe that's exactly why neither of you can bring yourselves to tell him. Not yet. Not when he smiles every time he sees the two of you waiting for him at home.

—

The first member to meet the cat is Soonyoung. This is unfortunate for everyone involved. 

Especially the cat.

"HE LOOKS LIKE A TIGER."

The declaration arrives less than ten seconds after Soonyoung steps through Jun's front door. The cat, currently loafing on the sofa, visibly flinches.

You witness it. The cat witnesses it. Unfortunately, Soonyoung witnesses absolutely nothing. Jun lights up immediately.

"I told you he was cute."

"Cute?" Soonyoung repeats. "Jun, this isn't a cat."

The cat narrows his eyes. Soonyoung points dramatically.

"That is a tiger trapped in a smaller body."

The cat turns away.

"You hurt his feelings," you say.

"I spoke the truth."

"You compared him to a completely different species."

"So?" Soonyoung asks. "I'd be honoured."

The cat appears unconvinced.

—

The second problem is that Jun has started inviting you over so frequently that you've stopped knocking. At some point during the past month, the line between neighbour and friend had quietly disappeared.

You have your own mug in his kitchen. You know where he keeps spare blankets. You can navigate his apartment in the dark. Nobody ever discusses it.

It simply becomes normal. Dangerously normal.

The cat notices immediately. You know this because every time you arrive, he watches the interaction with increasingly concerning levels of interest.

Not judgment. Observation. Like he's conducting research. Like he's documenting evidence.

One afternoon, you arrive carrying takeout and find the cat sitting on the kitchen counter beside a notebook. The notebook is open. Several pages are filled with writing.

The moment he notices you looking, he slams it shut. You narrow your eyes. The cat narrows his eyes back.

"What are you writing?"

NOTHING.

"You're literally writing."

NOTHING IMPORTANT.

"You realise I can read."

The cat hugs the notebook against his chest.

You immediately become suspicious.

—

The situation worsens when the rest of Jun's friends begin appearing. Joshua arrives first. Then Minghao. Then Seungkwan. 

The apartment somehow doubles in volume.

You are halfway through helping Jun prepare snacks when voices spill in from the hallway.

"Oh, Y/N's already here."

Your stomach performs an embarrassing little flip. Not because of Seungkwan. Because of the way Jun smiles. 

Bright. Immediate. Unconsciously happy.

"Yeah," Jun says. "They got here earlier."

The cat, perched on the back of the sofa, immediately looks between both of you. You pretend not to notice. The cat continues noticing.

—

The evening begins normally.

Or as normally as possible when several members are crammed into one apartment arguing over board game rules.

The problems start approximately thirty minutes later. Specifically when Seungkwan begins paying attention.

"Wait."

Everybody ignores him.

"Wait."

Joshua continues setting up the game.

"Wait."

Minghao sighs.

"What?"

Seungkwan points.

At the cat. The cat freezes.

"That cat is weird."

The room falls silent. You nearly choke. The cat stops breathing. Jun blinks.

"Dumpling?"

"Yeah."

"What about him?"

Seungkwan squints. The cat squints back.

"He's looking at me."

Jun laughs.

"That's what cats do."

"No."

Seungkwan points harder.

"He's looking at me like he knows my tax information."

The cat immediately looks away. You cover your mouth. Minghao's shoulders start shaking. Joshua physically leaves the room because he's laughing too hard.

"See?" Seungkwan says triumphantly. "THAT."

"What?"

"That guilty look."

The cat leaps off the sofa and disappears into the bedroom. Seungkwan gasps.

"HE KNOWS."

—

The cat spends the next week avoiding Seungkwan. This only makes things worse. Apparently, if a person believes a cat is suspicious, the correct response is not to act suspicious.

Unfortunately, nobody explains this to the cat. The result is catastrophic. Every time Seungkwan enters a room, the cat leaves. Every time Seungkwan sits down, the cat relocates. Every time Seungkwan tries to pet him, the cat stares into the distance like he's remembering a war.

"It's personal," Seungkwan concludes.

"It's not personal," Jun says.

"It feels personal."

The cat immediately jumps off the couch. Seungkwan points.

"SEE?"

—

Minghao notices first. Not the curse. Not the transformations.

You.

Specifically, the way Jun looks at you. Which is significantly worse. The discovery occurs during movie night.

The apartment is quiet. The lights are dim. Everybody is focused on the screen except Minghao.

Minghao is focused on Jun. Jun is focused on you. The cat is focused on everyone. Minghao slowly turns toward Joshua.

Joshua follows his gaze. Then pauses. Then smiles.

"Oh."

The cat immediately notices. His eyes widen. Minghao notices the cat noticing. Now three people are aware of something.

You remain blissfully ignorant. Jun remains even more oblivious.

—

A group chat appears two days later. You discover its existence entirely by accident. Specifically because Jun leaves his phone unlocked while helping carry groceries. A notification appears.

[seungkwan] he smiled again

[minghao] i know

[joshua] it's getting embarrassing

[seungkwan] should we tell them

[joshua] absolutely not

[minghao] this is free entertainment

You immediately lock the screen.

Your face feels approximately one thousand degrees. Across the kitchen, the cat watches everything.

Slowly. Deliberately.

He gives you a thumbs up.

You nearly drop the groceries.

—

The truly alarming thing is that Jun keeps getting more comfortable around you.

Not intentionally. Not consciously.

It happens in small moments.

He hands you the first portion of food automatically. Saves your favourite seat. Texts you whenever something funny happens. Includes you in plans before asking if you're free.

As though your presence has become expected. As though you're already part of his life.

One evening you arrive after a particularly exhausting day. You don't even have time to say hello before Jun notices.

"Tough day?"

You blink.

"How did you know?"

"You look tired."

The answer is simple. Casual. Immediate. Something in your chest aches.

"Work was awful."

Jun frowns. The expression looks genuinely offended on your behalf.

"Want dinner?"

"That's your solution to everything."

"Dinner helps."

"It really doesn't."

Jun considers this.

"Okay."

A pause.

"Dinner and dessert?"

You laugh despite yourself. Across the room, the cat quietly writes something down.

—

The disaster happens on a Friday. Naturally. Disasters always happen on Fridays. 

You arrive at Jun's apartment carrying coffee.

The door is unlocked. You let yourself inside.

"Jun?"

No response. The apartment appears empty. You walk toward the kitchen. Then stop. Human.

The cat is human. Very human.

Very surprised. Very standing in the middle of the kitchen holding a spoon.

The spoon falls. Neither of you moves. The cat closes his eyes.

"Oh no."

The front door opens.

"Oh no," the cat repeats.

Jun's voice echoes from the hallway.

"Y/N?"

Panic erupts instantly. The cat grabs your shoulders. You grab his shoulders. Neither of you has a plan.

"Hide."

"Where?"

"I don't know."

"Helpful."

Footsteps approach. The cat spins in a circle. You spin with him. Somewhere in the distance, Jun gets closer.

"Guys?"

"Window?"

"We're on the eighth floor."

"Right."

The cat gestures wildly. You gesture back. Neither of you contributes anything useful.

Finally, the cat dives behind the kitchen island. A second later, orange fur replaces human limbs.

You stare. The transformation still feels impossible.

Jun enters. The cat immediately appears from behind the counter.

Looking innocent. Looking normal. Looking completely unbothered.

Jun smiles.

"There you are."

The cat meows. You stare. The cat stares back.

Slowly. Very slowly. A tiny smirk appears.

The little menace is enjoying this.

—

That night, a folded page appears beneath your apartment door. You already know what it is. You unfold it. The familiar handwriting fills the page.

—

[CASE NOTES]

Current Threat Assessment:

Seungkwan suspicious.

Minghao observant.

Joshua entertained.

Jun oblivious.

Additional Notes:

Y/N and Jun spent thirty-two minutes talking in the kitchen today.

Neither realised everyone else had already left.

Concerning.

—

A final line has been squeezed into the bottom corner. At first glance, the handwriting appears rushed. Almost hesitant.

I think Jun likes you.

You stare at the sentence. Then immediately flip the page over. Nothing else is written there.

When you look back, the words haven't changed. The cat's handwriting remains stubbornly visible.

I think Jun likes you.

For some reason, that possibility feels far more terrifying than any curse.

—

The cat begins sabotaging your love life on a Tuesday. Unfortunately, he begins by sabotaging Jun's.

You don't realise this immediately. Mostly because the disaster starts small.

A missing shirt. A mysteriously hidden wallet. A phone that somehow ends up inside the linen cupboard.

Individually, none of these events are particularly suspicious. Together, however, they create a pattern.

Specifically, the pattern of a cat committing crimes.

"Have you seen my jacket?"

Jun is standing in the middle of his apartment looking genuinely confused. You glance up from the sofa.

"No?"

"I left it right here."

The cat, sitting three feet away, immediately looks out the window. You narrow your eyes. The cat narrows his eyes back.

Jun continues searching. The cat continues pretending to be innocent. Nobody is convinced.

—

The explanation arrives later that evening. Specifically after you corner the cat in your apartment and refuse to let him leave until he talks.

Human form this time. Mostly because he can actually explain himself.

"You're hiding things."

"I'm not hiding things."

"You hid his phone inside a cereal box."

The cat looks offended.

"It was a strategic location."

"You are impossible."

"So I've been told."

He drops onto your couch dramatically. You wait. The cat waits. Eventually, he sighs.

"It's because of the date."

You blink.

"What date?"

The look he gives you suggests you're the stupidest person alive.

"The blind date."

Oh. Right.

A few days earlier, one of Jun's friends had apparently decided he needed help finding romance. The resulting blind date had been arranged for this weekend.

Jun had agreed.

Mostly because he was too nice to refuse. The cat had hated the idea immediately.

Apparently.

"You've been sabotaging a blind date?"

"I've been delaying a blind date."

"That's worse."

"It's different."

"It isn't."

The cat folds his arms. You stare at each other. Eventually, he looks away first. And suddenly, for the first time since you've met him, he looks genuinely upset.

Not annoyed. Not dramatic. Just... sad. The change catches you off guard.

"What is it?"

The cat doesn't answer immediately. His gaze settles somewhere near the window. The city lights glow softly beyond the glass. For a long moment, the apartment feels strangely quiet.

Then—

"If the curse breaks, I'll leave."

The words land heavily between you. You freeze. The cat continues staring outside.

"I was always supposed to leave."

You don't know what to say. Because the thing is—

You've never actually thought about it. Not really. The curse has become part of daily life. 

The transformations. The notes. The absurdity. The cat himself.

Somewhere along the way, he'd stopped feeling temporary. Stopped feeling like a problem that needed solving. Instead, he'd become...

Family.

The realisation hits harder than expected.

"I don't want to leave."

His voice is quiet.

"So don't."

The cat laughs. Not happily.

"You think curses work like rental agreements?"

"You're being dramatic."

"I learned from Jun."

You can't even argue with that.

—

The problem is that the conversation stays with you.

For days. Long after the cat leaves. Long after movie night. Long after Jun walks you home and lingers outside your apartment door for a few seconds longer than necessary.

The thought keeps returning. If the curse breaks. If the curse ends.

Then what? The cat leaves. Life changes. Everything changes. The idea feels wrong.

Uncomfortable.

Like imagining a missing piece in a picture you've grown used to. And perhaps that's why, a week later, you finally ask the question that's been bothering you.

"What actually breaks the curse?"

The cat pauses. He'd been halfway through stealing food from your kitchen. Now he simply stares.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I know what the old woman said."

"Which was?"

The cat sighs.

"'You'll return to yourself when you're accepted as yourself.'"

You blink.

"That's it?"

"That's literally it."

"That's incredibly vague."

"I KNOW."

The frustration in his voice sounds years old.

—

The answer arrives from somewhere completely unexpected. Seungkwan. Because, apparently, life enjoys irony.

It happens during one of the increasingly common group dinners at Jun's apartment.

Everyone is present. Food covers every available surface. Conversations overlap. The cat is currently asleep on Jun's lap. Which would be adorable if you didn't know he was actually a person.

"So," Seungkwan says suddenly.

You immediately become suspicious.

"So?" Jun asks.

"I've solved the mystery."

Nobody likes the way he says that.

"What mystery?" Joshua asks.

Seungkwan points dramatically. At Jun. Then at you. Then at the cat.

"The three of you."

Silence. The cat opens one eye.

"What about us?" you ask carefully.

Seungkwan leans back. Looking entirely too pleased with himself.

"You all act like a family."

The room falls silent. Completely silent. The cat stops moving. Jun blinks. Minghao immediately looks interested. Joshua looks delighted. Seungkwan continues.

"It's weird."

"Thank you?" Jun says.

"No, seriously."

Seungkwan gestures vaguely.

"You."

Pointing at Jun.

"Cook."

Then you.

"You clean."

Then the cat.

"That one commits crimes."

The cat looks offended.

"That's a family."

Nobody says anything. Because somehow—

As ridiculous as the statement is—

It doesn't feel wrong.

—

That night, after everyone leaves, Jun walks you home. The journey takes less than a minute. Neither of you seems particularly eager to end it. The hallway is quiet.

The building mostly asleep. For a while, neither of you speaks. Then Jun laughs softly. You glance over.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Jun."

He smiles. A little sheepish.

"A family, huh?"

Your chest immediately betrays you. The worst part is that he doesn't sound embarrassed. Or uncomfortable. Instead, he sounds...

Happy.

Like the idea itself makes him happy.

"Seungkwan says a lot of things."

"He does."

You reach your apartment door. Neither of you moves. The silence stretches. Comfortable. Dangerous.

The kind that makes you suddenly aware of every little thing. The warmth of the hallway lights. The softness in Jun's expression. The fact that he's standing much closer than usual.

For one impossible second, you think he might say something. Instead, he smiles.

"Goodnight."

The disappointment is immediate. And embarrassing.

"Goodnight."

Jun turns. Walks away. Then pauses.

Just before reaching his own apartment. He glances back. Smiles again. Then disappears inside.

Your heart remains absolutely useless.

—

The next morning, a note appears beneath your door. The handwriting is familiar. You unfold it.

—

[CASE FILE #004]

Subject: Curse Investigation

Status: Ongoing.

Recent Findings:

Jun considers Y/N family.

Y/N considers Jun family.

I consider both idiots.

—

You laugh despite yourself. There is more. The writing below is messier. Less organised.

Like it was added later.

I think I finally understand.

You frown. Understand what?

The final paragraph answers.

For years, I thought breaking the curse meant becoming human again.

Maybe that was never the point.

Maybe the point was finding somewhere I didn't have to hide.

The words hit unexpectedly hard. Because for the first time, they don't feel like notes.

Or reports. Or evidence. They feel like a goodbye. And somehow, deep down, you know something is changing.

The curse is getting weaker. The cat knows it. Maybe even understands it. And for the first time since all this began—

You think he might finally be close to going home. The problem is that home isn't a place anymore.

It's Jun. It's you.

And none of you know what happens when the magic finally lets go.

—

The truth comes out because the cat finally gets tired.

Not physically. Emotionally.

Years of hiding have a way of wearing a person down, and despite all evidence to the contrary, the cat is still a person.

It happens on an ordinary Sunday. Which somehow makes it worse. There is no dramatic thunderstorm. No magical prophecy. No ancient witch appearing out of nowhere to explain things.

Just takeout containers, a half-finished movie, and Jun complaining because someone keeps stealing food off his plate.

"I'm serious," Jun says.

The cat, currently curled beside him on the couch, pointedly avoids eye contact.

"Every time I look away, something disappears."

You nearly choke on your drink. The cat looks offended. Jun narrows his eyes. The cat narrows his eyes back.

And then—

Without warning—

The room fills with golden light. 

Everybody freezes. The cat freezes. You freeze. Jun freezes.

For one impossible moment, the entire apartment falls silent. The light swirls around the cat.

Brighter. Warmer. Familiar.

The same glow you've witnessed dozens of times before.

Except this time it doesn't stop.

"Oh."

The cat's voice returns first. Human. Entirely human.

Sitting where the cat had been seconds earlier. The takeout container slides off his lap.

Nobody reacts. Nobody breathes.

Jun stares. The cat stares back.

And after months of preparation, after endless contingency plans and increasingly ridiculous emergency scenarios, the only thing the cat manages to say is:

"...This isn't ideal."

—

The silence lasts approximately four seconds. Then Jun speaks.

"Oh."

Another pause.

"Oh."

The cat winces. You consider hiding. Jun continues staring. The cat continues existing.

You continue questioning every life decision that led to this moment.

Then, unexpectedly—

Jun stands up. Walks forward. And pokes the cat's forehead. The cat blinks. Jun blinks. The cat blinks again.

"You're real."

The cat stares.

"That is your first question?"

"What was I supposed to ask?"

"I don't know!"

The cat throws his hands into the air.

"Maybe why your pet is secretly a human?"

"That was definitely my second question."

"Jun."

"I'm getting there."

The cat looks ready to scream. You honestly can't blame him. For several long moments, Jun simply stands there processing. Then his expression changes.

Softens. The panic never comes. The anger never comes. Instead—

"You've been dealing with this alone?"

The cat freezes. The question hangs in the air. Everything suddenly feels very quiet. Because out of every possible reaction, somehow that is the one none of you expected. The cat's shoulders slump. Just slightly.

"Yeah."

Jun's expression crumples immediately.

"Oh."

And somehow that single syllable contains more heartbreak than any dramatic speech could.

—

The explanation takes hours. Mostly because Jun keeps interrupting. Not with accusations. Questions. Thousands of questions.

Have you been eating enough?

Where did you sleep before?

Were you scared?

Why didn't you tell me?

Did the veterinarian know?

The answer to that last one is apparently no. Thankfully. 

The cat buries his face in his hands.

"I knew this would happen."

"What?"

"You worrying."

Jun looks genuinely confused.

"Of course I'm worried."

The cat laughs helplessly. And for the first time since you've met him, you realise just how exhausted he's been. How much effort it must have taken to keep carrying this alone.

Jun notices too. Because of course he does.

Without hesitation, he moves beside him on the couch. Close enough that their shoulders touch. Close enough that neither of them has to pretend anymore.

"You idiot."

The words are fond. The cat immediately starts crying.

—

The curse breaks completely three days later.

Not with magic. Not really. Not with fireworks or dramatic declarations. Just certainty.

The cat wakes up human. And stays human.

Morning becomes afternoon. Afternoon becomes evening. Nothing changes.

No tail. No whiskers. No transformation. The curse is gone.

Just like that.

The moment should feel triumphant. Instead, everybody ends up strangely emotional. Including you. Especially Jun. The apartment feels different.

Not empty. Just unfamiliar. Like a favourite song rearranged into a new key. Better.

But still strange. The cat notices immediately.

"You're mourning me."

"No we're not."

"You absolutely are."

"We literally saw you this morning."

"Then stop looking at me like I've died."

Jun points a chopstick at him.

"You used to fit inside a tote bag."

"That's not a normal thing to miss."

"It is for me."

The cat groans. You laugh. For the first time in days, everything feels normal again.

—

The confession happens because Seungkwan finally loses patience. As expected.

Everyone has gathered for dinner. The former cat now occupies an actual chair. A development that continues to disturb Jun. Halfway through dessert, Seungkwan slams both hands on the table.

"ENOUGH."

Everybody jumps.

"What?" Joshua asks.

"No."

Seungkwan points. At Jun. Then at you. Then back at Jun.

"This has gone on long enough."

The room immediately erupts. Minghao starts laughing. Joshua covers his face. The former cat sighs dramatically. Jun looks confused. You look terrified.

"What's happening?"

"You like each other."

Seungkwan says it with the confidence of someone announcing the weather. Silence. Then:

"What?"

Jun and you speak simultaneously. The entire table groans. The former cat drops his forehead onto the table.

"You are unbearable."

"No," Seungkwan says. "I've suffered enough."

"Seungkwan—"

"No."

He points at Jun.

"Do you like Y/N?"

Jun opens his mouth. Closes it. Looks at you. Then looks away. His ears turn red. The entire room explodes.

"Oh my god."

"I KNEW IT."

"Finally."

"THANK YOU."

Jun hides his face. You consider moving countries. The former cat looks seconds away from standing up and applauding.

—

Somehow, eventually, everyone leaves. Except Jun. And you.

The apartment grows quiet. The dishes remain forgotten. The city lights glow beyond the windows. For several moments, neither of you speaks. Then Jun laughs softly. Embarrassed.

"I think they planned that."

"They definitely planned that."

"Yeah."

Silence returns. Not awkward. Just fragile.

The kind where everything important sits between two people waiting to be acknowledged. 

Jun rubs the back of his neck. Looks down. Then up again. And suddenly he looks more nervous than you've ever seen him.

"I do, by the way."

Your breath catches.

"What?"

He smiles. Small. Warm. Entirely sincere.

"I do like you."

The words are simple. Which somehow makes them hit harder. No dramatic speech. No rehearsed confession. Just honesty.

The kind that's impossible to hide from.

"I think I've liked you for a while."

The smile spreads before you can stop it. Jun's eyes soften immediately. The sight nearly destroys you.

"Good."

His voice comes out quiet. Hopeful.

"Good?"

"Because I like you too."

For a second, neither of you moves. Then Jun laughs. The relieved, disbelieving kind. And somehow that's what finally pushes you both forward.

The kiss is gentle. Warm. A little awkward. 

Perfect.

When you pull apart, Jun immediately starts smiling again. Like he physically cannot stop. You suspect you look exactly the same.

—

The next morning, a final note appears beneath your apartment door. The handwriting is instantly familiar. You unfold it.

—

[CASE FILE: CLOSED]

Former Alias: Dumpling.Current Status: Human.Curse Status: Broken.Additional Findings:The old woman was right. Being human again wasn't the solution. Being loved was.

—

Your chest tightens. A final paragraph sits beneath it. Shorter. Messier. Like it wasn't rewritten a hundred times.

Thank you for seeing me. Even when I was a cat.

You stare at the page for a long moment. Then smile. A knock sounds at your door. You already know who it is.

When you open it, Jun stands there holding breakfast. And flowers. And the most hopeful expression you've ever seen.

"Hi."

You laugh immediately.

"Hi."

"Would you maybe want to go on an actual date?"

The flowers shake slightly. Nervous. Endearing. Very Jun. You take them from his hands. His smile brightens instantly.

And just like that, standing in the hallway where all of this began, surrounded by neighbours and ordinary apartment walls and absolutely no magic whatsoever, you realise something.

The curse was never the story. Home was.

"Hello?"

The cat's ears twitch.

Then, with all the dignity of a tiny king inspecting his territory, it stands up, walks directly over your shoes, and begins rubbing against your ankles.

"Oh," you say, immediately folding. "You're friendly."

The cat lets out a short meow.

It sounds less like a greeting and more like a sigh.

You crouch down carefully, setting your groceries on the floor, and reach out a hand. The cat sniffs your fingers before accepting a scratch beneath its chin, closing its eyes briefly as if granting approval.

"Do you belong to someone?"

The cat opens one eye. You swear it looks offended. Before you can investigate further, the sound of hurried footsteps echoes down the hallway. A moment later, a man rounds the corner.

A very tall man.

A very tall man who looks as though he's been running through the entire apartment complex for the last twenty minutes. His dark hair is sticking up in several directions, his hoodie is half-zipped, and he looks simultaneously exhausted and relieved when he spots the cat.

"There you are!"

The cat immediately walks behind your legs. The man stops. The cat stops. You glance between them. The cat presses itself against your ankle. The man sighs. The cat somehow manages to look smug.

"...I'm guessing this is yours?"

"Unfortunately," the man says.

The cat meows loudly.

"See? This is exactly what I mean."

You laugh before you can stop yourself. The stranger's expression brightens instantly, as if he hadn't expected anyone to find this situation amusing.

"I'm Jun," he says, holding out a hand. "From 8B."

You shake it. The cat bites his shoelace. Jun doesn't even look surprised.

"I'm Y/N."

"Nice to meet you."

The cat bites harder. Jun pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Please stop embarrassing me in front of my neighbours."

The cat releases the shoelace only to immediately sit on top of it. You laugh again. Jun looks delighted by this reaction. The cat looks annoyed by both of you. 

And that, unfortunately, is how it starts.

—

Three days later, the cat escapes again. 

Five days after that, it somehow ends up outside the building entirely.

A week later, you discover it sitting inside the communal laundry room watching a washing machine spin with the concentration of someone studying advanced physics.

At this point, you and Jun have exchanged numbers entirely for cat-related emergencies. Your conversation history consists primarily of photographs. Most of them are from Jun. Most of them are evidence.

[JUN] Found him inside my kitchen cabinet.

[JUN] *image attached*

[JUN] How did he get there?

[YOU] You own the cabinet.

[JUN] That's not the point.

[JUN] I was using that cabinet.

[YOU] Clearly he disagreed.

The responses usually arrive immediately. Jun, you discover, texts exactly the way he talks—enthusiastically, slightly randomly, and with enough exclamation marks to suggest every thought is exciting. 

You also discover that he is alarmingly easy to like.

Not because he's famous, although you'd recognised him eventually after spending an embarrassing amount of time wondering why he looked familiar. Not because he's handsome, although that certainly doesn't help.

Mostly it's because Jun is kind. He remembers things. The name of your favourite convenience store drink. The fact that you hate mornings. The bakery near your office that sells those strawberry pastries you mentioned once in passing.

Small details seem to stick in his mind as naturally as breathing. Unfortunately, he applies this same energy to the cat. The cat, meanwhile, seems determined to make his life difficult.

—

You are in the middle of watering your plants when your phone rings. 

Jun. 

You answer immediately.

"Hello?"

"He's gone."

You glance at the clock. It's eight in the morning.

"Good morning to you too."

"He's gone."

"Have you checked under the couch?"

"Yes."

"The bed?"

"Yes."

"The cabinets?"

"Every cabinet."

You hear rustling.

Then silence.

Then a muffled curse.

"Jun?"

"He was in the laundry basket."

You pause.

"...Was?"

"He escaped again."

You close your eyes.

"How does one cat keep defeating you?"

"That's what I've been asking."

The answer arrives ten minutes later when a scratching sound comes from outside your apartment. You open the door. The cat strolls inside. Not into the hallway. Into your apartment. Like it lives there.

"You have got to be kidding me.”

The cat jumps onto your sofa. You call Jun.

"I found him."

The groan that follows sounds deeply personal.

—

The cat's official name is Dumpling. The cat hates this name. You know this because every time Jun says it, the animal visibly reacts. Not dramatically. Just enough. A flick of an ear. A narrowed stare. An expression that somehow communicates disappointment.

"You know," you tell Jun one evening, "I don't think he likes his name."

Jun looks scandalised.

"Dumpling is adorable."

The cat turns its back on him. You point.

"See?"

"He's being dramatic."

The cat knocks a pen off the coffee table. Jun gasps. The cat knocks another one down.

"I raised you better than this."

You nearly choke on your tea.

"You've had him for three weeks."

"That's enough time to learn manners."

The cat jumps onto the back of the sofa. Jun sighs heavily.

"Maybe he's entering his rebellious phase."

"Maybe?"

The cat stares directly at him while deliberately pushing a coaster off the edge of the table.

The silence that follows is incredible.

"Okay," Jun admits. "Maybe definitely."

—

You spend more time in Jun's apartment than you mean to. It starts innocently enough. A movie recommendation. An extra portion of dinner.

Help assembling a cat tree after Jun accidentally orders one with instructions written entirely in a language neither of you can read.

The cat supervises from the couch. Correction. The cat judges from the couch.

"Pass me the screwdriver?"

You hand it over. Jun smiles. The expression catches you off guard every single time.

Warm. Open. The kind of smile that makes a room feel brighter.

You look away before he notices.

Across the room, the cat watches the interaction with unsettling focus.

"Why is he staring at us like that?" you ask.

Jun glances over.

"Dumpling?"

The cat doesn't move.

"Yeah."

"He always does that."

"That's concerning."

"I think he's just curious."

The cat continues staring. You are unconvinced.

—

The strange thing is that the cat almost feels human sometimes. Not in a creepy way.

Just...

Odd.

He understands too much. Not commands. Not tricks. Conversations.

You mention a specific toy once and find him playing with it the next day.

You complain about a difficult coworker and the cat appears beside you with suspiciously good timing.

Sometimes it feels as though he's listening. Actually listening. When you mention this to Jun, he beams.

"I know."

"That wasn't supposed to be a positive observation."

"He's smart."

The cat puffs up proudly. You point immediately.

"See? That. Why did he react to that?"

Jun follows your gaze. The cat instantly stops. The three of you stare at one another.

No one says anything.

Eventually Jun shrugs.

"Dumpling is just special."

The cat looks pleased. You look concerned.

—

The moment everything changes happens on a rainy Thursday evening. You aren't supposed to be at Jun's apartment. That's important.

You're only there because he'd left his umbrella at your place after movie night and you happened to notice the weather getting worse.

The walk takes less than thirty seconds. You knock once. No answer. You knock again.

Still nothing.

Maybe he's showering. You try the handle. The door opens.

"Jun?"

You step inside. The apartment is quiet. Rain taps softly against the windows. Somewhere deeper inside, you hear movement.

"Jun?"

A voice answers. But not Jun's.

"Wait."

You freeze. The voice sounds unfamiliar. Young. Panicked.

"Don't come in here."

Your stomach drops.

There is a stranger in Jun's apartment. You move toward the kitchen anyway. The stranger appears around the corner at exactly the same moment.

Orange hair. Wide eyes. An oversized hoodie. For one impossible second, they stare at you. Then their expression shifts from surprise to absolute horror.

"You weren't supposed to see that."

"What?"

The stranger points at you.

"No, no, no, no—"

You blink. The stranger vanishes. Not runs. Not ducks away. Vanishes.

A flash of movement. A burst of orange and white. And suddenly, sitting in the exact same spot on the kitchen floor—

—is Dumpling.

The cat stares up at you. You stare down at the cat. Neither of you moves. Then, very slowly, the cat closes its eyes.

As if already accepting its fate. And somewhere in the distance, you hear Jun's voice calling from the hallway outside.

"Y/N? Are you here?"

—

The first thing you do is scream. Not loudly, and definitely not dramatically (it was only a cutesy scream, you swear.)

More like the sound a person makes when their brain has completely stopped functioning and is desperately trying to restart itself.

The cat flinches. You point. The cat stares back. You continue pointing. The cat continues staring.

The front door opens.

"Y/N?" Jun calls. "Sorry, I had to grab a package from downstairs—"

The cat launches itself across the kitchen floor. You have never seen something move that fast in your life. One moment it's sitting in front of you. The next it has disappeared beneath the dining table. Jun rounds the corner.

"There you are."

You whip around. Jun pauses.

"You look pale."

You look at Jun. Then the table. Then Jun again. The cat remains hidden. You wonder if this is what having a breakdown feels like.

"Y/N?"

The cat's tail appears briefly from beneath a chair. Then disappears. 

You inhale. Exhale. Inhale again.

"Everything okay?" Jun asks.

No. Nothing is okay. Five minutes ago you watched his cat become a person.

"Yeah."

Jun blinks.

"Really?"

"No."

"Okay."

You appreciate the honesty.

Unfortunately, you cannot explain the situation because explaining the situation would involve saying, Jun, your cat is a human being and I watched him transform in your kitchen.

You are fairly certain that conversation would not go well.

"Work stress," you blurt.

Jun immediately looks concerned. The guilt nearly kills you.

"Do you want tea?"

You almost laugh. Because of course that's his solution. Tea. The world could literally be ending and Jun would probably offer snacks.

"Sure."

While Jun busies himself making tea, you slowly lower your gaze toward the underside of the table. Two golden eyes stare back. The cat has the audacity to look embarrassed.

—

You leave twenty minutes later. Not because you want to. Because if you remain in that apartment for one more second, you might accidentally start asking questions.

Such as:

Why is your cat human?

Why was your cat wearing clothes?

Where did the clothes come from?

And perhaps most importantly:

Why did your cat seem more worried about being caught than transforming itself?

The answers arrive at eleven thirty-seven that night.

In the form of scratching.

You stare at your apartment door. The scratching continues. Three scratches. Pause. Three more scratches. Pause. Three more.

"That is either a cat or a serial killer."

The scratching grows more impatient. You open the door. The cat immediately walks inside. Not unusual.

What is unusual is the folded piece of paper tied around his collar. You stare. The cat stares.

Slowly, you remove the note. There are four words written on it. WE NEED TO TALK. You look down. The cat nods. Actually nods. You close the door.

"This is somehow worse."

—

Half an hour later, you are sitting cross-legged on your living room floor while the cat sits opposite you.

Neither of you speaks. Mostly because one of you physically cannot. The cat seems annoyed by this limitation. Eventually he hops onto your coffee table. A notebook slides toward you. You blink. The cat taps it with one paw. Then taps the pen.

"Oh."

The cat taps again.

"Right."

You open the notebook. The cat immediately begins writing.

His handwriting is surprisingly neat. 

YOU SAW THAT.

You stare.

"Unfortunately."

The cat writes again.

I CAN EXPLAIN.

"I would love that."

A pause. The cat writes:

IT SOUNDS STUPID.

"Try me."

Another pause. Then:

I AM CURSED.

You stare at the words. The words stare back. The cat waits.

"...That's it?"

The cat narrows his eyes.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT'S IT.

"I mean," you say carefully, "if someone had asked me yesterday what explanation I'd expect for a human turning into a cat, curse would've been pretty high on the list."

The cat seems genuinely offended by this.

—

The explanation takes nearly an hour. Partly because writing everything down is slow. Partly because the cat keeps stopping to glare whenever you laugh.

Apparently, several years ago, he had been travelling through a small village and accidentally destroyed an elderly woman's herb garden. Not maliciously. Just catastrophically. 

There had been a bicycle. A slope. A misunderstanding. Several chickens.

The story somehow becomes less believable every time he tells it. The woman, who may or may not have been a witch, cursed him. Since then, he has spent most of his life stuck as a cat.

Sometimes he transforms back. Sometimes he doesn't. Strong emotions tend to trigger changes. Unfortunately, emotions happen constantly.

Which means so do transformations.

"And Jun doesn't know?"

The cat writes:

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

"Why?"

The answer appears immediately.

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY.

You consider this. Fair point.

"How long have you been living with him?"

THREE MONTHS.

"Three months?"

The cat nods.

"He just found you?"

Another nod.

"That's insane."

The cat points at himself. Exactly.

—

The following week becomes a disaster. Not because of the curse. Because now you're involved.

Monday afternoon, Jun texts you.

[JUN] Question.

[YOU] That depends.

[JUN] Can cats learn how to unlock doors?

You immediately sit upright.

[YOU] Why?

Three dots appear. Disappear. Reappear.

[JUN] No reason.

[JUN] Hypothetically.

[JUN] If my cat opened the bathroom door while I was showering.

[YOU] HE WHAT.

[JUN] Hypothetically.

You receive a photograph. The cat is sitting outside a bathroom door. Looking entirely too pleased with himself. You put your phone down.

The cat, currently sleeping on your couch, opens one eye.

"You need to stop doing crimes."

The cat closes his eye again.

—

Tuesday is worse. You stop by Jun's apartment after work. The door opens.

Jun smiles immediately when he sees you. Something warm settles in your chest.

Dangerous. Very dangerous.

"Perfect timing."

You blink.

"Why?"

"Dumpling's hiding."

You look down. The cat, currently in human form, is standing behind the kitchen counter.

His eyes widen. Your eyes widen. Neither of you says anything.

Jun continues.

"I haven't seen him for an hour."

The human-cat begins gesturing wildly.

"That's weird."

"Right?"

The gestures become increasingly desperate.

You cough. Loudly.

The human-cat dives beneath the counter. A second later, an orange tail appears. Jun notices instantly.

"There he is!"

The cat emerges. Now fully feline. You do not ask questions. For the sake of your own sanity.

—

The problem is that keeping secrets creates opportunities for friendship. You hadn't intended to become friends with the cat.

It simply happened. Mostly because he's surprisingly easy to talk to. When he isn't stealing food.

Or causing problems. Or nearly exposing supernatural secrets.

One evening he appears on your windowsill carrying another notebook. You let him inside.

"What happened now?"

The notebook opens.

JUN BOUGHT ME A SWEATER.

You laugh.

The cat looks deeply unhappy.

HE HAS ONE TOO.

"That's adorable."

I LOOK RIDICULOUS.

"You look adorable."

The cat glares. You continue smiling. The cat eventually writes:

YOU ARE BOTH IMPOSSIBLE.

—

The truly unfortunate part is that the more time you spend around Jun, the harder everything becomes.

Because he's thoughtful. Because he's funny. Because he still texts you photographs every day. Because he always seems happy to see you.

And because your life has somehow become intertwined with his in ways neither of you planned.

Movie nights become routine. Shared dinners become normal. Sometimes you'll realise hours have passed without either of you noticing.

The cat notices. Unfortunately.

One evening you're sitting on Jun's couch watching a movie when his head slowly drops onto your shoulder.

At first you think it's accidental. Then you hear his breathing deepen. He's asleep.

Your entire body freezes. The room suddenly feels very warm. Across from you, the cat sits on the armchair.

Watching. Judging. Witnessing.

You glare. The cat stares back.

Slowly, he picks up a notebook from the side table. Writes something. Then turns it around.

OH YOU HAVE IT BADDDD.

You nearly throw a cushion at him. The cat looks delighted.

—

Later that night, after you've returned home and the apartment has fallen quiet, a folded note appears beneath your door.

You already know who it's from. The handwriting confirms it.

THANK YOU.

You smile despite yourself. Then flip the paper over. Additional text has been squeezed into the corner.

PLEASE DON'T TELL JUN.

You shake your head. A second line sits beneath it.

HE WOULD WORRY.

And somehow, more than the magic, more than the curse, more than the impossible situation you've found yourself trapped in—

That is the thing that makes your chest ache.

Because he's right. Jun would worry. About everyone. About everything. And maybe that's exactly why neither of you can bring yourselves to tell him. Not yet. Not when he smiles every time he sees the two of you waiting for him at home.

—

The first member to meet the cat is Soonyoung. This is unfortunate for everyone involved. 

Especially the cat.

"HE LOOKS LIKE A TIGER."

The declaration arrives less than ten seconds after Soonyoung steps through Jun's front door. The cat, currently loafing on the sofa, visibly flinches.

You witness it. The cat witnesses it. Unfortunately, Soonyoung witnesses absolutely nothing. Jun lights up immediately.

"I told you he was cute."

"Cute?" Soonyoung repeats. "Jun, this isn't a cat."

The cat narrows his eyes. Soonyoung points dramatically.

"That is a tiger trapped in a smaller body."

The cat turns away.

"You hurt his feelings," you say.

"I spoke the truth."

"You compared him to a completely different species."

"So?" Soonyoung asks. "I'd be honoured."

The cat appears unconvinced.

—

The second problem is that Jun has started inviting you over so frequently that you've stopped knocking. At some point during the past month, the line between neighbour and friend had quietly disappeared.

You have your own mug in his kitchen. You know where he keeps spare blankets. You can navigate his apartment in the dark. Nobody ever discusses it.

It simply becomes normal. Dangerously normal.

The cat notices immediately. You know this because every time you arrive, he watches the interaction with increasingly concerning levels of interest.

Not judgment. Observation. Like he's conducting research. Like he's documenting evidence.

One afternoon, you arrive carrying takeout and find the cat sitting on the kitchen counter beside a notebook. The notebook is open. Several pages are filled with writing.

The moment he notices you looking, he slams it shut. You narrow your eyes. The cat narrows his eyes back.

"What are you writing?"

NOTHING.

"You're literally writing."

NOTHING IMPORTANT.

"You realise I can read."

The cat hugs the notebook against his chest.

You immediately become suspicious.

—

The situation worsens when the rest of Jun's friends begin appearing. Joshua arrives first. Then Minghao. Then Seungkwan. 

The apartment somehow doubles in volume.

You are halfway through helping Jun prepare snacks when voices spill in from the hallway.

"Oh, Y/N's already here."

Your stomach performs an embarrassing little flip. Not because of Seungkwan. Because of the way Jun smiles. 

Bright. Immediate. Unconsciously happy.

"Yeah," Jun says. "They got here earlier."

The cat, perched on the back of the sofa, immediately looks between both of you. You pretend not to notice. The cat continues noticing.

—

The evening begins normally.

Or as normally as possible when several members are crammed into one apartment arguing over board game rules.

The problems start approximately thirty minutes later. Specifically when Seungkwan begins paying attention.

"Wait."

Everybody ignores him.

"Wait."

Joshua continues setting up the game.

"Wait."

Minghao sighs.

"What?"

Seungkwan points.

At the cat. The cat freezes.

"That cat is weird."

The room falls silent. You nearly choke. The cat stops breathing. Jun blinks.

"Dumpling?"

"Yeah."

"What about him?"

Seungkwan squints. The cat squints back.

"He's looking at me."

Jun laughs.

"That's what cats do."

"No."

Seungkwan points harder.

"He's looking at me like he knows my tax information."

The cat immediately looks away. You cover your mouth. Minghao's shoulders start shaking. Joshua physically leaves the room because he's laughing too hard.

"See?" Seungkwan says triumphantly. "THAT."

"What?"

"That guilty look."

The cat leaps off the sofa and disappears into the bedroom. Seungkwan gasps.

"HE KNOWS."

—

The cat spends the next week avoiding Seungkwan. This only makes things worse. Apparently, if a person believes a cat is suspicious, the correct response is not to act suspicious.

Unfortunately, nobody explains this to the cat. The result is catastrophic. Every time Seungkwan enters a room, the cat leaves. Every time Seungkwan sits down, the cat relocates. Every time Seungkwan tries to pet him, the cat stares into the distance like he's remembering a war.

"It's personal," Seungkwan concludes.

"It's not personal," Jun says.

"It feels personal."

The cat immediately jumps off the couch. Seungkwan points.

"SEE?"

—

Minghao notices first. Not the curse. Not the transformations.

You.

Specifically, the way Jun looks at you. Which is significantly worse. The discovery occurs during movie night.

The apartment is quiet. The lights are dim. Everybody is focused on the screen except Minghao.

Minghao is focused on Jun. Jun is focused on you. The cat is focused on everyone. Minghao slowly turns toward Joshua.

Joshua follows his gaze. Then pauses. Then smiles.

"Oh."

The cat immediately notices. His eyes widen. Minghao notices the cat noticing. Now three people are aware of something.

You remain blissfully ignorant. Jun remains even more oblivious.

—

A group chat appears two days later. You discover its existence entirely by accident. Specifically because Jun leaves his phone unlocked while helping carry groceries. A notification appears.

[seungkwan] he smiled again

[minghao] i know

[joshua] it's getting embarrassing

[seungkwan] should we tell them

[joshua] absolutely not

[minghao] this is free entertainment

You immediately lock the screen.

Your face feels approximately one thousand degrees. Across the kitchen, the cat watches everything.

Slowly. Deliberately.

He gives you a thumbs up.

You nearly drop the groceries.

—

The truly alarming thing is that Jun keeps getting more comfortable around you.

Not intentionally. Not consciously.

It happens in small moments.

He hands you the first portion of food automatically. Saves your favourite seat. Texts you whenever something funny happens. Includes you in plans before asking if you're free.

As though your presence has become expected. As though you're already part of his life.

One evening you arrive after a particularly exhausting day. You don't even have time to say hello before Jun notices.

"Tough day?"

You blink.

"How did you know?"

"You look tired."

The answer is simple. Casual. Immediate. Something in your chest aches.

"Work was awful."

Jun frowns. The expression looks genuinely offended on your behalf.

"Want dinner?"

"That's your solution to everything."

"Dinner helps."

"It really doesn't."

Jun considers this.

"Okay."

A pause.

"Dinner and dessert?"

You laugh despite yourself. Across the room, the cat quietly writes something down.

—

The disaster happens on a Friday. Naturally. Disasters always happen on Fridays. 

You arrive at Jun's apartment carrying coffee.

The door is unlocked. You let yourself inside.

"Jun?"

No response. The apartment appears empty. You walk toward the kitchen. Then stop. Human.

The cat is human. Very human.

Very surprised. Very standing in the middle of the kitchen holding a spoon.

The spoon falls. Neither of you moves. The cat closes his eyes.

"Oh no."

The front door opens.

"Oh no," the cat repeats.

Jun's voice echoes from the hallway.

"Y/N?"

Panic erupts instantly. The cat grabs your shoulders. You grab his shoulders. Neither of you has a plan.

"Hide."

"Where?"

"I don't know."

"Helpful."

Footsteps approach. The cat spins in a circle. You spin with him. Somewhere in the distance, Jun gets closer.

"Guys?"

"Window?"

"We're on the eighth floor."

"Right."

The cat gestures wildly. You gesture back. Neither of you contributes anything useful.

Finally, the cat dives behind the kitchen island. A second later, orange fur replaces human limbs.

You stare. The transformation still feels impossible.

Jun enters. The cat immediately appears from behind the counter.

Looking innocent. Looking normal. Looking completely unbothered.

Jun smiles.

"There you are."

The cat meows. You stare. The cat stares back.

Slowly. Very slowly. A tiny smirk appears.

The little menace is enjoying this.

—

That night, a folded page appears beneath your apartment door. You already know what it is. You unfold it. The familiar handwriting fills the page.

—

[CASE NOTES]

Current Threat Assessment:

Seungkwan suspicious.

Minghao observant.

Joshua entertained.

Jun oblivious.

Additional Notes:

Y/N and Jun spent thirty-two minutes talking in the kitchen today.

Neither realised everyone else had already left.

Concerning.

—

A final line has been squeezed into the bottom corner. At first glance, the handwriting appears rushed. Almost hesitant.

I think Jun likes you.

You stare at the sentence. Then immediately flip the page over. Nothing else is written there.

When you look back, the words haven't changed. The cat's handwriting remains stubbornly visible.

I think Jun likes you.

For some reason, that possibility feels far more terrifying than any curse.

—

The cat begins sabotaging your love life on a Tuesday. Unfortunately, he begins by sabotaging Jun's.

You don't realise this immediately. Mostly because the disaster starts small.

A missing shirt. A mysteriously hidden wallet. A phone that somehow ends up inside the linen cupboard.

Individually, none of these events are particularly suspicious. Together, however, they create a pattern.

Specifically, the pattern of a cat committing crimes.

"Have you seen my jacket?"

Jun is standing in the middle of his apartment looking genuinely confused. You glance up from the sofa.

"No?"

"I left it right here."

The cat, sitting three feet away, immediately looks out the window. You narrow your eyes. The cat narrows his eyes back.

Jun continues searching. The cat continues pretending to be innocent. Nobody is convinced.

—

The explanation arrives later that evening. Specifically after you corner the cat in your apartment and refuse to let him leave until he talks.

Human form this time. Mostly because he can actually explain himself.

"You're hiding things."

"I'm not hiding things."

"You hid his phone inside a cereal box."

The cat looks offended.

"It was a strategic location."

"You are impossible."

"So I've been told."

He drops onto your couch dramatically. You wait. The cat waits. Eventually, he sighs.

"It's because of the date."

You blink.

"What date?"

The look he gives you suggests you're the stupidest person alive.

"The blind date."

Oh. Right.

A few days earlier, one of Jun's friends had apparently decided he needed help finding romance. The resulting blind date had been arranged for this weekend.

Jun had agreed.

Mostly because he was too nice to refuse. The cat had hated the idea immediately.

Apparently.

"You've been sabotaging a blind date?"

"I've been delaying a blind date."

"That's worse."

"It's different."

"It isn't."

The cat folds his arms. You stare at each other. Eventually, he looks away first. And suddenly, for the first time since you've met him, he looks genuinely upset.

Not annoyed. Not dramatic. Just... sad. The change catches you off guard.

"What is it?"

The cat doesn't answer immediately. His gaze settles somewhere near the window. The city lights glow softly beyond the glass. For a long moment, the apartment feels strangely quiet.

Then—

"If the curse breaks, I'll leave."

The words land heavily between you. You freeze. The cat continues staring outside.

"I was always supposed to leave."

You don't know what to say. Because the thing is—

You've never actually thought about it. Not really. The curse has become part of daily life. 

The transformations. The notes. The absurdity. The cat himself.

Somewhere along the way, he'd stopped feeling temporary. Stopped feeling like a problem that needed solving. Instead, he'd become...

Family.

The realisation hits harder than expected.

"I don't want to leave."

His voice is quiet.

"So don't."

The cat laughs. Not happily.

"You think curses work like rental agreements?"

"You're being dramatic."

"I learned from Jun."

You can't even argue with that.

—

The problem is that the conversation stays with you.

For days. Long after the cat leaves. Long after movie night. Long after Jun walks you home and lingers outside your apartment door for a few seconds longer than necessary.

The thought keeps returning. If the curse breaks. If the curse ends.

Then what? The cat leaves. Life changes. Everything changes. The idea feels wrong.

Uncomfortable.

Like imagining a missing piece in a picture you've grown used to. And perhaps that's why, a week later, you finally ask the question that's been bothering you.

"What actually breaks the curse?"

The cat pauses. He'd been halfway through stealing food from your kitchen. Now he simply stares.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I know what the old woman said."

"Which was?"

The cat sighs.

"'You'll return to yourself when you're accepted as yourself.'"

You blink.

"That's it?"

"That's literally it."

"That's incredibly vague."

"I KNOW."

The frustration in his voice sounds years old.

—

The answer arrives from somewhere completely unexpected. Seungkwan. Because, apparently, life enjoys irony.

It happens during one of the increasingly common group dinners at Jun's apartment.

Everyone is present. Food covers every available surface. Conversations overlap. The cat is currently asleep on Jun's lap. Which would be adorable if you didn't know he was actually a person.

"So," Seungkwan says suddenly.

You immediately become suspicious.

"So?" Jun asks.

"I've solved the mystery."

Nobody likes the way he says that.

"What mystery?" Joshua asks.

Seungkwan points dramatically. At Jun. Then at you. Then at the cat.

"The three of you."

Silence. The cat opens one eye.

"What about us?" you ask carefully.

Seungkwan leans back. Looking entirely too pleased with himself.

"You all act like a family."

The room falls silent. Completely silent. The cat stops moving. Jun blinks. Minghao immediately looks interested. Joshua looks delighted. Seungkwan continues.

"It's weird."

"Thank you?" Jun says.

"No, seriously."

Seungkwan gestures vaguely.

"You."

Pointing at Jun.

"Cook."

Then you.

"You clean."

Then the cat.

"That one commits crimes."

The cat looks offended.

"That's a family."

Nobody says anything. Because somehow—

As ridiculous as the statement is—

It doesn't feel wrong.

—

That night, after everyone leaves, Jun walks you home. The journey takes less than a minute. Neither of you seems particularly eager to end it. The hallway is quiet.

The building mostly asleep. For a while, neither of you speaks. Then Jun laughs softly. You glance over.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Jun."

He smiles. A little sheepish.

"A family, huh?"

Your chest immediately betrays you. The worst part is that he doesn't sound embarrassed. Or uncomfortable. Instead, he sounds...

Happy.

Like the idea itself makes him happy.

"Seungkwan says a lot of things."

"He does."

You reach your apartment door. Neither of you moves. The silence stretches. Comfortable. Dangerous.

The kind that makes you suddenly aware of every little thing. The warmth of the hallway lights. The softness in Jun's expression. The fact that he's standing much closer than usual.

For one impossible second, you think he might say something. Instead, he smiles.

"Goodnight."

The disappointment is immediate. And embarrassing.

"Goodnight."

Jun turns. Walks away. Then pauses.

Just before reaching his own apartment. He glances back. Smiles again. Then disappears inside.

Your heart remains absolutely useless.

—

The next morning, a note appears beneath your door. The handwriting is familiar. You unfold it.

—

[CASE FILE #004]

Subject: Curse Investigation

Status: Ongoing.

Recent Findings:

Jun considers Y/N family.

Y/N considers Jun family.

I consider both idiots.

—

You laugh despite yourself. There is more. The writing below is messier. Less organised.

Like it was added later.

I think I finally understand.

You frown. Understand what?

The final paragraph answers.

For years, I thought breaking the curse meant becoming human again.

Maybe that was never the point.

Maybe the point was finding somewhere I didn't have to hide.

The words hit unexpectedly hard. Because for the first time, they don't feel like notes.

Or reports. Or evidence. They feel like a goodbye. And somehow, deep down, you know something is changing.

The curse is getting weaker. The cat knows it. Maybe even understands it. And for the first time since all this began—

You think he might finally be close to going home. The problem is that home isn't a place anymore.

It's Jun. It's you.

And none of you know what happens when the magic finally lets go.

—

The truth comes out because the cat finally gets tired.

Not physically. Emotionally.

Years of hiding have a way of wearing a person down, and despite all evidence to the contrary, the cat is still a person.

It happens on an ordinary Sunday. Which somehow makes it worse. There is no dramatic thunderstorm. No magical prophecy. No ancient witch appearing out of nowhere to explain things.

Just takeout containers, a half-finished movie, and Jun complaining because someone keeps stealing food off his plate.

"I'm serious," Jun says.

The cat, currently curled beside him on the couch, pointedly avoids eye contact.