UR Chapter 59

Chapter 59

From the very beginning, I-bom had been drawn to Weoong.

Majestic and handsome, yet always alone—perhaps because of his sheer size. In I-bom’s eyes, Weoong was a brave beast and a solitary leader among the wild cats.

There was something in that deep gaze, staring straight at him as if understanding human speech, that gently stirred a person’s heart.

If asked whether Weoong had an owner, I-bom would, of course, say yes. The sweet scent of shampoo and the well-groomed coat were things no stray cat could have.

And then there was the necklace around his neck. Simple in shape—a triangle—but its clean design, flawless finish, and high-quality material made it obvious that his owner was extremely wealthy.

‘I wanted to ask Weoong to live with me too.’

It was a thought he had kept hidden deep in his heart. Instead of seriously and sternly saying, “I’ll only let you stay for today,” he had wanted to say something like, “Do you want to live with me?”

In his hazy state, his instincts spoke honestly, bringing up only feelings of frustration and sadness. Sniffling, I-bom hugged Weoong tightly. The large cat’s back felt firm and solid in his arms, packed with muscle, with a heft he could really feel.

“Ugh…”

Still holding him, I-bom rubbed his cheek against Weoong again and again.

“I… I wanted to raise you too. To live together… to share a home with you…”

Clutching him as if never wanting to let go, I-bom whispered his complaint softly. Having lived his life watching his grandmother’s and brother’s moods, he was used to not speaking honestly about what he wanted. Desire was something far from him—something only people who could afford to be selfish were allowed to have. It had never been permitted to him.

That was why he had been envious when I-seol would confidently say, “Oh, come on! I want a cat!” and whine about it. Deep down, he had wished he’d joined in the fuss, saying he wanted to raise a cat too.

But the wall of reality was high. Other people, when they got a pet, could take it to the hospital right away for neutering, but I-bom barely had enough for his family’s own medical expenses. How nice it would have been if he had the means to walk into a clinic with a cat in his arms without hesitation.

All he could offer was sharing a pouch of churu—the treat cats loved so much. But even that was expensive for him; giving one meant losing a day’s worth of his own food money.

“Weoong-ah…”

* * *

“Hoo…”

Eun Beom-ho closed his eyes. The space between his deeply furrowed brows and the bridge of his nose throbbed, and he pressed gently at the spot with his fingertips. An unexpected wave of fatigue bore down on him, tightening the muscles of his shoulders and brow.

For someone whose emotions rarely swayed, when a powerful tide of feeling hit, it was natural not to know how to manage it, how to overcome it, and to struggle to deal with it.

He didn’t think about that. All he had done was meet Soo-hyun on a blind date, fall for him at first sight, and try to hold him close. His only thought was that he wanted to get official approval, become a real couple, and live happily together.

“……”

He slowly opened his eyes. With a faint grimace, he stopped rubbing at the lingering heat on his face. Through his light double eyelids, he watched the fat, round snowflakes thud softly to the ground. The stillness he had been staring into was finally broken by the faint rustle of his own movement.

Too quiet.

His gaze shifted toward the guest room beside the terrace. Thinking deeply, his eyes fixed there with a watchful persistence, he bit his lower lip in restlessness, then raised his wrist to check the time.

It was late at night. He could pretend not to notice and just let him sleep here, but letting someone stay out without informing their family—on the very day of a blind date—wasn’t right. He exhaled a sigh and rose from his seat.

“…Mr. Soo-hyun.”

He parted his lips to call the name gently. It was time to start waking him. Even if they had shared a bed in animal form, there were still lines to keep. No matter his feelings, theirs was still a relationship formed through a blind date between families. And Soo-hyun still didn’t know that the cat who used to visit his home was him.

Creak.

Inside the dark room, only a small yellow lamp was left on, deliberately so that waking in the dark wouldn’t be startling.

“Mr. Soo-hyun? Are you asleep?”

His careful voice tapped at the quiet of the room like a polite knock, echoing faintly like in a cave. But strangely, there was no movement at all from the bed.

“Where…”

He turned his head, looking for any sign of the man. Where had he gone, when he should have been sleeping soundly under the effects of a sedative? The guest room was on the second floor of the rescue house, a fortress tucked deep into the mountain. No matter how good one’s night vision, there was no way to slip out unnoticed here.

Puzzled, he was staring into the room when suddenly something rushed in like the wind and landed softly in his arms.

“…Ah?”

The surprise was so sudden he couldn’t even dodge. Turning his head, he saw who it was clinging to him.

“What…”

A flicker of bewilderment crossed his face.

Soft brown hair and a sweet, warm scent. The one in his arms was Soo-hyun.

Was this a dream?

He closed his eyes tightly, then slowly opened them. Without realizing it, he covered his mouth. The ends of his slightly raised eyebrows trembled faintly. The corners of his mouth, hidden under his hand, were unmistakably curling upward. Along his cheeks, a flush as red as an apple had bloomed.

Clearing his throat, he carefully spoke the name.

“Mr. Soo-hyun?”

“Yes…”

The hollow of his collarbone shifted slightly, as if tense, when Soo-hyun pressed his forehead there, rubbing his eyes and cheeks against him. That simple, unthinking motion sent a sharp tingle deep into his chest.

“Are you… still half-asleep?”

He murmured in a gentle voice.

“Nooo…”

The mumble was muffled and sluggish. With his head lightly resting on Beom-ho’s shoulder, his eyes half-closed, he gave a lazy smile.

Side effect from the sedative?

He tilted his head in thought.

Medication for beastmen’s allergies almost always came with one or two side effects. Because their physiology was different from humans, they often used drugs that had only been clinically tested on humans. It would be better if there were more medicines made specifically for beastmen, but in the country, the options were few.

Animal hospitals specializing in beastmen offered narrow insurance coverage, making them expensive. Many beastmen avoided them altogether for financial reasons. With so little clinical data, drug use had many limitations.

Perhaps the allergy medication or the sedative—or both—caused hallucinations or a dazed, intoxicated state.

Hallucination? Or maybe… a sleep disorder.

“Mr. Soo-hyun. Can you focus for me?”

Calling him gently by name, Beom-ho reached up and tapped his cheek with his fingertips. The soft, smooth skin puffed out like a blowfish before returning to its original shape, over and over.

“Mmm…”

He muttered something, then leaned his head against Beom-ho again. Hesitant hands that had been hovering in the air slowly moved closer to him. This was dangerous.

“Nooo…”

In a voice like a child’s drowsy babble, he draped his wrist over Beom-ho’s neck, pulling himself in close as if they were lovers, entrusting his body entirely to him.

“You seem drunk on the meds… What should I do? Should I call the doctor?”

The more he sagged against him, the stiffer Beom-ho’s movements became. But worried that he might stumble or hurt himself, his every twitch and shift began to align instinctively with Soo-hyun’s movements.

“I also… wanted to stay with you longer…”

He murmured.

Thud.

“With who.”

His heart plunged, then pounded violently, cutting his breath short. The feel of his fingers, the texture of his hair, the sleepy smile half-veiled by heavy lids—each piece came together to send the temperature of Beom-ho’s emotions surging high.

The quiet around that murmured voice was deep.

At the unexpected moment, Beom-ho took a step back, but that slight movement only caused Soo-hyun’s body to lean fully into him.

Ah…

He lifted his heels just slightly, settling neatly into Beom-ho’s embrace.

The steady rhythm of his breathing at the base of his neck told him instinctively that he wasn’t fully awake yet. But that ticklish breath made him allow the closeness, made him accept it enough to close the distance. The hesitant movements had grown natural. Soft. Warm.

A murmuring voice brushed his ear.

“Weoong-ah…”

His eyes widened.

Turning into a small animal to be doted on had carried no bad intent. Of course, it hadn’t been long before he’d also released enough pheromones to make him comfortable in his presence—a kind of “preparation” so he wouldn’t be overwhelmed. But that was no different from the “territory marking” ordinary animals did.

“Weoong…?”

He repeated the word softly, as if hearing it for the first time. The thrill of being held close made his lips curl into a smile without him realizing it, but aside from that, he had to know why Soo-hyun was calling him Weoong.

“Why would I… be Weoong…”

“You smell like Weoong… and you’re big… and fat.”

Even half-asleep, his answer was surprisingly coherent.

“There’s no other cat this fat but Weoong… and also…”

“Oh, come on.”

In a rush to defend himself, Beom-ho spoke quickly.

“Weoong’s not fat, he’s muscular.”

He lifted the hands clasped around his neck.

“See? If you lean on my waist—”

Keeping them in the same position, he gently lowered them to rest around his waist.

“All this firmness here is muscle.”

The embrace around his neck naturally shifted to one encircling his waist.

Between the faint smile on his face, a glint of teeth showed.

“There’s a lot…”

Pulling his clasped hands tighter around Beom-ho’s waist, Soo-hyun whispered quietly.

“Mm, there is. Then… do you want to keep holding me?”

“Mhm…”

The ticklish whisper in his ear made him grin and nuzzle his cheek into Beom-ho’s chest. And Beom-ho, seizing the moment, pulled him in tighter.