UC Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“Ugh…”

Dragging his feet along the cracked asphalt road, I-bom felt the rough gravel scraping against the soles of his shoes.

Thud, thud.

Small bits of asphalt lodged themselves into the worn-out holes of his sneaker soles, rattling noisily with each step.

This was Manwol-gu, a district in Seoul named for its clear, unobstructed view of the moon. And within it lay Aji Village—a tight-knit community where only the Kang family of canine beastmen lived.

Aji Village lived up to its reputation as a slum.

Though the Kang family carried beastman blood, they lacked the ability to transform and had no special abilities, making them the lowest of the low.

Unlike the privileged districts where pureblood beastmen resided, Aji Village was drowning in poverty.

The streetlights flickered unreliably, and the asphalt was so worn down that every rainfall turned the potholes into pools of stagnant water.

It spoke volumes that I-bom’s older brother was the first person in their generation to get into a prestigious university.

“…Wait, but how is that my fault?”

I-bom muttered under his breath.

Jumping from one part-time job to another always led to unfair treatment—that was nothing new.

But today?

Today was especially infuriating.

‘I-bom, listen. I know your situation, and I know how hardworking you are, so I was willing to let some things slide.’

The store manager despised Aji Village and the half-blood beastmen who lived there.

No one had ever wronged him, yet his greedy, self-important attitude made him look down on the entire neighborhood.

Even though he claimed not to be prejudiced, I-bom saw right through him.

Whenever scruffy-looking kids from Aji Village came into the store, or when he glanced out the window at the run-down streets, his face twisted in barely concealed disgust.

He thought he was subtle.

But I-bom saw everything.

‘I-bom, I really tried not to be biased just because you’re from Aji Village. At first, during your interview, you seemed diligent. Plus, I heard you know the owner’s kid, so I gave you a chance.’

‘…….’

‘But this is something I can’t ignore. Why is our loss rate so damn high ever since you started working here? It’s 10%. Do you get what that means? That means someone’s stealing from the store.’

‘I don’t want to suspect you, but this is too much.’

The manager sneered, shifting his gaze between I-bom and Jin-sang.

He knew Jin-sang was from the Kang family too.

His disgusted eyes swept them up and down, evaluating them like criminals.

And beneath his piercing glare, the deep-seated contempt he usually tried to hide was fully on display, like dirty water being dumped all over I-bom’s head.

I-bom lowered his eyes, biting his lip as he sniffled, struggling to hold back tears.

The wave of humiliation crashed over him, drowning him in bitterness.

But crying?

Crying meant losing.

‘I balanced the register before my shift ended. But if this only happens when I’m working, then….’

‘Geez, you sure talk a lot, I-bom. You’re the only one here from Aji Village. Do I really need to spell it out for you?’

He acted as if he wasn’t outright discriminating, but I-bom knew exactly what he meant.

He knew too well.

That sharp-edged, glass-like phrase—Aji Village kid—cut straight into him.

A place full of uneducated people, a neighborhood of beggars and thieves—that was how people saw his home.

Even when he had done nothing wrong, even when he had worked hard, his entire existence was reduced to the reputation of his village.

He could scream that he wasn’t a thief, that he was honest—but people still looked at him the same way, their eyes saying, ‘Your background is the problem.’

No matter how much he proved himself, truth and falsehood blurred when it came to Aji Village kids.

“This is seriously unfair…”

I-bom swallowed hard, forcing back his tears.

The salty taste filled his mouth, and though he tried to mask his distress, his young face betrayed his emotions too easily.

He suddenly remembered a public service ad he’d seen before:

“Have you experienced unfair treatment? Contact the Beastman Rights Protection Center today!”

But deep down, he knew—there was no place for him within those protections.

‘No! I’m just warning you to be careful. But if this happens one more time, I-bom—’

The manager raised a finger, pointing it dangerously close to I-bom’s forehead.

‘Next time—’

Tap.

His rough, yellowed fingertip pressed right against I-bom’s bangs, pushing his head back.

‘I’m calling the cops. Watch yourself.’

His normally soft brown hair, damp with sweat, stuck to his forehead where the manager had pressed him.

The malice in his touch made I-bom squeeze his eyes shut.

“Ugh, I should’ve demanded to see the CCTV footage!”

I-bom muttered to himself, frustration bubbling up too late.

It was always after the fact that he figured out what he should have done.

Dragging his tired feet, he swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to push down the humiliation—but just then, he heard something.

Rustle. Thud.

Rustle. Thud—

“…Huh?”

His ears perked up, and he instinctively scanned his surroundings.

Lost in thought, he had absentmindedly followed the path toward the mountains, straying far from the busy streets.

Now, he was deep in a quiet, secluded trail—and someone, or something, was moving nearby.

With half-broken streetlights, Aji Village plunged into darkness quickly once evening fell.

And at the outskirts of the village, near the mountain trail, the place became a stalking ground for troublemakers—hyena beastmen known for their gang-like behavior.

Rustle. Thud…

“…Sniff.”

I-bom sniffled, tuning into the sound again.

As if getting scolded by his manager wasn’t bad enough, the last thing he wanted was to run into hyena beastmen.

He had heard that most of them were thugs who extorted money.

The older guys in the neighborhood had warned him to be careful, and the memory of their caution resurfaced.

But I-bom bit down on his lip, clenching his fists.

Pull yourself together, Kang I-bom. You’re a brave Maltese… and a black belt in Taekwondo!

Thud.

“…Huh?”

Contrary to his worst fears, what emerged from the shadows of the forest path wasn’t a hyena beastman.

Instead, it was a huge, striped cat.

“Weong.”

“Gasp. A cat.”

I-bom murmured in disbelief.

“Uh… hi?”

A really, really big cat.

Relieved that it wasn’t a hyena, I-bom hesitated before lifting his palm in a small wave, greeting it like a familiar acquaintance.

That thud from earlier?

It was just the thick, padded footsteps of the cat’s massive paws.

His eyes blinked rapidly.

What kind of cat is this…? It’s enormous.

“Kitty? Hiii, kitty?”

Lowering himself slowly, I-bom bent at the waist and softly whispered to the cat.

The warm tones of apricot and orange stripes on its fur rippled gently in the breeze.

“Yaaaooong?”

The cat froze mid-step, half-emerged from the undergrowth.

Did it not understand him?

“Uh….”

Maybe he was doing this wrong.

I-bom tapped his chin, thinking.

How am I supposed to call it?

Then, a line from a beastman wildlife documentary popped into his head.

“If you don’t understand the animal’s language, try repeating the sounds it makes.”

Ah.

That’s it.

What had it said just now?

Was it Weong? Or Weoong?

“We…oong?”

I-bom cautiously mimicked the cat’s cry.

“Waaahk.”

Oh?

Did it work?

The cat finally reacted to him.

“See? Weoong.”

The cat’s response was good, but its expression was hard to read. I-bom recalled seeing pictures of “a happy cat’s expression” and “an angry cat’s expression” in books when he was younger, but the massive feline before him looked neither happy nor angry, leaving him confused.

“We, oong.”

Wondering if the cat hadn’t heard him, he carefully repeated the sound, enunciating each syllable like a teacher teaching a child to read. This time, the cat tilted its head slightly in response before lowering it toward I-bom, a gesture of permission.

Had he succeeded in communicating? I-bom’s lips curved into a smile as his heart pounded with excitement. Of course, he had every reason to be excited—this was the first time he had ever seen a cat in real life, let alone touched one.

“W-wow….”

‘I’ve never seen a cat before.’

I-bom clamped a hand over his mouth in awe, his heart racing at the sight of this unfamiliar creature.

Korean Shorthairs, the stray cats known as street cats, could be found almost anywhere, but things were different in Aji Village. Since it was a town of canine beastmen, cats never even came near. Cats were highly sensitive to their environment, and Aji Village, constantly filled with the scent of dogs, was probably the last place they’d find comfortable.

Because of that, I-bom had never seen a real cat in his neighborhood.

“It’s huge.”

He whispered in amazement.

Thick, plush paws, a strong, muscular build, and piercing eyes that seemed to see straight through him—its long, refined whiskers twitched slightly. He had only read about cats in encyclopedias, but now that he was seeing one up close, he felt completely overwhelmed by its presence.

As the cat approached slowly, its large paw landed near I-bom with a soft but firm thud, radiating a warm, living heat. The paw was warm, soft, and massive, far too large for a typical pet but too well-groomed to be a wild animal. It felt like he had encountered some kind of mystical creature.

‘It is a cat, right? Probably… a male?’

I-bom instinctively assumed the cat was male. A cat this big, with paws this thick and broad, couldn’t possibly be female. And the orange fur—it must have some mixed blood, but wasn’t cheese tabby the common term for this color? Weren’t most cheese tabbies male? Yes, that had to be it.

“Cat, you’re seriously huge.”

A pure, breathless exclamation slipped from I-bom’s lips before he caught himself and bit his tongue lightly to lower his voice. Ah—. If he spoke too loudly, the naturally cautious feline might run away.

“I—I won’t hurt you….”

His eyes carefully traced the cat’s form. It was big and beautiful. His fingers twitched, hesitating, unsure whether he should reach out.

A truly magnificent feline.

Its fur was a stunning blend of orange and golden stripes, its sleek, triangular face framed by sharp, angular cheekbones. Its almond-shaped eyes, lined like they had been carefully drawn with eyeliner, slanted slightly upward, giving it an exotic and strikingly beautiful gaze.

Under the fading light of the setting sun, its golden eyes gleamed with an intense radiance, so fierce and mesmerizing that it felt almost divine, like the gaze of a mountain spirit.

The white fur beneath its mouth was so flawlessly groomed that it looked as if someone had meticulously brushed it with a fine double-coat comb, creating an elegant, polished look. As it walked toward him with an air of grace, the smooth muscles of its upper forelimbs stretched effortlessly into its lower legs, forming a perfectly sculpted physique. It had a powerful, heavy build, naturally muscular, yet its movements were so light and effortless that it left no doubt—it was a predator by birth.

It walked without disturbing even a single speck of dust, its hidden claws tucked neatly away as its plush paw pads—soft and slightly jelly-like—peeked out between each step.

Despite its piercing gaze and imposing frame, I-bom didn’t find this majestic beast intimidating at all.

Because its tail, rather than stiff with tension, swayed gently in the air, lazily drifting like a warm spring breeze, holding I-bom’s gaze effortlessly in its quiet spell.