UR Chapter 25

Chapter 25

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[[This Week’s Update]]
Subject/Species: Tiger Beastman (Pureblood)

Update Topic: Tiger Beastman Romance

Though they’re known as “pureblood beastmen,” that doesn’t mean they only date other purebloods. Rumor has it they’ve had flings with general beastmen—and even half-beastmen! (According to the animals of Manwol Mountain, a certain tiger once enjoyed dating a half-beastman.)

While publicly seen as cold and stoic, they’re secretly hopeless romantics. For the sake of their “some-thing” (aka crush/romantic interest), they’re even willing to eat things they dislike (such as ice cream or milk).

A profile update on the tiger beastman’s “special someone” (a very lovely half-beastman 💕) is coming soon! Stay tuned!

[[Tap “Like” if you want quicker updates ><]]

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“I-seol.”

The sink in the old house was a wobbly relic, too low for I-bom’s height and unsteady enough to splash water all over. By the time he’d finished the morning dishes, the front of his apron was soaked. He untied the damp knot with a sigh.

“I-seol? Where’d she go?”

He should’ve heard something. I-bom muttered to himself and perked up his ears.

He wasn’t a full beastman, so it wasn’t like ears would pop out from his head or a tail would wag behind him—but as a half-beastman, he could still heighten his senses if he focused. Concentrating on the sounds around him, I-bom looked and listened closely.

“…Because I like cheesecake… that’s why…”

He stopped walking when he heard her voice. It was coming from beside the backyard shed, a small extension to the house that was usually dark, damp, and avoided.

What’s she doing out there, talking to herself?

He was about to call her name when he heard her speaking to someone. That made him stop, lips closing instinctively.

“……”

He pressed himself against the cracked, crumbling cement wall and leaned in just enough to peek around the corner. There she was—sitting beside the backyard shed, chatting softly. And next to her?

Weoong.

That same big, fluffy cat who had followed I-bom home the night before.

When did they get so close?

I-seol was nestled up against Weoong’s massive shoulder, talking to him sweetly, like they were lifelong friends. It was hard to describe the sight of her leaning so comfortably on a cat large enough to be mistaken for a tiger. But her expression—lit up with joy—spoke volumes.

Seriously…

I-bom found himself smiling. His lips curled up as he watched the two of them, the gentle murmur of their conversation filling the air.

“I like cheesecake. Do you like it too?”

“Meowng.”

“I like cake, and my little oppa likes strawberries. Did you know? There’s a thing called a hotel buffet—and they say it’s piled high with cakes and strawberries, like a mountain…”

The morning sun rose over the mountaintop in a flash. As winter suns often do, it lit the gloomy sky without warning, spreading golden light across the clouds that had been stained and smudged grey.

The orange warmth began to scatter across the sky, brushing against the weathered rooftops and broken fences.

I-bom, I-seol, and the cat sat together, wrapped in that golden glow. The leaves rustled gently around them. The breeze carried a cheerful energy, babbling like a companion enjoying the moment with them.

Chirp! Chirrrrp, chirp!

A small yellow chick with a red tail fluttered around chirping, its soprano trills sharp in I-bom’s ears. Smiling warmly as he watched I-seol and Weoong together, I-bom tilted his head, curious about the commotion.

“Hm…?”

Through the rustling branches, the bird flapped upward. The sound of leaves crackling wasn’t lost on I-bom alone—startled by the movement, I-seol turned her head too. And in doing so, her eyes met I-bom’s, who had been standing quietly behind them.

“Oh!”

With a shout, I-seol leapt up and ran toward him.

“Oppa!”

I-bom stretched out his arms just in time to catch her as she flung herself into his embrace. He lifted her up and asked gently:

“What was so fun?”

“Mm, Oppa! I was talking with the kitty!”

I-seol giggled, looping her arms around I-bom’s neck and nuzzling his shoulder. Her expression was bright and carefree, and seeing her like that made I-bom smile even wider. He kissed her cheek with a soft mwah and supported her weight as she clung to him.

“Yeah? You were chatting with Weoong?”

“What?”

I-seol blinked up at him, confused, her big eyes blinking innocently. Her twin braids tickled his cheek, and he brushed her hair aside with a laugh.

“That’s the name of the cat Oppa brought home.”

“His name’s Weoong? Oops—I gave him a new name without even knowing that.”

“What’d you name him?”

“Cheesecake.”

“…What?”

I-bom burst out laughing at the totally unexpected name. Chuckling, he asked:

“Why Cheesecake?”

“Because he’s orange like cheesecake, and his butt’s soft and fluffy like cream cheese.”

“Oh yeah? That’s a pretty fun name.”

I-bom chuckled as he stroked her hair.

“But hey, I-seol. Don’t forget you have school, okay? You didn’t forget, did you?”

“Gasp! Oh no—I did forget!”

I-seol clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes going wide. I-bom had expected that; when his little sister focused on one thing, she tended to forget everything else. He held out her schoolbag with a grin.

“I packed it for you.”

“Thanks, Oppa! Cheesecake! I’ll see you later! Bye!”

Snatching the bag, she slung it over her shoulder, waved hard, and ran out the door with a clatter of noisy footsteps.

“……”

I-bom waved after her, then turned to look at the cat still sitting near the wall. He spoke in a quiet murmur.

“So it wasn’t just me, huh?”

To be honest, it stung a little.

Seeing the cat and child chatting with their heads pressed together, looking all sweet and cozy—it was cute enough to make your teeth ache.

“But you… you did that to me too. Followed me all the way home…”

His voice drifted off in disbelief.

“Well, I mean… you’re a cat and I’m a person, so…”

And yet, you’d nuzzled into him like you were courting, licking and rubbing affectionately like he belonged to you.

I-bom scrunched his nose teasingly, knowing full well that Weoong understood human speech better than he let on.

“You shouldn’t be so casual with stuff like that. I mean, sure—people do it, whatever. But if you act like that with your future partner too…”

“Meowng.”

At his words, Weoong’s ears perked up and he stood up at once.

Golden morning sunlight streamed in, riding the breeze. The orange fur along his back shimmered where the light kissed it, glowing bright like fire. The wind stirred around them, reacting as if drawn in by the tiger’s subtle shift in mood. A warm current swept between I-bom’s arms.

“…That’d really hurt someone’s feelings, you know.”

The cat narrowed his eyes and slowly shook his head.

“Huh?”

“…Weoong.”

The cat stared straight at him and spoke clearly. Though I-bom couldn’t understand the words, he instinctively knew—it was an excuse, a response to what he’d said.

“…What, you’re saying that’s not true?”

Nod, nod.

“Haha.”

That was… hilarious.

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing there aren’t any female cats in this village… Oh, right. Let me check that collar.”

I-bom remembered the collar around the cat’s neck. Surely, this was someone’s pet. With how striking Weoong looked, he would’ve stood out even among other cats. But here, in Aji Village—where you could hardly find any cats at all—he was even more conspicuous. And in a place like this, sticking out too much, whether you were a person or an animal, wasn’t a good thing.

“There’s nothing on the collar…”

Frowning, I-bom pulled out his phone from his back pocket. A quick search told him the district office had a pet recovery service—if you reported a lost animal and uploaded a photo, they’d help return it to its owner.

With a cat this big, word would get around fast in such a small, closed-off town. That could be dangerous. Plus, keeping him more than a night felt like too much. And surely, someone out there was desperately searching for him. Living together wasn’t an option.

With a long sigh, I-bom opened the camera app.

“Let’s at least get a picture, first.”

But as he moved closer, the cat reached out a paw and pressed down firmly on his phone. With surprising accuracy and strength, Weoong pinned it down, almost like he understood every word.

“Huh…?”

The cat’s thick, lithe body leaned into I-bom’s legs, brushing against him in a slow, deliberate rub. Then that stiff, upright tail curled around his thigh like a lure. A moment later, Weoong’s tongue gently slid across I-bom’s wrist.

The movement was so bold, so smooth, that I-bom lost his balance. He stumbled, reaching out—and the cat expertly caught his arm, wrapping it around the back of his neck. Just like a scene from a romance drama. The back of I-bom’s neck prickled with heat. His cheeks flushed without warning.

“Ah—hey! Stop that. Why, why are you doing this again?!”

“Weoong.”

With all the calmness of a royal courtier, the cat slipped a paw between I-bom’s fingers and gently lifted his hand. Then he grabbed the phone from I-bom’s grasp with his mouth and set it neatly on the floor.

He rubbed his soft nose against the back of I-bom’s hand. The plush warmth sent a gentle tingle pulsing up his arm, all the way to his head.

“Okay, okay… You don’t want me to take a picture. Got it?”

Trying to cool his burning cheeks, I-bom let out a long sigh and looked at the cat again.

The blazing morning sun reflected in his eyes, making them shimmer. Behind that golden glow, mysterious hues swirled—like a kaleidoscope of colors dancing inside molten gold. The sight left I-bom slack-jawed.

There’s no other companion. You’re my one and only.

It almost felt like someone had whispered those words right into his ear.

The back of his neck tingled again.

The cat stared at him one last time, then turned and walked briskly out the door.

And just like that, only I-bom—still sitting on the floor in a daze—and the phone, gently resting on the ground, remained.