Chapter 117
Over there—your boyfriend's walking by. Despite being practically wrapped up like a blanket in cats, Yoo Seol-ah looked utterly relaxed as she sipped her drink. With a single gentle stroke of her hand, most of the cats around her rolled over, purring up a storm.
"But seriously, what the hell is it? Seol-ah's like catnip for humans."
If even the cat cafe owner was amazed, it had to be some kind of phenomenon. She'd drawn in nearly every cat that had been wandering freely or hanging out with other customers, pulling them straight to her side.
"I have no idea. Do I smell like something?"
"You smell nice."
Yoo Seol-ah always had this soft, faintly sweet scent—like vanilla—so I answered without thinking. But her face flushed bright red in an instant.
"...Y-you, you just casually sniffing people like that...!"
One word from her, and suddenly I was on the verge of being labeled a pervert. Hey, I only said it because you really do smell nice—what's with the reaction?
"We're always stuck together, so of course it feels natural. We share the same bed anyway."
"Don't go blabbing that stuff out in public...!"
"We're already out here wearing candy rings."
Couple drinks and candy rings—who's gonna find that weird? The only one close enough to hear was Lee Seo-yeon, anyway. Though she was sipping her bitterly disappointed-looking coffee with an equally bitter expression.
Yoo Seol-ah, apparently out of comebacks, awkwardly reached for her drink again.
...Come to think of it, that's pretty rich. I just notice it naturally when we're close, but she straight-up has a smell fetish, confirmed.
"...You're the one who sniffs me openly."
"Kuhk...!"
She'd been slurping her drink through the straw when she suddenly hacked up a lung. I grabbed some tissues from nearby and handed them over, but even as she took them, she glared at me with resentful eyes.
"W-when did I ever...!"
If she hadn't done it, she wouldn't be panicking like this. No hard evidence, sure, but there've been plenty of suspicious moments so far. I just stared at her silently, and eventually, she broke eye contact, curling her tail in defeat.
"...Truce."
She held out her hand first. I took it gently and said,
"I'm not mad or anything. No need for a truce."
"Eek...! Guys, attack!"
With her free hand, she smacked the back of mine—then yelled at the cats.
...This happened last time too, but it was probably a coincidence. No way first-time cats understand human speech...
-Nyaong!
-Eong!
In a flash, cats swarmed from her side, surrounding me and unleashing a barrage of tiny paw punches. It didn't hurt, of course, but the fact that it was even possible was ridiculous. How the hell does she talk to cats?
Her earlier embarrassed look was gone, replaced by a smug grin.
"See? Even the cats know who's bad."
Her triumphant face was seriously pissing me off, so I picked up the last piece of honey bread with my fork—the one she'd been eyeing.
Suddenly, she started groveling.
"...Sorry, my bad—all my fault. Can I just have one bite...?"
I knew how delicious it was, so her instant aegyo made sense. The frustrating part? I'd been about to eat it myself, but her cuteness froze my hand. And then I realized it wasn't just in my head.
My arm and hand were literally bound by delicate threads of mana. Desperate enough to cast magic I wouldn't even notice?
I snapped it instantly. The moment she saw my hand move freely, she clicked her tongue.
"...Tch."
"Whoa... playing dirty, huh?"
"What'd I do? Nothing."
She put on an outrageously brazen act, but now she was openly ramping up her mana, trying to yank the fork her way. I countered by drawing out my killing intent, bit by bit.
Our raw power was about equal, so the fork hovered right in the middle. Even if I let go, it'd stay floating, but with people around, I kept up the pretense of gripping it.
It tugged back and forth like tug-of-war, but stayed deadlocked. Until the winner was decided.
"Guys, you know you get in trouble for playing with food, right?"
Lee Seo-yeon suddenly stood from the opposite seat and strolled over. She effortlessly snatched the fork from my grasp and devoured the last honey bread in one go.
"Ah..."
"Nooo...!"
Sighs erupted in unison. She savored it leisurely, then glanced at us with a slight smile.
"...Damn, it is good. You two play like kids..."
"......"
Neither of us denied it. Sure, I wanted the bread, but hanging with Seol-ah always turned me childish. Probably because our personalities mesh that way.
"We've pretty much finished eating—wanna head upstairs? Kittens are better for adoption all around."
"Sure."
With her drink polished off, we stood.
"Oppa, we'll be right back from upstairs."
"Yeah, take your time. Tell me if you want anything else."
We took the elevator up following Lee Seo-yeon's lead, emerging into a space totally different from the cafe below. Not cold, but far cleaner and more sterile—a shelter prioritizing cat safety, especially for kittens and the sickly.
A woman appeared shortly after.
"You've been busy lately. Feels like ages."
"Yeah... school and all."
Her casual chat with Lee Seo-yeon suggested family. She exchanged brief greetings with us, then vanished inside.
"With Seo-yeon here, you can trust her. I've got stuff to do now."
"Got it. Handle your business."
Trust shown, Lee Seo-yeon launched into detailed instructions.
"No need to stress—just be extra gentle with the babies."
"Okay."
"Most adopters take kittens anyway, unless it's a stray."
We wanted long-term cat time, so yeah.
"Seol-ah and you both seem cat magnets, so just browse and pick one that clicks."
"Cool."
True to her "big spender" rep, the space was huge, and the cats looked healthy. We agreed to check individually then compare notes, so I wandered alone, observing.
Cats of every breed and color eyed me curiously. Tons of kittens, so I crouched low to avoid scaring them. I love cats, but they're all so cute—picking one's impossible.
Meandering along, I bumped into Yoo Seol-ah and Lee Seo-yeon. They stared, then exchanged glances—whispering loud enough to hear.
"...Hey, hey. Your boyfriend's passing by."
Lee Seo-yeon started it, and Yoo Seol-ah jumped in.
"Ugh, shut up...! Don't say that for real—what kinda guy is boyfriend material?"
"Sorry. But they kinda suit each other?"
"He'll hear...! He'll get weird ideas again..."
They're saying it on purpose. I knew it was teasing, but it still stung a bit. Lee Seo-yeon's voice acting skills were pro-level, Seol-ah's cool tone fit perfectly, and both were stunning enough that you'd buy any high school drama backstory.
Unsure how to react, I went for "hurt"—forehead in hand, staring at a cat. Lee Seo-yeon chuckled.
"Hey, your boyfriend's sulking."
"I told you he's not my boyfriend."
But as I kept my head down, soft-hearted Seol-ah wavered. She hurried over, linking my arm—dropping her cool tone.
"...He's my husband, okay?"
A bit shy, but she powered through. Lee Seo-yeon's face fell into sudden sadness, radiating betrayal.
"...No way, a sudden backstab...?"
"Enemies today, friends tomorrow. Plus, you ate the honey bread."
"......"
Looks like today was Lee Seo-yeon's day to suffer.