Chapter 126
"...W-wait, no way, cheating?"
"Sh-Shabu. If you keep doing that, I can't get up..."
Thanks to Shabu climbing right onto Yoo Seol-ah's lap and kneading away, the punch she'd been charging up canceled in an instant. Sure, I could've just picked him up and set him aside to stand, no problem. But Yoo Seol-ah was fidgeting like crazy, probably because he was such a tiny kitten.
I silently thanked Shabu in my mind and spoke up.
"See? Even Shabu knows exactly who's the bad guy."
"Wh-who's the bad guy? You're the one who's been here eavesdropping quietly this whole time!"
To be precise, I hadn't been hiding or anything—I'd just been quiet. She could've seen me by turning her head, but she'd been way too focused on the cat.
"I wasn't eavesdropping. Who was the one chattering away excitedly with Shabu all by herself?"
Shabu was adorable, sure, but Yoo Seol-ah got super hyped whenever couple-related words came up.
The thing is, when Yoo Seol-ah's really focused, she can pinpoint my location without even looking. She must've just been that into it this time.
"Wh-who said I was excited...?"
"Really? Instead of 'sis' and 'bro' or whatever..."
"Aaaah!"
Is she seriously acting like an elementary schooler...? I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of her plugging her ears with both hands and raising her voice. It was like watching a kid in hide-and-seek who thinks covering their eyes makes them invisible.
She seemed a bit embarrassed herself, because after a moment, she cautiously lowered her hands and made an awkward face.
"...Anyway, it's not like I said anything wrong."
"...No, it is."
In the end, Yoo Seol-ah went straight for the honest approach. Fair enough—pet owners use all sorts of nicknames. Sis and bro, mom and dad... nothing weird about it. And honestly, we'd probably be saying it for real in three or four years anyway.
"But he doesn't like Shabu, so let's just go with sis and bro."
"Yeah, better to ask the man himself."
For some reason, Shabu seemed to understand us perfectly, so it didn't sound strange when she said it like that.
"But does he like the name Shabu?"
"Why not ask him?"
I'd heard cats don't really recognize names so much as a combo of sounds and cues. Shabu was still perched on Yoo Seol-ah's lap as she sat on the floor, and she called out to him casually.
"Shabu?"
-Meow.
Shabu whipped his head around to look at her face.
...Is our cat a genius? Nah, he's probably just reacting to her voice. I suggested another option to test it.
"Try calling him Churu instead of Shabu."
"Okay. Churu?"
She matched the exact same tone and volume as before, like she'd caught on to my intent. But this time, Shabu just flicked his tiny ears once and went back to grooming himself, ignoring her completely.
...Does he really understand?
With a hint of suspicion, I called out to him myself.
"Shabu."
No reaction this time. Was him blocking for her earlier just a coincidence?
"See? Cats only listen to good people."
Seeing Yoo Seol-ah looking so smug lit a bubbling fire deep in my chest. That confident grin of hers—she definitely knew something.
Listening to her talk, it was obvious she was convinced Shabu understood her. We'd been to another world, so impossible things weren't out of the question for us anymore. But her level of certainty suggested something special was at play...
"Yoo Seol-ah, call him again."
"...Why all of a sudden?"
A lot of cats naturally took to Yoo Seol-ah well. I'd chalked it up to her unique scent or whatever. But if she could really communicate, body odor alone wouldn't cut it as an explanation.
I spotted her hesitating for a split second and knew I was onto something. Without saying a word, I just stared her down.
Finally, she called out to Shabu slowly, looking almost resigned.
"...Shabu, ignore that bro if he calls you."
-Mraaow.
I'd been paying extra close attention this time, and that's when I figured it out. She was infusing the tiniest bit of mana into her words. It was so subtle even I almost missed it, but it was deliberate.
Thinking about how magic works, it made sense that talking to cats could be possible. The key to magic is the user's intent—how vividly and precisely you visualize what you want. That's what determines a mage's talent, alongside their mana capacity and rank.
To be exact, Shabu probably wasn't parsing the literal words. He was picking up on the intent carried in the mana.
"So that's how it works."
"Tch."
Yoo Seol-ah puffed out her lips like a kid whose secret snack spot just got found out.
I ignored her and spoke to Shabu. I could use magic too, after all.
"Shabu, don't listen to that sis. She's total elementary school level."
-Meow.
Sure enough, Shabu immediately turned to look at me.
"What makes me elementary? You're always calling me that, but you're no different."
"We all know you were trying to hog Shabu all to yourself. You were looking so triumphant earlier."
"...I-I wasn't."
As we started bickering again, Shabu hopped off her lap and settled into his soft carrier.
...What's this feeling? Did even the cat think our squabbling was childish?
Yoo Seol-ah must've felt the same, because she let out a deflated laugh.
"...Shabu, don't you think we're kinda dumb too?"
-Meeeow.
We couldn't know exactly what he was saying, just convey our intent. But that meow? Definitely agreement, we were sure of it.
A bit later, Lee Seo-yeon came back from helping out. Yoo Seol-ah didn't seem keen on hiding it and spilled everything.
"...For real? Since when?"
"Figured it out for sure after meeting Shabu. Not sure if it works on all cats, though."
"...Not that surprised, honestly. Cats have been called youkai since forever."
I'd never seen an animal pop up in myths and superstitions as much as cats. And we'd already been through way crazier stuff than mind-melding with felines.
Lee Seo-yeon nodded nonchalantly, then suddenly looked a little down.
"...But I can't use magic."
"Oh."
Divine power and mana clash hard, so she was the only one in our party who couldn't handle mana.
...Of all people, the one with two cats at home. Cats probably don't think like humans anyway, but being able to communicate your intent would be handy. Like "no treats, you're too fat" or "bath time today."
"...Why am I the only one..."
Yoo Seol-ah patted the slumped Lee Seo-yeon's shoulder as she looked genuinely bummed.
"Just live with oppa. He handles mana great."
"......"
"Gotta snag Doyun oppa quick."
Lee Seo-yeon's face flushed red. Yoo Seol-ah never missed a chance like this.
She wouldn't let Lee Seo-yeon fidget with her fingers while staring at the floor.
"...So what're you naming the baby?"
"I haven't thought about that!"
Payback for the baby name teasing last time—Yoo Seol-ah lobbed it right back and cackled at the reaction. Just minutes ago, she'd been on the receiving end...
This place was like Animal Kingdom. Blink, and you'd get bitten.
"Well, we'll head out then!"
"Yeah, come visit often."
We left the shelter and rode with Lee Seo-yeon to the new apartment. We hadn't fully moved in yet, but a ton of furniture was arriving today. While Yoo Seol-ah went up to the attic to plan placements, the doorbell rang. I opened it naturally.
I figured it was the delivery folks, but the voice was way too familiar.
"...W-wait, no way, cheating?"
Cheating, my ass. Baek Sia stood there, stammering in shock at the sight of me and Lee Seo-yeon side by side. I couldn't help but look at her dumbfounded.
Why was she here?
"Whoa, you're his little sis?"
"...We look alike?"
"Totally identical! No way... for real."
I hadn't said a word, but Lee Seo-yeon fired off questions without missing a beat, totally unfazed. Was Baek Sia just that popular with girls?
Yoo Seol-ah showed up at the sound, shoved past me, and ran to her.
"Sia~! You're early?"
"Unnie! Yeah, before cram school!"
Lee Seo-yeon was staring at her with sparkling eyes too. What was this? Felt like I was the side character watching the harem protag in action.