You're Even Cuter
"Hoo..."
Yoo Seol-ah fanned her flushed face while gazing out the window as if trying to hide it, but that wasn't enough—she started fumbling toward the window button with her right hand. Moments later, the window slid all the way down. It was still late February, so cool air began streaming into the car. She must be really heated up. I'd worried before that her face turned red too easily, maybe something was wrong with her, but a quick search showed it was fine. And since she could cast all sorts of spells on her own body anyway, there wasn't much point fretting over Seol-ah's health.
Seol-ah let out a soft sigh as the cool breeze cooled her face.
"Whoa... But seriously, all these houses are so pretty. And huge."
"This area's mostly private homes. We're almost there—just a bit farther. Our place is in a housing complex with shared facilities."
"I'm so excited... I've only ever seen stuff like this in celebrities' vlogs."
You see it sometimes on TV shows where rich celebs give tours of their homes. I vividly remembered our family watching one and joking that we'd never afford it, even if we saved every penny our whole lives.
"But... you live alone, right?"
"Not exactly alone. I've got two owners."
Coming from Lee Seo-yeon, it almost sounded weird, but I caught her meaning right away. She has cats.
The moment she said it, Seol-ah's eyes went wide, and questions came pouring out.
"No way, you have cats? For real? What breed?"
"Norwegian Forest and Russian Blue. Both adorable."
"Such fancy breeds. I've always wanted a Russian Blue if I ever got one. But my parents are allergic to fur back home, and in my studio apartment, it's not easy to manage..."
She really loves cats. Seeing Seol-ah this excited was pretty rare. I like cats a ton myself—if I had to pick between dogs and cats, it'd be cats every time. I subscribe to cat channels and binge their videos sometimes.
Seol-ah was grinning like an idiot, beaming with excitement. It wasn't just rare; it felt like the first time I'd seen that expression. Just imagining cats got her like this—how obsessed must she be? Maybe that's why her personality takes after them a bit. They say you start resembling what you love, and apparently that applies to animals too.
"We're here anyway. Drop off your stuff first, then check out the facilities. The views are great for walks too."
"...Now I get why it's so expensive..."
"...Me too."
The houses we'd passed earlier seemed luxurious enough, but this place was on another level. Dozens of homes straight out of a sci-fi movie dotted the area, and that was probably just the start. The whole neighborhood felt like one massive gated community. Pulling in made the world feel different. In a way, you could call this another world too.
The parking spots were impressively spacious too.
"Parking's the hardest part honestly, but the space here is nice. You have to be careful not to ding cars elsewhere."
For us, every park would feel like a life-or-death mission. We got out and trailed behind Lee Seo-yeon. She tapped a black card on a raised panel, and the gate swung open. It looked like some trap-disarming device from an old game—nostalgic.
We turned right down the corridor, walked a bit more, and emerged into a lobby.
Lobby?
"...Is this a hotel or what?"
"For real."
Seol-ah voiced exactly what I was thinking. Not just a big open space—there was a counter at the far end with staff sitting there, like a proper hotel lobby.
"Kinda gives off hotel vibes, huh? It's right in the center, so most community facilities connect here."
"Community like the pool?"
"Yeah. I'll explain later. House first."
We gasped in awe several times on the way to her place. When she'd mentioned Han River views earlier, I'd wondered if the houses in front would block it. But stepping out of the elevator from the lobby shattered that doubt instantly. We'd gone uphill by car earlier—the homes were terraced up the hill. They'd carved the slope into the complex... No front houses blocking views.
The exotic designs made it feel like Santorini photos I'd seen, especially with the river right there instead of the sea. The view is insane.
Lee Seo-yeon stopped soon after.
"Here we are. It's modest, but come on in..."
"Don't even joke about it being modest... Please."
"Sorry."
The door was huge—two of my studio apartment doors combined. We opened it, then the inner one, revealing the shoe rack. Sneakers and a few pairs sat on the floor.
"Just to be safe—how much are the shoes?"
"Most expensive is twenties. Don't worry, only the house is pricey."
Finally relieved, we slipped off our shoes and headed in. Another sliding door opened automatically as Lee Seo-yeon approached. Then came the pattering from above.
A gray furball appeared before us moments later.
"Ray, we have guests."
"Hnnng..."
Seol-ah looked ready to melt. The gray cat rubbed against Lee Seo-yeon's leg briefly before approaching us slowly. Seol-ah froze in place. It circled our legs.
"...Too cute..."
Sleek silver-gray fur, lithe build—definitely Russian Blue. The color matched Seol-ah's hair perfectly, and the vibe too. High-class looks, cute antics—perfect match.
"Her name's Ray?"
"Yeah. From Gray."
Simple, but it had a nice ring.
"You guys have some good aura or something? She warmed up fast."
"Can I pet her?"
"Go ahead. Looks like she loves you already."
She'd come to me briefly, but now stuck by Seol-ah. Seol-ah dropped to her knees and gently stroked Ray's head. Tail up, swishing happily. That's the good-mood cat sign, right?
"Weird how much she likes you. She's dog-like but not usually this clingy."
Seol-ah was too focused to reply, so I filled in.
"Cats sense mana too?"
"Really? They say cats are spiritual beings."
Or maybe Seol-ah's just cat-magnet material. Some people are—every cat in a cafe flocks to them, the so-called "human purr-magnets."
Ray started purring softly now, even flopping onto the floor—unlike her earlier stance. A tiny mew.
Seol-ah mewed back.
"Mew..."
I hadn't expected actual cat-speak. Seol-ah's aegyo was ramping up on Earth lately, but the cat seemed to be dismantling her walls big time. Two cuties together? Overload.
"...So cute."
The thought slipped out loud. Seol-ah froze, then slowly stood. Her earlobes were just barely pink.
To ease her embarrassment, I said,
"No, keep going. I meant the cat, not you."
"...I know. Idiot."
The flush faded, but she pouted subtly.
"Baek Sion... In moments like this, you say the cat's cute, but you're way cuter. That's how you do it..."
"Ah, sorry. You're even cuter."
I tweaked it per Lee Seo-yeon's love advice. Seemed right.
"What are you two playing at...! Anyway, we gotta unpack and tour the place..."
Her overreaction hit the mark. And the bags reminded me—Seol-ah's was huge. Girls do pack more, huh?
"It's big, but the layout's simple. Ask if you're lost."
"How big?"
"89 pyeong. Two rooms upstairs, three down."
"And the ceilings... like three apartment floors."
"Higher feels less claustrophobic."
Eyeballing it, living room to ceiling was about 23 feet. Floor-to-ceiling windows showed the Han River—refreshing as hell.
"All but one have king beds. Use the extras however."
"What's the one?"
"Sound booth with recording gear and PCs. Gaming room vibe. Multiple rigs—perfect for course registration tomorrow."
Living the dream. Gotta grind for cash.
"You two take upstairs rooms. Doyun oppa and I take one each down here."
Usually girls one floor, guys another, right?
"Or you could share a room. Door closed, no sound from downst—mmph!"
Seol-ah clamped Lee Seo-yeon's mouth with insane speed. That motivated her? Glare-battles dragged on before she released.
"Joking. But if you want, you could."
"Never happening!?"
"Got it... But absolutes are rare in life."
Seol-ah bit her lip, fuming at the unflappable Lee Seo-yeon, then stormed off to explore without a guide.