The Cat That Led the Way
Yeo-won drew a trembling breath and looked down at the cat. The creature approached with its fur puffed out to twice its normal size and its tail standing straight up like a brush.
“Hiss!”
The cat paid Yeo-won no attention at all. It crept low toward Jae-young, body crouched and ready to pounce, baring sharp white fangs.
Though small, the cat radiated such fierce menace that its presence felt enormous. It looked exactly like a predator stalking its prey.
“W-what the—get away! Go on, get out of here!”
Yeo-won, who had been staring blankly, snapped back to herself at the frantic voice beside her.
Jae-young was backing away in genuine terror. His face had gone deathly pale, almost blue, and the sight was almost pitiful.
“Mrrraaaooow!”
At the siren-like yowl, Jae-young threw his hands up to shield his body. Startled, Yeo-won hurriedly stepped between them.
“Shoo, shoo. Go on, that’s enough.”
At Yeo-won’s gesture the cat calmed as if nothing had happened. Its luxurious tail swayed lazily, then it butted its head firmly against Yeo-won’s leg.
“Mrrp.”
The way it kept rubbing its body against her leg and acting cute left Yeo-won visibly flustered.
The difference in behavior was night and day. She gently pushed the cat aside and moved toward Jae-young.
When she saw how badly he was doing, she flinched.
His hands, still half-raised to cover his face, trembled pitifully. His pitch-black eyes had lost all focus as he muttered to himself.
It was one thing to dislike or fear cats, but this level of panic seemed excessive.
“Jae-young, are you all right?”
Putting the incident behind her, Yeo-won reached out with sincere concern. Jae-young’s unfocused gaze suddenly sharpened. In the next instant he violently slapped her hand away.
“Don’t come near me! Don’t you dare touch me!”
“Ah!”
The blow was so hard her hand flew back over her shoulder. Clutching her throbbing wrist, Yeo-won took a step back. Jae-young, who had been breathing raggedly, suddenly staggered.
“No… it’s not… Mom.”
He mumbled incoherently and covered his face. Then he gasped sharply and turned toward Yeo-won.
The black eyes that met hers again were flooded with terror. His pupils shook with anxiety, brimming with tears.
“I-I’m sorry, sunbae. I… I’ll go first.”
“Jae-young…”
Jae-young bolted toward the station as if fleeing for his life. Yeo-won stared after his retreating figure, stunned by the sudden whirlwind of events. She stood frozen in place.
What on earth had just happened? What had Jae-young’s words meant? Her mind simply stopped, unable to process any of it.
She blinked slowly and turned her head. Unlike moments ago, the park was now crowded with people. One passerby gave the lone woman standing in the middle of the park an odd look before continuing on.
Had this many people appeared in such a short time? Or had they been here all along and she simply hadn’t noticed? Yeo-won rubbed her shoulder. The spot where someone’s hand had struck her still stung strangely.
Her head began to throb from the swirl of thoughts when a soft cry rose from below.
“Mrrp.”
The cat she thought had disappeared was sitting at her feet, gazing up at her. On closer inspection, a small bell hung from a collar around its neck.
“…Where did you come from, little one?”
Wondering if it belonged to someone, she reached out, but the cat nimbly dodged with a graceful twist. It trotted a few steps ahead, then turned its head back toward her.
“Mrrp.”
The simple meow somehow sounded like an invitation. Maybe it was because there had been so many animals around lately.
It was ridiculous, but it really seemed as though the cat was telling her to follow.
Drawn in by those unblinking yellow eyes, Yeo-won trailed after it.
Leaving the park and crossing a residential street, the cat slipped into a narrow alley. The passage was so tight only one person could barely squeeze through.
As Yeo-won lingered at the entrance, a calm voice drifted out from inside.
“There, there. Good job. You did well.”
“Mrrp.”
A human silhouette was visible in the dark alley.
The voice sounded like a young man. What was someone doing in a place like this?
Frowning, she peered deeper into the alley. The man who had been crouching stood up.
He turned and walked toward the entrance. The face hidden in shadow gradually emerged beneath the streetlamp.
Vivid orange hair streaked here and there with black swayed gently with his movement—an unusual, striking color.
Heavy double eyelids, distinct features, and exotic golden-brown eyes.
His appearance was breathtakingly beautiful, yet because of her time spent with Shin-wol, Yeo-won only looked startled.
More precisely, she was startled by the strange sense of déjà vu his aura gave off. When she lowered her gaze, she saw the cat nestled comfortably in the man’s arms.
It was purring contentedly, clearly enjoying the embrace.
“Did you have something to say to me?”
He smiled brightly as he asked. Startled, Yeo-won answered reflexively.
“Are you this cat’s owner?”
“Well… owner? I suppose that depends.”
The man wore a mysterious smile as he stroked the cat’s chin.
“But you—are you a dog person or a cat person?”
“…Pardon?”
“Answer me.”
The completely unexpected question left her speechless. She had never given the matter any thought.
Wondering if she really had to answer, she looked up at him again. He was waiting with an oddly coercive smile.
Avoiding his oppressively intense gaze, she glanced at the cat instead.
It was licking its round front paw and washing its face.
So that’s what grooming looks like.
Watching the cat meticulously tend to its own fur reminded her of Cheong-sil back home.
She remembered how the little fox would spin in circles trying—and failing—to remove a single speck of dust from his tail. Compared to that, the cat before her suddenly seemed incredibly dignified.
Foxes are part of the dog family, aren’t they?
Yeo-won glanced back and forth between the man and the cat, then spoke cautiously.
“If I had to choose… I’d say I prefer cats more…”
The man’s smile widened, clearly pleased with her answer.
“You have good eyes. Cats are wonderful. They look at everyone as equals.”
Was that so? Not knowing much about it, Yeo-won listened quietly.
“But dogs are different. Dogs have a very clear hierarchy. Treat them kindly and they immediately think you’re their master.”
“…”
“You know the saying, right? A dog never forgets its first owner. Loyalty that strong can be a problem, don’t you think?”
The man gently stroked the cat in his arms. It wasn’t entirely wrong. Under normal circumstances she would have let the comment pass without a second thought. She might have even nodded along politely.
Yet for some reason every word out of his mouth grated on her, stirring up an inexplicable sense of defiance.
“…I wouldn’t know.”
The man’s eyebrow twitched. He was still smiling, but it was different now. Even so, Yeo-won continued firmly.
“If someone follows another for an entire lifetime, doesn’t that mean the owner earned that much trust?”
“Trust? You think dogs understand something like that? They just see whoever feeds and cares for them as their owner.”
The man gave a cold laugh. His mockery made her emotions surge.
“No. Dogs can tell whether someone will hurt them or not. They’re just kind, so they refuse to stop believing in people.”
The man’s eyes narrowed with interest. When he fell silent, Yeo-won suddenly came back to herself.
She had ended up contradicting everything he said. Wondering if she should apologize, she hesitated. The man muttered softly.
“Is it that you lack awareness, or are you simply stupid?”
Though quiet, the words pierced her ears clearly.
Stupid? Was he talking about her? Before she could retort, he reached out and patted her shoulder twice.
“You have an eye for things, but it’s still a shame.”
Behind his perfect smile lurked obvious mockery. But his sarcasm didn’t reach her.
Something far more important had occurred to her. One persistent thought kept swirling through her mind.
This man felt somehow similar to Shin-wol, even though everything about them was different.
“Um… excuse me, by any chance are you…”
Before she could finish, the cat lounging lazily in his arms suddenly opened its eyes wide.
“Mrrp.”
At the meow that sounded almost like speech, the man looked up at the sky and gave a crooked smile.
“How does he always know? He really is fast.”
Grumbling, the man set the cat on the ground. It dashed off without looking back. He brushed cat hair from his clothes and smiled faintly.
“I should leave before any sparks fly my way. It was nice meeting you. Oh, right.”
He leaned down and whispered close to her ear.
“Be careful not to get bitten by the dog you trust. Hm?”
“What?”
“I warned you. See you next time.”
With that, the man strolled past her. Yeo-won, still standing there in a daze, whipped her head around, but he had already vanished.
She tilted her head back and looked at the sky. As always, the pitch-black expanse held no stars. Thick clouds raced across it. A lukewarm wind blew, carrying the faint scent of rain.
It looked like a downpour was coming.