Like Owner, Like Cat
The kid kept giggling in my arms, though what was so funny about being hoisted around like a sack of rice was beyond me.
Wow, he's genuinely heavy.
My arms felt like they were about to snap. I did my best to keep my expression neutral as I lifted him up, and Han Haram's mother came hurrying over.
"Oh my, Haram! How many times have I told you not to do that to the actor~"
Her booming voice drew the eyes of every nearby staff member.
"Honestly, close or not, there are limits. You really are something else."
Despite the scolding tone, the smile on her face was radiant.
I was genuinely impressed.
Why on earth hasn't she debuted?
She could seriously be an actress. Her performance, the first I'd witnessed in a while, was as polished as ever.
The lucky part was that Han Haram's acting had grown in the meantime, too.
"Sorry, Mom. I just like him so much…."
He'd flinched at his mother's words, but only for a moment — the way he answered with just enough cheeky innocence to skate by made laughter bubble up on its own.
Nice. That's the way to smooth it over.
They say kids hit puberty earlier and earlier these days.
Han Haram was only in second grade, but soon enough he'd be entering that stage too. There would come a time when he brushed off his mother's words like they were nothing and did exactly as he pleased.
I just have to stay by his side until then.
That much, I could do. I gave a small nod to myself and gently set Han Haram back down on the ground.
"Hello, ma'am. It's been a while."
"Oh, please, no need to be so formal with me~. There's no one watching — what's with the formality between us?"
Between us, was it. I was curious what exactly that "us" entailed.
The few times I saw her when picking up Han Haram is the entire extent of our relationship.
It wasn't that I couldn't guess what she wanted. That was precisely why I found it odd.
What good could possibly come from flaunting a connection with me?
I couldn't imagine what benefit she thought she'd gain, but I played along politely all the same.
A few minutes later she departed, and Han Haram's face turned sheepish.
"Yeonjae, I'm sorry. Because of my mom…."
"Don't apologize."
I ruffled his hair. I had no intention of accepting an apology from a little kid whose baby fat hadn't even gone yet.
The sulky look on his face showed no sign of lifting, so I changed the subject.
"Han Haram, do you know The Jim Fury Show?"
Even as I asked, I figured what would a kid this young possibly know — but the response that came back was surprisingly spirited.
"Huh? Of course I do!"
Come to think of it, Han Haram was American.
When I told him I'd received an offer to appear on the show, his mouth fell wide open.
"(…Really? The Jim Fury Show?)"
He was so stunned that he seemed to have forgotten Korean entirely.
"(Yeah. Really.)"
"(Whoa! That's the show I watched every single week when I lived in the States! No way. You're going on that? Oh my gosh!!)"
Han Haram was vibrating with excitement.
"(You're so cool! You're seriously the best! How are you even possible? That's amazing!)"
"(Thanks. But I haven't answered yet. I'm still debating whether to go on.)"
"(What? Why???)"
The expression on Han Haram's face was one I'd never seen before. It was the face of a person who'd just been told that humans could fly.
"(Why on earth would you even think about it?)"
The reaction was more intense than I'd expected, and I wilted a little.
"(Uh, well… if I go on, I'd have to talk in English. I'm not exactly confident in my English.)"
"(Then what have you been speaking with me this whole time???)"
Even as he spoke, Han Haram's face said loud and clear: what kind of lame excuse is that? Calm down.
"(Go on! I have to brag to my friends about this!)"
"(Okay, okay. I'll think about it.)"
"(Don't think! Just go on!)"
Good grief.
Why did I even bring it up.
When I started mumbling and hedging, the kid grabbed my body and shook it, demanding an answer right now. This was not the docile little thing I knew. Where had my Han Haram gone?
"Haram. Calm down."
"I can't calm down!!"
Fortunately, Han Haram's sprint came to a halt when it was time for the pictorial shoot. The moment the staff approached, he turned docile and sweet as if he'd never screamed in his life. I was genuinely impressed.
He'd been quiet the entire time he was changing clothes, but the second he stepped in front of the photo zone, he leaned in and whispered.
"You have to do the thing you talked about earlier. Promise."
"…"
"Hey. Why aren't you answering?"
The little weasel had switched honorifics the moment other people were around. I just stared at him in silence.
"Fine…."
A bitter note crept into my voice.
"It's a promise, then?"
"I said I got it."
The words left a sour taste in my mouth.
When we first met, he was definitely like soft tofu.
And in just half a year he'd changed this much. Kids really do grow up fast. How bittersweet.
For the first time in my life, I found myself hoping Han Haram's puberty would never arrive.
"You should be a model."
The words tumbled out of me the moment the pictorial shoot with Han Haram ended.
"Huh?"
He tilted his head, baffled by the non sequitur — the same kid who, mere minutes ago, had been sending the camera looks I didn't recognize from him.
So this is what talent looks like.
Even to my untrained eye, Han Haram was an exceptional model. Eyes that never shied from the lens, poses that shifted with every click of the shutter, a natural command of where to direct his gaze.
It was miles beyond the imitation he'd barely managed back on the Killing Horn set, matching my Guide beat for beat.
Thanks to him, the shoot wrapped with the photographer shouting "Bravo!" several hundred times.
Right, he said he did fitting model work in the States.
No matter how I looked at it, modeling seemed to suit Han Haram far better than acting. Still, drawing a hard line for a kid that young felt premature, so I eased into it.
"Thanks to you, today's shoot went really well. Thank you."
"It's not just you! Shooting with you was so much fun!"
Han Haram's giggling face was flushed bright red. He was like a sweet rice cake — too soft to resist. I gave his cheeks a gentle pat, and then we headed to the interview.
"Hello, I'm Editor Yoo Hyunseok from V Magazine."
"A pleasure to meet you."
"You two already look so much alike, but dressed like that, you could pass for actual brothers."
I simply smiled at the editor's words, which were obviously just polite pleasantries.
"Really…?"
The funny thing was, it was Han Haram — who barely spoke a word around strangers — who opened his mouth first.
"We really look like brothers?"
I fought down a laugh at the sight of him twisting his shy little feet together. Honestly, this kid. The editor, apparently feeling much the same as I did, beamed and repeated the word "brothers" a couple more times for good measure.
Thanks to that, the interview proceeded with Han Haram completely relaxed.
"In the drama everyone's talking about, Killing Horn, you both played 'Hon.' Today's pictorial was styled to match. Could each of you share your impressions?"
The interview questions were fairly standard.
My shoot had gone well enough, so answering was pleasant and easy.
Watching Han Haram squirm was the entertaining part.
It's not every day you see a kid wearing the exact same outfit as you climb into your arms to strike a pose.
Killing Horn was as hot as promised — the questions about the drama just kept coming. Having spent the past two weeks doing interview after interview with Jeonghyeon hyung and actor Kim Seokjun, the answers came easily to me by now.
"Have you happened to hear anything about a season two?"
"Ha, ha."
To the editor's casual, offhand question, I answered with a gentle smile — the kind that said why are you even asking me that, of all people? The editor took one look at that smile and moved straight on to the next question.
Anyone in the industry already knew that Killing Horn season two was being quietly prepared.
Season two would unfold from the perspective of Jang Yoseok, the new 'H.' Word was that the story grew far more intricate because his abilities mutated in the process of Hon's blood mixing into him.
Well, none of that has anything to do with me.
Season two would feature actor Kim Seokjun as Jang Yoseok, alongside a cast of new faces.
Kim Seokjun really is remarkable.
Killing Horn was billed as a two-top lead vehicle for Lee Yeonjae and Lee Jeonghyeon, but as the season wore on, the role of Jang Yoseok had become the true centerpiece.
Kim Seokjun only learned this after passing his audition, which sent him into a panic spiral for quite a while.
His acting turned out to be so superb that all that early anxiety seemed almost comical in retrospect. Having matched breaths with him firsthand, I can say with confidence that he was more than capable of carrying a leading role.
I hope we get to act together again.
The thought came that naturally to me.
And I wasn't the only actor thinking it.
"…You actually came."
"Of course I actually came."
"I honestly didn't think you would."
Seo Jio opened the door with a dazed expression on his face.
"Is nobody home?"
"Nope. Dad's at work, and my stepmom took the kids to visit her parents."
Seo Jio's house was quite spacious. They were doing well for themselves.
"Here, take this."
"You didn't have to buy all this."
It was my first visit — how could I possibly show up empty-handed? Seo Jio accepted the fruit basket with an awkward look on his face.
Why is he so stiff about this?
At school he lounged around grinning like a sly old snake, but here in his own home he kept fidgeting and clanking like a rusty hinge.
The moment Seo Jio disappeared into the kitchen, something swayed softly at my feet.
"Mya."
A cat.
"Hello there."
"Wureoluk!"
"…Are you angry?"
Startled, I looked down, and the cat began circling me, letting out sounds like grook and kkagakkak.
Seo Jio, busy arranging the fruit basket, laughed.
"I think he likes you."
"That's what liking someone sounds like?"
Weren't cats supposed to go meow? Was I the only one thrown off here? Seo Jio answered with a perfectly straight face.
"Yep. Never seen a cat before?"
"Only the quiet ones that sit on the street."
All the while, the cat kept up its odd little kkooruk croaking.
When I asked if the thing was sick or something, Seo Jio finally broke into the lazy grin I knew so well.
"Nope. That's just how Yeon-i sounds."
"Fascinating."
He really did take after his owner.
Leaving the decidedly abnormal cat behind, I sat down on the sofa — and the cat bounded up after me and planted itself squarely on my lap.
I froze solid.
"Why is there a lemon in here? Did you buy a lemon separately just to mess with me?"
"…"
"Yeonjae?"
When I failed to answer, Seo Jio emerged from the kitchen.
The instant I saw him, I screamed with my eyes. Come get this thing off me.
"Yeon-i. Why are you clinging to a hyung you've never met? Did you sense he's one of your own kind or something?"
Even now, Seo Jio was spouting nonsense as he scooped up the cat.
"Mie-olk!"
The cat thrashed with all its might, desperate to wriggle free of Seo Jio's arms. Apparently used to this, Seo Jio held it firmly and asked,
"I didn't know you were scared of cats. Sorry — should we go to a café instead?"
"It's not that I'm scared…."
"Then what?"
"…He's a lot more mushy than I expected."
The sensation against my lap was closer to liquid than to an animal. I'd frozen because I was half convinced he'd trickle right off me if either of us moved a muscle.
At my answer, Seo Jio burst out laughing.
"Haha! You're unbelievable…."
Still chuckling, he set the cat down beside me.
"It's fine. They're sturdier than they look. Don't be scared."
Seo Jio took my hand and placed it on top of the cat. The fur beneath my palm was so impossibly soft that I flinched a second time.
"See? Nice, right?"
"…Yeah, actually."
The mushiness and the firmness existed together somehow. Fascinating.
After Seo Jio guided my hand through a few more strokes, I finally relaxed.
He's not going to break just because I touch him.
Once he'd confirmed I was petting the cat in peace, Seo Jio vanished back into the kitchen. By the time he emerged with neatly sliced fruit, the cat had gone completely limp and boneless against my leg.
"Yeon-i must really like you."
Seo Jio handed me a fork with a slow, unhurried smile.
Only after I'd eaten a decent share of the fruit did he finally get to the point.
"So? Why did you suddenly show up at my house?"
"There's something I wanted to ask you."
It wasn't the kind of thing to ask over the phone.
He smiled, looking mildly surprised, and asked what it was. I hesitated a moment, then asked.
"Our drama came out, you know."
"Yeah."
"…Did your mother reach out to you?"
Seo Jio went still.
Those pale, light eyes of his turned toward me, slow and unhurried.
Just like a cat.