The online post began with an account of spotting me at the mall.
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**[Saw Gyeoul at the mall today ㅋㅋ]**
**Posted by:** ComplimentMaster
Saw Gyeoul wandering around the mall alone today.
She was buying cat food, but the shop staff thought she was going to eat it herself ㅋㅋ
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**[ChaeKangHornedRabbit]:** Gyeoul raises a cat?
[└ LoveBeastfolk]: Yep, a white cat that looks just like her.
[└ RuruNana]: A cat raising a cat… mind blown ㄷㄷ
**[SurviveTogether]:** Honestly, it’s an easy mistake to make. Agree?
[└ BrokenTiger]: Totally agree.
**[SizzleSizzle]:** Gyeoul is just too cute…
There were plenty of normal comments, but some were odd. The strangest of all were the ones calling me "cute."
“These comments are strange,” I said.
“Huh? Are there mean ones?” Yoo Sangah asked.
“No, not mean… just weird.”
I turned the screen toward her, my face burning as I highlighted a comment about me being cute.
“This one,” I said.
“Do you mean the one calling you cute?”
“Yes. They’re probably teasing me.”
The internet was full of strange people. I looked up at Yoo Sangah, expecting her to agree, but her reaction surprised me.
“Why would they be teasing? Gyeoul, you *are* cute.”
“M-Me?”
“Yes. Surely you’ve noticed?”
She said it so casually, as if it was obvious. Was she serious?
“What part of me is cute?”
“Well… everything. You’re small, and your voice is gentle.”
“I-Is that so…”
Being called cute because of my small stature made sense. I was aware that my youthful appearance could seem endearing. But the problem was that I wasn’t a child—I was an adult.
Among real children like Levinas and Saebyeok, who were genuinely adorable, I felt I didn’t quite measure up. It was embarrassing to be singled out for "cuteness" when the real stars were right there.
“This is… overwhelming,” I muttered.
“Why? Haven’t people told you you’re cute before?”
“No… this is the first time in my life.”
“Oh dear.”
Flustered, I grabbed my tail with both hands. Its tip, peeking out from between my fingers, drooped. Yoo Sangah gave me a sympathetic look and gently brushed her hand across my cheek.
“People probably see your appearance and think you’re innocent. Beastfolk are rare, after all.”
“No, I think it’s a misunderstanding. I’m not that special.”
“That’s not true! Your personality is angelic, Gyeoul.”
Her words were so relentlessly flattering I wanted to hide under a blanket. She had to be mistaken.
Wanting to steer the conversation elsewhere, I quickly pointed at another part of the comments.
“What’s with this drawing here?”
The post featured a cartoon of a beastfolk child, drawn to resemble me, throwing a punch. Similar drawings filled the replies.
“Oh, that’s your emoji.”
“Mine?”
“Yep. Someone made them of you.”
The emojis were surprisingly high-quality. I couldn’t take my eyes off them.
“What about this one, where I’m tied up with rope…?”
“That one’s probably just for fun. Don’t think too much about it.”
“Ah…”
Fame brought attention, I supposed. Even Hanyeoreum’s social media received hundreds of comments daily.
It wasn’t bad, though. As a rare beastfolk, I understood that my uniqueness drew interest. And I was grateful it was mostly positive.
Just as I turned off the phone, Levinas waved a stick toy at me from near the pond.
“King! Come play with Levinas!”
“Okay, just a second.”
I glanced at Yoo Sangah, who was already standing to leave.
“I should get going, too,” she said with a smile.
“Thank you for chatting with me.”
“The pleasure was mine.”
We exchanged farewells, and I ran off toward the children.
---
Seol was an animal, after all, and even a kind animal could cause problems without proper training. To live peacefully with everyone, I had to teach her some manners.
A trained animal that could “wait” and follow commands was far easier to manage.
“Seol, come here,” I called.
“Mya?”
“Paw.”
Sitting on the grass, I held out my hand for Seol’s paw. It was a basic training exercise, but I wasn’t sure if cats could learn it.
To my surprise, Levinas placed her hand in mine instead.
“Levinas was the fastest!”
“Uh, good job,” I said, patting her head. She wiggled happily at the praise.
“Mya?”
Seol watched us and seemed to figure something out. She placed her paw on my hand, copying Levinas.
“Wow, you got it in one try?”
Overjoyed, I wagged my tail, and Seol mimicked the movement. I could tell she wanted praise.
“You’re such a smart kitty.”
I reached out and gently petted her head. Her happiness was palpable.
“What should we try next?”
“Something else! Let’s do more!” Levinas exclaimed. Even Saebyeok’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“How about lying down?”
“Okay!”
Levinas immediately flopped onto the grass, lying comfortably on her back. I tapped her belly playfully.
“Mya?!”
Seol quickly lay down beside her, mimicking her pose perfectly.
“Wow…”
Seol was the smartest cat I had ever met. She really was learning by watching.
As I tapped Seol’s belly in praise, Saebyeok lay down as well.
“Me too! Tap my belly, too!”
“Okay.”
I tapped her belly, and her normally stoic tail wagged softly.
Despite not buying fancy toys, the kids found joy in everything. I was so thankful they were such kind and playful children.
“What should we do next?”
“Next…!”
We spent the rest of the afternoon training and playing with Seol, making it one of the most fulfilling days I’d had in a while.
---
That evening, we returned home, and everyone took turns washing their hands and feet. Seol went first, and I was last.
As I washed up, the children played with Seol in the living room. Just as I finished, Midsummer came home from work.
“Summer’s back!” Levinas cheered.
“Yes, I’m back. What did you do today?”
“We played with hands!”
“Hands?”
“Yeah! Seol gives her paw when you ask for it!”
A cat? Listening to commands like that?
Curious, Midsummer approached Levinas, who was holding Seol.
“Alright, let’s see. Seol, give me your—”
Bzzt!
Her phone vibrated in her pocket, interrupting her. Thinking it might be important, she quickly pulled it out.
“Spam…”
Clicking her tongue, she pocketed the phone and turned back.
“Now, paw please,” she said, only to find me standing in Seol’s place.
Without hesitation, I placed my hand on hers.
“Uh… wait, what?”
In the brief distraction, I had switched spots with Seol. Midsummer scratched her cheek, looking at me in confusion.
“Why did you give me your hand?”
“Because you wanted to hold it,” I replied innocently.
“W-Well, let’s hold hands, then.”
She grasped my hand, warm and soft in hers. My tail wagged gently, mirroring her feelings.
Sitting beside me on the sofa, she asked, “Did anything interesting happen today?”
“Hmm… we trained Seol, and oh! I saw something amazing online!”
“Amazing?”
“Yeah. There are emojis of me circulating on the internet.”
Hanyeoreum nodded knowingly. The emojis had gained quite a bit of popularity recently, with countless parodies popping up.
“What did they look like?”
“Well…”
I tried mimicking one of the emojis, clenching my tiny fist and making a playful expression.
“Like this?”
It was the most adorable punch Midsummer had ever seen.
“Ugh!”
Feigning a dramatic fall, she collapsed onto the floor.
“Huh?”
Seeing her reaction, my tail stiffened nervously.