Heh heh heh. Success.
Hong Woojin smiled smugly. He was a veteran at monitoring his targets’ every move and extracting every bit of information from them.
The information that Jin Taekyung’s younger sister was crazy about animals—cats in particular—had proved especially useful.
“Meow-meow, answer me. You like being inside the house, don’t you?”
The infiltration had been natural and successful. Inside the kitten’s body, Hong Woojin let out a roar of joy.
“Miaowww.”
“Ahh, so cute! Oppa1, did you hear that just now? You heard it, right?”
“Yeah. I heard it.”
“How can you be so indifferent to such a cute little creature? Are you even human?”
“Then what am I, a beast?”
The problem was Jin Taekyung.
Even the most emotionally dried-up person tended to soften in front of a cute animal, especially a tiny one, but…
“Move over a little. You’re blocking the TV.”
This guy had none of that. His sensitivity was drier than the Sahara Desert, and his younger sister, Jin Hayeon, grumbled.
“Good grief, there’s a limit to how bleak a person can be. Right, Yeoreum?”
“Yeoreum?”
“Yeah. Born in summer, so Midsummer. Pretty, right?”
“Midsummer, my ass. Judging by the size, the kitten looks about three months old. That means it was born in late spring, so call it Late Spring or something.”
“…Was that a comment or a fart? Anyway, this kitten’s name is Yeoreum from today onward. Right, Yeoreum?”
“Mrowww.”
As far as Hong Woojin was concerned, Jin Hayeon deserved most of the credit. Thanks to her, everything was going smoothly.
“Ahh! She answered! Yeoreum, you just answered your big sister, didn’t you? Didn’t you?”
“Miaow.”
“Eek, my heart!”
Heh. What an easy one to handle. A few meows were all it took to make her lose her mind.
This is why high-school girls are… No, wait. It’s because my choice of Familiar was excellent.
Hong Woojin was grinning contentedly when—
Jin Taekyung, who had been staring blankly at the TV, casually tossed out a remark.
“Isn’t that one male?”
“Huh? Well, that…”
“We don’t know yet, do we?”
“Come to think of it, I haven’t checked.”
“Let’s take a look. We can find out.”
Huh?
Things were taking a strange turn. His body might currently belong to a cat, but Hong Woojin was still a vigorous young man. As Jin Taekyung’s large hand approached, a wave of shame suddenly washed over him.
That filthy bastard is going to look at my junk?
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t Hong Woojin’s body. They were different species, so naturally their anatomy was different as well.
However, Familiar magic made the caster and Familiar share everything. He couldn’t help feeling disgusted.
Absolutely not!
Hong Woojin hurriedly burrowed into Jin Hayeon’s arms.
“Mrowww.”
“Oh my, I don’t think she likes that.”
“That’s how the world works. Who gets to live doing only what they want?”
“But Yeoreum’s a cat.”
“Cats are the same. If you want warm feed and even a can of treats, you have to put up with this much.”
What a lunatic. He was spouting utter nonsense just because he wanted to check a cat’s sex. Grinding his teeth, Hong Woojin clung to his only hope, Jin Hayeon.
He rubbed his entire body against her arm and gave her a pitiful look. Her eyes slowly softened.
“What am I going to do? Yeoreum’s so cute I could die.”
“Yeah, it’s cute. So let’s take a look.”
“Do it next time. You’re scaring her.”
“That’s just your imagination.”
“I’m telling you, Yeoreum doesn’t like you, Oppa1.”
The trick was to let out a whimper at exactly the right moment.
“Mnyaa. Mngh.”
“See? I’m right, aren’t I?”
“…Then I guess it can’t be helped.”
“Don’t you dare manhandle the kitten. Kittens are sensitive, so you have to be careful with them.”
Good. He had gotten past the immediate crisis. Jin Taekyung seemed like a lunatic who lived in his own world, but he was weak when it came to his family.
Having fully absorbed all the background information Sangdong Guild had given him, Hong Woojin thought he was one step ahead.
This is why information matters. You’ve already fallen right into my trap.
But there was one fact Hong Woojin had never imagined.
“Hey, Sis.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you need more spending money?”
“…Are you trying to bribe me so you can have your way with our Yeoreum?”
“Yeah. A hundred thousand won2.”
“Deal. But be gentle so she doesn’t hate you too much, okay?”
“My wallet’s on the desk in my room. Go get it.”
“Eek!”
“Miaow?”
Jin Hayeon disappeared like a bullet. Hong Woojin let out a cry filled with disbelief.
You said she was so cute you could die! You called her our Yeoreum!
What a shameless little brat.
One minute she had acted ready to give Yeoreum her liver and gallbladder, and now she was abandoning “our Yeoreum” for a mere hundred thousand won2?
But he was given no time to lament the realities of capitalist society.
“Come on. Let’s play.”
Grab.
Jin Taekyung restrained all four of his limbs with lightning speed, a revolting smile on his face.
Hong Woojin screamed desperately.
Let go! Let go, you son of a bitch!
“Hiss! Hissss!”
The kitten’s fur stood on end as he hissed, catching the attention of his only hope as she rummaged through Jin Taekyung’s wallet.
“Oppa1!”
“Yeah, take another hundred thousand won2.”
“Thanks!”
Hey! Hey!
His only hope had fallen and become a slave to capitalism!
Before the shock had even worn off, Jin Taekyung’s hot breath swept over him.
“Our Yeoreum, shall we take a look at your little peepee?”
At that desperate, life-or-death moment—
Sever Link!
“Miaowww!”
With a sorrowful cry, all the strength drained out of the kitten’s body.
Then Hong Woojin opened his eyes somewhere dark and let out a breath.
“Puhack!”
Since starting work as a Hunter, he had handled around a hundred assignments, large and small, but this was the first time he had ever felt his life was in danger.
He looked down at his forearms, which were covered in goose bumps, and began to gag.
“Urgh.”
His stomach churned, and his head throbbed.
It was a side effect of the sudden Link severance. Only after he gulped down the potion he had prepared in advance like cold water could Hong Woojin finally catch his breath.
“Jin Taekyung, that fucking bastard…”
It was the moment he first regretted ever accepting the assignment.
System
Lv. 2 Cat
“There he goes.”
Clicking my tongue, I released the kitten. Was it even three months old? The little thing, smaller than my two palms put together, backed away with a bewildered look.
“Miaow.”
Hayeon was leaving my room when she spotted what had happened.
“You didn’t do anything mean to our Yeoreum, did you?”
“And you’re the one who sold Yeoreum for 200,000 won3?”
“…Ahem. Ahem.”
“Whatever. Good grief. Of all the things you could’ve picked up, you had to bring home that.”
“What are you talking about? Look how cute she is.”
“That’s not what I meant… Never mind. Forget it.”
The whole story was too long and complicated to explain piece by piece. Besides, I had no intention of telling her.
Imagine telling her that some sinister bastard had entered the body of a cat and was watching us. It was obvious how anxious she would become. My family couldn’t find out about what was happening.
Besides, I was the one who had allowed it.
The reason I had let a Familiar into the house wasn’t because Hayeon had asked or because Mom had given her permission.
It was because I wanted it.
I didn’t know who had hired them, but even if I drove them off now, they would keep trying.
It didn’t matter whether the Familiar took the form of an insect like last time or a cat like today.
What mattered was that I already knew what the Familiar was and could swat it away whenever I wanted.
They’re definitely somewhere around here.
Within 500 meters4 of the house. Somewhere inside that radius was a mage controlling the Familiar. If I shook him down, I was sure I’d find the connection.
First I’ll punch him in the mouth. Then I’ll ask questions.
He had illegally surveilled a civilian, so there was no way he could report me even if I beat him. Just thinking about teaching him a proper lesson made my fists itch.
How dare they snoop around my house?
They had interrupted my first vacation in a long time, and thanks to these bastards, I had already spent well over 300 million won5. In every respect, this was a losing proposition.
I was watching TV with my face twisted into a scowl when Hayeon cautiously studied my expression and spoke.
“Oppa1, are you mad?”
“No. What would I be mad about?”
“I’m sorry.”
“…What’s gotten into you? You’re starting to scare me.”
I wasn’t joking. I was more startled than when I had first discovered the Familiar. Since when could she say something like that?
I asked seriously.
“Are you sick?”
“No, it’s just…”
“Then are you hungry?”
“That’s not it…”
Just as Hayeon hesitated, about to say something, a stomach growled from somewhere.
It wasn’t mine. Mom had stepped out to run an errand.
“You’re hungry.”
“Mm, a little?”
“Right. You’re so hungry you’re starting to spout nonsense. You know where my wallet is, right? Order anything you want to eat.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Up to a hundred thousand won2.”
“Wow, now that you’re making money, you’ve gotten generous. Our Oppa1.”
I never thought I’d live to hear her call me “our Oppa1.” It was the first time I’d heard it since Hayeon had been in middle school, and it gave me goose bumps.
“You’re the Familiar, you little bastard!”
“What are you talking about? Anyway, I can order whatever I want as long as it’s under a hundred thousand won2?”
“Yeah. No, wait. Fine. Order everything you want.”
“What about the money left over?”
“…Did you leave your money with me?”
“The more, the better.”
Her shamelessness left me dumbfounded, but at the same time, I was happy.
She had never once asked me for spending money. Judging by the clothes she wore and how she usually looked, she was far more modest than the kids her age I occasionally saw on the street.
What an old soul.
Come to think of it, Hayeon had been like that since she was little. She rarely cried, and she didn’t often express her feelings honestly. Her current personality had only developed after she entered high school.
She ought to be allowed to act spoiled once in a while… She grew up too soon.
Maybe even far sooner than I did.
Was that why? None of her actions or words annoyed me in the slightest. If anything, I found her admirable, and I was happy.
“Fine. Take it all. Take everything.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Hayeon beamed at my words.
“That’s a relief. I almost felt bad for nothing.”
“What’s there to feel bad about?”
“I took three hundred thousand won6 from your wallet earlier.”
“…Huh?”
“But when you said I could have whatever was left after eating within the 100,000-won2 limit, I felt better.”
“Hold on. Didn’t I tell you to take two hundred thousand won3?”
“It was an impulsive accident.”
“…Don’t you mean an impulsive crime?”
I take back what I said earlier.
The sight of her back as she hummed her way into her room couldn’t have been more irritating.
The head of Sangdong Guild’s Security Team frowned.
“A Cat Familiar?”
“Yes, I’m certain.”
The person who answered in a firm voice was a member of the Security Team and the Guild’s only Familiar mage. He was only a C-grade Hunter, but as a rare mental mage, he was also a core member of the Security Team.
“The target’s younger sister is a cat fanatic. Hong Woojin took advantage of that opening perfectly.”
“Can’t you read the room? You’re praising that bastard to my face?”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“Team 1 Leader said Hong Woojin called and went ballistic, saying he nearly got exposed because of us.”
“…”
“Come to think of it, that bastard is technically on our side, too. But can we afford to be outdone by a freelancer? Don’t you know the Guild Master is taking a special interest in this?”
Six people had been assigned to the operation, including the Security Team Leader. One was the Familiar mage. Four were close-combat Hunters specializing in tracking and stealth. The last was the Security Team Leader himself, a B-grade Hunter.
“You seem to be misunderstanding something… We didn’t come here just to dig up dirt on one C-grade Hunter.”
The Security Team Leader glared menacingly at his team.
The Guild Master had personally ordered this operation. They had to produce results that went beyond the direct order, no matter what.
“Let’s do this properly. This came straight from the Guild Master. Are you going to end here? You should get bonuses and promotions too.”
The team members silently lowered their heads.
The person most desperate for a bonus and promotion was the Security Team Leader himself. The hysteria of a middle-aged family man whose retirement was slowly approaching was nothing new by this point.
“And you.”
The Security Team Leader pointed at the Familiar mage.
“You do the cat, too.”
“The cat? They already did that over there.”
“What, then? Are you going to put on another pathetic act with a tiny Familiar you can’t even control and die like last time?”
“…”
“Do as you’re told. The girl’s a cat fanatic, isn’t she?”
If he was told to use a cat, then he had to use a cat. What choice did he have?
After the Security Team Leader stormed out, the Familiar mage immediately turned on his smartphone and began searching.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Cats for Adoption in Ilsan
“…Will they let me expense this?”
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