Archive of Our Own ^beta

Sieun never understood the hype over Halloween. The entire school was decorated with skeletons and other cringeworthy Halloween decorations. It was the first school year where they weren't harassed by the Union.

After their fight, things were more peaceful at the school, so they wanted to do fun things. It was one of Baku's ideas to celebrate Halloween night together. Sieun immediately said no, but eventually, he accepted and went along with Baku's idea.

It wasn't Sieun's thing to go out and celebrate Halloween in a pub in Hongdae. They were all minors, so they couldn't go clubbing or drinking. It still didn't stop them from stealing a few cans of beer from the restaurant of Baku's dad.

''Sieun-ah, you should have put on a costume. How mean.''

Sieun could feel Baku's rough hand pinching his cheek. Baku was supposedly dressed up as a werewolf. The sharp claws almost scratched Sieun's cheek. He also had fake hair everywhere, though Sieun thought he didn't need it. Baku was already hairy enough.

Gotak was dressed up as a vampire and had fake blood dripping from his lips, along with some fake fangs that looked so cheesy. It almost made Sieun laugh. Gotak and Baku claimed they were dressed as mortal enemies.

Juntae was a little awkward and didn't know what to wear, so he just wrapped paper around his body, trying to imitate a mummy.

''...It's lame. What would be my costume anyway?'' Sieun grumbled as the guys all stared at him, chuckling.

''You should be a grumpy kitty. That suits you. A black cat!''

''That's not a costume?'' Sieun furrowed his brows, a small pout on his lips.

''Sieunie is like a black cat,'' Juntae said, agreeing with Gotak's words.

''N-no, i'm not! First you call me ice princess, now this,'' Sieun huffed out, making his three friends chuckle again. Well, it was pretty fun teasing Sieun. They didn't do much for Halloween night. They had a few beers. Sieun didn't have a lot to drink.

Baku was drunk after a few sips and was already crying about Baekjin again. Sieun was also a little gloomy, thinking about Suho again. He wondered what Suho's costume would be. It would probably be something related to superheroes or something like that, Sieun was sure.

It made him smile a little, thinking about it.

''Sieun-ah, here. I found these from the store,'' then, Juntae, who was missing for a few minutes, had returned from the store with a pair of fake black cat ears. He placed them on Sieun's head, making Sieun look even grumpier.

''Yah, I told you I don't like this.''

''Aw, man. You're a black kitty now. Yah, let's take a pic. All together, heh, come here, kitty.'' Baku was drunk out of his mind, but all four of them somehow managed to take a picture together.

It was getting late, so they figured to go home. Gotak wasn't too drunk and managed to walk home with Baku. Juntae also walked with Sieun, and they slowly went on separate ways. Sieun usually walked alone before he reached his home for a few minutes.

It was 11:55 pm. Just a few more minutes before Halloween night ended.

The full moon was as bright as ever, shining against Sieun's face.

Sieun just stared up at the sky, at the bright moon, for a moment. He squinted his eyes and rubbed them. Was he losing his mind, or did he just need more sleep?

Because he could see a black cat coming down, emerging from the full moon. Yes, he was definitely going crazy. He had to go to bed. His mind was probably influenced by one of those Halloween movies he watched with his friends in the evening.

''It's real?'' Sieun froze for a moment as the black cat was now down on the ground, approaching him. Sieun could hear the cat meow at him. Sieun just took a step back, falling down from his surprise when the cat jumped on him.

He closed his eyes for a moment.

And then, it was like everything disappeared.

He opened his eyes again. He was still on the same road he was before. But his point of view was different. Everything around him felt so large. His eyesight was also quite different. Then, he let out a loud sound when he noticed the black paws on the ground.

Those were his paws. He was the black cat!

What is going on?! I must be losing my mind. I can't be a cat. Where is my body?!

Sieun was internally screaming, but from the outside, his loud meows could be heard. Sieun then began to walk around, searching for his human body. But it was nowhere to be found. He couldn't see his clothes or shoes anymore.

He continued to walk until he reached home. He couldn't enter his home like this.

He gazed into the glass window, being met with his reflection. It was true. He was trapped in the body of a tiny black cat. Sieun kept tapping against the glass window with his paws, scratching as if he were a dog.

He couldn't believe what was happening.

Was he just having a strange dream?

He fell over after scratching the window for so long and hit his tiny head.

It was early morning when Sieun woke up. He was in the garden, starting to feel quite cold. It was November now, so the weather was getting colder, after all.

No...I'm still a cat. What the hell is wrong with me?

Sieun had run away further in the neighborhood to find another mirror to gaze at his reflection. He was still trapped in the body of this small black cat. He was pretty small, so Sieun figured this cat was barely one year old. He had pretty velvety fur, and he was healthy. Sieun wondered if this cat was a stray cat or not.

Either way, what the hell was he going to do?!

Sieun wondered if his mother had noticed his absence yet or not. He also wondered what he'd do about school. He figured to walk to school and lurk outside in the yard for now. He couldn't do much in this tiny body anyway.

On his way to school, however, he bumped into someone familiar.

Oh, it's that jerk, Seongje. Should I pounce on him? But no...he looks like the kind of person who'd kick a cat.

Sieun could see Geum Seongje from afar. He was smoking as usual and was scrolling on his phone. Sieun hadn't seen him for a while now. He couldn't help but pounce on him either way. He wanted to know what it felt like to attack someone as a kitten.

He started walking pretty fast with his short little legs and jumped on Seongje's leg, causing him to yell, ''Yah, what the fuck is wrong with you? Get off, stupid cat. Shoo.''

Sieun was still latched onto Seongje's leg, scratching him, and now hissing at him like a feral kitty. Seongje continued yelling at him, telling him to get lost, but surprisingly, he didn't give Sieun a kick.

That was pretty fun. Maybe I'll bite his leg another time I see him.

Sieun jumped off Seongje's leg, giving him one last hiss before he left. It was pretty fun hissing at Seongje and attacking him. He'd definitely do it again.

Oh, it's Humin. Yes, I can try to follow him around. Maybe they can help me. I'll try to communicate with him and the others, too.

Sieun slowly walked past the school gates, softly meowing as he approached his friend. Baku hadn't noticed him just yet. Sieun ended up rubbing his face against his legs. Ah, this was his first time doing this. It felt pretty embarrassing.

Being a clingy cat was embarrassing! Sieun couldn't believe he was acting like this near his friend.

''Oh my, you're so small. Haha, so cute. Hey, little guy. Want a spin?''

Oh god, what is he doing? No, Humin. Put me down, fool!

Sieun could feel his tiny body being picked up by Baku. His friend was lifting him up in the air as if he were Simba from The Lion King and was spinning him around. Sieun felt dizzy already. He just wiggled his legs a little, hoping Humin would put him down. He didn't want to hiss at his friend.

But he was very close to hissing at him, even biting him.

''Yah, what are you doing, idiot?''

Luckily, Gotak had arrived and saved Sieun.

''Look, Gogo, isn't this kitty so cute? His fur is so soft. Like a smooth carpet.''

He's calling my fur a carpet now?

Sieun just meowed as Gotak approached them. He managed to escape from Humin's grasp and pounced on Gotak instead. He slowly found out that Gotak was pretty bad with cats. He was awkwardly holding Sieun in his arms, struggling a little.

Gotak, you're disappointing me. How can I communicate with you guys? Humin treats me like a toy, and you're too scared to hold me.

''Jun, we're here!’’ Then, Gotak was waving at Juntae from afar. Sieun's ears perked up.

Right, Juntae. He'll take good care of me. I'll go to him.

Sieun quickly jumped off Gotak's arms and ran towards Juntae's legs. He was cutely rubbing his head against Juntae's legs again, hoping Juntae would pay attention to him.

''Where did this kitten come from? I've never seen one around school?'' Juntae just chuckled as he gazed down at Sieun. He soon picked him up and held him close to his chest. His hands were gently petting Sieun, massaging his head and the back of his neck. Sieun had begun to purr.

Oh, I knew I could trust Juntae. He knows how to treat a kitten. No, wait, I'm starting to like this. I feel so relaxed right now. I want to sleep in his arms.

Sieun almost fell asleep, purring, as Juntae continued caressing him gently.

''Where is Sieunie anyway?'' Baku suddenly asked, as the three of them slowly walked into the school yard. Sieun perked up hearing his name.

I'm here. Please, save me. Help. Can you hear me? I'm Sieun. Here!

Sieun began to cry out, but his friends could only hear his loud meows again.

''What is it? Are you hungry?'' Juntae suddenly put Sieun down, wondering what was wrong with the whiny cat.

This is going to be tough. How can I explain to them that it's me!?

Sieun let out one last meow, sounding pretty depressed.

''Did Sieun call in sick today? He's never late,'' Gotak also wondered, ignoring Sieun on the ground.

''I'll come back during lunch break to give you some food. Stay here, kitty.'' Juntae patted Sieun's head one last time and followed his friends inside. Well, there wasn't much Sieun could do. He remained outside in the school yard, waiting for Juntae and his friends to return.

He ended up falling asleep against the grass for a few hours. Sieun realized that cats enjoyed sleeping a lot ever since he turned one himself. He wanted to sleep all the time.

''Oh, there he is. You're still here, kitty!’’ He could hear Juntae's familiar voice from afar and perked up again. Letting out some soft meows, Sieun walked towards his friend.

''Here's a sausage, kitty. There wasn't much I could bring you from the cafeteria. Ah, maybe I should find something from the vending machine,'' Juntae began to ramble, as he brought the sausage down for Sieun to eat. He even cut it into smaller pieces.

Sieun realized by then that he was actually starving. He devoured the smashed sausage in no time.

Juntae just chuckled watching him and patted his head, ''You're so cute, haha. I'll bring you more food tomorrow. I'll buy you cat food, okay? Just stay here.''

After that, Juntae left to find his friends. Sieun figured to follow him, even if he didn't know how to communicate with his friends just yet. He could see Gotak and Baku on the basketball court, playing together with a few other classmates.

Juntae was just watching them while sipping on some strawberry milk. He wasn't playing that day.

''Oh, you followed me?'' Juntae brightened up after noticing Sieun against the benches, ''Come here then.''

Juntae then gently lifted Sieun and placed him on his lap. His hands began to gently massage him again.

Ah, what is Juntae doing? It makes me want to roll over so he can massage my tummy. Stop. I don't want to show you my tummy.

Sieun felt embarrassed again because his cat instincts were making him act all cute in front of his friend. He was now rolled over, showing off his stomach to Juntae.

Well, at least he wasn't in his human form. It was okay. Sieun was just a little kitty.

''Your tummy is so soft, haha. What a cute kitty,'' Juntae just cooed at Sieun as he continued massaging his tummy. Sieun was about to fall asleep again, purring in between the massage. For a moment, while Juntae was gently caressing him, he couldn't help but think of Suho.

He wanted Suho to massage his tummy.

Oh, what am I thinking? Wait, what will happen to Suho? What if I never see him again?

Sieun's thoughts suddenly made him jump off Juntae's lap.

''Come again, kitty.'' Juntae just shouted at him, chuckling, as Sieun was running away. He ran as fast as he could. In this tiny body, he was able to run pretty fast. Sieun ran and ran until he reached the hospital, where Suho was.

But he was a small little cat. He couldn't enter the hospital, obviously. He just kept scratching the hospital door, meowing desperately like a sad kitten.

''Oh, it's you again. You're the little fucker that jumped on me, huh?''

While Sieun was crying against the hospital door, he could hear a familiar voice again. It was Seongje.

Sieun instinctively hissed at him and just left. Ah, he wasn't in the mood to deal with him again. And why did he keep bumping into him?!

It was evening when Sieun reached his home again. He didn't know where to go. He wondered if his mother was worried about him missing or not. He tried to take a peek inside to see if she was there or not. Then, he spotted her from the window. She was talking on the phone, looking quite distressed.

''You haven't seen Sieun? He didn't come home last night. I already checked at the hospital. He's not there...please call me if you find him.''

Ah, so Mother is searching for me already.

Sieun let out a small cry, mostly out of his frustration. He found a cozy spot to hide in the garden to keep himself a little warm and fell asleep again. It was early in the morning when he woke.

Sieun could feel his little tummy grumble. The last time he ate was that sausage Juntae had given him. He was starving!

He couldn't run as fast because he was starving, but he managed to reach the school grounds again.

''Sieunie's mother called me last night, guys. He's missing.'' Sieun was slowly walking into the school, listening to his friend talk. Baku looked quite devastated while telling the news to Juntae and Gotak.

''Forreal? Damn, where did he go? He didn't even drink with us that night.'' Gotak let out a sigh, wondering what had happened to Sieun.

''Is it my fault? W-we walked home together that night. He...'' Juntae was now holding his head in his hands, panicking.

No, you guys didn't do anything wrong. It's my fault. Please. I'm here, okay. Please notice me!

Sieun was internally screaming, but only some tiny meows could be heard again.

''Oh, it's that kitty again,'' Juntae sniffled, noticing Sieun meowing at him.

''Jun, it's not your fault. I'm sure Sieunie will be okay. He's somewhere safe,'' Gotak patted Juntae's shoulder, who looked like he was about to cry soon. Sieun also nuzzled against Juntae's finger, trying to cheer him up.

It did work because Juntae was smiling at him now.

''I think this kitty likes you, Jun. You should take him in.''

''Should I?'' Juntae let out a soft laugh. Sieun perked up at Baku's suggestion. He started to meow again, nuzzling even more towards Juntae.

Please, take me in, Juntae. It's cold and I'm hungry. My mother is a cruel woman and won't take me in. Ah, it's hard being a stray kitten. At this point, I'm going to die before finding out how to become human again. I miss Suho. I want to see him one last time before I die...

''He's so whiny though.'' Gotak pointed out, listening to all of Sieun's meowing.

''He must be hungry. I bought him cat food. Wait here, kitty.’’

Then, Juntae brought out cat food from his backpack. Sieun almost jumped from his happiness as Juntae fed him.

''Is it a male cat anyway?'' Baku wondered, while gazing down at Sieun.

Oi, don't look at my private parts, Humin. I'm going to hiss at you.

Sieun ended up hissing at his friend, knowing that Baku was going to do something crazy to him again. Baku was definitely not to be trusted with cats.

''He is male,'' Juntae confirmed, ''I guess i can take him in.''

After school, Sieun waited for Juntae to come and pick him up. This was good. Sieun would find a way to communicate with Juntae if they lived under the same roof. Sieun would find a way for sure.

''There we are, kitty. Do you like it? I'll create a small bed for you. Just wait here. And I'll give you some food. Hm, should I name you? I keep calling you kitty, heh,'' a few hours later, Sieun had arrived at Juntae's house. He had been a few times in the past. It was mostly them studying together.

Sieun just remained on Juntae's tidy bed and watched him walk around the bedroom, trying to create a small nest on the floor. Juntae had found a comfortable pillow and also a few warm blankets and created a small bed for Sieun to sleep in.

Sieun immediately went to rest there, making Juntae chuckle, ''You like it already? You're such a cute kitty.''

Juntae couldn't help but pat Sieun's head, making Sieun slightly purr at him.

''I'll call you Kuro from now on. Okay? Kuro...''

Kuro? It's a Japanese word. Sure, whatever. Call me whatever you want, Juntae. But I still need your help. I'll find something when he's away at school, maybe.

It was Sieun's second night as a cat, but thankfully, he had a warm place to sleep from now on. Juntae gave him lots of food, and then Sieun had the urge to sleep again. He slept for many hours and ended up waking up early in the morning. It was around 5 am.

Juntae was still sleeping peacefully on his bed. Sieun didn't know what to do.

I'm so bored. Should I groom myself? Oh, I can stretch my leg quite high, like a ballerina. I guess felines are flexible animals indeed. No wait, I'm acting like a cat again! What if I never become human? I want to see Suho..

Sieun let out a small, sad cry, thinking about Suho again.

Two hours later, Juntae woke up and washed up in the bathroom. He came to pat Sieun's head and also gave him some food before he left for school. Sieun grumpily remained at Juntae's house, trying to figure out how he could communicate with his friend.

But it was pointless. He roamed around the bedroom, the whole house, but he couldn't come up with anything. Was he going to remain like this for the rest of his life?

''Sieunie has been missing for 3 days now, so his mother reported him as missing. Ah, it's all my fault, I'm telling you guys.’’

While Sieun was grumpily sleeping in Juntae's bedroom, Juntae was at the school, worrying about his absence again.

''It's weird. He's not answering our calls or texts either, damn. Do you really think he's hurt or something?'' Gotak added to the conversation, worrying about his friend as well.

''Guys, let's calm down now. I'm sure it's nothing serious. Why don't we try to search for him?'' Baku suggested, wanting to calm down his friends.

''We need to come up with a plan!'' Juntae said, agreeing with Baku's suggestion, ''Do you want to come over to my place? We can make a plan. Write down places Sieun might have gone to or-''

''Let's do that after school!''

And just like that, the three friends were in Juntae's bedroom after school. Sieun ended up meowing at them as all of his friends entered the bedroom. Juntae brought out his notebook, and they were all writing down possible locations Sieun could have gone to.

They were genuinely worried about him, which did warm Sieun's heart a little. He felt bad for making his friends worry like that.

And then, Juntae opened his laptop to search for a few locations. Sieun's ears perked up, staring at the keyboard laptop. He knew what to do to communicate!

While all of them were gathered around the desk, Sieun jumped on, startling all of them.

''Hey, little guy. Missed us?'' Baku just chuckled as Sieun's tail grazed past his face.

''I've named him Kuro.''

''Kuro?'' Gotak chuckled at the name.

Sieun just ignored them and tried to find his way onto Juntae's laptop. He had to find a way to press on the keyboard and type a message for his friends.

''Yah, what is he trying to do anyway?''

''Kuro, you can't be here. You'll break my laptop-'' Juntae gently tried to put Sieun down, but Sieun insisted and accidentally scratched Juntae.

Sorry, Juntae, but I have to do this. Please just let me do it.

''Yah, why do cats love doing stuff like that anyway?'' Baku just laughed, finding this pretty hilarious. Juntae put Sieun down, but Sieun jumped back on the desk again, desperately crying out while staring at the laptop.

''Just let him be.''

''N-no, what if he breaks my laptop? It's expensive, you know,'' Juntae whined, but in the end, he was quite curious as well. He cautiously allowed Sieun to get on his laptop keyboard. He was about to put him down again when he noticed the cat's strange behavior.

It was like the cat knew all the letters on the keyboard and was trying to press a message for them.

All three friends were staring at Sieun's paws, in disbelief at what they were seeing. Luckily for Sieun, his paws were quite small, and with the edge of his nails, he managed to type a few words on the search bar.

''Yah, did he just type something on the keyboard?!''

''What the fuck...''

All three friends stared at the screen. The cat, Sieun, had typed a message for them indeed.

Sieeeun Me. Cat. Help. Pls.

All of them kept reading it over and over, trying to connect the dots together. Was the cat implying that he was Sieun?

Sieun kept crying out at them desperately, as they read the message again and again. All three friends were speechless, feeling like this was a sick joke.

''Guys, this can't be real, right? Did a cat just type this?'' Gotak was the first one to speak, while subtly gazing down at Sieun, who was still crying so needily at them.

''....What if it's really Sieunie? It makes sense if you think about it. This cat suddenly appeared right after Sieun went missing. And he kept following us around.’’

It took a few minutes to accept it, but Juntae was starting to believe it.

Sieun's ears perked up at Juntae's words. He was starting to have some hope.

Yes, Juntae, please believe me. It's true. It's me. I'm this foolish cat.

Sieun continued meowing at them and then jumped on the keyboard, wanting to write more. He hoped his second message would convince them.

Suuuhho....take me.

All three friends were left with their mouths open after reading the second message. This couldn't be a typo or a coincidence. How would a cat know how to type Suho's name? They never spoke about Suho in front of him either.

''Guys....so that means, this little kitten is our Sieun?'' Baku finally spoke up, trying to accept the situation himself. Sieun just meowed at him, jumping on his lap, ''Yah, Sieun-ah, if this is really you. Listen, if this is you. Bite my thumb.''

Sieun listened to Baku's words and his mouth quickly latched onto Baku's thumb, nibbling on his friend's finger.

''W-what the fuck,'' All three friends just stared at the black cat in disbelief. They needed some time to accept this, but they eventually decided to take Sieun to Suho after all. They weren't sure what to do with Sieun's situation just yet.

But now, here they were, having Sieun hidden in Juntae's backpack and smuggling him into Suho's hospital room.

They made sure they were alone and unzipped the backpack. Sieun jumped out right away. Ah, there was the familiar scent of the hospital again. He almost got stuck with the zipper from his eagerness. Then, he spotted Suho, resting against the bed, with his eyes closed as always.

Sieun froze for a moment, staring down at him.

''Aw, it really must be Sieun. He's just staring at him like this.

''He's jumping now!''

''Sieunie must be happy to see Suho again.''

After admiring Suho for a while, Sieun couldn't help it anymore. In his human form, he didn't have the courage to enter Suho's hospital room and hold onto his hand, and such. But now, as a kitten, he was able to cuddle up to him and even rest his tiny head close to his chest.

Sieun was purring from his happiness, as he could feel Suho's heartbeat.

Suho-yah, I missed you. I thought I'd never see you again. Please wake up soon. I don't know if I'll ever be human again, but I want to see you wake up at least...

Sieun remained by Suho's side, looking so small while resting on top of his unconscious body. His friends couldn't help but take a picture. They'd definitely show it to Sieun to tease him later.

''So this is really Sieun? This cat...'' Gotak began to say, his eyes focusing on Sieun, who was now sleeping next to Suho.

''We need to help him! He can't stay a cat for the rest of his life! It must be some kind of curse!'' Juntae eagerly said, already having a few ideas in mind to help his friend, ''Let's go to a shaman first.''

''S-shaman?!'' Baku almost let out a squeak, not expecting to hear Juntae say that.

''Who else can help us with such a problem?''

''Bro, you scared of shamans now?''

Gotak and Baku ended up bickering for a few minutes, while Juntae watched Sieun sleeping so peacefully next to Suho. They soon interrupted Sieun's peace, however. They were worried a nurse was going to come in and see them, so they had to leave after that.

Sieun was back in the backpack. His friends promised to bring him to Suho another time.

''What are you losers doing here?’’ On their way out, the three friends stumbled across a familiar face. It was Geum Seongje again.

''We should be asking you that, creep. Are you lurking near Suho again? Stay away from him!'' Baku said to him, sounding pretty defensive. The two friends also nodded to Baku's words, gathering around him protectively.

Seongje just snorted, ''Relax. I don't give a damn about that boy. But where is newbie? Yeon Sieun? I haven't seen him around.''

Seongje only cared about Sieun. It creeped the others out a little. Was Seongje lurking in the hospital these days to find Sieun? Either way, it was creepy!

''It's none of your business where he is, jerk!'' Gotak yelled at him this time, making Seongje roll his eyes.

''Did he finally abandon you guys? He did, right?'' Seongje just gave them a last glance and left. Sieun could hear them arguing all this time and was ready to jump off the backpack and pounce on Seongje again.

Oh well, he'd find him another time. He had other things to worry about.

''Yah, so where are we going now?''

''..Let's find a reliable shaman first. We can't go to anyone!''

Juntae ended up searching for a reliable shaman for the whole night after that. All three friends skipped school the next morning and took Sieun to a shaman instead. They were now inside the shaman's shrine, sitting side by side, glued to each other.

The shaman was a middle-aged woman who had grey-ish hair and was currently mixing some cards in her hands. Juntae was a little nervous, but he slowly began telling her about Sieun's situation. The shaman suggested possessing Sieun's soul first, so they'd be able to communicate with Sieun.

It was pretty scary watching her at first, because her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she kept mumbling something over and over. Baku was hiding behind Gotak, who was equally trembling. Juntae was also shaking a little. Sieun could feel him while sitting on his lap.

''It's me, guys!'' and then, Sieun had possessed the shaman's body for a moment. This way, they were able to communicate properly for a moment, ''It's me, Sieun. Can you hear me? Listen... I don't know what happened to me, but please, help me. I...''

''S-Sieun-ah! For starters, why don't you tell us what you remember from that night?!'' Juntae asked Sieun right away, as the others just watched the shaman in disbelief. They couldn't believe that this was real. The fact that Sieun was currently in the shaman's body!

''...I was approaching my house when I stared up at the full moon. Then this black cat emerged from the full moon and jumped on me. He trespassed my body, like ghosts do, you know?''

''Oh my, could it be some kind of ghost cursing you then?'' Juntae and the others still couldn't understand what it was. The shaman's possession was also brief and came to an end. After listening to Sieun's words, the shaman was convinced this was a curse from a moon deity.

She went to the back of her shrine and brought out an ancient book about deities.

''Is there a cure to this curse?!''

''There is always a cure, dear,'' the shaman showed off a smile, ''Your friend here was most likely tricked by a mischievous moon deity. They sometimes come down to our world when they feel lonely and pull pranks on humans.''

''What is wrong with that deity anyway, pulling pranks on Sieun?!'' Gotak finally found the courage to speak up, mostly from his anger.

''Our Sieunie...is a victim of a moon deity! Crazy!'' Baku also added, making the shaman chuckle a little.

''Yes, yes. He is a victim, but worry not. As I mentioned, there is always a cure. This curse, in particular, has a pretty simple cure. The cure is to receive a kiss from your one true love.''

The friends all stared down at Sieun after hearing the shaman's words. They knew who Sieun's true love was. It was definitely Suho.

But Suho was currently in a coma.

Would it work?

''Oh, but I forgot to mention.''

The shaman said as the three friends were eager to leave the shrine and test things out at the hospital.

''There is a limit to this curse as well. If your friend doesn't receive a kiss from his true love in 30 days, he will remain in this form for eternity.''

The three friends almost collapsed to the floor mat from their shock. So they had a deadline. They had already lost a few days since Sieun became a cat. They probably had less than 25 days left. If Suho didn't wake up in 25 days and kiss Sieun, their friend would remain a cat for the rest of his life.

''Is this going to work? That shaman said that Sieun has to receive the kiss.’’

After paying the shaman a visit, the three friends were at the hospital again. They wanted to test things out with Suho and Sieun.

''It doesn't hurt to try. Yeah, Juntae, bring him out. Let's see.''

Then, they brought out Sieun from the backpack. Sieun slowly jumped on the bed, crawling near Suho's face. He tried to be gentle, so he wouldn't hurt Suho's handsome face with his paws. Even in this state, Suho still looked so handsome, Sieun could admit.

He was like a prince, waiting for a kiss to wake up. All of it felt like a sick joke to Sieun.

He felt pretty flustered being so up close to Suho's face, even if he was currently trapped in a kitten's body. His mouth was closer and closer to Suho's lips. He took another step, and their lips finally met. It was pretty awkward having their lips meet like this.

Sieun couldn't believe that he was experiencing his first kiss as a cat like this either.

His friends also watched with lots of anticipation, hoping Sieun would evaporate and shift into his human form on top of Suho. But none of that happened. Sieun was still a small kitten, currently meowing near Suho's neck.

''Damn, I guess Suho needs to be awake for this thing to work,'' Gotak mumbled, as the other two friends sighed.

''Let's find Suho's doctor! We can ask for his progress!'' Juntae tried to be more positive and went to find Suho's doctor. All three friends were curious to see what the doctor would say, hoping they'd be met with good news.

''Ah, well, we've been monitoring his brain wave activity. But things can be unpredictable in his case. Some days he's better, other days he's getting worse.''

The doctor offered them a pretty vague response, which didn't comfort them at all. They were now sitting outside a convenience store, having some quick lunch. They hadn't eaten all day, as they were busy with the shaman and visiting Suho.

Sieun was also eating the cat food Juntae bought him, but he didn't have a big appetite.

He wanted to be positive, but he couldn't. He had less than a month to break this foolish curse. But how could he, when Suho was still trapped in a coma?

''Let's not lose hope, guys! I'm sure Suho will wake up and will save Sieunie!'' Juntae was probably the only one who was trying to be positive about this. In the following days, they took Sieun to the hospital every single day.

Sieun enjoyed cuddling up to Suho on the bed and nuzzling against his body. He especially loved listening to Suho's heartbeat. It gave him some hope that Suho was going to wake up soon, that he was going to listen to the sound of his voice again.

Suho-yah, it's been more than a year, and I'm scared I might forget the sound of your voice. And I'm still this small kitten. What if I forget about you because of this curse? I still have my human memories, but I'm scared. What if I wake up someday and I don't remember you or my friends, or anyone else? I'll just be a stupid cat for the rest of my life.

Sieun let out another small cry while having such thoughts. He curled up in a ball near Suho's chest again.

''I think Sieunie is sad again,'' Baku whispered to his two friends while watching Sieun on the bed.

''Dude, of course he is. Suho isn't waking up, and he's gonna remain a damn cat for the rest of his life.'' Gotak whispered back, making Juntae sigh. He felt like crying, watching Sieun curled up in a ball close to Suho.

''Guys, stop it! W-what if there's another way? Maybe we can try contacting that mischievous moon deity!''

''Can we do that? We aren't shamans, Juntae-yah.''

''Y-yes, but maybe, I mean. There must be something. I don't know,'' Juntae, too, was slowly getting frustrated. It got worse as the days went by, and they made no progress. Suho wasn't waking up, and they weren't sure how to find the moon deity that had cursed their friend.

Sieun was also falling into despair again. It felt like the first days, back then, when Suho went into a coma.

Sieun didn't want to eat or do anything. He just nestled close to Suho's legs and remained there as a ball, hiding from everyone. Juntae kept trying to pick him up and feed him, but Sieun kept running away and even scratched him one day.

''Sieunie is a bad kitty now. Oh man, what are we going to do? At this point, he's gonna die before the curse happens,'' the days of torture continued. His friends noticed the weight loss on his body. Sieun didn't have a soft tummy anymore. His bones were sticking out.

He looked so thin and fragile. He only let out whimpering sounds as he rested near Suho, like a dying animal.

''It's all my fault. Sieun is going to die because of me,''

''Yah, stop it, Juntae. It's all that deity's fault. We have to find them, dammit.''

''Should we just force some food into Sieunie's mouth? I can't stand watching him like this. Oh dear.''

All three friends couldn't watch, as Sieun was at death's doorstep.

It was the last day. Only the sounds of the clock ticking could be heard inside the hospital room. Sieun's friends weren't sure if Sieun was still alive or not. Sieun barely lifted his head these days. They sometimes went to pat his head to check on his pulse.

''H-he's still breathing but-'' Juntae was always in tears after watching Sieun in this state lately. He kept blaming himself for everything.

''Today is the last day....'' Gotak said, letting out a sigh, ''Dammit.''

''...At least Sieunie will still be with us, in this form?'' Baku tried to be more positive, but he was also fighting tears. In the end, all three friends ended up with teary eyes. Sieun could hear their cries, and it broke his heart as well. But he couldn't do much in the state he was in.

He was currently a thin, fragile kitten, accepting his fate.

Suho was never going to wake up. He was going to remain a small kitten forever. He was going to die.

''Brother, you should put an end to this nonsense! I told you so many times not to fool around in the human realm!'' and while all the friends were sobbing together, there were eyes of two deities glued to them. It was none other than the mischievous moon deity that had cursed Sieun, along with his older brother, scolding him.

The two moon deities were twins, but were nothing alike.

In the ancient books, there were many stories written about them. Born with pale skin and gloomy eyes, always meddling with the humans out of boredom.

''...Have I taken things too far? Even I am starting to feel sorry for that kitten. Hehe, humans are pretty amusing.''

''Undo this curse right now, foolish child!'' The older brother insisted in a more threatening voice. The youngest just pouted, now crossing his arms.

''You're no fun, big brother. Oh well, I shall come to play with them again, for another trick or treat.’’

The two moon deities slowly disappeared after that. There was an hour left before Sieun officially became a cat until his death.

The clock kept ticking inside the room, driving everyone's hearts mad.

''One hour left...’’ The three friends were no longer crying, not wanting to disturb the nearby patients. All of their eyes were red and puffy. They kept sniffling as they stared at the clock and Suho with Sieun on the bed. Sieun was still curled up in a ball, resting peacefully.

''Y-yah, guys. Look at Suho's finger! Did he just move?! Suho, can you hear us?!'' At first, Baku felt like his eyes were playing tricks on him. But as he approached closer, he could see it. Suho's finger was actually moving.

''Bro, don't yell at him!'' Gotak also approached the bed, eyes glued to Suho's finger that was now moving.

Juntae just let out a sniffle and also glanced at the moving fingers, ''W-we don't have much time left, guys. Should we bring Sieun near Suho one last time? You never know.''

''But Suho must be the one to kiss him first, right? Isn't that what the shaman said?'' Gotak pointed out, which was pretty accurate. But they were out of time at that moment. Baku went between them and just lifted Sieun, positioning him near Suho's mouth.

Sieun was too weak to move or complain about what his friends were doing. He was too weak to realize that Suho's fingers were moving, and the fact that his eyes slowly opened as their lips met.

''Guys, his eyes are opening!''

''Yah, stop yelling, Baku. Let's call a doctor, Juntae, hide Sieunie in the backpack for now!’’

After that kiss, Sieun's eyes closed. He had no strength in his body and couldn't keep himself awake. His friends hid him in the backpack while Suho was slowly regaining his consciousness.

Sieun didn't know what happened after that.

He could hear the sounds of the hospital machines beeping. He was sure he was in the hospital again, since there was the familiar scent. But was he still a cat? Sieun wasn't sure.

Until he opened his eyes. His three friends were there again, almost pouncing on him from their happiness, ''Sieun-ah!? Can you hear us?!''

''Huh...where am I?'' Sieun froze for a moment. His voice. He could hear his own voice. He could speak. He was human!

He weakly raised his arm and admired the palm of his hand. He no longer had paws!

''Sieun-ah. You're at the hospital. We managed to break the curse! To tell you the truth, we aren't sure how it happened. Because Suho had to be the one to kiss you. Perhaps, that deity lifted the curse because he felt bad... but anyway, you're okay now!'' Juntae started to ramble, happily explaining the whole situation to Sieun.

It was true that Suho didn't kiss Sieun first back then. He was still hazy, barely waking up from his comatose state. Sieun figured the moon deity ended up lifting the curse anyway.

''....Suho, is he-'' Sieun couldn't remember what had happened to Suho. In his mind, Suho was still in a coma. But his friends then revealed to him that Suho was awake. Sieun tried to get up again, but he fell back. His body felt too weak.

''Sieun-ah, just rest for now. You need to recover. You can't see Suho like this.''

''You were in a coma for 3 weeks, Sieunie.''

His friends also informed him about his own state. He had been in a coma for 3 weeks himself. Sieun couldn't believe it. When he was taken to the hospital, he was extremely dehydrated and malnourished, and his body also fell into a coma.

His mother was also alerted. Sieun's friends didn't know what to say to her as an excuse for Sieun going missing. They just claimed Sieun had run away for a few days because he was feeling a little gloomy.

''Is Suho okay though?'' Sieun's heart was soaring just thinking about seeing Suho again. After all those months, he could see him again. Hear his voice.

''He's doing okay. When he first started to talk, he asked about his grandma, and you right away,'' Baku explained, letting out a chuckle at the end, ''You two must be the most important people in his life.''

''Hmph, not really...'' Sieun looked down at his stomach for a moment, feeling his face heat up a little. Gotak just slapped Baku's shoulder, telling him to stop teasing Sieun.

Then, Sieun raised his head to look up to his friends, ''Sorry, guys. I caused lots of trouble. With me...t-turning into a cat. I still can't believe it.’’

''Heh, it's okay, Sieunie. We even went to a shaman because of you! This Halloween was definitely...'' Baku tried to reassure Sieun right away. Gotak also joined, claiming that Baku almost wet himself, which made Baku whine back in return.

''Yah, shut up, no, I didn't! Juntae, tell him! I didn't wet myself!'' Baku's screams continued, making Sieun chuckle a little. Then, a small sound slipped out from his lips. It was a sound he let out when he was a cat. He just meowed at his friends.

''Did you just meow at us?''

''N-no?'' Sieun looked away from his embarrassment, ''I...it slipped. I guess my body is still in transition.''

His three friends just stared at Sieun and ended up giggling at his cuteness, ''I guess Sieunie will be a kitten at heart.''

''S-shut up. I'm human now. Human!'' Sieun protested, with a small pout on his lips. He figured his friends would tease him about being a small kitten for the rest of his life now.

But at least he was human again.

He couldn't wait to recover so he could meet Suho.

He remained in the hospital for a few more days. His mother also visited, which was quite awkward for Sieun. She kept asking Sieun if he was feeling gloomy or depressed again. Sieun was sure his mother was planning on sending him to another therapist again.

But Sieun wasn't in the mood for this.

He was distracted when his phone began to buzz. He had received a text. He weakly reached for the cabinet to grab his phone and check. He figured it was one of his friends sending texts on the group chat they had, but no. It was someone else...

Sieun-ah, I'm surprised you haven't visited me yet. Did you forget about me? I'm still in recovery, but I want to see you, haha. Please come. Is it cringe if I'm begging like this? I miss you. Come and find me in physiotherapy. I'm in a wheelchair, but I'm trying to get better.

It was none other than Suho that had texted him, practically begging and whining for Sieun to come and visit him. Sieun was in recovery himself, but he was able to get out of bed and walk while using a cane.

Ah, he knew this would make Suho worry. He'd probably lie to him and claim he hurt his leg or something like that. How could he explain to him that he was cursed and turned into a cat? It was crazy!

So, with slow steps, Sieun had found his way into the physiotherapy department. His heart was racing like crazy as he was standing outside the door. He could hear one of the therapists training a few patients. Sieun wondered if Suho was there too.

He tried to sneak a peek before entering. He was nervous, and maybe a little shy. Because while he was a small little cat, he was cuddling up to Suho and even kissed his lips non-stop.

''Sieun-ah!'' But while taking a peek from the glass window, he heard a familiar voice. It was... Suho!

His friend had spotted him.

''Come in. Are you shy?'' Sieun could hear Suho's teasing voice. He felt like crying. He awkwardly entered the physiotherapy room, body freezing for a moment, after having Suho across him. Suho was currently doing his exercises and was standing up. He still couldn't stand up on his own, but he was showing progress for sure.

''Sieun-ah. Have you been well?'' Suho was all smiles, urging Sieun to come closer, ''Come closer. Want a hug?''

He was cutely opening his arms, wanting to pull Sieun into a hug. Sieun just kept staring at him, still in disbelief. He was trying so hard not to burst into tears. After a few more seconds, he found the courage to approach his friend.

''I just realized. We never had a proper hug before, heh,'' they were face to face now. Sieun was still silent, but Suho could tell from the expression on his face that Sieun was happy. He gently tugged on Sieun's hospital gown and pulled him into a hug.

''Yah, wait, I just noticed now. Why are you in a hospital gown?'' Suho started to say, while still holding Sieun in his arms. It seemed like Sieun didn't want to run away. He wanted to remain there forever.

''..Don't worry. I hurt my leg so-'' Sieun finally spoke to Suho in a soft voice, trying to reassure him. He was still hiding in Suho's arms, feeling like he belonged there.

''You're not getting into any fights, right? If there's a jerk harassing you, just tell me.''

''I'm fine, Suho.''

''Hm, but you know, it's funny.'' Suho then changed the subject, chuckling a little, ''I had a weird dream. Can you call it a dream? I dreamt about you being a kitten. And you kissed me.''

Sieun froze while still being in Suho's arms. How could Suho remember all of this, even though he was still in a coma back then?

''S-suho-yah, you must be all hazy. Just rest and relax from now on.''

''Sure,'' Suho just chuckled and squeezed Sieun tighter in his arms, ''But don't escape from me just yet. Let's stay like this a little longer. I've missed you, Sieunie.''

Sieun almost purred from his happiness. You could say that in his heart, he was still a kitten. At that moment, he was a very happy kitten. He wanted to roll over so Suho could massage his tummy. His friend was awake, and he was human again.

He couldn't ask for anything else.

🔮 🐈‍⬛ 🌙

''So, Suho is Spiderman, I'm Superman, and Gogo is Batman! Sieun-ah, you should be Catwoman!''

''S-shut up. I'm not dressing up this year, Humin.''

''Maybe I should get you some cat ears like last year.''

''No! What if I become a cat again?''

A year had passed since that Halloween night. It was Halloween again, and everyone was preparing to celebrate. Suho had also become close with Sieun's friends and was already dressed up. The three of them had decided to dress up as superheroes. Juntae wasn't interested and chose something else from his favorite anime instead.

Sieun, as usual, refused to dress up.

But in the end, he had cat ears placed on his head again. He kept them on, only because Suho had put them on his head, calling him a cute kitty.

''Sieunie obviously has favorites. He kept the ears on because Suho gave them to him.’’

His friends were dramatically teasing him again, as Sieun remained all grumpy and pouty. It was late in the evening when they went to the local pub and enjoyed grilled meat together.

They were all in their costumes, so everyone kept staring at them. Sieun felt quite embarrassed, but he was also happy. Because he was with Suho, having fun with his friends. He couldn't ask for anything else.

''We are 18, so we can't legally drink yet, but I stole some beers from dad again!'' When they were done devouring the meat at the pub, they ended up having a few beers near the Han River. Sieun didn't drink a lot and just enjoyed the autumn breeze. It was getting pretty cold since it was soon November.

''Sieunie, I have my jacket with me.''

Then, Suho placed his grey jacket on Sieun's shoulder, ''Kitties get cold easier, right?''

''I'm not a kitty-'' Sieun huffed out, feeling his face redden a little. The others just giggled, watching the two from afar. It felt like the two of them were on a date. Well, Sieun still found this pretty silly, because Suho was still in his Spiderman costume.

Well, he had taken off the mask, so Sieun could see Suho's handsome face at least.

''Alright, guys. I'll take this idiot back home with me. Before he jumps into the water,’’

After a few cans of beer, Baku was incredibly drunk again. Juntae was also feeling sleepy, so he walked home with them. It was only Sieun and Suho now.

They were sitting side by side, their shoulders almost touching. There was a full moon again. They could see the reflection against the river. It was quite beautiful.

''Sieun-ah, I had fun tonight.'' Suho started to say, awkwardly clearing his throat. He had the urge to wrap his arm around Sieun and squeeze him into a hug. It was getting colder after all.

''S-sure, me too.''

''So, you know-'' Suho tried to speak, but Sieun was focused on the full moon again. He was quite horrified, because he could see the same black cat emerging from the moon again.

''S-suho-yah, I have to go. We have to go. I mean, that cat-it's coming!'' Sieun began to panic, getting up and grabbing Suho's hand. Suho was confused and just ran with him. But the cat was faster than them and had already reached them.

''Let's see if your one true love will kiss you this time, human.'' The cat whispered, but only Sieun could hear his words. Then, the deity jumped inside Sieun's body again. Sieun quickly vanished and became a cat again.

''...Sieun?'' Suho looked around, searching for Sieun. It was pretty dark, so he turned on the flashlight on his phone. He couldn't find Sieun anywhere until he spotted a small black kitten near his legs, screaming at him.

Suho was sure it was the same cat from his dreams...or memories.

Truth be told, it was still all hazy in his mind.

But Suho was sure there was a black cat resting close to his chest and even kissing him when he was in a coma. And he was sure that the cat was Sieun.

''Sieun-ah, is it you?'' Suho's voice was gentle as he crouched down to pet the cat's head. Sieun just meowed at him, letting out tiny cries. Suho just chuckled and continued patting his head.

‘’Aigoo, what a small kitten. Sieun-ah, don't cry. It's okay. I know it's you. I think I know what to do. To break the curse...is this how it's called? It happens in fairytales, right? True love's kiss? Damn, so I guess I'm your true love. How romantic for a pair of lunatics.''

Suho held Sieun in his arms while rambling from his excitement. He took them back to the park near the Han River, so they could sit down.

''But first, let me play with you a little. You're so cute, haha. So small,'' Suho had placed Sieun on his lap and was cooing at him. Sieun just let out cute meows at him and also rolled over so Suho could rub his tummy. He had begun to purr as Suho's gentle hands were caressing him.

''Ahah, are you purring for me? What a good kitty. I want to see you act this cute as a human too,'' Suho continued teasing Sieun, as his fingers went near Sieun's mouth. Sieun playfully opened his mouth and nibbled on Suho's fingers. He was playfully nibbling on his fingers, finding this pretty fun.

Sieun was having the time of his life, playing with Suho like this. Perhaps, it wasn't so bad being a cat sometimes.

''You're such a cute kitty. But I also like it when you're a human with me, Sieunie.'' Suho had had enough cooing over Sieun's cuteness and lifted his tiny body, bringing him close to his face. Sieun just meowed at him in a small voice, wondering what Suho was going to do.

He was bringing Sieun closer and closer to his lips. Oh, Suho was going to kiss him and officially break the curse!

Their lips met again. Sieun just closed his eyes, and for a moment, it felt like the whole world had disappeared again. Sieun was slowly shifting back to his human form. Sieun was worried he was going to be naked on top of Suho, but luckily, he was still in his clothes from before.

He was currently seated on his lap, though. And Suho was grinning at him.

''What a big cat I have on my lap?''

''S-Suho,'' Sieun's whole face was red from his embarrassment. He quickly rolled over and escaped from Suho's lap, ''All this time you knew I was that cat?''

''Sort of. I was confused at first, but I slowly connected the pieces together.'' Suho explained and then showed off a teasing smile to his friend, ''I can't believe my first kiss is with a cat, though.''

''S-sorry,'' Sieun mumbled, his face still as red as ever.

''Hm, don't be sorry. Why don't you give me a kiss as a human this time?''

''What?'' Sieun briefly turned around to look at Suho, but it only made his face redden more. He was thankful that it was past midnight and Suho couldn't see how red his face was in the dark.

''Come here, kitty. Give Spiderman a kiss?"

Suho teasingly scooted closer to Sieun, now being face to face with each other. His hands, which were trembling a little, cupped Sieun's flushed face. Their noses were brushing past each other, as their lips were almost one.

Sieun just let out a small whimper as their lips officially met. Or was it a meow again?

Either way, his eyes closed, melting into the kiss. His first official kiss with Suho felt so heavenly.

''Did you meow at me when I kissed you just now?'' Suho asked as he gently pulled away, showing off another teasing smile at Sieun.

''S-shut up. No, I didn't.''

''Let's find out if you do it again.'' Suho's hands cupped Sieun's face and kissed him again. It felt so soft kissing Sieun, like kissing a soft cloud in the sky. Suho couldn't get enough. He kept giving him small teasing kisses, causing Sieun to let out a few more sounds.

Yes, Sieun had meowed at him again.

The curse was officially lifted, but Sieun still needed some time to recover.

Well, Suho didn't mind. Sieun was a very cute kitty, after all.