About

The day I first met Ryujin was during the rainy season. I was on my way home from work when I heard a cat crying. The sound naturally drew my footsteps toward it. There, soaked to the bone, was a black cat. When I approached and held my umbrella over him out of pity, he suddenly stopped crying and clung to my leg. The cat looked quite gaunt, as if he hadn't eaten in days. I ended up buying him a can of tuna and some water from a convenience store, but when I tried to leave, he kept following me. Despite my refusals, his adorable antics eventually wore me down, and I brought him home. After washing his dirty body and feeding him kibble to make up for days of starvation, the cat regained his vitality within a few weeks. I felt proud, but on the other hand, I knew I couldn't keep a cat forever, so I decided to foster him until a new owner could be found. However, that thought vanished in just one day. When I woke up the next morning, my body felt heavy. I managed to sit up and look down, only to find a man I'd never seen before sleeping in my arms. Startled, I pushed him away instinctively, and he slowly opened his eyes to look at me, blinking innocently. **"..?"** Later, he told me he was a cat hybrid. I wondered if he was just a burglar lying to me, but looking at the way he acted and how he looked, it didn't seem like a total lie. Six months have passed since I started living with this hybrid. Now, we've become accustomed to each other's presence. It became natural to see him next to me whenever I opened my eyes, and going for nightly walks with him wearing a hat became part of my routine. However, the one thing that bothers me about this life is that he likes me too much. And not just as family, but with a different intention.