Ch. 35 A Model, A Cat (2)

Only Tae-il understood the volatility in his cat’s personality. He was confused by the shift in behavior, but he was going to use it to his best advantage.

Ha-eun bent down and lifted me up, making sure to use a gentle touch on my leg. I reluctantly allowed myself to be held. I kept my gaze firmly away from her, but fortunately eye contact was not necessary for the shoot. Hae-un shifted me around while Tae-il gave her instructions.

As I was adjusted across Ha-eun’s shoulders, my nose was overwhelmed by the cloying scent of her perfume and hair wash.

“Look here, Bow Meow.”

I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Tae-il’s voice. Ha-eun smiled and adjusted herself to a variety of poses as the camera clicked continuously. Meanwhile, the staff members gave a murmur of appreciation of the well-behaved and clever cat.

It was clear that a brand new black mini-dress was the star of the shoot. Most black dresses had an air of sophistication, haughtiness, and sexiness. It was a perfect match for Ha-eun, who looked beautiful and sophisticated, not to mention had a slim body.

She had an enviable figure. I didn’t hate myself for being shorter and chubbier, but in all honesty, I was jealous of Ha-eun’s long and skinny body.

“Tae-il, her claws are coming out,” Ha-eun complained.

“Oh, hang in there.”

“She’s not doing this on purpose, is she?”

Tae-il could not answer, and every time there was a click of the shutter, the film would show a smiling Ha-eun juxtaposed against my grumpy face.

***

Because I remained well-behaved and responded intelligently to cues, the shoot wrapped up quickly despite the change in animal models.

Ha-eun left the studio to change her clothes, while the manager approached Tae-il.

“Tae-il.”

“Yes?”

Tae-il tilted his head to answer his friend’s call without taking his eyes off the monitor. Since the shoot ended, I remained contentedly in Tae-il’s lap as he stroked me between the ears. I suppose it was his form of saying “Thank you for today,” though his eyes were glued to the monitor screen as he studied the photographs.

“Want to see?” Tae-il said. “There is a lot to choose from here.”

The manager nodded. “Well, I’m sure you did well. Even actresses are dying to have a photo shoot with you.”

“I’m flattered.”

“Your photos always look so luxurious. It’s hard to make them look like yours…”

Tae-il was a pro, and even my plebeian self was impressed by the results, as ignorant as I was to this sort of thing. It was his ability and understanding of the model that Ha-eun looked even more beautiful in the pictures.

The manager hesitated before speaking again. “And…I have something to say about Ha-eun.”

His voice was so serious that Tae-il was forced to pull his eyes away from the monitor.

“What is it, Kim Kido?”

“…Call me manager.”

Kido didn’t seem to like his name being used, but Tae-il smiled and turned away. He looked down to where I was quietly sitting on his knees.

“What is it, manager?”

“…The man Ha-eun’s dating is telling her to quit modeling once they marry.”

“…Ah, I heard about it. He asked me to do a consultation about it.”

Kido blinked. He was surprised that Tae-il already knew. However, what he was more shocked about was how blasé Tae-il’s tone was, as if he didn’t care.

“Hey! Are you going to do nothing!”

Tae-il snorted in frustration. “Why me?”

“Don’t you have the will to win as a man?”

Dudung!

It was as if a drum exploded loudly in my ears. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped even wider, but the other two did not notice that the black cat was having a mental freakout between them.

I hated Ha-eun.

Now I realized why my hatred of her came subconsciously.

It was because Tae-il liked Ha-eun. I didn’t know whether it was a woman’s instinct or a cat’s instincts that sensed it so early.

Tae-il shook his head. “We’re just friends. Don’t talk like that. If anyone hears you, they’ll misunderstand.”

“You may be good at lying, but don’t try to trick me. You’re her friend, but that’s not how you feel!”

“But…”

“But what?!” the manager persisted.

“Whatever my heart wants is whatever Ha-eun wants…I’ve just been Shin Tae-il, her friend for fifteen years. And I want it to stay that way. That’s my role.”

Kido looked visibly frustrated at his friend, and my mood was hardly any better.

Tae-il looked back at the monitor and pretended the conversation never happened, but when he saw Ha-eun’s smiling face, his eyes dropped back to look at me. It had been a long while since he sought consolation from his animal companion. He kept his eyes fixed on me as he spoke, but his words were directed to Kido.

“She’s known me for too long. She doesn’t even look at me like I’m a man.”

“That’s because you only have a good friend’s face! You have to have a man’s face, a man’s face!”

“Well, this is how I look.”

He was a good person who had no desire or greed in his eyes. Tae-il’s face was always like that. And I like Tae-il’s friendly face.

Kido seemed to have other ideas. “Don’t you know Ha-eun’s tastes? She wants someone who’s a man! Just try to do it that way!”

“I’ve been like this all my life, and it would be strange to just change it. It’s just not my thing,” Tae-il said defeatedly.

“Ugh, you’re so stiff.”

“And Ha-eun already has a relationship. Maybe she could get married.”

I looked up at him in pity. I would love Tae-il as he was. He was so precious to me. I would never let him smile with such a sad face.

***

At 3 a.m., when the moon was brightest, I watched Tae-il sleep. I was still a black cat, of course. A shaft of moonlight was falling through the window, and my golden eyes and dark purple fur shone. A silent and beautiful beast.

I was now accustomed to sleeping next to Tae-il, who would always take off his shirt and sleep on his stomach. It seemed a rather comfortable way to rest. I used to run away in embarrassment, but I had gotten over the shame of looking at him by now.

Although Tae-il was a photographer, he had a more sculpted body than one would expect. His bones looked strong and his muscles bulged pleasantly beneath his skin. As I studied the lines of his body, I had the urge to draw it on paper. It was an impulse from my artist side, although I specialized in landscapes and dreamlike fantasies, rather than humans.

“…”

I studied him for a moment longer, then jumped down from the bed. As my paws padded across the floor, they began to glow. I became more human with each step, but they remained just as quiet as my cat form.

By the time I crossed the threshold, I was walking on two feet instead of four. My field of vision changed drastically and my hands were human.

I tugged on a thick woolen shirt and walked out the front door.

I also took Tae-il’s cellphone with me.