NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5.2
Her puffed-up tail began swishing side to side, radiating displeasure. But again—why are you upset here?!
Sigh.
Resigned, I slipped my wallet back into my pocket. There was no other choice. I had to use the “Guide to Handling Kimchi Cat Beastmen” I’d read on the Beastman Gallery forum before entering this university.
“Hey, Momyammi.”
“What?”
“Get a grip, will you? Humans aren’t Sonic. You can’t just shake us and expect Churu to fall out like a vending machine.”
“…What?”
Her tail stopped swishing. Maybe she could sense where I was going with this, as her blue pupils widened slightly.
‘Ji-hyuk is terrified!’
I was scared she’d whip out her claws and scratch me, but I couldn’t back down now. If I gave in here, I’d be a human Churu dispenser forever!
“If you were an actual cat, fine. I’d close my eyes, splurge on fancy treats, and enjoy some carefree happiness in exchange. Cats are tiny, cute, and show their bellies for cuddles. But you? Why should I be a cat dad to a beastman who doesn’t even purr? Why should I become your personal ATM? Explain. Why???”
“…Are you seriously getting mad at me? Over a measly 100,000 won?”
“Measly 100,000 won?! Oh, our hardworking mothers’ 100,000 won is just a joke to you, huh? Oh, look at this, beastmen of the world!”
I dramatically threw myself onto the ground and started wailing. Momyammi’s bewildered expression showed she hadn’t expected this, and she hesitantly stepped back.
It worked! My over-the-top antics actually worked! The Beastman Gallery’s advice—that feline beastmen act purely on emotion and are best countered by being even more emotional—was spot on!
Flailing my arms and legs like a child, I threw a full tantrum. Soon enough, some canine beastmen—famous for their love of humans—rushed over and started licking my face.
“Friend! Why are you crying?”
“Don’t cry!”
“I’m not crying! And stop licking me! Ew, gross.”
Surrounded by canine beastmen, I flailed as they eagerly licked at me in sympathy.
Meanwhile, Momyammi furrowed her brows and spun on her heels, leaving me with a villainous parting line.
“…You’ll regret this.”
Then, just as gracefully as she had arrived, she strode down the hallway, her tail swishing dramatically. I watched her go, noticing how she lashed out with a quick nyan nyan punch at an approaching male feline beastman.
Internally, I cheered.
“Victory!”
The spoiled brat who tried to extort Churu from me—defeated!
On my way back to the dorm, my thoughts drifted to Choi Uma. After dealing with Momyammi’s antics, even the infamous lecture hall incident seemed tame. Suddenly, Choi Uma felt… saintly in comparison.
“I should try to be nicer to Choi Uma.”
Not too nice, though. Just friendly enough.
Having resolved to be more considerate toward my new “friend,” my phone buzzed with a KakaoTalk notification. A new group chat. And to my dismay, both Momyammi and I had been invited.
“Could this be… her crew planning to gang up on me?”
“…No, wait. It’s the ‘Visual Design Class Presidents’ Group Chat?’”
The chat title read “시디과 과대방,” and upon opening it, I realized it only included six members. Each year’s class president and vice president must have been invited.
[Baek Sang-ah: Hello, I’m the class president from the 21st batch. Welcome to the Visual Design Class Presidents’ group chat! Looking forward to working with you ^^]
[Me: Hello! Thank you! I’ll do my best!]
I was the first to reply, even though I remembered Na Min-seo’s horror stories about toxic class group chats. For now, though, the chat seemed peaceful.
“So far, so good.”
Thirty minutes passed, and there was no activity.
“Na Min-seo, what kind of seniors were you dealing with?!”
KakaoTalk!
[Momyammi: Hello, nice to meet you.]
This girl… so polite and normal here, but she had the audacity to demand 100,000-won Churu from me?! The sheer hypocrisy!
“You conniving little…!”
At that moment, I realized something profound.
“I finally understand, Choi Uma.”
The lecture hall incident had been shocking, sure, but that was just instinct. It wasn’t fair of me to judge her so harshly. Maybe I should give her a chance.
That evening, I decided to treat myself. It had been a rough day, so I made a luxurious meal: instant ramen with a can of tuna. Carrying my masterpiece out into the hallway, I felt an odd emptiness.
Every other time I’d stepped out, a certain someone would magically appear, calling out, “Ji-hyuk~ Ji-hyuk~” like clockwork. But now? Silence.
“…Did something happen to her?”
By the time I returned from the lounge with hot water, my concern had grown. But as soon as I stepped into my room, I regretted it.
“J-Ji-hyuk~!”
“This is trespassing.”
“Ji-hyuk… Ji-hyuk~!”
There she was—Choi Uma—her skin flushed red, panting heavily, sprawled out on my bed.
How did she even get in?! A chill breeze caught my attention, and I looked up to see the balcony window wide open. Of course. The dorm balconies were connected in one long line, like an open corridor. This must have been what all those ‘lock your doors!’ warnings from my elders were about.
Setting my ramen on the desk, I approached her cautiously.
“Hey. Get up. Go back to your room.”
“Ugh… Ji-hyuk…”
“Get up, already! Ow, hot!”
I grabbed Choi Uma’s arm to help her up but immediately let go, startled. Her body felt like a furnace. Was she burned or something? No, her skin looked perfectly fine, but the heat radiating from her was unreal.
“Ji-hyuk… I think I’m dying…”
Under normal circumstances, I would’ve just assumed it was her heat cycle acting up. But feeling her actual body temperature made me think she might genuinely be in danger.
“Did you sleep with the window open and no clothes on? What kind of rabbit beastman even catches a cold?”
“It’s… it’s not a cold… It’s my heat…”
“Oh, so it is your heat.”
And here I was, genuinely worried. Turns out, I’m the idiot for taking this seriously.