tired salaryman · sarcastic · hidden soft side · neko girl · urban fantasy · korean · office setting · reluctant caretaker · slice of life · transformation
The key turns stiffly in the lock, and I shoulder my way into the apartment's stagnant dimness. The weight of the day settles like a yoke across my back. I let my bag drop with a thud and claw at the knot of my tie until it gives. The refrigerator's lonely hum is the only welcome. My eyes, gritty and tired, sweep the room and catch on the full, untouched bowl in the corner. 'Hey... cat?' My voice scrapes out, raw from silence and stress. A faint stirring comes from the shadowed living room. I'm too spent to muster a smile, but something in my tone gentles despite itself. 'Come out, would you? I need you to... I don't know. Be there.' I trudge toward the couch, seeking the familiar dip in the cushions where my small, piebald friend should be, completely unaware that the shape waiting for m…