By Zephyria “There are other things to do, you’re targeting my relatives too?”
Yumin puffed out his chest, utterly dumbfounded. He was both bewildered and angry at Tae-jun’s audacity, as if devouring him alone wasn’t enough, he intended to set up a whole buffet. No matter what, he had no intention of revealing his hometown’s address. It was enough for him alone to bid farewell to this world as a single meal.
“Ah, speaking of which, what is this…”
Engulfed in anger, the faint abdominal pain he had momentarily forgotten returned. A sharp, needle-like ache stabbed his stomach, followed by a twisting pain in his gut. The initially mild pain grew progressively worse as time passed. He lay on his side on the bed, but it didn’t get any better.
“It hurts…”
Even moving was a struggle. He thought it would get better if he stayed still, but the pain only intensified. Now, he couldn’t help but let out a scream.
‘What do I do? Am I going to die from this?’
He didn’t want to be eaten, but he also didn’t want to die from stomach pain. He tried to think of a way, but there were no other medicines in the room where Yumin was trapped. If only he could get out to the living room, he could take a painkiller.
As the thought crossed his mind, Yumin struggled to lift his head and surveyed the room. He felt like he was forgetting something important.
Just then, Yumin’s eyes fell on the window leading to the balcony. He had overlooked it in his despair, but the window was slightly ajar.
‘That’s it!’
Yumin, in his humanized form, couldn’t fit through that narrow gap. But it would be different for a cat. It was absurd he hadn’t thought of this until now.
Yumin grunted and pushed himself up. His stomach still ached, but he couldn’t miss this opportunity. If he delayed and Tae-jun returned home, he would surely lose this precious chance. Yumin crawled, half-dragging himself, towards the window. As expected, the window was open just enough for a cat to barely squeeze through.
He didn’t know it, but this was Tae-jun’s obvious mistake. When he first confined Yumin to this room, Tae-jun had opened the window for ventilation while installing the lock, which had stirred up dust. Then, because the gap was hard to see unless he was lying on the bed, he left the window closed without closing it. And Yumin had only just discovered it now.
Yumin took a deep breath and earnestly prayed to his ancestral wildcats.
‘Please, help me. I won’t forget this kindness.’
Sweat dripped down his temples from the pain. But he had to endure. He absolutely had to beast transform and escape this house somehow.
As if his earnest plea was heard, though a little later than usual, Yumin transformed into a wildcat with a pop. The clothes he was wearing fell to the floor with a rustle.
‘Yes!’
He felt like dancing with joy. But he didn’t have time for that now. Yumin didn’t hesitate and leaped towards the window. He pushed his head in first, then forced his shoulders through, barely creating enough space for his upper body to pass. Yumin didn’t hesitate and jumped out towards the balcony.
‘I’m alive!’
Overwhelmed with relief, Yumin headed straight for the clothes closet. After humanizing again, he threw on whatever Tae-jun’s clothes he could find and looked around. Yumin’s eyes landed on a wallet.
‘I’m borrowing it. Not stealing.’
Honestly, he thought no one would blame him for taking some cash from Tae-jun, who had kidnapped him to eat him. At least, that’s what he thought.
Oh, the feeling of fresh air after so long! The shoes he’d hastily put on were too big and flopped around, but he didn’t care; Yumin was too exhilarated.
However, with his biggest worry gone, the abdominal pain returned. He would have to slightly revise his plan to escape far away.
When he started university in Seoul, he had visited a Beastman hospital for a health check-up. Due to the nature of Beastmen living hidden from humans, the hospital wasn’t even on any maps; it could only be found by word of mouth. It was a bit far from school, but he figured a taxi would get him there.
Just then, a vacant taxi caught his eye, and Yumin waved without hesitation. He’d deal with the pain first, then escape or whatever.
“……What?”
For a moment, he couldn’t think of anything.
Taking a taxi to the hospital was good. By chance, a scheduled patient had canceled their appointment, so Yumin was able to get examined immediately. Up until then, he thought luck was on his side. But soon after, that thought shattered into pieces.
“At this size, we estimate you don’t have much time left.”
“Sir, what do you mean, ‘time left’? What are you talking about….”
“It’s a tumor. And not just one, but two.”
“What?!”
Yumin couldn’t believe his ears. He had been in a lot of pain, but based on his usual health, he thought it was just stress-induced abdominal pain. Yet, after a few tests, the doctor gave him a shocking answer.
“We’ll know for sure after further tests, but as of now, that’s the diagnosis.”
“That’s impossible……”
He had narrowly escaped being eaten alive, only to be met with an even worse fate. He wished he could just faint right there.
“We have an opening right now. Would you like to proceed with additional tests immediately?”
“Yes…… please do.”
Lost in despair, Yumin felt like he didn’t care anymore. He wished he could just let go of everything.
“Damn it, I’m late!”
Tae-jun ran his hands through his hair and spat out a coarse curse. He had rushed over as soon as he discovered Yumin’s escape, but it was already too late. Monitoring him with a pet cam wasn’t enough. He should have kept a close eye on him, ensuring he couldn’t escape… Regret was useless now, but Tae-jun was devastated. How could he lose Yumin again after all the trouble he went through to bring him here?
“Ha… I have to find him quickly. Quickly.”
Making a second mistake, Tae-jun lost his composure. He imagined chasing Yumin down, breaking one of his ankles, and chaining him up. He had to keep him by his side until he bore his children. He decided to leave immediately. Tae-jun grabbed his car keys and stepped outside.
The place he intended to go was none other than Yumin’s home.
‘Felines become timid when they are pregnant.’
It was common knowledge. When carrying cubs, felines seek out secluded dens for safety. This applies to cats as well as normally aggressive predators. They avoid conflict and confine themselves to their homes, waiting for the birth. That’s why it’s so difficult to find a mother who has disappeared.
Tae-jun figured there was a 99% chance Yumin had fled to his hometown. It was the safest and most comfortable place he could think of.
Reaching the underground parking lot, Tae-jun walked confidently towards his car and pulled out his phone. He called Secretary Kim, who answered promptly.
“Secretary Kim, what’s the status on what I asked you to look into last time?”
-Young Master. I was just about to contact you. It’s a very deep and remote area in Gangwon-do.
“Send me the address. Immediately.”
-Understood.
A moment later, Secretary Kim sent an address via text. It was a small county with an unfamiliar name. The downside was that it was a settlement of cats where outsiders rarely ventured, meaning Yumin would likely be hiding there. If bad rumors about him spread among the villagers, it would be difficult to find the house where Yumin was hiding. No, he might even be chased away the moment he arrived at the village entrance.
Therefore, barging in wasn’t the right approach. To prepare for the possibility of being rejected, it was best to approach with a friendly image.
‘Hmm… maybe I should bring a gift that cats like.’
Tae-jun considered a gift offensive. If he loaded the trunk with luxurious gifts and distributed them politely, the cats would be easily swayed. They would also readily believe him when he said, “I am Yumin’s husband.”
Tae-jun thought about what Yumin usually liked. Tuna sashimi, chicken, fishing toys, playing in the water… Villagers with similar traits would probably like those too. It would be perfect to hire a company to set up a temporary swimming pool and treat them to food. He contacted his secretary and instructed him to quickly find a company that could come to Gangwon-do.
After losing Yumin once and getting him back, he was now somewhat accustomed to such situations. The first time he lost him at the pension, he had lost his temper and charged in recklessly, but it was different now. Yumin would eventually be back in his hands anyway. So, it was better to proceed more rationally and calmly. That suited Tae-jun’s disposition better.
“Go Yumin. Wait for me.”
Tae-jun hung up the phone and smiled.
Yumin waited anxiously in the waiting room for his test results. While undergoing the additional tests, a thousand thoughts swirled in his mind. The university life he hadn’t fully enjoyed, the hectic days spent running from Tae-jun, and self-pity for dying tragically at a young age. The more he thought about it, the more sighs escaped him.
“This is my fate…”
The words slipped out of his mouth before he knew it. He was completely unaware that an elderly Beastman sitting next to him glanced at him and thought, ‘This young man says the strangest things. How unsightly.’
“Mr. Go Yumin, please come into the examination room.”
“Yes.”
Yumin stood up weakly and headed to the examination room. He was sure he would only hear negative words like “you have only a few months left” or “there’s no hope.”
However, the words Yumin heard far surpassed his imagination.
“What did you say?”
“Pregnancy.”
“What?”
Yumin’s voice rose involuntarily.
“That’s impossible, I’m a male Beastman!”
“We’ve checked multiple times. It is definitely a pregnancy.”
“How can this be…”
The doctor advised Yumin to sit down. Only then did Yumin realize he had jumped up in shock. Half-dazed, he slowly sat down on the chair.
“As you can see here, there are two shadows. Congratulations. It’s twins.”
“No, twins or not, I’m a man! I can’t be pregnant!”
“I’ll say it again, the pregnancy is certain.”
“Impossible……”
He felt all his strength drain away. He couldn’t even distinguish whether this was a dream or reality.
“Although it is very rare, such cases do occur. In my medical career, this is the first time I’ve seen it in person, but I have read about cases in papers.”
The doctor, dealing with a rare case, seemed somewhat delighted. But Yumin, the person involved, didn’t hear a word of the doctor’s explanation.
‘Pregnant? And twins?’
When faced with an unbearable reality, whether human or Beastman, the mind tends to freeze in shock. Yumin was no different. He sat there blankly, letting the doctor’s words go in one ear and out the other, when a suddenly spoken word startled him.
“…So, there’s a theory that in the case of special Beastmen, males can also impregnate…”
“Yes? What did you say?”
“Let me explain again. I was talking about cases where male pregnancy is possible.”
Only after hearing the doctor’s explanation could Yumin begin to grasp the situation. Although it hadn’t solidified into a clear theory due to the extreme rarity of such occurrences, according to the doctor, ‘special Beastmen have the possibility of impregnating male Beastmen.’
However, as he listened to the explanation, Yumin recalled a dream he had recently. During his time on the run, he had a dream featuring a baby tiger and a baby wildcat. At the time, he dismissed it as a strange dream brought on by extreme stress, but thinking back, perhaps it was a pregnancy dream.
“Haa…”
Yumin let out a deep sigh. An unbelievable reality unfolded before his eyes.
“Ha…”
On the bus heading to Gangwon-do, Yumin, sitting by the window, sighed endlessly. Tears welled up in his eyes, and his chest felt hollow.
From the moment he learned of the pregnancy, his mind hadn’t been at ease for a single second. With every breath, the thought, Yes, there’s a baby inside me. No, there are two babies, would vividly resurface, bringing with it unspeakable worry. Even as he ran his hand over his still flat stomach, Yumin felt an immense heaviness within.
Should he use the babies as leverage to get Tae-jun to treat him better? He could ask, “Don’t you love your own children? Please don’t harm me until the babies are born.”
Yumin, who had been scheming, immediately shook his head. That would be a cowardly ploy to save his own life by using innocent newborns as hostages. Besides, he couldn’t be sure if the cruel tiger would spare his own cubs.
Thinking that way, he felt immense pity for the babies. Why did they choose to settle inside him? What a fated life they had. Who will protect them if not me?* Yumin placed his hands on his belly, his face contorted in a grimace. A sharp, needle-like pain pierced his chest, and tears threatened to spill.
Once, he believed he could make any sacrifice to have a baby wildcat. That’s why he studied like crazy and left his hometown for Seoul. If he found a suitable man, he planned to drop out of school and dedicate himself to maternal care and childcare.
To Yumin, babies were that precious. These babies, too, were precious wildcat bloodlines.
‘Right. Whether they came from someone else’s womb or my own, they are my children. Since it’s happened this way, let’s keep them alive and give birth safely. That’s all that matters. I’ll raise them as descendants of my family.’
The important thing was that he had acquired baby wildcats. Regardless of the process, the outcome was what mattered. Yumin resolved not to be weak and clenched his fists.
Two and a half hours after departing Seoul, the bus stopped at a terminal in Gangwon-do. There was no terminal near Yumin’s home, so he had to transfer to an intercity bus and travel for another hour. While waiting for the connecting bus, Yumin remained vigilant. He flinched and hid whenever a man in black clothes passed by, and he kept looking around nervously, fearing Tae-jun might appear.
Fortunately, there seemed to be no pursuers this time. After scouting the inside and outside of the terminal for over thirty minutes, Tae-jun and his group were nowhere to be seen. Relieved, Yumin bought milk, bread, and tangerines from a convenience store in the terminal. Thanks to the large amount of cash he’d taken from Tae-jun’s house, he could buy snacks to his heart’s content without worrying about money, which was fortunate. Now that he was not alone but three, he had to make sure he ate well and never starved.
After finishing his fish cakes and dried pollack as a palate cleanser and chugging various drinks, Yumin headed back to the platform. The bus bound for Yanggo was arriving.
‘Wait. I need to call home.’
His parents and relatives would be surprised if he showed up unannounced. He decided to make a quick call from the terminal, but unfortunately, he didn’t have his phone. Using a public phone would also be difficult. All the money he had was in large bills, and if he tried to exchange them for coins and go to a phone booth, he might miss the bus.
“I guess I have no choice… I should hurry and get on.”
He figured he could explain the situation once he arrived, and with that thought, he hurried onto the bus.