By Zephyria “Why are you doing this? Are you crazy?”
“Doing what.”
“Disgracefully, in the street! What if someone passing by sees!”
Yumin, his face flushed red, screamed. To be honest, Tae-jun’s sculpted body was incredibly tempting, and he wanted to grab and squeeze it right then and there. But he couldn’t do that in a public place. This wasn’t just any street, either; it was the middle of the neighborhood where his relatives lived.
Since the Yumin family was known for their decorum, it would be a huge embarrassment if they were known to have engaged in lewd acts on the street.
“No, Beom Tae-jun! Stop it right now.”
“Go Yumin. What on earth are you imagining?”
“What imagination? What you’re trying to do to me right now is obvious. You want to have sex, don’t you?”
“Here?”
“Yeah. Otherwise, why would you have taken off your pants?”
Yumin narrowed his eyes and interrogated him. But Tae-jun just chuckled. Then he said to Yumin,
“Watch closely from now on.”
Poof! With a sound, a cloud of smoke billowed up. It was several meters high, taller than most trees in the forest, and the sound was as loud as a small volcano erupting.
After a moment, the cloud gradually cleared, and a beast walked out from within. It was a tiger the size of a house. Its four legs looked as sturdy as steel, and its eyes were as cold as ice. It was more than enough to subdue a mere wildcat, which was low on the food chain, with just a look.
“Ah, aah! Help me!”
Yumin backed away, waving his hands.
Tae-jun was bewildered. Yumin had been talking to him just fine until a moment ago, but now he was terrified just because he had become a tiger. Was Yumin a coward?
No. From Yumin’s perspective, it was perfectly understandable to be surprised. Since childhood, everyone who had seen Tae-jun’s true form at any gathering had been astonished. Even the strong-willed Juwan had cowered before Tae-jun in his animalized state.
But there was no other way. This was the best method to move Yumin quickly.
“Grrr.”
Tae-jun slowly approached Yumin and stuck out his tongue. He licked Yumin’s cheek with his rough tongue. Yumin’s eyes snapped open, and he froze.
…It’s wet. It tickles.
Tae-jun groomed Yumin’s cheeks and the tip of his nose very gently. At the same time, he rumbled loudly. Yumin felt strange from the deafening purring sound.
Tae-jun was a tiger; it was true that he still hadn’t gotten used to it. Even seeing him transformed into an animal like this felt unfamiliar. But it wasn’t just scary. The purring sounded like a song shouting ‘I love you,’ making his chest tingle.
If you thought about it, Tae-jun was crazy. Not only was the sudden exposure of his identity, which he had kept so well hidden, shocking, but more importantly, his actions had made Yumin misunderstand that his life was threatened, causing him to run away for days. And when he finally found him, hadn’t he locked him in a room that wouldn’t open?
Tae-jun’s actions so far were enough to warrant dragging him to the police station. Many of them constituted serious crimes.
But Yumin couldn’t push away Tae-jun, who was gently licking his face. Since Yumin was also a feline, he knew very well that this purring sound couldn’t be faked. All felines sang this happy song only when they were truly in love. Their throats wouldn’t rumble for anyone they didn’t like.
Tae-jun, with his eyes closed and purring loudly, looked like a beast in love to anyone who saw him.
“You’re really something else.”
Yumin pouted and tapped the bridge of Tae-jun’s nose. Then Tae-jun rubbed his head against Yumin’s neck.
“What are you so proud of, coming at me like that?”
Yumin said gruffly and smacked Tae-jun’s forehead hard. Despite this, Tae-jun didn’t avoid him; instead, he burrowed deeper into Yumin’s embrace. Yumin, with a mix of annoyance and irritation, smacked Tae-jun’s forehead again. As if giving him permission to be angry, Tae-jun kept clinging to him.
“Even if you do this, my anger won’t completely disappear, you know?”
Yumin clicked his tongue, displeased. Yet, he diligently picked up the clothes Tae-jun had dropped on the ground.
Tae-jun gestured with his head towards his back. The tiger’s powerful back was incredibly wide and as firm as rock.
“It’s too high… will it be okay?”
Then Tae-jun lowered his body flat. Yumin carefully approached him, stroked his back, and then climbed on. Once he confirmed Yumin was on his back, Tae-jun quickly sprang up. Then he began to run with all his might.
“Whoa!”
Yumin was amazed by the scenery he had never seen before. His field of vision was incredibly high, so different from what he usually saw on four or two legs. The tall trees felt infinitely close. The scent of the grass in the undergrowth was stronger, and the wind was fierce. As the sun set beyond the mountains, a wave of crimson washed over the fields.
The sight of the forest from the back of a tiger, crossing it, was something he had never imagined. Yumin took a deep breath and tightly hugged Tae-jun’s neck. Then Tae-jun picked up speed, running like the wind. His hair whipped around wildly. The only time he had run this fast was on a train.
“Go right!”
Tae-jun changed direction as Yumin instructed.
“Now it’s a stream. We have to cross there!”
Even the rather wide and deep stream, Tae-jun leaped over it with ease. It was an incredibly large jump, but the landing was stable. Thanks to that, Yumin was able to hang on comfortably without feeling any shock. Tae-jun jumped several more times. The two ran unhindered, moving from one hill to another, and then to yet another.
“This is fun!”
Before he knew it, Yumin was laughing heartily.
As they neared Yumin’s house, Tae-jun transformed back into a human. After sharing water from the village spring, the two walked slowly. By the time they reached the front gate, his parents were just opening the door.
“Oh my! Yumin, you were here!”
“We were looking for you, so it’s good you’re here.”
Though it had been a while since he’d seen them, their faces were familiar and comforting to Yumin. He ran to his parents and hugged them tightly.
“Mom! Dad!”
“Be careful when you run. What if you fall?”
“I’m so happy!”
“You’re still like a child. What can we do?”
Yumin’s mother also hugged her son tightly. She smiled warmly as she looked at Tae-jun over Yumin’s shoulder.
“By the way, you went to Seoul and even made such a wonderful boyfriend. You’re doing great.”
“That’s right. We’re so proud.”
His father also gave Tae-jun a thumbs-up.
“What? You already knew?”
“Of course. Tae-jun came early and helped repair the barn and watered the cornfield. He did so well; we’re very pleased.”
“Not at all. I’m just grateful you gave birth to such a beautiful Yumin.”
“My, he’s so polite. Our son has married well!”
When had Tae-jun arrived in the village? Preparing for the noisy festival, preparing gifts… he had even helped with their family chores, which was astonishing. If his plan was to win over the adults, it was a huge success.
“Married… hmm…”
Yumin hesitated. He hadn’t officially declared his intention to marry Tae-jun yet. They needed to discuss the pregnancy first and confirm their feelings before they could even think about marriage, but nothing had been decided yet. It would be strange to suddenly announce, ‘By the way, I’m pregnant,’ right here.
But wait. I haven’t even told Tae-jun that I’m pregnant. Who should I tell first? Tae-jun? Or Mom and Dad…
It felt like the order was mixed up, or maybe not. Yumin was confused. As he stood there, unsure what to do, his father called him.
“Yumin, let’s go quickly.”
“Where to?”
“To the festival. Your uncle is asking for you to come quickly.”
Just then, Tae-jun stepped forward.
“Father, we’ll be there a little later.”
“Why is that?”
“Actually, Yumin isn’t feeling very well. He said he feels dizzy.”
“Oh? Did he get carsick?”
“Yes. The road here is quite winding, isn’t it?”
“I see. Then Tae-jun, please take good care of Yumin. And Yumin, you be a good host to our guest too.”
With that, his parents went down the hill, and Yumin was led into the house by Tae-jun.
“Why do you want to stay instead of going to the festival? I’m fine now.”
“Because I want to be with you.”
“Hmm… you really like me, don’t you.”
Yumin puffed out his chest. His anger hadn’t completely subsided yet. It was true that Tae-jun had teased him with malicious intent and been overly possessive. Yumin had only acknowledged that Tae-jun genuinely liked him; he wasn’t going to overlook what he had done.
“Hey, Beom Tae-jun.”
“Yes, Yumin.”
“Follow me. We need to talk.”
Yumin led Tae-jun to his room on the second floor. When he opened the door, the birch forest was visible through the large window. Soft afternoon sunlight streamed into the room, filled with the energy of nature.
The room was cozy and cute. Everything was decorated with wood or natural materials. A desk and chair made of logs, a hand-knitted rug, slippers made of natural fabric. The bed wasn’t very large, but the fluffy down comforter created a sense of coziness.
As Tae-jun looked around the room, he picked up a framed photo by the head of the bed.
“You were young here? You were chubby, just like you said back then.”
In the photo, Yumin was a middle schooler. His cheeks were plump, and his bangs were neatly arranged, making his already young face look even more youthful.
It was a rebellious phase, so Yumin was trying his best to exude charisma. He stared intently and clenched his lips, but to Tae-jun, he was just a mouthful.
“You’re really cute.”
“No, I was very tough and cool back then. I was a rough guy.”
“To me, you’re just too cute.”
Tae-jun sat down on the bed. Then he gently stroked the frame for a long time.
“You’re still cute now.”
“What?”
Kiss. He kissed Yumin’s cheek. Yumin covered his lips with both hands.
“Don’t.”
“Can’t I? Why?”
Tae-jun whispered and leaned in, lifting Yumin’s T-shirt. When his cold hand touched Yumin’s bare skin, Yumin jumped up in surprise.
“No!”
“Why not? Do you still hate me?”
“Th-that’s not it… Actually, inside here…”
“Yes.”
“There’s another Beastman besides us!”
Yumin said with determination, clenching his fist tightly. Tae-jun blinked, froze like ice for a moment, and then burst into a bright laugh.
“Are there two Beastmen besides us?”
“Two… yes. How did you know?”
“I had a feeling. Let’s see. Is it in here?”
Tae-jun slowly stroked Yumin’s belly. This time, Yumin was surprised.
“You knew?”
“Yes. Until now, it was just a guess.”
“Oh, my…! I only found out the other day… You knew before me?”
“I didn’t say anything because it seemed like you hadn’t realized it yet. Were you very surprised?”
“You jerk!”
Yumin punched Tae-jun hard in the solar plexus. Tae-jun didn’t back down and took a few more hits.
“I went to the hospital without even knowing that. The doctor saw me and immediately said there was something in my belly. I thought I had a tumor!”
Yumin grabbed Tae-jun by the collar and shook him. During this, tears welled up in his eyes.
“But it wasn’t a tumor, it was a baby… a baby. The babies I wanted so badly… sob.”
Yumin began to sob. It was the existence he had longed for so desperately. Babies, who would probably resemble Tae-jun perfectly, had taken root in his belly. It was a life he wanted to obtain and protect no matter how difficult things became, and now it had sprouted within him. Finally, Yumin’s wish had come true.
“Yumin, do you know? I’m so happy. Because we’re having a baby.”
“Happier than me? No way. I love babies so much.”
“I’m happier. Getting a baby that looks like you was my wish.”
“Ha, you said you didn’t want to have children before?”
“When did I?”
“Remember the group project assignment?”
Yumin glared at him. Tae-jun drooped his eyebrows and looked apologetic, but to Yumin, that face was infuriating.
“You changed me. Everything changed after I met Go Yumin. I want to get married so badly, and I’m going crazy wanting to see children that look just like you right away.”
“Ha! So, this is all my fault? That’s unbelievable.”
“Yes. If I hadn’t met you, I would have lived alone my whole life. The thought alone is terrifying.”
Tae-jun gently cupped Yumin’s angry face in his hands, met his eyes, and said. Within the world’s most fearsome eyes lay a determination to possess what was his and protect it perfectly. It was the trace of a sweet and cozy obsession.
“…So, Yumin, marry me.”
Tae-jun whispered, looking down at Yumin’s eyes.
“…Beom Tae-jun, first of all, I’m going to have the baby. I didn’t expect to get pregnant, but since a baby has appeared, I have to give birth.”
“Then, marriage?”
“……”
“Why aren’t you answering, Yumin? You won’t marry me? Please, marry me. I’ll buy you everything you want. I’ll do all the housework for the rest of my life, so you don’t have to lift a finger. I’ll earn all the money, so you can just play at home. Okay?”
“Um, excuse me, Beom Tae-jun, but could you listen to me for a moment? I’m a non-marriage advocate.”
“Non…?”
Tae-jun’s eyes widened as if he’d been hit on the back of the head. A word he never imagined Yumin would say came out of his mouth.
“Don’t you know what a non-marriage advocate is? I have no intention of getting married!”
“Why!”
“What I wanted was offspring, not marriage. It was like that from the beginning.”
“Yumin, please! Listen to me. If you listen, you’ll want to get married too.”
Yumin turned around abruptly. Tae-jun pleaded, grabbing Yumin’s hem. Yumin smiled, savoring the triumph.
“But I never imagined I was pregnant until I was diagnosed at the hospital. Usually, males can’t get pregnant.”
“Normally, they can’t.”
“You’re a special Beastman, aren’t you? The doctor said that to be able to impregnate me, you had to be a Beastman with very special qualities.”
Tae-jun nodded his head slightly.
“That’s right. I’m not just a tiger. The blood of the Tiger God flows in my family.”
“Ha… Tiger God… So that’s why pregnancy was possible.”
He had heard of it before. Unlike ordinary Beastmen, there were cases where a specific animal god appeared in human form. Furthermore, there were instances of them combining with humans to have offspring. He heard that their fertility was immense, and they always produced offspring.
At one point, the wildcat family had tried to find them and get information, but they lacked the courage to approach the large and fearsome tigers, so the project was canceled. Therefore, they never had the chance to learn about the superior reproductive capabilities of the Beom clan, descendants of the Tiger God.
“That’s right. That’s probably why we didn’t notice each other being Beastmen sooner. My pheromones are different from ordinary Beastmen.”
“Huh? So you really didn’t know I was a wildcat? You only found out when my ears appeared?”
Yumin asked, and Tae-jun tilted his head.
“Wildcat? Come to think of it, your uncle kept saying ‘wildcat, wildcat.’ Aren’t you a cat, Yumin?”
“Wh-what?! A cat?”
“Yes. Aren’t you and your relatives all cats? Why do they keep calling you a wildcat? You’re so small and cute.”
At those words, Yumin’s eyes widened. He felt anger boiling up.
“Hey, do I still look like a cat to you?!”
Yumin screamed and headbutted Tae-jun’s forehead.