Chapter Text
At 9 am on April 16, 2020, there was a simultaneous biological riot around the world. The size of various breeds of house pets suddenly shot up, causing several wide-scale incidents and developing into a mass panic. Due to the great significance of this phenomenon, the event was recorded in history as the beginning of a new era of mixed species, and was thus dubbed ‘Evolution day’.
On April 17, the species who experienced the changes brought upon by Evolution day had consecutive varying degrees of shrinkage in size, and after surveying it showed that these changes were also accompained by a great increase in IQ.
On the following days, there were multiple accounts of pets beginning to speak in human language all over the world. According to the survey at the scene, the pets who spoke were logical and their thinking was clear, their world perception and general cognition was almost indistinguishable from that of humans. Due to the overwhelming majority of the evolved species consisting of former house pets, it was theorized with substantial evidence that proximity to humans was a deciding factor in the process of their evolution.
On April 20, after careful observation and prompting, it was proven that the species capable of language could also willingly shift into humanoid form, with varying but high degrees of success.
Only a few months later the scientific community reached a general consensus, biologists and experts uniformly gave these organisms the name of Evolutionary species, and successively cataloged them according to their morphology, physical capability and IQ. Subsequently divided into: Half species, First order species, and Second order species.
On January 12, 2021, the International Convention of the protection of Rights and Interests of the Evolutionary species was held after countries from all around the world actively requested the integration of Evolutionary species into society.
Thus, the era of Evolutionary species started, brought upon by the breakneck speed of assimilation of the Evolutionary species and subsequent progress into a society of mixed races, and although not all countries accepted the evolutionary species as citizens with the same rights as humans, the general consensus amongst the globalized civilization was that they were friendly to humans and thus should be treated as equals.
Many regulations were passed in order to accommodate the interests of Evolutionary species, one of which was the renowned ‘Raising Contract’.
Because most of the Evolved species were former house pets, all of which had positive impressions of their previous owners, it was observed that there were many who were still interested in continuing a cohabiting relationship with their former masters.
To guarantee the equality of such an agreement and considering that both parties consented to it, the Raising contract was established, giving the relationship of the Evolutionary species and their former human master an official status recognized by the law.
Amongst the select few diligent pet owners who successfully raised Evolutionary species, there was a certain man.
Kim Dokja, 31 years old, former overworked salaryman and current proud owner of a successful and flourishing business, his very own Cat Cafe: Kim Dokja’s Company.
Or at least that’s how it was supposed to be.
At 7 pm on April 15, 2020, there would be a terrorism incident involving an explosion in the carriage 3707 of the 3434 Train to Bulgwang, and Kim Dokja, who was on his way back home from running some errands downtown and had coincidentally been riding on the car directly after it, would consequently become bedridden and spend the two following years deep into a coma.
As for the ten beloved cats he had spent the past three years raising, well.
Of course, they could only raise hell.
Uriel had been making her rounds around the coma ward in Eden hospital, as she often did once every other week.
These days she didn’t have as much time to help out in her family’s hospital, busy as she was with rehearsals and other activities pertaining to her job as an idol, but she still liked to lend a hand every now and then when her packed schedule allowed it. Amongst the nurses of the hospital (or angels, as the public liked to call them, seeing as management and staff consisted mostly of bird-type evolutionary species), not many enjoyed the task of watching over the eerily quiet coma ward, dubbing it as boring and even ‘creepy’ by some, but Uriel on her part found the job very relaxing.
Additionally, she got to visit one of her favorite patients.
“Dokja-ssi, how are you today~?” she greeted cheerfully once she reached the luxury private room with the label ‘3807’ on the door.
Naturally, Kim Dokja could not reply to her. Uriel however wasn’t deterred in the least, this is how it had always been after all, thus she proceeded on with her job; calmly checking the vitals, replenishing the serum, aiding in range-of-motion exercises, cleaning and moisturizing the skin…
Yes, that was also a part of her job, besides, his skin was so soft and free of blemishes, it should be taken care of accordingly!!
Not to mention this was a VIP patient they were talking about, Metatron had stressed it to her several times that no amount of attention or resources should be spared when it comes to this particular patient. Apparently, he was very well connected.
Observing the soft and delicate features of the young man, Uriel wondered who could be the influential figure behind him, taking care of the hospital bills and paying for VIP care for these past two years. Maybe it was some kind of handsome rich CEO, unable to give up on his beloved and patiently waiting for him to wake up and come home…
Giggling to herself, Uriel pulled out a notepad from her pocket and scribbled something into it.
Despite never having had a chance to have a proper conversation with Kim Dokja herself and knowing next to nothing about him, the reason why she had grown especially fond of him in these past few years was precisely this.
Ever since her awakening as an Evolved species, Uriel had always had a soft spot for cute boys. Not in a sexual or even romantic way, but simply as an aesthethic appreciation. Usually she was satisfied just with admiring them, but sometimes she also enjoyed using them as inspiration for her stories (or fantasies, as Gabriel liked to put it).
Suffice to say that by now, she had already filled several pages worth of tropes featuring Kim Dokja as the subject. Everything from an illicit romance with an overbearing CEO, to childhood sweethearts, rival idols, arranged marriages, soulmates, apocalypse fantasy drama… you name it.
The only thing she regretted was that she had yet to decide on what the perfect partner for him should be.
The general practice (and her personal vias) dictates that in order to make a good companionship (read: pairing), both parts should be polar opposites of each other, for better contrast as well as a source of conflict. Taking into account Dokja-ssi’s pale countenance and lithe build, the other person should naturally be on the taller side, with strong, well-defined muscles, as well as a notable ‘male lead’ aura…
The face of a certain person immediately came to mind, her favorite pro-gamer and streamer whom she had been religiously following ever since his debut. Without shadow of a doubt, if it was that person then he would make an amazing ‘Overbearing CEO’.
Gabriel had called her crazy for obsessing over a streamer who was a Cat-type Evolutionary species of all things, her natural predator, but she couldn’t help it. He was just too handsome!
Besides, it’s not like they were simple animals anymore, they were Evolved Species, as far as she was concerned that sort of rivalry was something of the past. Moreover, she was a Second order, even if her opponent was another Second order Cat-type, she was confident that she could hold her own. Not to mention that she didn’t really want him for herself, but rather…
As Uriel’s imagination worked away at an unrivaled speed, a certain picture started coming alive in her mind. Ah… how come she had never thought of them together before? Just standing next to each other would be an image worthy of a painting, if she were to see it happen at least once in her lifetime, she could fly away to the heavens with a fulfilled conscience~!
She was still in the middle of fantasizing when she suddenly heard a small, hoarse voice croak out inquisitively, “Excuse me, Miss…?”
Uriel snapped back to attention at the sound, green eyes meeting dark, star-filled ones belonging precisely to the young man on the bed.
For a brief moment, silence enveloped the room, neither party daring to break it.
Then, just as suddenly, Uriel shrieked loudly, “Kyaaaaaaaa!!! He’s awake, he’s awake!” Without further warning, the nurse unfolded her wings, two large, white masses of fluffy feathers, and flew away from the room, leaving the patient watching her departure with a dumbfounded expression.
Uriel however currently lacked the presence of mind to pay attention to such details, the first thing she did once she had fled the coma ward being to storm into Metatron’s office, a whirlwind of papers flying into the air in her wake and feathers trailing after her as her wings finally beat into a stop. “Di-director!”
Despite having his work disrupted by the commotion, director Metatron simply raised a sculpted, judgemental eyebrow in his employee’s direction and heaved a sigh, “Uriel, what have I told you about keeping your voice down while inside the hospital?”
“Nevermind that!” she screamed, her uncharacteristic impoliteness drawing Metatron’s attention, “The patient, the VIP patient in room 3807, Kim Dokja woke up!”
At those words, the director’s demeanor changed in an instant, getting up from his chair in one swift motion and sweeping his white coat clean of wayward feathers in a no-nonsense fashion, “Uriel, accompany me to the patient’s room.”
-
After verifying that yes, in fact, the patient was conscious and responsive and it wasn’t just a play of her wishful and sometimes overactive imagination, Uriel was tasked with the very important duty of notifying Kim Dokja’s immediate relatives of the good news.
Which found her staring, completely in shock at the extensive list of names displayed as Kim Dokja’s family, along with their respective contacts.
‘N-no way, all of these people, aren’t they…?’
Uriel gulped. So this was what Metatron meant by ‘well connected’.
She was preparing herself to start calling from the top of the list when suddenly, her eyes caught sight of a certain name, sitting innocuously somewhere in the middle. She gasped.
‘Oh my god oh my god oh my god, is this for real?! It can’t really be him, right?’
Not believing her eyes, Uriel dialed the number displayed without thinking about it, forgetting to use the hospital’s phone and instead calling from her personal one in her haste.
Noticing her mistake, Uriel cursed and went to hang up, thinking that the other person surely wouldn’t pick up a call from an unknown number so suddenly, but surprisingly before she could end the call, a gruff, slightly annoyed baritone rang out from the speaker.
“Who is this?”
Startled, Uriel spoke without thinking, “Yes! Um, Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi?”
“How did you get my number?” The person on the other side asked somewhat accussingly instead of replying.
It didn’t escape Uriel’s attention that he didn’t confirm nor deny being the famous pro-player, but Uriel had been following the other’s career long enough to recognize his voice. She was currently struggling to hold on to her professionalism, ‘Oh my god, it's really him! I’m really talking to Yoo Joonghyuk, The Supreme King Yoo Joonghyuk!!’
Remembering that she had yet to introduce herself, Uriel hurried to ease the streamer’s worries, “Oh! Sorry about that, my name is Uriel, I’m a nurse at the Eden Hospital. It’s regarding patient Kim Dokja.”
There was a brief moment of charged silence in which she could hear the other take in a shuddering breath, apprehensiveness bleeding into his voice “...Did something happen?”
“Ah, sorry I didn’t mean to worry you!” Uriel stumbled to clarify, innerly wanting to hit herself for her thoughtlessness, “It’s not anything bad, in fact he just woke up!”
“...!” There was a cluttering noise like something falling into the floor, and Uriel was about to ask if the man was alright before Yoo Joonghyuk’s voice spoke into the phone once again, sounding slightly out of breath, “...Are you telling the truth?”
“Of course!” she assured him, placing a hand over her heart like she was making an oath, even if the other couldn’t see her, “You can come see for yourself if you don’t believe me, he’s awake at this very moment!”
“I’m on my way.” Yoo Joonghyuk said, voice cool and composed but with a slight edge of anticipation. Uriel could feel her hands starting to itch with the need to write this all down in her notepad, sensing the beginning of an endless flow of inspiration. “Before I go, can I ask you for a favor?”
Uriel was startled back from her wandering thoughts, not having expected the usually stoic and inflexible man to ask for anything in such a humble manner. Her answer naturally went without saying. “Yes, of course!”
“I’ll take responsibility for everything, just don’t tell the others yet.”
I was currently in something of a daze.
I’d been in a coma for around two years, according to the caucascian-looking doctor who came to check on me. I couldn’t really find it in myself to doubt his words, seeing as I did feel like someone who’d just been freshly dug out from their grave. As of yet I could barely lift a finger, much less walk away and check myself out, as much as I wanted to.
My first instinct was naturally to ask about my cats, the second being to ask for my cell phone.
The third was to ask about that pretty, also somewhat foreigner-looking nurse that I had woken up to —and who had also flown away in what looked like white angel wings— and whether I had hallucinated the whole thing with my half-asleep and medication-muddled brain.
Doctor Metatron, as he said his name was, which was interesting all on its own, didn’t know anything about my cats, although I hadn’t really put much hope in that he would, but he did bring me my phone. Or what looked like my phone, except my phone had a big crack across the screen and also the bottom corner was chipped away from how often I had dropped it while rolling over on my bed reading webnovels, and this one was brand new, if a similar model.
Which didn’t come as much of a shock as anticipated, if my accident was as serious as I was told it stood to reason that my original phone was either blown into smithereens or lost in the commotion and probably also stepped on repeatedly by the panicking crowd.
As for my third question, Metatron's answer was: “Oh, that was just Uriel.”
And that was that.
Okay , I’ll just assume I hallucinated the wings part and leave the matter to ponder later.
Now going back to the more pressing matter. My cats.
Looking at my brand new phone as well as my private and very fancy looking hospital room, I could only think of two people who had the sort of resources as well as enough good will towards me to provide me with these things: Hades and Persephone.
Although I knew the Underworld pair held some sort of paternal feelings towards me and regarded me as something of an heir to their Gastronomical empire, I was still somewhat surprised that they’d still pay for my life support for an entire two years. Perhaps I was jumping to conclusions, but I couldn’t really think of anyone else that would fit the bill, and even then it was hard to believe.
I wasn’t precisely a people person, in fact I didn't have any friends nor a family either aside from my estranged mother in prison. Almost the entirety of my life was spent by myself.
Which was precisely why my cats were so important to me.
Some people would say that it was ridiculous to hold pets to the same level of regard that one would for humans, that they were just animals. But to me, I had been saved by them.
Hades and Perspehone naturally knew this fact about me, so I expected (hoped) that they wouldn’t have just abandoned my cats if they were willing to provide my healthcare for these past two years.
Still, I couldn’t shake the anxiety in my heart.
Unlocking my phone, I went to search my contact list for Persephone’s number when I saw something that made me scratch my head in confusion.
Han Sooyoung, Jung Heewon, Lee Hyunsung, Yoo Sangah…
‘These names, aren’t they…?’
Why were my cats listed as contacts…?
My first thought was that Persephone might have assigned them under the supervision of different employees, and these were the contacts of the people currently taking care of each of them, although it sounded a bit far-fetched.
But it was the only explanation I could find under the current circumstances.
Thinking that I might as well find out, I decided to call the first number listed, Han Sooyoung’s. Just before I could press call though, the door of my room suddenly slid open with enough strength to nearly make a dent on the wall.
Startled, I turned wide eyes towards the violent intruder, my hand just shy of the nurse call button, and met the stranger’s smoldering gaze.
Which, I didn’t know who this person was or why he was staring at me like he wanted to either beat me back into a coma or disembowel me with his bare hands. I was tempted to ask him if he had perhaps mistaken me for the person who murdered his entire family or something, or maybe it was the person his girlfriend had cheated on him with, seeing how righteously pissed he looked.
Except that one of those two options was completely improbable because I couldn’t see any sane woman cheating on a man who looked like that, least of all with someone like me of all people .
So I was left at a loss as the adonis-looking man approached me with heavy, purposeful strides.
Perhaps because I was physically incapable of running away as my legs were virtually useless at the moment, thus leaving me with no choice other than to accept the reality of my imminent violent end weighing upon me like the hypothetical sword of Damocles, I stared straight into the face of death with enough idleness to properly appreciate its handsome features.
Eyebrows seemingly drawn by a single, uninterrupted stroke of a famed artist's brush; a nose and a chin shaped in perfect angles that defied attempts to measure them through mere devices of men; a pair of deep eyes seemingly carved out of a beautiful jewel containing all the misfortunes found in this world.
I had never considered myself as someone with an aesthetic or sexual inclination towards the male figure, not that I was completely uninterested, but romance and sexual relationships had just always seemed like something that didn’t concern me as it was practically unachievable in levels both personal and emotional. Now though, I couldn’t help but think that ‘Yes, these are undoubtedly the looks of a protagonist.’
Only once my soon-to-be-murderer was standing in front of me did I remember that I still had a phone in one hand and a nurse call button on the other, both objects that I could use to call for help, however it was already too late as my right wrist was clasped into a deathgrip and the phone in my hand pulled away in one swift motion, something in the screen's display seeming to deeply bother the stranger in some way because the already prevalent crease between his eyebrows grew even steeper if possible.
“Kim Dokja” The man said, deep voice heavy with untold emotions, and before I could finish processing the fact that Yes, this stranger knew my name so was he technically still a stranger? I was being pulled into the other’s embrace.
For a brief moment that felt like an eternity, I did nothing but lay frozen and think about how warm and strong the arms enveloping me felt, somehow, the sensation came off both as foreign and strangely familiar.
Then I felt the other man bury his nose into the crook of my neck and ‘Huh, is this guy rubbing his face against me-?!’
Abruptly coming back to my senses, I pulled away from the man’s tight hold, “Um, sir…?” I asked as I simultaneously started subtly feeling around for the nurse-call button that I had dropped, ‘Help, I’m being harassed by a weirdo protagonist-looking creep!’
The bastard at hand, on his part, threw me a reproachful look that edged on disappointment and sighed somewhat wistfully, which made me feel like I had failed some sort of test and I should not be feeling guilty, damn it! “You fool,” he said, something in his previously bottomless dark eyes turning soft and warm, like melted chocolate, “It’s me, Yoo Joonghyuk.”
Huh, so it was Yoo Joonghyuk.
Yoo Joonghyuk…
Yoo Joonghyuk??!!