Chapter 65: A Game of Cat and Fish

We brought the girl, who introduced herself as Delphine, back to the villa.

Jinhyang and Yoon Bora were nowhere to be seen,

but the fireplace was lit, indicating they hadn’t gone far.

From what we could gather, Delphine was the caretaker of this villa.

She had been dispatched by the association to support Jinhyang’s off-grid lifestyle.

‘No wonder she seemed to have a purpose.’

So, she was the villa’s owner.

I felt embarrassed for even suspecting her for a moment.

Raxy Bora, however, still seemed skeptical of Delphine.

“Um, Delphine, why are you so afraid of Harang?”

Raxy Bora’s expression was serious as she asked the question.

“Well, uh…”

Delphine nervously rubbed her arm and stole a glance at me.

The moment our eyes met, she quickly looked away.

‘Oh no…’

Seeing her trembling in fear, I felt a wave of guilt wash over me.

After all, I was the one who’d made her feel this way.

Feeling utterly drained, I collapsed onto the sofa.

At that moment, Delphine began to speak hesitantly.

“When I was a child, I almost got killed by a Silver Tiger. Ever since then, I get scared just seeing something similar…”

Her gaze flicked toward my ears and tail as she swallowed hard.

‘A trauma, huh.’

I could completely understand her fear.

After being trapped in a dungeon, even seeing something vaguely zombie-like was enough to make my skin crawl.

There was even a time on a film set when just looking at fake zombies caused my legs to give out.

“Sigh…”

I buried my face into the sofa cushion and let out a long sigh.

Living with someone who was terrified of me?

The thought alone was already overwhelming.

Of course, it wasn’t her fault at all.

‘It’s tough being so intimidating.’

As expected, this body had too many issues.

Some people found me terrifying, some found me repulsive, while others admired me.

This extreme polarization of opinions meant that everyone treated me differently.

And as a result, I never knew how to interact with people properly.

“Ugh…”

As I buried my face deeper into the cushion and swung my legs up and down, I felt a hand rest on my back.

Judging by the size and the gentle pressure, it was likely Raxy Bora.

“Harang, what’s wrong?”

“I’m just… wondering what I should do moving forward.”

“Can you tell your big sister what’s bothering you?”

Raxy Bora’s soothing voice was followed by her hand gently patting my back.

Her kind gesture made me open up without realizing it.

“Raxy, you know how I can sometimes be really scary, right?”

“Y-Yeah, I know.”

Whether it was baring my teeth ferociously or roaring like a tiger, the wild savagery I occasionally displayed…

“It’s something I can’t help.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I have to release it sometimes, or something truly terrifying might surface.”

“O-Oh, I see…”

That said, I realized I’d need to control myself better moving forward.

Even with just a little display of aggression, I could easily make Delphine cry.

Not that I felt confident about suppressing the instincts of my still-unfamiliar body.

“Harang, are you worried that you might accidentally make Delphine cry?”

“Yeah… But, she’s not my ‘unnie.’ I’m older than her.”

“That’s true, but that’s not really the point here.”

“Hmm, okay.”

It was an important point, but Raxy Bora’s serious tone made me decide to let it slide for now.

“Then all we need to do is make Harang less scary.”

“And how exactly…?”

In response to my question, Raxy Bora started pulling out my treasures one by one.

Churu snacks, a toy fishing rod, and my little house.

Each of them was a priceless treasure to me.

A mischievous smile spread across Raxy Bora’s face as she held them up.

It was a smile that made me feel strangely apprehensive.

I retreated into my “little house,” peeking out to watch Raxy Bora and Delphine.

“Delphine, come here.”

“Yes?”

Hearing Raxy Bora casually call her name, Delphine’s eyes widened in surprise.

It wasn’t unusual anyone would be taken aback if someone suddenly dropped formalities.

“Delphine, let’s speak casually.”

“Oh, but I’m more comfortable with formal speech…”

“Really? Should I use formal speech too, then?”

“N-No, you don’t have to, unnie! Please keep speaking casually.”

Delphine hurriedly waved her hands in protest at Raxy Bora’s sudden shift in tone.

“Alright, then. I’ll keep it casual. It feels friendlier that way.”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

When Delphine nodded, Raxy Bora chuckled softly.

“So, Delphine, you’re scared of Harang because she reminds you of a tiger, right?”

“Yes. I know I shouldn’t be, but… I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize. We just need to get closer from now on. Here, take this.”

Raxy Bora handed Delphine my toy fishing rod.

The toy fish dangling from the end swayed, immediately drawing my attention.

“What is this?”

“It’s Harang’s favorite toy. Wanna try swinging it?”

“Like… this?”

Delphine flicked her wrist, making the fishing rod sway.

As the fish wobbled at the end, my predator instincts began to stir.

‘She’s surprisingly good at this.’

The fish moved so naturally it felt alive, flitting freely in the air.

It looked like this was going to be a satisfying hunt.

I locked my gaze on the swaying fish, my focus unwavering.

It wasn’t as fast as when Yoon Bora played with it, making it feel within reach.

‘Now!’

I lunged forward, stretching out my hand to grab the fish, but swish!

Delphine swiftly pulled the rod back, and the fish narrowly escaped my grasp.

“What?”

My movements, quicker than an arrow, had failed.

How could this happen?

I looked up at Delphine, a bit flustered. She was blushing faintly, her lips curling into a timid smile.

“How is it, Delphine?” Raxy Bora asked.

“Well, it’s… kind of fun. Harang is surprisingly cute too…”

Listening to Delphine, I noticed something odd.

‘Didn’t she say earlier she was more comfortable with formal speech? So why is she using casual language with me?’

And calling me just “Harang,” no less.

On top of that, I was older than Raxy Bora, yet here I was being treated like a younger sibling.

It felt strange, but I decided not to dwell on it for now.

After all, Delphine was holding the fishing rod.

I didn’t want to upset her and risk cutting the game short.

“What do you think? Can you two play together?”

Raxy Bora asked, alternating her gaze between Delphine and me.

“Yes, I think we can,” I replied, looking at Delphine with a hopeful expression.

I silently wished she’d continue playing with me.

Hunting games were just as enjoyable as Churu snacks for me.

“Yes, I think I can play with Harang,” Delphine replied, her hand lightly flicking the fishing rod.

As the fish at the end of the line swayed, I quickly leapt to grab it, but swish!

Delphine twitched the rod at the last moment, evading my reach yet again.

“Alright, I’ll step out for a bit. You two keep playing, okay?”

“Okay,” Delphine and I answered in unison.

Our synchronization was unexpected, but it made me feel at ease.

Maybe I’d worried for nothing.

There was a chance that Delphine and I could become good friends after all.

The hunting game with the fishing rod was undoubtedly one of my favorite pastimes.

But today, something felt off.

Every time I reached out to catch the fish, it slipped away at the very last moment.

‘Why can’t I catch it?’

By now, I should’ve caught it at least three times.

Yet, not even once had I succeeded today.

‘Maybe it’s because someone else is holding the rod?’

It seemed Delphine hadn’t grasped the rules of the game.

The simple rule that the fish was supposed to get caught by me.

“Um, Delphine… I really want to catch the fish now…”

Lowering myself onto all fours, I looked up at Delphine.

I wagged my tail slowly and furrowed my eyebrows, putting on the most pitiful face I could muster.

That’s how badly I wanted to catch the fish.

“Already…? Can’t we play just a little longer?”

“Well, it’s just that…”

Of course, I wanted to keep playing too.

If I could spend the whole day playing, I’d be thrilled.

But if I couldn’t catch the fish, the fun just wasn’t there.

The joy of the hunt came from the success, not the failure.

‘What should I do…?’

It wasn’t like I could suddenly criticize her for playing the game wrong.

She was already afraid of me.

Even the slightest correction might make her tremble.

‘Guess there’s no other choice.’

I had to rely on my physical prowess this time.

After all, even Yoon Bora was astonished by my speed.

‘Let’s do this.’

Without hesitation, I tensed the muscles in my legs and leapt toward the fish.

Rather than aiming for where it was, I anticipated where it would go.

“Got it…!”

This time, for real.

As the corners of my lips instinctively curled up in triumph, I clenched my hand tightly around the fish.

But in that very moment

The fish slipped out of my grasp as if it had been coated in oil.

‘Ah.’

I missed it. Again.

A wave of emptiness washed over me, so overwhelming that I couldn’t even focus on landing properly.

I fell face-first onto the ground with a dull thud.

Thanks to my lightweight body, the impact wasn’t too severe.

Besides, the bit of fat cushioning my body softened the blow.

‘Ugh.’

With my face still planted against the floor, I flailed my limbs.

“Why… why can’t I catch the fish?”

Thump-thump-thump-thump!

Like a child throwing a tantrum, I began pounding the floor repeatedly.

Embarrassing, yes, but it was a calculated move to guilt her.

This was essentially my protest begging her to finally give me the fish.

“I just… want to catch the fish already…”

I mumbled, loud enough for Delphine to hear, stealing a glance at her.

Oddly enough, her face had turned red.

Her slightly upturned lips carried an oddly sadistic aura, making her look… rather terrifying.