Chapter Text
Seo Jiwoo was in a good mood, one month had passed since that accident and he's currently healing from the whole "broken core" situation. He was glad that he is now healing because that would mean he can still go to the Awakened Academy with his friends. What's more, he can cuddle on his cats now that he's back home.
Jiwoo slowly got out of the car that parked in front of his house. "Woah..." he slowly exclaimed. 'It has been so long...'
"It's been a month since you've been back home, isn't it?" Goo Inhyuk asked with a fond smile.
Jiwoo smiled and politely replied. "Yes. I really missed my cats when I was at the hospital."
Goo Inhyuk's expression became fonder as he was also a cat lover. 'Jiwoo really is a butler.' He fondly thought. "Ah! Please wait a moment!" Inhyuk went back inside his car to fetch something.
He gave Jiwoo a box of cat treat. It was a premium brand. Jiwoo's eyes shoned. "Oh? T-This is..."
"Please take it. Since it's been a while, you shouldn't greet them empty-handed."
"Oh. I didn't think about that... Thank you, Mr. Inhyuk. Thank you so much!"
"It's nothing much." Inhyuk scratched his nose. "If it's to make them happy, it's worth it."
Kayden was flabbergasted as he got out of the car. "What the hell are they talking about...?"
Inhyuk got inside the driver seat and honk his car. "Then I'll see you next time."
Jiwoo happily waved as he and Kayden watched the car leave. "Take care on your way!" He, then turned around to face Kayden and says, "Let's go in now, Mr. Kayden!"
"You said Mr. Kartein came home first, right? Is he inside now?"
Somehow, Jiwoo saw Kayden looked away when he ask that question. Kayden, on the other hand, remembered what Kartein said to him before he left the hospital. "I'll leave first since I'm busy."
"...Well, maybe."
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Jiwoo opened the door inside the house and got in. "Guys!" He leaped and hug the three cats, who jumped into his arms in return. "I've missed you all." Kayden sighed with a smile as he watched Jiwoo.
A black cat rubbed his cheeks on Jiwoo's. "Have you guys been well?" and the brown-striped cat headbutted in Jiwoo's forehead. "No one's hurt, right?"
"You've been well too, right?" Jiwoo asked as he glance at the tiger-striped cat with one scar on it's right eye. Jiwoo then turned his attention to the other cat sitting on a cushion. "How about you...?"
"?" Jiwoo was bewildered. "I haven't seen this cat before..." he says as Kayden walked to his side and transformed. "That's Kartein." he says.
Jiwoo turned to his side and gasp. "Huh?! What...?!"
The white, malnourished cat, sneered. "Just what did you do to come home this late? I'm hungry."
"Are... you... really Mr. Kartein?"
With a feline face, he agreed. "Yes it's me."
Seo Jiwoo had his mouth gaped at the situation in front of him. Kartein smirked.
"As expected, you also couldn't tell. Of course, There's not a reason for you to imagine it's me since I'm so perfect."
Jiwoo noticed something different on the cat in front of him. "Huh?" 'Where is the other ear...?' His eyes widened in a horrible realization. The cat, Kartein continued to gloat. "Ha~ Well, on my way here using this disguise, no one could realized I'm human!"
He shakily pointed said ear and faced Kayden. With a pale face, he asked. "His ear...?" but he saw Kayden shook his head as if saying 'Don't you dare say anything.'
Without a choice, Jiwoo could not say anything. "........."
Then a noise below him took his attention away. Meow~
"Oh? Are you hungry? Wait a bit."
Four cats gathered near Jiwoo as he poured a mouthful of cat food into the bowl. 'Mr. Kayden really taught him. But I didn't think he would transform into a cat...' he thought.
"Hey, kid."
"Yes?" Jiwoo asked as he turned to the white cat.
"Are you out of your mind?!"
"W-what's the matter?"
"Aren't you supposed to give me food, as well?"
"Yes?"
"Can't you see? I've perfected being a cat. Shouldn't you give me cat food too?"
Jiwoo sweats. "Ah, yes... wait a minute. Let me get you a bowl or something..." Jiwoo immediately ran to the kitchen. He came back to the living room and presented an expensive looking plate. "How about this one?"
Kartein scrutinized the plate. "Well. It's not that bad." Jiwoo sighed in relief with a suspiciously large amount of plates behind him. Kayden told him, "Just take it easy and eat."
"Only fatties like you simply eats." Kartein retorted.
"........."
The cats continued to eat. Then Jiwoo remembered something. "Ah, Mr. Kayden. I need to go to the Academy about a month from now." Jiwoo informed.
"Academy? It's not yet summer vacation, though?"
"Yes, but they decided to start earlier. You'll also come with me, right?" Jiwoo looked at Kayden expectantly. While munching on his share of food, Kayden replies. "Of course. You're not fully healed yet."
Glancing at Kartein, Jiwoo asked. "But... Won't I take a while to heal since I need a lot of treatment? Will it be okay to participate?"
Kartein struggled holding in his cat food, "I'll also have to come. Even though I'm busy..."
The Doorbell rang and Jiwoo glance at it in wonder. 'Oh. who could that be?'
Then his friends came in one by one. "What the? I was shocked to hear you were already discharged at the hospital!" Yoo Jisuk said, coming inside Jiwoo's Home.
"And you didn't even call us!" Lee Subin added.
"Sorry. My mind was preoccupied that I didn't tell you guys over the phone." Jiwoo apologized. He scratched his head facing them but Jisuk only passed him by. He watched him goes to Kayden- known to other people as Casein Nitrate and presented a treat. "........."
It still a wonder for Jiwoo as to why Yoo Jisuk would be so polite in front of Kayden. 'Did Mr. Kayden tell him? But that's impossible...Did something happened when we separated with him back when we first met the brothers?'
'I remember he started doing this after that time...'
"Cuties~ Have you all been well?" Subin greeted the cats. She opened his arms and the black cat jump onto her leg, clinging. She, then noticed a new addition. "Huh?"
"Who's that? I haven't seen that cat before."
Jiwoo scratched his head, "Oh... um..."
Jisuk and Wooin gathered around while Subin added, "He looks so pitiful and skinny."
The cat, Kartein glared at the teens looking at him. 'How dare you... A mere person like you call me, Kartein, pitiful? How ridiculous.'
"You need to eat more. Huh?"
Jiwoo gasps and Kayden's eyes widened as what they'd been avoiding saying earlier was said by Subin. "Oh so he's been neutered already, huh?"
Kartein's feline eyes dilated at what he heard.
Jisuk and Wooin gave the cat a pitiful glance. Subin says, "Huh? Hey, Jiwoo his body is shaking. His fur is almost gone, as well. He must be cold. Poor thing."
Jiwoo and Kayden looks away while Kartein's feline body continued to shake. Whether from anger or embarrassment, only Kartein knows. Maybe both. 'How embarrassing!'
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Everyday, he and his friends spent their time at his house. It didn't bother Jiwoo because he missed those times, as well since he was bedridden for one whole month before.
One particular day, though, not so different as before, Jiwoo was somehow alone. The reason for that was that he insisted on buying their food. Like that day. Jiwoo shook his head to get rid of that thought.
'It was still afternoon... The sun's still high and there still a lot of people. Nothing's going to happen...'
Seo Jiwoo, even though, had put that incident at the back of his mind, still mildly affected. Maybe, due to that, had almost failed to notice the stranger in front of him and bumped into him.
"Ack! I'm sorry...!" the stranger who is an old and frail man said. He even bowed in a perfect 90 degrees. Jiwoo slightly frowned because it's not even the old man's fault.
"No, it's okay. I am sorry too. I was spacing out." Jiwoo says apologetically. He even waved his arms full on the groceries. "You see? I'm fine. What about you? Are you alright, sir?"
"Oh. I am alright as well, young boy. You are so polite."
"No it was partially my fault because I was spacing out. If I didn't, I wouldn't bump into you, sir."
"Oh still you are polite. No one respected an old man like me like you've done. I bump into many people before but they only beat me up or curse at me."
Jiwoo frowned but ease it up. He comforted the old man. "I'm sorry that happpened to you, sir."
"Aiya! It's okay. It's okay. I ought to stay indoors since I'm old and with no family now."
"Oh. Still it's not good that it happened to you or even to others... Do you mind if I accompany to where you are going?"
"What about you? You carry heavy things. No... No you should go back now young boy, I wouldn't want to be a bother."
"Please let me, sir and you're not a bother. Who knows if we're going the same way. I can accompany you so that no one will harrass you on your way home. I can feel at ease, that way."
"... alright, young boy. Thank you."
Jiwoo left with the old man, after that. True to his words, they really are going on the same way. "Oh my house is in the other side. See? I can accompany you and get home at the same time." Jiwoo says smiling.
"You are right, young boy." the old man smiles, as well.
Seo Jiwoo was able to take the old man home. 'huh was there a shrine in this area?' He saw a fox's figurine on the center of the shrine. "You live in a shrine, sir?"
"I do."
Then light rain started pouring out even though it still early. "oh." the old man exclaimed.
"hm?" Jiwoo hummed.
"Nothing, young boy. You ought to go home fast before you get wet. It's a tiger's wedding day."
"Tiger's wedding day? It's just a rainshower but I guess I'll leave before it became a downpour." Jiwoo helped the old man to sit on the patio of the shrine. He prayed in respect before leaving.
"Goodbye, sir!" after saying goodbye, Seo Jiwoo ran with his groceries.
The old man watched the young boy with fox-like eyes. He was the last living descendant of a family that serves a fox shrine for generations. A creature called a Gumiho- a nine-tailed fox, to be precise. Even though gumihos are usually always depicted as purely evil, there was once upon a time where they were benevolent.
"Aiya~ a fox's who'll be wed to the tiger will gave a blessing to that young man."
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Jiwoo was able to get home in time. His friends swarmed him immediately, helping him with the bags. "You're late! We were about to get you once we notice the weather!" Jisuk exclaimed.
"You didn't even contact us!" Subin added.
'I think I heard this before or was in the same situation...' "I'm sorry I was helping someone out so I got a bit late going home."
"Where were you anyway?" Jisuk asks.
"Oh, just nearby. I was on the other side of the street. The one with a small......" he trailed off. Jiwoo blink. "I forgot..."
"What? You don't know where you came from after leaving the store?"
"huh...?" Jiwoo's face became blank. He tilted his head in wonder. "Wait? I don't remember the place... but I do remember helping someone..."
"Well it must've been not important if you forget about it!" Subin exclaimed. She started pushing Jiwoo to the stairs. "Now go take a shower so you won't get cold!"
"We'll arrange the things you bought and have a party afterwards." Jisuk said helping Subin to push Jiwoo upstairs. Wooin was behind them nodding his head in agreement.
"I guess so." Jiwoo smiled and get himself to take a shower upstairs and returned to his friends downstairs. It took him a minute to shower and heard boisterous voices-probably Jisuk and Subin bickering-downstairs. Jiwoo joined his friends until it was time for them to go home.
Jiwoo felt tired after his friends gone home. "Good night, Mr. Kayden. Good night, Mr. Kartein." he says, rubbing his amber eyes and smiled.
"You too as well, Jiwoo." Kayden yawned.
"Hmph."
Giggling at the adult's response, Jiwoo went upstairs to his room. His friends are not here so he'll sleep in his bed. Seo Jiwoo tossed and turned in his comfy bed before falling into a deep sleep.
Unaware of a silhouette of a nine-tailed fox in his window watching him sleep.
•─────────•°•❀•°•─────────•
The next day, Seo Jiwoo woke up with a headache as if he had a hangover. Even though he has yet to drink any alcoholic beverage, his whole teenage life. When he brought his hand halfway to his head, he felt his clothes larger than normal. He also felt something heavy in his chest area and in curiosity, he brought his hands to his chest instead. It felt like his soul left when he felt something soft and squishy.
'???'
He jolted out of his bed. However, Jiwoo's perception of his surroundings changes so with much force, jolting off the bed somersault him to the edge of the bed and fell off.
"O-ouch..." he says and gasped. His eyes widened as he hears his own voice. He instinctively covered his mouth, then caressed his throat. 'Why did it become so soft and feminine??'
Jiwoo was too confused that he stayed on the floor for a while- it even felt longer than a minute- before scurrying to the body mirror in his- her room. 'What...?'
To say he- she was surprised was an understatement. He- She was mortified! Because how can he- she turn into a girl after a good night sleep? How will he- she face his- her mentor- Mr. Kayden and the healer, Mr. Kartein? How will he- she tell his friends that he or she, somehow, turned into a girl?!
Seo Jiwoo wracked his- her brain to think of any situation that may have happened before this... this... this whole gender change! Nothing came to mind since the previous day were spent time with his- her friends as usual! He- She didn't even bother to train since he- she was forbidden to exert himself- herself??? and all he- she did was used a bit of force control through meditating!
Jiwoo had completely forgotten about meeting and helping an old man as well as paying respect to a fox shrine on his way home yesterday.
Somehow, inwardly, Seo Jiwoo was glad that it was not his-her friends who saw him- her in this state first. He- She would probably be too ashamed to face them right now. Though, it won't last long since he'll- She'll eventually meet them. Either earlier or at the Academy. Goodness, what will he- she explain to his- her fellow students at the Academy?
Without a choice, Seo Jiwoo called for his- her mentor. The only person he- she can trust right now. And is practically present in his- her home along with his friend acquaintance, Mr Kartein.
"K- Kayden..." he- she whispers. Tears slowly flickered down his- her cheeks. He- She yelled at the top of his- her lungs, "MR. KAYDEN!!!!!"
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A shrill feminine voice on the second floor woke Kayden and Kartein in their cat form on the living room on the first floor. 'What the?!'
"Aish- what the actual fuck?" Kayden cursed flicking his ears and blinking his feline eyes.
Kartein, especially was annoyed since he was dreaming and it got practically cut off with a suspiciously feminine voice. 'Female? There's no female in this house, though?' "Aigoo...Let's check that out."
After a while of blinking their sleepiness away, they rush to go to the second floor thinking someone ambush them only to see a crying Jiwoo. However, the both of them paused in the door as they witnessed something different from the boy.
"How the fuck did you turn into a girl?!" Kartein bellowed out. They were still denying if the girl's voice they heard outside the room was not him but as they got near his room, the scent the 'girl' was giving was similar to that of the Jiwoo they know. However, as they opened the door, similar face but feminine look was what they saw.
Jiwoo with big teary amber eyes and loose clothes cried even more and he- she reach to both cats and squeeze them. "Waaaaaah!!!" he- she sobbed. "I don't even know... I woke up like this... hic! Help me~ Mr. Kayden... Mr. Kartein...!"
'Ack!' Kayden and Kartein in their cat form felt softness everywhere. From the chest area and her arms that was holding them. Good thing they were in their cat form. If they were hugged like this in their human form they would surely lose their mind at the softness.
"We should ask Shinhwa for help... especially for female matters." Kayden whispered to Kartein. Kartein knows that the chairman of Shinhwa is a female so they ought to go there.
"Agreed..." Kartein agrees. He felt a long day ahead and is tired already. 'Goodness me... What did I put myself into?'
'I only came here in Korea to heal Kayden's disciple but to think more problems keep coming...'
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After an hour of crying, Jiwoo sat down on the chair by the counter. They had relocated from Jiwoo's room to the kitchen to talk it out. He- She put down the glass filled with water. He- She sniffed. Kartein had shifted to his human form to take a glass of water to give to the young girl.
"Are you sober enough?" Kayden asks while Kartein sighed, "Finally..."
"I-I'm sorry..." Jiwoo looks down. He- She clenched his- her fist. 'It's not easy to think myself as a girl when I've been a boy all my life!'
"Tsk! Why would you apologized? It's not even your fault you're like this..." Kartein frowned. 'Though it's troublesome...'
"Kartein's right." Kayden seconded. He was still in his cat form so he patted Jiwoo's hand with his paw.
"But... it's troublesome, right...?" Tears welled up at the corner of his-her eyes and if he- she blinks, it will fall on his- her rosy cheeks. Kayden and Kartein somehow felt guilty once they saw him- her about to cry.
"I may have thought that but it's not your fault..." Kartein massaged his temples. He glance at the cat sitting in the countertop and smacked it's head.
"Oi, Kayden you're currently a cat, don't sit on the counter!"
"Why are you suddenly getting mad? Can't you see what I'm doing?! I'm comforting my disciple!" Kayden in his cat form hissed.
Jiwoo despite stilll crying from his- her situation let out a giggle seeing the two adults bickering.
"No time to waste! Go clean yourself and I'll buy some clothes for you in a nearby shop. After that, we'll go to Shinhwa's." Kartein said, facing Jiwoo who had stopped crying.
The boy- scratch that... The teen tilted her head in confusion. "Why?"
"You can't possibly talk to us about female matters with us. You need a female for that. Yoo Jiyoung could help you." Kayden responded.
Jiwoo's red cheeks went even redder at the implication. Indeed now that he's currently a girl, he- she needs to know a few things about that matter. 'God... I can't help but think Jisuk might laugh at me...'
"I-I'll go take a shower now!" Jiwoo ran upstairs.
"Take your time. I'll go put your new clothes on the sink when I get back."
"Okay! Thank you very much and sorry for the trouble."
Kartein sighed. "Don't apologized. It's no trouble."
Jiwoo then stop leaning on the railing and went to his room to prepare. Kartein went out and after half an hour, he came back with a shopping bag.
"That's fast." Kayden remarked.
"Well, I do need to shop on a mall rather than a mere shop soon but these will do. For now."
It's a blue sweater with a cat print on it and white long tulle skirt. It even paired with a white fur beanie hat that has cat ears on it.
"...You didn't get distracted on its design... are you?" Kayden asks after seeing the clothes Kartein bought.
"...No. I figured the teen would love it." Kartein looks away. However, Kayden saw his red ears. 'Ah... he did.'
Kartein fake coughed. "I ought to put this on the sink now."
"Yeah... sure." Kayden says. When Kartein came back, Kayden had turned into his human form. Seeing that, Kartein went back to his cat form and yawned.
"Got any clue when I left earlier?" He blink his tired eyes.
"No. Nothing unusual happened. I don't feel any awakened power, as well."
"Sigh."
" I don't know what happen or if he will return back but I guess we need to take care of him twice the effort. More so than before."
"You and your fighting instinct." Kartein sneered.
"Well we still do not know if his body became weaker because of it."
"It's a her now." Kartein corrected.
"......." Kayden let a long suffering sigh. "Aigoooo." he groaned.
•─────────•°•❀•°•─────────•
At Shinhwa's, Goo Inyuk was reporting about the preparations of their people in the upcoming day of coming back to the Academy. "Jisuk and the others will come 10 days earlier and we will give Jiwoo some time to adjust his healed core before returning."
Yoo Jiyoung, chairwoman of Shinhwa hummed in agreement. "What else?"
"Accordi-" Inhyuk was interrupted by a notification ring of his phone while doing his report. "A moment, chairwoman." He opened the screen of his phone and read the message.
"is it Jisuk?" Jiyoung asks.
"No... It's Jiwoo. He says that he will drop by with Kayden..."
Another ring interrupted them. This time in Jiyoung's phone. She opened and saw the message. "Kayden contacted me. It says it's important so he will go here today."
"How unusual."
'Jiwoo contacted me while Kayden contacted the chairwoman... all with the same purpose...Dropping by at Shinhwa.' Inhyuk thought.
"You're right..."
'I wonder what's the matter...? Is there something wrong with Jiwoo?' Jiyoung thought.
"I hope nothing serious happened." Inhyuk worriedly said.
"We'll know when they get here so be prepared."
"Yes, chairwoman."
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Nothing could stop the both of them from gaping as they saw Kayden come in with a gorgeous girl who held a white, malnourished cat in tow. She was one of the most gorgeous girl they ever saw.
However, they could tell who it was from those big amber eyes that glance at them. "Is it you? Jiwoo?" Jiyoung spoke first once the door had closed.
"...Yes, Noona..." Jiwoo nodded in confirmation.
"Hm. As expected from the chairwoman of Shinhwa. You could tell right away." Kayden smirked.
"It's not that hard... to pinpoint."
'Right... Given that Jiwoo is still the same Even with the naive-like personality...' Kayden thought as he briefly glance at his student.
"How did this happened?"
"We do not know. Jiwoo says he- she- he... Fuck!" Kayden curse because he still doesn't know how to address his disciple with. 'It's not easy to refer her as a girl when he's a boy all his life! Even biologically born as one!' "Aigoo... I mean Jiwoo woke up like that. There were also no traces of awakened powers." Kayden responded. "I came here thinking you could help us investigate."
Goo Inyuk gave him a pitiful look as if knowing what he was struggling with. "Of course." Jiyoung nodded. "We will start right away if it ease you."
"Many thanks."
"You are welcome. Does that mean you are still going to the Academy?" She asks as she glance at Jiwoo.
"I'm still thinking about it." Jiwoo shyly responded.
"Then take your time to think of it." Jiyoung nodded in agreement. She smiled in comfort. "It's not easy to decide now that you're a girl."
Kayden huffs but did not say anything. He only patted his disciple's head. Jiyoung and Inhyuk did not think malicious on Jiwoo's new appearance and even smiled fonder.
The scene of Kayden patting Jiwoo's head was so wholesome. Even the cat on Jiwoo's arms is kneading her arms as if comforting Jiwoo. Seo Jiwoo felt relief ever since coming here and being comforted by the people she knew.
'Right. I'm not alone... I have people who can help me. Looks like I should think of this as another unique situation... And that I'm a girl now...' Jiwoo thought.
Then the comfortable silence that permeated in Jiyoung's office was interrupted by a loud banging as if the door was kicked. "Noona, I have something to- Oh. I didn't know you have a meeting with Kayden."