"Misomiso... Where are you? Come to Mommy, quick," I called out, but my cheeky little cat didn't come.
"Oh! Are you rebelling again, Misomiso? Don't you know what happens when I get super angry?" I waited a bit longer, but still no sign of her. "Fine, then."
"Misomiso, maybe you've forgotten the chronicles of my legendary adventures?"
Still nothing.
"Okay, great! Let me remind you how savage I can be."
I cleared my throat for dramatic storytelling. "It wasn't that long ago, in our peaceful, dreamy little village. An evil dragon... Yes, a very big, scary one, roared and shattered the sky, descending to swallow all the cute little cats and dogs like they were nothing. But I, Han Subin, the most beautiful, heroic, and undoubtedly best chef in the world, grabbed my indestructible kitchen knife, swung it, and cleanly severed the dragon's head in a single slash!"
Still silence. 'This little rascal!'
"Misomiso, do you also want to lose your head like that dragon? Huh?!"
Finally, I heard the soft pitter-patter of paws. Misomiso, my beautiful troublemaker, came running from a narrow alley full of scattered, broken furniture. She rubbed her fluffy cheeks against my legs, looking up at me with big, round, moist eyes, silently pleading, 'Don't cut my head off, please.'
"Hehehe. Naughty girl, there you are," I cooed, picking her up and nudging her nose with mine. "If you had listened the first time, I wouldn't have scared you. Don't do that again, okay?"
"Mew... Mew..." Misomiso nodded her fluffy head, all sweet and innocent now.
"Don't give me that cute act," I laughed. "Let's go. Uncle Youngsoo is probably struggling with the morning rush."
"Mew!" Misomiso meowed in agreement, knowing we were late.
As we reached the restaurant, I saw a few customers already dining, with others placing fresh orders. I tried to sneak in quietly, hoping to avoid Uncle Youngsoo's scolding. But before I could take another step, Misomiso gave me away.
"Mew mew!" she cried excitedly, clearly eyeing a steaming bowl of fish soup on one of the tables.
'Betrayal!' My hands twitched with the urge to throttle this adorable little traitor. Should I do it? Should I? But seeing her big, sparkly eyes, my irritation melted into a long sigh.
Uncle Youngsoo's laughter boomed from the kitchen as he spotted us. He reached me in a flash, snatching the traitor from my arms. "Oh, Little Misomiso wants some fish? Come on, let's get you some."
He ignored me completely. "Hey, Uncle! I'm hungry too!" I complained, following him. "I also want some of that fish soup."
"You're late," he said, casting me an indifferent gaze. "No breakfast for late staff. You know the rules."
"But Uncle! Misomiso is late too. So why does she get to eat, and I don't?"
"Duh! It's obvious," he said, giving Misomiso a playful scratch behind her ears. "She's cute, she's the boss, and she is late because of you. So technically, she's innocent."
"I'm cute too! Super-duper gorgeous!" I pouted.
"Yeah, yeah." He waved me off. "Maybe to those snot-faced boys at your school. But to me? You're just a snotty doll." He glanced at Misomiso and winked. "Right, Misomiso?"
I protested, "I wasn't late! She ran off somewhere."
"Oh! So you didn't take proper care of Misomiso? No breakfast for the next two days."
"Mew mew mew!" Misomiso chimed in gleefully.
"Urgh… Traitor. I'm never feeding you again. Ever. Never," I grumbled, utterly defeated.
With no breakfast in my stomach, I put on my chef's apron and got to work. The waiter handed me a stack of order tokens while Uncle Youngsoo continued pampering Misomiso.
Because of her antics, I was late, I couldn't eat, and she was living her best life!
'Oh, the injustice!' As I prepped the ingredients, I made a mental note 'Enjoy while you can, traitor. Once duty hours are over, you'll be at my mercy... ke ke ke...'
She must have sensed my plotting because she turned and gave me a nervous glance. I smiled wickedly and dragged a finger across my neck, silently promising her doom. She shivered.
Teasing her was always so satisfying.
"Hey, do you know that guy over there?" Uncle Youngsoo's voice suddenly cut through my evil thoughts.
"What? Which guy?" I looked up, following his gaze. At first, I didn't recognize the man at the window table, but something about him seemed familiar.
"Is that… the Cowardly King?" I muttered, narrowing my eyes. "I'm not sure."
He was average-built, not particularly handsome, but there was something refined about him now. He kept glancing in our direction, looking uneasy. Maybe it was really him? He wasn't from our village. So why was he here?
'Was he here to confess his undying love for me? Of course, who wouldn't fall for the beautiful Han Subin?'
"Mew... Mew... Mew!" The traitor meowed knowingly.
"Cowardly King?" Uncle Youngsoo asked, puzzled.
"Yeah. He might be Kim Yunjin," I explained, lowering my voice. "He was in my high school class. Everyone called him the Cowardly King because he was the most timid guy ever. It was practically his title."
"He doesn't seem so cowardly now," Uncle Youngsoo mused, studying him. "Looks like a totally different guy."
"Really? Doesn't seem like it to me," I replied, though I did notice something different. Before I could think further, he caught me staring and waved, "Class rep! How have you been?"
I stepped forward, opening my mouth to reply, when suddenly, everything glitched.
The restaurant blurred and flickered like a corrupted video frame. For a split second, I wasn't standing in a bustling kitchen. I was somewhere else—charred buildings, red skies, ash falling like snow. A deep hum pulsed through my bones. Then, just as quickly, the world snapped back to normal.
Gasps echoed around me. A few customers had dropped their utensils. One woman clutched her chest. Uncle Youngsoo stared at me with wide eyes.
"You... you just vanished," he shuddered with horror. "You and that guy, you both blinked out. For a second, you were gone."
I was terrified and shaking. I looked at Kim Yunjin. His expression was grave, and his brows were furrowed.
"You... you saw it too, didn't you?" I asked him, as only he was with me there.
Before he could answer, it happened again. This time longer.
The shift hit hard. The air turned heavy. Lights cracked overhead. The scent of smoke and rust flooded my senses. I heard distant screams—inhuman, twisted. The restaurant flickered between realities like a broken metronome. My skin prickled with goosebumps.
People screamed. Dishes shattered. Someone ran for the door, only to vanish mid-step.
"Yunjin! What's happening?!" I cried out.
"Hold on to me!" he yelled, reaching out.
One final surge overtook everything—this time, it didn't fade.
The warmth and bustle of the restaurant were gone. We stood in the middle of a shattered street. Smoke curled from buildings torn in half. Fires crackled in the distance. The sky was sickly red. People—no, things—moved in the shadows, jerking and twitching. And then— Something above groaned. I looked up just in time to see a chunk of debris falling toward me.
"Subin!" Yunjin shouted.
Pain exploded across my head. Darkness swallowed me whole.