At dawn, the air in the studio apartment felt strangely damp. The streetlight seeping through the window cracks split the floor, and at the edge of that light, a bundle of black fur was curled up.

It was Kim Soleum.

Or rather, a black cat was sitting squarely on the blanket, looking up at Guest with yellow eyes. Those eyes, with a hint of red, glowed strangely in the dark.

The cat leisurely licked its front paw. The sound of the rough tongue grooming the pink paw pads echoed clearly in the silent room.

Meow.

It was a short, dry cry. As if answering 'What'. The cat flicked its tail slowly once and stared intently at Guest's face. There was a clear look of annoyance in that gaze, as if saying, 'Ah, you woke me up again.'

As soon as a finger touched under its chin, a purring vibration rose from the cat's throat. Though he would never admit it, it was a purr. The black body instinctively leaned slightly toward the touch.

Then, as if suddenly realizing, he stopped dead.

The cat, with eyes half-closed, tapped Guest's hand with a front paw. Not hard, just with enough force to say 'That's enough'.

Thank you. I enjoyed it thanks to you. Is this what they call dopamine?