I Was Kidnapped By The Strongest Guild
Chapter 183: Cultural Differences

Saebyeok lunged towards the tail.

Chomp-!

She bit the tail with her feline-like canines.

Though she didn't bite too hard, it was the first time I felt pain in my tail.

Even I, accustomed to pain, couldn't help but be startled.

"Nyaak!"

I let out a cat-like shriek before clamping my mouth shut.

Not "ack" or "kyaa", but "nyaak".

I guess my feline instincts remained strong.

Saebyeok, coming to her senses, mumbled while gauging my reaction.

I waved my hand at her, indicating it was fine.

"It's okay, I was just a bit surprised."

I looked down at the tip of my tail.

There wasn't even a small scratch, let alone blood.

With Saebyeok's strength, she could have easily severed the tail.

She must have controlled her power for my sake, even in the midst of losing control.

"King! Did your tail get bitten?! Should Levinas blow on it?!"

Levinas picked up my tail.

She blew on it while making a "hoo" sound, but on a different part than where I was bitten.

Still, it's the thought that counts.

As I was about to express my gratitude, Levinas put my tail in her mouth.

Like a child sucking on a pacifier.

Since it didn't hurt particularly, I decided to just leave her be.

"Saebyeok and Levinas seem to really like tails."

"It's because they're young, dear."

"Because they're young?"

"Yes, isn't it the same for you, Gyeoul?"

But I don't feel anything special about tails?

I tilted my head in confusion before realizing.

Sophia's tail was cradled in my arms.

"Wh-When...?"

I had no memory of grabbing Sophia's tail.

I just stared at Sophia, hoping for an explanation.

"You pounced on it earlier when Saebyeok bit your tail."

"I did...?"

"Yes, you must not remember due to the commotion."

"I-I see..."

Was it some kind of instinct of young beast-kin?

I hadn't lived as a beast-kin for long.

It was natural that I couldn't control my instincts.

Trying to rationalize it to myself, I looked down at the toilet paper wrapped around my body.

'I guess we're done playing now?'

It was time to unwind the toilet paper.

I unwound it even more carefully than when I had wrapped it.

We couldn't just throw away all this toilet paper.

"We need to recycle this toilet paper."

"Oh, okay. I'll help you unwrap it."

Yeoreum circled around me, helping to unwind the toilet paper wrapped around my body.

I spun around in circles to make it easier to unwind.

Spinning continuously without stopping made me dizzy.

Thanks to my body's specialization in agility, I didn't fall, but it was different for the other kids.

Saebyeok, who had been spinning like me to unwind the toilet paper, staggered, probably from dizziness.

Her body, unable to maintain balance, began to fall.

I quickly rushed over and caught Saebyeok in my arms.

"Wha! Levinas too! Levinas too!"

Levinas spun around in circles.

She just spun without unwrapping any toilet paper.

Levinas spun about three times.

There was no way she could get dizzy from just three spins, but Levinas staggered towards us.

"Woah, I'm dizzy."

Maybe she just wanted a hug.

I stretched out my hand towards Levinas, beckoning her to come.

Then Levinas, who had been staggering back and forth, ran towards us as if nothing had happened.

Squeeze-!

I hugged Saebyeok with one arm and Levinas with the other.

"Oh my, oh my."

Yeoreum, who had been watching us, took a picture with her smartphone.

Yeoreum really liked taking pictures.

I didn't particularly mind, so I just let her take them.

---

---

Yeomyeong Park.

Seol was the guardian of Yeomyeong Park.

When alone, Seol would patrol the park with dignified steps.

"Meow."

Seol put down an empty bottle it was carrying in its mouth next to the tent.

Seol repeated this action about three times.

"Meow meow."

The cat worked hard today too.

Now it was time for a reward.

Thump thump thump-

Seol walked powerfully like a tiger with its small body.

It was a gait it learned from Gyeoul, the king of cats.

Walking like this made humans show affection.

They would pet it while squealing, or give it snacks.

"Myaang."

Ah, there are the humans who give affection.

Seol approached the group that adored it.

When the cat rubbed its head against their legs, their faces flushed.

"She's really so cute."

"Doesn't she look like Gyeoul?"

A cat that looked just like Gyeoul, the beloved of Yeomyeong Guild.

The two women stroked Seol while thinking of Gyeoul.

"I heard a rumor that Gyeoul acts cute like this too."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm so jealous."

Those who couldn't touch Gyeoul felt vicarious satisfaction through Seol.

Not knowing Seol's name, they just called it Gyeoul.

"Gyeoul, are you feeling good?"

"Meow!"

"Kyaa!"

How could there be such an adorable cat?

One woman pulled out a can of tuna from her pocket.

Not just one, but two cans.

"Meow meow."

That's a lot of canned food.

One can would be more than enough to fill her up.

Wondering what to do, Seol sniffed the tuna cans.

"Meow?"

Amidst the scent of tuna, the king's scent wafted through.

The king was nearby.

It would be nice to share one can each with its king.

After all, humans ate this canned food too.

"Meow meow!"

Wait for me.

Seol barked like a dog towards the two women, trying to convey that meaning.

Those who didn't understand cat language just thought Seol was leaving without eating the canned food.

"She's just leaving."

"Aww..."

Seol ran, leaving behind the women expressing disappointment.

Towards Gyeoul who was wandering far off in the park.

"Meow meow!"

The meeting of two felines.

Two tails wagged happily with joy.

"It's Seol."

"Meow meow!"

Though their species differed, they had the connection of being felines.

Gyeoul and Seol could understand each other to some extent.

"You want me to follow?"

"Meow!"

"Okay. Got it."

Seol ran, guiding Gyeoul.

Seol would occasionally stop to look back and check if Gyeoul was following well.

Knowing that Gyeoul, its master, was a young individual, the cat ran with as much consideration as possible.

"Meow meow!"

They arrived at a mat near the pond.

The two women who spotted Seol rummaged through their handbags.

Unfortunately, they didn't notice Gyeoul following behind.

"Gyeoul came back."

"Yeah. Looks like it wants to eat the canned food?"

It would be nice if it sat on our laps to eat.

Can we pet its head while it eats?

The two women, having this desirous conversation, held out the canned food in Seol's direction.

"Gyeoul, here's some canned food... huh?"

The one at the spot they offered the canned food to wasn't Seol, but Gyeoul, who had arrived late.

Gyeoul, who had heard their conversation, opened her eyes wide.

"M-Me...?"

"Um...?"

Why suddenly the real Gyeoul?

The two women just blinked their eyes.

Gyeoul, not knowing why they were giving her canned food, just hesitated.

'It would be nice if she sat on our laps to eat...?'

And pet her head while eating?

Why, for what reason?

Gyeoul didn't know why the two women were trying to give her canned food.

Just as she was about to refuse, saying it was okay, Seol clung to Gyeoul's clothes.

"Meow! Meow!"

"You want to eat the canned food together?"

"Meow!"

"Um, umm..."

Gyeoul knew.

That Seol collected empty bottles every day.

It had also helped track a mouse before.

It was a request from a child who helped in many ways.

Gyeoul didn't want to be someone who only received help.

She didn't like receiving things for free, but decided to endure for Seol's sake.

---

---

A problem arose before eating the canned food.

It was why she had to sit on someone's lap to eat.

'...Is it skinship?'

People in this world liked skinship to a bizarre degree.

They would hug, rub cheeks, or pat heads.

Sitting on someone's lap was also quite common.

'Is this normal...?'

I was often told I lacked common sense.

Perhaps sitting on laps was a common thing in this world.

The two women didn't seem particularly dangerous, so I decided to try sitting for now.

I approached the woman who held out the canned food.

After hesitating a bit, I sat on her thigh.

"!"

Tremble tremble tremble tremble-

The woman's body shook.

She froze in the posture of holding out the canned food.

"Are you friends with our Seol?"

"S-Seol? Oh, yeah. We're friends."

I see.

As I nodded, the other woman's hand came up to my head.

It was the woman who had said she wanted to pet.

I accepted her touch, then decided to ask what I was curious about.

"Um, I have a question."

"O-Okay. What is it?"

"The truth is, I'm from..."

Maybe it's a bit dangerous to mention being from another world.

I should act like a beast-kin ignorant of human society for now.

"I don't really know human customs well?"

"Yeah. It's still difficult, right?"

"Yes. So I'm asking, do humans like sitting on laps like this?"

"Of course, we love it."

Love it, huh.

People in this world might like skinship more than I imagined.

"It's not rude or burdensome at all?"

"Absolutely, absolutely not."

The two women made X marks with their hands.

Their resolute demeanor certainly didn't seem like a lie.

'In my world, this would've gotten you arrested for sexual harassment.'

The cultural difference felt awkward, but I decided to try and understand somehow.

After all, in the West they kiss cheeks as a greeting.

This too would get you arrested if done in Korea.

What's a criminal act in one country is just a greeting and light skinship in another.

Culture is truly fascinating.

Maybe it's because we're all the same gender.

I felt I should try sitting on Master's or Choi Jinhyuk's lap later.

If they reacted positively, it seemed I wouldn't need to be embarrassed about sitting on laps from now on.

---

[raei: about 90% of the time, the author refers to characters through gender neutral terms. This includes Gyeoul, Levinas, Yeoreum etc. It's why I refer to Seol as 'it'/ that cat/ by name, though I realize as I write this, that I could've used 'they.'

Uh so I'll be using 'they' for Seol from now on until the Author gives me some kind of sign.]

4/6 Enjoy the chappy!

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