Cat Mania

3. Awakeners' World

"Can you turn back into humans..?" Jiwoo asked, curious.

Cale sweated nervously with his signature nonchalant expression. He didn't know how to in the first place. "I don't know how to turn back." Cale admitted.

Jiwoo smiled awkwardly, not wanting Cale to feel upset because of his limits.

Kayden didn't bother cheering him up, he just watched indifferently.

"What about you.. Kayden..?"

"Hm?" Kayden looked up. "Of course I can..." He averted his gaze away from them, like he was hiding something.

"..." Cale caught his bluff.

The two stared at Kayden, heating up the pressure.

"Well.." Kayden spoke up, "I can't right now, I lost a lot of power from the injuries..."

"It's alright." Jiwoo smiled brightly, "you can stay at my place until you recover!"

"...alright.." Kayden reluctantly agreed.

'So he's the tsundere type.' Cale thought.

"You're an awakener, aren't you?" Kayden walked towards Jiwoo.

"H-huh?" Jiwoo was taken aback, he didn't even know what he was talking about.

"I can tell despite the small amount of energy coming from you." Kayden pointed his sharp cat nail on Jiwoo's chest. "You're weak."

Jiwoo froze, tears almost coming out. He was just called weak by a stranger, and a cat as well!

"I can't even tell how you survived in this world." Kayden tsked.

"Wha- what're you talking about?!" Jiwoo panicked, completely lost.

"What!?" Kayden yelled, flabbergasted. "How come you don't know despite being an awakener?!" He stopped for a moment, "don't tell me.. you didn't know you were an awakener..?"

"No..?" Jiwoo answered, unsure about his decision.

"Oh my god.." Kayden felt his life drain away.

'What's an awakener?' Cale thought. 'Is it what it sounds like?'

Kayden turned to Cale, causing Cale to snap out of his thoughts and look back at Kayden.

"What about you?" Kayden asked.

"No idea." Cale replied.

Kayden took a minute to disengage himself from the stress. Jiwoo and Cale waited for him to finish.

"Alright." Kayden started speaking again, "since I'll be staying here for a while..." He stood on his two paws, the other two on his hips as he proudly exclaimed, "I'll teach you two about the world of awakeners!"

Clap clap clap

Jiwoo cheered for whatever the cat was yapping about that he had no idea of. Meanwhile Cale was just unimpressed as always.

Cale spoke up first, "are you going to tell us what an awakener is in the first place?"

"Hm? Of course!" Kayden was cocky, yet informed. "They're people who have abnormal abilities compared to the average human." He explained.

'So like mages and swordsmans?' Cale thought.

Jiwoo sat there speechless, lost in his thoughts, 'abnormal abilities...? Like mines...?!'

Cale looked towards Jiwoo and sighed while smiling, 'looks like he's found his footing.'

Cale remembered the time when he was walking with Jiwoo on the streets. They came across a red light, but a clueless and unattended child crossed the road. It was the time he witnessed an unnatural sight in this normal world. Jiwoo's speed went to the extremes, saving the child from a careless driver. But after saving the child, he suddenly ran off back home.

"Anyways, so, the world of awakeners are basically what it says. However, it's not disclosed to the public as we tend to stay hidden, but there are many awakened organizations pretending to be normal businesses." Kayden pulled out a whiteboard from nowhere. "Awakeners fall into a few categories. First, national, then worldwide. The ranks are top 100, top 50, and lastly top 10, there are no in between since we're always growing." He explained the gist of it. "Questions?"

They shook their head.

"Good." Kayden said, with his nose high, praising himself for his excellent explanation.