The streets of slowly darkened as the sun descended toward the horizon.
Meanwhile—
Yaman was losing his sanity.
"…Thomas…"
He walked through the streets with visible irritation.
Hands in his pockets.
Face dark.
"…Stupid cat…"
The picture the woman gave him was clenched tightly in his hand.
An orange fat cat with an unbelievably smug face.
"I swear I already hate him."
Yaman kept walking.
Searching.
Looking everywhere.
Parks.
Alleys.
Roofs.
Markets.
Nothing.
Every time he found a cat—
It wasn't Thomas.
"…Why are there so many useless cats in this city?"
A nearby old woman gasped in offense while holding her pet cat.
Yaman ignored her completely.
"…I hate cats…"
He clicked his tongue.
"Dogs are better."
At least dogs listened.
Cats just looked arrogant.
He stopped near a small park.
Several cats rested near a fountain.
Yaman crouched slightly.
Looked carefully.
"…None of them."
He sighed deeply.
"…Where the hell would a cat even go…"
Then he paused.
Thinking.
"…Actually…"
Why did cats run away?
He looked again at the picture.
The woman was squeezing Thomas aggressively in her arms.
The cat looked completely miserable.
Yaman's eyebrow twitched.
"…Yeah…"
"…I'd run away too."
He shoved the picture back into his pocket.
Still walking.
Still searching.
"…So why do cats disappear…"
Then suddenly—
"MEEEOOOOWWWWW—"
A loud cat cry echoed nearby.
Yaman turned instantly.
"…?"
In the distance—
A male cat and a female cat were… very close.
Silence.
Yaman stared.
"…Oh."
A few seconds passed.
Then realization hit.
"…Wait…"
"…It's February."
He remembered sailors on the ship talking once about cat mating season.
His face immediately darkened.
"…No way…"
"…Thomas, you absolute idiot."
Everything suddenly made sense.
Yaman rubbed his forehead aggressively.
"So that's why he ran away…"
Now the problem was—
Where would he find him?
"…Tch."
He started moving through the alleys of Magnolia.
More aggressively now.
Dark narrow paths.
Trash cans.
Wooden fences.
"…THOMAS!!"
People stared at him strangely.
"I'm going to throw that cat into a volcano…"
Then suddenly—
Another meow echoed nearby.
Yaman stopped.
Turned slowly toward a dark alley.
"…Found you."
He stepped inside.
And there—
Thomas.
The orange cat from the picture.
Currently very busy with another cat.
Silence.
Yaman stared blankly.
"…Seriously?"
Thomas slowly turned his head toward him.
The cat's eyes narrowed immediately.
"Mrrrrow."
Yaman sighed tiredly.
"…Sorry for interrupting your romantic moment."
Thomas hissed angrily.
Clearly offended.
"But you're coming back with me."
Yaman stepped forward calmly.
Reached out—
And instantly—
Thomas jumped onto the wall with terrifying agility.
"…Tch."
Then—
SLASH!!
"OW—!"
Thomas scratched directly across Yaman's hand.
Yaman stared at the scratch in disbelief.
"…You scratched me?"
Thomas looked proud of himself.
"…You little demon."
"MROW!"
And then—
Thomas ran.
"…GET BACK HERE!!"
Yaman exploded forward instantly.
The chase began.
Thomas leapt across walls effortlessly.
Yaman chased him through alleyways while cursing nonstop.
"STOP RUNNING!"
"MEEEOOOOW!!"
"I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU, YOU UNGRATEFUL FURBALL!"
Thomas knocked over trash cans behind him.
Yaman smashed straight through them.
People turned in shock watching a furious black-haired boy chase a fat orange cat across Magnolia at full speed.
"…What is happening…"
"Is that Fairy Tail?"
"Probably."
Meanwhile—
Thomas jumped onto a rooftop.
Yaman stared upward furiously.
"…You think this will stop me?"
Magma ignited beneath his feet.
BOOM!!
Yaman launched himself upward after the cat.
And somewhere in Magnolia—
The citizens unknowingly witnessed the beginning of one of the dumbest quests in Fairy Tail history.
The chase had gone completely out of control.
"GET BACK HERE, YOU DEMON CAT!!"
People jumped aside in panic as Yaman sprinted across the streets of like a man possessed.
Thomas leapt between walls effortlessly.
Meanwhile—
Yaman looked like he had survived a war.
Scratches covered his arms.
His shirt was torn.
His face had claw marks across it.
"…I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!!"
"MEEEOOOOW!!"
Thomas looked back almost mockingly before jumping onto another rooftop.
"STOP RUNNING!"
The citizens stared in confusion.
"…Isn't that the new Fairy Tail kid?"
"Why is he fighting a cat?"
"Actually… I think the cat is winning."
Yaman's eye twitched violently.
"…I HATE THIS CITY."
Meanwhile—
On another street nearby—
quietly walked alone.
The noisy city around her felt distant.
She had only recently joined herself.
Even now—
She still wasn't fully used to it.
A guild.
Laughter.
Warmth.
People smiling freely.
It all felt strange after the nightmare of the Tower of Heaven.
Her thoughts drifted toward the past.
Toward her old friends.
Toward pain.
Toward him.
.
Erza lowered her eyes slightly.
"…Please be safe…"
Then suddenly—
She heard shouting.
Crashing.
Cursing.
"…?"
People nearby were gathering and pointing upward.
"What is happening?"
"I don't know!"
"A Fairy Tail member is chasing a cat!"
Silence.
Erza slowly looked up.
And there—
Jumping across rooftops—
Was Yaman.
Covered in scratches.
Dirty.
Exhausted.
Completely furious.
"…GET DOWN HERE!!"
Thomas hissed proudly from above.
For a brief moment—
Their eyes met.
Yaman froze slightly.
Erza stared at him silently.
Then sighed softly.
"…Troublesome."
And simply continued walking away.
Silence.
Yaman's pride shattered instantly.
"…She looked disappointed in me…"
His face darkened completely.
"…That cat…"
Magma slowly flared around him.
"…ruined my dignity…"
Then he looked upward.
Thomas was sitting on the roof.
Looking directly at him.
"…Mrow."
Mocking him.
A vein bulged on Yaman's forehead.
"…You…"
The air heated instantly.
"YOU'RE DEAD!!"
BOOOOM!!
Magma exploded beneath Yaman's feet.
He launched upward at terrifying speed.
Thomas widened his eyes.
Too late.
Yaman suddenly appeared directly in front of him midair.
"…Caught you."
THUD!!
One clean kick.
Thomas flew dramatically through the air—
Then collapsed unconscious.
Silence.
The crowd below gasped.
"…He beat the cat…"
"…The fight is over…"
Yaman landed heavily on the rooftop.
Breathing hard.
Covered in scratches.
Hair ruined.
"…I won…"
No one cheered.
A child nearby whispered:
"…Poor cat…"
Yaman's eye twitched again.
🌙 Nightfall
Night had already fallen when Yaman finally returned to the woman's house.
Knock knock.
The door opened instantly.
The woman gasped dramatically.
"THOMAS!!"
She immediately grabbed the unconscious orange cat from Yaman's arms.
Tears filled her eyes.
"My precious baby!!"
She hugged Thomas tightly.
Too tightly.
Thomas suddenly woke up.
"MREEEEEOOOOW!!"
The cat began suffocating instantly.
Yaman stared blankly.
"…Now I understand why he ran away."
The woman continued crying happily while squeezing Thomas.
Then suddenly—
She noticed Yaman properly.
The scratches.
The torn clothes.
The exhausted face.
"…Oh my…"
She looked genuinely guilty now.
"You poor boy…"
She reached toward him worriedly.
"Are you alright?"
Yaman clicked his tongue.
"…I hate cats."
Thomas weakly lifted his head.
"…Mrow…"
Agreement.
The woman laughed awkwardly.
Then smiled warmly.
"Thank you."
"Really."
Yaman looked away slightly.
"…Tch."
Then she suddenly asked:
"What was your name again?"
"…Yaman."
"Yaman…"
She smiled brightly.
"Then come visit Thomas sometimes!"
"He seems to like you!"
Silence.
Then simultaneously—
"NO!!"
Yaman shouted instantly.
At the exact same time—
"MREEEOOOOW!!"
Thomas angrily rejected the idea too.
Silence filled the house.
The woman blinked.
Then burst into laughter.
Meanwhile—
Yaman turned and walked away immediately.
"…Worst mission ever…"
And somewhere deep inside—
Even though he would never admit it—
For the first time since arriving in Magnolia…
Yaman felt slightly less alone.
The streets of were much quieter now.
Night had completely fallen.
The warm lively city from earlier had become calm under the moonlight.
Yaman walked through the streets exhausted.
His clothes were dirty.
His face was covered in scratches.
His arms hurt.
His pride hurt even more.
"…Worst mission ever…"
He shoved his hands into his pockets while walking toward .
At least the day was finally over.
"…I need sleep…"
The cold night wind blew against him.
Yaman clicked his tongue irritably.
"…Why is Magnolia so cold at night…"
Back on , nights were warm.
This kind of cold still annoyed him.
Finally—
He reached the guild.
"…About time."
He grabbed the door handle.
Pulled.
Nothing.
"…?"
He pulled harder.
Still nothing.
Silence.
Yaman blinked once.
Then looked carefully.
The guild was closed.
A vein instantly bulged on his forehead.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
The wind blew again.
Even colder this time.
Yaman slowly looked upward.
"DAMN YOU, OLD MAN!!"
His furious shout echoed through the empty streets.
"WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO SLEEP?!"
He was genuinely lost now.
He had no house.
No money for an inn.
No idea where to go.
"…What kind of guild forgets their own member?!"
The cold only made his mood worse.
"Tch…"
He started banging violently on the guild doors.
"OPEN UP!!"
"OI!!"
"DON'T IGNORE ME!!"
His knocking became more aggressive.
Louder.
Harder.
"OLD MAN!!"
Then suddenly—
Click.
The door slowly opened.
Yaman froze.
Standing there—
Half asleep and yawning—
Was .
Gray rubbed his eyes tiredly.
"…What are you screaming about at this hour…"
Yaman immediately frowned.
"…What are YOU doing here?"
Gray blinked once.
"…Living here?"
Silence.
"…What?"
Gray looked confused by the question.
"We can't rent apartments."
"We're kids."
"So the guild rents rooms upstairs to younger members."
Then Gray stared at him for a moment.
"…Wait…"
"Don't tell me the old man forgot to explain that to you."
Silence.
Yaman's eye twitched violently.
"…That useless old dwarf…"
Gray sighed tiredly.
"…Yeah, sounds like him."
He opened the door wider.
"Come in already before you freeze to death."
Yaman clicked his tongue and walked inside.
The warmth of the guild immediately hit him.
The hall was completely different now.
Quiet.
Dark.
Peaceful.
No fighting.
No screaming.
No chaos.
"…Weird…"
Gray stretched lazily while walking.
"Come on."
"I'll show you your room."
The wooden floor creaked softly beneath their steps as they moved deeper into the guild.
Yaman looked around silently.
For the first time since arriving—
The guild actually felt…
comfortable.
Gray suddenly glanced back at him.
"…By the way."
"I heard you spent your first mission fighting a cat."
Silence.
Yaman froze.
"…Who told you."
Gray smirked slightly.
"Half the city saw you."
A dangerous amount of magma leaked from Yaman's arm.
"…I'm going to kill that cat."
The guild was silent at night.
A complete opposite of the chaos Yaman had seen earlier.
Only the sound of footsteps echoed through the wooden halls as he followed upstairs.
"This way."
Yaman walked behind him with his hands in his pockets, still annoyed from the entire day.
The cat mission.
The scratches.
The cold.
Everything irritated him.
Gray finally stopped before a door.
Opened it casually.
A simple room.
Two beds.
One above.
One below.
A small window.
Nothing fancy.
Yaman looked around briefly.
"…Which one is mine?"
Gray pointed lazily upward.
"The top one."
Then pointed downward.
"I sleep below."
Yaman frowned.
"…Why?"
Gray shrugged immediately.
"I hate heights."
Silence.
Yaman stared at him blankly.
"…That's your reason?"
"Yep."
"…Idiot."
"Tch. Says the guy who fought a cat for six hours."
A dangerous silence filled the room.
"…I'm going to kill you too."
Gray smirked slightly.
"Get in line."
Yaman clicked his tongue and threw his bag onto the upper bed.
"…Whatever."
A while later—
After using the guild bath—
Yaman finally returned.
His wet black hair slightly covered his eyes.
Fresh clothes.
Warm body.
Exhaustion finally catching up to him.
He climbed onto the upper bed slowly.
For the first time since the night of —
He actually wanted proper sleep.
No danger.
No fire.
No blood.
Just sleep.
He closed his eyes.
Silence.
Then—
"So."
Yaman's eye twitched instantly.
"…What."
Gray's voice came from below.
"How was your first day?"
Silence.
Yaman stared at the ceiling blankly.
Then answered with complete seriousness:
"…Like being thrown into a garbage dump while chasing a cat."
Gray immediately laughed.
"Hahahaha—!"
Yaman's eyebrow twitched harder.
"You really are a jerk."
Yaman scoffed.
"Shut up, stripper."
Instant silence.
Gray slowly looked upward.
"…How do you already know about that."
"…Lucky guess."
Gray clicked his tongue.
"…Tch."
A few moments passed quietly.
Then suddenly—
Yaman remembered something.
The red-haired girl.
The one from earlier.
"…That girl."
Gray blinked.
"…What girl?"
"The red-haired one."
Gray immediately understood.
"oh" are you mean erza
"."
Yaman stayed silent, listening.
"She's new too."
"She joined Fairy Tail shortly before you."
Gray crossed his arms behind his head while staring at the ceiling.
"She's weird."
"…Like you."
Yaman frowned slightly.
"She doesn't talk much."
"Not social."
"But…"
Gray's expression became serious.
"She's insanely strong."
"She takes missions constantly."
"Honestly…"
"I've never beaten her."
Yaman's eyes narrowed slightly.
Gray continued quietly.
"I don't even know where she gets that strength from."
Then he looked upward seriously.
"My advice?"
"Stay away from her."
Silence.
Then—
Yaman laughed softly.
Mockingly.
"…Don't compare yourself to me."
Gray frowned immediately.
"You don't know me."
Then Yaman remembered the moment earlier—
When their eyes met in the street.
That calm look she gave him.
His fist tightened slightly against the blanket.
"…And that look…"
Gray blinked.
"What look?"
"The way she stared at me."
Magma flickered faintly around Yaman's hand.
"…I'll teach her how to look at people properly."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"…Or I'll rip those eyes out."
Silence filled the room.
Gray slowly stared upward in disbelief.
"…You're insane."
Yaman closed his eyes again.
"…Go to sleep."