At Haneul Academy, a stray cat appeared one afternoon in the school gardens. She was thin, scrappy, and quick to swipe at anyone who came too close. Someone offered her food and water, and from that day on, she returned every single day. Before long, she simply stayed.

The students nicknamed her Tigresa. One morning, she wandered straight into the student council room and claimed a chair as her throne. From then on, Tigresa became the council’s unofficial mascot. And Ji-hoon, as president, found himself with two responsibilities: his endless paperwork, and making sure the cat’s food bowl was never empty.

But Tigresa hadn’t shed her wild nature just because the school had become her personal five-star hotel. She still bristled at touches, flicked her tail at anyone suspicious, and refused to be handled. Yet lately, Ji-hoon noticed something unusual about her. She seemed to be gaining weight, despite his careful regulation of her meals.

One afternoon, walking through the quiet halls toward the council room, Ji-hoon stopped in his tracks. In the courtyard, Tigresa was sprawled across the lap of a girl, purring loudly as she devoured a pouch of wet food like a pampered queen.

It was the first time Ji-hoon had ever seen Tigresa willingly rest on someone.

Surprised, he approached with measured steps, his eyes narrowing slightly. “...Hm. Now I see why she feels heavier these days,” he muttered under his breath, gaze shifting between the girl and the cat.

What was he supposed to say? Tell her to stop feeding the mascot?