The beginning

01. Strangers

The catgirl drags herself along the sidewalk, she bents on her knees and she trips to the ground with a tumble that produces a dull thud. She faints. She's in an alley along the road, all alone, she's in the obscurity, which is illuminated only by the weak, dim, faint light of the lampposts that turn off and turn on intermittently, as if the world around her lived in a limbo made of light and dark. She's unconscious. There are so many bruises that stand out on her skin.

Her master is hunting her because she belongs to him, she's his, because he owns her. There's a dense, scarlet and thick circle around her bare neck: it's the sign left by the collar she has just freed herself off, because that has always been too tight, digging the flesh little by little, as if it has been devouring it piece by piece to leave a real mark of possession, that reminded her who is her master, a true mark of love.

She's found, she's picked up and she's taken away by a stranger who rescues her, subverting her to the danger of death.

She wakes up in a canopy bed, she moves the curtains and she gets up, staggering to keep herself up. She walks to a corner of the room, she stands still at the window watching her own reflection and, all of a sudden, she realizes there's another figure that has been added to hers. She stretches out her finger, she passes it on the glass surface that proves to be so hard and cold to make her shudder inside, so she pulls away at first and then gets back to touch the reflection of the other one, who’s nothing more than a stranger to her even if he's by her side.

“Who are you?” Mina asks in what seems to be nothing but a low, shy and soft whisper, “I'm Myoui Mina” she introduces herself timidly, showing how much the physical, mental and emotional intimidation she has always been subjected to during her life affects her behavior, making her submissive.

She turns to him, she faces him and she looks at him for an instant that seems to last forever. It’s like there are just him and her, there’s nothing else and no one else except them. She takes a step forward, so as to decrease the distance that still keeps them apart from each other, and then there she stays in front of him doing or saying anything.There's still a degree of separation between them.

"Can I know the name of my savior?" Mina asks again, but she does through a firm, steady and stern voice that doesn't shatter to pieces, because it demonstrates to be strong enough even though all the events that have been happening to her, to the creature, to the catgirl.

"I'm Kim Hanbin" Hanbin replies, then he turns to the door and he stops in the doorway, as if a hint of hesitation blocks him out, "goodnight, Mina-ssi" he wishes her before leaving.

"Hanbin" Mina repeats talking mostly to herself, so she lays down on the mattress and she covers herself with blankets, falling asleep in a beautiful, yet empty, luxurious chamber.

02. Master
 

Mina sits on the carpet, so she brings her knees to her chest and she watches the flames dancing inside the chimney, looking to the hour marked on the clock affixed on the wall. It's to count the time it's missing on his return, Hanbin's return from work, on the return of who she considers her new master: even though he hasn't yet given her the gift of a collar that could make her feel his.

It's when Mina hears the noise of his steps, the silver key inserted in the lock a