Only human

"Do you see it clearer

Or are you deceived

In what you believe?

'Cause I'm only human after all

You're only human after all'"

Upon waking up, the first thing Sam Kka did was look at the clock. It was half past nine. His palm was still warmed by the silky fur of the tiger sleeping next to him. It was a wonder he hadn't woken up when the raven began to stir in his half-sleep. The man assumed his partner was faking it, and turned sideways and hovered slightly over the tiger, scrutinising the expression on the plush face. Sang Ho was indeed asleep, if not to say passed out. Sam Kka himself didn't bother the guy. The demon crawled out minutes and forty minutes later, with his azure hair dishevelled and eyes slumbering from sleep. Still, it didn't stop him from puffing up his nose and wandering towards the kitchen. When he realised who was standing at the cooker, the boy's face lit up with such delight that Sam Kka was confused. — You're awake! — I'm surprised to see you awake. Did you sleep well? — Yeah,— Sang Ho shook his head evasively, grinning broadly and baring his fangs, and came closer, peering over his partner's shoulder, — are you making breakfast? — No, antigadin for tigers. — Why didn't you wait till I woke up? — You don't wake up much after 9:00. I thought I'd enjoy the quiet while I could,— the raven hummed softly, flipping his eggs and glancing at the rice cooker, the new guest in their home. Sang Ho did not like soya asparagus, so it appeared in their fridge only for one, but the tiger was delighted with rice in any form, and could eat it four times a day during the week, which he did regularly, if Sam Kka was busy with Jin-woo's errands and did not have time to cook. — No more nightmares? - Another bad habit of the demon was his inability to tolerate silence for more than a minute. — Nothing until morning,— the raven nodded, switching off the cooker and opening the rice cooker, — sit down. Instantly switching on his inner obedient dog, the tiger was on the chair in one leap, pulling his legs up. Sam Kka decided to take advantage of the situation: — And get dressed already at last. — But I am dressed. — No, I'm dressed, but you're only wearing trousers. Come on, your rice is getting cold. Sang Ho, scrutinising his partner from head to toe with a look of amber eyes with slightly elongated pupils, pressed his lips together, but got up from the table... And went to the other room. The tiger came out of it already wearing a dressing gown with the upper part of one of the three exit hanboks of the raven. — Don't you have enough of your own clothes? - Sam Kka boiled up, feeling his composure slowly but surely making the sticks in his hand bend dangerously. — Your room is closer. — Dress normally at least in honour of breakfast. — All right, but only after you do, — the boy said flatly, his gaze sliding down to his partner. The man followed him incomprehensibly, and only then realised that he had improperly wrapped the bottom layer of his clothes, and that he had undrawn his belt, which made the whole hanbok look ridiculous and inappropriate even for a demon, to put it mildly, from the last millennium, and the unironed sleeves made his outfit look like a fancy dress found in an old souvenir shop. — ...Put the rice on, I'll be a few minutes. — I'm waiting. He returned from Sam Kka's room only after making sure that every detail of his image was in its proper place, that his hair wasn't sticking up in different directions, that the bags under his three pairs of eyes weren't too noticeable, and that his earlobes were no longer even slightly blushing. Well, that tiger to Gwy Ma! Never again will he get up early to make them breakfast..... At the dining table sat cross-legged in a meditative pose, San Ho, who by this time had managed to tie the turumagi properly, and, impatiently swaying his tail from side to side, waited for his partner: — Shall we eat? — You could not have waited, - sat down on the chair opposite Sam Kka, who had been amazed by the guy's behaviour since the morning, - and if my clothes smell like a tiger.... — Tigers don't smell like tigers, — his tail thumped against the back of the chair, — and it's no fun to eat alone. Rumi again tonight? — Rumi's again tonight, — echoed the raven, thoughtfully hypnotising a piece of his favourite soybeans a piece of his favourite soya asparagus, — he echoed, — are you looking forward to the meeting? — So like you. Sam Kka didn't say anything, pretending he hadn't heard his partner and focusing his attention on the scrambled eggs. Probably because the tiger was right. No matter how much they were demons outwardly, no matter how many eyes he had, no matter how much Sang Ho’s cat ears and tail stood out, they were both actually no more than ordinary humans. And both needed simple human attention. And, perhaps, acceptance and forgiveness….