Housewarming Preparations
Ah… so sleepy.
I opened my eyes wearily in the morning, feeling a different kind of fatigue than usual.
— Meow!
Meonji had been wandering around all night without sleeping, meowing nonstop. He cried so pitifully, roaming the house as if his throat might give out. At first, the noise annoyed me, but the thought that he might just be missing his mom made my anger fade quickly. Applying human logic to an animal was probably the real mistake to begin with. So I put him in an empty room to keep him from wandering, laid out a sleeping bag for myself, and lay down there too.
He paced the room crying for a long while, only calming down around sunrise. Once he curled up right beside me, I finally managed to close my eyes. Thanks to that, I doubt I got even six hours of sleep.
It’s been a while since I slept this little.
Memories of my chronic fatigue during my office days surfaced. Back then, six hours had felt like plenty.
— Meow! Meow!
“Yeah, yeah.”
Unlike his mournful cries at dawn, Meonji’s meows now carried a bit of energy. I let out a short sigh, scooped some food onto a plate, and soaked it in water. I realized I still needed to buy proper cat bowls and other supplies.
The litter box… the one from the vet should be fine for now.
I decided not to overbuy cat things. It would only make cleaning up harder later. And I shouldn’t get too attached, either. Right—today a lot of furniture was arriving, so I’d have to keep Meonji in the room for a bit.
“You have to stay here quietly today, okay?”
— Meow!
He answered so well. Yawning and stretching, I opened the door. Meonji tried to follow, so I gently pushed him back inside and closed it. The moment he started raising a fuss with his meows, I had no choice but to open it again. He was good at answering but terrible at listening. At this rate, I won’t be able to keep him in the room.
Today was the day the big pieces of furniture were coming in, so things would be chaotic. After some thought, I decided to just carry him around. My strength was greater than his anyway, so it should be fine. Even if he tries to run off… it’s still inside the house. The mansion was large, but as long as the garage door stayed closed, there was nowhere for him to escape. Finding him would be a pain, though.
After looking up how to properly hold a cat online, I scooped Meonji up into my arms. The fluffy little kitten—named Dust because he resembled one—felt warm against me. There was something oddly comforting about it, too. Meonji seemed content in my embrace, poking his head out and curiously scanning his surroundings.
The view must be higher than usual.
I chuckled and walked around the living room for a moment. Then the sound of classical music announced the staff’s arrival.
“Behave and stay still.”
This time he didn’t even answer. He seemed completely absorbed in the scenery he couldn’t usually see. As long as he doesn’t cause trouble…
“Well then, we’ll be on our way. We’ll contact you as soon as the remaining furniture deliveries are ready. Ah, and we’ll send over the facility blueprints once the consultation is finished.”
“Thank you.”
While the staff finished arranging the furniture and left, Meonji behaved surprisingly well. He’d made such a scene when he first saw me, yet he simply watched the workers quietly. I really couldn’t figure him out sometimes. Still, the high-end pieces I’d ordered that were in stock now had places throughout the house. At last, I had proper spots to sit and rest, and a comfortable bed to sleep in.
“All right. I’ve got things to do, so stay put for a bit.”
With the furniture in place, the only task left was sorting my bedding. Carrying the plastic box full of my sheets and blankets, I headed to the master bedroom. I could have bought new ones, but I’d already spent so much, and bedding took time to get used to, so I’d brought my old set instead. I spread everything out on the new bed and arranged it neatly. Once finished, I flopped down spread-eagle across the mattress.
“Haa. I can finally breathe.”
The plush, high-quality mattress and slightly cool blanket wrapped around me comfortably. I closed my eyes, wondering if I should just sleep like this, when I heard the sound of determined little footsteps approaching down the hallway. People said cats didn’t make noise when they walked, but apparently that didn’t apply to kittens—probably because they couldn’t retract their claws properly yet.
I sat up and looked toward the bedroom door. There sat Meonji, who had trotted all the way from the living room. His clueless little face was so cute that I scooped him up and carried him back out to the living room.
“The bed is off-limits.”
No matter how clean he was, fur would fly everywhere if he got on the bed. His claws could also snag the blankets. …Or maybe I should just let him sleep with me. The events of last night came back to me. He’d caused such a ruckus yesterday—if I left him alone again, he might do the same. I wasn’t sure. For now, I’d put him in the room, and if he started making trouble, I’d figure something out then.
Having a pet really means worrying about a lot of things.
I was starting to understand why Mom had never been enthusiastic about keeping animals. In any case, most of the essential furniture had finally arrived. Some pieces were still on backorder or required custom work, but those weren’t needed for the housewarming. In other words, the dining table, sofa, and other items necessary for guests were all set. With a guest room bed ready for anyone who might stay over, preparations were truly complete.
Now it was time to pick a date. Hmm… I should ask when everyone’s free.
A short while later, the weekend I’d chosen for the housewarming drew near. While organizing the house, I hadn’t been able to attend singing lessons or yoga, so my body felt a bit stiff. Daily routines really are important. I used to find it amazing how some people built and stuck to healthy routines—never thought I’d become one of them. Well, half of it was inertia, and the other half was simply having nothing else to do. In the end, it’s because I’m unemployed.
Smiling to myself, I sat on the sofa and continued texting Nayeon. Meonji had made himself comfortable against my leg. He kept trying to climb onto the sofa, but since he couldn’t retract his claws properly, I lifted him up myself to keep him from scratching it. This thing was expensive, after all.
Before long, Nayeon rang the front doorbell. I hurried over and opened the door to find her carrying armfuls of groceries. I hadn’t asked her to buy this much. I should’ve gone to pick her up. Whether I regretted it or not, she was already marveling at the furniture.
“Wow, the place looks completely different with the furniture in.”
“You should’ve told me if you were going to buy so much, unni.”
“Oh, come on, it’s not that much. Anyway, did you get everything I asked for?”
She laughed softly at my words and carefully set the plastic bags on the floor. Feeling even guiltier, I placed each item she’d requested onto the dining table one by one.
“Yes, I got everything. By the way, unni, you know how to bake too?”
“It’s basic knowledge. I’ll teach you step by step.”
Nayeon had come over today—on her day off—specifically to help with tomorrow’s housewarming. When I’d asked if she could assist with the cooking, she’d agreed right away. Even when I offered extra pay, she’d replied, “We’re just friends preparing for a housewarming—why would I take money? Use it to buy this stuff instead, Yeonbi,” and sent me a shopping list. I felt grateful, sorry, and a little wistful all at once. Still, I preferred this kind of friendship over any hierarchical relationship. Rather than treating her like an employee and ordering her around, cooking and preparing together like friends felt much better.
Nodding to myself, I studied the ingredients in the bags, trying to guess what she planned to make.
— Meow!!
“Huh? A cat?”
Meonji, apparently sulking after being left alone on the sofa, had jumped down and was now running toward the kitchen.
“Ah, it’s kind of a long story… I found him hiding in the yard by himself.”
“He’s just a kitten. Are you keeping him?”
Nayeon immediately crouched in front of Meonji and looked at him. Startled, he paused for a moment before sniffing her curiously. I chuckled at the awkward pairing and shook my head.
“No, I’m looking for someone to take him. Do you want him, unni?”
She let out a long sigh at my question, looking quite disappointed.
“My place isn’t mine, so… I’d get kicked out if I kept a pet.”
“Yeah, that’s usually how it is.”
Very few places allowed pets—whether renting monthly or on a deposit. I understood. Animals brought all sorts of problems, and people didn’t want to take unnecessary risks. Not that I’m planning to keep Meonji myself. Raising a living being came with its own set of responsibilities—more than just risks. Either way, it wasn’t something I particularly welcomed when all I wanted was a quiet life. Still…
He looks so happy.
Watching him rub his head against Nayeon’s hand was adorable.
“He’s so cute. And really gentle. What’s his name?”
“Meonji.”
“Meonji? That fits perfectly. Meonji, I have to cook now, okay? I’ll be going.”
Nayeon laughed at the name, stood up, and went straight to wash her hands. Meonji watched us wistfully for a moment before disappearing somewhere—probably heading back to the room we’d slept in together yesterday. I casually walked over to check on him. He went to eat. I returned to the kitchen and finished prepping for cooking.
“All right, shall we start with the dough?”
What we were making was bread dough for dessert. I’d thought we could just buy bread instead of making it from scratch, but Nayeon had insisted this part was non-negotiable. It’s food for the guests coming to your housewarming—you can’t cut corners. She seemed to be under the impression that my guests were incredibly important people. Yoo Yeona was impressive, sure, but not to the extent Nayeon seemed to think. It’s not like some chaebol chairman is coming. I’d tried to tell her they were just close friends, but she looked like she’d only work harder if I did, so I stayed quiet. Better to keep my mouth shut than let strange misunderstandings pile up.
“I’m a little nervous.”
Watching her mutter to herself while kneading the dough, I decided staying silent really was the right choice.