Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Encounter with Kongdori
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Sapsari felt upset in that instant.
Of all things, this fake guy's smile resembled Benevolent Brother's smile.
Sapsari quickly shook his head to shake off the unpleasant thought from his mind.
Anyway, who was this Kongdori that Benevolent Brother was talking about?
Just as Sapsari was thinking that, a pu-heut laugh rang out.
When he turned his head, the fake was standing on the exam table, grinning brightly.
How dare he make the same face as Benevolent Brother!
Krreung.
Sapsari, feeling annoyed, bared his teeth.
Just as Benevolent Brother looked outside at his growl, Strong Brother's voice came from outside.
"Hyungnim, we've got an appointment."
"Yes, let them in."
Benevolent Brother said that and petted him.
"Sapsari, while Teacher does the appointment, want to go play with the hyungnims?"
He had to obey Benevolent Brother's words.
[Got it.]
Hyungnim still hadn't noticed this guy at all.
'I'll tell him when we're out on a walk alone later.'
Sapsari thought that and headed outside.
The cat hyungnims were looking out the window. Sapsari tried to peer out from below but shook his head.
'I need to watch what that guy's doing.'
Sapsari scanned the animal hospital looking for him.
'There he is.'
He was looking up at Benevolent Brother's exam room. His face looked like it was smiling.
Sapsari crept up carefully and warned him.
[I told you to leave!]
{I'm leaving. I have to. But before that... just a bit longer...}
He answered obediently.
But his voice sounded a bit weak.
Sapsari tilted his head.
Why did this guy, who came to catch and swap with me, sound so weak?
'Is he hungry?'
Sapsari stared at him intently.
He was definitely the guy who came to get rid of him. But thinking he was hungry made him feel a little pitiful.
'Being hungry is tough.'
Sapsari, who knew hunger all too well, stared at him.
'He didn't eat anything last night or this morning.'
Sapsari stared at the drooping guy.
But it wasn't with the sharp gaze from before. He was just looking.
After that, Sapsari just kept looking at him.
That evening, after dinner, Benevolent Brother poured fragrant liquid into the food bowl.
[Fragrant water!]
[Heh heh, yummy...!]
Like the cat hyungnims loved it, Sapsari really liked this fragrant water too.
He was about to lap it up the moment Hyungnim poured it, but Sapsari suddenly lifted his head.
Then he looked around the living room whrrr.
'Where's that guy?'
He'd forgotten while eating, but this seemed like something to give him.
As he thought that and searched, a voice came from above his head.
{Pu-heut, milk is super tasty, right?}
It was the guy's voice.
Sapsari remembered Hyungnim saying 'Let's have milk' and nodded.
'This is milk. No, wait.'
Sapsari looked around for him, and this time he was standing right next to him.
The guy said, looking at him.
{Why aren't you eating? It's best when it's cool.}
[You eat it.]
{Me?}
[Yeah. You're hungry.]
The guy stared at Sapsari, then grinned brightly again.
{Pu-heut. You're really kind.}
Sapsari blinked, not understanding his intentions.
{Kind. You eat it. I don't need any.}
With that, he vanished again.
Sapsari looked around for him.
"Hyungnim, this Sapsari kid is protesting for more milk?"
"Sapsari, drinking too much at once will hurt your tummy. We'll have more later."
No, that's not it.
Sapsari stopped searching and lapped up the milk.
'So fragrant.'
That night, after everyone fell asleep, Sapsari stood guard again.
He patrolled the living room and rooms, then the second floor.
On the second floor, only Strong Brother's loud drrr sound could be heard, nothing else.
Sapsari came down to the first floor with a satisfied expression.
Then, as he entered Benevolent Brother's room.
Pua-pua!
Gorong-gorong.
He heard the sounds from Benevolent Brother and the cat hyungnims.
That sound meant they were in deep sleep.
Sapsari tiptoed so as not to wake the hyungnims.
Then, he sensed a presence.
Something hazy was near Hyungnim.
He almost barked kyung-kyung, but Sapsari clamped his mouth shut and glared ahead.
'Where'd you go!'
As Sapsari said with his eyes, the guy replied.
{Me? I've been here the whole time.}
Nonsense.
Sapsari commanded the lying guy with his eyes.
'Follow me out!'
Unlike his fierce expression, Sapsari's steps were very careful.
He crept out of the room and entered the farthest room.
The guy followed.
[I am Sapsari. Who are you?]
{I know. Your name.}
As expected, this guy knew him and came.
Sapsari's expression grew even fiercer.
[So, who are you!]
Sapsari asked again.
{I'm Kongdori.}
Sapsari tilted his head for a moment. It was the name from Benevolent Brother's mouth.
Then he nodded.
There was a Little Gray with the same name as Gray Hyungnim.
[I see. Kongdori, why are you following me around?]
{Me? I'm not following you.}
[No? Then are you after our hyungnims too...?]
Sapsari's surprised voice grew a bit louder.
{Shh! Hyung-ah will wake up.}
That was true. Sapsari nodded and lowered his voice.
[Then why are you watching us? Gonna swap with our hyungnims?]
At Sapsari's words, Kongdori tilted his head.
{I don't get what you mean, but let's talk outside. Can't wake Hyung-ah.}
[True. Benevolent Brother doesn't sleep much. He needs rest. But how do we go out?]
Sapsari wanted to talk or fight outside, but Strong Brother had locked the door tight, so he couldn't go to the yard.
{Come here.}
Kongdori led, and Sapsari followed.
He went into the room full of food for Benevolent Brother and them, and stood in front of the door.
{Go out this way.}
Sapsari looked at Kongdori pitifully.
[That door's locked by Strong Brother too. We can go out the big door tomorrow.]
Sapsari pointed to the big living room window.
{There's a handle there, right? Tap it.}
Sapsari wanted to ignore him, but curiosity won.
What's he on about?
Looking where Kongdori said, there really was something.
[Tap this?]
Sapsari tapped it with his paw. Then srrrk, the yard appeared.
[Uh...?]
Kongdori was already outside.
Sapsari went out through the opening into the yard.
Once out, Kongdori was standing far away. Sapsari followed.
While walking, he thought.
'This guy came in here. That's how he swapped with our hyungnims.'
Sapsari was convinced this Kongdori was the culprit who swapped with the cat hyungnims.
Then he'd attack before he could be gotten.
Prurr, Sapsari shook his head to clear his vision with his fur.
Like a wild animal stalking prey, Sapsari slowly approached, aiming for Kongdori's neck.
{Sapsari, thanks for staying by our Hyung-ah. Thanks to Gray and Shadow too.}
Uh...?
Sapsari blinked, wondering if he'd heard right.
Kongdori sat in a small fenced-off spot.
And of all places, it was the one Benevolent Brother said not to enter.
[You can't go there. Super Senior Brother said he's sleeping...]
{Pu-heut, right. This is my spot.}
Zzirit.
Sapsari glared at Kongdori, then krreung, lunged at him.
[Super Senior Brother went to the Dog Star! Who are you!]
Sapsari aimed precisely for Kongdori's neck.
But plop.
Sapsari tumbled alone onto the grass beyond the fence.
Sapsari jumped up and looked around.
He had to catch his prey.
{Right. I went to the Dog Star.}
Nonsense!
Sapsari whipped his head toward the voice.
Kongdori stood a bit away.
Thud-thud-thud, Sapsari charged and leaped at him.
Plop.
He tumbled alone onto the grass again.
After repeating this several times, even after swiping at Kongdori's body with his paw, Sapsari admitted it.
[Weird guy. Your body slips away.]
His paw passed right through Kongdori's body without touching. Too strange.
{...Yeah, right. So I can't lean on Hyung-ah or feel his warm touch.}
Kongdori spoke with such a pitiful expression.
Seeing that, Sapsari lost his will to attack.
'Benevolent Brother said not to hurt weak friends.'
This Kongdori in front of him looked much weaker and more pitiful than the tiny birds smaller than his paws from that morning.
Chulpeodeok!
Sapsari sat on the grass and looked at Kongdori.
[Did you... eat? Not hungry?]
What Benevolent Brother and Strong Brother always said.
It came out of Sapsari's mouth too.
{I'm not hungry. Don't need to eat.}
[Oh?]
Sapsari looked at Kongdori and asked.
[Are you really Super Senior Brother?]
{Probably? I've been living here with our Hyung-ah the whole time. Long, long before you guys came.}
[I see. Then you're my long, long hyungnim too.]
{Call me Kongdori.}
[Got it. Kongdori Long-Long Hyungnim.]
Kongdori was about to say just Kongdori but stopped. That wasn't important now.
{I came to check if our Hyung-ah is doing well.}
[Benevolent Brother is doing great.]
{Looks like it. Actually, after I went to the Dog Star, Hyung-ah was really sad for a long time. Every night, he'd hug that stone over there and cry.}
Jureureuk.
Tears flowed from Sapsari's eyes.
He'd never seen it, but it made him sad anyway.
Seeing that, Kongdori petted Sapsari's head.
But his fluffy paw passed right through Sapsari's head. Still, Kongdori's comforting feeling reached Sapsari.
Sapsari gazed at Kongdori and said.
[Kongdori Long-Long Hyungnim, you okay?]
{Yeah, I'm okay. Now Hyung-ah smiles when he sees you guys.}
Sapsari thought of Benevolent Brother smiling and petting him goodnight before bed, and nodded.
[Benevolent Brother smiles a lot.]
Sapsari loved that.
{Right. Hyung-ah was always great at smiling. So I wanted to thank you guys for bringing his smile back.}
Kongdori explained why he'd come.
[Should I bring Gray Hyungnim and Shadow Hyungnim too?]
Sapsari wanted to introduce Long-Long Hyungnim to the other hyungnims.
{No, useless. They can't see me like Hyung-ah.}
Sapsari stared at Kongdori, then nodded.
[Long-Long Hyungnim is right.]
He'd asked several times if they couldn't see him, but they looked at him like he was weird.
Benevolent Brother and Strong Brother too.
{But I'm glad you can see me. Pu-heut!}
Kongdori grinned brightly.
{I was really happy.}
[Me too, happy.]
{Yeah. You should be. Our Hyung-ah is a really good person. So when I got old and sick, he thought it was his fault. But going to the Dog Star when old is natural.}
Sapsari thought the same as Kongdori, so he nodded.
[True.]
{I lived happily and pain-free thanks to Hyung-ah. And before going to the Dog Star, he took such good care of me?}
Kongdori's voice was full of longing.
Looking at him, Sapsari's throat strangely hurt.
Sapsari swallowed and continued.
[He took great care of me too.]
Sapsari told how he survived thanks to meeting Benevolent Brother.
Kongdori smiled brightly the whole time listening.
{I'm glad. Really glad.}
[Yeah, I'm a Haenguni guy.]
Seeing Kongdori so happy like it was his own story, Sapsari unwittingly shared his life before meeting Benevolent Brother.
{I see. That must've been scary. Lonely, right?}
At Kongdori's kind words, Sapsari slowly nodded.
[...Yeah.]
Sapsari's heart ached waiting for his owner. Thirsty or hungry, all he could do was hold his spot.
So it was scary.
He couldn't sleep, afraid he'd miss his owner coming while dozing.
Later people gave him food so his belly didn't starve, but it was lonely and scary.
Remembering those lonely, painful days, Sapsari's throat choked up.
It stung like before.
Then he realized.
'Long-Long Hyungnim misses Benevolent Brother. Wants to see him.'
Benevolent Brother and Strong Brother were so, so much better than his past owner—beyond words.
How much must he miss him?
Sapsari's mouth pouted. His vision blurred.
'Fur too long, blocking my view.'
Sapsari thought that, but earlier he'd seen Kongdori clearly through the fur.
{Our Hyung-ah, you know.}
Ah, talking about Benevolent Brother.
Sapsari listened quietly.
{A little before I went to the Dog Star, he cried and said this.}
What?
{Sorry. Sorry I didn't know you were sick. Sorry I didn't notice you saying you were hurting. Really sorry.}
Kkung!
Sapsari sniffled.
{Every time, I told him no, that I lived comfortably and well because he took good care of me. And I was happy. So I kept telling him not to cry.}
[Benevolent Brother said sorry to Long-Long Hyungnim.]
{Yeah.}
Sapsari somehow knew. Kongdori and Benevolent Brother's earnest feelings connected, letting Benevolent Brother understand them now.
[Long-Long Hyungnim!]
{Yeah?}
[Thank you. You're my benefactor too. Thanks to you hyungnims, I'm here now.]
The cats on that mountain told the two hyungnims his location.
And they told Benevolent Brother.
[Benevolent Brother understood us, so I'm here now.]
{Pu-heut, good. Sapsari.}
Nod nod. Sapsari nodded.
Then he asked.
[Long-Long Hyungnim. If you have words for Benevolent Brother, tell me. I'll pass them on.]
Kongdori thought hard, then hu, let it out.
{Too many... So many I don't know what to say.}
[Then say them all. I'll pass it all.]
For Benevolent Brother and Long-Long Benefactor Brother.
Sapsari was willing to go to any lengths.
No, he wanted to.
Pass on what Benevolent Brother wanted to say to Kongdori Long-Long Hyungnim.
And what Kongdori Long-Long Hyungnim couldn't say to Benevolent Brother.
Sapsari's eyes sparkled as he looked at Kongdori.