Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Ranch Reunion
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The mood in the car heading to Cow House Ranch was like that of kids on a field trip.
[We're going to our friends' house! Hehehe!]
[Cool-looking friends! Heeheehee!]
[I'm gonna learn to bark all cool like my friends! Grrooowl~.]
Gray, Shadow, and Sapsari pressed their faces against the window and shouted at the top of their lungs.
Lee Jun laughed at the sight.
"They look just like kindergarteners off on a picnic."
"Right? If they just had yellow hats on, it'd be perfect."
Just as the two said, the three were incredibly excited.
[I'm climbing to the top of a tree today!]
[Me too.]
[I'm gonna run super fast!]
The three, each with their own goal, started fidgeting the moment the car stopped.
[Big Bro, o-open the door!]
[Open the door!]
They were ready to bolt out the moment the door opened, but they were quickly stopped.
"You have to get disinfected first."
[What's disinfection?]
"Going into that booth over there."
When the vet pointed to the small room, all three shuddered at once.
[N-No way!]
[That room's scary. Weird.]
[Yeah. There's wind. And a weird smell!]
[I-I'm not going in!]
Gray's eyes flashed.
[The second the door opens, we bolt.]
[We run over there.]
Shadow whispered while pointing somewhere with his paw, and Gray nodded.
[Yeah, let's do that.]
Lee Jun, catching on to the cats' scheme, chuckled and cut in.
"If you don't go in there, your friends might get sick."
[They can't get sick!]
[Why would they get sick?]
The cats, who had been raring to dash out, instantly switched to worried expressions.
"Gray, remember when your leg hurt, and Manager Jang and I cleaned it with cold water?"
[I remember. You said it'd keep it from hurting.]
"Yeah, it's like that."
[So if we go in that room, our friends won't get sick?]
"Right."
The three turned their gazes to the ranch. Then Sapsari spoke up.
[I-I don't like getting sick.]
[Me neither.]
[Getting sick is the worst.]
Even the cats agreed with Sapsari. And as if they'd made up their minds, they continued.
[I hate that room's smell and the wind too. But our friends can't get sick. I'll go in!]
[For our friends, I'll go.]
[M-Me too!]
And so the three voluntarily headed to the disinfection booth.
"Keep your eyes squeezed shut until I open the door!"
[Got it!]
Gray answered for them, and the three calmly endured the spray of disinfectant misting over their bodies.
The ranch staff watching applauded. Fans of the Bokdeong-i bunch themselves, they gave light claps to welcome the trio as they emerged.
Fresh out of the booth, the three charged ahead undaunted.
They grabbed their backpacks and pouches and took off running.
Dash dash dash!
Dodo doo!
Off they went!
As they raced into the ranch, the three shouted.
[Friends!]
[We're here!]
[It's us!]
The cows welcomed the trio's cheerful greeting as a group.
[Come on in... mooo!]
[The little friends are here mooo!]
Then, from far off, Taesan came bounding over.
Thud thud thud!
[Friends! Come on in!]
Taesan's voice dripped with joy.
He loved the cow friends he spent every day with, but he was especially thrilled to see Sapsari, with whom he'd run, rolled in the grass, and played.
And now even the cats had come—the ones who'd ridden on cows' backs and climbed tall trees.
Taesan bounded up to the three and grinned wide. Sapsari wagged his tail furiously and set down the pouch he'd been carrying.
Sniff sniff sniff! As Taesan sniffed the pouch, the cats set down their backpacks and offered him a sweet potato.
[Take this!]
[Take mine too.]
[What's this? Smells yummy.]
[It's from your friend. Eat up.]
Taesan's eyes widened at Sapsari's words.
[Me? You're giving this to me?]
[Yep. It's super tasty.]
Sapsari grinned as he answered, and the cats chimed in from the side.
[Super super tasty. Eat up!]
"Then we'll go see our other friends."
The cats grabbed their backpacks and dashed off.
Sapsari glanced at Benevolent Brother and Strong Brother approaching from afar, then said to Taesan.
[Benevolent Brother and Strong Brother gave it.]
[Who? Oh, those bros?]
[Yep.]
Sapsari proudly introduced Benevolent Brother and Strong Brother to Taesan.
[Strong Brother...]
Taesan just called the guy Sapsari dubbed Strong Brother by "bro." But the title sounded cool.
[Awesome! I'll call him Strong Brother too.]
Taesan made his decision and told Sapsari.
[Thanks. I'll dig in.]
Then he added.
[Let's eat with the friends!]
[Sure!]
Taesan grabbed the sweet potato and ran off toward the herd of cows.
The cats were already surrounded by cows there.
Slurp!
Lick lick.
Hee hee hee!
Lick lick.
The cows and calves licked Gray and Shadow.
Drenched in saliva, Gray laughed happily and said.
[Friends! We brought something yummy!]
[Super super yummy stuff!]
Shadow added proudly.
And he thought to himself.
'They're gonna love it.'
Two days ago, Gray and Shadow had felt sorry for the cows munching on grass from the ground.
'Eating tasteless grass. This'll make 'em happy.'
With that in mind, the cats pulled sweet potatoes from their backpacks. Then they shouted.
[Line up!]
Mooo?
The cows tilted their heads, but slowly lined up as the cats directed.
The cats first unwrapped the foil. Then they peeled the skins.
[Big Bro said not to eat this part.]
[Yeah. Said it'd make you sick like a calf.]
So their friends couldn't get sick.
The cats said that, then used their little paw pads like Somi balls to diligently peel the skins.
[Phew. Done!]
[That was tough.]
The cats panted through their small mouths and thought.
'Big Bro's amazing. He peeled this hard stuff so quick.'
'Big Bros are incredible.'
To cats who'd once led territories, corralling just over ten cows was no big deal.
The cats sliced the sweet potatoes into portions with their sharp claws—one for each cow.
That alone was impressive, but
they carefully balanced the pieces on their paws, tiptoed over so they wouldn't drop, and hand-fed the little chunks right into the cows' mouths.
[Cow, eat up!]
[Cow, eat.]
A bite that wouldn't even register. The cows barely caught the savory scent as it brushed by, let alone taste it.
But they'd seen with their own eyes these tiny friends—small enough to clean their whole bodies with a few licks—hunkering down and working so hard.
Touched by the effort, the cows beamed.
[Tasty... moooo!]
Slurp!
The cows showered the cats with saliva again.
Then plop, plop, plop.
They dropped grass in front of the cats.
[Eat up... mooo!]
[You're giving us this?]
Nod nod. The cows nodded as one, and the cats smiled awkwardly.
[Th-Thanks!]
[Th-Thanks.]
But when they just stared without eating, the cows spoke up again as a group.
[My favorite grass mooo.]
[That grass is tasty mooo.]
Cats used to subordinates offering tribute in thanks knew exactly what to do.
Say thanks, take a bite. But don't finish it—share with the others.
'I can take one bite.'
'Yeah.'
The cats exchanged glances.
[Thanks!]
[I'll dig in.]
After the greeting, the cats took the grass in their mouths.
Ptooey!
Gray wanted to spit it out but swallowed the one bite. Then he glanced at Shadow beside him.
Surely feeling the same, but surprisingly, Shadow was eating it like it was good.
Gray patted Shadow's shoulder.
It meant "good job."
But then Shadow took another bite?
Gray looked at him pitifully.
[Don't push yourself too hard.]
[Tasty.]
[Tasty? What're you talking about?]
[This grass. It's tasty.]
Shadow said that and chomped away.
Gray tilted his head, then chewed a blade next to Shadow.
[Oho?]
Gray's eyes sparkled. Then he too chomped the grass like Shadow.
What the cats were munching was tender young oat grass—cat grass.
Sapsari bounded over and asked.
[Big Bros, whatcha eating?]
Sapsari chewed a blade too.
Ptoo!
[Tastes bad.]
Sapsari eyed the grass-munching cats weirdly.
[Whatcha doing there? Let's go eat the yummy stuff.]
Taesan called Sapsari over, his muzzle black like his fur. The cats' ears perked up.
There wasn't any more oat grass around anyway.
Sapsari bounced away, and the cats dashed after him: dodo doo.
They soon arrived at a massive tree.
Taesan sat under it and looked up.
[Whatcha doing, Taesan?]
[Stuff falls here. Tasty stuff.]
Not sure what he meant, but the three copied him.
All four craned their necks and stared at the sky.
Something dangled and swayed up in the branches.
[That's super tasty.]
At Taesan's words, Gray asked.
[Waiting for it to fall?]
[Yeah. Super super sweet and tasty.]
Smack.
Taesan smacked his lips and added.
[As sweet and tasty as the gift you gave me.]
Gray and Shadow's eyes met. The two cats' gazes flashed.
[Taesan! Want us to get it for you?]
[Yeah. We'll get it.]
[I can't reach up there.]
Taesan shook his head.
[That's not high. We'll get it.]
At that, drool dripped from Sapsari's mouth.
[No way. I've never seen a cat climb that tree.]
It was true.
The tree the cats claimed to climb was the tallest in the ranch.
Taesan had seen ranch cats climb other trees, but never this one.
And above all, he'd tried it himself a couple times.
The fruits up there were tasty, but more than that, it looked cool.
But these knee-high runts saying they'd climb? Ridiculous.
'Even I, with my strength and size, couldn't...'
Not that he couldn't—he'd tried climbing a couple times and given up—but Taesan twisted the memory.
[Too much for tiny guys like you.]
Ignoring him or not, the cats had already scampered up the tree: wadada.
Then soon after,
[Heads up!]
[Catch!]
Whoosh, whoosh.
The cats dropped orange round fruits below.
[Wha...?]
How'd they get to the top that fast?
While stunned Taesan froze, Sapsari dashed over and leaped.
Whoosh!
Thud.
Sapsari landed with an orange fruit in his mouth. Clap clap clap! Applause rang out.
"Awesome!"
"Truly impressive. So dang cool!"
Benevolent Brother and his favorite Strong Brother were clapping while looking up.
"Y'all are the best, the absolute best!"
His most beloved Strong Brother was praising the cats.
With the exact same beaming smile he'd given Sapsari.
[B-Bro...]
He'd missed him so much, and now after ages, here he was praising these guys.
'They were pretty cool, though.'
Even Taesan admitted the cats were impressive.
And he stared wistfully at Strong Brother, who praised only the cats and gazed only at them.
'Tch!'
Taesan turned away, eyes full of resentment.
Then.
Sapsari trotted over and offered the fruit in his mouth.
Wagging his tail—it meant eat it.
[Giving it to me?]
Nod nod.
Sapsari nodded and gently set it down: plop.
[Eat up.]
[Y-You eat it.]
[No. You first.]
[Th-Then let's share.]
Right then, dang dang dang.
The cats—who'd come down from the tree who-knows-when—bounded over with fruits in their mouths and set them down: plop.
[Taesan! Eat up!]
[Sapsari too!]
Blink blink!
Taesan blinked at the cats.
He'd even resented them moments ago, and now they brought him these tasty fruits.
[Wh-What about you guys?]
[It's what you like. You eat it.]
[We'll eat later.]
Saying that, Gray—who was dashing back to the tree—turned and shouted.
[Don't eat the seeds!]
[Yeah. Big Bro said it'd make you sick like a calf.]
The cats said that, turned again, and hopped effortlessly back up the tree.
Watching the cats climb so easily, Taesan's mouth curved into a smile.
He could feel their genuine care.
But separately, he held a grudge against the cats for getting called "the best" by Strong Brother.
And toward Strong Brother too.