Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Monster Sheep
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Once you start seeing someone in a bad light, everything about them looks hateful.
Taesan, already blinded by the bean pods of jealousy, found everything about Gray and Shadow utterly detestable.
[What's wrong, Taesan?]
[Doesn't it taste good?]
The two cats approached Taesan's stiff expression with worried looks.
But in Taesan's eyes, even that behavior seemed repulsive.
[No. It's fine.]
Taesan shook his head, saying it was okay, so the two cats, though suspicious, decided to trust him.
[Isn't there anything else fun?]
[Yeah. We want to see more new things.]
Having stuffed themselves with delicious food, the two cats patted their full bellies and asked Taesan.
[Something fun?]
[Yeah. This place is full of fun stuff, so we want to see something else!]
Gray asked with an innocent expression.
But in Taesan's eyes, even that face looked like it was mocking him.
He was glaring at Gray with dissatisfaction when whoosh, a gentle breeze blew in.
A short distance from where the two cats and two dogs stood was a low hill, and the wind came from atop it.
At that moment, Shadow's and Gray's whiskers twitched up and down simultaneously.
Shadow's pink little nose wriggled as his eyes sparkled.
Gray's golden eyes gleamed too.
The cats spoke at once.
[What's over that hill? I wanna go see.]
[Let's go there. It looks fun!]
[Over there are sheep...]
Taesan started to explain what was beyond the hill but clamped his mouth shut and looked at the cats.
He remembered how, not long ago, a new cat at the ranch had freaked out upon first seeing the animals beyond that hill.
These cats in front of him would be the same.
Then everyone would tease these little scaredy-cats.
And that way, he could reclaim his top spot at the ranch.
'Kekeke, it'd be hilarious if these guys got scared and ran off.'
To vent this misplaced anger, the two cats had to take the fall.
[Follow me!]
Determined to prank the two cats, Taesan took the lead.
Clop clop.
Trot trot.
Dodo do.
Thud thud thud.
The four easily crested the hill.
Taesan saw the area teeming with animals and said,
[This is a sheep ranch. Those are sheep.]
Gray tilted his head to the side.
Tilt, tilt.
He cocked his head right, then left, staring long at the sheep Taesan had named.
Then he turned to Taesan.
[Taesan, is that really a sheep?]
[Yeah.]
[Weird. I heard sheep are white and round.]
[Right. Me too. But those guys are dirty and grubby.]
Unlike people's perceptions, sheep living outdoors don't have white, clean wool.
But the two city cats didn't know that.
At that, lightning struck in Taesan's mind.
'Eh? These guys know nothing about sheep?'
Then this could be even more fun than he'd first thought.
Taesan revised his initial plan and opened his mouth.
[You're right. Sheep are supposed to be white. So those aren't real sheep!]
[Not real sheep?]
[Yeah. Those sheep are... monster sheep!]
[Monster sheep?]
[Normal sheep eat grass... but those sheep eat animals. They're scary ones.]
[Will they eat us too?]
[No. We're too fast to get eaten.]
[Shadow's right. Who do you think we are? No way we'd get eaten.]
[Exactly. Who'd dare try us!]
The two cats tried to hide their fear and act tough.
But just then, the sheep started bleating long and loud.
Meeeeeh~.
[Eek.]
[Scary.]
The sheep's bleats were new to them.
The two cats flinched at the same time.
Then, a fight broke out among the sheep.
One sheep rammed another with its face.
It shoved its face under the other's chin and flipped it upward.
The sheep that got headbutted under the jaw exploded in anger.
Meeeh heh heh!
It bleated sharply, then
Thwack.
Returned the favor the same way.
Tap tap tap!
The cats clapped their front paws together and said,
[Well done.]
[Yeah, fight back like that.]
Watching the cats cheer for the defending sheep, Taesan's eyes flashed.
[If they don't, they get eaten.]
Six pairs of eyes turned to Taesan at once.
[They're friends.]
[Yeah, do they eat their friends?]
[Those monster sheep eat anything weaker and smaller than them without fail. So you have to show them you're strong and big.]
[I-I'm smaller than those monster sheep. I'll get eaten!]
[L-Let's run!]
As Gray and Shadow started backing away stealthily, Taesan's mouth twitched.
Taesan decided to scare the frightened cats even more.
[Those monster sheep run really fast. So no matter how fast you run, it's useless.]
[R-Really?]
[Is that true?]
Gray and Shadow asked, trembling.
[Yeah, they're really scary. But no need to be that scared. I'll protect you. Those guys aren't my match.]
Taesan stretched out wide to make himself look bigger.
[Taesan, thanks.]
Truly grateful, Gray climbed onto Taesan's back.
[Shadow, you too.]
[Me too?]
Shadow, who had never ridden on Sapsari's back with another before, asked.
[Heh, I can easily carry five as light as you guys.]
It was his first time with Gray on his back, but Taesan haughtily lifted his head and boasted.
[Thanks.]
The still-scared Shadow hopped on right away.
Splat!
For a moment, Taesan's knees buckled slightly.
But Taesan acted like nothing happened and held his pose.
[Hoo, not scary now.]
[Yeah, feels solid on Taesan's back.]
Just as the cats relaxed, pababap, three monster sheep came charging at Taesan from afar.
[Eek!]
[Whoa!]
But one of those monster sheep looked totally different from the others.
No face, no legs—just a round body floating toward them!
[M-Monster sheep!]
[M-Monster!]
The cats panicked completely.
[The king of the monster sheep has appeared.]
[Eek! King?]
[Yeah. That one's really, really strong. It eats anything bigger than itself too.]
The cats were already plastered to his back, shaking.
[Don't shake. No matter how it looks, that king isn't my match.]
Taesan said that and bolted.
After running a bit, Taesan said,
[You guys climb that tree over there.]
The cats, trembling on his back, whoosh, flew up to the tree.
The cats scampered right to the treetop in an instant.
[I'll drive those guys off!]
Wanting to show off coolly to the cats, Taesan barked woof woof once, then charged off dududu.
As Taesan ran, the sheep started running too.
Taesan herded the sheep boldly, darting right and left through the flock.
From the tree, the cats watched, their paws sweating.
Taesan was just herding them, but to the cats, it looked like he was chasing them far away.
[H-He drove them off.]
[Wow! He chased them away.]
As the cats sighed in relief, far off, they spotted the big brothers.
The brothers were heading toward where the monster sheep king was.
[B-Big brother! Don't go there!]
[Big trouble. Run!]
Meooow!
Nyaaow!
The cats yowled loud enough to shake the ranch.
But as if they didn't hear, the brothers kept heading toward the monster sheep king.
[D-Don't go!]
Gray urgently shouted and leaped down from the tree.
Shadow did the same.
Zoom!
The cats ran, yelling again.
[Big brothers! Get away!]
[Run! It's the monster sheep king!]
Just then, the monster sheep king approached the Benevolent Brother.
As the cats' eyes widened like marbles, the brothers' voices came.
"Hey, it's a Suffolk."
"Right it is."
"Cute. Way cuter than the ones at the market."
"Ain't it? But seein' y'all in the pitch dark at night can be spooky sometimes."
"Spooky?"
"This here lamb's face and ears are black, y'know. Legs too. So in the dark night, looks like just the body floatin' around."
"Haha, you're still as jumpy as ever."
The two brothers casually petted the monster sheep king.
Seeing that, relief bloomed on Gray and Shadow's faces.
[As expected of the big brothers!]
[The brothers are stronger.]
The cats gazed hotly at Lee Jun and Go Gi-jin, who had tamed even the monster sheep king.
Taesan came running up to the cats.
[See, I drove them all off. Not scared now, right?]
[Yeah, not scared.]
[Not scared.]
Even if that monster sheep king attacked them, the brothers would drive it off.
The cats beamed at Taesan.
Seeing the cats relieved, Taesan grinned smugly.
[Hahaha, alright, tomorrow I'll show you something even more fun.]
***
A few days later, the visiting cats were climbing a steep hill at the ranch.
Hop, pabapak.
Taesan, leading, turned back and said,
[Up here is a really fun spot, but if it's too hard, you can give up.]
[It's fine.]
[We can do it.]
To cats who could scale sheer cliffs like flat ground, this was nothing.
But Taesan, unaware, thought they'd get tired or scared around here and beg for a ride on his back.
'Heh, let's see about that...'
Taesan veered slightly off the original path.
'Cats hate water, after all...'
Soon, they reached a spot with babbling brook water.
[Loads of grass you guys like beyond there.]
Sniff sniff sniff.
The cats were already thrilled, sniffing the scent.
[Thanks.]
[Thanks for bringing us to such a great place.]
The cats were sincerely grateful.
Seeing them, Taesan smirked.
'Heh, now they'll ask for a ride, right?'
If he carried them and leaped the stream, they'd surely look at him with admiration.
Planning to put the cats under his paw this time, Taesan put on an arrogant face and spoke.
[But what to do? There's water. No helping it, this body will carry you.]
Hm?
The cats, who had been coiling their hind legs for a jump, eyes sparkling.
He'd carry them? No need then?
The cats hopped right onto Taesan's back.
[Thanks!]
[Thanks.]
Taesan's mouth curved up to his ears at their thanks.
'These punks, can't even cross this.'
Taesan strutted, then leaped lightly, depositing the cats on the other side's grassy field.
The cats rolled freely in the catnip-filled grass.
[Taesan, this is awesome.]
[So fun.]
[Heehee, too good!]
Taesan grinned at the joyful trio.
[Come tomorrow, I'll take you somewhere even better.]
Taesan boasted to the cats and Sapsari whenever he got the chance.
The cats always fell for it, and Taesan loved that.
Taesan racked his brain for spots at the ranch the trio hadn't been.
'City cats are so gullible. Heh heh, what prank for tomorrow?']
Taesan eagerly awaited dawn each day, standing at the ranch entrance for Gray, Shadow, and Sapsari.
***
Days passed like that, until one day, the cats and Sapsari bid Taesan farewell.
[Taesan! See you next time!]
[Taesan. It was fun.]
[Fun.]
[Leaving?]
[Yeah. See you for sure next time.]
As always when parting, the cats hugged Taesan's legs tight.
Taesan had hated how the cats hogged all the popularity at Cow House Ranch.
But thinking of parting with these three made him sad.
Strutting the ranch with them had been so much fun.
He'd grown attached despite himself.
But Taesan didn't see it that way.
'Who'll I prank once these guys leave?'
That's why he was sad.
Thinking that, Taesan lowered his head and rubbed his face on the cats.
[Definitely.]
[Yeah. And Taesan.]
[Yeah?]
[Monster sheep aren't scary.]
[Cute.]
Having learned the monster sheep's true nature from the brothers that night at home, the cats smiled at Taesan.
[What?]
Taesan's eyes went wide.
[And Taesan. Truth is, we jump pretty far.]
[Thanks for the rides. It was fun.]
With that, the cats whoosh hopped onto the car.
[W-What...?]
The cats grinned at flustered Taesan.
[Taesan, come play at our house next time!]
[Come visit!]
Even as the car sped away and Taesan vanished from sight, Gray, Shadow, and Sapsari kept waving their front paws backward.
[See you again!]