Chapter 118
Chapter 118
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: Surviving the Winter
-----------------------------------------------------------------
For the cats making their homes on the streets, "surviving the winter" was a major ordeal.
Enduring the bone-chilling cold with their small, fragile bodies was tough enough, but finding food was an even bigger challenge.
Anything edible froze solid. Water was no exception.
When even the essential water for survival turned to ice, life became truly grueling for the cats.
Thirsty, they would still try to lap at the frozen water with their tongues, only for their thin, delicate tongues to stick fast to the ice, often tearing and leaving wounds.
The cats of Evergreen Park were no different.
They suffered from hunger and thirst, but what tormented them most was the heavy snow and brutal cold wave.
They had to shelter from the piercing winds and the cold that froze them to the bone.
Yet there wasn't much they could do.
They simply fluffed up their fur as much as possible to ward off the chill.
Finding sunlit spots was another daily task.
But even that was only possible during the brief midday hours on clear days. Once the savior sun vanished, the cats roamed in search of ways to survive.
Sometimes, they warmed themselves on cars that had just been turned off, still radiating heat—the "moving warm rocks" Gray had mentioned—with engines humming or hoods still hot. They hid between tires and the chassis, too.
If they got Haenguni, they could huddle under discarded blankets, quilts, or mats to escape the chill.
They also clustered together in groups, sharing body heat to endure.
Mother cats sometimes shielded their kittens from the biting winds.
Gray did this often, too.
With his thick fur and large build, he would block narrow crevices like little caves, protecting his huddled subordinates from the wind.
He'd even cradle the smallest, weakest ones like kittens.
In this way, the Evergreen Park cats threw everything they had into surviving the winter.
*Whoosh, whoosh-whoosh.*
Norangi climbed up a tree.
The park was silent, lit only sporadically by stars overhead and streetlamps within.
Perched on the branch, Norangi's gaze slowly swept the area.
His small ears twitched busily, focusing on every sound in the park.
His eyes caught movements, his ears sifted out unfamiliar noises.
After scanning the surroundings for a while, a smile crept across Norangi's face.
[All clear.]
No intruders.
As Norangi beamed with satisfaction,
*Whiiing~.*
A cold gust rattled the branches.
The one Norangi sat on shook, too.
*Shiver.*
Norangi shuddered violently in the wind, then climbed down.
Eyes sparkling, he headed toward Cat Town this time.
Cat Town—seven cat towers nestled between trees, connected by walkways—was the park cats' sanctuary.
At the center of the large cat tower, equipped with a hiding house for each cat, was a platform serving as their town square.
The cats loved that platform.
Sunlight poured onto it perfectly, so at midday they'd gather for sunbaths.
But in the pitch-black night, no cat claimed it.
Norangi settled there.
Just as he'd listened from the tree earlier, he pricked his ears, gathering sounds from all directions.
*Purr.*
*Yaaawn—*
*Puff-puff-puff.*
Proof that everyone was deep asleep in their hiding houses flowed into Norangi's ears.
The smile that had pleased him moments ago deepened.
*Whiiing.*
Another cold gust blew through.
That's when it happened.
*Cough!*
A cough echoed from somewhere.
Norangi's eyes flashed.
['Where's that coming from?']
His ears flapped like radar, swiveling rapidly.
Then he moved.
As wind blew again, another cough followed.
*Cough-cough.*
Norangi pinpointed the hiding house in an instant.
Peering inside, he saw Sogeum-i curled up tight, trembling.
Wind gusted once more.
*Whiiiing.*
Much stronger this time.
But Sogeum-i didn't cough.
Norangi was blocking the entrance, keeping the wind from seeping in.
Instead, Norangi's body shivered slightly. Still, he stood firm against the gale.
[No, Norangi Captain!]
Sogeum-i lifted his head, sensing the presence, and looked at him.
[Sleep.]
[B-but...]
Sogeum-i knew Norangi was shielding the entrance for him.
Gratitude welled up, but guilt came first.
[I'm fine, Norangi Captain.]
So please go rest inside, too.
He didn't say it, but Norangi understood.
[I'm fine. Sleep well.]
Norangi replied, blocking the wind, just as Gray always had.
[Then sleep together.]
Sogeum-i wriggled, making space for Norangi.
Then, Sogeum-i coughed faintly.
*Cough.*
Norangi, who'd survived many winters, had often shared warmth with comrades to maintain body heat.
Gazing at the faintly shivering Sogeum-i, Norangi slowly entered the hiding house and settled under the cushion Sogeum-i lay on, folding it in half.
With the cushion now layered over him, Sogeum-i's eyes widened.
[Wa-warm...]
[Good.]
Norangi smiled faintly. Sogeum-i spoke up.
[Norangi Captain, lie down with me.]
[I'm good.]
How could two cats fit under a cushion folded in half?
That's when it happened.
Sogeum-i wriggled over and lay beside Norangi, who was under the cushion.
From atop the cushion to the floor.
[Cold. Get up here.]
[No. Lying next to Captain is way better.]
Sogeum-i chuckled and snuggled into Norangi's embrace.
The floor was cold, but Captain shared his warmth beside him, and the cushion on their backs trapped it.
Suddenly, the two cats weren't cold anymore.
*Hee-hee, so warm.*
Embraced in Norangi's arms, Sogeum-i purred himself to sleep.
Watching him, Norangi thought,
['We need to prepare for winter.']
Recalling Gray Captain's preparations last winter, Norangi soon breathed steadily and drifted off.
Sogeum-i slept soundly without a single cough all night.
The next day, after breakfast, Norangi left the park and wandered nearby alleys.
['Captain covered my back with something like a long leaf... There it is.']
Spotting a long towel, he grabbed it in his mouth and headed back to Cat Town when he found a large Styrofoam piece.
Remembering warm naps atop one before, Norangi tried to pick it up.
It seemed perfect to place on the platform for warmth.
But it just crumbled with a *crunch*, refusing to be gripped.
Norangi tried a few more times before giving up.
[Can't be helped.]
He brought only the towel to the cat tower. Cats sunning on the platform approached.
[Norangi Captain, preparing for winter?]
The park cats had two captains: King Captain Gray and current Captain Norangi.
Even after Gray's retirement, he remained their captain to them.
So they called Norangi "Norangi Captain," not just Captain.
[Yes. Things are much better than last winter, but it's still too harsh for small, weak cats like Sogeum-i.]
[True. At least no food worries— that's huge.]
One cat chuckled, and others chimed in.
[I love the water. So warm. Heh-heh.]
[Me too. Last year, no water or it was freezing—tough. Now it's warm. I could drink every day.]
[Woof Teacher said drink lots every day.]
[Yeah, pee often too. Annoying, but I go to the litter whenever.]
[Right. Last year, too cold to even pee.]
[I love the warm food. Winter feed froze solid, hard to eat. Now soft and warm. Hee-hee.]
Norangi smiled warmly at his happy subordinates.
Woof Teacher was truly amazing.
One day, he replaced the water bowls, and suddenly the water stayed warm.
[We live comfortably thanks to Woof Teacher.]
[Yeah. Love Woof Teacher.]
[Hee-hee, I love Woof Teacher so much. And Norangi Captain too.]
Sogeum-i beamed and continued.
[And it's warm. Like Norangi Captain's hugging me. Heh-heh.]
Norangi had draped the smallest cloth he'd found around Sogeum-i.
Clumsy as it was, the fabric-wrapped Sogeum-i looked truly cozy.
[Good. Cold cats, take these.]
[You take it.]
[No, you're weaker—take it.]
[Elder, take one too.]
[Hrm, I'm fine. Woof Teacher's cushion is enough.]
They knew laying and covering with the cloths would make it much warmer.
Yet the cats yielded them to any slightly weaker than themselves.
Seeing this, Norangi thought,
['Need to gather more.']
As Norangi pondered, someone praised him.
[Norangi Captain is the best.]
[Captains bring us such luck.]
[Yeah, serving two great captains makes us so happy.]
Suddenly, platform praises for the captains flowed.
Too embarrassed, Norangi blurted,
Woof Teacher's ear-blistering mantra slipped out unbidden.
[Drink lots of water, got it?]
[Yes!]
[Got it.]
[While we're at it, go drink?]
[Me too!]
[Me three!]
The cats lined up single-file and headed to drink.
Watching them, Norangi smiled contentedly.
['All thanks to Captain. Because of him, we met Woof Teacher. Should say thanks— but is busy Captain free?']
To Norangi, Gray was incredibly busy.
Traveling far for days to fetch their food, managing Meongmeong Animal Hospital animals.
In Norangi's eyes, Gray and Shadow were the hospital's drill sergeants.
And captains.
Captains working tirelessly for subordinates' comfort had endless tasks.
Knowing this best, Norangi hesitated.
But soon resolved,
['Thanks can't wait.']
Deciding to visit the hospital at sunset, Norangi pondered again.
['What to bring to please him? A mouse— he'd love that?']
Eager to repay, Norangi's eyes sparkled like the night sky.