Happy Birthday, Hoesaegi
Like a warm spring breeze, the days at Mongmong Animal Hospital were filled with a gentle, lingering warmth.
On a quiet afternoon, Lee Jun and Go Gi-jin sat in the exam room, deep in a case study. Hoesaegi was curled behind Lee Jun's chair, Gkamnyangi sprawled across the exam table, and Sapsaree lay on his own cushion, gnawing contentedly on a giant yarn-ball toy.
The two men were fully absorbed in their study when, all of a sudden, the two cats leapt down and started pounding on the door. Sapsaree's ears pricked up, and he turned toward it as well.
"What's gotten into these fellas?"
"Looks like Doobu's here."
Lee Jun opened the door, and all three animals bolted out. Lee Jun followed, and Go Gi-jin trailed after them, tilting his head.
"How'd they even know, huh? That's somethin' else, I tell ya."
And sure enough, just as Lee Jun had said, Hong Ji-soo — Doobu's guardian — was standing at the reception desk.
"Director, it's been a while."
"Welcome. Doobu isn't sick, is she?"
"She brought a cake for everyone — it's Doobu's birthday."
Jang Sora answered in Hong Ji-soo's place, pointing to a large box sitting on the reception counter.
"Today's Doobu's birthday?"
"Yes. Thanks to you, Director, our Doobu got to see another birthday this year. If it hadn't been for you, our Doobu... ugh. I don't even want to think about it."
"She's healthy now, and that's what matters. Right, Doobu?"
Yes! Directah saved me, fank you so much!
Hearing Doobu's adorable voice for the first time in a while, Lee Jun burst out laughing.
"Haha, that strong little voice is music to my ears. Anyway, let's have a look at our Doobu, shall we?"
Lee Jun lifted Doobu out of her carrier and gathered her into his arms. Doobu beamed, delighted to be held.
Heehee, Directah!
"Have you been well?"
Yes!
Lee Jun stroked the forehead of the nodding Doobu as he spoke.
"Happy birthday, Doobu."
Fank you, Directah. But... what's a birfday?
Lee Jun found himself at a loss. Hmm, for Kongdol-i, we counted the day he came home as his birthday... but I don't know about Doobu. When in doubt, ask the guardian.
"Is today the day Doobu was born? Or...?"
"No, it's the day Doobu came home to us."
Ah, I see. Lee Jun nodded and explained it to Doobu.
"Today is the day you and your unnie first met. It's a day to celebrate that."
Heehee, the day I met Unnie is today...
Doobu murmured the day I met Unnie is today over and over, utterly delighted. Watching her, Lee Jun said,
"A happy day like this isn't complete without a commemorative photo. Manager Jang, we have party hats, right?"
"Yes, we do."
As Jang Sora headed toward the supplies corner, Hong Ji-soo flustered.
"Oh, you really don't have to. I only came to say thank you — I feel like I'm imposing..."
"Not at all. It's a happy day. We should all celebrate together."
"That's right. Just wait a moment. I'll find a party hat that's perfect for our Doobu."
"Grab a vest too, if we have one."
"Okay."
A moment later, Jang Sora placed an adorable little party hat and vest in the guardian's hands. Every time the hat moved, a tiny bell jingled — the sound of the bell dangling from the brim.
"Doobu, let's put these on and take a birthday picture."
"Thank you."
"Come on, Doobu. Unnie's going to dress you up in birthday clothes. Put these on and we'll go click, click with the camera!"
Doobu, already completely mesmerized by the sparkly party hat in Hong Ji-soo's hands, answered at the top of her lungs.
Yes!
A party hat glittering in gold and silver. And that jingling little bell. Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi's eyes sparkled as they stared at it.
And that wasn't all.
Whoosh.
Hoesaegi's front paw was reaching toward the party hat when Jang Sora called out,
"Doobu, look over here! And Doobu's guardian, please hold her and give us a big smile."
Lee Jun chimed in from the side.
"Doobu, you smile too!"
Just as Doobu and her guardian broke into matching radiant smiles, Jang Sora's camera clicked.
And that was the moment. Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi let out a proud meow and strode forward to strike a pose — their bodies had moved on their own at the sound of the shutter.
Watching this, Doobu's guardian Hong Ji-soo was overcome.
"G-goodness, are Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi celebrating our Doobu's birthday?"
Hong Ji-soo, a member of Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi's fan cafe — a Bokjumeoni — said to Jang Sora,
"Manager, could you take a few more pictures with them?"
"Of course."
Hoesaegi, Gkamnyangi, and Doobu posed standing side by side, sitting down, and even nestled in Hong Ji-soo's arms — photo after photo. And every single time, Hoesaegi's front paw was reaching toward Doobu's party hat.
Go Gi-jin, who'd been watching the photo session with a big grin, said to Lee Jun,
"Aigoo, looks like those rascals want a birthday bash of their own, don't they?"
Their birthdays. It was something Lee Jun had never even thought about. He gazed at Hoesaegi, whose front paw kept reaching for the party hat, and fell into thought.
Hyungnim and Strong Hyungnim were talking while looking at me — at Hoesaegi.
What did they want to say to me?
Hoesaegi trotted over to the two hyungnims. But the moment he approached, they clamped their mouths shut as if they'd never been talking at all, and each wandered off in a different direction.
Hoesaegi tilted his head, then flopped down on a nearby cushion. Sleepy-ong. He must have imagined it. He lay right there, closed his eyes, and soon drifted off.
When you live on the streets, your ears stay open even in sleep. No matter how comfortably he lived now, a lifetime's habit didn't change overnight.
Purring in his sleep, Hoesaegi caught the murmur of voices.
"What are you going to get?"
"How about a fish toy, ayo?"
"That should be good. He'll remember it."
"Heehee, then I'll get the fish toy, ayo."
"Then I'll prepare a little mouse toy."
"How about the treats Hyungnim likes, ayo?"
"Woof Hyungnim will take care of that."
"Got it, ayo."
Gkamnyangi and Sapsaree were sitting side by side, talking. Hoesaegi cracked one eye open and asked,
"Do we have to pick out toys-ong?"
"Ah, no-ong, we didn't say anything."
"Th-that's right, ayo. We were sleeping, ayo."
With that, the two of them whipped around and buried their faces in the cushion. He wanted to ask what they'd been talking about, but they were already purring, fast asleep. I'll ask tomorrow-ong. Hoesaegi drifted off as well.
The next day, the two of them were whispering again the moment they arrived at the hospital. Ah, that's right-ong. I should ask-ong. Remembering what he'd been curious about the day before, Hoesaegi walked over to them.
"Gkamnyangi-ong, yesterday the toys..."
But before he could finish, he was cut off.
"Hoesaegi, what's the tastiest thing you know?"
"I want to eat the soft meat-ong."
"Yeah?"
"That's right-ong."
But once he'd answered, he remembered the chicken porridge he'd eaten not long ago.
"I want the white meat and the yellow, squishy food-ong."
"That's what we ate on the mountain, ayo."
"That's right-ong. That was delicious-ong. No wait, shrimp shaped like this are delicious too-ong. Ah, and the meat I ate with the shrimp was delicious-ong."
Once he started listing delicious things, there were simply too many. Hoesaegi named them one by one, licking his chops. Watching him, Gkamnyangi and Sapsaree licked their chops too, but Gkamnyangi said,
"You can't list that many. Pick just one."
"I can't-ong. They're all delicious-ong. So I can't pick just one-ong."
Nothing he'd eaten with his hyungnims had ever been bad. Recalling the special meals and the food Hyungnim had given him, Hoesaegi's mouth curled into a slow smile. I've eaten so many delicious things since I met Hyungnim-ong. And as wonderful as all that food had been, the very best thing of all was this: I eat every single day-ong. Never having to clutch a hungry belly — that was what Hoesaegi loved most.
He was smiling contentedly at the thought when Gkamnyangi let out a heavy sigh beside him.
"Hmmm, that's too many."
"Can't be helped, ayo. He said they're all delicious, ayo."
"Can't be helped, then."
"What can't be helped-ong?"
"There's a thing. Let's go, Sapsaree."
"Got it, ayo."
Gkamnyangi and Sapsaree trotted off.
"Hey, where are you going-ong?"
He considered following them, then turned his head and trudged toward the cat tower by the window. Too much effort-ong. They were probably heading to the playground. He'd just soak up the warm sunlight and take a nap.
And just as he'd guessed, they must have been playing — there wasn't a whisker of them until the sun went down.
And the day after that, everyone was acting strange. The moment Hoesaegi appeared, conversations cut off. Hyungnim and the others, Gkamnyangi, Sapsaree — all of them.
Strange-ong. Everyone's avoiding me-ong. Yesterday they even asked me what was tasty, but today nobody talks to me-ong.
Even now, Gkamnyangi and Sapsaree were just shoveling down their food, chomp chomp chomp.
I'll ask them after they finish eating-ong.
But Hoesaegi never got the chance. The two of them vanished like a shot the instant they finished their meals. And they didn't reappear until evening.
They've definitely found some fun new game-ong.
Hoesaegi headed to the playground to join in.
"Hoesaegi hyungnim-ye!"
"Hoesaegi hyung, come play this with us!"
Kakkong-i and Jamong greeted him.
"Where are Gkamnyangi and Sapsaree-ong?"
"The hyungnims, ye? Dunno, I haven't seen 'em, ye."
"Haven't seen them."
This time he went up to the 2nd Floor Cat Playground. Ttangkhongi was strolling slowly along the walkway.
"Elder Hyungnim-ong. Have you seen Gkamnyangi and Sapsaree-ong?"
"I have not seen them."
"I see-ong."
Hoesaegi searched every corner of Mongmong Animal Hospital, but in the end, Gkamnyangi and Sapsaree were nowhere to be found.
Hyungnim won't come out of that room-ong. Strong Hyungnim isn't here either-ong. Nunim isn't here-ong.
Trudging back to the cat tower by the entrance, Hoesaegi was suddenly hit by a wave of loneliness.
Back in the old days, he'd gone out on patrol for a week — sometimes more than ten days — wandering alone, and he'd never once thought of himself as lonely. But now, his friends had only been gone for half a day, and he was terribly lonely.
Jadu must have been so lonely-ong.
He thought of Jadu the parrot, who had missed her family, Nyangnyang-i and Ddoddo, so much.
Hoesaegi, who'd been huddled on the cat tower, bolted the instant he heard Hyungnim's footsteps.
"Hyungnim-ong, it's an emergency-ong! Gkamnyangi and Sapsaree have disappeared-ong! We have to go look for them-ong!"
"It's fine. If they want to come back, they will."
Hoesaegi's eyes went round as saucers.
Hy-Hyungnim's heart has changed-ong.
Until just recently, he'd always said don't go far, and even if you do go out, you have to come back before the sun sets.
But today he isn't even worried-ong.
Hooo. Hoesaegi let out a sigh and was wobbling away when Hyungnim called to him.
"Let's go home."
Was he really going home without looking for them? Then Hoesaegi would have to go look himself.
"I'm not going-ong! I'm going to find Gkamnyangi and Sapsaree-ong!"
Having made up his mind, Hoesaegi dashed toward the entrance. And then — whoosh — his body lifted into the air, and click, the door locked. Hyungnim had put him in the carrier.
"O-open it-ong! I have to go find Gkamnyangi and Sapsaree-ong! Open it-ong, open—"
He was scratching furiously at the carrier when, all of a sudden, he could see outside.
It was the road to the park.
In that instant, Hoesaegi — who'd been standing with all four legs locked straight, clawing at the carrier door — felt the strength drain from his entire body.
Hyungnim doesn't need me anymore-ong.
That was why he was taking him to the park right now. Maybe Gkamnyangi and Sapsaree were already crouched somewhere in the park, too.
Thud.
Hoesaegi didn't just sink down in the carrier — he flopped over onto his side.
I... I love Hyungnim-ong. I really do-ong.
But it seemed Hyungnim had grown to dislike him. At that thought, tears welled in his eyes.
But he was the Territory Leader of Ever Green Park. He'd passed the position to Norangi now, but even so, cats still trembled at the mere mention of the name Silver Rain.
I can't cry over something like this-ong. I, Hoesaegi — no, Silver Rain — will accept it-ong. It's been fun-ong.
Just as he was steeling himself, Golmokjib flashed through his mind like a lantern show.
The house with the first cushion of his cat-life. The cat tower with a clear view of the yard. The yard where the three of them would scamper out for a walk every morning. Mongmong Animal Hospital. The playground.
Everything was precious. But the most precious of all was the spot right beside Hyungnim.
Sleeping pressed against Hyungnim's body was so, so good-ong.
But he couldn't do that anymore. Whatever else he forgot, he would remember Hyungnim's warmth until the day he went to Cat Star.
Just as Hoesaegi was gathering up his memories and settling his heart—
BANG!
A tremendous sound.
"W-what's going on-ong?"
Hoesaegi sprang up in alarm and clawed at the door, and it burst open. The instant he bolted out, the sound came again.
BANG-pop-pop-BANG!
Hoesaegi glared toward the source of the sound. He was a body that would have to start street life all over again, just like before. He had to be proud. He had to be brave.
But from the direction of the noise, something glittering was falling through the air. And from who-knows-where, Gkamnyangi and Sapsaree came running. Gkamnyangi had a party hat in his mouth. Sapsaree had a vest in his.
Hoesaegi's mouth stretched into a grin that reached his ears.
"Gkamnyangi-ong! Sapsaree-ong!"
It had only been a few hours, but he was so, so happy to see them. He bounced toward them, leaping with joy — and suddenly a hat was plopped onto his head.
Lee Jun, who'd been right behind him, had taken the hat from Gkamnyangi and set it on Hoesaegi's head. Then he slipped the vest on him too, and called out in a big, bright voice.
"Congratulations."
"Happy birthday, ayo!"
And then the congratulations kept coming. From who-knows-where, the Ever Green Park cats, led by Norangi, clapped their front paws like little cotton drums and meowed at the top of their lungs.
And Strong Hyungnim was there, and Nunim, and all the Woof Doctors — appearing with a feast of a table, loaded with food. The whole spread was filled with everything Hoesaegi had said was delicious.
Looking at his hyungnims and the doctors, all smiling so brightly and wishing him well, a wave of emotion surged through Hoesaegi.
"Th-they were waiting for me-ong!"
They hadn't disappeared far away. They'd been here, in the park, waiting for him.
Hoesaegi's eyes sparkled as if stars had been set into them.