Then Take Care, Everyone
Solbangwool waved a round, plump front paw every bit as large as his broad face, then lumbered off with a heavy, rolling gait.
"Solbangwool-nim! Thank you!"
Sogeum-i called out a hearty farewell as he receded into the distance. The cats standing beside her cheered him off as well.
"Solbangwool-nim, you're amazing!"
"Solbangwool-nim! That was so cool!"
"Solbangwool-nim, take care!"
Thump-thump-thump — they even offered him Fist Applause, treating him like an honored guest.
Beside them, Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi stood frozen in place, eyes blazing. Their gazes locked on Solbangwool's swaying rump, the two of them had gone as still as toys with dead batteries.
Hoesaegi, right paw slightly raised, mouth hanging open in a stunned little O. Gkamnyangi, left paw hovering just off the ground, jaw dropped wide.
"Uh……!"
"Nngh……!"
Nothing but thin little gasps leaked from their open mouths. Neither of them so much as twitched until Solbangwool had vanished from sight.
The other cats stayed right where they were too, thumping out Fist Applause until he was gone, pouring out their gratitude.
Listening to his subordinates' cheers, Hoesaegi found himself remembering the welcome the family had given Sapsaree when he'd come home to the animal hospital after rescuing Tan. Gkamnyangi, standing beside him like a stone guardian statue, was thinking the same thing.
Th-this is humiliating-ong. First Sapsaree, and now I've lost to a guy like that-ong.
Th-that's impossible. I lost to that guy?!
Once Solbangwool was gone, Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi trudged away. They had no destination in mind. They just wanted to get away from that spot.
Behind them, the cats called out their farewells.
"King Boss! Black Boss, please be careful!"
"King Boss, Black Boss! Take care!"
The park cats' unfailingly respectful greetings. But that wasn't how it sounded to the two of them.
Quieter than the send-off they gave Solbangwool-ong.
They cheered louder for Solbangwool.
Still, the two cats swallowed those petty, small-minded thoughts and answered in their most dignified voices.
"Sogeum-i-ong, I'm glad you found your toy-ong. Congratulations-ong."
"Sogeum-i, good for you finding your toy. Congratulations."
"Thank you! Hehehe."
"Hehe, King Boss! Black Boss!"
Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi waved a front paw as they trudged along, acknowledging the park cats' farewells. Ordinarily they would have turned around to wave with genuine care, walked a few more steps, then turned and waved again. They weren't in the mood for that now.
The two of them shuffled out of Cat Town like cats who'd had every last drop of energy drained from them. As they walked, they replayed the scene that had just unfolded.
"I saw the dog-chew traces-ong. But I decided they had nothing to do with Sogeum-i's missing doll-ong."
"I saw the pawprints. And I just let them go."
"We shouldn't have let them go-ong."
"Yeah. Back in the old days, we would've picked up on it instantly!"
At Gkamnyangi's words, Hoesaegi's eyes flashed.
"Gkamnyangi-ong, that's exactly it-ong!"
"What's exactly it?"
"We've been living too comfortably-ong. That's why we've gone dull-ong."
"Yes! You're right, Hoesaegi!"
For so long, they had guarded their territory with grim, relentless diligence. They had never let their guard down, for the sake of their subordinates' safety, and they had honed their senses to a razor's edge hunting for food. And now those same cats had grown accustomed to an easy life. That was why the sharp nerves of the old days had gone blunt.
"It's not that we're less skilled than Solbangwool-ong."
"That's right! We just got a little too relaxed, that's all."
"That's why-ong. Sapsaree found Tan before we did because we'd gone slack-ong. We'd gotten too soaked in comfort-ong."
"Yeah, that was it. There's no way our noses are worse than Sapsaree's!"
The cause of their failure was simply that their wild instincts had dulled. Living in comfort had left their senses far too loose and lazy. Having pinpointed the reason, Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi's voices filled with strength.
"Gkamnyangi-ong, let's revive our senses-ong."
"Yes. Let's reclaim the abilities we used to have."
"Let's reclaim them-ong!"
Their will restored, Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi's eyes blazed with fierce light.
For street cats, the most important thing of all is survival. To survive, you hunt. To survive, you have to notice danger. Street cats push their abilities to the absolute limit, hunting and sensing threats as they go. That is how street cats live.
"Let's hunt-ong."
"Let's reclaim our senses through hunting."
They spoke at the same time. Nothing sharpens the senses like a hunt.
"But Gkamnyangi-ong, what are you going to hunt-ong?"
"Hunting butterflies would be good."
Gkamnyangi was thinking the same thing as Hoesaegi. Butterflies, drifting freely on gossamer-thin wings. Butterflies that flutter away at the slightest hint of a presence. Creeping close enough that one of those butterflies never notices, then leaping up in a flash and snatching it in your mouth — that is no easy feat. It demands concentration, and the stealth to hide every trace of your presence.
"Good idea-ong. But Hyung-nim wouldn't like it-ong."
"Ah, that's right. Hyung-nim told us not to catch things like birds, butterflies, and dragonflies."
The cats fell into thought. What should they hunt, then?
That was when it happened. Hoesaegi noticed Gkamnyangi's whiskers twitching up and down.
"Gkamnyangi-ong, why are your whiskers moving-ong?"
"Hm? They just moved on their own. There's a smell."
"What kind of smell-ong?"
"Hmm…… our friends from the animal hospital?"
Hearing that, Hoesaegi's own whiskers began to work up and down.
"I smell Elder Hyung-nim-ong. Kakkong-i too-ong."
"That's Mongi's scent."
"Gkamnyangi-ong, how about this-ong?"
"Go on."
"Let's tail our friends-ong."
"Tail them? Why?"
"Let's see if we can get close without them noticing-ong."
Hiding your body so the prey never notices, waiting in secret, patient and relentless, for the moment to strike. That was the foundation of hunting.
"Fine. I'll watch Kakkong-i."
"Kakkong-i's nose is sharp-ong."
Meaning: can you really pull that off?
"I can do it."
"Then I'll try following Mongi-ong."
"You know Mongi's hearing is excellent, right?"
"I know-ong."
Having chosen their prey, the cats crept forward with the utmost care. The place they went was the playground — the playground at Neulpureun Park, where dogs off their leashes ran and played to their hearts' content.
The playground was packed with dogs. Sapsaree, Ttangkhongi, Jamong, Kakkong-i, Mongi, the Rascal Trio, the Cotton Balls — and even dogs they'd never seen before. Strangely, though, none of them were running around. They were all walking with their heads down.
What are they doing-ong?
Hoesaegi blinked as he watched his friends. Then, without making a sound, he slipped into the bushes near them and hid himself. He moved so carefully that not even a rustle of leaves gave him away.
Strange. I don't see a single friend running around.
Gkamnyangi tilted his head, then scurried up a nearby tree. Settled in the branches, he fixed his eyes on his target: Kakkong-i. The friends around Kakkong-i came into view as well, of course.
Ttangkhongi walked slowly, sniffing as he went. Beside him, Kakkong-i walked with his head down too. Gkamnyangi was watching the two of them wander about when a loud voice rang out from beneath a tree — the tree right next to the one he had perched in.
"Found it! I found it!"
Jamong was shouting from below, his tail beating the air. Right after, Mongi barked.
"Foun' it! I foun' it too. Heeheehee."
"Heh heh, there's one here too. I found one as well."
"Ehehe, I-I found one too, ye!"
The dogs they were close with, and even dogs they'd never met, were all celebrating having found something. Watching from the tree, Gkamnyangi's mouth curled into a smile.
They found cookies. The ones Teun-teun-i's mom made.
He couldn't see them from this distance, but he'd identified them by scent, and he smiled in satisfaction. Hidden in the bushes, Hoesaegi wore the same expression.
Kakkong-i found a cookie-ong. He's learning how to search from Sapsaree-ong.
He'd not only figured out what Kakkong-i was doing — he'd grasped the entire situation unfolding in front of him.
"Hehe, then we all found them-dayo!"
"Whoa, really, ye? Ain't we geniuses? We found 'em all in one go, ye!"
At Sapsaree's words, Kakkong-i bounced up and down with delight. Then Sapsaree's nose began to twitch. Seeing that, Ttangkhongi asked,
"Little brother Sapsaree. What's the matter? Is there something you haven't found yet?"
"No-dayo. We found them all-dayo. But I think I smell the hyung-nims from somewhere-dayo."
Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi's eyes went round.
Did he catch us?
Did he catch us-ong?
The cats held their breath and went perfectly still.
"The hyung-nims? You mean little brothers Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi?"
"Yes, Elder Hyung-nim-ayo!"
"The hyung-nims are with the cats, ye. I saw 'em, ye."
"Hehe, I saw them too. The hyungs are over there on the wooden platform, playing with the cat hyungs."
"Heh heh, looks like little brother Sapsaree is missing his hyung-nims."
"The hyung-nims are the best-dayo."
"That's why you think you smell them."
"Yeah. When I miss Mom, I get a huge whiff of Mom's smell too."
"Me too. Hehe. When the sun goes away, I get this huge whiff of Unnie's smell. So I sit by the door and wait. Hehehe."
Jamong said something that would have brought his guardian to tears, all while smiling as bright as the sun.
"Is that so-dayo? Then I must smell them because I miss the hyung-nims too-dayo!"
Sapsaree said, grinning from ear to ear. Then the dogs all went rushing off into the distance.
Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi followed them. Without anyone noticing, of course. The two cats' cheeks had gone faintly pink as they trailed along.
Sapsaree said he misses me-ong. Even though we just saw each other-ong.
H-heh, that Sapsaree. We just parted ways, and he already misses me.
But they couldn't meet him now. Being fond of Sapsaree was one thing. Training was another. The cats crept after them, thinking they'd dote on Sapsaree extra hard once they got back to Golmokjib.
The training continued. The cats threw themselves into the fundamentals of hunting: tailing their prey in secret, so it never noticed they were there. They also honed the art of hiding — stealth, so vital to survival.
"Hoesaegi, Gkamnyangi, Sapsaree — y'all come eat this!"
Go Gi-jin called for Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi, a snack bowl in his hands.
"Heehee, that smells so good-dayo. Strong Hyung-nim-ayo, what is that-dayo?"
Sapsaree trotted over, tail swaying, and Go Gi-jin answered.
"The chef went and made y'all some chicken porridge."
"Chicken porridge-dayo? The one that's splashy like water but all soft and squishy-dayo? With lots and lots of savory meat in it. That's the one-dayo?"
"That's right. Chicken porridge. That's what we're eatin'!"
At Go Gi-jin's words, Sapsaree's tail wagged even faster. Watching him, Go Gi-jin smiled with satisfaction, then lifted his head and looked around.
"But where did those two get off to? Hoesaegi, Gkamnyangi — it's the chicken porridge y'all love. Come on over. If ya don't, Sapsaree might eat it all."
Hidden in the corner, Hoesaegi wrestled with himself.
I-I want to eat it-ong. But I can't come out-ong.
Of all times for this to happen — right in the middle of stealth training. His paws were practically vibrating with the urge to bolt out, so he crouched down. That was the only way he wouldn't go.
Gkamnyangi was in much the same state. For a cat with a nose as sensitive as his, the smell of chicken porridge was a temptation almost too much to bear.
Khh, I love that stuff so much — why now, of all times!
Gkamnyangi sniffed and sniffed, practically eating the scent, as he deliberated.
Go out? Eat it? The stealth training — I can do that after I eat. I'll train even harder after. Yeah. Let's do that.
His little nose twitching, Gkamnyangi took a step forward. And then, all at once, Sapsaree's grinning face floated up in his mind — the look on his face after he'd rescued Tan, so proud and full of himself.
In that instant, Gkamnyangi's paw moved backward of its own accord. Then he crouched down in the Sikppang Position. If he stayed on his feet, he was liable to dash out without even realizing it.
Nnggh, today's not the only day. I'll ask Hyung-nim for some later.
Having steeled himself, Gkamnyangi opened his mouth wide.
Snnniff!
I'll drink in the smell, at least. That was how Gkamnyangi soothed his aching heart.
Waiting on the two cats who had given up on eating, Go Gi-jin frowned.
"Aigoo, they must be hungry. Where'd those two get to?"
He set the bowl down and looked around.
"Sapsaree, d'you know where Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi are at?"
Sapsaree's eyes lit up as he answered.
"Strong Teacher-ayo! I know where the hyung-nims are-dayo! Over there-dayo!"
The moment Sapsaree pointed a front paw at the spot where the two of them were hiding, Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi were horrified. And then they despaired.
They'd thought they were perfectly hidden. And Sapsaree had found them as easily as anything.