One-Eye's Courage
Left. Right. Left again.
A mackerel-striped cat swept that broad head of his from side to side, taking in everything around him. Then he faced forward and started walking.
One step. Two.
Tip. Tap. Tip-tap.
He crept forward some ten paces without a sound, then stopped dead. Once more he peered around, hunched and wary. Fear stood bright in his eyes.
Maybe this one was simply afraid of the streets.
The cat let out a long, heavy sigh and started walking again. This time he went farther than before—a good twenty steps.
Then it happened.
He stopped dead. His front legs were still stretched out ahead of him, but he didn't move another inch. He looked for all the world as if he'd been turned to stone. Only the tips of his front paws gave him away, trembling.
He stood there shaking, panting through his teeth.
Hss. Hss. Hss.
I'm not scared. I'm not scared. Not scar— ahaha, I'm scared. I'm so scared.
What do I do? Should I just go back?
Rigid as a statue, the cat wore a look of pure torment. He couldn't take a step forward. He couldn't take a step back, either.
B-Boss!
Where in the world had their boss vanished to?
Had he been swallowed by the earth? Taken wing into the sky? Or if not that—that place every cat goes in the end...
No. No way. What kind of cat is our boss? There's no chance he went to Cat Star.
That's right. Their boss wasn't that kind of cat. He wasn't the kind who'd leave him—leave all of them—and go to Cat Star. Which meant he had to be in trouble somewhere. He had to be.
That's right. I have to be brave.
The cat moved his legs again. Step. Step. Step. Unlike before, there was real strength in his stride.
That was when it hit him.
A sting—sharp as a needle. From far away, a gaze. A gaze with charisma riding on it like heat off a summer road.
He flinched. His neck hunched. All four legs juddered as he froze in place.
I-I'm scared.
No matter how much courage he summoned, it was too terrifying. He worried at it again. Go? Don't go? Just turn around from here and leave?
But he couldn't go back.
I have to find the boss.
Wasn't he the boss who'd stood against those terrifying legendary bosses for their sake?
Our boss, all so we could eat well and live well... kugh!
He swallowed tears as he pictured the boss's face.
He took on every hardship there was for us. I have to find him. I have to save the boss.
The cat gave that broad head a vigorous shake and walked.
Tok. Tok. Tok.
For all the courage he'd summoned, the steps themselves were pitifully small.
Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi, freshly risen from a long, sprawling afternoon nap in the 2nd Floor Cat Playground, stretched their front legs and back legs all the way out. Stretch. Stretch. Stretch.
"I'm hungry-ong."
"Let's go ask Nunim for snacks."
"Let's do that-ong."
The two of them ambled slowly down to the first floor.
"Sapsaree-ong, let's ask Nunim for something tasty... oh-ong?"
Hoesaegi's eyes went round as he called Sapsaree over for snacks. Sapsaree was staring out the window as if he meant to bore a hole through the glass.
"Sapsaree-ong, what are you doing-ong?"
Strange enough that he didn't so much as twitch at the mention of snacks. Stranger still that he hadn't even acknowledged them when they came down.
Hoesaegi said this as he walked toward him, asking again as he went.
"Sapsaree, what're you up to?"
"Hyungnim-ayo, that one's eatin' food-ayo."
Hoesaegi stopped dead. So did Gkamnyangi.
Outside Mongmong Animal Hospital, fresh water and good kibble were always set out. A passing cat must have gotten hungry and come to eat. That was what Hoesaegi figured, and he answered accordingly.
"Sapsaree, a hungry cat came to eat-ong."
"Looks that way-ayo. That cat keeps starin' over here-ayo."
"If you keep watching, he'll be too uncomfortable to eat. Let's go."
"That's right-ong. He won't be able to eat if you stare-ong. Sapsaree-ong, let's go over there-ong. Let's ask Nunim for snacks-ong."
Hoesaegi, having strolled over at his leisure, said this and glanced out the window.
That was when it happened.
Hoesaegi's eyes met the cat's—the one carefully, cautiously eating kibble on the other side of the glass.
The corners of Hoesaegi's mouth curved up, slow and pleased.
On the other side of the window, the cat jolted as if he'd been struck by lightning.
"Eek!"
A shrill cry rang out from beyond the glass. And right on its heels—flutter, scatter. Kibble hit the ground. It was a small sound, but loud enough for all three of them to hear it perfectly.
Sapsaree's eyes went round. He cried out in a rush.
"Hy-Hyungnim-ayo. Is that cat hurt-ayo?"
Just as Sapsaree said, the cat had plopped down in a heap, legs trembling, and he did look like he was in pain. Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi, however, were in no hurry at all.
"What admirable courage-ong."
"Hmmm. That one..."
"Hy-Hyungnims-ayo, he's hurt-ayo! He dropped his food-ayo. His mouth hurts-ayo!"
Sapsaree barked with real worry, but Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi barely seemed to hear him as they walked to the door. Then they called out.
"Open the door-ong!"
"Open the door."
Jang Sora happened to see the cats and said,
"Kids, you want to go for a walk? We'll go a little later, once the director finishes up."
"No-ong. We're going to that one-ong."
Hoesaegi pointed outside with a front paw, and Jang Sora turned her head.
"Oh my, it's a cat? Is he hurt somewhere? Did he get heatstroke?"
When Jang Sora said the same thing Sapsaree had, Hoesaegi shook his small head as he answered.
"He's shaking because he's scared of me... oh-ong?"
His eyes went round mid-shake.
"Gkamnyangi-ong. Why isn't that one running away-ong?"
"You're right. He's looking right at you and he's still not running."
The cat outside was trembling as he stared at Hoesaegi. In a situation like that, the only sensible thing was to turn tail and flee on the spot. Instead he just shook, and didn't run. He was even making little groaning sounds.
Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi tilted their heads.
"Is he hurt-ong?"
"Maybe? Like Sapsaree said—is that one actually sick?"
Had he come all the way here to ask for help?
"Let's tell Hyungnim to make him better-ong."
"Yeah, let's. How much pain must he be in if he couldn't even run after seeing you?"
Jang Sora watched the cats meowing back and forth, all worried glances at the cat outside, and praised them.
"Aww, our handsome boys have such handsome hearts, too. You want me to help the hurt friend, right?"
Heh heh.
Fluffy little smiles bloomed on the cats' faces. They had been called handsome more times than they could count. But this was the first time anyone had called their hearts handsome, and Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi were thrilled.
"That's right-ong. My heart is handsome too-ong."
"Heh heh. So Nunim figured out that even my heart is magnificent."
"Kids, wait right here. Unnie will bring your friend over in a second."
The cats sat drunk on their own magnificence until Jang Sora brought the cat inside. And then there he was, stiff as a board, nestled in her arms.
Hoesaegi asked, in a voice of impossible gentleness,
"One-eye-ong. Where does it hurt-ong?"
"One-eye, are you hurting a lot?"
Gkamnyangi asked too, elegant and kind, just like Hoesaegi. One-eye went even more rigid.
Ugh. They warned me they wouldn't let it go!
Faced with a Hoesaegi and a Gkamnyangi so completely unlike their usual selves, sweat poured from One-eye's paw pads. He was so, so scared.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Sweat fell from his pads, and Jang Sora startled.
"Oh my, look at this. He's sweating so much. How much pain must he be in?"
At her worried voice, veterinary technician Jung Seung-jin came over.
"Manager, who is this... oh my, he's missing an eye. Was he injured?"
Jang Sora answered with a bitter little expression.
"They're kids who live on the streets."
"Aigoo, how scared must he have been? How much must it have hurt?"
Jung Seung-jin, who loved animals no less than Jang Sora did, looked at One-eye with a face full of pity.
That was when One-eye leaped down from Jang Sora's arms.
"Oh my! Hey, kitty!"
Jang Sora cried out in surprise, but One-eye landed with unexpected grace—then flattened himself to the floor in a full bow at Hoesaegi's feet.
The front legs and hind legs of the prostrate One-eye trembled violently.
"So you're saying your boss disappeared?"
Nod. Nod.
One-eye, standing stiff as a board on all four paws, nodded so hard his head looked like it might come off.
"Y-Yes! That's correct. King Boss's Hyungnim!"
"When did he disappear?"
"Well... he disappeared the night after water fell from the sky."
Meaning he'd vanished the day after it rained.
"Hmm. Rain... that was ten days ago."
Lee Jun said this looking at his phone.
"King Boss's Hyungnim, please help us. Something must have happened to the boss. The boss was always with us. He's not the kind who'd go somewhere without a word..."
Still answering in that rigid, formal way, One-eye snuck a glance at Hoesaegi.
"One-eye-ong. Spit it out-ong."
"Yeah. That's how Hyungnim can help you. And we can help too."
"That's right. Tell us even the small stuff."
"W-Well, last time, that is..."
He was about to spill it, then looked at Hoesaegi.
A fierce, terrifying golden gaze was boring straight into him. Just looking at it, he felt like he might pee a little.
Ah, no! I have my dignity too. I'm the Second-in-Command of the Songi District!
These weren't just any cats. This was the presence of the legendary boss, Silver Rain, and the next most terrifying after him, Shadow. If he wet himself here, the rumor would be all over the neighborhood by sundown.
The Songi pack's reputation had already hit rock bottom after getting beaten to a pulp by Hoesaegi last time. He did not want to add this on top of that.
One-eye crossed his hind legs in an X and squeezed his rear for all he was worth.
But scary was still scary.
"Hic— hic!"
He was so frightened a hiccup burst out of him.
Then a large hand settled on his shoulder.
"It's okay. These kids are kind. So don't be scared, and talk. I'll help with whatever I can."
Gentle words. A warm touch.
Th-This person. If he's King Boss's Hyungnim, then our boss...
It was strange. All of a sudden, his heart felt steady. Even with the terrifying Silver Rain and Shadow glaring at him from right in front of his nose, he felt at ease. The fear vanished. Strength came flooding in.
Maybe that was why One-eye's mouth took off like it had a motor in it, spilling out everything that had happened.
"S-So, what happened was, our boss..."
The three of them and Lee Jun listened to every word without interrupting even once.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
When One-eye, having poured out his story for over ten minutes straight, finally gasped for breath, Hoesaegi spoke.
"One-eye-ong. You came to the right place-ong."
"Mm-hmm. That's right. We're excellent at finding ones who've gone missing."
"I'll find him too-ayo. Long as there's a scent, I'll find him-ayo."
"Yeah. It'll go faster if you kids look. First let's ask your friends whether they've seen Jjaek."
"Thank you. King Boss's Hyungnim. King Boss. Kkam-Boss. And Sapsaree-hyungnim, thank you too."
Whoosh!
Sapsaree's tail wagged and wagged. Being called hyungnim had put him in an excellent mood.
"As expected, a broad-faced, burly, handsome cat-ayo."
At Sapsaree's words, One-eye's face burst into flames. It was the first time in his life anyone had called him handsome.
Hoesaegi was in the same boat. One-eye, handsome?
Hoesaegi stared at Sapsaree with round eyes. Then he whipped his gaze to Lee Jun and practically shouted.
"Hyungnim-ong, Sapsaree's eyes hurt-ong."
"That's right. His eyes seem to have gone weird. He said One-eye is handsome."
"Why d'you say that-ayo? He's super super cool-ayo."
"Gack!"
"Urgh!"
Handsome, take two. He'd gone and called him cool, too. Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi stared at Sapsaree with incredulous eyes, but Sapsaree looked perfectly confident.
"Hyungnim-ayo. You said if I squint like this, it's cool-ayo."
"Th-That's right-ong."
He had said that. There had even been a stretch when he'd trained Sapsaree in it diligently. Hoesaegi nodded.
"Look at One-eye's eye-ayo! The way it scrunches like this is so cool-ayo."
At that, Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi's heads tilted.
"Is that so-ong?"
"It... kind of seems that way..."
"And his face is all broad-ayo. Way bigger than you hyungnims-ayo."
Ack!
Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi wore matching looks of disbelief. They blinked and blinked at Lee Jun—and Lee Jun nodded.
"Hmm. That's true. This one's face is bigger than yours."
Flop.
Hoesaegi keeled over completely. Gkamnyangi's face went ashen.
Meanwhile, One-eye's already-wilted face withered even further. He knew all too well how relentlessly Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi pursued handsomeness.
Now I'm really headed for Cat Star.
To the trembling One-eye, Hoesaegi said,
"One-eye-ong."
"Eek! Y-Yes yes yes."
"Was there anything weird about Jjaek-ong?"
Losing on face size had stung Hoesaegi's pride, but he judged this was not the time to quibble over it. So he checked first whether there'd been anything suspicious the last time they'd seen Jjaek.
"Like not eating. Or not being able to pee. That kind of thing. If we know that, our Hyungnim can find him better."
"N-No there wasn't... ah. There was."
"What-ong?"
"W-Well. He didn't talk."
"He didn't talk-ong? Jjaek would never-ong."
That Jjaek was a big talker and full of bluster was already a well-known fact among the cats.
"Yes. He was quiet starting a few days before he disappeared."
"That's not good."
Which meant it wasn't an accident. He'd hidden himself on purpose. Gkamnyangi, who had lived in hiding once himself, thought so at once.
"Hmm. So he stopped talking, did he?"
At One-eye's words, Lee Jun crossed his arms and sank into thought.