Teun-teun-i's Day Begins with the Sky
Teun-teun-i's day began by looking at the sky.
Though looking at the sky wasn't truly how his mornings started.
When he opened his eyes each morning, the first thing he heard was his friends' greetings.
"Teun-teun-ah, good morning."
"Teun-teun-i, our youngest. Did you sleep well?"
"Teun-teun-i's up! Our little one is awake!"
With voices so warm, his friends—no, his family—would come close, asking if he'd woken well. And then—
Press.
Bump.
Nuzzle.
His older brothers and sisters would stroke him. With their noses, their beaks, their paws, or their whole bodies.
Every time they did, Teun-teun-i felt so, so good. It felt like Mom was touching him. His Mom, whom he missed so terribly.
But at the same time, he missed her even more. The way she used to hold him tight in her arms.
So after exchanging morning greetings with his friends, he always looked up at the sky. Because he missed Mom. His Mom. Because he longed for her warm, soft embrace.
And so he drew her in the sky.
If he kept drawing her like that, before long, Mom would appear.
He would see her crying. Mom was clutching something tightly as she wept, and that something was—
Hnn... that's my clothes. The very first outfit Mom ever put on me.
A tiny, adorable little outfit his paws could barely fit into now, worn threadbare and falling apart.
Mom held it tight and cried. Muttering, Teun-teun-ah, my Teun-teun-ah...
That was the first time Teun-teun-i saw Mom in the sky.
Teun-teun-i cried looking at the sky, too. Sobbing, Mom, that's my Mom...
It was so, so sad. Sad that Mom was crying, and sad that he couldn't run to her.
And so Teun-teun-i cried every single day. Drawing Mom in the sky, and then crying.
As one day passed, then two, the time Teun-teun-i spent crying grew a little shorter. Partly because his brothers and sisters treated him so kindly—but more than that, because Mom had started crying less.
The Mom who used to do nothing but cry at home, calling his name, would smile a little when she went to Meongmeong Animal Hospital. At that wonderful, wonderful Meongmeong Animal Hospital.
So Teun-teun-i was so glad when Mom went to Meongmeong Animal Hospital. Because he could see the face he loved so much—Mom's smiling face.
Hehe, I love Meongmeong Animal Hospital so much...
Teun-teun-i, who had drawn Mom in the sky because he missed her so terribly, was before long drawing Meongmeong Animal Hospital in the sky instead.
When he drew Meongmeong Animal Hospital, he could see the Mom he loved so much, and the playground he'd liked so well. He could see the little ones he'd been so fond of, too.
His stylish little brother Hoesaegi. Kkamnyangi, who snapped on the outside but was overflowing with affection. And Sapsaree, huge but bright as sunshine.
And he could see the Meongmeong Teacher he was so grateful for, the Strong Teacher, and the Kind Teacher who had always taken care of him.
At first, he'd drawn Meongmeong Animal Hospital in the sky because Mom didn't cry when she went there, and that made him happy. But now he drew it because he missed everyone.
Because when he drew Meongmeong Animal Hospital, Mom's smiling face filled that wide blue sky, and he could see all the teachers he was grateful for, and watching the little ones play was such a joy.
Teun-teun-i, who used to cry looking at the sky, began at some point to look up at the sky and smile. Grinning, showing his white teeth.
It was so, so good. Because Mom didn't cry anymore.
But there was one lingering regret.
He could see Mom's smile every day, and here his brothers and sisters shared their warmth with him every day—but he still missed Mom's big embrace. That was the one thing he regretted.
Then one day, it happened.
A big, adorable little sibling arrived. A little one who waved her huge paws and greeted them with a great big smile.
"Hehe, there are so many oppas and unnis! Hello! I'm Haennim-i!"
From that day, Teun-teun-i was promoted to second-youngest, and he had a little sibling who was so cute and so big.
Teun-teun-i was overjoyed. Because he had a cute, enormous little sibling. Because he had a little sibling who smiled and smiled. Because just looking at that innocent little one made him laugh.
Teun-teun-i wasn't the only one who loved Haennim-i. All his older brothers and sisters loved her too. Haennim-i, who had in an instant claimed everyone's love, was truly kind and cute and huge.
But there was something even more wonderful.
"Hehe, Oppa, Unni. I'll hug you. When Banana Oppa hugs you like this, it feels so, so good!"
Saying this, Haennim-i hugged her older brothers and sisters. Tight!
"Hehe, it feels like Mom hugging me."
"Yeah, yeah. It's warm."
Everyone loved being in Haennim-i's arms. Teun-teun-i loved it too, of course. When Haennim-i hugged him tight, it was warm and snug, just like Mom's embrace.
So Teun-teun-i really, really loved Haennim-i. Because she felt like Mom's arms.
And so now Teun-teun-i had only one regret left.
Ah, maybe it wasn't a regret so much as a wish? Anyway.
Mom doesn't need to worry about me...
When he drew pictures in the sky and Mom appeared, she would sometimes be worrying about him.
I wonder if my Teun-teun-i is doing well? I hope he isn't all alone somewhere cold. He isn't hurting there, is he? I hope he isn't in pain.
Things like that.
So Teun-teun-i developed a wish: that Mom would know he was doing well. He wanted to tell her not to worry about him anymore.
And he was going to ask the Meongmeong Teacher he was so, so grateful for and fond of to do that for him.
Gulp.
With his older brothers and sisters and his one and only little sibling watching, Teun-teun-i swallowed. Then he opened his mouth.
"Meongmeong Teacher, please tell Mom that I'm doing well here, so she doesn't need to worry. My older brothers and sisters, and Haennim-i, take such, such good care of me."
"Is that so?"
Teun-teun-i nodded at the Meongmeong Teacher, who was looking at him with such kind eyes.
"Yes. So I'm not lonely at all. I'm not sad. It's fun. It's joyful. And nothing hurts, not even a little."
As he spoke, Teun-teun-i's face grew brighter and brighter. And his smile grew deeper and deeper.
"I see."
"Yes! So Mom doesn't need to worry. I'm going to keep doing well here."
"Alright. I'll be sure to tell her."
Huuu. Teun-teun-i let out a long breath. A sigh of relief. A sigh of release.
Then he broke into a smile brighter than anything.
Hehehe.
When Teun-teun-i beamed, everyone smiled with him.
"Hehe, Teun-teun-ah, feels good, doesn't it? I felt really good too, after I told Hyung that."
Kongdol-i looked at the smiling Teun-teun-i, remembering how unburdened he'd felt after appearing in his hyung's dream to tell him not to be sad, and to say thank you.
"Yes, hehe."
"That's a relief. When we couldn't find you, you'd just look at the sky and cry, calling 'Mom.' Hey, Teun-teun-ah, feel better now?"
Geumdal-i, who had been licking his paw beside Kongdol-i, said this with a little grin. Teun-teun-i leaped up on all four legs.
"When did I cry? Ah—I mean, I did cry, but I haven't been crying lately?"
"Oh, you haven't been crying lately? Just sighing, then?"
Compared to Teun-teun-i bouncing around, Geumdal-i was perfectly at ease, scratching his ear with a casual expression.
"Th-that's right. I absolutely did not cry. I have a little sibling now, too."
Teun-teun-i looked back at Haennim-i. And then—tap tap tap.
"Hehe, Teun-teun-i Oppa!"
Haennim-i called Teun-teun-i's name and clapped her paws together, standing on two feet.
The sight was so splendid that Lee Jun's face broke into a fond smile.
"Puhut. Now that our second-youngest has said what he wanted to say, next..."
Kongdol-i turned his head to the left, and everyone looked the same way.
There stood Nuri, with his fluffy golden fur.
Looking at Nuri, Lee Jun thought, If they could see Nuri shining this bright, they'd be so happy, wouldn't they?
If his family could see this Nuri—not the weak, lusterless Nuri who'd been so sick, but this vigorous, sparkling Nuri—how overjoyed would they be?
Lee Jun's throat grew tight, thinking of Nuri's guardian, who might still be grieving even now. He cleared his throat a couple of times.
Nuri walked toward him. On four sturdy legs, Nuri padded over and stood before Lee Jun.
Looking at him, Lee Jun guessed, This one... he'll ask me to give his regards to his mom and sister and dad, won't he? He loved his family so much back then, too.
That was right. Nuri had hidden his pain so his family wouldn't be sad. And whenever his family was watching, he always smiled. Hoping they would smile looking at him, instead of being sad.
Recalling how much Nuri's family had loved him, and how much Nuri had loved them in return, Lee Jun focused on Nuri's mouth. Determined not to forget a single word that came out, so he could pass every one of them on.
Nuri, standing before Lee Jun, bowed his head.
This kid... still so dignified and well-mannered.
Just as that thought made the corners of Lee Jun's eyes crinkle, Nuri opened his mouth.
"Meongmeong Teacher, thank you, woof!"
Huh? Me? Lee Jun pointed at himself with a finger.
Nuri nodded and continued.
"You told Mom and my sister what I wanted to say, woof."
"That's right. Hyung passed on what Nuri said."
Geumdal-i, sitting nearby with his paws crossed, nodded and picked up Nuri's words. Then Kongdol-i, whose rump was planted firmly against Lee Jun's leg, added a word of his own.
"That's why Nuri said it made him so, so happy."
"That's right, woof. Teacher told them everything, and it made me so happy, woof."
Nuri looked up at the sky. Then he continued, slowly.
"You told them I was grateful Mom hugged me so tight, woof. You said thank you for taking me to the park, woof. For Dad giving me those zooming rides, for putting warm clothes on me... thank you for telling them all of that... woof."
"Hehe, Nuri, that must've felt so good. I wasn't cold at all either, because Mom put clothes on me..."
A small Chihuahua with short fur beamed at Nuri. Surely thinking of the family they missed.
"It was good, woof. And..."
Having said that, Nuri looked up at the sky. Above, there were more pure white clouds than a moment ago. And they were bigger, too.
Nuri glanced at the sky briefly, then lowered his head and gazed at Lee Jun. A deeper smile than before on his face.
"Mom smiled, woof. When she heard that Nuri said he was happy... woof. And she was so glad when she heard he said thank you... woof."
The words Lee Jun had passed on to Nuri's guardian after watching the video they'd recorded of Nuri's final moments now flowed from Nuri's own mouth.
The corners of Lee Jun's eyes grew a little red. The feelings from that time had come flooding back.
"You... how did you know that..."
At Lee Jun's words, Nuri smiled softly, then padded over and rubbed his body against Lee Jun's leg.
"Thank you, woof. Mom cries and smiles... woof."
"You..."
As Lee Jun stroked Nuri, Kongdol-i, who had been stuck right against him, looked up and said,
"Hyung-ah, you know. Nuri is so grateful to you. He says thank you so much for telling his sister and Mom and Dad everything he wanted to say."
"This one bragged about it a lot when he got here. Said Hyung passed on every word he said. And that Mom and his sister didn't cry."
Following Kongdol-i, Cha-cha flapped his wings as he spoke. Then he added this, too.
"Tch. Tell my hyung, too. He doesn't even know I'm grateful. He just keeps saying he's sorry..."
Cha-cha's face was full of wistfulness as he spoke.
"I'll tell him. Cha-cha. Anything else you want to say?"
"Same as Nuri, I guess. I was happy, and even now, thinking of Hyung makes me feel good. My hyung..."
The wistful look on Cha-cha's face gradually brightened into a smile. Cha-cha, too, must have been smiling as he pictured Choi Woo-jin.
"Ah, and tell him this, too."
"What is it?"
Cha-cha glanced at Geumdal-i once, then answered.
"Tell him I've got that one locked down, so don't worry. Tell him he doesn't have to be scared of that Geumdal-i anymore."
Having said that to Lee Jun, Cha-cha went on muttering to himself.
"Aish, when I think about what Hyung went through with that one..."
"What did I do? Your hyung was the one who tormented me!"
"What?"
"Your hyung touched my paws! And pulled my tail. Really hard, too."
"Why you—!"
Cha-cha flew at Geumdal-i, flapping his wings. Whoosh, whoosh. His wings went back and forth across Geumdal-i's face, tapping him—as if slapping his cheeks.
"Hey! Did you hit me? Did you?"
Geumdal-i tapped Cha-cha's wings with his front paws.
"Why you—! You dare hit my wings?"
"And you! You hit my noble, beautiful, magnificent face!"
"Beautiful, my foot!"
As the two of them tussled, everyone let out a deep sigh and quietly turned their heads away. Even Kongdol-i turned away. It didn't seem like the first or second time they'd seen this. Lee Jun felt the same.
"Come on, you two are still going at it even here?"
"I-it's because this one keeps picking fights."
"Who's picking fights? You started it."
Watching the colorful wings and the cute cotton-ball paws batting through the air, Lee Jun smiled. It's nice to see them still getting along so well.
That was the truth. The two of them were playing right now. If they'd actually been fighting, there would have been blood everywhere—what with Cha-cha's sharp beak and talons, and Geumdal-i's razor claws.
"Alright, alright. Then I'll tell Cha-cha's hyung that. Geumdal-i?"
At Lee Jun's words, the tussle stopped. Because Geumdal-i had frozen.
"I... I'm... to that dummy of a hyung of mine... uh, I mean..."
Blinking up at the sky, Geumdal-i was nothing like the mischievous creature he'd been until now. He looked like someone missing something with all his heart.
Everyone watching him held their breath. It was the first time they'd seen that expression on Geumdal-i, who went around calling himself the eldest brother.
Geumdal-i looked up at the sky for a long while, then spoke slowly.
"I'm doing well, so don't worry, eat properly, and take care of yourself. And stay there for a long, long time. I'll be waiting here for as long as it takes..."
"That's right, Hyung-ah. We'll be waiting here forever, so stay there and be happy for a long, long time. Don't get sick."
Kongdol-i continued. At Kongdol-i's words, Lee Jun felt something strange. This kid, sitting with his rump planted firmly against Lee Jun's leg, saying something like that.
Just as Lee Jun was thinking something was off, the bodies of the animals huddled strangely close together began to grow bright.
Lee Jun looked up at the sky, wondering if the sunlight had suddenly grown stronger. The sky was still blue. Only the large and small white clouds had thinned a little compared to a moment ago.
Ah, so that's why the kids looked brighter.
Just as he thought that, Haennim-i, sitting beside him, sprang to her feet.
Haennim-i's gotten brighter too.
Just as he was thinking she looked as if she were wearing gold, and that it suited her wonderfully, Haennim-i came bouncing over—boing, boing, boing—and threw her arms around Lee Jun.
"Hehe, Banana Oppa~ Thank you."
"You... I should be thanking you more."
For holding on so well. And for living so healthily and brightly even now.
"Hehe, this is all because of Banana Oppa. Banana Oppa made it so I wouldn't hurt. Banana Oppa brought me to this wide-open place. Banana Oppa let me meet all these oppas and unnis. Hehe, Banana Oppa~"
"That's right. Thank you, Teacher."
"Hehe, thank you, Hyungnim. Because of you, nothing hurts and I'm happy."
"Thank you."
"Thanks, Hyung. Tell my hyung to take care."
"Don't cry, Noona. I'm doing well."
The animals each said what they wanted to say. In voices bright and beautiful, as if they were singing.
"Puhut. Kids, isn't our Hyung-ah great?"
"Yes! King Big Brother, we love Hyungnim so, so much!"
At the booming answer, the corners of Lee Jun's mouth lifted. The strange feeling from a moment ago forgotten.
Then Kongdol-i rubbed his body against Lee Jun's leg and said,
"Hyung-ah, we're healthy and doing well, so you have to stay healthy too! We're happy, so you be happy too! And you have to stay happy for a long, long time."
"Hey, kids, you sound like you're..."
Like you're going far away. Why are you acting like this?
But the words wouldn't come out. Because he felt as if the animals before his eyes would vanish if he said them. And his heart was pounding strangely, thud-thud.
So Lee Jun held Kongdol-i tight—Kongdol-i, who was nuzzling against his knees. Kongdol-i's body, still so bright.
But when Lee Jun embraced him, Kongdol-i's already-bright body grew even brighter. It almost seemed to be turning transparent.
In that instant, Lee Jun understood. Kongdol-i was about to disappear. Which meant the others, too.
Clutching Kongdol-i tight, Lee Jun lifted his head.
Haennim-i, who had been hugging him. Geumdal-i, sitting beside him. Cha-cha, circling above Geumdal-i's head. Teun-teun-i. Nuri. Every animal around him was growing brighter and brighter.
Then someone shook Lee Jun's shoulder, hard.