Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Shadow's Homecoming
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Nice and toasty.
The warmth enveloping his entire body put Shadow in a great mood.
‘Warm.’
Not too hot, not too cold—just the perfect cozy heat. Shadow’s mouth corners naturally curled up.
‘This moving rock is surprisingly fluffy, too.’
Shadow had often lain on the moving rocks that people rode around in during the cold winter, thawing his chilled body.
But a fluffy rock like this? It was a first.
The rock would gradually cool down eventually, but until then, he’d warm himself up.
With that thought, Shadow entrusted his body to the toasty rock and drifted back to sleep.
“...you?”
A voice came from somewhere.
Probably just some people passing by.
“Hard work... done.”
This time, the human voice was a bit louder.
But something was off.
Normally, a noise interrupting his sleep would annoy him, but it didn’t.
He didn’t even want to give up this warm, fluffy rock.
Shadow burrowed a little deeper into the rock and continued sleeping.
“Want to sleep more, but you need to wake up.”
Another voice. Still, it didn’t bother him. If anything, it made him feel better.
Even with the noisy sounds beside him feeling good, it must be a dream.
Maybe because of this warm, fluffy bed—the dream was nice, too.
Feeling good, Shadow grinned and replied.
[...I’m sleeping!]
Then he drifted hazily back into sleep.
That’s when it happened.
Something warm and heavy pressed against his back. A human hand.
Even half-asleep, normally he’d have extended his claws and hissed immediately.
But now, instead of that thought, he just felt cozy.
“Shadow, I get that you’re sleepy, but you need to wake up now. Take a big breath in.”
[I’m not Shadow! I’m Shadow!]
Shadow yelled.
“Yeah. Good job. Just keep breathing in deep and exhaling like that. That way your lungs won’t collapse.”
[What are you even talking about?]
“Doesn’t matter. You just keep breathing deep.”
Keeping him from sleeping when he was sleepy—what kind of jerk does that?
Wait. Human?
Come to think of it, this was the voice of the person who’d pulled the thorn from his body.
That person had told him to sleep, and he’d said he wasn’t sleepy.
‘But I slept anyway. Wait, how did he understand me?’
Shadow, who’d lived in seclusion, had never heard rumors of a vet who could understand them.
So now he was utterly confused.
[Uh, how can a human understand my...]
Shadow’s voice grew louder.
“Understand what you’re saying?”
*Nod nod.*
Shadow nodded while lying down. Then *thump thump*. Something bumped his neck.
“Don’t move. You’ll mess up your surgery eye—that’d be bad.”
[Surgery? What’s that? More importantly, you understand me?]
“Of course. You haven’t heard the rumors about me, huh.”
[Rumors?]
“Yeah. All the cats and dogs around here know me. Anyway, that’s not important right now.”
[This is the biggest thing in my life, and you say it’s not important?]
“You’ll figure it out eventually. Right now, just don’t touch your eye.”
[...Obviously.]
It’d hurt more if he did.
Thinking about his eye suddenly made him depressed. The pain had stopped for now, but it’d come back.
If he rolled around in pain, he’d definitely tumble off this rock.
‘Better get off the rock safely first. Wait! How did I even get up here?’
Shadow, who hadn’t been able to jump for a long time, panicked but soon accepted it.
[You put me up on this rock.]
“Rock? What rock?”
[This warm fluffy one.]
“Oh, the heating mat? Laid it down so you wouldn’t get cold waking from anesthesia. Too hot?”
[No. Perfect.]
So humans called moving rocks heating mats.
Shadow learned a new word.
“If it gets too hot, tell me.”
Gets hot? Shouldn’t it get cold? As he thought that, the voice continued.
“Shadow. Until I say otherwise, never touch your eye. Got it?”
[Obviously not. Why would I when it hurts so much?]
“Good. Very good.”
He’d been anxious thinking the pain would return, and now ‘good’? Shadow snapped.
[Good? My eyeball felt like it was gonna pop out!]
“Hmm, painkillers wearing off already? Hurting a lot now?”
[Not right now.]
“See? That’s good. Anyway, no touching the eye. So, when did it start hurting? What were the first signs?”
How dare he dig into someone’s private matters. Shadow’s expression hardened.
‘This guy... a spy sent by the Evergreen boss? Still hunting me after I retired. That bastard’s more persistent than he looks.’
His mind suddenly complicated, Shadow let out a sinister meow.
[Why do you wanna know?]
“Your right eye should recover, but the left is iffy. If it’s been hurting long, recovery’s tough.”
He didn’t get it, but it didn’t matter to Shadow.
All he could think about was where and how to escape if the Evergreen gang attacked.
He couldn’t see, and it wasn’t familiar territory—escaping would be hard.
But he had to do everything he could.
He wasn’t the type to just stand there and take it.
Shadow clenched his cute white paw like a Somi swab.
“Even with one eye, living won’t be a big problem. Though jumping high walls or onto trees will be tricky.”
[What? See? Did you say I’ll see?]
Shadow double-checked if he’d heard right.
“Surgery went well, so in about a week, you’ll see. As long as you don’t touch your eye.”
[See? I’ll see ahead again?]
Overjoyed, Shadow jumped up and yowled *Kyaooo!*
“Hey, no! Excitement raises eye pressure. It’ll really burst.”
But nothing got through to Shadow.
He raised his front paws, shook his butt, and danced.
A dance of joy.
“You like it that much? Makes sense. But not now. If you get too excited and it bursts, you’re done. Blind forever.”
At ‘blind forever,’ Shadow startled and quietly lowered his paws. Then he lay down obediently.
“Yeah, eyes shaking is bad for now, so stay like that.”
[Does staying like this make me see?]
“Yeah. Uncomfortable, but just a week.”
[What if it hurts? I might roll on the floor or press my eye without thinking—will that make me blind?]
“Painkillers are in, so no pain. And once healed, no more hurt. Don’t worry.”
[No pain? Really?]
“Yeah.”
He’d see again, and no more pain.
Shadow was thrilled. Much more than before.
But remembering not to get excited, he rejoiced quietly.
*Nyaaoo!*
“Yeah, meowing like that’s fine.”
The human hand stroked him, but Shadow didn’t extend his claws.
Thinking about it, the woman who’d carried him and this man.
His claws never came out with these two.
He’d always hated human touch, even more after going blind.
But strangely, not these two.
‘Weird.’
Shadow decided not to dwell on it.
He’d see the world again in a few days—what did it matter?
Plus, the stroking felt good.
[Not there, scratch the side.]
“Here?”
[No, lower. Yeah, there. Harder.]
“You sure take a lot of work.”
*Scritch scritch scritch.* The touch, gentle at first, grew firmer.
Shadow, who’d relaxed into it, felt his strength drain away.
His whole body went limp, and soon he fell asleep.
Even in sleep, he occasionally felt the pleasant touch.
More than danger, it felt comfy and good, so for the first time in his life, Shadow slept deeply and peacefully.
Shadow had a small wish.
Waking to delicious food right under his nose.
So he wouldn’t go hungry and could eat right away.
*Sniff sniff sniff.*
‘Smells savory.’
Had his wish come true? As Shadow rose, a voice came from beside him.
“Let’s eat.”
The human voice he’d grown used to overnight.
[Food?]
“Yeah. Hold still.”
*Snap.*
A loud sound from his neck.
[Wh-what?]
“Unclipping the e-collar. Better without it while eating. But no scratching your eye just ‘cause it’s off.”
[Got it.]
Stating the obvious.
He’d see if he didn’t scratch—obviously he’d obey.
“Here, eat.”
Shadow took a bite of the food brought to his nose and froze in shock.
A delicious flavor he’d never tasted before.
[D-delicious.]
“Lots of cats hate this, so glad you like it.”
[...Hating this? Unbelievable.]
Shadow shoved his face in and polished off the bowl in seconds.
*Yaaawn.*
*Lick lick lick.*
Wanting more, Shadow licked the empty dish clean.
“Want more, but hold off. I’ll give seconds soon.”
He figured it was luck getting this tasty food once, not expecting more.
Shadow tilted his head.
[More?]
“Yeah. Too much at once is bad, so little by little.”
That’s when it happened.
*Jingle.*
A cheerful sound as someone entered.
[It’s that person!]
Shadow turned toward the sound.
“Director! I’m here.”
“Manager Jang. Early today?”
“Early? You haven’t even gone home. I feel awful.”
“Haha, no need. Just slept next to this guy. Mmm, coffee smells good. That for me?”
“Yeah. Hehe. Bread’s warm—freshly baked this morning.”
“Ooh, fresh bread. Makes my mouth water just hearing it. You skipped breakfast, right Manager Jang? Let’s eat together.”
“No, you first. I’ll eat slowly.”
“Then I’ll eat and head home. Shadow, behave for Manager Jang. And no scratching your eye!”
[I won’t! And my name’s Shadow!]
After that, Shadow repeated himself many times. But eventually...
[Sigh, call me whatever—Shadow, Kkamdaeng-i, Shadow!]
“Ooh, Shadow. Nice. Black cat—your name’s Shadow from now on.”
***
“Okay, Shadow, let’s go home.”
[Home?]
“Yeah. My home. But there’s a cat named Gray there, okay? You gotta get along with him.”
At ‘Gray,’ Shadow’s face lit up.
‘The guy who worried about me.’
Of course he’d get along.
[Got it.]
“I told Gray about you, so he won’t touch you. Especially said no touching your eye, so don’t worry.”
Shadow wasn’t worried anyway. A good guy wouldn’t attack without reason.
“Okay, let’s go.”
Shadow rode in a carrier for the first time, heading to this ‘home.’
Not being abandoned alone, going somewhere together—it felt great.
‘Somehow, with this guy, not seeing doesn’t worry me.’
Shadow leisurely sniffed scents and listened to sounds, enjoying the street.
After a while, a jolt.
“We’re home.”
Fresh wood scent filled his nose. Mixed in was a vaguely familiar smell.
Shadow instinctively knew.
‘Danger!’
Shadow bolted up in the carrier, going on high alert.
The carrier thumped.
“You’ll hurt your eye. Lie down quietly. I’ll let you out once inside.”
*Beep beep boop beep.*
With the sound came a *myaao!* cat meow.
[Come on in!]
Hearing the cat voice, one came to mind.
‘Sounds like the Evergreen boss.’
A good Gray having the same voice as that jerk. And not just voice—the scent matched too.
Fur bristling, Shadow muttered.
‘Calm down. He’s not that guy.’
Even a good cat would dislike him bristling and ready to attack.
And right now, he was the weak one.
Blind, and couldn’t hurt his eye.
Shadow suppressed his instincts and obediently lay down as told.
“Gray! Hungry? Bro’ll feed you quick.”
[I’m good. That guy sick?]
“Yeah. Told you this morning, right? Don’t touch Shadow, ever. Got it?”
[Got it. Said to take good care since he can’t see.]
“Yeah, yeah. You look after Shadow from now on. Show him around the house.”
[Got it!]
Listening to Lee Jun and Gray, Shadow barely kept his bristling fur and attack urge in check.
‘This Gray’s not Gray.’
Gray wouldn’t be that sweet.
Judging them completely different cats, his tension melted away.
Then, *click.*
The carrier door opened.
“Okay, say hi. This is Gray. And this is...”
[Hey, you’re Shadow!]
[Yoooou! S-Gray?]
*Kyaooo!*
*Nyaaoohoho!*
Sharp cat yowls echoed through Alley House.