Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: The Parks Reopen
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The day after the cats' two feasts came to an end.
Evergreen Park and Bluebird Park, which had been closed for construction, finally reopened.
News that the old urban parks had been reborn as eco-friendly spaces drew a few reporters to cover the opening ceremony.
At the entrance to Evergreen Park, which hadn't opened yet, one reporter voiced a question.
"This park was renovated by Namgung Construction, right? And they did it for free, I heard."
"Yeah, I heard that too. The CEO personally gave the order."
"Why would Namgung Construction remodel a park that doesn't make them any money?"
"Who knows? Maybe there's a redevelopment project coming up around here soon."
"Is that it?"
"From what I know, there's no redevelopment plan in this area."
"Really? Then what's the reason?"
"We'll find out once we go in, but maybe they were practicing for creating parks in future apartment complexes."
"Huh, that makes sense. Comfortable living environments are a big selling point in the housing market these days. Sounds plausible."
"Hmm, planning a high-end apartment complex with an eco-park?"
"Nah, no way. Creating a park like that would take a massive amount of land. With land prices being what they are, they'd make more profit building another building instead."
"That's going too far. I think they're just collecting data on park designs for their complexes."
"That makes sense too. They're testing different samples in a neighborhood park like this. Seeing how the public reacts. The construction only took a month—what could have changed that much? They'll tweak other parks based on the feedback here."
"And gradually gather good data that way."
Just like that, Bluebird Park, which reopened on the same day as Evergreen Park, garnered as much media attention, with articles popping up one after another on internet news sites.
[Urban Eyesore Park Transformed into Eco-Friendly Haven for Citizens]
[Eco-Park Right Next Door: Living in Harmony with Nature]
[Residents Enjoying Life Alongside Animals]
Articles praising the transformations at Evergreen and Bluebird Parks gained traction, shining a spotlight on videos uploaded to MeTube.
They were videos shot a few days earlier by park construction staff who had witnessed the cats' feasts.
The staff included Namgung Construction employees overseeing the work and park workers.
The videos were already rumored to be rare footage, and paired with the articles, their views exploded.
Among them, the one with the highest views was, naturally, from Kwak Su-ho's channel.
To coincide with the parks' reopening, Kwak Su-ho's channel uploaded three videos.
One showing the cats living in the park before its makeover.
Another capturing the cats dancing in a group, much to the amazement and delight of the staff.
And the last one, showing the cats in the newly renovated park.
These three videos started with the butt-wiggling dance one getting three times the views of the others.
But gradually, the rest caught up, and within a week of upload, the three combined hit five million views.
"Whoa, this is no joke. Is everyone just watching these?"
Lee Jun, about to play the videos for the cats on his tablet, was startled by the numbers.
"It's sneakily addictive, Director. Even I'm watching one—no, three—a day, three times over."
"Three times? Manager Jang, you saw it live that day. Right up close."
"Exactly, that's why I want to watch it more."
"Really?"
"Of course. The weird thing is, at first, the dancing video was the most fun. But the more I watched, the more I noticed their daily lives."
"Kwak Su-ho really knows how to shoot videos."
"Right? They're so heartwarming, I found myself cheering them on, fists clenched without realizing it."
"You know them, so it hits harder."
"Yeah. I kinda want to take them all home..."
At that moment, the cats huddled together turned to look at Lee Jun.
Gray, spotting it, meowed to him.
[We wanna see our festival meow!]
"Ah, got it."
Lee Jun played the video, and the cats focused intently.
As the cats in the video danced, the watching cats bobbed and swayed along.
"I'm so Haenguni to see this live."
Jang So-ra clasped her hands tight, gazing at them.
Just then, Namgung Hyun arrived.
To the cats, he was someone deeply grateful—a man who had improved their living conditions.
[Welcome!]
The cats greeted him in unison.
"Aigoo, you kids hungry?"
"That's their way of saying hi to you, CEO."
Lee Jun smiled as he welcomed Namgung Hyun.
"A greeting?"
"Yeah. They're thanking you."
"Hahaha, thanks."
Lee Jun grinned at Namgung Hyun, who beamed at the cats.
"By the way, your company's been all the rage lately, huh? Saw another article today."
Lee Jun pulled up a search and showed him the article.
[Namgung Construction Cares About Local Eco-Friendliness—What's Next?]
Namgung Hyun let out a hearty laugh.
"Haha, this is all thanks to you, Director. I just added a spoon to your idea, and look at this."
"Nah, it's not me. People just appreciate the good you did."
"No way. This was entirely your doing. I never would've thought of it without you."
"Glad you see it that way."
"Of course. And thanks to these videos, inquiries are pouring in from overseas. No idea how they even found us."
"Word spreads fast these days. Plus, Kwak Su-ho's channel is pretty popular. Lots of foreigners watch his stuff."
"True, the comments are in all languages."
"Not to brag 'cause he's my friend, but Kwak Su-ho makes killer videos. Especially ones with animals as stars."
"Seems so. Clients say the videos are amazing. Some want parks like Evergreen, others want spaces like that in apartments."
Lee Jun smiled at Namgung Hyun's words.
More such spaces anywhere in the world would be a good thing.
"Looks like smooth sailing ahead for you."
"Yep, plenty of work now. Oh, right—my secretary said you wouldn't give your account number for the bonus?"
Earlier, Namgung Hyun's secretary had called asking for Lee Jun's bank details.
When asked why, it was for a bonus.
Lee Jun, of course, hadn't provided it.
"I'm not even your employee..."
"No, you contributed the most to this project. You deserve a bonus. Same for Kwak Su-ho."
"Kwak Su-ho too?"
"Yeah. Our company's buzzing because he filmed their shelters so beautifully."
Namgung Hyun gazed warmly at the cats as he continued.
"I started watching to check our work, but got hooked. Lost count of replays."
The sated cats had gathered around Gray and Shadow, chatting amiably in a way they hadn't before.
Seeing their cozy vibe must've brought them peace.
Lee Jun smiled softly at the sight.
***
Plenty of people, like Namgung Hyun, were healing by watching Kwak Su-ho's videos. Kim Eun-ji was one of them.
"Haa, these kids are too cute."
Lately, Kim Eun-ji was hooked on the "Park Cats" videos.
Watching the cats shake their butts in dance melted away her work stress in an instant.
As one ended, her hand automatically clicked the next.
After repeating this several times, a thought struck her.
"But... is this footage real?"
How could so many cats—not just one or two—strike the same pose?
Could you even gather over a hundred strays like that?
And the follow-up videos too.
Street cats usually wore wary expressions by default.
But these on screen showed none of that.
"They seem to look out for each other."
Anyway, the cats exuded a warm, relaxed vibe.
Which was oddly compelling, even if it felt a bit off, keeping her watching.
Then another thought hit.
"Did Namgung Construction stage this?"
If so, who did they hire?
How was this made?
"Ah, so curious."
And she wanted to see the cats herself.
Kim Eun-ji sprang into action.
So what if she was an entertainment reporter for a sports daily?
Journalists chase the hot stories.
Besides, who hadn't heard of the Park Cats?
Top-tier buzz, popularity unmatched—perfect scoop material.
'This level of fame rivals A-listers.'
She immediately contacted Namgung Construction's PR department.
***
Lee Jun was puzzled when a sports newspaper reporter called.
A pet mag reporter, sure—but sports? Entertainment section at that. What could they want?
"What can I do for you from Dongbang Sports?"
-I'd like to interview you about the eco-parks.
"Ah, I don't have much to say on that."
-What do you mean? I heard you conceived them—that alone's huge news.
"I just mentioned it in passing. The CEO of Namgung Construction took it from there. Better interview the staff—they've got the details."
Lee Jun politely declined.
Interviews don't always land on the first try.
Undeterred, Kim Eun-ji showed up at Meongmeong Animal Hospital the next day.
"Hello, Director. Kim Eun-ji—the one who called yesterday."
She handed over her business card with a greeting.
"Lee Jun."
He reciprocated with his card.
"As I said on the phone, no interview."
"It won't cause you trouble. It'll help promote your hospital."
"We don't sell our name like that."
"Ah, I didn't mean—"
Lee Jun's firm refusal flustered Kim Eun-ji.
From the cat tower, Gray and Shadow stared at her intently, meowing softly.
[I told you she was weird meow.]
[Should've avoided her.]
Kim Eun-ji whipped her head toward the sound, searching.
"Huh?"
She clapped her hands over her open mouth.
"No way—are you guys them? The Park Cats?"
Lee Jun chuckled at her reaction.
"Yep."
"They're giving me strength these days. After work, watching their videos is my joy."
Kim Eun-ji kept staring at Gray and Shadow as she spoke.
Her eyes fixed on the cats, she continued slowly.
"I contacted Namgung Construction wondering who planned this. It didn't add up as just park strays. How do you round up over a hundred ferals at once? All looking so happy too."
"They're all living happily."
Lee Jun thought of the park cats, a soft smile forming.
"You know the reactions here and abroad are insane, right?"
"Seems that way."
"They're huge. Tons of visitors to the parks lately. Everyone's raving about how calm and well-mannered the cats are."
"Good eye. They're very good kids."
"Right? Comments mention your hospital sometimes."
"Really? News to me."
"Even without an interview, you'll be famous soon. Gut feeling."
Kim Eun-ji grinned as she went on.
"People will flock to Evergreen and Bluebird Parks—and your hospital."
He'd already heard foot traffic was up lately.
An interview would multiply that.
That was exactly why he'd refused.
"I checked out the parks. Amazing. Way better than the videos. The cats' expressions especially—they make you want to stay and watch."
Arms bend toward the body, as they say—praising the cats softened Lee Jun a bit.
"Honestly, some citizens love the cats in the parks, but others hate it."
"True."
"Right? Why not use this chance to explain the pros and cons of cats living with us? And update on Evergreen cats. Some dislike strays 'cause they're not dewormed."
"No worries there. All cats at both parks are fully dewormed."
"Wouldn't it be great if people knew? No need to hear complaints for good deeds. Plus tips for pet owners."
Lee Jun had plenty he wanted to share with guardians.
His eyes lit up at her words.