Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Cool Cats and First Flight
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As people gathered and formed a line, Gray curled up the corners of his mouth.
[See? I'm totally cool meow!]
[Hmph, they're crowding around to see me.]
Shadow raised his voice.
[No way meow. I'm way cooler and more handsome meow.]
From inside the carrier, Gray shot to his feet to puff himself up and shouted.
Puff.
Since it was a mesh carrier, Gray's head poked up through the top in a bulge.
"Cute, so cute!"
"It looks like a prairie dog on lookout. Gray is too cute."
As attention focused on Gray, the fur on Shadow's forehead bristled.
He knew better than anyone that crowds flocked to the strong ones.
Not to be outdone, Shadow sprang up.
[I'm bigger!]
Just then, Go Gi-jin was unzipping the top of the carrier, so Shadow's head stuck out jaggedly.
"It's Shadow!"
"Cute, so cute!"
Eyes turned to Shadow in an instant.
Seeing that, Shadow's eyes curved into half-moons.
[Kyahaha, see that? They all look up to me!]
Shadow turned to Gray with a triumphant look, then burst into laughter.
[Puhaha, why do you look so ugly?]
Ugly!
Gray, hearing that for the first time in his life, panicked.
[W-what did you say meow?]
[You're super ugly. That's why they're all admiring me.]
[N-no way meow. How dare you call this Gray ugly!]
Gray's face crumpled even more against the mesh as he trembled and wailed.
"Look at Gray. His face is all squished in the mesh—too cute."
"Yeah, like an ugly doll. So adorable."
People laughed at Gray, whose fur poked out messily through the mesh and whose face was squashed flat like a steamed bun in the carrier.
Some snapped photos, saying he was too cute.
With attention back on him, Gray felt a bit more at ease.
Wanting to stand tall like Shadow, Gray scratched at the ceiling.
[I wanna stand too meow. I wanna show my big, handsome self meow!]
"Got it. Gray, come on out too."
With his big brother's voice came a zipper sound, and his head suddenly popped up.
He'd only scratched a few times, and the obstacle was gone.
[I'm strong too meow!]
Back to his proud expression, Gray lifted his head high and let out a majestic awoooo.
[I'm stronger.]
Shadow shouted right back.
"What are you two doing right now?"
[I'm cooler meow! Don't you think so too, big bro meow!]
[Ridiculous. I'm bigger and cooler. Vet bro, don't I look cooler?]
Shadow puffed out his chest, where his one tuft of decorative fur fluffed out, and meowed.
"Haha, you rascals! So cute."
Gray and Shadow, desperate to hear they were cooler from their big brother, deflated at being called cute.
But moping didn't suit them.
Looking at the people around them, they thought:
'They gave us food meow.'
Recalling all the snacks the crew had given them on set, Gray pointed at Shadow with his paw and shouted.
[Let's bet meow!]
[Bet on what?]
[Whoever gathers the most food meow!]
[You're on! Bet!]
The cats glared at each other with fiery eyes, then shouted at Lee Jun in unison.
[Give us bags meow!]
[Food bags.]
"Bags?"
[To put the food in meow.]
[To hold the food we get.]
They shouted together again, then leaped out with a whoosh.
They landed on a nearby chair.
[I wanted to go up high meow!]
[This line blocks the way there.]
They glanced back and forth between the reception desk they wanted to reach and the red rope line hanging from Lee Jun's back, then sighed.
"Oh shoot. Forgot to give you snacks."
One person in line uttered the word "snacks" and held out a bag to Gray.
Sniff sniff sniff. The delicious scent of treats wafted from the bag.
Gray's eyes curved into half-moons as he said:
[See? I'm cooler meow!]
Gray lifted his head proudly toward the person holding the snack bag and declared:
[You can snap a pic meow!]
People offered snacks to Gray and Shadow.
Same for Shadow.
The two struck the coolest poses they could while enjoying the camera clicks.
Whiskers spread dramatically, eyes sparkling.
A solemn expression with a slight smile.
The cats radiated their charm for all they were worth.
But soon, their faces turned to pitiful frowns.
In the end, with a mew, the cats hopped onto their big brothers' shoulders and whimpered.
"You worked hard. Good job."
"Good job nya. Come here, Shadow, and rest nya."
Feeling their big brothers' hands, Gray and Shadow sniffled.
[They gave us weird stuff meow!]
[Doesn't even smell good.]
Gray drooped his head and mumbled.
[We failed meow.]
[Yeah. I was gonna share with the subordinates.]
[Paper isn't edible meow.]
Gray and Shadow sighed at the piles of paper.
[Good thing I made Yellow the successor meow. I'm not cool anymore meow.]
[No. You're still cool, Gray. You got snacks.]
Shadow glanced at his own bag, then buried his face in Strong Brother's shoulder and continued.
[I just got paper.]
Paper was fun to tear and play with, crinkling noisily.
But paper was just paper. Not edible.
[I'm over the hill.]
[No meow. You're cool meow.]
But their mutual encouragement didn't help.
As the cats stared at each other and let out long sighs, Lee Jun burst out laughing.
"Hahaha, you guys."
[Why are you laughing meow?]
Gray shot an annoyed look at Vet Big Bro, who laughed despite his sadness.
[We're so sad.]
Shadow stared at Vet Big Bro with triangular eyes and added:
[Food hanging from trees won't last the subordinates a lifetime.]
[They'll eat it all before the white snow falls meow.]
The clever cats knew the food they'd gathered was meager.
[Big bro said if we climb trees coolly and dash across the desert, we'd get tons of food meow.]
"That's right."
[We practiced a lot with Shadow to show even cooler moves this time meow.]
Whenever they had time, they'd practiced climbing and posing on the cat tower.
[But it was useless meow.]
[We're not cool anymore. That's why they didn't give food.]
So the cats figured people gave paper instead of food because they weren't cool.
[We won't get food meow. That's why we're sad meow.]
[Super sad.]
The cats whimpered with drooping mouths.
"Wait. So, you're saying people didn't give food because you weren't cool enough?"
[Yes meow.]
Big bro had said there were tons of fans far away.
Way farther than the sea friends' place.
Far, but if they showed cool moves there, they'd score heaps of food.
[I was gonna give tons to the subordinates and friends.]
But since they weren't cool, no food—of course.
That's why the cats were disappointed.
"This is all food. These are promises from people who like you, to give it later."
The cats, not understanding, tilted their heads.
"Gray, remember? When I said I'd give your park family tasty stuff once a week."
How could he forget?
Gray's eyes sparkled as he replied.
[I remember meow. We all ate tasty meat together meow. Even yesterday meow.]
"Exactly. When I said that to you, the meat was just for you to eat, right?"
[Yes meow. Tasty meow.]
"Let's eat again next time."
[Thanks, big bro meow.]
"Like I just said, these folks promised tasty stuff for you too. We're on a trip right now, remember?"
[Right meow. Show cool moves far away, and tons of food meow.]
"So they'll give it later."
[Is that it meow?]
[Really?]
"Yeah. One of these papers fills a whole carrier."
[That much meow?]
Gray leaped for joy.
"Yeah, someone who likes you, Gray, wrote this. Says enough for two carriers. This one's three. This one one's..."
As Lee Jun picked up papers and explained, Gray's face brightened more and more.
[Heh heh, I am cool meow.]
Seeing Gray back to smug, Shadow stomped his paws.
[Vet big bro, what about my papers? Did I get food like Gray?]
"Yeah, you got a lot too."
[Heh heh, thought so.]
Shadow lifted his chin and grinned, back to normal.
Gray and Shadow nodded at each other, then hopped down with a thump.
Gray and Shadow politely placed their front paws together and bowed to the people.
[Thanks meow!]
[I'll eat well.]
***
"Gray, this is your spot."
At Vet Big Bro's words, Gray peered around through the holes.
Sniff sniff sniff.
[New smells meow.]
Surrounded by unfamiliar scents, Gray's patrol instincts kicked in.
'Gotta mark it with my scent to claim my turf meow.'
He wanted to cover the other smells.
But stuck in the bag, he couldn't.
'Big bro's here, so it's fine meow. Shadow too meow.'
Plus Camera Bro and Strong Bro.
Gray scanned around.
Through the many holes, he saw Big Bro smiling at him.
[Big bro's watching me meow.]
Feeling at ease, Gray looked around more.
He saw Big Bro's face, but the rest was blocked—reassuring.
Smells sucked, but the place was good.
[I like it meow. Like a cave meow.]
[Comfy. Only see Strong Bro.]
After sniffing the strange scents a bit more, Gray and Shadow settled for sleep.
But just as they dozed off, their eyes snapped open.
[M-my body's floating meow.]
[F-floating away!]
Gray startled at the lifting sensation, while Shadow woke to his head dipping downward.
[M-must escape meow.]
[Run!]
As they scratched the mesh blocking the front, a familiar voice came.
"It's okay. Remember when I said we're flying through the sky to find food?"
It was Big Bro.
Regaining his wits, Gray replied.
[Y-yeah, you did meow.]
"We're prepping to fly through the sky right now."
[I-is that it meow?]
"Yeah. Remember how birds fly?"
Gray recalled birds spreading wings from trees and soaring.
[They stand and spread front legs wide meow.]
He mimicked a flying bird from inside the carrier.
Head held high, imagining birds rising to the sky—it wasn't scary anymore.
[Feels like flying meow.]
It had felt weird before, but thinking bird-flight made it exciting.
[My head's dipping down.]
"That's 'cause you're lying upside down, Shadow."
[Oh?]
"Try flipping so your head's where your tail was. Can you move?"
[Of course. No problem for us cats.]
Shadow easily turned around inside the carrier.
[Whoa, really. Feels like flying!]
Shadow, always jealous of flying birds, spread his front paws sideways.
Thud.
The mesh blocked full extension, but it felt good.
[Hee hee, flying!]
[Feels good, right meow?]
[Super good. Vet big bro, can we fly to treetops too?]
"Treetops are nothing. We're way higher now. Gi-jin, lift the carrier so Shadow can see the sky."
Whoosh, Vet Teacher lifted the carrier high and showed the window.
[Wow~. What's that meow? Lotsa Sugars meow. Mongi's there meow. That's Shadow's paw meow.]
"That's clouds."
[Clouds? So pretty meow. But big bro, where's the treetop meow? Can't see meow.]
Gray shook his head, searching for trees and birds.
"Trees are way down below, out of sight. We're much higher than trees now."
[Where are the birds meow?]
"We're flying way higher than birds, so no see."
[So I'm higher than birds meow?]
"Yeah."
[Hee hee, trees and birds all below me meow. Exciting meow!]
Gray stomped his paws watching clouds through the mesh.
But only briefly.
[Standing still meow. Why no flying meow!]
"We are going. Not up anymore—just like this."
[Feels like sitting on ground meow. Boring now meow.]
Losing interest, Gray buried his head in his body.
[Gonna sleep meow.]
[Sleepy.]
Gray and Shadow enjoyed a comfy flight, eating, pottying, drinking midway.
[How long we stuck here meow! Boring meow.]
"Almost there. It'll get fun soon."
[What's fun meow?]
"Landing. Oh, Shadow said earlier his head was dropping, right?"
[Yeah.]
"You'll feel that. Remember climbing mountains?"
[I climb mountains great meow.]
[Me too.]
"Good. It'll feel like coming down the mountain."
And as Big Bro said, heads tilted downward. Unlike takeoff, the briefed cats were chill.
[Nyahong! Like leaping off a cliff meow.]
[So fun.]
The cats enjoyed the plane's descent.
Finally landing, they shouted excitedly.
[Fly again meow!]
[Wanna fly.]