Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Sapsari's Soft Meat and Warmth
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Grrrr!
Sapsari bared his teeth once more.
But the big human didn’t run away—instead, he stroked Sapsari even harder and burst into loud laughter.
“Ha ha ha! That’s right, put some spirit into it!”
For a moment, Sapsari’s eyes shook violently.
‘Everyone ran away when I scared them. Why isn’t this person running?’
Sapsari, who had never experienced a situation like this before, was utterly bewildered, but soon his attention shifted elsewhere.
A savory aroma was tickling his nose.
Grumble!
It was the sound from Sapsari’s stomach.
Just moments ago, he had thought he wasn’t hungry, but now his belly growled as if that had been a lie.
Sapsari sniffed around. The smell grew stronger and stronger.
‘Th-that smells delicious.’
Drool.
Unknowingly, saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth.
Sapsari still couldn’t move easily, but he lifted his body toward the source of the scent.
There stood his benefactor.
As the benefactor approached, the savory smell intensified.
“Sapsari, let’s eat.”
Gulp.
Sapsari swallowed and tried to stand, putting strength into his body. His front legs rose, but his hind legs refused to support him.
Thud!
He collapsed again.
Undeterred, Sapsari dragged himself forward with his front legs, aiming for the bowl of food.
But suddenly, his body floated up.
The big human who had seen his teeth earlier scooped him up and laid him down in a strange place.
Sapsari’s eyes widened.
Right in front of him was food, plated so appetizingly.
And his body straightened as if all four legs were planted firmly.
“Let’s eat like this until your legs get their strength back. More comfortable this way?”
No, not at all.
In fact, it was perfect.
His hind legs didn’t wobble, and the height and position were ideal for eating.
Sapsari lifted the corners of his mouth slightly and lowered his head to the bowl.
The bowl was filled with chunks of meat, squished together.
Though it was meat he’d never seen before, the irresistible aroma made Sapsari chomp down.
Squish!
The food melted smoothly in his mouth, vanishing in an instant.
‘Huh?’
Startled by the unfamiliar texture, Sapsari froze.
Wasn’t meat supposed to be torn with teeth?
‘It’s like drinking water.’
Thump thump.
Excited, Sapsari opened his mouth wide and chomped again.
Chomp!
But again, the meat melted before he could chew.
[It’s delicious!]
To think such tasty food existed in the world.
[Soft meat isn’t eaten like that.]
[Lick soft meat to eat it.]
Sapsari tilted his head.
Lick to eat meat? He’d never heard of that.
But weren’t these the cats who had worried about him?
Sapsari brought his tongue to the soft meat as the cats instructed.
Slurp!
The soft meat curled onto his tongue, filling his mouth with that savory aroma.
Then, gulp. It slid down smoothly like water.
Sapsari’s eyes sparkled.
Now he had mastered how to eat it.
Sapsari polished off the entire bowl in no time.
Lick lick lick.
Still hungry, he licked the empty bowl when a voice called out.
“Sapsari, don’t eat too much at once or you’ll get sick. We’ll eat again soon.”
It was the benefactor, stroking his head as he spoke.
The promise of more food lifted Sapsari’s spirits.
And true to his word, the benefactor brought even more delicious food.
‘He kept his promise.’
Remembering the words “more later,” Sapsari looked at the benefactor before eating.
“Hold on just a few days. Then we’ll go back to full portions.”
The benefactor spoke with a gentle smile.
‘I don’t understand.’
But one thing was clear.
More food was coming.
This time, Sapsari licked it clean from the start.
A smile never left his face while eating.
After finishing, Sapsari returned to his spot.
Of course, the big human carried him.
Realizing the big human was helping him, Sapsari let himself be held without baring his teeth.
As Sapsari settled back in, the cats came to his sides and lay down.
Gray on one side, Shadow on the other.
“You guys, don’t touch Sapsari’s legs. Got it?”
[Of course! Touching hurts!]
[We won’t touch.]
The cats replied and then spoke to Sapsari.
[If it hurts, say so.]
[You okay?]
[I’m fine.]
[If it hurts later, tell us. Big Brother will make it better.]
Sapsari nodded and lay down like the cats.
A gentle warmth emanated from both sides.
‘Strange.’
Just having someone beside him made Sapsari feel safe. He let out a long, relieved sigh.
‘I was lonely…….’
Sapsari recalled the days he had spent curled up alone, forlorn.
He hadn’t been scared. Just lonely, hungry, desolate, and envious.
He remembered blankly watching dogs climb into cars and leave with their owners.
As the cars drove away, Sapsari wondered.
When will my owner come for me?
Tomorrow? Or the day after?
Whenever it was, he wanted to be there when his owner returned, so Sapsari never left the spot where they parted.
Even in the rain, he watched that place.
And even now, Sapsari clung to a tiny hope in his heart.
What if his owner was looking for him right now?
But he quickly shook his head. If so, his owner would have come when he was hurt.
‘Foolish thoughts.’
Sapsari was smart.
That’s why he realized soon after being abandoned that he had been left behind.
He just didn’t want to accept it.
And that hadn’t changed.
The thought of being abandoned made his heart ache again.
Sapsari desperately shook his head side to side.
The fur covering his eyes shook, bringing the current place back into view.
The hospital room filled his vision, and he remembered the benefactor and cats who saved him when he was wandering in agony.
Those cats were right beside him, snoring softly in sleep.
[Hmm!]
Sapsari stopped thinking and slowly closed his eyes.
Sapsari woke to the mewling of kittens.
[I’ll sleep here too.]
[I’ll sleep next to Sapsari.]
“You guys go home and sleep with Strong Brother.”
[No way. If Sapsari hurts, we have to tell Big Brother.]
[If Sapsari scratches, we stop him.]
[Right. Scratching because it itches will ruin his legs.]
Gasp! Ruin his legs?
Without an owner to care for him, losing use of his legs would send him straight to the dog star.
Sapsari’s eyes widened as he listened intently to the benefactor and cats.
[When I itched, Big Brother said not to scratch.]
[When my eyes itched, Gray stopped me. So I’ll protect Sapsari.]
[I’ll watch too. I know leg pain best.]
“That’s why I’ll stay by his side. Got it?”
[No, Big Brother needs sleep.]
[Right. We’ll tell you if Sapsari hurts.]
“Fine, then do that.”
[Then give us food! We’re hungry!]
[I want soft meat too.]
“You rascals! Alright.”
Sapsari’s eyes narrowed as he listened.
‘Strange. Why talk like that when leaving me?’
His owner had left him—why care for him? They were too strange.
Soon after, three cats circled in the hospital room, heads buried in bowls, eating heartily.
Nom nom nom, chomp chomp chomp. Yum yum yum.
Eating the delicious soft meat again, Sapsari felt wonderful.
The food was tasty, but more than that, he wasn’t eating alone.
Before, when hungry, he ate from the food bowl by himself.
Back then, food tasted awful.
‘The chomp chomp sounds are nice.’
Sapsari’s mouth curved up at the cats’ munching.
The soft meat, already tasty before, was even better now.
Sapsari devoured his share in seconds.
That night, the cats slept beside him. They had done so during the day too, so it wasn’t too odd.
‘No, it feels good. Warm and cozy.’
The mountain had been hot, but here it was cool. Yet with the cats, it was warm.
The perfect comfortable temperature.
Then the benefactor lay down too.
“Sapsari, tell me if it hurts.”
Sapsari didn’t reply, but his heart felt warm.
Whatever happened, the benefactor would handle it—that reassuring warmth.
It was the second time Sapsari slept deeply since mountain life. The first was when he first arrived at Meongmeong Animal Hospital.
***
A week later, as Sapsari writhed in itchiness, the cats clapped their paws joyfully.
[Sapsari’s itchy!]
[Ooh, good! It’s healing now!]
Sapsari wanted to scold the cats for cheering at his misery.
But his legs itched too much to think straight.
[I-I’m going to the dog star.]
It itched terribly, but terrified of the warning that scratching would ruin his legs, Sapsari just let out shrill whines.
[I’ll tell Big Brother.]
Gray vanished after saying that, then returned with the benefactor.
“This’ll reduce the itch. Hang in there a few days.”
The benefactor gave him the injection he’d had several times lately, right in the hip.
[Thanks!]
[Sapsari won’t itch anymore, thanks to Big Brother.]
The cats rejoiced as if it were their own relief, clinging to the benefactor’s legs.
“You rascals. You like Sapsari that much?”
[He suffered alone. We have to care for him.]
[He hurt alone. It was tough.]
At the cats’ words, Sapsari’s eyes grew misty.
With teary eyes, Sapsari watched the benefactor stroke the cats tenderly.
He envied the stroking, but more so the trusting gaze exchanged between the cats and benefactor.
‘Envious.’
He wanted to be part of them. But what if abandoned again?
‘No.’
Sapsari soothed his weakening heart, burying his face in his body to block his view.
***
Seeing Sapsari’s disappointed expression as he buried his face, Lee Jun swallowed hard inside.
‘He’s deeply hurt.’
Of course.
Not only had he survived alone in an unfamiliar place for two months, but he’d also suffered a near-fatal injury.
If he’d been wild from birth, maybe different—but it must have been excruciating.
Merchants fed him, sure, but mentally, it had to be devastating.
‘His heart must have burned waiting for his owner.’
As Lee Jun trudged out of the hospital room, Go Gi-jin approached.
“Big Brother, that pup’ll be okay, right?”
Knowing he wasn’t asking about the wound, Lee Jun gave a bitter smile.
“It’ll take time.”
“Makes my heart ache. Best if he forgets quick and lives happy.”
“We have to wait. Smart ones like him hold on long. They know they’re abandoned but wait anyway.”
Lee Jun continued softly.
“Too loyal is a curse sometimes.”
The reason Sapsari hadn’t left that spot poured from Lee Jun’s mouth.
“What’s so great about that loyalty? Just find a good owner who treats him right and live well.”
Even Go Gi-jin, who had laughed off Sapsari’s growls with hearty chuckles, had tears welling in his eyes.
Sapsari wasn’t ready to communicate yet.
‘He hasn’t said a word to me.’
Sapsari didn’t initiate talk with Lee Jun, nor answer questions.
‘He chats with the cats, so that’s something, but when will he open up…….’
Sapsari rejected Lee Jun’s touch.
Not out of dislike, but fear of abandonment again.
“It’ll take a while. We wait till he adjusts on his own.”
“Yeah. Even a stroll where family pretends not to know you is heartbreaking for dogs.”
Listening to Sapsari’s soft chats with the cats, Lee Jun said,
“Yeah. But with them around, he might open up sooner.”
“That’s why I hope that pup smiles bright. But with fur that long, hiding his eyes—can we even tell if he’s smiling?”
Of course they could.
When his mood lifted to smiling, he’d surely talk to Lee Jun.
Gazing at the hospital room, Lee Jun hoped it’d happen soon.
“But Big Brother, what about surgery?”
“Sapsari?”
At that moment, the sounds from the hospital room cut off abruptly.