Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Chubby Cats
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Ta-da!
Gray held his head high as he strode forward after thoroughly routing Chirp's gang.
[That was an awesome fight!]
Shadow walked alongside him, praising Gray.
[Heh, that guy didn't have any fight in him, meow.]
Gray brushed it off like it was nothing.
And truthfully, Chirp and his cronies hadn't stood a chance against him.
[It sure was. A total victory for you.]
The two cats arrived at Meongmeong Animal Hospital with smug looks on their faces.
The cats who had been waiting outside out of worry for Totto were now all inside the hospital.
Lee Jun had made an exception this time to his usual no-hospital-visits rule for stray cats.
[Open up, meow!]
[We're back!]
Their meows rang out with utter confidence.
[The boss is here!]
The cats in the inpatient ward came rushing over.
"What in the world are they goin' on about?"
"Gray and Shadow are back."
"Really now?"
Lee Jun, who had been watching over Totto in the intensive care unit after his endoscopy, stood up and followed the cats.
"I'll get the door."
Go Gi-jin's eyes went wide as he stepped out and opened it.
Gray's coat, which had been gleaming with shine when he left, was a total mess.
He looked like he'd rolled around somewhere—his whole body was caked in dirt, with grass tangled all through his long fur. A complete disaster.
"Well, I'll be! What happened to you? Where'd you go rollin' around? Why're you in such a state?"
[I crushed Chirp's gang, meow!]
[Gray beat those guys so bad they couldn't even squeak.]
The cats lifted their heads even higher in response to Go Gi-jin's words.
Their meows boomed loud and proud!
"Did you get hit? Who hit you? Let me see. You ain't hurt anywhere, right? You okay, Shadow?"
Go Gi-jin tried to pick them up and check for injuries, but the cats were faster.
They dashed inside, calling out.
[As if anyone could lay a paw on me, meow!]
[You think this guy's the type to get hit? He dishes it out, he doesn't take it!]
Meow-meow.
The other cats chimed in, insisting their boss would never take a hit.
Go Gi-jin, oblivious to all that, just furrowed his brow and let out a sigh.
"Well, I'll be! How bad must it hurt for you to holler like that? C'mere, let me check if you're hurt."
Go Gi-jin chased after them to look for wounds, but the cats had already slipped into the open inpatient ward door.
[We're back, meow!]
[Gray sent Chirp packing!]
Lee Jun stared at the triumphant Gray and Shadow and asked.
"Did you go out and fight?"
[No way, meow! We were defending our turf!]
[That's right. Gray was protecting Evergreen territory.]
For the street cats, defending their turf was a matter of utmost importance.
Lee Jun was about to say fighting wasn't allowed anyway, but he shut his mouth at the sight of the cats cheering wildly.
[Wow! Boss is the best!]
[Boss, our boss!]
He figured a leader needed his dignity intact.
Besides, he'd told them not to use claws or teeth in fights, so the other cat probably wasn't seriously hurt.
'I'll have to find any injured cats later and treat them.'
Lee Jun smiled warmly at Gray, who held his head so proudly.
He brimmed with confidence from defending his turf.
It was heartwarming to see how much he cared for his comrades.
Gray marched right up to Lee Jun like a victorious general, gazing up at him with steady eyes. Lee Jun gazed back with gentle affection.
Gray had believed his brother would save Totto, no question.
And his brother had conveyed it all with a look.
Gray's golden eyes sparkled as they met Lee Jun's.
Squeeze!
Gray hugged Lee Jun's leg tight.
[Thank you, meow. I knew you'd save him, brother.]
His brother had saved another family member.
Gray was truly grateful.
"You rascal!"
He was so proud of Gray for caring so deeply for his comrades.
'No, all of them are amazing. So pure-hearted, cherishing each other like this...'
Lee Jun smiled as he took in each cat one by one.
***
Word of Chirp's gang aiming for Evergreen territory only to get crushed by Gray spread like wildfire.
The cats who had been waiting for a chance to take over Evergreen Park after hearing rumors of Gray's retirement were left in despair.
Gray's undefeated legend had struck again.
After that, no one dared encroach on Evergreen turf.
Not even Bluebird, Evergreen's friendly allies, got bothered.
Peaceful days followed.
Except for the scorching heat.
Ding-a-ling!
The door chimed brightly as Go Gi-jin and Sapsari entered the animal hospital.
"Whew, I'm beat."
Go Gi-jin's face was beet red as he plopped into a chair with a groan.
Sapsari made a beeline for the water bowl and drank.
Glug-glug-glug.
Not sipping—guzzling.
Lee Jun handed Go Gi-jin a cool glass of water.
"Hot out there?"
"Don't even ask. Feels like a dang desert. Can't even breathe."
Go Gi-jin chugged the water in one go, his throat parched.
"Ahh, that's the stuff. Feelin' alive now."
Go Gi-jin smiled contentedly and glanced at the cats.
They hadn't budged since he walked in—just sprawled on the floor.
"Right you are, that's the way. On a day like this, belly to the cool floor is the life!"
Then Sapsari padded over to the cats and flopped down with a thud. Go Gi-jin chuckled.
"He was tuckered out too. Stickin' his tongue out that far, pantin' like mad... Never seen him like that."
"Yeah?"
Lee Jun watched Sapsari panting on the floor, lost in thought.
"If he gets heatstroke like that, it'll be trouble. No choice—hate to say it, but we'll swap walks for the underwater treadmill for a bit, even if he hates the blow-drying."
Sapsari's injured leg had healed, but he needed regular movement to keep the muscle.
So for now, his daily park walks were replaced with underwater treadmill sessions.
The next day, Lee Jun called Sapsari over.
"Sapsari, let's do your exercise on this from today."
Sapsari loved getting in the water. Especially in this heat—it felt amazing.
But he hated the blow-drying after.
There was something he hated even more, though.
'I don't want to disappoint brother.'
Sapsari let out a deep sigh and trudged over slowly.
[...Got it.]
Sapsari climbed onto the underwater treadmill.
Splash. At the sound of water, Gray and Shadow lifted their heads from the floor to peek at him. But they soon flopped back down.
"Gray, Shadow—wanna work out too?"
Thump-thump.
Gray's tail smacked the floor.
Meaning no.
Shadow didn't even twitch his tail.
"You guys aren't moving much these days, are you? Seems like you're lying around all day..."
When Sapsari went to the park, Gray and Shadow tagged along.
They'd meet up with comrades and run around.
But lately, with the heat driving the park cats to the hospital for shade, the two had gotten even lazier.
They traveled to and from Alley House in carriers lined with cooling mats, lounged on the cool floor during the day at the hospital, and at night sprawled on the cat tower.
Eat and lounge. Snack and lounge. Dinner and lounge.
Just like Lee Jun said, all-day lounging—and the cats loved it.
'So relaxing, meow.'
Plenty of food, no turf invaders, and best of all...
[Cool, meow!]
[Cool.]
The two cats murmured in unison.
Gray, with his thick fur, always hated summer heat that left him breathless. This was paradise.
Same went for not moving a muscle.
When the sun blazed, staying put was best.
Lying there made their eyelids heavy.
Gray and Shadow pressed against the cool floor, eyes drifting shut as they dozed off.
Soon after, Sapsari finished his workout and headed to the drying room, shaking off.
Drip-drip. Water splashed onto the sleeping cats.
They kept their grumpy faces and sauntered off to the cat tower.
Lee Jun watched them go closely.
"Sssp!"
"What is it, bro?"
"Nah, just... they seem sluggish lately."
"Naw, no way. They're still all bones. You saw when we bathe 'em—skin and bones."
Go Gi-jin cupped his big hands.
"It's the fur makin' 'em look chubby."
"Yeah, who'd look big to you?"
Maybe Pyrenees Sugar qualified as "big"?
To Go Gi-jin, whose standards were cows, cats were tiny and scrawny.
Lee Jun was musing on that when Gray jumped onto the cat tower.
Whoosh.
'Hmm? That jump looked labored...'
Where was the guy who used to float up like a feather? It even sounded like a thud in his mind.
Then Shadow went for it.
Thunk!
Shadow didn't even try jumping. He pressed his front paws on the lowest shelf and scrabbled up with grunts?
"Hmm."
Lee Jun's eyes narrowed.
"Aw, poor things must be wiped from the heat—no energy left. Guess we oughta whip up some tonic food?"
Go Gi-jin gazed sympathetically at Shadow.
"Hot days call for good eats and rest. Gotta tell my pa to send some lean cuts."
Lee Jun shot Go Gi-jin a look.
'There's the culprit.'
This guy had been overfeeding Gray, Shadow, and Sapsari to beat the summer heat—and fattened them up.
Lee Jun sighed and called the cats.
"Hey, guys—wanna hit the park for old times' sake?"
[Too hot, meow.]
[You and Sapsari go. I'll stay here.]
Sapsari, who had just been caught by Jang So-ra for drying, perked up at "park" and wagged his tail wildly.
[Let's go! Hurry!]
"Sapsari just worked out and he's going— you guys really skipping? You'll turn into chubby cats."
[Hmph, as if, meow.]
[Chubby? Never been chubby a day in my life!]
The cats, who prided themselves on being sleek and cool, took offense.
'Brother's too much. Calling a handsome, slender cat like me that.'
Shadow, lounging right beside him, felt the same.
'Where else you gonna find a sleek cat like me? Not like furballs like Gray.'
The cats wanted to dash to the park and show off their graceful runs right now.
They used to scale mountains and leap wide streams!
But stepping out into the blazing sun? No way.
Just then, a kid entered their view, panting as he walked.
'When it cools off, I'll show brother my sleek moves.'
Shadow thought as he watched the overheated child from his sprawl.
That's when it happened.
The kid came closer and shouted.
"Wow! This cat's so fat! Mom! It's a chubby cat, a chubby cat!"
Thump-thump. Shadow felt sorry for Gray.
[Gray, he's calling you chubby.]
[He's talkin' about you, meow.]
Gray's voice turned haughty.
"Oh my, he really is. Both of them are so pMongchi—total chubby cats!"
"Hee-hee, gray chubby cat, black chubby cat."
[What? Chubby?]
[Did he say chubby cat, meow?]
Gray and Shadow's eyes bulged as they shot to their paws.