Draw
My shout "Did you call for me?" made Cheongho appear instantly. It was like the sound of a taekwondo gi brushing past—para-lak—and there he was, sitting right beside me.
I was startled for a moment, but to hide it, I pointed at Namcat instead.
"Want to spar with him?"
"Spar, sir?"
"Yeah. This guy has put on some weight, but he doesn't seem to be losing it."
"I understand. I was bored anyway, so this is good."
Cheongho accepted my request with enthusiasm. In fact, he seemed eager.
"Right now?"
"Um... Namcat, what do you want to do?"
"It can be right now."
Namcat showed he was ready to clash with Cheongho immediately. I led the two of them to the cafe's grassy field.
This started as Namcat's diet, but I couldn't just let it go!
I left the two of them on the grass briefly and held a small event in the cafe.
"From now on, there will be a spar between Namcat and Cheongho! Among the guests who predict the winner of the match, we'll draw for several goods or drinks as gifts! Please participate if you're interested!"
I shook a hastily made lottery box and a paper cut from A4 paper.
In an instant, the cafe's customers flocked over, starting to predict the outcome of Namcat and Cheongho's spar.
"Cheongho will win. He won last time too. Cheongho will win right away?"
"Hey, but Namcat's a cat? A cat beat an owl."
"Still, I'm a god-dangie fan. No cat can beat a god-dangie."
"What? Were you a god-dangie fan? I thought I heard barking."
"...Looking at how you talk, you're a god-nyang fan."
There were some friends bickering, but all the customers in the cafe made their predictions.
Customers' predictions: 80% predicted Cheongho win, 15% Namcat, 5% thought it would be a draw.
I felt a bit sorry for the 20% who chose Namcat. They thought he could win even though he hadn't before and had gained weight.
'Well... they chose him knowing the outcome.'
But that regret didn't last long. The ones who chose Namcat were hoping he would win.
After shaking off that regret, I approached the two. The two who had been waiting for me to return, looked ready to clash as soon as I appeared.
I was about to start the spar when a thought crossed my mind. And I whispered it only to Cheongho.
"Really do it?"
"Yeah."
"I understand."
Cheongho, upon hearing my words, instead of questioning, said "I understand" and looked at Namcat gently.
"Well then, before we start. Do you both know the rules? We must not hurt each other."
"Don't worry!"
"Hmph. It'll be tough. To not hurt that guy."
I smiled lightly at the contrasting reactions of the two and stepped back a bit. Then, with the signal to start, the two clashed immediately.
Both were beings who transcended even the species of dog and cat.
Thanks to that, even though they were still, they accelerated to top speed. It was like they blinked once and appeared right in front of each other, 2 meters apart.
Paba-baba-bat!
The clashing two made the sound of cutting through the wind, exchanging blows several times.
Namcat lightly dodged Cheongho's heavy front paw and unleashed several Nyangnyang Punches, and Cheongho dodged them like flowing water.
Similar exchanges continued, and the customers watching started exclaiming in admiration.
"I have no confidence in losing to Namcat within 10 seconds..."
"Cheongho win! Give me a prize! Cheongho coin jackpot!"
"Wow, my chest is swelling. It's at UFC level."
"Hey, it's getting exciting. My chest is shrinking. Where did that guy go who said Namcat would win earlier?"
"You shouldn't go in there! Look for an opening and paba-pak! Eh!"
People showed various reactions and cheered. Even someone was giving advice to the animals.
However, the people who showed different reactions unified when they saw Cheongho's continued actions.
"Hey... is Cheongho laughing?"
"If my eyes aren't playing tricks, it seems like he's hitting."
No, it was because Cheongho was tilting his head and smiling.
"Is that all? Isn't he too weak compared to last time? This isn't even a warm-up."
And indeed, Cheongho was mocking Namcat. His long muzzle's lips were slightly curved, and his round eyes were slightly narrowed as if smiling.
Of course, Cheongho's reaction was because I instructed him to.
It was with the intention of making Namcat move more energetically and hoping to trim that plump belly. Namcat was also reluctant to move because he had gained weight. To make him move until his chin was out of breath, this was necessary.
As expected, Namcat showed the reaction I had anticipated and wanted. He started baring his teeth and hissing at Cheongho.
No matter how much weight he gained, the guy who had lived arrogantly with no one above him wouldn't like this humiliation.
"...Are you mocking me now?"
"Puhuhu."
"I won't let you off!"
As if finishing him off, Cheongho laughed instead of answering Namcat's question.
Because of that laugh, Namcat, who had patience to see the floor from the beginning, lost his patience.
The guy didn't care if Cheongho got hurt or not, and charged with claws out.
But Cheongho was moving differently from before. If it was light play, now it was like putting his whole heart into it.
"Hmph, you can do it, right? Good. Let's try harder!"
Cheongho laughed as if enjoying it and started enjoying the spar with Namcat. Despite sharp claws brushing by, he defended and counterattacked without blinking.
And Namcat, facing that enjoyable Cheongho, slowly started to look like he was enjoying it too.
Receiving attacks that would cause big pain if he was slightly careless, it was like his old senses were reviving.
The Namcat who had been wandering the streets worse than wild... started to regain that sense. His movements changed.
Most attacks were blocked, and even if successful, the attacks that used to only lightly graze were finally landing properly.
"Kkueng, the sharp ears are my pride..."
Right, the tip of Cheongho's sharply standing ears was slightly cut. More precisely, not the ears themselves cut, but the fur that made the tips sharper was cut.
Naturally, Cheongho, whose prideful ear tips were cut, could no longer play with Namcat.
"I won't play anymore, I'll do it properly."
"Hmph, who are you playing with?"
Namcat, repaying the mockery with a smirk.
And the two of them started positioning as if to clash. Both were stomping the grass with strong force on their hind legs.
But the two couldn't clash like before.
Sik-sik-sik-sik-sik-sik!
Right, So-eun, wearing the glowing sneakers Yeongji gifted, was walking energetically with footsteps.
"Uwaaeng!"
So-eun, toddling, dove between Namcat and Cheongho, stopping their clash. So-eun's appearance as if scolding them not to fight made all the people watching, including me, smile warmly.
"Ah, young mistress... we have to settle this."
"Yeah. Little one, get out of the way."
"Uwaa!"
"Ubu-ugu!"
"Nleu!"
So-eun, not accepting my defiance, grabbed the mouths of the two making aegong-aegong-momg-momg sounds. Perhaps because my hand wasn't big enough to grab the mouth properly, she grabbed their fur.
Thanks to that, the two could only make murmuring sounds without opening their mouths.
"So-eun, you shouldn't fight, right?"
"Kya!"
Whether So-eun understood or not, she smiled brightly.
I laughed softly at that, and picked up So-eun. Only then did So-eun release their mouths.
"Can't be helped. Namcat, I need to find something else to make you lose weight. Since So-eun doesn't like you fighting, I have no choice."
The two looked disappointed and lowered their heads, walking dejectedly to the corner. Then, as if nothing happened, they rubbed their heads as if comforting each other.
I left those two and went inside the cafe.
"Kkuuuaaa... Cheongho coin jackpot...!"
"Tie!"
"I believed it! Princess!"
"Yeah, good that it's a tie. At least Namcat didn't lose, right?"
Due to the tie caused by So-eun's intrusion, the customers' reactions were divided. 80% were disappointed, 15% were okay with it, 5% were cheering.
And I started drawing for the event winners with So-eun. Using the boxes with numbers of those who predicted the tie.
"So-eun, want to draw one here? Like this."
Showing how to draw a paper from the small box made for putting hands, So-eun stuck her hand into the box.
"Ppae!"
So-eun put her hand in, shook it, and pulled it out. In her hand were two papers.
"Here you go."
Extending my hand for the paper, So-eun smiled brightly and placed the paper in my hand.
"7! 13!"
"Oye!"
"Thank you, Princess!"
When I called the numbers on the paper, two customers popped out cheering.
I gave them small gifts. Not selling official goods, but some remaining items from when So-eun's birthday party was made.
And after drawing a few more times and giving simple gifts to people, I played lightly with So-eun until she fell asleep, then started looking for Namcat's diet methods.
Whether she resembled me or Noona, So-eun had a stubborn streak, and she couldn't have not seen the clash between Namcat and Cheongho.
But no matter how I thought, no method came to mind, so I had no choice but to focus on diet control. The start was limiting snacks.
"What...? You're not giving Churu...?"
"Yeah. You had to gain weight, aaaaaak!"
Thanks to that, three red lines appeared on my shin, which was exposed because I was wearing shorts.
But more than the wound, what made me dumbfounded was Namcat, who moved madly eating Churu and returned to his original weight in a week.
'I overthought it.'
I regretted worrying about Namcat gaining weight. I should have limited Churu from the beginning. I bought cat wheel for nothing.