Cheong-ryong and Jambo
"Yes, yes. I understand."
[...]
"I see what you mean. So, all I need to do is agree?"
[...]
"Yes, please do that. I'll sign as soon as the deposit is confirmed. Oh, but I won't be taking the video down. You do know that, right?"
[...]
"Yes, understood."
As soon as Do-jin hung up, Do-hee and Seung-wan, who had been watching him make the call, approached him as if they had been waiting.
They already knew who he was talking to.
"Oppa, what did they say?" Do-hee asked.
"They said if I agree to a settlement, they'll fully compensate for the play equipment and the lawn that jerk ruined, plus pay additional damages."
"Wow! A total surrender. But a settlement? Is there even anything for you to settle?"
Do-jin shrugged at Do-hee's question.
Honestly, he didn't understand it either.
As far as he knew, there was no reason for him to settle with Ban Si-won.
But no matter how much he asked, the head of the legal department at Geumwon Construction, who was on the other end of the line, wouldn't give him a straight answer.
The man just kept repeating that all they needed was Do-jin's willingness to forgive Ban Si-won and agree to a settlement.
For Do-jin, there was no reason to refuse when a few words could get him full compensation for the physical damage, along with breach-of-contract fees and consolation money.
The amount was in the hundreds of millions of won.
"I don't really get it either, but he said something weird. Apparently, I have to agree to a settlement for them to even begin defending Ban Si-won? Anyway, they promised a public apology and compensation, so I said okay."
"..."
Seung-wan tilted his head slightly at Do-jin's words.
He didn't quite understand it.
However, he didn't ask further.
It looked like Do-jin didn't know the full details either.
Well, I guess this is enough.
This was plenty of revenge on his former workplace.
The streamer, who had seriously contemplated ending his broadcasting career back then, was now doing well and had reached Tier 1. It would be strange for Seung-wan to interfere any further.
It's not like we have that kind of loyalty anyway.
Nodding slightly, Seung-wan opened a web browser.
"Huh? Seung-wan, what are you doing?"
"They're sending money for the play equipment. We should replace the damaged ones with new ones."
"Eh? You're throwing those away and buying new ones?"
Do-hee looked out at the various inflatables and play equipment installed outside, looking reluctant.
They definitely had more scratches and holes than before, but they were still practically new.
"Why would we throw them away? Of course we'll repair them cleanly and keep using them. The ones we're buying now are for backup. If we just take the money and don't buy any equipment, who knows what kind of fault they'll try to find with us."
"Ah! Our Seung-wan is so smart."
Pleased with Seung-wan's reasoning, Do-hee clung to his back.
Then, they began browsing play equipment together, looking for things they didn't already have.
"How about this one?"
"That's a water slide inflatable. We can only use it in summer and early autumn, so pass. We already have plenty of water inflatables."
"Then this?"
"Hmm... this one looks pretty good."
"Right? It says here you can extend it by theme to make it bigger."
"Let's keep this one on the list for now."
"Okay!"
While the two were filling up their shopping cart, Do-jin left the office and headed to the cat playroom.
He had stepped out briefly to take the call, but he had guests waiting there.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. The phone call ran a bit long."
Entering the cat room, Do-jin saw one male and two females.
Among them, he knew one male and one female well: Kkulnyang-i and her son.
"Mister, look at this! Meok-bo really likes me."
"You're here?"
Do-jin exchanged nods with Jun-sang, who was feeding a Churu treat to Meok-bo, and Eun-ju, who was watching her son proudly.
At the same time, Do-jin glanced at Meok-bo and frowned slightly.
Meok-bo, that guy... I think he needs to go on a diet for a while.
His plump belly and sagging double chin were no joke.
At this rate, it was hard to even call him a chubby kitten. He was just a pig cat.
I heard childhood obesity is common these days. Is it a trend among cats too?
Honestly, he wanted to stop Jun-sang from feeding him the Churu right now.
But he couldn't bring himself to do it today.
This gathering was arranged because Do-jin had invited Kkulnyang-i to express his gratitude.
It's thanks to Kkulnyang-i uploading that video that the public opinion shifted so naturally.
Initially, Do-jin had no intention of asking her for help.
The moment she helped him, she would surely become Ban Si-won's target as well.
It wasn't that he lacked ways to respond, and he didn't want to burden her when they weren't even that close yet.
It was actually Kkulnyang-i who had contacted Do-jin first.
Just as Do-jin always wore an action cam, she also carried a camera whenever she went out with her son.
Naturally, the scene of Ban Si-won being dragged out by security guards was captured.
Along with the playground and play equipment that the staff had left in ruins.
Having forgotten that obvious fact, Do-jin had hurriedly tried to stop Kkulnyang-i.
"What? No, you don't have to go that far..."
With those words, Kkulnyang-i hung up.
And that was when Do-jin realized just how powerful a YouTuber with 1.3 million subscribers could be.
Once the Sekki House video was uploaded to Kkulnyang-i's channel, the comment section, which had been filled with all kinds of slander and mockery, transformed.
Comments of support and encouragement began to pour in.
And once the counter-articles were released, the malicious comments dried up completely.
The occasional hate comments left now were only from attention-seekers or people who had heard biased stories from some online community.
"Um... hello."
While Do-jin was lost in thought watching Jun-sang and Meok-bo, a woman approached him.
She was the acquaintance Eun-ju had brought along—the YouTuber who owned the depressed cat they had talked about before.
"Hello. I'm sorry. I stepped out without even greeting you properly."
"No, not at all. It's only right to take care of urgent matters first."
At Do-jin's apology, the woman waved her hands as if she were the one who was sorry.
He had felt it when they first greeted each other, but she was exceptionally polite, a rarity these days.
She looks almost exactly like she does in her videos.
When Kkulnyang-i had asked if she could bring her acquaintance, Do-jin had looked her up.
Her channel was called Dunyang-i's Daily Life, commonly referred to as Dunyang-i.
She was a YouTuber who raised two house cats named Cheong-ryong and Baekho.
With around 300,000 subscribers, she was a mid-sized YouTuber, and her channel ranked third among domestic companion cat channels.
Of course, number one was Kkulnyang-i.
"How is Cheong-ryong doing? Is he playing well?"
"Well..."
At Do-jin's question, Dunyang-i smiled awkwardly and looked toward a corner.
Following her gaze, Do-jin understood why she had that expression.
"He's off by himself."
Cheong-ryong, the cat Dunyang-i had brought, was lying face down in a corner.
"Hmph, this is a bit of a blow to my pride."
This place was the size of two classrooms combined, fully equipped with structures and playthings that cats loved, yet none of it caught the cat's interest. It made him feel a surge of competitiveness.
Dunyang-i spoke to Do-jin apologetically.
"Sigh... I don't think it's a problem with the place. He's always like that at home, too."
"Since when has he been like this?"
"I think the signs started showing little by little about six months ago. That's when Baekho crossed the rainbow bridge."
"Ah..."
Do-jin nodded in understanding at Dunyang-i's words.
Baekho was a Khao Manee cat, the first cat Dunyang-i had adopted.
With pure white fur that suited the name Baekho, the cat was highly popular because it acted as smart as a human.
In fact, people said that Baekho was responsible for over 70% of the Dunyang-i channel's popularity.
"They must have been very close."
"They were. Cheong-ryong followed her around like an older sister. Even when he annoyed her by following her every day, Baekho accepted it all."
Though Do-jin hadn't known, the chemistry between the two cats was famous.
Footage of them playing affectionately together was often shared not only in various cat cafes but also on broadcast television.
"I'm worried because he hasn't been eating his food well lately... I'm really scared he might follow Baekho..."
Dunyang-i's eyes began to well up with tears, looking as if she might cry at any moment.
Hesitating for a moment at her distress, Do-jin stepped forward.
"I'll go check on Cheong-ryong's condition for a moment."
After asking Dunyang-i for her understanding, Do-jin looked for Samsaek-i.
He thought that if he brought the energetic Samsaek-i over, it might help alleviate Cheong-ryong's depression.
Fortunately, Samsaek-i was not far away.
"Samsaek-i, come here."
Meow.
At Do-jin's call, Samsaek-i, who had been watching him from a nearby shelf, leaped down toward him.
It was an action filled with absolute trust that Do-jin would catch him.
"Whoops! You rascal, what if you get hurt? Come down safely next time, okay?"
Meow-w.
Samsaek-i replied with his characteristic squinty-eyed smile.
It meant "no."
Do-jin chuckled, understanding the meaning behind Samsaek-i's meow.
"You're getting more and more spoiled. Samsaek-i, see that hyung over there? They say he's very sick. So, could Samsaek-i go and comfort him a bit?"
Meow?
Tilting his head at Do-jin's words, Samsaek-i soon pattered over toward Cheong-ryong.
Do-jin planned to stand a step back and observe Cheong-ryong's reaction.
He had no idea how surprised Dunyang-i was, watching this from behind.
Sniff!
...
Approaching Cheong-ryong, Samsaek-i flared his nostrils and sniffed various parts of Cheong-ryong's body.
Yet, despite Samsaek-i's approach, Cheong-ryong remained in his loaf position, completely motionless.
Perhaps he had determined through scent that there was no danger?
Samsaek-i began to pester Cheong-ryong in earnest.
Meow?
...
Meow-w?
...
Meow-meow-meow!
...
Samsaek-i climbed onto Cheong-ryong's back to knead him, played with his tail, and even gently bit and tugged on his ear, but there was no response.
Cheong-ryong remained as still as a stone Buddha.
In the end, Samsaek-i was the first to give up.
Meow...
Perhaps hurt by Cheong-ryong ignoring him to the very end, Samsaek-i walked back to Do-jin with his shoulders slumped.
Do-jin scooped Samsaek-i up and patted his bottom.
"No, you did well. It's just that the hyung is very sick. Good boy, good boy."
Meow-w~
Perhaps cheered up by Do-jin's butt pats, Samsaek-i gave him that squinty-eyed smile once more.
Relieved, Do-jin placed Samsaek-i back on the shelf and turned around.
Cheong-ryong was still in the exact same position.
It probably won't make much difference if I go over, but...
Feeling a deep sense of loneliness radiating from Cheong-ryong's back, Do-jin slowly approached him.
Though the circumstances were very different, the cat's appearance overlapped with his own past self after Do-hee had disappeared.
Reaching the spot right in front of Cheong-ryong, Do-jin plopped down on the floor.
...
Even though the cat must have known a person had sat down next to him, he remained unchanged.
Anyone who didn't know better would have mistaken him for a stuffed doll rather than a live cat.
"Are you okay?"
...
"It's really hard, isn't it? Since your friend is gone."
Flinch.
As Do-jin spoke and stroked him, a faint reaction finally came from the cat.
However, it was still unclear whether the reaction was due to Do-jin's words or the physical touch.
"But you have to cheer up. Your owner is worried sick about you. She's terrified you'll leave her too."
...
"If you follow your sister Baekho, your owner will be left all alone."
...
Do-jin continued to speak, but Cheong-ryong's response remained cold.
The only real reaction had been that first flinch.
Seeing this, Do-jin was just beginning to wonder if he should give up.
Suddenly, something fell from the shelf right above Do-jin's head.
"Whoa, startled me... Huh?"
Reflexively catching the falling object, Do-jin was dumbfounded to find it was a familiar cat.
Yawn...
"Jambo? Were you sleeping up there?"
He was the smallest and weakest of Samsaek-i's siblings.
Perhaps due to his slow growth, he spent most of the day sleeping, which was how he got the name Jambo.
Meow...
"If you fell while sleeping, shouldn't you open your eyes? Instead of just keeping on sleeping?"
He had definitely opened his eyes the moment he fell.
However, as soon as he confirmed that the person catching him was Do-jin, he immediately fell back asleep, leaving Do-jin speechless.
"I guess you guys really do think of me as family now."
He had planned to let them live as stray cats if they wanted, but somehow, he didn't think that would ever happen.
When Do-jin quietly set Jambo down on the floor, the kitten squirmed slightly as if uncomfortable.
Then, he peeked his eyes open and looked around.
Meow...?
Making a sound that made anyone listening feel drowsy, Jambo soon began to toddle toward a specific spot.
"Oh? Jambo, not there..."
Seeing Jambo's path, Do-jin hurriedly tried to stop him, but he was already a step too late.
Reaching Cheong-ryong's side, Jambo leaned right against him and fell fast asleep.
...
*Purr... purr...*
Cheong-ryong still showed no reaction, while Jambo, pleased with his spot next to Cheong-ryong, fell asleep while purring softly.
As Do-jin watched the two, wondering what to do, his eyes suddenly widened.
"...Did he move?"
Cheong-ryong, who had remained completely unresponsive no matter what stimulus anyone tried, had finally moved.
It was only his tail, but he had clearly moved his long tail to wrap around Jambo, who was sleeping curled up against him.
"Sigh, I suppose we should get going..."
"Wait a moment, Dunyang-i."
Dunyang-i, who had been about to leave after seeing that even Samsaek-i couldn't elicit a response, stopped at Do-jin's words.
And when she looked where Do-jin was pointing, she gasped.
"Oh my goodness..."
Seeing Cheong-ryong wrapping his tail around Jambo, Dunyang-i's face filled with deep emotion.
It was a tiny change, but for Cheong-ryong, who had shut himself off from the world, it was a monumental step.
Exchanging glances, the two quietly stepped away from Cheong-ryong and Jambo.
For now, those two needed their own time.
This is the image I referenced while writing about Baekho.
This is Jambo.
And this is Cheong-ryong.