This Is Not What I Meant
A few days had passed since Cheongdung-i brought his mate home.
Once the storm of chaos had passed, Sekki House regained its usual peaceful appearance, as if the commotion had never happened.
The only slight difference was...
"Kki-yak!"
"Kkii-yak!"
The honey buzzard's cry, which used to be solo, now had a duet partner, and...
"Kyaaa!"
...the occasional annoyed shriek from Hwindung-i.
The problem was that this slight change was an unbearable torment for Dojin.
"Ugh... diligent bastards. Are they roosters or what?"
True to their wild nature, they started active duty the moment the sun rose.
Thanks to them, Dojin hadn't woken up to an alarm recently.
This was because the three raptors woke him up starting at five in the morning.
"Sigh... Please, let your hyung sleep. Do I really need to install soundproofing?"
Checking the time on his phone, Dojin groaned.
Today was no exception; it was exactly 5:00 AM.
The biggest advantage of working from home was supposed to be getting enough rest, but Dojin was accumulating more fatigue than when he worked at the factory.
He was worried that if this continued for a few more days, it would develop into chronic fatigue.
"Sigh, let's sleep for four more hours."
Dojin usually woke up between 7:00 and 8:00 AM, but today he felt like he couldn't function.
Fortunately, the raptor trio outside seemed to have gone hunting, as it fell quiet, and he drifted back to sleep in an instant.
It was during this rare, deep sleep that...
Prick.
Dojin, lost in sleep, twitched at the pain on his nose.
But it was only for a moment; he showed no further reaction.
He fell back asleep.
A minor disturbance like this couldn't wake Dojin, who was finally enjoying a deep slumber.
Miffed by this, someone licked Dojin's nose again.
Prick.
"Mmm..."
This time, there was a response.
It was because his transition back into deep sleep had been interrupted.
Emboldened, the intruder launched a full-on assault.
Lick, lick, lick.
Prick, prick, prick.
"Ugh... what is it..."
Dojin turned his body away from the persistent pain on his nose.
He felt a rough texture, but he didn't want to give up on sleep just yet.
But that was Dojin's mistake.
As soon as Dojin turned his back completely, the little hunter's predatory instincts kicked in.
Pitter-patter!
At the same time he heard the sound of something leaping,
Squish!
"Ugh!"
A groan escaped Dojin's mouth as a heavy pressure pressed down on the side of his head.
No matter how sleep-deprived he was, he couldn't ignore this level of stimulation.
Finally, Dojin forced his heavy eyelids open.
"Ugh..."
Dojin naturally expected to see the interior of the duty room.
However, what entered his field of vision was a bundle of fur with a mix of white, black, and gray.
"Fur...? Argh!"
Before he could even grasp the situation, Dojin felt a sharp pain.
It wasn't just a prick like before; it felt as if his nose had been pierced by something sharp.
As he jerked his head back in pain, a familiar cry echoed in the duty room.
"Meow!"
"Meow?"
Rubbing his nose, Dojin turned his gaze toward the sound.
Sitting right where his head had been a moment ago was the familiar furball, Samsaek-i, glaring at him.
"Samsaek-i? How did you get in here?"
Despite Dojin's question, Samsaek-i didn't stop what he was doing.
He lowered his upper body, raised his butt, and began to wiggle it.
By the time Dojin realized what that posture meant, Samsaek-i's follow-up attack had already landed.
"Meow!"
"Argh! Ow, ow, ow! Let go, you little rascal!"
Startled by Samsaek-i biting his nose and flailing, Dojin forced the kitten off.
Fortunately, Dojin's nose was intact.
Despite the dramatic display, Samsaek-i had only nibbled gently.
Nibble, nibble.
"Ouch, stop it, you!"
Even as Dojin looked in the mirror, Samsaek-i kept nibbling on his finger.
Of course, it didn't hurt since it was just gentle nibbling, but the continuous attacks finally forced Dojin to get out of bed.
"What? It's not even eight yet."
A sigh escaped him naturally.
Woken up at dawn by the raptor trio, and now the baby kitten was personally sabotaging his sleep.
"But seriously, how did you get out? You guys shouldn't be able to open the playroom door."
Since the insect incident, the weight of the playroom door had been specially increased.
Now, let alone the kittens, even Bori couldn't open it no matter how hard she tried.
Just then, Dojin spotted a dog entering the duty room.
It was Ttorang-i, the mixed-breed dog with curly hair that looked like it had been permed.
"Woof."
"Why are you here too...?"
Ttorang-i hadn't entered this room since they started sleeping separately.
It was bound to be strange for her to walk in without Dojin's permission.
"Ttorang-i?"
Despite Dojin calling her name, Ttorang-i only eyed him warily as she walked right up to him and opened her mouth.
And then...
Chomp.
"Huh?"
It happened in the blink of an eye.
Ttorang-i gently scooped Samsaek-i up in her mouth and vanished from the duty room.
The moment he saw that, Dojin realized exactly why this situation had occurred.
"Ttorang-i, you rascal! You opened the playroom door for him!"
Although the weight had changed, the playroom door wasn't locked.
Since it was a sliding door, a large dog like Ttorang-i could easily open it.
After all, she had just opened the workshop door by herself to get in here.
"Where did you go?"
He rushed out into the hallway, but there was already no sign of Ttorang-i or Samsaek-i.
They had obviously retreated to the playroom, but the key point was that he couldn't punish them right away.
By the time some time passed, Dojin's desire for retaliation would fade.
"Oh? Oppa, you're up early."
"*Yawn*, good morning. Seeing how energetic you are this morning, I guess Hwindung-i and the others didn't cry today?"
At Dojin's shout, the female teachers' lounge door opened, and Do-hee and Seung-wan stepped out.
Unlike Dojin, however, the two of them looked quite refreshed.
This was thanks to the extra care Dojin had taken when remodeling their bedroom.
While he had settled for basic renovations for the duty room he stayed in, he had turned their bedroom into an optimal living environment, complete with soundproofing, insulation, an air purifier, and a system air conditioner.
Thanks to that, they could sleep soundly no matter how much the raptor trio shrieked at dawn.
"Sigh, I'm doomed. I'm guaranteed to be exhausted all day today."
Dojin explained to the two of them what had happened at dawn and just moments ago.
"Hehe, I guess monopolizing the kids' love has its downsides at times like this."
"That's strange. Why would they do that?"
Unlike Do-hee, who laughed lightheartedly as his girlfriend, Seung-wan tried to control her expression as she spoke.
"That's what I want to know. Is waking me up really worth them joining forces like this?"
"Ahahaha!"
"Pfft!"
Unable to hold it in at Dojin's remark, Seung-wan finally burst into laughter as well.
With their laughter as his background music, Dojin walked bitterly toward the men's shower room.
Though he wanted to sleep all morning, he was wide awake now, so he decided to start his day.
"Ttorang-i, Samsaek-i. Don't even think about getting snacks today."
He engraved this petty revenge in his heart.
"Oppa, I don't see Ttorang-i."
"Samsaek-i isn't in the playroom either. The door is closed, though."
Dojin, who had washed up and gone to the office, tilted his head at their words.
It was a bit unexpected that the culprits, who he assumed would be waiting for him in the playroom, were nowhere to be found.
Dojin stood by the window and scanned the outside.
"Hmm, doesn't look like they're in the playground."
"They're not in the vegetable garden either."
"I didn't see them near the cafeteria or the annex either. Maybe they're hiding because they're afraid you'll scold them."
"Tsk."
Dojin smacked his lips at Do-hee's words.
He had intended to withhold their snacks, but thinking that they were scared enough to hide from him made him feel a bit bad.
"Should we check the CCTV?"
As long as they weren't hiding in a camera blind spot, they could find their location by checking the CCTV.
The three of them gathered in front of the security computer and began scanning the screens.
Since Sekki House had so many CCTV cameras, doing this together was much more efficient than checking alone.
However, no matter how much they searched, they couldn't see the two of them.
Samsaek-i was a baby kitten, so that was understandable, but Ttorang-i was a large dog and should have been easy to spot.
"Hmm... I don't see them. Anyone else find them?"
At Dojin's question, the two shook their heads.
They hadn't found Ttorang-i either.
Just then, Do-hee picked up the walkie-talkie kept in the office and spoke.
"Should we ask the security team?"
"...I feel bad bothering them while they're on duty, but doing it just this once should be fine."
After a moment's hesitation, Dojin nodded.
If he asked for help every time the animals went missing, it would strain their relationship, but since this was the first time, he figured the security team would understand.
"Give it to me."
Taking the walkie-talkie, Dojin radioed Eun-seop.
After all, asking Eun-seop directly looked better than broadcasting a query about Ttorang-i's whereabouts over the general channel.
And as expected, Eun-seop replied in his usual calm voice upon hearing Dojin's request.
"I will ask the team members. Please wait a moment."
About five minutes after that, Eun-seop's voice came through the radio again.
"Some of our team members report seeing Ttorang-i heading into the mountain."
"The mountain? I see. Thank you for your help, sorry for the trouble."
"Not at all. Would you like some assistance with the search?"
Dojin hesitated at Eun-seop's considerate offer, then shook his head.
He felt he had already caused enough of a nuisance just by asking on-duty personnel about his pet's whereabouts.
"No, thank you. I can't ask the security team, who already work so hard, to do this as well. We'll look for them ourselves. Thank you."
"Understood. Please let us know if you need our help at any time."
After finishing the radio call, Dojin quickly began gearing up.
Though his "gear" was just an action cam, a flashlight, Ttorang-i's favorite treats, and some Churu cat treats.
"I'll head up the mountain. You two focus on the CCTV cameras near the mountain."
"Will you be okay? I think it'd be better if we went with you."
"She's right. Even if it's just the back hill, it's too wide for one person to search."
Despite their worries, Dojin shook his head.
"You guys haven't climbed that mountain before, right? It's not an easy hill you can look down on. If you two come along, you'll collapse from exhaustion before we even find the kids. It's better for me to search alone while you support me from here."
At Dojin's firm tone, the two couldn't find any words to argue.
While both of them had plenty of grit, it couldn't overcome physical limitations.
If they climbed the mountain to help and ended up getting injured, they would only be a hindrance.
"Alright. Be careful, Oppa."
"We'll keep an eye on the CCTV and radio you immediately if we spot Ttorang-i."
With those final words, Dojin began climbing the back mountain.
It was a small mountain that he owned, but Dojin found it strange every time he climbed it.
"How is a local hill this rugged?"
A mountain with terrain so rugged that it repelled human footsteps.
That was what they called a craggy, rugged mountain.
Usually, rugged mountains were deep and high, but Dojin's mountain was unique in that it was rugged despite its small scale.
"Is that why the bellflower roots and mushrooms grow so well here?"
It was indeed strange how well wild crops grew here, considering the area was barely four acres.
"Man, how does the security team run through here every morning?"
Just walking made his calves tight and his knees ache.
"Ttorang-i! Samsaek-i!"
Dojin raised his voice to call the dog and cat.
He had been calling them continuously since entering the forest, but there was no response.
"They didn't cross over the mountain, did they?"
If they crossed the mountain, they would reach the villagers' farmland.
If they had gone there, searching here was pointless.
It might be better to quickly head down and search the village instead.
For a moment, he considered asking the security team for help, but Dojin shook his head.
Asking the security team for favors beyond their duties felt burdensome, but above all, he had a feeling that Ttorang-i and Samsaek-i were right here.
"Ttorang-i, Samsaek-i! Hyung isn't mad, so come on out!"
Dojin's voice began to crack.
The repeated shouting was starting to strain his throat.
Just then, a mushroom colony caught Dojin's eye.
The place where he had laid out logs inoculated with spores, and where wild mushrooms grew.
At the same time, this was the place where he had spent the most time on this mountain.
He had spent hours here harvesting mushrooms to send to the villagers and the orphanage director.
"Sigh..."
A sigh of relief escaped Dojin's lips.
He had spotted a familiar pair of eyes amidst the meshima mushroom colony.
Looking around, he also saw a familiar tail behind a tree.
As if they knew this was where he spent the most time, the animals had hidden here.
"I'm not mad, so come on out."
...
...
"Are you really not going to come out? I even brought treats for you."
Dojin pulled out a dog chew and a Churu treat as he spoke.
Only then did they begin to react.
...Whine.
...Meow.
"It's okay, so come on out. Looking at the sky, it's going to pour soon. You'll catch a cold if you stay here. Do you want to go to the vet and get shots again?"
At Dojin's words, the hesitating animals finally moved.
Samsaek-i, who had been hiding among the mushrooms, revealed himself, and Ttorang-i, who had been lying behind the tree, stood up.
Clap, clap.
"Come here."
"Woof!"
"Meow!"
As Dojin clapped and opened his arms, they rushed forward as if they had been waiting and threw themselves into his embrace.
And as he held them, he felt their emotions.
"Wait, were you guys jealous?"
Lately, he had been so busy taking care of Hwindung-i, Cheongdung-i, and Hwanggeum-i that he had relatively neglected Bori's family and Ttorang-i.
Miffed by this, they had staged today's terror attack.
Just to get Dojin's attention.
In that moment, his girlfriend's words flashed through his mind.
"Sigh... I guess being popular with you guys isn't always a good thing."
"Woof?"
"Meow?"
At Dojin's words, the two, who were busy eating their treats, tilted their heads simultaneously.
Chuckling at the sight, Dojin shook his head.
"I'll pay more attention to you from now on, so don't worry. I cherish and love you all equally."
"Woof!"
"Meow!"
At Dojin's words, the two, who had been focusing on their treats, pounced on him again.
And so, the morning raid was successfully resolved.
...Or so he thought.
Slurp, slurp, slurp.
Lick, lick, lick.
Nibble, nibble, nibble.
"...You guys. Why are you doing this again?"
Dojin, who had been sleeping soundly thanks to a rare quiet dawn, opened his eyes with a sigh at the familiar sensation on his face.
This time, it wasn't just Samsaek-i.
All of Samsaek-i's siblings had gathered to lick, nibble, and knead Dojin's face.
Looking toward the door, he saw Ttorang-i and Bori watching the scene with pleased smiles.
Sigh...
"...This is not what I meant when I said I'd cherish you."
With a deep sigh, Dojin checked his phone.
"Ah... Ah... Today too..."
Thanks to his pet alarms, Dojin was becoming an early bird once again today.
Samsaek-i waking Dojin up, and Ttorang-i quickly snatching Samsaek-i and escaping the moment Dojin got up.
An image of Samsaek-i and Ttorang-i found in the mountain.