The First Drive
"Wow, it's been so long since I've been here."
"Right? I think the last time I came here was for a drawing contest back in middle school."
Arriving at the Odusan Unification Observatory, Dohee and Seungwan couldn't help but gasp in awe at the surrounding scenery.
With autumn just setting in, the high sky felt exceptionally clear, free from any fine dust.
On top of that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no other visitors around, making the vast observatory feel as if it had been reserved just for them.
"Huh? You haven't been here since middle school, Seungwan? For me, the last time was elementary school."
"If it was that long ago, you probably don't even remember it, do you? It's basically your first time."
"Nuh-uh! My memory is amazing, thank you very much! I still remember the hamburger I ate here, and I even remember seeing Pyongyang through those binoculars over there!"
Miffed by Seungwan's remark, Dohee pointed here and there around the observatory.
She was determined to prove just how sharp her memory was.
However, those very words only made Seungwan look at her with even greater amusement.
"I don't know if they sell hamburgers here, but first of all, you can't see Pyongyang from this spot."
"Huh?"
"All you can see from here is North Korean land and a few small villages. How on earth could you see Pyongyang all the way up there from here? What, do you have Chanarshanhu's eyes? Actually, even Chanarshanhu couldn't see Pyongyang from here."
"...Oppa, is that true?"
Shocked by Seungwan's revelation, Dohee turned to her boyfriend for support.
But this was one thing Dojin couldn't cover for.
"...Yeah. You can't see Pyongyang from here."
"Hmph..."
With even her boyfriend abandoning her cause, Dohee slumped to the ground with a look of utter despair.
But Seungwan had no intention of letting her off easy.
"Now, my dear Na Dohee with the pure brain. Stop acting cute and grab Ttorang-i's leash, will you? He's been holding it in his mouth for a while now."
Dojin looked over at Seungwan's words and barely managed to hold back a burst of laughter.
Just as she said, Ttorang-i was standing right in front of Dohee, holding his leash in his mouth.
Being the smart dog he was, he knew that the walk wouldn't start until someone held his leash.
Amused and defeated by Ttorang-i's behavior, Dohee reluctantly took the leash.
Of course, she didn't forget to throw a playful threat at her friend.
"You... just you wait."
"Hah! As if a declaration of war from the pure-brained Na Dohee scares me!"
"Hey!"
Pushed too far by the repeated teasing, Dohee finally lunged at Seungwan.
Unfortunately, her revenge was cut short.
"Wh-whoa?!"
*Woof, woof!*
The moment Dohee started running, Ttorang-i took it as the official signal to start the walk and bolted at full speed.
To Ttorang-i, who was used to walking with Dojin and Sun-jam, the start of a walk always meant a full-on sprint.
"W-wait! Ttorang-i... *oof!*"
With a bizarre shriek that Dojin had never heard even before his regression, Dohee vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.
Dojin shook his head at the sight and spoke.
"Shall we head out too?"
"Yes. I've finished putting on their leashes."
Meow!
Mew...
As if responding to Seungwan, Bo-ri and the Calico brothers let out short meows.
They were all wearing cat harnesses and leashes, which Dojin had ordered in advance for occasions like this.
"Bear with it, even if it's a bit uncomfortable."
Despite Dojin's words, Samsaek-i and his brothers kept scratching at their necks.
The collars seemed quite bothersome to them.
Even so, Dojin did not take them off.
If they get lost in a place this wide, it'll be nearly impossible to find them.
Just like Ttorang-i's harness, the cats' collars were equipped with small GPS trackers.
Dojin wasn't insisting on the leashes for no reason, even though he knew they disliked them.
Meow!
It was only after Bo-ri gave them a sharp scolding meow that the kittens finally gave up trying to claw their collars off.
"Thanks, Bo-ri."
Meow.
The only cat wearing a full harness, Bo-ri nodded as if she understood.
Was it because they had left the safety of their home?
An aura of a protective mother cat, rarely seen at home, radiated from Bo-ri.
Just then, another screech from Dohee echoed from the distance.
"Wait, stop for a second... *gasp*!"
"Dohee's going to die at this rate. Let's catch up quickly."
Hearing his girlfriend's voice echoing like a mountain cry, Dojin quickened his pace.
Samsaek-i had perched himself on Dojin's shoulder at some point.
While the other kittens walked on their leashes, Samsaek-i alone casually used Dojin as his personal palanquin.
The tour of the Unification Observatory ended much faster than expected.
In truth, aside from its symbolic meaning and the binoculars to peer into North Korea, there wasn't much to see.
It would have been nice if the rides were operating, though.
The recreational facilities set up for visitors were currently shut down.
It was inevitable, given how the pandemic had frozen all tourism.
They couldn't justify running the rides for fewer than ten visitors a day.
Under these circumstances, their tour of the observatory naturally wrapped up quickly.
Instead, Dojin led the group to their next destination.
He couldn't let their first drive end on such an anticlimactic note.
"Wow, this is so refreshing!"
It was the Pyeonghwanuri Park near the observatory.
True to its reputation for rolling green hills and cool, sweeping breezes, Dohee spread her arms wide in delight the moment they arrived.
"Mmm, it really is cool."
*Woof, woof!*
Ttorang-i also spun around in circles, clearly enjoying the wind.
However, not everyone was pleased with the location.
Meow!
Mew!
Mew...
Bo-ri and the Calico brothers were acting fussy, clearly annoyed by the gusty wind.
That was when Seungwan spoke to Dojin.
"It's probably the sound of the wind. Many cats get stressed by loud noises."
"Isn't that true for humans too? I think Ttorang-i and Hwindung-i dislike loud noises as well."
"Well, how should I put it... It's a bit different. A cat's hearing range is much higher and wider than a human's, and even a dog's."
Dojin couldn't help but be surprised by Seungwan's explanation.
He had naturally assumed that dogs had better hearing than cats.
"Come to think of it, Bo-ri and the kittens absolutely hated the hair dryer after their baths. Ttorang-i was perfectly fine with it."
Seungwan nodded in agreement.
"Cats are naturally high-maintenance. You have to buy quiet appliances if possible, and they're very sensitive to changes in the weather."
"They're like little royalty," Dojin remarked, amused by the description.
"Pfft. There's a reason dog owners are called 'owners' while cat owners are called 'butlers.'"
"Well, I don't know about that. No matter how much I love animals, I don't think I'd want to live serving royalty."
"You say that, but you're already raising six of them."
"Well, my bond with them is special. I don't really find raising them to be a hassle."
"..."
This time, it was Seungwan's turn to look at him with disbelief.
Hearing those words come from Dojin of all people felt absurd.
"I don't think that's something to say for someone who takes them to the vet three times a week on rotation, and literally knocked down a classroom wall to build them a playroom filled with all kinds of custom equipment."
"..."
"If you care for them to that extent, you could easily handle even the most sensitive cat. Though, regardless of that, it's true that Bo-ri and the kittens are exceptionally gentle with you."
As she spoke, Seungwan pointed at Dojin's legs.
Even at this very moment, Bo-ri and the kittens were continuously circling around Dojin's legs.
To an outsider, it might look like they were playing tag, but Seungwan, who loved cats, knew exactly what this behavior meant.
"A man beloved by cats... I'm jealous."
Bo-ri rubbing against Dojin's legs was a form of marking.
She was leaving her scent to claim him and warn other cats.
The Calico brothers were circling for the same reason.
They were layering their own scent over their mother's.
And then Bo-ri would layer hers over theirs again—a never-ending game of chicken.
That was the truth behind the game of tag unfolding before them.
So even mother and children will fight to claim Dojin?
Thinking of it that way, Seungwan found herself marveling at Dojin once again.
"Ah, stop rubbing against me. The park is huge, so why are you all crowding around my legs?"
Of course, Dojin himself seemed completely oblivious to the extraordinary love he was receiving.
Just as Dojin, looking genuinely annoyed, pulled his legs out of the pile of cats and took a few steps away, a familiar cry echoed through the air.
Kree!
Kyah!
"Huh? That sound..."
Dojin turned his head, his expression turning to one of utter disbelief.
He had his doubts, but it really was Hwindung-i and Cheongdung-i.
"Did they follow us?"
"With a hawk's intelligence and eyesight... it's definitely possible!"
Dohee walked over, finding the situation highly amusing.
After confirming that the park was empty, she had just unclipped Ttorang-i's leash.
"Surely they aren't jealous too, are they?"
"Why wouldn't they be? Lately, Chanarshanhu and Begter have been the ones taking care of them most of the time. They're family too, so of course they want to hang out with you."
"..."
At his girlfriend's words, Dojin looked back up at the sky.
I thought the hawk trio would be fine since I check on them often, but...
Hearing Dohee's perspective, he realized he was the only one who thought that way.
The birds might have felt left out.
"Maybe I should set aside a specific day just for them."
"Like scheduling content uploads by the day of the week? Well, that's not a bad idea. But just paying a little more attention to them daily should be enough. You know how good our kids are, Oppa."
Dojin looked around at Dohee's words.
Ttorang-i was sprinting across the park but never strayed beyond a certain distance.
Bo-ri and the kittens, completely unfazed by his mild scolding, were already crowding around his legs again.
And the hawk trio, who always watched over and helped Dojin from places unseen.
Every single one of them was wonderful.
"True. Come to think of it, they've never really complained before."
Whether it was intelligence or temperament.
They were so exceptional that it would have been difficult to gather such a group even if he had tried.
"Come here."
When Dojin gestured toward the sky, the birds circling above landed on the truck bed without hesitation.
It was proof that they had been keeping their eyes on Dojin the entire time, despite the distance.
"You worked hard to follow us all this way."
As Dojin stroked their beaks, the birds rubbed their faces against his hand and cried out in unison.
Kree!
Kyah!
"Pfft, show-offs."
Seeing them act proud as if it were nothing, Dojin smiled and pulled out the treats he kept in the car.
"You must be hungry. Here, have a snack."
It was premium American beef jerky.
The hawk trio loved it so much that he had recently ordered more, keeping it hidden in the car for moments like this.
Kyah!
Kree!
Sure enough, the moment they received the jerky, they eagerly tore it apart and swallowed it down.
Just then, a chorus of meows called out to Dojin.
Meow~
Mew~
"You guys too?"
It was Bo-ri and the kittens, who had been diligently marking Dojin's feet.
Fortunately, he had treats for them in the car as well.
*Click, pop!*
While Hwindung-i and Cheongdung-i got premium American jerky,
Bo-ri and the kittens received royal British canned cat food.
Packed with nutrients and puree treats, the cans were licked clean the moment they touched the ground.
If he hadn't opened one for each of them, the slowest ones, Kkamang-i and Meok-bo, wouldn't have even gotten a taste.
*Woof!*
"Right, I was wondering when you'd show up."
Dojin was already reaching for Ttorang-i's treat.
It was a handmade treat stick crafted by a Japanese artisan.
Made with a perfect blend of grains, saltwater fish, and beef, the treat instantly turned Ttorang-i into a slave to the stick.
"...What are all those treats? They don't look domestic."
Standing beside Dohee, Seungwan asked as she watched the entire scene.
A look of sheer disbelief and exhaustion washed over her face.
"These? I did some research online and thought they'd be good for our kids, so I ordered them from overseas. The ingredients in this one are..."
Excited to explain the treats he had painstakingly researched and purchased, Dojin quickly held up a package.
However, Seungwan's next words froze him right in his tracks.
"What did you say earlier? That raising them wasn't a hassle?"
"..."
"Dohee, can I be adopted as your daughter? It looks like your kids are going to grow up wanting for absolutely nothing."
"What are you talking about? You're older than me."
"Just this once, please. I'll serve you well."
"No, thank you."
Leaving Dojin frozen like a stone statue, the two women continued their usual banter. Just then...
Meow~!
Mew!
"Huh? I think the kids are back."
"I wondered where they rushed off to after eating their treats, but they're back already. Thank goodness."
Bo-ri and the kittens had finished their canned food faster than any of the other animals before slipping away.
The two women felt relieved to see them returning safely, having worried slightly when they vanished in such a vast park.
That was, until they saw what was in the cats' mouths.
"Y-you guys! What are you holding... *screams*!"
"Spit it out! Spit it out! Bo-ri, that's dirty!"
Perhaps they wanted to repay him for the delicious treats.
Every single one of the returning cats had something horrifying clamped in their jaws.
The worst of all was the mole in Bo-ri's mouth, and the centipede Samsaek-i had brought back—which was still wriggling.
"Aaah! Get it away! Don't bring it over here!"
"No, no! Drop it!"
As the two women desperately tried to block the cats from approaching,
Thud.
Plop!
the carcasses of a snake and a bullfrog dropped right in front of them.
"..."
"..."
Perhaps the shock was too great.
Unable to even scream, they slowly lifted their heads only to see Hwindung-i and Cheongdung-i taking turns dropping the carcasses from above.
Just like the cats, the two hawks were offering their own tokens of gratitude for the delicious jerky.
But the grand finale had yet to arrive.
*Woof, woof!*
It was Ttorang-i, who had been head over heels for his treat stick just moments ago.
However, what he held in his mouth now was definitely not a treat.
Turning their heads at the bark, the two women saw what Ttorang-i was carrying and screamed in perfect unison.
"N-no... Ttorang-i, stop!"
"If you bring that over here, you're dead!"
Woof?
Despite their frantic shouts, Ttorang-i trotted over casually.
Clamped in his jaws was a still-struggling, live prey—a nutria the size of a human forearm.
"Don't come any closer! Or at least drop that thing first!"
"D-Dojin! Wake up! I'm sorry for teasing you!"
In the empty Pyeonghwanuri Park,
the crisp, peaceful air was filled with the desperate screams of the two women.