Let's Go Eat
Not long after the external audit ended, Do-jin and his group were preparing to return to Sekki House.
Thanks to the construction finishing much faster than scheduled, they were able to wrap things up early.
"Thank you for letting us stay here. This is the utility and maintenance fee for our time here."
Do-jin offered his greetings and handed a pre-prepared envelope to the building owner.
I put in a full month's worth of maintenance fees, so it shouldn't be short.
Do-jin wasn't a meter reader, so there was no way for him to know the exact cost of the water, electricity, and gas they had used.
Therefore, he had filled the envelope with the amount Taepyeong Jjiljilbang usually paid when it was in normal operation.
They had originally agreed to use it for a month but were leaving after only ten days, so this would be more than enough.
"Oh, you could have stayed a bit longer..." the landlord spoke with feigned regret at Do-jin's departure.
Of course, his hand was already firmly snatching the envelope away.
"Hahaha, now that our home is fully repaired, there's no need for us to sleep elsewhere."
"Well, I suppose so... Anyway, let me know if you ever need it again. Oh, and I might contact you too. I'm going to inspect the building's condition once you've cleared out your things. If there's any damage, I'll let you know."
"Sure, go ahead. Just in case, we've already taken photos and videos of everything."
"...Pardon?"
Fluster washed over the landlord's face at Do-jin's words.
He clearly hadn't expected such a response to come out of Do-jin's mouth.
"We filmed once before moving in, and once more after clearing everything out. You can go in and check right now. Since all our luggage is gone, it should be easy to inspect."
"...You're quite thorough for a young man."
"Well, checking before and after is the golden rule of renting," Do-jin replied with a smile.
Before his regression, he had been ripped off a few times while renting cars, which naturally drilled this habit into him.
Just then, Do-jin pointed toward the entrance.
"Oh? That tile over there has fallen off. How strange. It was perfectly fine when we filmed earlier."
"Ah, that? Indeed. Actually, I was just about to bring that up..."
The landlord tried to seize the opportunity, thinking his chance had come.
That is, until Do-jin spoke again.
"I'll have to check the footage. Fortunately, it should have been captured by this camera."
"...Huh?"
The bewildered landlord stared at the object Do-jin was pointing to.
He had wondered what that object sitting on the counter since earlier was, and it turned out to be a camera.
As Do-jin made a move to check the footage right then and there, the landlord hurriedly cried out.
"No, no! There's no need for that. It's been loose for a while, so I actually took it off myself."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Y-yes, exactly! I was just about to tell you not to worry about it."
"I see. Then there's no issue, right? If you're still uneasy, shall we walk around and inspect the place together right now?"
When Do-jin gestured toward the inside of the bathhouse, the landlord waved his hands frantically.
"N-no, that's quite alright. I'm sure a smart young businessman like you did a perfect job. I-I'll put this money to good use. Thanks for staying."
"...Right. Take care, then."
Watching the landlord hastily stuff the envelope into his coat, Do-jin hid his bitter expression and headed outside.
Does he take me for a fool?
The landlord had been greedy ever since they first rented the place.
Still, it was true that he had helped them out in a pinch, so Do-jin had shown his sincerity until the very end.
Yet, seeing him act so unsightly until the final moment left a sour taste in Do-jin's mouth.
"Director, what should we do with those?"
Waiting outside the door, Eun-seop pointed toward a corner.
A massive pile of various food supplies brought out from the bathhouse was stacked there.
We ate so much, and yet there's still that much left.
In truth, those items weren't the original supplies from the bathhouse.
Those had been completely wiped out within four days of their arrival.
The items piled there were new supplies purchased by the off-duty security team.
Did they say they bought a fifteen-day supply? Well, we were originally planning to stay for a month.
But since they hadn't even stayed ten days, let alone a month, it was only natural that so much remained.
"Let's pack it all up and take it with us."
Originally, Do-jin had intended to leave the supplies behind as a token of gratitude for the landlord's favor.
However, the landlord's behavior made him change his mind.
They had already paid for all the original supplies they consumed anyway.
There was no reason to be loyal enough to restock his pantry for free.
"Understood. You heard him, right? Load everything into the cars!"
"Yes, sir!"
Sensing Do-jin's mood, the security team loaded the supplies into the vehicles without a word.
They could feel the landlord watching longingly from behind, but no one paid him any mind.
You reap what you sow.
Do-jin was no Giving Tree.
If he had to compare himself to something, he was more like the swallow from the tale of Heungbu and Nolbu.
A swallow that repaid kindness with blessings, and greed with ruin.
"Whew, finally home! I missed this place!"
"I know. It feels like it's been forever, even though we came here every morning."
Passing through the main gates of Sekki House, Do-hee and Seung-wan looked around and spoke.
It really does feel like we've been away from home for a long time.
Just as Seung-wan said, they had visited every single morning.
After all, they had to check on Ttorang-i and Bo-ri's family.
Yet, feeling this way proved that whether one actually slept under a roof made a massive difference.
"I'll take the luggage to the office, so you two should go check on your quarters first."
"Don't you need to check yours, Oppa?"
Do-jin shook his head at Do-hee's question.
"I came by yesterday to inspect the final touches of the construction. I already checked everything then."
"Ah, right!"
"Then we'll head inside first."
At Do-jin's words, Do-hee and Seung-wan hurried toward the female teachers' lounge.
Since their personal belongings were kept there, they seemed quite anxious to check on them.
"Up we go!"
Do-jin lifted a box from the trunk.
It wasn't very heavy, containing only a few laptops needed for editing and some cameras.
Just as Do-jin stepped into the main building,
a familiar cry echoed from below, hidden from his sight by the box.
Meow~
"Huh? Samsaek-i, how did you get out again?"
When he set the box down, sure enough, Samsaek-i was standing right in front of him.
He must have heard Do-jin's voice and come out to greet him.
Meow~!!
Seeing that Do-jin recognized him, Samsaek-i trotted over and clung to Do-jin's leg.
As always, Do-jin expected him to climb up his leg and onto his shoulder, but—
"Ouch! Samsaek-i, what's gotten into you?"
Feeling a sharp sting on his ankle, Do-jin quickly pulled his leg away.
At that, Samsaek-i pounced again as if he had been waiting for the chance.
Meow!
"Ah! Why are you doing this? Why are you in such a bad mood?"
Meow!
Despite Do-jin's questions, Samsaek-i offered no explanation.
He simply targeted Do-jin's ankles with relentless determination.
Fortunately, Samsaek-i's assault didn't last very long.
After about ten minutes, his anger seemed to subside, and he returned to being his usual gentle kitten self.
Having successfully moved the boxes to the office, Do-jin glanced at his shoulder.
Samsaek-i was draped over it, lounging comfortably as he always did.
"Are you sulking because I haven't been around much?"
Meow~
"And on top of that, you're mad because I only took Ttorang-i with me?"
Meow!
"Aigoo, look at our Samsaek-i. Turns out you're just a jealous little kitty. Alright, I won't do it again. Besides, we're back now, so it won't happen anyway."
Meow, meow, meow!
Samsaek-i rubbed his head against Do-jin's neck.
He seemed highly satisfied with Do-jin's answer.
Just then, the office door opened and Seung-wan walked in.
"Do-jin, by any chance, did you see Samsaek-i... Ah, there he is."
"Yes. But... were you looking for him?"
Her face was drenched in sweat, and her clothes were slightly disheveled as if she had been running around in a hurry.
It's a good thing she changed into comfortable clothes. If she were wearing what she had on earlier, they would have gotten filthy.
The reason for someone as usually composed as her to be in such a rush was obvious.
A cat.
Specifically, Samsaek-i, who escaped from the playroom at every opportunity.
And Do-jin's prediction was spot on.
"Yes. I went to the playroom, but Samsaek-i was the only one missing."
At Seung-wan's words, Do-jin lifted Samsaek-i from his shoulder and made eye contact with him.
"Hey, do you know how many people you've startled? No, more importantly, how on earth do you keep getting out?"
Meow!
After glaring at the kitten, who slyly avoided his gaze, Do-jin placed him back on his shoulder.
Even if I put him down, he'll just climb right back up.
And above all, if he put him down, the cat might start hunting his ankles again.
"Why don't we head to the playroom first? It looked like Bo-ri was searching for Samsaek-i."
"Oh, really? Alright then."
Hearing Seung-wan's words, Do-jin held Samsaek-i firmly.
The little guy was already showing signs of trying to slip away.
Meow?
Caught in an instant, Samsaek-i squirmed to escape.
However, Do-jin already had him in a secure hold.
Unless he slipped up, escaping or resisting was impossible in this position.
"Where do you think you're going? If you sneak out without a word, getting scolded by your mother is an absolute law of nature. Whether you're a human or a cat."
Meow? Meow? Meow!
Ignoring his desperate cries, Do-jin and Seung-wan headed toward the playroom.
The moment Do-jin stepped into the playroom, Bo-ri's scattered kittens swarmed toward him.
The quickest to arrive was Meok-bo, who had been nearby.
Mew~
"...Well, thanks for the welcome. But what are you chewing on now? Please tell me it's not a cockroach."
Fortunately, what Meok-bo was chewing on was a cat dental chew.
They had bought them for the kittens whose teeth had fully grown in, and among Samsaek-i's siblings, Meok-bo was the one who enjoyed this snack the most.
"...Be honest. You're just eating that because it tastes good, aren't you?"
Mew?
Stuffing the chew deep into his mouth, Meok-bo tilted his head.
While the other kittens chewed on a reasonable amount at a time, this guy uniquely enjoyed stuffing his mouth to the brim before chewing.
True to his name, his greed for food showed even in things like this.
"...I named him myself, but I really chose a fitting name."
Surprisingly, the next one to approach after Meok-bo was Jam-bo.
However, Jam-bo hadn't actually come over of his own free will.
"...Do cats hibernate? I don't think I've seen this guy awake once since winter started."
Mew?
Lying flat on his back on top of the smart robot vacuum, Jam-bo opened his eyes.
Hearing Do-jin's voice right above him must have woken him up.
But that was only for a brief moment.
In the blink of an eye, Jam-bo drifted right back to sleep.
Mew... ooow...
"...Well, I'll be!"
As Do-jin shook his head at the sight of Jam-bo snoring away, the remaining kittens finally made their way over to him.
Meow!
Mew!
"Whoa, why are you guys so angry too?"
Do-jin hopped around, dodging their advances.
Just like Samsaek-i, Kkamang-i and Ul-bo were targeting his ankles.
Meow!
"Aigoo, so loud. Alright, alright, I'm sorry."
Do-jin winced at the ear-piercing cries.
It was the voice of Ul-bo, named so because he cried the most and the loudest among all the kittens.
Combined with the assault from Kkamang-i, who was the most relentless after Samsaek-i, Do-jin finally pulled out his secret weapon.
"Here, it's catnip. Eat this and forgive me, okay?"
Meow?
Mew?
The moment the word 'catnip' was uttered, the kittens froze in their tracks.
Before he knew it, their gazes had shifted from Do-jin's ankles to focus entirely on his hand.
Pfft.
Smirking at the kittens' blatant stares, Do-jin pulled the catnip from his pocket and sprinkled it onto the playroom floor.
Meow, meow!
Mew!
Mew?
Tsk, that's the last of it.
Watching Kkamang-i, Ul-bo, and even Meok-bo rush over, Do-jin smacked his lips.
With this, the catnip he had grown in the garden was completely depleted.
I harvested and processed it in the autumn, trying to ration it as much as possible...
It seemed he would have to cultivate a lot more catnip next year.
Even putting aside the kittens, there were still Bo-ri and Samsaek-i, who absolutely went wild for the herb.
Of course, Samsaek-i was not among them right now.
He was currently in the corner of the playroom, getting thoroughly scolded by his mother, Bo-ri.
Hiss!
...Me-meow...
Samsaek-i cast a desperate look pleading for rescue, but Do-jin deliberately ignored it.
Kids grow up by getting scolded by their mothers.
It was definitely not because his bitten ankle was throbbing, stinging, or smarting.
Knock, knock.
"Who is it?"
Do-jin asked at the sound of knocking on the door, and a familiar voice answered from outside.
"Director, it is Begter."
"Huh? Begter? Come in."
Since Begter rarely visited the playroom, Do-jin spoke without thinking much of it.
However, the moment the door opened, Do-jin sensed that something unusual was in the air.
And for good reason—Begter hadn't come alone.
"Obei and Sun-jam are here too? Wait, more importantly, what are those clothes?"
The three of them stood lined up in front of Do-jin, dressed in luxurious traditional garments he had never seen before.
While Do-jin stared in surprise at their obviously special attire, Begter spoke up as their representative.
"Director, please receive our New Year's greetings."
"New Year's greetings? A formal bow? Don't tell me you're performing the New Year's bow to me right now?"
While Do-jin stood dumbfounded by the unexpected words, Sun-jam, standing at the very end, offered a blue cloth to Do-jin.
"What is... this?"
"This is a khadag. Uncle, you have to hold it like this."
Along with her words, Sun-jam placed the blue cloth into Do-jin's hands.
Then, Begter stepped forward, grasped Do-jin's forearms, and pressed his cheeks against Do-jin's cheeks.
"..."
Though startled by the sudden action, fortunately, Do-jin managed to keep quiet this time.
It seems to be a traditional Mongolian greeting. It would be rude to act too shocked here.
Instead, Do-jin desperately began racking his brain.
He was trying to remember how much cash he had in his wallet.
If I'm receiving New Year's bows, I have to give them New Year's money.
He couldn't just give ten or twenty thousand won as New Year's money to Begter, who was barely younger than him.
However, Begter's subsequent actions instantly put an end to Do-jin's dilemma.
"Here is the holiday money."
"Wh-what?"
Begter placed an envelope containing money on top of the blue cloth—the khadag, as Sun-jam had called it.
But Begter wasn't the only one doing this.
Obei and Sun-jam followed suit, placing their own envelopes of New Year's money on top of the khadag.
"Uncle, this is yours."
As Do-jin stared blankly at the khadag, Sun-jam spoke up, unable to wait any longer.
"Uh, yes?"
"In Mongolia, the younger generation gives money to the elders. It is our culture."
"Ah, I see~"
Only after hearing Begter's explanation did Do-jin grasp the situation, and he carefully gathered the envelopes.
Though he wanted to say it wasn't necessary, he figured it was best to accept it since it was their culture.
I can just return the favor twofold later.
As Do-jin simplified his thoughts and wrapped up the situation, Begter, who had been quietly watching him, delivered the final blow.
"Now, let's go eat."
"Eat? It's not dinner time yet."
The current time was 2:30 PM.
Having already eaten lunch, there was no real need to eat again.
However, Begter's next words instantly made Do-jin tense up.
"Altani made food. Buuz, traditional Mongolian food."
"Traditional... food?"
For a split second, Do-jin felt a wave of dizziness, as if a flock of sheep he had eaten in the past was running wild inside his head.