Mesugaki and the Cat "Meow~."
“Meow~.”
“Hm?”
Come to think of it, no matter how cute Neiro was, she was originally a stray cat, so she probably wasn't the cleanest. Sure, cats are clean animals that groom themselves often, but strays have to be a bit dirtier than house cats.
The moment that thought crossed my mind, I shoved my nose right up against the top of Neiro's head and sniffed.
“Sniff, sniff... Smells fine?”
“Miyaoong.”
No smell at all, and visually, she didn't seem dirty, so I figured I'd just take her home and give her a bath.
“Eh, I'll just hit the mart and bathe her right after.”
“Meow...”
At the mention of a bath, Neiro rubbed against me like she hated the idea and lifted her paw.
No escaping the bath like that~. Since I'd pretty much decided to keep her, hygiene was crucial for her health anyway. If she got sick from being dirty, I didn't have the cash to take her to the vet—that was reality.
“Well, since she's dirty, guess we'll bathe together at home, huh.”
With Neiro nestled against my chest as I walked, the warmth there was psychologically soothing. But my chest felt heavy, making my shoulders ache a bit. So this is why women complain about shoulder pain. I supported her carefully with the arm not holding the phone so she wouldn't fall.
Ding!
YomuraOldMan donated 10,000 won.
If I thanked Meki for the donation with a "thank you meow~," it'd be 30,000 won. But I wasn't home—this was outdoors with people walking around. Do that embarrassing reaction here?
“You think I'd do something that lame? Pffft, you really think money makes Meki do anything, you dum-dums~?”
Like I'd take requests like some beggar...
Ding!
YomuraOldMan donated 10,000 won.
50,000 won now.
“Thank you for donating to Meki, meow~!”
Fuck. So goddamn embarrassing.
It wasn't late night yet, so passersby glanced at me, smirking quietly as they passed.
I'm insane... Why'd I take this mission...
Ding!
YomuraOldMan donated 50,000 won.
Good job.
“Th-thank... Fuck, you're making me so goddamn embarrassed!!!”
Already plenty of people glaring, so I just screamed at my phone.
I wanted to erase this shame, even for a second.
“Anyway, I'm gonna run from here on, so deal with it!”
Whether to hide the embarrassment or just to get to the mart faster, I bolted at full speed. The phone in my right hand was gripped like a marathon baton, and I supported Neiro so she wouldn't fall.
“Haa, haa... Almost there now.”
My stamina sucked, so after about five minutes of proper running, my heart was pounding, ears ringing. This shitty body. How little exercise do you have to do for five minutes of running to make you sweat like this and feel like dying...
Neiro, jolted by the shaking, had her front claws out, piercing right through my gym clothes.
Whoa... Look at those sharp things.
Even a graze from those claws would make blood spray like a fountain.
“Neiro, we're here! Pet supplies store!”
“Nyaoong~.”
Pet supplies store with a name I really like. Sounds like pulling a Poké Ball from your pocket and challenging someone one-on-one.
As I approached, the automatic door slid open, welcoming us. Obviously buying stuff for Neiro, so I lifted her from my chest with both hands and carried her in.
“Whoa, Neiro, the stuff for you looks better quality than my crap?”
No joke. Compared to the decaying decorations and junk in my rundown villa, the pet supplies here were made of way better materials.
“So, what should we buy first, chat?”
I didn't have much money, so I had to minimize costs and go for value. First up, the most important: kibble... What, why so many kinds?
“Yo, why are there so many types of kibble? This is pricier than my food?”
Great idea. Good or bad, she'd chosen it herself, so she'd eat it, right?
“Neiro, pick what you wanna eat.”
“Meow~.”
“Yeah, yeah...?”
Huh? Why so many zeros on that kibble price? Wait, why does cat food cost more than human food to begin with?
There was a reason Shin Jaejun was shocked like this. The guy who trembled just buying a bowl of gukbap because he was broke nearly flipped seeing "56,000" on the cat food price. And whether she knew his pain or not, the cat circled that bag, pawing at it.
“Th-that one's too expensive, no?”
“Meow~!”
“My monthly food budget's 100,000 won?”
No lie. I'd survived a week on instant rice and stir-fried kimchi before. Even soaked rice in milk when there were no sides. I still couldn't believe cat food cost half my monthly grub budget.
“Anyway, my food budget isn't the point... You really gotta eat the expensive stuff, Neiro?”
“Meow!”
Dog... no, bad kitty.
I tried picking something else, but those sparkling eyes looking up at me melted my resolve again.
“Fine, whatever, you're a cat... Guess a human like me has to endure.”
“Meow!”
She rubbed her head against me happily, acting all cute. I tossed the bowl and kibble in the basket and moved on slowly.
“Huh? Now that you mention...”
Wait, can I even keep pets in our villa? Never seen anyone else do it. Worst case, I'd beg Jaehee hard later and she'd sort it out. For now, time to browse other stuff.
Ding!
JaeheeBest donated 10,000 won.
What about the cat poop?
“Yeah... Gotta grab a litter box too...”
Thank goodness Neiro was a cat, not a dog—they're good at hiding their business. Shit and piss scattered in my tiny place... Ugh.
I grabbed a litter tray and the kind marked safe to flush, then headed to checkout.
“Kiiing, kiing...!”
“What?”
Neiro in my chest suddenly stretched her paw out, pointing at something. Looked like the red ginseng sticks I ate as a kid for health, but with a cat pic.
Treats?
Up close, yeah, it was churu. The legendary item cats go nuts for—even disobedient ones turn tame with one. How'd Neiro spot it? She stared with sparkling eyes.
“Haa... Fine, got it.”
Today's budget was already wrecked, so whatever—might as well go all out. Tossed in the churu and checked out.
“Total comes to 126,000 won.”
“Uh... Okay.”
Fucking expensive. That day, the yellow and green bills vanished from my wallet.