Chapter Text
I used to be just an ordinary office worker, waking up every day to go to work, then coming home to sleep and waking up again the next day to go to work. At least that's how it was before I got a dog that I brought from my mother's hometown. This dog is very attached to me. I even had to bring him back to my small flat because he kept crying like a child.
Oh, I remember this morning before I left...
“Eunho, you have to listen to me this time. Be a good boy until I get home, okay?”
“Hing…”
“Don't think I don't understand.”
I raised my voice, hoping he would understand. I was sure he understood; after all, he is a smart dog. It's just that whether he wants to obey or not depends on his mood. And one thing I know for sure is that he is extremely spoiled.
“I'll be home before 9 pm. If you're good enough not to mess up things like you did yesterday, I'll bring you some sausages—”
“WOOF!”
“—and dry food.”
“WOOF!”
I stroked his little head. Even though we've only been together for a month, he's already smart enough to understand what I mean. Compared to other huskies, I'm sure he's the more obedient type—it's just that he's so dramatic! If I had made an agreement like that, saying what time I would be home, even a minute late and he would start crying until the neighbours would scold me the next morning. When that happened, he could only be persuaded with his favourite snacks, and permission to sleep in my room, or more precisely, to sleep on my chest! Really dramatic.
“All right then, Hyung is leaving now.”
Oh, it should be noted that this dog is also smart enough to understand other people's calls. For some reason, he gets very excited when I call myself “Hyung” to him.
“WOOF! WOOF!!” See, that's what I mean. Also, isn't licking too much?
He is very excited when I play with him or talk to him, and I sometimes feel a little bad leaving him alone in the flat. Imagining him waiting in front of the door, imagining what he does alone while waiting for me to come home, my heart hurts a little every time I think about it on my way home, like I am doing now. But thinking about Eunho to pass the time isn't a problem for me either. The 700-metre walk from the station to the flat doesn't feel long when you're thinking about someone you love.
If I were patient enough and had more time, I might consider adopting another dog. Of course, money is also a consideration, hahaha.
“Meow..”
Oh, right.. maybe a cat could be considered?
🐾 🐕🐈⬛ 🐾
I don't know what came over me last night, but I ended up bringing that black cat home with me. At least he's not picky about food, so for the time being, everything is fine. This weekend, I might have to take him to the clinic to get checked out. Even though he seems fine, I think it would be better to make sure this little cat isn't injured or anything.
Eunho was quite enthusiastic last night to find a new creature in the house, he kept greeting the cat and jumping around. Perhaps he was very excited to have a guest for the first time since he's been here.
However, when I was about to bathe the black cat, he resisted a little. His claws, whether intentionally or not, scratched my arm, which it had previously scratched as well. I think I only whimpered in pain for a second, but Eunho reacted first as if he was the one being hurt.
“GRR! WOOO!! WOO!!”
Eunho was a smart dog; he wanted to protect his owner. However, he might have destroyed the little black cat's entire body if I had let him bite it, so I lifted the cat higher. High enough that Eunho couldn't reach it even if he jumped. But I had to pay for my heroic action with Eunho's increasingly dramatic howling. Oh my god, this dog.
“Eunho, too noisy.”
He didn't hear me at all. He continued to circle around me and tried to steal the black cat.
“Eunho. Hyung doesn't like it.”
At times like this, I had to be firm. Eunho stopped jumping, but his tail was still wagging, showing that he wasn't completely calm.
“Sit!”
He sat down. Perhaps I looked angry enough that he stopped his noisy sulking.
“You have to be nice, this black cat is your friend from now on.”
“WOOF!!” That was his way of showing his dislike.
“Hyung likes this cat. So you should like him too and be nice to him.”
And for reasons only Eunho knew, he began to very very dislike the black cat.
🐾 🐕🐈⬛ 🐾
The black cat turned out to be not difficult to bathe at all. Maybe I touched its sore paw, which is why he scratched me? Or maybe it felt bad for Eunho, who was scolded because of it? But well, maybe cats have their own reasons.
The cat purred softly as I dried it with a towel. His black fur stuck to my palms and the surface of the towel. When I wanted to dry his lower body, I was quite cautious because people say cats are very sensitive about their stomachs. But this cat just stared silently into my eyes. Are cats really this indifferent? But those eyes were very sharp nonetheless.
“All done,” I muttered as I removed the towel from him.
I hadn't even had time to stand up when I heard a familiar thumping sound from behind the bathroom door.
Thump. Thump. THUMP.
It was Eunho. I thought he was sulking after I sent him away earlier, but it turned out he had come back, and I had no idea what he wanted this time.
When I opened the door, as I expected, Eunho immediately rushed in, dragging his own towel in his mouth. As if to say, ‘Look, hyung, I want to take a bath too, now bathe me.’
He even started to half-stand up and raised his hands. His tail wagging quickly, and he tried to persuade me with his cute eyes.
But Eunho's attention was quickly distracted when I ignored him and went back to the cat. Eunho seemed to freeze when he saw that the cat was now in my arms (I meant to take it down from the sink).
The two stared at each other. But the black cat didn't seem bothered, he was just busy licking himself.
Eunho immediately followed behind me, walking so close to my legs. He stared at the cat every three seconds, as if the little cat could jump and attack him at any moment. In fact, the opposite was more likely, I mean Eunho was too big in comparison.
I put him on the sofa. His fur wasn't completely dry yet, but I thought it was okay to let him sit there. The cat climbed onto the cushion and wrapped its tail around it gracefully, as if it had been living here for years.
Eunho just followed me when I went to get a drink. He only climbed onto the sofa after I sat down there too. This dog was being very clingy today.
“Okay,” I glanced at them one by one, “Now you two have to get along.”
The black cat continued licking his own fur, completely nonchalant.
“Arf…” Eunho turned to look at me. Was this dog offended because his opponent was completely disregarding this tense situation?
I just stroked Eunho's head. “It’s okay. He's not dangerous.”
Eunho stared at me. For a long time. A very long time. Behind those round eyes, I felt like I could understand what he was trying to tell me, like, Hyung, he's dangerous. Just look at his attitude. He's rude. He's not submissive.
“Wooof…”
The black cat finally finished licking his fur, right after hearing Eunho's whisper. He lifted his head, staring at Eunho with a blank expression that didn't help at all.
Then slowly, without expression, it closed its eyes. Sleeping, without caring about its surroundings.
Eunho looked back and forth between me and the cat. Its tail swished in displeasure.
“Hyung is also confused. But he's cute. Let's try to get along first, shall we?”
Eunho was definitely sulking. How did I know? Simple, he started barking loudly again, wanting to chase the cat away. But the cat didn't care at all. The sofa cushion was very comfortable for him, he just slept with his ears folded down.