"Our Da-woon," he says.
Da-woon mimed gagging and scrubbed furiously at the goosebumps prickling along his arm. Hearing such a cringeworthy pet name in that already butter-smooth voice snapped him fully awake.
-Hello? Are you listening?
“Could you drop the ‘our’ part? It’s embarrassing to hear.”
-It’s a term of endearment. What’s embarrassing about it?
Ryu Tae-ha’s soft chuckle came through the line. Still, after that he mostly refrained from tacking on the ticklish nicknames.
-You’re resting well, right?
“Yeah, I ate breakfast and slept straight through.”
-Good to hear. What are you planning for lunch?
“Just whatever’s here in the dorm.”
-Eat something filling. Don’t just grab anything. Instant food’s bad for you.
Somehow lately the youngest and Ryu Tae-ha sounded exactly alike. As if the two of them held some grudge against instant food, they were both determined to feed Da-woon nothing but home-cooked meals.
-If anything hurts, tell me right away. Got it?
“...Yeah.”
After that, Ryu Tae-ha went on suggesting things to pass the time in the dorm, like books or games. Letting it go in one ear and out the other, Da-woon scratched at a pale cheek.
Somehow he seems oddly more affectionate... Or am I imagining it?
His voice had always been gentle, but recently he’d been carrying on especially tenderly. The way he was so busy he barely had time to set foot in the dorm, yet kept calling constantly to check up on him, was part of it too.
It was a little much. Ever since their conversation that day, Ryu Tae-ha had started fussing over Da-woon as if he were looking after Ryu Jin.
-Stay in the dorm as much as you can. Don’t even think about coming out to the field for a while.
When Da-woon hesitated to answer, Ryu Tae-ha repeated, in a pleading tone, that he should hold off returning to the field as long as possible. To this too, Da-woon gave a vague reply, saying he’d think about it, and let it slide.
-And is Mr. Meow doing well?
Da-woon, who’d been answering flatly, suddenly turned noticeably more eager the moment the cat came up.
“He’s doing fine. He’s eating well and using the litter box well. He’s got no energy, but thankfully he sleeps well too. Though he does seem to sleep an awful lot.”
-His strength will come back soon. Don’t worry too much.
Ryu Tae-ha reassured Da-woon that the cat was just sleeping a lot because he was still little. Hearing that kittens actually sleep more than twenty hours a day, Da-woon was secretly surprised and set down his worry.
-Is he with you right now?
“Yeah, he’s curled up quietly in my arms.”
The cat, who’d been nodding off in Da-woon’s arms, blinked his eyes. As if he knew they were talking about him, he opened his eyes wide, then abruptly stuck out his pale-pink tongue and licked Da-woon’s chest.
“Ngh...”
Da-woon flinched at the same moment and jerked the phone away.
If the cat had licked the flat of his chest it wouldn’t have been a problem. But the spot the cat’s rough little tongue had brushed happened to be the very part Jung Da-woon reacted to most sensitively.
Da-woon stroked the cat, who was gazing up at him wide-eyed with an utterly innocent face, and adjusted his hold. At night while sleeping the cat would often poke at sensitive spots like this too, and now it seemed he’d taken a liking to it, which was a problem.
“Ahem.”
Clearing his throat, he brought the phone back to his ear. At that, Ryu Tae-ha picked the conversation right back up, uncannily on cue.
-Should I come over now?
“Come over for what? Just do your work.”
-You made such a nice sound. I thought you were asking me to come.
Nice sound, my foot. Da-woon glared into empty air as if Ryu Tae-ha were standing right in front of him, thoroughly disgusted.
“That was because the cat bit me.”
-I see. Tell him thanks for me.
As the nonsense kept coming, Da-woon jabbed the end-call button without a second thought. At the same time, he flung the phone far away.
“Won’t somebody come haul that pervert bastard off.”
The cat leapt onto Da-woon’s shoulder as he shook his head, meowing and rubbing against his cheek. Rubbing his own cheek back against the cat, Da-woon let out a weary sigh.
The truth was, ever since he’d sobbed alone that day, dealing with Ryu Tae-ha had felt thoroughly awkward.
“So annoying...”
They’d never been on easy terms to begin with, but he’d never felt the way he did now. Before, he’d simply disliked the man and found him off-putting; now, that guy was... how to put it... constantly on his mind.
“No. It’s not me, it’s Jung Da-woon who’s minding him. Jung Da-woon.”
Conscious of the faint residue of Jung Da-woon’s emotions lingering inside him, Da-woon shook his head hard. As if copying him, the cat swung his little face from side to side too.
“First things first, let’s wash up.”
Carefully supporting the cat clinging to his shoulder, he ran hot water into the tub. Perching on the edge of the tub as the heat rose pleasantly, he soothed the unsettled mood that one phone call from Ryu Tae-ha had stirred up.
Right now Da-woon had a new goal: getting to know the characters in the novel in detail.
The better he understood them, the more it would help him prevent the bad ending. Until now he’d been so focused on the plot’s developments that he hadn’t thought to properly grasp who they were.
Not just Ryu Tae-ha the protagonist, but also Yeo-ul’s entire past, the life he’d lived. He wanted to know all of it in detail. And even Baek Su-ho, who might appear at any moment.
“But is he even going to show up...?”
Chewing over how the novel’s contents were unfolding differently from the original, Da-woon suddenly snapped his eyes wide open.
Meow!
The cat pressed at his cheek, helping his unfocused gaze sharpen back. Only then did Da-woon look down at the hot water that had risen to the very brink of overflowing the tub.
“Ah...!”
He immediately twisted the faucet and let the water out. If the cat hadn’t warned him, it would have spilled right over.
“Wow, thank you.”
Da-woon swept the cat into a tight hug and showered him with praise. Muttering that he’d done enough thinking and ought to wash up quickly, he was in the middle of sliding down his thin drawers.
Meee-owww!
Yes! Get them off!
Watching the underwear go flying off, Su-ho’s fur bristled as he let out a loud cry. With his face pressed flat against Da-woon’s smooth cheek, his tail shot up high as if ascending to heaven.
“You don’t want to get in the water? Want to wait outside?”
Misunderstanding the suddenly louder Su-ho, Da-woon made to climb into the tub alone, leaving him behind. At that, Su-ho flinched and flailed his legs toward the lapping water, showing fierce enthusiasm for a soak.
Meow! Meow!
I’m getting in! I’m doing it too!
Seeing Su-ho, who’d been limp and listless, acting so lively, Da-woon caught the energy too and lowered himself into the tub with a grin, Su-ho held with him. Tucked snugly against Da-woon, Su-ho braced his sore throat with effort and kept swishing his tail.
In truth he wasn’t in any shape to get into the water, but he stoutly joined in the soak anyway. He couldn’t pass up the chance to get a good close look at Da-woon’s pretty body and touch it himself.
“You okay? Not scared?”
Da-woon wrapped a hand around the back of Su-ho clinging tight to him, ladling water little by little over the snow-white body.
Scared? I could die from how good this is.
With a pleased rumble in his throat, Su-ho slowly closed his eyes at the sensation of his fur gradually soaking through. The warmth seeping into his body felt wonderful.
“Looks like you like it.”
Smirking at Su-ho’s slackening expression, Da-woon leaned his back against the tub too. The wide tub had room to spare even with Da-woon, who stood over 180 centimeters, stretching out his legs.
Money really was a fine thing. A bathroom with a tub attached, right inside a private bedroom. Setting aside everything else, by his surroundings alone Da-woon was fairly well equipped with the makings of a happy life.
The work was heavy, but the rewards matched it, and thanks to belonging to a famous guild, he was welcomed wherever he went. Compared to his firefighter days, when he’d save people only to get cursed at or even sued in return, the treatment was incredible.
And yet, even able to enjoy all of this, Da-woon felt uneasy. It was because he knew everything: the end of the Sawoo Guild he belonged to, and the ending of this world.
So there was no way he could simply enjoy it all. And apart from his surroundings, his physical condition was poor too.
Eyes shut, Da-woon dragged a wet hand down over his face, then looked down at the cat lying on his chest. Watching the creature belting out a carefree purring song, he felt the worries piled up in his heart all settle down.
Animal therapy really was the best.
Da-woon stroked the damp white back and pressed kisses into every little corner of the small body.
“Let’s sweat it all out and then get out. That way you won’t catch a cold.”
Prrr. Prrr.
A pleasant vibration rumbled in the cat’s throat. It was the sound a cat made when its mood had reached its absolute peak.
Enjoying that curious sound, Da-woon sank deep into the hot water. The toasty temperature of the water bestowed a languid drowsiness on them both.
Su-ho in particular was thoroughly satisfied just by getting to lie bare and alone with Da-woon in such a cramped space.
The two of them enjoyed the soak with similar expressions. Aside from Su-ho occasionally dunking his face into the water as if diving, or brushing his tail between Da-woon’s thighs so that Da-woon had to shift position several times, it was a very comfortable stretch of time.
“Hold still for a bit. Why are you so worked up?”
Su-ho, who’d figured out how to swim on his own, paddled his short legs and dove under, then surfaced with a pfft. Da-woon, who hadn’t the faintest idea that he’d gone to look between his legs, only doted on how cute he was.
Meow.
It’s because you’re gorgeous. Seriously.
Apparently not done admiring yet, Su-ho sucked in a breath, hap!, and tried to go back under the water. Da-woon stopped him and scooped up the soaking-wet little body.
“Do you love the water that much?”
No, I love you.
“Should we take baths often?”
Yeah, let’s do it every day. Let’s do it just ten times a day. No, a hundred.
Meow, meow. Watching Su-ho practically bursting into song, Da-woon chuckled with a marveling look.
“They say cats hate water, you know. You’re just an unusual one who loves it, huh?”
Anyone would, doing this with you. So you’d better only take baths with me.
The dripping-wet tail wrapped around Da-woon’s neck. Hugging Da-woon with his tail instead of his short legs, Su-ho planted his paws on Da-woon’s chest.
Meow.
Don’t do this kind of thing with any other guy.
The white face thrust forward as if about to lock lips with Da-woon, chattering away in meows.
It’s only because it’s me that I’m putting up with it. You hear me? You’re way too sexy.
Having no way to know what the cries meant, Da-woon merely propped his chin lazily and watched Su-ho prattle on.
And you’ve got no sense of caution either. If you’re going to be this pretty, you ought to act a little prickly. With all those flies swarming around you-.
Rattling on at length without pausing for breath, Su-ho’s body suddenly lost its balance and wobbled. Trying to knead at Da-woon’s wet chest, he’d missed his footing.
Mrrow-.
Being a kitten, his weight was top-heavy, so his body tipped forward. Because of that, Su-ho’s snout poked right into Da-woon’s nipple.
Da-woon flinched, and Su-ho, crowing inwardly in triumph, opened his small mouth with the most innocent face in the world.
