The other detectives had been no different.
They assumed he was a middle schooler desperate for attention who had heard about animal communicators somewhere in the media. It was pitiful to see a young orphan struggling to survive, but that didn't excuse lying. He had no right to take advantage of people who were desperately worried about their missing pets.
Some even lectured him.
But the detectives soon realized that Hae Dam was telling the truth.
Whenever Hae Dam got involved, missing pets were found ninety-nine percent of the time. He resolved behavioral problems in animals that no training manual or professional trainer had been able to fix. Even wild animals such as raccoon dogs and crows came when he called and left when he told them to.
As far as the detectives could tell, Hae Dam communicated with animals far more naturally than even the famous animal communicators overseas.
Myotam had been among those who refused to believe him until the very end.
Of course, things had changed. Now Myotam was the one calling Hae Dam's emergency rescue service before anyone else.
"Detective, how do you know that man?"
"Oh, detectives all know each other a little. It's a pretty small industry."
"I see."
"He's a good man. Absolutely loves cats. He has three of his own, and they're all rescues."
Ji Jeongwon wondered what had prompted that cat-loving man to think, That kid's always been a sucker for a pretty face.
Surely Hae Dam had never dated anyone.
Not only had his background investigation turned up no romantic history, but someone with supernatural abilities and a secret to protect was hardly likely to form such an intimate relationship with another person.
Ordinarily, Jeongwon would have asked the moment the question occurred to him.
"Detective, do you happen to have a weakness for good-looking people?"
He had a bad habit of asking whatever was on his mind, after all.
But this time, he swallowed the question.
He wanted Hae Dam to think well of him. He had an image to maintain.
"Now we're going to start looking for Sara in earnest. You can wait in the car, Mr. Jeongwon, and come out when I call you."
"I'd like to come along. I want to see how you conduct a search."
Hae Dam hesitated.
I might have to transform into an animal, though... That could be a problem...
"I want to learn more about this work and become competent as quickly as possible. I promise I won't get in your way, Detective. Please."
When the handsome man blinked those eyes at him and asked so earnestly, Hae Dam's resolve weakened.
That's right. The apartment owner really does seem to dream of becoming a detective. Of course he'd want to learn as much as possible from someone already doing the job. But is there anything he can actually learn from me? I don't track cat footprints or look for fur. I ignore all the usual clues...
"Detective, I'm your assistant."
Ji Jeongwon spoke gently.
"You've worked alone for so long that having me follow you around must feel strange. But now that you've decided to take on an assistant, you'll have to get used to the change."
"But, Mr. Jeongwon, my methods are a little unusual... You might think they're strange when you see how I investigate..."
That was precisely what Jeongwon wanted to see.
"You mean talking to animals, right? I've watched plenty of videos from overseas. It's fascinating. I genuinely believe in the abilities of animal communicators."
"You don't think talking to animals is... weird?"
"Actually, this is something I'm only telling you, Detective, but sometimes I feel like I can communicate with the weasel I'm raising. It's as though the weasel understands what I'm saying, and I understand what the weasel is saying, too. ...Do you think that makes me strange?"
As he spoke the last sentence, the outer corners of Jeongwon's eyebrows drooped.
Seeing how worried he looked about being thought strange, Hae Dam hurriedly shook his head.
"Not strange at all! Pets that have lived with humans for a long time really do understand human speech. Words like treats, walk, Mom, Dad, play with me, and so on. And sometimes people can tell right away whether their pet is whining for attention or because something genuinely hurts. It's almost like they're actually having a conversation!"
"Exactly. So there's nothing strange about the way you investigate, either."
Jeongwon's calm voice and gentle, understanding persuasion gave Hae Dam a boost of confidence.
"You're right! Let's go together!"
] Memo saved
Name: Sara
Age: 7
Sex: Female
Breed: Siamese
Characteristics: Affectionate toward people, curious, and very talkative.
As Hae Dam looked around the alley, reviewing the information in his mind, he spotted a gray sedan.
A leisurely voice drifted out from beneath it.
Ah, I'm bored. Maybe I'll go mess with that yellow fellow.
Hae Dam crouched in front of the sedan and tilted his head.
His eyes met those of a plump Korean domestic shorthair cat hiding quietly beneath the car.
You scared me! How'd a human know I was under here?
Hae Dam held out his phone, showing the cat the screen.
"Hi there. Have you seen a house cat that looks like this around here?"
"Meow!"
This time, the shorthair actually cried out.
Whoa, now that really surprised me! How's a human speaking cat?
"I'm not speaking cat."
Huh? You're right. That's human speech. Then how come I can understand you?
"It's a house cat that ran away a week ago, so she probably won't be able to cope with living outside. Have you seen her anywhere?"
You gotta give something to get something.
Without missing a beat, Hae Dam took a cat treat from his waist bag.
Only after finishing an entire treat stick did the shorthair offer any information.
Saw her heading toward the ginkgo tree a few days ago.
"A few days ago? Do you remember exactly when? Was it daytime or nighttime? Did anyone else see her?"
It was nighttime, and I was the only one who saw her. But this sure is something. How come I understand what you're saying? Ten years I've been a cat, and this is the first time I've met a human I could talk to.
"Thanks. Want another one?"
Nah, I'm good. You're going to look for that house cat now, right? Mind if I come watch?
Apparently fascinated by Hae Dam, the shorthair slipped out from beneath the car.
As Hae Dam walked in the direction the cat had indicated, he stole a glance at Ji Jeongwon.
Was he finding it strange to watch someone converse with an animal?
Even the detectives who were accustomed to Hae Dam's abilities still looked as though they'd witnessed something bizarre whenever he actually talked to animals.
But Jeongwon merely looked thoughtful, and when their eyes met, he offered Hae Dam a gentle smile.
"Detective, it looks like this shorthair is going to show us the way. Shall we follow?"
"...Yes!"
I like the apartment owner so much...
Beneath a ginkgo tree that retained its magnificent presence despite having shed every last leaf, a yellow tabby lay sprawled in the sun.
The tabby greeted the shorthair with a mutual sniff of their noses, then ate two-thirds of the treats Hae Dam offered.
Despite that, the cat remained thoroughly arrogant.
Would you look at that attitude? Just tell him already.
And waste a perfectly good chance to squeeze a human for treats? What else you got? Any dried anchovies?
Cats are always like this.
Hae Dam pulled several more treats from his waist bag.
The shorthair was delighted by everything he brought out, but the yellow tabby remained aloof.
If that's all you've got for treats, hand over a toy or something. I'll accept that.
I should've brought catnip...
As Hae Dam rummaged dejectedly through his bag, Jeongwon asked, "Detective, what's wrong?"
"I've run into a very demanding cat. I might have to hand over everything I own."
"I don't have any cash, only cards. Do cats accept cards?"
"They probably would..."
Jeongwon had meant it as a joke, so the serious answer caught him off guard for a moment.
But then he heard a second voice remark, Well, cats do play with magnetic cards quite often, and he understood.
Still, I can't give them a card. It could get damaged. Isn't there something else? Something small, light, noisy, and okay to break...
Jeongwon waited for Hae Dam to turn to him and ask, "Do you happen to have anything small, light, noisy, and okay to break?"
But the little detective merely agonized over the problem on his own, never once asking his assistant for help.
He simply wasn't used to having someone beside him yet.
"I do have something a cat might enjoy playing with."
In the end, Jeongwon spoke up first.
What he took from his crossbody bag was a reindeer-shaped keychain attached to his car key.
Even though he knew he wouldn't be driving today, he'd brought it along out of habit.
"Wow, how cute! It's a reindeer!"
Hae Dam's face lit up.
Jeongwon, who had never once thought of the keychain as cute, replied, "Yes, isn't it? I'm sure the cats will love it," as he detached the key ring.
"Are you sure it's okay if it gets dirty? It might even break..."
"Of course. I was thinking of replacing it anyway. It's much better for it to become a toy for the neighborhood strays than to end up in the trash."
The apartment owner is such a good person.
Deeply touched, Hae Dam accepted the keychain.
Besides, how expensive could such a tiny keychain possibly be?
That tiny keychain happened to be a 6.7-million-won accessory from the luxury brand M, purchased by Jeongwon's second older sister because she thought it resembled their precious baby brother.
The soft fur covering its little body wasn't synthetic. It was genuine reindeer fur.
Its tiny, round nose, the color of dark chocolate, was made of topaz.
And, most importantly, the little yellow bell attached to its checkered ribbon was made of 18-karat gold.
Its beautifully shaped antlers had been crafted individually by an artisan overseas, meaning that no two keychains were exactly alike.
In other words, this particular design was the only one of its kind in the world.
Oblivious to all this, Hae Dam began waving the keychain around with dazzling skill, enticing the cats to play.
Both cats' eyes immediately lit up. They dropped into hunting crouches, their little bottoms wiggling from side to side.
Hae Dam raised and lowered the keychain, adjusting its height to match the timing and angle of each pounce.
It was dragged across the pavement, battered by fluffy paws, caught between sharp teeth, kicked repeatedly by hind legs, and sent bouncing across the ground again.
Only when the 6.7-million-won keychain looked as though it was worth about 670 won did the yellow tabby finally seem satisfied.