Saw a cat I didn't recognize heading down the alley with the blue gate a few days ago. Didn't look hurt, but she sure looked exhausted. If I'd known she was a house cat, I'd have looked after her.
You? Look after someone? We'd be lucky if you didn't bully her. Human, you'd better watch yourself, too. This one's got the nastiest temper of any cat in the neighborhood.
What kind of nonsense is that? I saw you stealing Blackie's food!
I didn't steal anything. Blackie let me have it.
You shoved that enormous body of yours right up against Blackie and pushed the poor thing aside! How's that supposed to count as sharing?
"Hey, you two. Don't fight."
Since words alone weren't enough to stop them, Hae Dam waved the reindeer keychain around again.
He played with the cats until they were thoroughly distracted and panting from exertion.
But how come I can understand what you're saying, human? And how come you can understand me?
The yellow tabby was surprisingly quick to ask.
That's what I've been wondering. Ain't he an unusual human? I'm following him around because he's interesting.
Well, I was getting bored anyway. Guess I'll come watch, too.
And so Hae Dam headed toward the alley with the blue gate, accompanied by two cats.
In front of a detached house with a blue gate, a young tuxedo cat was eating.
"Blackie!"
The shorthair and the yellow tabby went racing toward the tuxedo cat.
Startled, Blackie thought they were coming to steal the food, but relaxed upon realizing that neither cat was remotely hungry.
"Hello, Blackie."
A human!
The tuxedo cat startled again at the sight of Hae Dam.
Those round eyes widened, and the cat promptly flopped onto the ground, rolling over and letting out a string of adorable meows.
"Meow! Mrrrow! Meeooow!"
There we go again.
Every time this one sees a human who looks like they like cats, down on the ground it goes.
Still haven't given up on finding a human to take you home? That's just sad.
Blackie, it's time to give up. This human's from Seoul, and he's here looking for a runaway house cat. You know what that means, right? Apparently, he's an animal detective.
At the shorthair's explanation, the young tuxedo cat got up sheepishly.
You could've told me that first... Now I've gotten my fur dirty for nothing.
Unlike the other two cats, Blackie didn't speak in a regional dialect.
Hae Dam crouched down and showed the cat his phone.
After examining several photographs of a Siamese cat playing with toys inside a warm home, Blackie spoke.
I saw her the day before yesterday. She was heading toward the stream. I told her not to go because it was dangerous, but she ignored me and kept walking.
"Thanks. I'll give you a treat."
I don't want one. I've lost my appetite.
Blackie even pushed away the food bowl with a front paw.
"Then how about a toy?"
No, thanks. I don't want anything. I've just been hit with a sudden existential crisis about my life as a cat.
"Why?"
Must be nice for her. Her owner even hired a detective to find her. Mine went out of their way to come all the way down here just to abandon me...
"I'm sorry..."
You don't have anything to apologize for. Just make sure you find that cat's owner. So she can go back to her warm home and live surrounded by love.
"Okay. I'll do my best."
But how can you understand what we're saying?
"I was just born this way..."
Interesting human, isn't he? That's why I'm tagging along.
He really is interesting. I want to watch, too.
And so Hae Dam walked to the stream with three cats in tow.
Despite the cold weather, there were residents out for walks, and they smiled at the unusual sight as though they'd stumbled upon something entertaining.
"They're not mine. They're strays."
"Really? How adorable!"
...! Meeeow!
Whenever Blackie detected even the slightest hint that someone found cats cute, the tuxedo cat would rush over, flop down at their feet, and put on an affectionate performance.
Unfortunately, no one offered to take Blackie home.
No one even stopped to pet the cat.
After another thirty minutes of walking, they reached the stream.
It was about twenty meters wide, with a gentle current. Near the banks, discarded soda cans, plastic bags, and pieces of Styrofoam floated among tangled clumps of vegetation.
There were plenty of animals around the stream in broad daylight.
A gray heron stood on one leg. Vinous-throated parrotbills noisily chased one another through the reeds, while sparrows pecked at tender new shoots.
Near the water's edge, a pair of mandarin ducks mingled with mallards, and spot-billed ducks took turns diving for food.
Cats!
At the cry of a vinous-throated parrotbill, the birds were about to take flight when Hae Dam hurriedly spoke.
"Wait, everyone! Don't go. These cats aren't going to hunt you."
Despite his plea, every one of the smaller birds flew away.
Only a single gray heron remained, standing majestically in the middle of the stream.
Why'd they all fly off? A human who can actually talk to us shows up, and they're not even curious?
Blackie muttered shamelessly.
Hae Dam didn't blame the cats. Instead, he waved to the heron.
"Excuse me! Have you happened to see this cat?"
With birds like herons, egrets, night herons, and swans, it was best to speak politely if he wanted future conversations to go smoothly.
The heron, which had already been watching them, tilted its head.
Why can I understand what that human is saying?
"She's a gray cat. Female. I heard she came to this stream the day before yesterday."
Hmph. Even if I told you, would you understand me?
"Yes! I can understand you. If you know where she went, please tell me."
...What an unusual human.
The heron spread its enormous wings and pointed upstream.
If you follow this path, you'll come to a little island made of reeds in the middle of the stream. I saw a cat stranded there, unable to go anywhere, trembling from the cold.
"Do you remember when that was?"
Today. When the sun was over there.
Hae Dam grew excited when he realized the sighting had been only three hours earlier.
Without even stopping to explain the situation to Ji Jeongwon, he immediately broke into a run upstream.
Anyone else might have demanded an explanation, but Jeongwon understood at once what was happening and followed without hesitation.
That human understands birds, too.
Sure is amazing.
This is so much fun! Come on, let's follow them!
The cats hurried after them.
Just as the heron had said, a small island formed from reeds and tangled grass roots came into view.
Jeongwon quickly checked a map application and said, "Apparently, the deepest part is 170 centimeters."
"170 centimeters?"
"Yes. I don't think I'd go under if I fell in..."
"Wow, if I fell in, I'd be completely submerged..."
The man who stood 189 centimeters tall and the one who stood 168 centimeters tall looked at each other.
The 189-centimeter man wore an expression of sudden realization.
The 168-centimeter man's brows drew together.
Then the shorter man sternly scolded him.
"I was just..."
"Even someone two meters tall needs to be careful in water that's 170 centimeters deep! People can drown in just forty centimeters of water, you know. That kind of confidence is dangerous when you're dealing with nature!"
Jeongwon struggled not to laugh.
"You're absolutely right. I'll be more careful from now on."
When he answered so seriously, Hae Dam suddenly looked uncertain.
"I wasn't scolding you."
"I know. You only said it because you were worried about me. Thank you."
With that heartwarming exchange concluded, Hae Dam turned back toward the island.
Cupping his hands around his mouth, he called out for Sara.
"Sara! Are you here? Sara!"
Eek!
You scared me! What was that?
Goodness, what a fright!
The sudden shout startled the animals around the stream into exclaiming one after another.
The birds had already flown away when the cats appeared, but field mice, softshell turtles, and other turtles still remained.
Among all those voices, however, there wasn't a single cat.
"Sara! Are you in there?"
He called again, but still received no answer.
Who's Sara?
How come we can understand that human?
Who knows? Just ignore him.
A group of red-eared sliders sunning themselves along the edge of the island exchanged those remarks.
"Be careful coming down. It's slippery."
"Okay, Detective."
Hae Dam slid down the reed-covered slope with nimble movements.
The slope posed no difficulty for his assistant, who held a black belt in martial arts.
The cats made their way down just as easily.
Now a little closer to the turtles, Hae Dam asked, "Excuse me, everyone. Is there a cat on that island?"
The turtles began murmuring among themselves.
They seemed uncertain whether they ought to answer the question, but eventually one spoke on behalf of the others.
There is a cat there that we haven't seen before.
"Could you possibly tell that cat to come over this way?"
I don't think she can. Her leg is injured. But why is a human looking for this cat?
"Her family is looking for her."
Her cat family or her human family?
"Her human family."
Why would they look for her after abandoning her?
"They didn't abandon her. They lost her. They've been desperately waiting for her to come home."
So there are humans who actually look for the animals they've lost.
The turtle continued.
We were raised by humans once, too. The person who kept us put us all in a bucket, brought us to this stream, and dumped us into the water.
"...I'm sorry."
It's not your fault. I hope you manage to take that cat home safely. Well, goodbye.
Splash! Splash!
The turtles plunged into the water, as though hoping the current might wash away the hurt they carried.
"Sara!"
Hae Dam called her name and listened carefully.
From the little island of reeds and weeds, a faint voice answered.
"Meow..."