On May 26, 2000, it was a day that felt cold to the soul. A woman was walking past the old Hwang house—an abandoned, eerie place—when she suddenly paused, hearing a soft "meow, meow, meow" coming from the bushes nearby, almost like a cry for help. Curious, she stepped closer and found a tiny newborn kitten inside a small box, shivering from the chill.
Feeling sorry for the fragile little thing, she scooped it up, wrapped it in her scarf, and took it home. There, she set up a heater, warmed some milk, and fashioned a makeshift nipple out of cellophane so the kitten could feed.
Five months later, the once-tiny kitten had grown into a healthy, plump cat. The woman named her Yeji—a fluffy white kitty with bright blue eyes and a pink nose and ears.
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She's a sweet, cuddly, and caring cat, always protective of her owner and a bit grumpy when something bothers her. A month later, the Lee family was blessed with their first daughter. Overjoyed with their new baby, the proud parents were still mulling over the perfect name, having made a list of possibilities but not yet settling on one.
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Year October 12, 2000
"Chaeryeong?!" Mrs. Lee exclaimed when she saw what Yeji had dropped. It was the English name 'Judy,' which translates to 'Chaeryeong' in Korean. Smiling brightly, she hurried over to her husband with Yeji in her arms. "Hubby! Guess what! I found the perfect name for our little girl, hehe!" she said, glowing with excitement.
Her husband rose from the couch, grinning at his cheerful wife. "So, what's the name that's got you this happy?" he asked as he walked toward her. "Chaeryeong will be our baby girl's name from now on, thanks to our other baby, Yeji, who inspired me with the idea for her little sister's name," Mrs. Lee said happily, spinning Yeji in the air. Her husband simply watched as she sang and danced over just a name.
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Nine months later, on June 5, 2001, a baby girl was born. Her parents were thrilled to finally meet their daughter, Lee Chaeryeong. A week later, after leaving the hospital, mother and baby went straight home. That day, Chaeryeong met Yeji for the first time. When Yeji saw the tiny baby, her expression was hard to read. In her young mind, she wondered, "What kind of creature is this? Is she human? Why is she so small? Why doesn't she talk? Why does she have big cheeks like mine? She even looks a bit like me!" These were Yeji's thoughts, despite being only a year old in human years. Of course, in the cat world, time is counted differently.
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Three years later, Chaeryeong was four and Yeji was five. (In Korea, newborns are already considered one year old.) "Yeddeong! Where are you?" a little girl called out. When there was no answer, she glanced around the living room. Spotting her cat fast asleep, she said, "You're asleep! I'll sleep with you too." She lay down beside the fluffy cat on the couch, wrapped her arms around it, and drifted off to sleep.
"Chaeryeong-ah?" Mrs. Lee called, searching for her daughter. She looked everywhere, nearly forgetting to check the living room. When she finally did, she found her two babies sleeping. "Honey, I'm home!" Mr. Lee announced as he returned from work. "Come to the living room!" Mrs. Lee called.
When he arrived, he saw the sweetest sight. "Cute, right?" his wife asked. He nodded, unable to take his eyes off the two girls curled up on the couch. Mrs. Lee pulled out her phone and snapped a photo of the sleepy pair. The proud parents felt pure joy just watching their adorable daughters rest peacefully.
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Chaeryeong was chasing Yeji, eager to play dress-up with her cat. Yeji, searching for a hiding spot, spotted her owner's room open and darted under the bed. Seeing her cat slip into her parents' room, Chaeryeong followed. She climbed onto their bed to look around and noticed something odd on the table—a large number of pills and tablets.
Later, at 6:11 p.m., the Lee family sat down for dinner, with Yeji under the table enjoying her own meal. "Mum!" Chaeryeong suddenly called out. Her dad glanced at her while her mom looked up. "Yes, Cherry?" Mrs. Lee replied. "Why are there so many pills and tablets in your room?" she asked innocently. Her father coughed, and her mother's eyes widened, fear and worry etched across her face that night.
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When Chaeryeong was 5 and Yeji was 6, something happened that Chaeryeong would never forget—her mother was in the hospital fighting cancer. Whenever Chaeryeong visited, her mother greeted her with a smile, but once Chaeryeong went home, the tears would come. Her mother was scared to go but had no choice. The hardest part was that Chaeryeong knew deep down her mother was in pain.
One afternoon, after a usual visit, Chaeryeong left but quickly returned because she had forgotten to give her mother a drawing. That's when she saw her mother crying and truly realized just how much she was hurting.
