The Cat That I Love

"Sick"Ch.3

Author's pov.

Chaeryeong was getting ready for school. She fed Yeji first and got ready to leave, but before heading out, she kissed Yeji on the head and hurried off. Yeji, meanwhile, was about to eat, but as soon as she took a bite, she realized she couldn't taste anything. She tried smelling the food, but she couldn't detect any scent either. Confused, she asked herself, "What's wrong with the food?" Deciding it must be tasteless, she chose not to eat and ended up sleeping through the entire morning and afternoon.

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"Yeddeong, I'm home!" said Chaeryeong happily, but her smile faded when she saw no one waiting for her at the door. She went to the kitchen, but Yeji wasn't there. However, Yeji's bowl wasn't empty, which she found strange. She searched for Yeji and finally found her in the living room under the table. Picking Yeji up in her arms, she immediately noticed something was off—Yeji's body was hot.

Chaeryeong froze for a moment but quickly snapped back to reality. She checked again and again to confirm if Yeji was really sick. Feeling Yeji's little paws burning, she knew it for sure. Without wasting time, Chaeryeong grabbed her jacket, took her mother's scarf, and wrapped it around Yeji's small body. She hurriedly put on her shoes and ran to the nearest vet. When she arrived, it was already closed, so she ran to the next vet, but it was closed as well.

The third nearest vet was also closed. Tears started streaming down her face as panic set in. What if Yeji left her too? She couldn't bear the thought. Running through the dark night, desperately searching for an open clinic, she accidentally bumped into an old man, causing him to fall. Despite her worry, Chaeryeong helped him up while still holding Yeji in one arm. "I'm really sorry, sir," she apologized, her tears still visible.

"It's okay, young lady, but what's the rush? And why are you crying?" asked the old man worriedly. "It's because I can't find an open vet clinic here. My cat is sick, and she needs medication right now. I can't lose her just like this. I can't take it if she dies too!" said Chaeryeong, bursting into tears while looking at Yeji with her tears dripping onto Yeji's forehead. "You must really love your pet if that's so, young lady! I can help you; I'm a vet myself," said the old man.

"Really?!" asked Chaeryeong, wiping her tears. "Yeah, let's go to my house. All the things I need are there. You can call me Dr. Kim, young lady. What's your name, by the way, and what's your cat's name?" asked the old man. "My name is Chaeryeong, and this is Yeji," said Chaeryeong, sniffing. "It's okay now, Chaeryeong. Yeji is going to be fine. Let's go now," said Dr. Kim.

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A minute later, they arrived at Dr. Kim's house, which was quite big. "Chaeryeong, just put Yeji here. I'll prepare some medicine for her," said Dr. Kim. "Okay," replied Chaeryeong, placing Yeji on a small bed for cats. "And Chaeryeong, just wait in the living room. It's right opposite this room," added Dr. Kim. Chaeryeong nodded and left the room. While Dr. Kim treated Yeji, she went to a wooden box and pulled out two little glass bottles, one containing pink liquid and the other purple. She took a tiny drop of the pink liquid and placed it in Yeji's mouth.

Five minutes later, Dr. Kim came into the living room and sat across from Chaeryeong. "Chaeryeong, can I ask you something?" he said. "Yeah, sure, Dr. Kim," Chaeryeong replied. "What did you mean earlier by 'dies too'? Did someone else in your family pass away?" asked Dr. Kim. "Yeah, my mother," Chaeryeong said sadly. "I'm sorry for your loss, but why is this cat so important to you that it made you cry like that earlier?" Dr. Kim asked directly.

"Because she's my family. Since I was born, she's been with my family. She's like a sister to me, taking care of me, as my parents always said. She was there for me when I needed someone the most. She makes me happy, she makes me laugh, she's everything to me. After my mother died, she's been there for me. She's so much more than just a pet—she's part of my family. She's not just a pet; she's my friend, my best friend, my sister, my family," Chaeryeong said, smiling calmly.

"Hmm, I think both of you are truly connected just by sharing these things," said Dr. Kim. "Yeah, we are," replied Chaeryeong. "But can I ask you something again, Chaeryeong, just one last time?" asked Dr. Kim. "Yeah, sure, Dr. Kim," answered Chaeryeong. "What if Yeji became human? What would you do?" asked Dr. Kim. "I would still love her," Chaeryeong said confidently. "Oh, by the way, I prepared some tea for you to help you relax a little," said Dr. Kim, offering the tea he had prepared earlier in the living room. He had even added a drop of the purple liquid with a touch of magic. "Thank you, Dr. Kim, for the tea," said Chaeryeong, drinking it all in one go. A minute passed. "Hmm, very well. Nice talking with you. By the way, Yeji is fine now," said Dr. Kim with a smile. "Really? Thank you, Dr. Kim!" said Chaeryeong happily.

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Chaeryeong and Yeji arrived home safely. Chaeryeong gently placed Yeji on her bed. Before lying down herself, she took a short shower. Finally able to rest after a long day, Chaeryeong lay next to Yeji and hugged her. "Yeji, can you please not scare me like that again? I'm afraid of losing you, afraid you'll follow Umma, afraid you'll be gone. Please don't scare me like that. If you do it again, I will never forgive myself, Yeddeong," Chaeryeong said gently and sadly, her forehead resting on Yeji's.

Chaeryeong kissed Yeji's nose and slowly drifted to sleep. That night, Yeji had a dream.

Dream:

"Yeji," someone called. Yeji slowly opened her eyes and saw her reflection in a large mirror. The reflection wasn't her—it was a human girl. She moved her right paw, and the human girl in the reflection moved her right hand. She tried moving her whole body, and the reflection mimicked her every action as if it truly were her.

In the mirror, Yeji appeared human, but when she looked at herself, she was still a cat. "Yeji," the girl's voice called again. "Who's there?" Yeji asked. "Yeji, do you want to be human?" the voice asked. "That's impossible," Yeji replied. "Everything is possible if you just believe," said the voice. "So, do you want to be human?" the voice asked again. "Yes," Yeji answered.

"First, why do you want to be human?" the voice asked. "Because I want to protect Chaeryeong and stay by her side all the time. I made a promise," Yeji said. "Hmm, that's a wonderful answer. In that case, I will grant your wish: 'In the dark sky at night, thunder will be heard. As the full moon rises, this feline cat will transform, her wish fulfilled,'" said the voice, and everything went black as the words echoed.

End of the dream: