By Zephyria 
When the Escalade entered the alley of ‘Honey’s place.’
The restaurant, closed for its day off, was plunged into darkness unlike its usual self.
The cozy light spilling from the rattling glass door, the warmth emanating from the chatter and laughter of people—all gone. It felt like it wasn’t the ‘Honey’s place’ they knew.
As always, Yoon Joo-ho parked the car in the lot next to the restaurant. The lot was also mostly empty.
Contrary to the information they received when leaving Myung Hae-ri, they actually arrived around 5:30 AM. It was because of the snow.
“Oh, Auntie!”
As Song Hyun-soo got out of the car, he spotted the aunt of ‘Honey’s place,’ her coat pulled tight and arms crossed against the cold. She looked like she had just arrived as well.
“Why did you come out in this cold? We could have taken care of it.”
Even as he said it, Song Hyun-soo’s face was full of joy. He quickly approached his aunt and rubbed her shoulders, which looked cold. She lightly patted Song Hyun-soo’s back and gestured with her chin to somewhere.
“I had to come out when someone said they’d take this troublemaker.”
The place she pointed to was deep inside the lot, in a dark corner.
The last kitten, with a mole next to its nose. It was sitting on the wall, enduring the falling snow.
Yoon Joo-ho, who got out of the car after them, walked over and bowed to the aunt. She nodded and returned his greeting.
“So, the Crown Prince is taking him?”
“Yes.”
The aunt’s eyes and mouth were firm as she looked Yoon Joo-ho up and down. Song Hyun-soo found it very surprising. Given that the aunt was a huge fan of Yoon Joo-ho, he expected her to welcome the idea of the Crown Prince taking the kitten without question.
“Have you raised a cat before?”
“I haven’t raised a cat, but I will study hard and take good care of him.”
“Once you take him, you must spoil him rotten. You have plenty of money, after all.”
“Yes, I will certainly do so.”
Only after receiving his assurance did the aunt relax her expression. Then, with a complex look in her eyes, she gazed at the creature on the wall.
“To be sitting there in this weather, enduring the snow… I can’t stay here all day to watch him.”
The three of them looked towards the wall together.
“What good will it do him to stay here? He’ll just be stuck in that spot. He needs to find a new family and discover new happiness.”
“Bring him here yourself.” The aunt nudged their backs.
Crunch, crunch.
Making footprints on the accumulated snow, the two men slowly approached the creature.
Meow.
Sensing them approaching, the creature let out a faint cry and backed away.
As if asking for help, it kept looking back at the aunt standing behind them.
“It’s okay, Takji. It’s me.”
Song Hyun-soo was the first to soothe it with a gentle voice. Then, pointing to Yoon Joo-ho standing beside him, he introduced him.
“And this hyung held you last time, remember?”
Yoon Joo-ho approached and carefully extended his hand. While warily letting out a weak cry, the creature’s eyes held a sparkling curiosity.
The new person who appeared before its eyes, the new future with that person—it was afraid, yet at the same time, it felt an unbearable curiosity, excitement, and hope. Song Hyun-soo felt he understood the creature’s psychology.
The creature, sniffing Yoon Joo-ho’s hand with its tiny nose, was caught off guard and looked bewildered as it was captured. Despite its wariness, once in Yoon Joo-ho’s arms, it curled up as if burrowing in.
Meow.
“Alright, let’s go. Let’s go home.”
Yoon Joo-ho whispered, carefully brushing off the melting snow from the creature’s back and head. It was a voice so quiet that Song Hyun-soo, standing beside him, could barely hear it.
Finally holding the creature, Yoon Joo-ho looked up and met Song Hyun-soo’s eyes. His gaze, which Song Hyun-soo had always admired for its delicate sensitivity, was now directed solely at him, seeming to hold both fear and gratitude.
The heavy snow piling up on his shoulders and head displeased Song Hyun-soo. He instinctively moved closer and brushed the snow off. Yoon Joo-ho’s eyes curved beautifully as he let out a silly laugh.
“It’s piling up on your head the same way.”
At his smile, which showed no sign of wariness, Song Hyun-soo felt like crying.
Let’s go. Let’s go home.
It was the most necessary phrase for all beings in the world who needed protection, and it seemed like Yoon Joo-ho was saying it to Song Hyun-soo, and to his younger self.
To all the wingless birds of the world.
■■■
As Song Hyun-soo entered the apartment after Yoon Joo-ho opened the door, his movements were extremely cautious. As if what he held was not a cat carrier, but a time bomb about to explode.
“Where should I put the cage?”
Yoon Joo-ho, carrying shopping bags in both hands, replied as he followed Song Hyun-soo inside.
“In the bedroom, I guess.”
“Not the living room?”
“It’s too much trouble to keep going back and forth to check on it.”
It means you want it closer for peace of mind, right? Yes, I understand.
Yoon Joo-ho, having changed into slippers, strode past Song Hyun-soo. He put down the shopping bags in front of the entrance to his Master Zone, unlocked the door lock, and led the way into the bedroom.
“Put it down over there.”
Song Hyun-soo carefully placed the cage where Yoon Joo-ho indicated.
Between the bed and the TV, on the edge of the carpet where the sofa was placed.
As soon as he put it down, he immediately lay flat on the carpet and peered into the cage at the creature.
“It’s looking with wide eyes from inside.”
Yoon Joo-ho crouched down beside him.
“It’s not crying.”
“It was quiet in the car too. It’s doing better than expected, isn’t it?”
Yoon Joo-ho also let out a faint smile, as if relieved. At the animal hospital, and in the car on the way home, he had been visibly tense the entire time. Perhaps he was more nervous than the cat.
“Maybe it’s just too scared to move.”
“That could be it.”
“For today, we’ll just let it sleep like this.”
Yoon Joo-ho patted Song Hyun-soo’s shoulder and let out a breath, standing up.
The two men, who had brought the cat from ‘Honey’s place,’ first visited a 24-hour animal hospital. A fairly large hospital was open not far from Yoon Joo-ho’s house.
At the nearly early morning hour, the appearance of actor Yoon Joo-ho suddenly brought a surge of energy to the hospital.
“I’ve seen many celebrities while working here. But this is my first time seeing a famous actor like Yoon Joo-ho, so I’m a bit nervous.”
The veterinarian, with a face showing the exhaustion of a night shift, even laughed and said that. Then, he looked at Song Hyun-soo, who was sitting next to him, and his expression turned surprised.
“My manager is also so handsome. He could be an actor too.”
“He is an actor.”
The doctor gave an awkward laugh at Yoon Joo-ho’s curt reply.
“Ah, is he? I’m sorry. Celebrities usually come with their managers, so…”
“He’s a rookie actor. He’s appearing in the movie I’m currently filming, so please take good care of him.”
After Yoon Joo-ho’s introduction, Song Hyun-soo seized the moment to greet him.
“Hello. My name is Song Hyun-soo.”
Unlike the seemingly stern top star Yoon Joo-ho, the doctor seemed to relax thanks to the bright, cheerful rookie actor.
“Right? You’re already an actor. I thought you weren’t an ordinary person. So you’re appearing in that movie together. I heard the news. Everyone at our hospital is already looking forward to it. It’s Yoon Joo-ho’s first movie.”
The basic health checkup revealed that the creature was healthy, thankfully. So much so that the vet praised it. The creature remained calm even while the vet trimmed its nails. Yoon Joo-ho, on the other hand, seemed more nervous. He couldn’t take his eyes off the creature, his arms crossed, biting his lower lip with one hand.
Song Hyun-soo couldn’t take his eyes off Yoon Joo-ho, finding him fascinating.
It growls and snaps at people like that…
“It’s healthy, but since it’s still young, please pay attention to maintaining its body temperature. It is a bit underweight, but I believe it will improve with a good guardian.”
Since it was a sudden adoption, they decided to purchase only the essential items sold at the clinic for now. Although it was just a corner set up in the hospital, it was about the size of a decent medium-sized pet shop. Yoon Joo-ho seemed ready to buy everything on display. Song Hyun-soo had to stop him, which is why they only ended up with five or six shopping bags.
After washing his hands, Yoon Joo-ho set the indoor temperature higher. Then, he filled the hot water bottle bought from the clinic with warm water. Meanwhile, Song Hyun-soo prepared water and food in the bowls.
To place the blanket and hot water bottle inside the cage, the two men lowered themselves onto the carpet and knelt.
“Be careful not to scare it.”
“I’m being careful.”
“Hey, stop touching its belly!”
“Sunbae, use a gentle voice.”
“…”
Yoon Joo-ho turned to look at Song Hyun-soo with a displeased gaze, his lips pursed.
The vet had advised them to treat the cat, which was experiencing stress from the sudden change in environment, with a gentle and affectionate voice and expression to minimize its stress.
“So that’s how you’re going to act?”
“It’s not for me, it’s for Ttakji.”
“Let’s see what happens after the baby’s asleep, you.”
“…”