Side Story 1) Big Guy. Wind. Jealousy.
“K?”
Calyx softly called the boy’s name as he appeared belatedly.
Emerging through the steam rising from the warm bath was the boy, holding a red ball of yarn in his mouth.
With the ball of yarn he never parted with clenched between his teeth, the boy came trotting over with a cheerful tinkle-tinkle of movement. He hopped up onto the edge of the bath, met Calyx’s eyes, and gently swished his tail from side to side. Seeing how unusually bright the boy’s eyes were, it was clear he’d thought up something fun again. Calyx leaned back against the bath, deciding to watch with relaxed eyes whatever the boy was about to do.
Standing on the edge with the yarn ball in his mouth, the boy dipped one front paw into the bath. He was checking whether the water temperature suited his tastes. Then he flicked the wet paw dry and lowered his stance slightly, bracing himself on all fours.
The ball of yarn stubbornly clenched in his mouth was nearly as big as his entire body.
With that huge red ball of yarn in his mouth, the boy lowered his posture further, his backside twitching left and right. His ears, perked upright, tilted forward, and judging by the way his hips swayed from side to side, he clearly intended to jump straight into the water.
Sure enough. The boy, who had been wiggling his hips, suddenly sprang into the air and plunged straight into the bath with a splash. Calyx extended a hand toward where the boy fell.
But it was pointless. As always, the boy floated effortlessly on the surface and began paddling along with all four paws.
“Are you trying to wash that?”
Calyx asked, watching the boy swim while still holding the yarn ball in his mouth. There was no verbal reply, but it seemed he was right. The ball of yarn the boy hugged and rolled around with every day had gotten rather grimy, so it was only natural that it offended the clean-freak boy’s eyes.
But it was yarn. If he left it soaking in water like that, it might float at first, but before long it would absorb water and sink—it was as obvious as daylight.
The boy’s swimming skills, paddling his four legs beneath the surface, were fairly impressive. Every day, he swam one or two laps around the bath. Then he would climb onto the footrest, puff out his chest, and sparkle with pride.
After splashing around for a while with the yarn ball in his mouth, the boy seemed to notice something was wrong. He let go of the yarn as it gradually sank deeper into the water, panicking and flailing around it as it slipped past the midpoint and was sucked under.
“Nyang—! Nyaaang—! Nnyaaang—!”
He began crying out desperately, so frantic and mournful it was as if his lover had fallen into the water.
Calyx reached out to grab the ball of yarn and pull it up—then hesitated.
Seeing the red bundle sinking into the water gave him a rather satisfying feeling. The fact that the boy never let it leave his side even for a single day sometimes irritated him. That was why, on nights when the boy was asleep, he’d thrown it down to the foot of the bed. Feeling this way over a mere toy was ridiculous, but watching it sink really did feel refreshing.
“Nyaaang—! Nnyaaang—! Niiyaaang—!”
The boy wailed desperately, floundering above the yarn ball that had already sunk below.
Damn it.
Calyx clicked his tongue inwardly when he saw the urgent look directed at him. This was a perfect way to end up being hated by the boy—taking pleasure in something so petty. With no choice, Calyx reached out and retrieved the yarn ball from the bottom of the bath.
“Nyah—! Nyah—!”
The moment the yarn ball was set on the edge, the boy lunged at it, rubbing his head and cheeks all over it in a flurry. Anyone watching would think a lover who had died had just come back to life. Calyx narrowed his eyes as he looked at the boy, who was so happy he didn’t know what to do with himself.
Big Guy!
I wrapped my arms tightly around poor Big Guy, who had only just been rescued from the water.
Water streamed down in rivulets when I hugged the drenched fellow, but I didn’t care about that. Seriously, I nearly killed him just trying to give him a bath. I pressed my mouth to Big Guy and whispered affectionately.
Big Guy. This hyung messed up.
The patron who had saved Big Guy ordered a maid to bring a small tub, filled it with water, and set it down on the floor. Then, with a pretty eye-smile, he placed Big Guy inside it. In the small tub, Big Guy no longer sank and instead stuck half his body out above the water.
Deeply moved by the patron’s kindness, I gently gnawed on his finger.
Now I could finally wash Big Guy with peace of mind.
I planted my hind paws on the floor and my front paws on Big Guy inside the tub. Putting my weight into it, I alternated pressing down firmly with my front paws. Oh my god. Every time my paws pressed down on Big Guy, pale, dirty bathwater oozed out little by little. I was filled with deep regret. I should’ve bathed him properly much sooner. Leaving my beloved fellow in such a filthy state made me a bad man.
If that grime had come from any other body, I would’ve bolted immediately. But enduring the skin-crawling revulsion, I pressed Big Guy thoroughly from end to end. Eventually, I decided this wouldn’t do and climbed right into the tub, stomping him firmly with all four paws.
Thanks to the kind patron changing the water several times, no more filthy runoff came out of Big Guy’s body. Panting, I grabbed Big Guy in my mouth and pulled him out of the tub, feeling utterly satisfied. Then I walked over to the patron and rubbed both my cheeks against his arm, conveying my very-very-thank-you gratitude. If it weren’t for him, things would’ve ended terribly. I nearly drowned our Big Guy, after all.
With Big Guy washed, I sat back on the footrest and finished my bath in a relaxed state of mind.
I was about to head out with Big Guy in my mouth when something felt off. Uneasy, I turned around while holding him.
……
……
Big Guy!!!
The shock was so suffocating it stole my breath, and I dropped Big Guy from my mouth.
The round Big Guy was nowhere to be seen—only a limp, unraveled mass of yarn trailing along the path I’d come from. I stopped breathing and slowly lowered my gaze to my feet. And there I saw it. Big Guy’s horrific state, bloated with water and completely unraveled beyond recognition.
…Big Guy…
I stared blankly at his miserable form and called out to him.
I carefully poked him with my front paw, but he remained sprawled out like a strip of seaweed washed up on the shore. I lifted my head and looked at the patron. An indescribably strange expression floated across his face. I sent him a pleading look, asking for help.
“Nyaaaa—!”
Lyx. Our Big Guy. Please save Big Guy.
The patron stared silently at Big Guy, then suddenly covered his mouth with his hand. Even the kind patron seemed to be in shock. Covering his mouth, he turned his back on me completely. His shoulders trembled faintly. He was crying. Well, he must’ve grown attached to Big Guy too—it was no wonder he was shaken.
I lowered my head again to look at Big Guy. I poked him with my paw, telling him to get up, but he didn’t budge at all.
…Big Guy.
I stared at Big Guy in a daze, drowning in overwhelming loss—then snapped back to my senses. This wasn’t the time to be like this. I had to save him somehow.
I firmly grabbed the limp, sagging Big Guy in my mouth and started moving. Behind me, the patron called out, “K?” but I didn’t look back.
If I took Big Guy to Julia, she’d definitely find a way. Julia had brought Big Guy back to life before, even when he’d completely unraveled and died. Dragging the waterlogged, horribly heavy Big Guy along the ground, I hurried as fast as I could.
Wait. Big Guy. Hyung will save you.
***
“I’ll dry it all out and bring it to you, so why don’t you go inside and wait?”
Julia spoke gently, but I let her words go in one ear and out the other, focusing intently on Big Guy.
Big Guy was currently hanging from a tall drying rack. Poor thing—his whole body had been thoroughly soaked. Julia had wrung the water out by hand last night as emergency treatment, but he was still in a beyond-saving state. Stroking me as I despaired, Julia promised that once the sun rose, she’d dry Big Guy properly and restore him to his original form.
The drying rack, made by connecting poles with rope, had originally been in the laundry yard.
When morning came, Julia planned to hang Big Guy there to dry. I realized what she was thinking and panicked, crying nyaong-nyaong as I stopped her. Thanks to that, Big Guy ended up drying safely in the garden of the Crown Prince’s palace. It truly couldn’t have been more fortunate. If Big Guy had been hung in the busy laundry yard, someone would definitely have kidnapped him.
Big Guy’s condition… isn’t very good.
