Chapter 25: Dissolve: His Last Choice

When I reached out my hand, the little ones showed interest. 

It was just an empty hand, nothing in it. 

One of them rubbed its head against my palm, another brought its nose close, sniffing curiously. 

The last one quickly lost interest and pounced on my sneaker instead. 

I was relieved— they all looked healthy.

“But it’s you three again? Where’s Boogie?”

Looking toward their shelter inside, I saw the silhouette of the mother cat sitting in front of the house. 

The one with the spot next to its nose was lingering near her, occasionally glancing this way.

Meow. Mrow.

The one crying for cuddles and pets was the same one from before, with stripes only on its tail. 

Song Hyunsoo stuffed the cigarette pack and single cigarette he’d still been holding back into his pocket. 

The striped tail was already sprawled out on the ground. 

Hyunsoo gently stroked the kitten from the scruff of its neck down its small back.

“When are you guys gonna grow up and move out? Or is it okay to keep living with your mom?”

They were predicting the coldest winter in twenty years, and Hyunsoo couldn’t help but worry about how this family of five would survive it. 

He didn’t really know much about cats, especially stray cats— when exactly they were supposed to be weaned and sent out on their own.

“Well, as long as you’re here, Auntie probably won’t chase you off…”

Hyunsoo glanced over at the mother cat. 

She looked aloof and cold, but she never took her eyes off her kittens. 

It had been the same last time— she kept checking in on what was happening on this side even while she ate.

Whether they were aware of their precarious situation or not, the kittens were too busy treating Hyunsoo like a playground. 

They showed no sign of fear or worry.

It was as if it never even occurred to them that the human in front of them could, at any moment, turn on them and do harm.

“Your mom will protect you guys at least until winter passes, right?”

Meow. Mrrroooww.

“I don’t know much, but I think that’s what being a parent is.”

Hyunsoo remembered the interview with Yoon Jooho’s father.

The way he cast himself as an innocent victim, and his son Jooho as a greedy, unfilial child who’d betrayed his parents for money. 

Each line, one after the other, manipulates the story just enough.

No— was it even fair to call it manipulation? 

Even an idiot like me could see right through it.

If he had truly been worried about his son’s reputation as an actor, like he claimed, he wouldn’t have done the interview at all. 

He would have stayed silent to protect him.

That kind of unconditional love where a parent would jump into fire or water without hesitation to save their child…

But exceptions always exist.

Parents can turn their backs on you. 

They can prioritize themselves over you. 

—That was the very first truth Hyunsoo ever learned about the world. 

That he was one of those exceptions.

“And honestly, if someone keeps showing up to script readings even while they’re going through hell, shouldn’t they be praised for that? That’s pretty damn professional, isn’t it? But no— they call him ruthless…”

Still stroking the back of the striped tail kitten’s head, Hyunsoo suddenly gave its belly a playful rub.

“Hey, Mr. Stripes, what’s your take on this? Care to share your opinion?”

Mraaow. Meow. 

The kitten instantly perked up, ready to play. 

It grabbed Hyunsoo’s hand with its front paws and tried to bite.

“Right? You think it’s unfair too, don’t you?”

Now the kitten flipped onto its back and launched a full-on attack on Hyunsoo’s fingers.

“Imagine if he hadn’t shown up to the reading. Then they’d be all over that too, saying he’s not professional enough, that he’s acting like a diva just ’cause he’s a top star…”

The striped-tail kitten grabbed one of Hyunsoo’s fingers with both paws and started gnawing on it. 

When he lifted his hand slowly, the kitten clung to it with all its might before eventually dropping off. 

Then it crouched down and leapt up again, this time launching itself at the hand. 

It was impressively cat-like.

“No matter what you do, they criticize. So what am I supposed to do, huh? Dance to whatever beat they feel like playing that day?”

As he moved his hand up and down, the kitten’s eyes darted around, tracking the movement like prey. 

Then, in a flash, it pounced again and latched on.

“So you’re a real cat after all, huh?”

The kitten’s adorable antics made Hyunsoo laugh— if only for a moment.

But the dark thoughts returned just as quickly. 

The father attacking his own son in an interview, the media repackaging it into sensational headlines, the comment sections filled with people pouring in wild, judgmental rage… It terrified him.

Hyunsoo picked up the little striped kitten and pressed its face gently to his cheek.

“Someone’s going to have to die before this all ends.”

Mrow? Meow?

“How can people only ever ask how a kid could do such a thing to their parents? Why doesn’t anyone ever ask the opposite? How bad must it have been for the kid to send a legal notice to their own parents? Do they even know what happened over those 30 years? So what, the child’s just supposed to take whatever abuse the parents dish out without saying a word?”

Meow. Meow.

“Right, Stripes? You think I’m right, too, don’t you? Smart little guy.”

Niyang. Niyang.

Like a puppy barking, it cried toward Song Hyunsoo’s shoulder. 

That was when Song Hyunsoo finally noticed. 

The dark shadow that was slowly approaching…

“Do you have a lighter?”

“…”

Shit. That voice was Yoon Jooho.

Why the hell is there no sound of footsteps? 

Is he really an angel? 

Or a fairy, no, a male fairy?

This time, it felt like Yoon Jooho was really going to chew him out. 

Song Hyunsoo, his face twisted in frustration, sighed silently and quickly composed himself. 

He set the cat down and got up from his seat, turning around.

He clasped his hands in front of his belly button, bowing his head deeply until his chin nearly touched his collarbone. 

Anyone would have thought he was some gang member being scolded by his boss.

“Sorry, hyung.”

“What for?”

“I… I said some rude things about your parents, things I didn’t even know…”

Yoon Jooho brought the cigarette filter to his lips, narrowing his eyes.

“Who cares what the parents do, you’re probably just taking a beating… something like that, right?”

“Sorry… I have nothing to say, even if I had ten mouths…”

“Do you have a lighter?”

“Eh? Yes, here.”

Quickly pulling a lighter from his jacket pocket, Song Hyunsoo flicked the flint and lit it. 

He made a windbreak with his palm and held the lighter directly in front of Yoon Jooho’s lips.

Sweeep. 

Although he was looking down, the sound of Yoon Jooho inhaling through the filter to light the cigarette was vivid. 

For some reason, Song Hyunsoo felt a chill creeping up his spine. 

Was it from the cold…?

“You didn’t light it for me last time.”

“Today, I’ve done something wrong.”

As the red flame lit the tip of the cigarette, Yoon Jooho took a few steps back, just like last time. 

A little pup, who had shown interest in Yoon Jooho’s shoes, bounced up and chased after him for a few steps before turning back toward Song Hyunsoo.

“Why isn’t that one playing with him? Are you excluding him?”

Yoon Jooho, who had been taking a couple of puffs from the cigarette, motioned toward the inside with his chin.

He seemed to be referring to the one with the stain near its nose.

“It’s not that. He just lacks social skills. If you force someone who doesn’t want to come out, it’s just sad, right?”

The pup was still sitting by its mother, gazing endlessly toward them.

It was the smallest among the siblings.

Yoon Jooho glanced over at the pup before silently continuing to smoke.

Squatting back down, Song Hyunsoo stroked the striped tail, his mind busy with thoughts.

He was sure that Yoon Jooho would throw some harsh words at him soon, but the delay was somehow making him even more anxious.

He wouldn’t just let it go.

Was he planning to really scold him after finishing the cigarette?

Should he just kneel and apologize first?

Then, suddenly, the cute face of the striped-tailed pup came into his view.

This was it.

This lethal cuteness.

No matter how cold and hard-hearted Yoon Jooho was, he couldn’t help but melt before such cuteness.

If he didn’t, then he wasn’t human.

While pondering how he could use the pup’s cuteness to trigger Yoon Jooho’s sympathy, Yoon Jooho broke the silence first.

“Are you still working at that bar? I heard you were talking about part-time work earlier.”

“Eh? Yes…”

Soon after, Yoon Jooho’s lips moved as if he was about to say something more.