Welcoming a new family member

After leaving work, Su-Jin stopped by the veterinary and checked on the kitten. Once she made sure everything was alright with the tiny creature, she declared herself satisfied and decided to take it home.

The moment she heard the small ball of grey fur meowing happily, purring at the sight of her, Su-Jin realized it would be impossible for her to abandon the tiny animal. She had saved it, therefore it was her responsibility now.

The doctors told her the scratch should heal itself in a few days, and there was no reason to worry. The kitten had been given all necessary treatment, so unless the wound showed signs of worsening Su-Jin didn't have to return for a check-up.

They also told her the kitten was a month-old male, and advised Su-Jin to name it as soon as possible. That way, it would be able to get used to its owner's voice. Also, giving the kitten a name would also put more meaning into their new owner-pet relationship.

At the end of the visit, Su-Jin bowed, and gratefully thanked the doctors. Afterwards, she left the veterinary feeling elated. It was as if that kitten had taken away all her troubles, leaving her with a light heart and a good disposition.

"Let's go home, little one." She whispered into its fur, placing a gentle peck onto its tiny head.

As a response, the kitten meowed loudly. It squirmed a little, and instantly began purring louder, as it curled up between her fingers.

With all that taken care of, Su-Jin finally headed home.

Half an hour later, she was entering through the front door.

The place they lived in was a two-story house. The ground floor was split between a large living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. The first floor was occupied by Choi Mi-Suk and her mother's rooms. That left Su-Jin and her brother the entire second floor. Their rooms were across each other, with a narrow hallway in between. Down the hall was their bathroom, which they unfortunately had to share. Most of the time it wasn't an issue, though, since Min-Jun always woke up before his sister.

At the time Su-Jin got home, the place was very quiet. That was usually a sign that her brother was either busy studying or reading.

After taking her shoes off, Su-Jin entered the living room, letting the kitten down gently. The tiny creature began to move, wobbling at every step. As though it considered Su-Jin to be its mother, the kitten only took tiny steps, afraid to move too far away from Su-Jin's legs. However, as soon as it felt safe in the new environment, it immediately became bold enough to adventure into the kitchen.

Afraid to leave the kitten alone so soon, Su-Jin decided to wait a while before going to change. She went into the kitchen, and poured herself some water. Despite being past seven in the evening, the summer air outside had made her thirsty. Busying herself around the fridge, Su-Jin didn't notice the kitten had strayed out into the living room, and ultimately up the stairs.

Two minutes later, she finally noticed its disappearance. She hurried out of the kitchen like a gust of wind, worried that the kitten might somehow get lost or hurt.

As soon as she walked out, though, Su-Jin skidded to a halt. She stood there, frozen in place for a long moment, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at the scene in front of her.

Min-Jun, who at some point in time had walked out of his room and went to get a glass of water, was now holding the kitten by the back of its neck. He kept it at eye level, gazing at the tiny creature as if it was the first time he had ever seen a cat.

Meanwhile, the kitten was dangling limply into Min-Jun's hold, just like it would have done if its mother was the one holding it by the scruff of its neck.

"Sis, I found… this. It was lurking on the first-floor landing." Min-Jun said slowly, not moving his eyes away from the kitten.

Su-Jin pushed down her urge to laugh. Instead, she hastily stepped forward.

"Oh, give it here. I didn't know he had left the kitchen and went up the stairs." Su-Jin said between chuckles.

She hurried towards her brother, gently plucking the kitten from his grasp.

"Such a brave little guy you are, aren't you?" she cooed, kissing its pink nose.

Min-Jun merely blinked, slowly lowering his hand. His sister's show of affection towards the kitten had rendered him speechless for a moment. Then, a moment later, he found his voice again.

"What are you going to do with it?" he asked.

"Isn't it obvious? We are going to keep it." Su-Jin said, smiling widely, while blinking at him lovingly.

Min-Jun swallowed nervously. He knew that face, and it was dangerous. He could rarely say no to his sister when she looked at him like that.

"What about Mi-Suk and Mrs. Choi?" he tried to reason, hoping that it would daunt his sister's enthusiasm.

But it seemed that Min-Jun had hoped wrong.

"Oh, they will adore it, I am sure. Mi-Suk always said she wanted a pet, and her mother wouldn't be opposed to it either." Su-Jin said, waving a hand dismissively. "Besides, it will be funny to have something this cute run around the house, don't you think?"

The kitten meowed as if on command, and Min-Jun had to declare himself defeated. After all, he was the last person in the world to refuse shelter to anyone who needed it. If they were to throw the kitten back on the streets who knew what would happen to it.

"I guess where two orphans live, there is enough room for a third." He muttered in a low voice.

With that, Min-Jun took the kitten from his sister's hands, and went into the kitchen to feed it. While he got the milk ready, Su-Jin told him all about the morning adventure, as well as what happened at work afterwards.