TL/Editor: looloo

    Status: ongoing

    Illustrations: posted in discord

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    "A little. Why?"

    I answered without showing any signs of surprise, just in case it was a casual question. Heena laughed briefly at my reaction and continued speaking.

    "I know you like small animals. Why don''t you play a bit? Lately, my mom''s been busy, so it''s been hard for her to take care of Sarang every day."

    "It''s not that hard. It''s harder for you."

    "Anyway. I''ll take pictures of both of you."

    I sighed in relief. It wasn''t a spark of jealousy but a simple consideration for me.

    Indeed, she was the most beautiful and considerate wife in the world. I wanted to scold myself for jumping to conclusions.

    With my heart pounding, I accepted her kindness and aimed for the white cat sitting quietly near Sarang.

    To avoid startling the cat, I carefully approached it and gently placed my hand on its back, stroking it softly.

    The warmth of the living creature mixed with the soft fur made me feel ecstatic.

    Could this be heaven?

    While I was enjoying the moment, Sarang started to show interest in me.

    "Dad is touching White!"

    "Do you want to play with White too, Sarang?"

    "Yes! But... if I do that... Happy will be alone... What if Happy feels lonely?"

    Sarang looked sympathetically at the fat cat she was still diligently petting. Her adorable concern made us, as well as the nearby staff, smile warmly.

    Meanwhile, the staff member hadn''t left Sarang''s side. Perhaps because there were no other customers, they kindly answered Sarang''s questions and kept a watchful eye on her.

    "Happy will play with me. So don''t worry."

    "Oh! Thank you!"

    Sarang thanked the staff and came over. She reached out to the yawning white cat that had been enjoying my touch.

    But just before Sarang''s hand could reach it, the cat got up and disappeared.

    Sarang looked at the retreating cat with disappointment.

    "White left... I guess it doesn''t want to play with Sarang..."

    "No, no! Wait a minute!"

    Before I could offer any words of comfort, the staff member quickly stood up, startled.

    They went inside the bar and came back with a small can.

    "How about trying this?"

    "What is it?"

    "It''s cat food. Just opening it will make the cats gather here."

    "Cat treats! Sarang likes treats too!"

    "Really? Oh! Look, they''re already gathering!"

    Noticing the staff member approaching with the can, the cats started to gather around.

    Sarang let out a happy squeal at the sight.

    "So many cats! They came for the treats!"

    "I''m sorry for the trouble. I''ll pay for one."

    "Oh, no! We usually open one can during these hours because there aren''t many customers."

    "Still..."

    "Really, it''s okay. Your daughter is just so adorable..."

    If they were charmed by Sarang, I couldn''t argue.

    After thanking the staff repeatedly, I quietly sat next to Sarang and watched the can being opened.

    -Psh!

    As soon as there was a slight opening in the can, the cats, who had been watching from a distance, all swarmed towards it.

    -Meow! Meooow!!

    I felt another wave of happiness as the cats naturally brushed past me or stepped on my legs.

    I wish they would step on me more!

    "Look, Daddy! A cat is on Sarang''s lap!"

    One of the cats, which hadn''t managed to get to the can, had its front paws on Sarang''s knee, looking towards the can.

    Most of the cats were being led by the staff like the Pied Piper, but this was perfect for us. Sarang was happily stroking the cat''s side.

    "Sarang! Do you want to see mom?"

    "Mom! The kitties are eating treats! They must be delicious!"

    Of course, the churu was a bit of a painful expense for her too. It was almost the price of a meal.

    ''So cute~''

    Still, looking at the child''s smiling face, Haru thought she would happily buy more churu if asked. That''s how cute she was.

    Even though she had a lot of work left, Haru volunteered to play with the child. Watching her with a satisfied smile, she glanced over at the parents.

    The mom and dad were smiling and talking happily, pointing their phone at the child, possibly filming a video.

    In her time working here, Haru had seen countless people, but she had never seen a family that looked as happy as if they were about to burst with joy. Most people seemed to enjoy themselves to some extent, but that was it.

    Especially when the mom looked at the dad, it was clear that the saying "honey dripping from her eyes" was no exaggeration.

    Seeing them made Haru start to crave romance again, something she had avoided for a while.

    ''Maybe I should get married... or at least go on some dates.''

    Of course, she wasn''t confident she would meet such a good husband or have such a cute child just because she got married.

    Still, that family made her want to dream.

    In a world full of family disputes and accidents, she hoped to have such a harmonious family someday.

    ---

    Raei Translations

    ---

    Thanks to the quiet store and the kind staff, we had a wonderful time at the cat cafe today.

    The highlight was a picture of Sarang, smiling brightly while holding a tiny kitten.

    Usually, baby kittens are kept separate to avoid stress from customers. But the staff seemed to want to see Sarang holding one, so they brought it out for a moment.

    Thanks to that, we got the best shot of the day.

    "Daddy... Sarang wants to play with the kitties more..."

    Sarang didn''t want to leave the cat cafe at all, so we ended up having our meal there with the cafe desserts.

    After playing for several hours, Sarang was now half-asleep, her eyes barely open. We both played with the cats to our heart''s content.

    Though Sarang still seemed unsatisfied.

    "We''ll come again next time. Now, say goodbye, Sarang."

    "Yes... Goodbye, kitties... Goodbye, unnie..."

    "Bye~ Take care~"

    "Thank you so much for playing with my child."

    "I had fun too. Please come again!"

    Finally, carrying a sleeping Sarang, we left the cat cafe. It was already sunset outside.

    Originally, we planned to walk around a bit more after the cat cafe, but with Sarang asleep, those plans were canceled. Since she had fun, it didn''t matter much.

    So, Heena and I leisurely headed home.

    "Should we really get a cat someday?"

    "Didn''t you say never?"

    "But Sarang likes them so much... My mom has weak bronchitis, so we can''t now. Maybe we''ll consider it when we move out. But it might be hard with no one to look after it."

    "By then, I''ll be working too. The cat would be alone for a long time."

    "It would be lonely alone, right?"

    "Probably."

    Maybe because of my jealousy towards the cat earlier, Heena''s perception of cats had become very favorable. Not that she disliked them before, though.

    Of course, Sarang liking cats more than I had imagined was part of it. I never thought we''d spend nearly five hours at the cat cafe.

    Even I was getting a bit tired.

    "So, keeping a cat would be difficult, but... should I show you a cat at night?"

    "What cat?"

    "Meow~"

    "You better do it, seriously. Lee Heena, you better wear the ears and tail."

    "How should I do it~"

    "Wait a moment. I have the ears at home, so I''ll go buy a tail right now and─"

    "Hehe, what are you saying? We need to put Sarang to bed tonight."

    "Ha... I''ll see you next time, for real."

    "Yes! I''ll look forward to it!"

    She teased me with a mischievous smile and walked close to me. Seeing Heena''s playful grin, I made up my mind.

    I really needed to buy a tail.

    Author''s Note:

    I feel like writing 19+ content...