the best things / jungri

ii. reading cats

Unfortunately, Reading Cats didn't contain magical felines that could understand the human language. (Although, in Yeri's opinion, a bookstore that served as a safe haven for cats before they found their permanent home was just as magical.)

Fortunately, Reading Cats did contain some beautiful, some sassy, and some lazy felines that either hated or loved you, no in-between.

After getting her masters degree in entrepreneurship seven years ago, Yeri had put the piece of paper to extremely good use by wandering around for a year. It wasn't that she didn't want to start a business because that had been her dream since she was still a itty-bitty kid. It was that she was scared by the permanence of opening a business, something that she would dedicate the rest of her life to. What if she made the wrong choice?

Then, one fateful night, she had been aimlessly driving around when she saw Seulgi, who she had seen only once or twice since their undergraduate days, standing at a crosswalk. Memories of them getting drunk at white frat parties and shouting their lungs out at basketball games and studying in the library at five in the morning immediately flooded her mind. In a split second, she pulled over to a curb and literally stumbled out of her car to catch up with Seulgi.

That was one decision she would never regret. They instantly reconnected between huge and happy bites of egg omelets.

Apparently, after undergraduate school, Seulgi had moved back to Thailand because her Mom, who was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, wanted to spend her last months in their hometown. So, Seulgi had immediately packed her suitcases, moved to Thailand, and completed her graduate degree in veterinary work while taking care of her Mom.

"What about your Dad?" Yeri asked, her heart hurting for her friend. She remembered spending Thanksgiving with Seulgi's loud, but jolly Mom and quiet, but blunt Dad. They were a happy couple that seemed to be forged out of metal and stone: strong and everlasting.

"He stayed behind to take care of Reading Cats," Seulgi explained, "Mom only allowed him to visit every month, saying that she wanted the bookstore and the foster cats to survive." Poking her green peas, her voice was quiet when she said, "But I know Mom also didn't want Dad to see her weak. He was already so sad."

At the agony in her words, Yeri stood up and gave her a big hug, ignoring the curious stares from the rest of the customers.

After her Mom's death, Seulgi had traveled back to Korea to help her Dad with the bookstore. Then, she asked Yeri what she did during the four years they hadn't seen each other. As Yeri explained her own dilemma with her parents and uncertainty about her future, Seulgi's face had slowly scrunched up more and more. And although they had been separated for a while, Yeri understood the meaning behind each of Seulgi's facial expressions. Currently, she was in deep thought.

Finally, Yeri asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Seulgi slowly blinked. Then, sipping on some water, she said, "This is going to sound crazy."

Yeri thought back to that time Seulgi had thought it would be a good idea to climb over the gates that prevented them from going to a party for free and laughed.

"And of course, you don't have to take my offer, but I was wondering. What if you took over the bookstore?"

Jaw dropping, Yeri took a few seconds to process her words. "What?"

"Dad was looking for someone to take over, since he's planning to retire soon. And you have a business degree in entrepreneurship. I know you also love cats and reading. So it's basically like a match in heaven."

Sputtering, Yeri said, "What about you?"

Seulgi shook her head. "I'm a vet. I don't have the proper knowledge to run a business."