Chapter 16

16. Pet World

A modeling offer came to Siwoo, Boksil, and Nero.

After carefully reading the message several times, Hyunju couldn't hold back and called her husband.

Vroom vroom vroom vroom-!

Mozart's Symphony No. 25, famous for the opening of the movie *Amadeus*, played as the call connected.

The music stopped, and Dojin answered the phone from the other side.

"Oppa."

"I got a weird message on Insa."

"They want our kids to be advertising models."

"Come quickly. Let's talk about it."

Forty minutes later, Dojin opened the front door and entered the house.

Looking at Siwoo, who was sleeping with his mouth slightly open and snoring, Dojin smiled and went to the bedroom with Hyunju.

Hyunju gently closed the door so as not to wake Siwoo and immediately handed her phone to Dojin.

"Oppa, look at this."

Dojin sat on the bed and checked the message.

It was a very sincere and polite proposal.

However, it wasn't a direct offer to sign a modeling contract. Instead, it suggested that if Boksil and Nero passed the camera test, they would discuss the contract then.

"Hmm, it doesn't seem like a scam."

"Yeah, yeah. It's real, right? I checked online, and it was really Pet World's phone number."

Dojin tilted his head.

"Pet World... Where have I heard that before? Isn't it a pet food brand?"

"Right. They also make Nero's favorite treat, Chururu, and sell clothes, cat towers, and toys... basically, everything for dogs and cats."

Pet World was a huge company that held over 60% of the domestic pet supplies market. The remaining 40% was divided among foreign brands and ultra-low-cost brands.

"What should we do?"

Hyunju asked.

Dojin thought for a moment before speaking.

"Well, what do you think? Do you want to try it?"

"Um... actually, I kind of want to."

Hyunju said honestly, smiling a bit shyly.

* * *

The next day.

After finishing her morning chores, Hyunju sat on the sofa and took a deep breath.

After checking on Siwoo, who was rolling around with Boksil on the mat, Hyunju called the number in the Insa message.

After a short wait, she heard the voice of a Pet World employee.

"Hello. I'm calling about the Insa message. I'm Siwoo and Boksil's, and Nero's mom."

Hyunju had a long conversation with the marketing team leader of Pet World.

After the call, Hyunju, feeling relieved, leaned back on the sofa.

She sent a text to Dojin summarizing the conversation with Pet World and then got up.

She did so because Siwoo, lying on the mat with Boksil, looked very bored.

"Our Siwoo, did you wait quietly while Mommy was on the phone? Now, Mommy will play with you. How about reading a book? Just a moment."

Hyunju headed to the small room.

The small room contained Hyunju's electronic piano, a clothes dryer, and two tall bookshelves. The upper shelves held books by Dojin and Hyunju, while the lower shelves were filled with Siwoo's books.

Until recently, Siwoo's bookshelf had felt a bit empty, but now it was full thanks to a set of nature observation books given by Han Tae-sung.

Hyunju felt grateful to actor Han Tae-sung every time she saw the bookshelf.

"Mommy~!"

While Hyunju was choosing a book to bring to the living room, Siwoo crawled into the small room looking for her.

He had learned to walk recently, but it was still easier for him to crawl, and he was much faster that way.

Papa pat!

Siwoo advanced into the small room, pushing himself along the living room floor with his arms and legs, like a trained soldier.

Boksil and Nero followed, guarding him from either side.

Seeing the three of them follow her into the small room, Hyunju couldn't help but laugh at how cute they looked.

She wished she had taken a picture of the scene.

She regretted leaving her phone on the sofa.

Even though the Pet World CF hadn't been confirmed yet, Hyunju was already looking forward to it.

Siwoo, who had just crossed the threshold of the small room, stood up.

He then approached Hyunju and hugged her.

Hyunju hugged the small Siwoo tightly and asked him,

"Siwoo, do you want to pick a book? Which one?"

Following Hyunju's lead, Siwoo stood in front of the bookshelf and looked at the titles.

'There are so many books. If the money for these books... No, that's not right. It's impolite to think like that about gifts. Mommy looks happy, so it's fine.'

Siwoo didn't like books.

Not that he disliked books in general, but specifically, he didn't like children's books.

Having secretly climbed the bookshelf at night to read his father's treasure, *The Phantom of the Opera*, or his mother's collection, *Paris Lovers*, Siwoo found children's books unsuitable for him.

After selecting a few books with his hands, Siwoo hugged his mother and went to the living room.

Boksil and Nero followed.

When Hyunju opened the *Squirrel* book on the mat, Siwoo, Boksil, and Nero gathered around.

They sat in a triangular formation, with the book in the center.

It was a well-organized scene, as if someone had instructed them.

This time, Hyunju didn't miss the opportunity to take a picture.

Click!

Recently, comments started appearing on Insa photos within minutes, and Hyunju still found it amazing every time.

"Okay, I'll read it for you. Nero, can you move your feet away from the squirrel's face?"

* * *

Time passed quickly.

Hyunju had visited her in-laws over the weekend and met with friends who also had children on Monday.

A few days later, it was already Thursday.

Hyunju was getting ready to go out with an excited expression.

Seeing Hyunju, who hadn't dressed up in a while, Dojin, who was dressing Siwoo, said,

"You look pretty. You should wear makeup more often."

Hyunju smiled and asked,

"Is it because I usually don't?"

"No. You're pretty even without makeup. It's a different kind of prettiness. I just said it because you look happy."

"Got it. Have you finished dressing Siwoo?"

"Just need to put on his socks."

Siwoo, now wearing socks, walked to the baby carrier on the sofa.

"Hyunju, look at Siwoo. Our son is really smart."

"Siwoo is so clever. This is nothing new. Oppa, give me the baby carrier and put Boksil and Nero in the car."

"Sure. I'll put the stroller in the trunk too."

"Thanks. It's great that you're off today. It usually takes me all day to prepare for an outing alone."

"How can you take three kids out without a car? If I wasn't off, I'd have to take a day off."

Thanks to Dojin's help, the preparation for the outing was quickly finished.

This was the first time the whole family went out together.

Although some cats can go for walks, most don't like leaving their familiar spaces, so Nero had always stayed home alone.

– Vroom vroom vroom! Vroom vroom vroom!

Unlike Boksil, who was familiar with the view outside the window, Nero started making strange noises and crying from the moment he got in the car.

Even when Hyunju tried to stroke his head through the carrier,

– Gasp! Gasp! Wheeze!

He desperately avoided her hand and growled.

"Why are you doing this, Nero? We're not going to the hospital. We're going to play."

– Vroom vroom vroom!!

Unable to bear it, Boksil started barking at Nero.

She was trying to enjoy the scenery, but the constant screaming from the back was infuriating.

– Woof woof woof!

– Meow meow meow!

Startled.

Boksil, in the passenger seat, jumped and hid behind the chair.

Nero was screaming much louder than Boksil's barking.

– Squeak. Squeak.

Boksil whined, looking at Dojin.

Dojin, while driving, reached out with one hand to pet Boksil.

Despite this, Nero continued to scream at the top of his lungs.

Finally, Siwoo stepped in.

"Blindfold!"

– Meow meow meow!

"Blindfold!"

'You're not going to the hospital, so stop it!'

Siwoo yelled the same as Nero, telling him they were going to play.

– Vroom vroom vroom!

"Blindfold!"

'You want to play at home? You silly. There will be a mountain of Chururu there!'

– ...Meow?

Nero stopped screaming and peeked out of the carrier.

His amber eyes were filled with 10,000 volts of electricity.

* * *

Boksil hadn't been in a good mood recently.

Specifically, since a black cat entered the house, she had been very uncomfortable.

She always coveted other cats' food, chased her around when she was sleeping, and even Siwoo, who used to play only with her, now seemed closer to...

– ...

While looking at the scenery passing by outside the window, Boksil reminisced about the good old days.

Just a few months ago, Boksil was the center of the family's love.

Although she was at the bottom of the household hierarchy, she was a happy last place, loved by everyone like a youngest child.

However.

Everything changed when Nero came.

Despite the fact that she should have been above Nero in the pecking order based on the quality of her food, and even though she was two years older according to Siwoo, she couldn't stand up to Nero, who would punch her without any formalities.

He...

was good at fighting.

Boksil thought that if she had the same sharp claws, the agility to drag all kinds of dust from the top of the refrigerator, and the flexibility to squeeze into the umbrella stand in the shoe cabinet, she wouldn't have been pushed around so easily in the hierarchy.

– Grunt.

Mom, why did you make me a dog?

Boksil, searching for a mother she barely remembered, blamed herself for not being born a cat.

She envied everything about cats because of the way she was treated by Nero.

"Mom~ Look at that puppy~ So cute~!"

While the car was stopped at a traffic light, a boy in the back seat of the car next to them pointed at Boksil.

The boy's mother, who was driving, waved at Boksil when she saw her.

"Look at the puppy's face. It looks like he knows life. Hahaha!"

The car started moving again.

Boksil felt the wind hitting her face getting stronger.

She enjoyed the sense of freedom as she faced the wind without turning her head.

How long had she been enjoying this?

Siwoo, who had been watching her, spoke.

"Boo boo boo."

'What are you doing?'

– Woof.

Boksil turned to Siwoo and barked briefly.

Siwoo, confirming Boksil's face, wiggled his lips and shook his head.

"Ooh?"

'Are you sleeping?'

– Woof woof!

Boksil, whose eyes were stinging from the wind, tried to explain but Siwoo didn't seem to believe her.

While trying to avoid Siwoo, Boksil's eyes met Nero's, who had come out of the carrier and was sitting in the back seat.

Nero...

happened to be sticking out his tongue.

He had just finished grooming and had forgotten to put his tongue back in.

– ...

– ...

– Woof woof woof! Grrr!

– Meow! Gasp! Gasp!

"Kids, what are you doing? You should get along. Stop it!"

Hyunju shouted.

Siwoo, sitting on his mother's lap, turned his gaze to the window and sighed inwardly.

'I have to shoot a CF with those guys.'

The brief commotion ended when Hyunju gave the kids snacks.

Siwoo also got a banana-flavored rice snack.

After driving for about ten more minutes, Siwoo's family arrived at the Pet World headquarters.

Parking in the underground parking lot and going up to the first floor, the Pet World employee who had spoken to Hyunju on the phone came to greet them.

"Hello! I'm the marketing team leader, Choi Hyung-sik! Thank you for coming!"

He had a loud voice, as she had noticed during their phone conversation.

After greeting Dojin and Hyunju, he led the family upstairs.

While riding the elevator, they listened to a few explanations from the team leader.

"Since Siwoo was recently in a movie, we're not worried. The problem is Boksil and Nero. This is their first time, so we'll see if they're suitable. If they pass the test, we'll discuss the contract today."

This was the moment Siwoo, Boksil, and Nero took their first step into the advertising industry.

Oh.