Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: The Surprisingly Calm Beagle
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Lee Jun said as he came out of the exam room.
“Then we’ll see you next week.”
“Yes, Director. But honestly, I’m not confident. I’ve never succeeded in getting him to take his medicine before.”
“Don’t worry. I gave Totto a good talking-to, so he’ll eat his meds just fine.”
“I hope so…”
“If he still won’t take it for some reason, just bring him back.”
“Got it. Then I’ll trust you and be on my way, Director.”
“Take care.”
Jang So-ra waved goodbye to the guardian with a cheerful smile.
“I just don’t get how all the animals take their medicine so well. It’s truly amazing.”
“I explained to them why they need to take it. They know it’ll make the pain go away.”
“Hoho, when you put it like that, it really feels like the animals understand you.”
“They do understand.”
Lee Jun stated it plainly, but Jang So-ra just laughed it off.
Lee Jun chuckled along and turned to head back to the exam room.
“Oh, a beagle.”
But at Jang So-ra’s words, he turned back and looked out the window.
A beagle came into view, walking along quite steadily.
“It’s still young, but so calm.”
Lee Jun watched the well-behaved beagle with curiosity.
“Right? At that age, shouldn’t it be zigzagging all over the place?”
“Exactly. Has it been trained?”
Lee Jun and Jang So-ra’s conversation cut short.
The beagle they’d been watching—and its guardian—opened the door to the animal hospital.
Ding-a-ling.
“Welcome.”
“Come on in.”
“Hello. I came to look at some food.”
Yu Ji-yeon said with an awkward smile.
Jang So-ra guided her to where the pet food was displayed.
“Take your time browsing.”
“Yes.”
Yu Ji-yeon scanned the food as she thought to herself.
‘The ladies were praising this Director—looks like it’s him. What should I ask? Should I just say the pup’s too mischievous?’
Meanwhile, Jamongi stood quietly beside her, surprisingly still.
Lee Jun praised Jamongi, who had only wagged his tail slightly upon entering the hospital without wandering.
“You must have trained him well.”
“Huh?”
“These guys are super curious. With their keen sense of smell, they can never stay still in a new place.”
Lee Jun pointed at Jamongi, who stood patiently, just turning his head this way and that.
“It’s full of other animals’ scents—how exciting must that be? But he’s holding it together.”
Yu Ji-yeon let out a short sigh at Lee Jun’s words.
“Training? He’s never had any.”
“Really? He’s awfully well-mannered for that.”
“No, he’s usually the type who can’t stay still. He’s just a bit calmer today.”
Feeling glad for the opening, Yu Ji-yeon spoke up.
“Actually, I wanted some advice about Jamongi.”
“Go ahead.”
“The thing is, he gets into so much trouble.”
“Puppies this age can be pretty playful. His name’s Jamongi, right?”
“Yes. Jamongi.”
“Jamongi’s calmer than most beagle pups. And no training?”
That was when it happened.
Jamongi sniffed around and let out a soft woof.
[Whoa, whoa, I smell big brothers.]
Lee Jun’s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Jamongi show his curiosity.
‘That bark tells me he’s no pushover. And super nosy, too.’
A question arose.
Why was an untrained pup acting so meek?
“Truth is, Jamongi’s mischief is off the charts. He’s a little better when I’m home, but when he’s alone, he tears the place apart.”
Lee Jun nodded.
Seeing his interest, Yu Ji-yeon poured out the details.
“He never walks calmly on leash either. I’m always panting to keep up. This is kinda weird, though.”
“Was he calm from the moment you left the house?”
“No. We stopped by the park first. He was his usual wild self going there—bolting around like crazy, sniffing everything, meeting friends…”
“I see.”
Lee Jun listened to Yu Ji-yeon while observing Jamongi.
‘Calm after a park walk means stress relief, but he still wants to play. Also…’
He noticed Jamongi glancing at his owner.
That meant the owner had reined him in.
“Could you tell me more about his usual behavior?”
“Well, the trouble he causes… Ah, better to show you.”
Yu Ji-yeon pulled up photos on her phone and rattled off Jamongi’s antics.
The classic tales you’d hear from any beagle owner.
“Jamongi’s got a ton of energy.”
“Whew… yeah.”
“For now, why don’t you let him loose a bit?”
“Huh?”
Yu Ji-yeon’s eyes widened.
“You sure that’s okay?”
“Don’t worry. No chance he’ll bolt outside. That safety door only opens when the main door’s closed.”
Being on a busy street, Lee Jun had put extra thought into the safety door.
“It’s not that—I’m worried he’ll trash the place running around.”
“It’s fine. I’ll keep an eye on him. Besides, I need to see how he acts to diagnose properly, right?”
Lee Jun planned to talk to Jamongi once he relaxed without watching his owner.
“Makes sense.”
Yu Ji-yeon unclipped the harness leash. And as Lee Jun instructed, she told Jamongi to roam freely.
At first, Jamongi crept around cautiously, glancing about.
But with no scolding, he started bounding all over.
His tail wagged furiously as he zipped around.
“Having fun?”
[Yeah! Smells brothers and kitty cats everywhere. Heehee, this is awesome.]
Thud thud thud.
Jamongi pawed at the closed cat exam room door.
“What’s in there?”
[There’s this huge cool cat brother in the park, and his scent’s coming from this room… Whoa!]
Jamongi’s eyes went wide as he looked up at Lee Jun.
[I-It’s real.]
“Real what?”
Lee Jun smirked, guessing the reason.
[Wow~! The park brothers said there’s a teacher here who understands us, and it’s you?]
So he’d gotten an earful from those guys after all.
Probably Ttangkongi’s doing.
Last time at the hospital, Ttangkongi had warned the hyper Welsh corgi pup.
That too much rowdiness tires out the owners.
‘That’s why he went quiet after the park.’
Now understanding, Lee Jun nodded.
Jamongi’s eyes sparkled as words tumbled out.
[The brothers said to ask you if I met you.]
“Ask me what?”
[I don’t know if my sister likes me or not.]
Jamongi spilled his worry.
“She takes you on walks and to the vet because she likes you.”
Jamongi tilted his head at Lee Jun’s words.
[Really?]
“Of course. But does she scold you a lot?”
[…No. My sister doesn’t scold much.]
“Sounds like a good person.”
[Super good.]
“Then why do you watch her so closely?”
[Well… I’m scared she’ll send me away somewhere…]
Lee Jun pieced it together from Jamongi’s words.
‘He’s been abandoned before.’
Lee Jun soothed Jamongi and got the full story.
With the situation clear, he began counseling Yu Ji-yeon.
“No need to worry about Jamongi. He understands well and he’s smart.”
“Really?”
Yu Ji-yeon smiled at the unexpected praise for Jamongi.
“Beagles need a lot of activity. How much walking do you do daily?”
“I can’t every day because of work. But I try on weekends.”
“And how long per walk?”
“About an hour?”
“He’s probably wrecking the house from pent-up energy. He needs three hours of play a day.”
“Three hours?”
Yu Ji-yeon’s eyes widened.
“After that, he’ll be calm at home.”
“Phew, I really can’t handle raising him.”
As Yu Ji-yeon’s face fell, Jamongi sitting beside her nudged her leg with his paw.
His face full of worry.
[Sister…]
Yu Ji-yeon stroked Jamongi’s forehead with a wry smile.
“Even people need time to adjust—let alone humans and pets. You both need adaptation time.”
Yu Ji-yeon nodded slowly, hearing it as a call to take responsibility now that she’d brought him home.
“I know I should, but I worry he’s suffering because of me. I thought I could raise him well, but I leave him alone too long and skimp on walks…”
Then they’d find a solution.
Lee Jun wasn’t one to just point out problems.
“Did you raise Jamongi from the start?”
Having heard from Jamongi, Lee Jun asked indirectly.
“No. It’s been three months for me. Probably his third home. The first owner said too much shedding… The second said he trashed the house and it was too much…”
Yu Ji-yeon skirted the word “abandoned.”
That alone showed how much she cherished Jamongi.
With that history, he anxiously watched his owner.
Wondering if he’d be dumped again.
“Jamongi thinks you leaving for work means he’s been abandoned.”
“Abandoned?”
“Yes. All he can do until you return is wait. But over ten hours alone is an eternity for him.”
“I think so too.”
“He probably skips food and potty until you’re back?”
“How’d you know? He gets busy right when I get home.”
“That’s when he relaxes.”
“But he’s playing… and the house is a mess.”
“That’s his waiting. It’s how he relieves anxiety. ‘Will I be abandoned again?’ That’s probably his biggest stress now.”
For a brief moment, Yu Ji-yeon had considered if Jamongi needed a home with a yard to run freely.
But that thought had now completely evaporated.
“No, I love Jamongi so much.”
Yu Ji-yeon’s strokes grew firmer.
[Heehee.]
Having heard from Lee Jun just how much his sister cherished him, Jamongi basked in it.
“Do you have a bit of time in the mornings?”
“Huh?”
“What if you walked him for twenty or thirty minutes before work? Extend it on weekends.”
“I can manage that much, but will it make a difference?”
“I’ll negotiate with Jamongi.”
Yu Ji-yeon was skeptical at Lee Jun’s confident tone.
Could that fix the house-wrecking habit?
And how would the doctor even talk to him?
“Your sister says she’ll walk you briefly in the morning. It’s all because she likes you.”
[Really? Sister likes me?]
Lee Jun had told Jamongi multiple times during their chat how much his sister liked him.
Yet he was still anxious.
“With morning walks, you can handle alone time during the day, right? Then she’ll take you long on weekends. Play hard then, play only with toys at home! That way, you’ll stay with her forever.”
[Yes!]
Woof woof! Yu Ji-yeon smiled at Jamongi’s hearty bark.
‘Feels like he’s answering.’
***
The next day, Yu Ji-yeon started morning walks as Lee Jun advised.
She didn’t fully believe it would work.
She just focused on burning energy.
But after a day, two… a week later, on Saturday.
Yu Ji-yeon arrived at Meongmeong Animal Hospital with a completely changed expression.
“Doctor! It’s working wonders. The house is spotless.”
“Haha, glad to hear it.”
“Mornings walks, clean house. I love it. Regular walks have me feeling healthier too.”
“All thanks to Jamongi.”
“That’s why people get dogs, huh? Hahaha.”
Yu Ji-yeon beamed, and Jamongi grinned back.
‘Good for them.’
Lee Jun smiled at the happy pair.
Treating animals to free them from pain was profoundly noble.
Just as noble was understanding the hearts of pets and their owners.
That too was deeply rewarding.
Ttangkongi and Jamongi, at the hospital, chatted.
[Little bro Jamongi. You’re looking sharp—must be doing well.]
[Yes! You were right, brother. Now sister likes me way, way more. Heehee.]
Jamongi excitedly described his owner’s reactions after she left for work.
[Heh. Good for you.]
[It’s the best. All thanks to you brothers.]
[Ahem. Nah, it’s the teacher’s doing, right?]
[Yeah! I love the teacher.]
Jamongi bounded over on his long legs to Lee Jun, who was chatting with guardians.
[Teacher! Thank you!]
“Haha. Keep it up.”
[Yes!]
While Lee Jun talked with the guardian, Jamongi bounced around.
Ttangkongi strolled leisurely below.
A warm, harmonious vibe filled the hospital.
Outside, a man watched.
“Jealous.”
As he peered in for a while, his eyes met Lee Jun’s.
Lee Jun gave a slight bow and nod as usual.
Perhaps because of that, the man opened the door and entered.
“Welcome. Looking for something?”
Jang So-ra greeted the customer.
The man glanced at Jamongi still hopping about, then went to the treats section.
“Give me everything from here to here.”