Your Master Has Come
Click, click, click. The guardian's eyes went wide as he watched Benji walk toward them, matching Lee Jun's pace in a slow, unhurried gait.
"Benji's walking over without sniffing?"
Han Na-hyeok's eyes had gone just as round. He picked up the thought as he watched Lee Jun and Benji approach.
"That's Director Lee Jun for you. He said he was going to observe Benji's condition — looks like he's already started training him."
"R-right. I'd heard Director Lee can tell what an animal wants just from the look in its eyes. I guess that's actually true."
"Watching from the side, it really does seem that way."
A moment later, Lee Jun arrived in front of them and spoke.
"Good job. Here. A treat."
He slipped a biscuit into Benji's mouth, then offered a greeting.
"Hello. I'm Lee Jun, veterinarian."
"Hello. I'm Lieutenant Kim Woo-seok, with the Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency. Director Lee, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"It must have been a difficult decision. Thank you for becoming family with Benji."
The words were short, densely packed. Kim Woo-seok understood exactly what they meant, and the corner of his mouth curved slowly upward.
"Not at all, Director Lee. I'm the one who's glad to have Benji as family. There were a lot of people competing for him."
"Even so, you must have agonized over it... In any case, I respect you."
Kim Woo-seok's gaze burned as he looked at Director Lee Jun — at the man who was standing behind his choice, looking at him with such open affection. Lee Jun met that look with a gentle one of his own, then turned his head toward Han Na-hyeok.
"I think we ought to talk a bit about Lieutenant Kim and Benji. In the meantime, how about letting Benji rest in the hyperbaric oxygen chamber?"
"Sure. But is this guy going to stay put in there?"
"Of course."
Lee Jun gave Benji an instruction.
"Benji. Let's go practice something else now."
Flap, flap. With Benji's tail beating the air, the three of them walked toward the hyperbaric oxygen treatment room. Benji still held his head high, advancing at that same slow, measured pace.
Once they arrived, Lee Jun gave him another instruction.
"Alright. This time we practice going inside here and lying down to sleep. For the record, Sapsaree is excellent at this. He even snores."
Woof! Burning with motivation, Benji stepped into the chamber and lay down.
"Begin!"
The instant Lee Jun's command dropped, Benji flopped onto the floor and closed his eyes.
Kim Woo-seok watched and smiled.
"It looks like Benji understands every word you say, Director Lee."
Lee Jun answered as he started walking.
"Benji's a smart one."
"That's right. This guy is very smart. He's accomplished a great deal, too."
"He's BOB Benji, isn't he?"
In that instant, the ears of the dog lying in the chamber shot straight up.
"Haha, that's right. This guy was the pride of our Northern Agency. Still is, actually."
Lee Jun and Han Na-hyeok both smiled at the pride in his voice. Lee Jun's face, in particular, was brightly lit. Lieutenant Kim just called Benji a friend. That means he respects him that much.
The three of them went to the guardian consultation room, settled themselves at comfortable intervals around an oval table, and sat down. Lee Jun spoke first.
"Let me start with what you're worried about. Benji does not have dementia, and this is not stereotypic behavior caused by stress."
Stereotypic behavior referred to abnormal actions performed repeatedly and persistently. Animals confined in cramped cages, walking the same path over and over to cope with stress, or shaking their heads without pause — those were the classic examples.
"Really?"
"Yes. But you're wondering why he keeps circling the same spots whenever he gets the chance, aren't you?"
"...Yes. That's right."
"I think there was a misunderstanding between you and Benji, Lieutenant."
"A misunderstanding? What kind of misunderstanding?"
"Benji seems to have misread a signal. Right now, Benji is completely absorbed in a new game."
"A new game?"
"Benji worked as a scent-evidence dog, correct?"
"Yes, that's right."
"And I hear the search dogs don't think of tracking scent as a job — they think of it as a game?"
"Yes, that's correct. They train and search while thinking of it as play, which keeps it fun. But the intensity is so high that as they get older, they all end up hurting the way Benji has."
Lee Jun had heard more than enough about how brutal the training of special-purpose dogs could be. He took the point and went on.
"The joints must hurt especially badly. And a lot of them probably have bad backs, too."
"That's right. That's why most retired dogs end up retiring because they're in pain."
Lee Jun took Kim Woo-seok's words to heart. I think I heard they don't even get proper support for the medical bills... These were dogs who had spent their whole lives working for the country, for its people. Shouldn't their later years be comfortable? He set the problem aside to think through more carefully later, and explained to the two men the strange behavior Benji had been showing — along with the fact that Benji was currently adapting to a new game, and that he believed if he mastered it, he would be allowed to see his master.
"...Ah. So that's what it was."
"Which brings me to this. What happened to the officer who originally worked with Benji? Is there some reason it's difficult for Benji to see him?"
He was asking, in so many words, whether something had happened to the policeman who had been in charge of Benji.
"No. He's doing well. The reason he didn't adopt Benji is that he wanted Benji to rest comfortably. That inspector lives alone, so if a case breaks, there's no one to look after Benji."
Kim Woo-seok added something more.
"That's the nature of our work. When a case breaks, going days without coming home is commonplace. But I... my wife loves dogs, so it's all right even if I'm away from the house."
"I see."
Lee Jun felt a quiet rush of relief. I'll be able to keep my promise to Benji. The motivation of being able to see his former master would surely put real strength behind the rehabilitation.
"This is a method I devised with Benji's temperament in mind."
He told the two of them that he intended to turn the rehabilitation into a game and let Benji adapt to it that way.
"That sounds good."
"That's an excellent idea."
"So if he follows the rehab well, I'm thinking of letting him meet his former master as a reward. Would that be possible?"
"...Inspector Yoon will be overjoyed. However, there's one thing I'm worried about."
So the former master was Inspector Yoon. Lee Jun nodded and spoke.
"You're worried he'll fall into depression after meeting Inspector Yoon, aren't you?"
"That's right. That's exactly why Inspector Yoon hasn't appeared in front of Benji. And he wants Benji and me to get close quickly... Even now, whenever he gets the chance, he asks how Benji is doing."
What a relief. Lee Jun looked at Kim Woo-seok, who was watching him with such concern for Benji written on his face, and thought of Inspector Yoon, who had stepped back so that Benji could settle into a new home. Both of them, he thought, were genuinely good people. He must miss him so much... Benji wanted to see Inspector Yoon, and Inspector Yoon longed for Benji. Under the same sky. A relationship this warm deserved to be kept.
Hoping that Benji, Inspector Yoon, and Lieutenant Kim would all be well, Lee Jun opened his mouth.
"Leave that to me. Something like that is never going to happen."
At Lee Jun's words, Kim Woo-seok felt a weight lift off his chest.
"It's strange. If I'd heard this from anyone else, I wouldn't have believed it. But when you say it, Director Lee, I oddly find myself trusting you. I just feel like that's how it's going to turn out."
"It'll go just as Director Lee said. Don't worry — trust him."
From the side, Han Na-hyeok backed Lee Jun without a flicker of hesitation.
Meanwhile, Benji had no idea what was being said on his behalf. He was sleeping, deeply and without a care in the world.
Hrrrk... hrrrk... graaahk!
Snoring with gusto, all the way through his nose, Benji felt even the hardened muscles at the back of his neck go soft and pliant. For a dog who lived in a constant state of tension, muscles turning that soft was a remarkably encouraging sign. Whether it was because the high-concentration oxygen flowing from the hyperbaric chamber was being drawn in through his nose and skin and every inch of him, dissolving more oxygen into his blood — or because he had followed Meongmeong Teacher's instruction to sleep well so faithfully — Benji was able, for the first time in a long while, to sleep without groaning through the joint pain.
A kind, pleasant voice reached the ears of the sleeping dog.
"Benji. Shall we go practice something else now?"
Waking from a sleep that had been short but deep, Benji's eyes snapped open, and he answered.
Yes, sir! Understood.
The moment Benji started to surge to his feet, Meongmeong Teacher spoke.
"Ah-ah. You can't get up like that. You have to get up very slowly. Getting up like this is how you complete the game perfectly."
Meongmeong Teacher demonstrated it himself, and Benji memorized every last detail, missing nothing.
Understood. I will keep that in mind.
A dog who carried out every command he heard, without fail, Benji rose slowly — exactly as he had just been shown. Huh? That's strange. My legs don't hurt.
Feeling clear and light in a way he hadn't in ages, Benji stepped out of the chamber.
"Good job."
A delicious biscuit slipped into Benji's mouth.
"Alright. This time we're going to play a slightly harder game. Sapsaree adapted right away — I don't know how Benji will do."
He had no idea what the game was. But who was he? Was he not BOB Benji, the best even among search dogs? Benji answered in a ringing voice.
I am confident!
"Good. Then let's go to the next game location."
Just as he had been taught, Benji walked slowly, without lowering his head, toward the room next door. Lee Jun and the others opened the door to the adjacent room — the one marked Electroacupuncture — and stepped inside.
A short while later, more than ten long needles stood in Benji's body as he lay on his side. Red, white, green, and yellow wires ran from the needles in long lines. It was a dedicated electroacupuncture unit designed for animals.
"Lieutenant Kim, we're going to do what's called electroacupuncture now. We'll connect an electrical stimulator to the needles and stimulate Benji's acupoints. It eases pain and reduces inflammation. It also helps with nerve regeneration."
"I didn't know they did this for dogs too. That's fascinating."
"It is, isn't it?"
Lee Jun nodded at Kim Woo-seok's words, then spoke to Benji.
"Benji. Now we're going to play a game that stings a little. Think you can handle it?"
Woof!
Benji barked once, shortly, as if to say it was no problem at all. Lee Jun worked the needles in quickly. Not a single sound of pain left Benji's mouth. When the last needle was in, Lee Jun stroked Benji's head and spoke.
"Benji. You did great at the stingy game too. Now it's going to tingle, and the game is to endure that. For the record, Sapsaree did this without so much as a whimper."
Benji looked at Lee Jun with eyes full of resolve, and Lee Jun sent current through the needles. Twitch, twitch — Benji flinched, but he did not make a sound. Just as Sapsaree had done.
Watching from the side, Han Na-hyeok let out a breath of genuine admiration.
"This... you don't even have to hold him down. That's really something. Look at that — he's not even panting."
"He's BOB Benji. Something like this is nothing to him."
That was as far as the day's treatment went. Lee Jun slipped one of the biscuits he had brought into Benji's mouth and spoke.
"You did wonderfully. Next time, let's try it together with Sapsaree. Sound good?"
I am confident!
"Good. Then keep practicing at home, too. Now — what do you need to practice?"
Walk slowly. And walk with the head raised. When rising, rise like this.
Benji demonstrated everything he had learned from Lee Jun.
"Good. This person is your temporary master. You know that, right?"
Lee Jun pointed to Kim Woo-seok, and Benji barked a short woof.
I am aware. He is my Master's friend.
Which meant, in other words, that he was well-disposed toward Kim Woo-seok as well.
"Good. If you do well, your temporary master will give you a present."
Understood. Temporary Master gave me a delicious present yesterday as well.
He said "master" now without any hesitation. Even with the word "temporary" attached, it was far warmer, far more familiar than before. Kim Woo-seok seemed to notice the change. He stroked Benji as he spoke.
"This guy is looking at me much more affectionately than he did this morning."
Lee Jun's plan landed exactly as he had intended.
Curious and brilliant, Benji executed the new "rehab game" to perfection. Electroacupuncture, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, aquatic rehabilitation, laser treatment, and even the exercise work with the peanut ball and the balance disc — he threw himself into all of it. Sapsaree, the rival Lee Jun had given this proud, best-of-the-best dog, played no small part in that. Even when Benji didn't want to do something, he clenched down and did it anyway, because he had watched Sapsaree do it first.
A course of treatment that would normally have taken months produced visible results in Benji in a single month.
"The inflammation is completely gone. Amazing, right?"
Looking at the X-rays Han Na-hyeok held up, Lee Jun flashed a grin.
"That's thanks to Sapsaree's help."
Whatever the motivation had been, the searching habit was gone now, and a dog who had worked this hard at his rehabilitation deserved a reward. Lee Jun held out an enormous biscuit he had asked Chef Joo to prepare.
"Benji. A present!"
A biscuit as big as his own front leg appeared in front of him, and Benji broke into a great big grin. He let out a bark of pure joy and spun in circles — then snapped the gift up in his mouth. Lee Jun spoke to him.
"Benji. The new game was the best, too. BOB Benji."
Flap, flap. With the enormous biscuit clamped in his jaws, Benji wagged his whole delight through his tail. But at the words that came next, holding onto that biscuit became completely impossible.
Benji's mouth fell open in shock.
Thunk. Clatter.
The biscuit hit the floor and broke in two, but Benji had no mind to spare for that. He paced at once, staring toward the entrance. Then he sniffed — sniff, sniff, sniff — but he did not lower his head. He had done the new game well, and that was why his Master had come.
"What a smart boy."
Lee Jun's words, however, were buried under Benji's barking.
Arooo-woof-woof-woof-woof!
The barking rang out loud enough to rattle the door of Han Na-hyeok's office — and then the door slid quietly open. A tender voice came through.
It was Inspector Yoon — Benji's former handler, and the man Benji still thought of as his Master. Knowing Benji was in pain, Inspector Yoon immediately lowered himself, settling down to Benji's level.
"Benji. Have you been well?"
As he stroked him, a faint sheen of tears gathered in Inspector Yoon's eyes. A single tear of longing.
Watching the two of them, Lee Jun's eyes grew wet. So did Han Na-hyeok's. And Lieutenant Kim Woo-seok's.