The Dream Team Comes Calling
Once the meeting was over, Lee Jun returned to the director's office and called Eom Jin-han.
Mrow-mrow, meow-meow-meow, woof-woof-woof!
The hold music — Hoesaegi, Gkamnyangi, and Sapsaree dozing by the window — poured through the speaker and filled the whole office.
Lee Jun let out a small laugh and muttered under his breath.
"Where on earth did he even get this?"
He had probably gotten the audio file from Go Gi-jin, or else pulled the sound off Myeotube.
A moment later, a welcome voice came on the line.
"Senior!"
"You been well?"
"Don't even start. I'm dying over here. Withering away a little more every single day."
"If you're the one saying that, the kids must already be dead."
"Ugh, don't even. I can't tell if there are people walking around or zombies. The whole building is a madhouse."
Lee Jun smiled at the groan in Eom Jin-han's voice.
"You go through this every year. Hardly a surprise. That's how you get used to it."
"Hah... I know, but still... Oh, right. Senior, perfect timing that you called. Could you do a special lecture like last year?"
"A special lecture?"
"Yes. Same as last year — a session for the kids on placing vascular lines. The ones who sat through your lecture last year? They're flying these days. There's nothing left to teach them, I swear."
"Even if you're just being nice, I'll take it."
"I'm serious. The juniors have been complaining that those kids make everything too easy. You should see how cleanly they set up for surgery."
"That so?"
"I'm telling you. The ones who heard your lecture last year are all fired up. They keep saying they're going to study like crazy and get hired at your hospital."
"Oh, now that's what I like to hear. Speaking of which, Jin-han — any decent kids among your juniors?"
"...... Don't tell me Muhwan's quitting?"
"What are you talking about? He's doing just fine. That's not it — I think I need to hire one or two more people."
"Wow, Senior, you've made it. So when are you putting up your own building? Going the medical-center route now?"
Eom Jin-han's voice jumped.
"That's not it. I don't have the means for that anyway."
"Come on, please. You're the most popular vet-er-i-nar-ian teacher around these days."
The laughter in Eom Jin-han's voice pulled a laugh out of Lee Jun as well.
"Hahaha. Thanks to you, I've been laughing since morning. Anyway, if you've got a good one, send them my way."
"Kids? We've got plenty. If I stepped out into the hall right now and yelled that Mongmong Animal Hospital was hiring, the corridor would be packed wall to wall. Anyway — internal medicine? Surgery? Which department are you looking for? Master's or higher, I assume?"
"Surgery would be nice. And they don't necessarily need a master's. If you've got someone solid, recommend them. I'm not set on hiring just one person. But their character has to be good."
"Character goes without saying. This is the hospital where our little cuties live, after all. I'll look into it. And please, I'm counting on you for that special lecture, Senior-nim!"
"Hey. You only stick a 'nim' on Senior when you want something."
"Ahaha. That's how much I respect and adore you, Senior-nim. And the professor said he'd love for you to mentor the undergrads. I'm begging you."
"All right. Let's talk about that again later."
"Thank yooou! Senior-nim."
After hanging up with Eom Jin-han, Lee Jun sent a text to Yoo Daehyun. He had no idea whether the man was in the middle of a consult or a surgery, or whether he was free. The message asked for his thoughts on hiring staff. Then Lee Jun started seeing patients.
Two consults and one straightforward surgery later, it was already lunchtime. On his way up to the second-floor cafeteria, he opened his phone.
"Senior Yoo called?"
One missed call and one text. The text listed the hours Yoo Daehyun would be free to talk.
"One to two works for him?"
Lee Jun called him back at once. The phone barely rang before a greeting came through.
"Hey, Director Lee. It's been a while."
The familiar warmth in a voice he felt he had heard only the other day loosened Lee Jun's mouth into a smile all by itself. That's right. This is Senior Yoo's real strength.
There was a rumor that made the rounds in the industry. If foul-tempered Cha Wuk had been the only one in charge, Daehan Animal Hospital would not have lasted a year. It had survived — and grown into today's Daehan Animal Medical Center — thanks to Yoo Daehyun, who was kind and warm to everyone, anywhere, at any hour. Of course, the greatest engine behind it all was skill. And that skill came from membership.
Daehan Animal Medical Center's formidable talents were bound together by a family-like bond. The teams known as the Dream Team traveled the world side by side, pulling off surgeries of staggering difficulty wherever they went. I want to build a team like that too. A team that knew what you wanted from a single glance — no, from the mere brush of a hand.
"Senior, I'm sorry I missed your call."
"I figured. Consult or surgery, right? Anyway, have you eaten?"
"Just about to. How about you?"
"I'm at the cafeteria now, waiting on my order. By the way, I hear your head chef is incredible?"
He must have heard it from Cha Da-jeong.
"Yes, she's wonderful. You should come by sometime."
"I will, if you'll have me."
"We'd be the ones grateful if you came. And the reason I called is..."
Lee Jun laid out the matter briefly.
"Oh, is that so? That's something we should talk about in person. When are you free?"
Yoo Daehyun offered to set a meeting as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Thank you. If you tell me a time that works for you, I'll come to you. Near Daehan, I assume?"
"Don't bother. Since it came up, I'll come to Mongmong."
"No, I'll go. I'm the one asking the favor — I can't have you coming all the way here."
"It's close. I'll come. So, when are you free?"
"Today I'm clear after five. And the day after tomorrow works after seven."
"Then today's fine. I should be able to make it by five. Okay?"
"Thank you, Senior."
It was only a phone call, but Yoo Daehyun's refreshingly decisive answer had Lee Jun on his feet, bowing at the waist.
"Okay. See you in a bit, then."
The afternoon vanished in a blink. Lunch, a handful of consults, and five o'clock was already closing in.
"Senior should be here any minute."
Lee Jun headed out to the lobby to greet him. He had just fallen into conversation with a few clients when a sedan rolled into the parking area.
That was when the three of them suddenly started making a fuss.
"Wh-who's there-ong? What punks think they can barge in-nyaong?"
"No idea. Never smelled this before. But there's a lot of them."
"That's right-ong. A whole army coming this way-ong."
Sapsaree even started to growl.
"Grrrr! Hyungnims-ayo. Hide behind me-rayo."
"Sapsaree-ong. You're the one who should hide-ong. We've been fighting battles like this our whole lives-ong."
"He's right. Sapsaree, you run over there and stay put. Hyungnim, you run too."
"That's right-ong. Hyungnim's in danger too-ong. Hide behind me-ong."
Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi bolted to the glass doors and planted themselves there with their fur puffed out as big as it would go. Sapsaree, apparently taking the cats at their word, tore off into the hospital.
Lee Jun had never seen them like this. He tilted his head.
"What's gotten into you three?"
"Enemies are invading-ong."
"That's right. A pretty big pack."
They must be bored and playing war. That was what Lee Jun decided, smiling as he looked out at the car that had just pulled up — ready to sprint outside if it turned out to be an emergency.
Then the driver's door opened.
"It's Senior Yoo."
Lee Jun was smiling as he started toward the entrance when hurried footsteps came pounding up behind him. Sapsaree — who he had thought had gone to hide — came charging back.
"Sapsaree, what did you bring in your mouth?"
Sapsaree set a wig on the floor and looked up at Lee Jun.
"Benefactor Hyungnim-ayo. Wear this-dayo."
Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi lit up.
"Sapsaree-ong. Well done-ong. Hyungnim-ong. Wear this-ong."
"That's right. We'll show those enemy punks what we're made of!"
"Just what kind of game have you three started?"
Lee Jun was laughing as he picked up the wig, and the guardians in the lobby chimed in at once.
"Director, please put those on them. They're so cute — I've been dying to see it."
"She's right. They looked gorgeous in the photos. Please show us."
Lee Jun could not answer. An unexpected passenger had just stepped out of the other side of the car.
"Huh?"
While Lee Jun stared out the window with wide eyes, Jang Sora at the reception desk fielded the guardians for him.
"Of course! You have no idea how adorable our babies are!"
She whisked the wig-hats onto all three of them. The guardians in the lobby burst into applause.
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
"They're so cute!"
"Oh my gosh, they're even cuter in person."
The three of them were already standing proudly in front of the doors, and they cried out together.
"Looking sharp-ong."
"We look magnificent."
"Cool-dayo. Strong too-dayo."
"Aww, you little cuties. So you wanted to wear the wigs, huh?"
Jang Sora was cooing over the three of them, but Lee Jun was already outside greeting his visitors.
"Seniors, thank you so much for coming."
"This is nice. Really nice."
Yoo Daehyun beamed as he praised the exterior of Mongmong Animal Hospital. Cha Wuk, standing beside him, added a word of his own.
"Not bad."
Yoo Daehyun piled on another.
"When he says that, he really means he likes it. You know that, right?"
"Of course I do. But is it all right for both of you to come?"
He meant: was it all right for both directors to leave their posts at the same time?
"It's fine. The place runs just fine without us."
"That's why we can go anywhere."
The pride on both men's faces said everything about how good their staff was. I'm jealous. These were people who had already built the very thing Lee Jun wanted. Our hospital will get there someday too. He clenched his fist — not around a wish, but around a vow.
Walking beside them, Cha Wuk asked gruffly,
"The kids here?"
"The kids?"
Yoo Daehyun answered for him.
"This guy actually tagged along to see the cuties. The second I said I was coming here, he insisted on coming too. Doesn't look it, but he's a fan of Hoesaegi, Gkamnyangi, and Sapsaree."
"Ahem. Why are we still standing out here?"
Cha Wuk's stride picked up, and Lee Jun and Yoo Daehyun followed. A smile tugged at Lee Jun's mouth as he watched the man's back.
The moment the three of them stepped into the hospital, the three animals cried out at once.
"This is weird-ong! Why is it people-ong?"
"Where'd they go? Are they hiding?"
"They might be hiding outside-dayo. I'll go take a look-dayo."
"I'll watch from up there-ong."
Sapsaree bolted to the glass doors and plastered himself against them, peering out, while Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi shot up to the very top of the cat tower.
"Would you look at that, Cha Wuk. They're running away from you."
"What are you talking about? I'm hugely popular with animals. They're running because they're scared of you, Yoo Daehyun."
"Hahaha. I don't think so. They're playing combat right now."
"Is that so?"
Cha Wuk peered at the three of them, intrigued, and Lee Jun smiled as he called to them.
"Kids, come say hello. They came to see you."
At Lee Jun's words, the three of them came trotting over. Then, sniff sniff sniff — they circled the two men, noses working.
"Strange-ong. It is them, but it isn't-ong."
"Yeah. I can smell those guys."
"Just the smell-dayo. Where are they-dayo? Can't see them outside either-dayo."
"Suspicious-ong. Stay on guard-ong."
"Could be spies."
"What's a spy-dayo?"
"A guy the enemy sends to snoop around."
"Eek! Is that so-dayo? Got it-dayo. I'll be suspicious-dayo."
Only then did Lee Jun understand the fuss. Ah. They took the scents on the seniors for enemies. Both men would be steeped in animal smells — smells the three of them had never encountered before. And they had decided that meant an invasion. I think this every time, but their noses really are incredible. If these three were like this, how sharp must Benji be, with all that formal training?
While Lee Jun marveled at them, Cha Wuk and Yoo Daehyun stood there with the corners of their mouths twitching, delighted.
"Aigoo, you little cuties! Do you like Teacher? That's why you're saying hello, isn't it?"
The words came not from Yoo Daehyun, but from Cha Wuk. Lee Jun's eyes went wide. Senior Cha is like this? He blinked down at him.
Cha Wuk had already bent his knees so he could look the three of them in the eye, wearing the face of a man dying of cuteness.
"They're so cute."
Yoo Daehyun looked just as smitten. He leaned in and whispered against Lee Jun's ear.
"I told you, didn't I? This guy's a fan."
"I'm starting to believe it."
Meanwhile, the three animals' heads were spinning.
"Gkamnyangi-ong. Doesn't seem like a spy-ong. Hyungnim likes them-ong."
"Yeah? Maybe not?"
They kept muttering that something was suspicious as they investigated the two men. But these were people their favorite Hyungnim was glad to see, so they probably were not bad. Still, there was so much of that strange smell that they hesitated to drop their guard completely.
That was when Cha Wuk pulled a pouch from the shopping bag he had brought and said,
"Kids, I brought presents!"
The three of them leaned in to sniff — and Cha Wuk ripped the bag wide open.
In that instant, all three pairs of eyes went round as saucers.