The Petting Teacher
Hoesaegi, Gkamnyangi, and Sapsaree.
The moment the three of them broke into wide, beaming smiles and came to greet him, a scene flashed through Yeo Un-hyeok's mind — his seniors, juniors, and classmates at Dongbyung Cafe, all saying they'd love a chance to interview at Mongmong Animal Hospital, even if it was only for the interview itself.
Now I get why they wanted to come interview here, even just for the chance.
The sight of those three smiling faces lifted his mood all by itself. He felt the corners of his mouth loosen of their own accord.
Yeo Un-hyeok smiled and greeted them.
"Hello, Hoesaegi, Gkamnyangi, Sapsaree. You three look really cool."
He said exactly what he felt the moment he saw them.
The cats grinned even wider, their tails swaying in slow, pleased arcs. Sapsaree hopped down from the chair, ambled over, and planted his chin on the knee of the seated Yeo Un-hyeok, his long tail sweeping lazily from side to side.
Yeo Un-hyeok's hand rose of its own accord to stroke Sapsaree's head.
Watching the four of them, Lee Jun smiled.
He had interviewed twenty people so far. Of those twenty, Yeo Un-hyeok was the first the three had welcomed like this.
Well. He's passed the character test, at least.
Lee Jun opened with something to put him at ease.
"They seem to have taken a liking to you, Dr. Yeo."
"Oh, I'm glad."
Yeo Un-hyeok added, with a slightly awkward smile, "They're just as sweet as they looked in the videos."
"Our kids have good temperaments, don't they. They're kind."
Pride settled openly across Lee Jun's face.
"That aside — you're still enrolled at the university. May I ask why you applied here?"
"As I wrote in my application, I currently see patients at the university's animal behavior clinic. Most of what I do there is prescribe medication. That work is important, of course. It lowers arousal and stress."
"That's true."
"Matching the prescription to each animal's condition matters a great deal. But I still want to learn more. I want to read their psychology the way you do, sunbae."
"It sounds as if you'd like to keep medication to a minimum."
"Yes. To be honest, that question has been weighing on me a lot lately. Senior Eom Jin-han gave me some advice about it."
Yeo Un-hyeok recounted what Eom Jin-han had told him. A few more exchanges followed, and then the interview was over.
He had been the last interviewee, which meant the interviews themselves were finished.
Lee Jun sorted the applications on the exam table. Five remained — the ones he had thought well of, and that the three animals had approved of too.
I'll hold on to these.
A knock sounded, and Go Gi-jin appeared.
"Hyung-nim, interviews all done? Ah, so these here are the final candidates, then."
He was looking at the applications laid out on the exam table.
"That's about the size of it."
"Five of them. You going to hire them all?"
"These two said they'd come after they graduate next year, so I'm holding their files for now. If they decide not to when the time comes, there's nothing I can do about it."
"Aw, that won't happen. They'll come running the moment they graduate, you'll see. So then it's these three? Mind if I look?"
"Go ahead."
Go Gi-jin's eyes widened as he read.
"Well now — Yeo Un-hyeok? He made it through too?"
"Mm. These three liked him the most."
Lee Jun nodded toward the animals.
"Makes sense. I heard he was known at school for being a kind one. They say he looks after the Bomuri better than anyone."
Bomuri was an affectionate nickname for the laboratory animals in the university's care — one Lee Jun himself had coined as a first-year graduate student.
It was of a piece with calling the dogs at Uriteul Shelter who had yet to find new families "little darlings": a name given in the hope that the research dogs would be treated as the treasures they were. And the name had been passed down ever since.
At Go Gi-jin's words, a light kindled in Lee Jun's eyes.
"Is that so?"
He found himself leaning toward Yeo Un-hyeok.
"Still, what's Dr. Yeo going to do? About school, I mean."
"He said he was going to take a leave of absence, but his professor told him to get the job first and then talk. They might run it as a rotation — or the professor might use a thesis as a pretext for something else."
"Ahh. So he's looking to send him out on assignment."
"Could be."
"And these ones here?"
"I'll take them. Dr. Shin Dongwoo in emergency medicine only has one semester left, so he'll start next year. Dr. Kim Jaeyeon in surgery said he can come in two months."
"Ah, then those two are settled. What about Dr. Yeo?"
"I'll decide after I talk with his professor."
"That's good, then. Once these folks come aboard, Hyung-nim might actually get to rest a little. Split the surgeries and all."
The mere thought of Lee Jun getting some rest was enough to split Go Gi-jin's face into a wide, delighted grin.
Lee Jun called Professor Yoon Hyeongguk, Yeo Un-hyeok's advisor, at once and explained the situation.
Professor Yoon was delighted.
"As it happens, I was about to ask you for this very favor. Excellent. Do take good care of our Dr. Yeo and help him grow."
"Help him grow? I wouldn't know how to…"
"The truth is, I rather wish I could go learn from you myself. How do you read animals' minds so well?"
"That's far too generous, Professor."
"I think not. You know Professor Lee of Myeongseong University? Professor Lee Hye-eun."
"Yes."
Professor Lee Hye-eun, like Yoon Hyeongguk, taught veterinary behavioral medicine. She had spoken highly of Lee Jun's lecture at the previous year's conference.
"She feels the same as I do. Said if she were ten years younger, she'd want to work at Mongmong Animal Hospital this instant."
"That's too much, Professor."
"I am not joking. That is how highly we regard you. So I leave Dr. Yeo in your hands. Give him the days he has class off — one day a week should suffice."
"Of course."
"Thank you. And Dr. Yeo is a diligent student. You may ask him anything about pharmaceuticals."
In other words: he could be trusted with internal medicine cases.
"I understand. Thank you, Professor."
"Haha, I am the one who should thank you. I suspect a fine paper will come of this, thanks to you. And, well."
"Please, go on."
"Nothing too serious — how would you feel about coming to the university now and then to give a lecture?"
"A lecture?"
"I hear you've agreed to another surgical special lecture this semester as well?"
At the invitation of Professor Song, who had been Lee Jun's advisor, a special lecture at his alma mater had been arranged for this year as well, following the one the year before. Professor Yoon was referring to that.
"Yes."
"I know you're busy, but might you also lecture on animal psychology? And don't you start with 'I don't even have a degree in behavioral medicine.' There is no one who understands animal minds as you do."
"That's…"
"Around here I often hear that after your lecture last year, people came to understand animals far better. In other words, thanks to you, more animals are receiving treatment with less fear than before."
That was how much force Lee Jun's lecture had carried.
"I would very much like our students to hear your lectures as well."
At Professor Yoon's words, Lee Jun's gaze deepened.
He wants more animals to be able to receive treatment without fear, more comfortably.
That was what Lee Jun wanted too.
If the juniors came to understand animals' hearts better than they did now, they would be able to approach treatment far more gently. And the animals, in turn, would resist care that much less.
"I understand. I'll do it."
He answered gladly.
"Then I shall come by before long, and we can discuss the details then."
"No, Professor. I'll come to you."
"No, no. I shall go to you. Don't you rob me of the chance to see Hoesaegi, Gkamnyangi, and Sapsaree."
He wasn't coming out of consideration for how busy Lee Jun was. He was coming because he wanted to see the three of them.
Lee Jun smiled.
"We'll be waiting, Professor."
Lee Jun called Yeo Un-hyeok and told him he had the job. A week later, Yeo Un-hyeok reported for his first day at Mongmong Animal Hospital.
"A good person has come-ong."
"That's right. He's the one who told me I was cool."
"He told me I was cool-ong."
"No. He said it to me."
Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi stood in front of Yeo Un-hyeok, squabbling over him. Sapsaree watched, his tail swishing, and put in his own claim.
"It was me, it was. He even petted my head, he did. I'm the cool one, I am."
At that, the cats froze.
Hoesaegi spoke in a slightly uncertain voice.
"He did-ong. He petted Sapsaree's head-ong."
"I-I remember. He didn't pet me."
"Me neither-ong. He didn't pet me either-ong."
Dogs and cats alike shied from a stranger's hands. Cats especially. Yeo Un-hyeok knew that well, and he hadn't touched the three of them so as not to cause them stress.
The reason he had petted Sapsaree was that Sapsaree had planted his chin on Yeo's knee — a clear signal that he wanted to be touched.
The cats, freely misreading that consideration, reached their verdict.
"Sapsaree-ong. You're the cool one-ong."
"That's right. Sapsaree's the cool one."
Their faces drooped. They trudged away.
Yeo Un-hyeok's eyes darted from one to the other. On interview day they had welcomed him so warmly — and now that he was actually on staff, they wouldn't even look at him. He was at a loss.
"H-hey, you three. Did I do something wrong? What's the matter?"
"They say they're hurt that Dr. Yeo only petted Sapsaree."
Lee Jun said it with a smile.
"Pardon?"
"On interview day, you only petted Sapsaree, didn't you?"
"Did I?"
"You did-ong. He didn't pet me-ong."
Hoesaegi answered without even looking back, still trudging away.
"Same here. Hoesaegi, let's go study how to be cool."
"Let's-ong. But Gkamnyangi-ong, why are we less cool than Sapsaree-nyaong?"
"I don't know. I'm cooler, though…"
Gkamnyangi glanced back at Sapsaree, who was standing beside the new doctor with a foolish, happy grin — and stopped dead.
Hoesaegi, realizing Gkamnyangi wasn't following, looked over his shoulder.
"Gkamnyangi-ong, why are you standing there-nyaong?"
Instead of answering, Gkamnyangi let out a shout and shot forward like an arrow.
"I figured it out!"
Gkamnyangi, who ordinarily avoided running if he could help it, was sprinting. Hoesaegi startled and tried to stop him.
"Gkamnyangi-ong. You mustn't run-ong. And what did you figure out-nyaong?"
"Sapsaree's face is bigger, that's why he liked him. We have to puff our faces up too. Then he'll realize we're the cool ones."
"I-is that what it is-nyaong? Nunim-ong, put hats on us-ong."
Now Hoesaegi was running too.
The two of them made for the reception desk. In front of Jang Sora they bounced in place, calling out.
"Nunim, put a cool hat on me!"
"M-me too, put one on me-ong!"
Lee Jun listened, then smiled.
"Manager, I think they want to make a good impression on Dr. Yeo, who just joined us. They're asking you to put hats on them."
"Oh my, look at you two!"
A short while later, Hoesaegi in a lion hat and Gkamnyangi in a teddy-bear hat walked up to Yeo Un-hyeok with great dignity.
"Ahem! How do I look-ong?"
"Roar, roar! I am the magnificent Gkamnyangi."
"You look so cool. You two look magnificent."
Yeo Un-hyeok said exactly what he felt, and the cats put on haughty faces and edged a little closer. Then they thrust their heads forward and announced themselves.
"You may pet-pet us-ong."
"You may!"
"You want me to pet you? What kind hearts you have."
Yeo Un-hyeok bent his knees and stroked both cats' heads.
"Ahem! I really am the magnificent Hoesaegi-ong!"
"Same here. I am the magnificent Gkamnyangi!"
"M-me too, pet me too, I want it."
Sapsaree came up a beat late. Yeo Un-hyeok took one look at him and laughed out loud.
"Goodness, that's too adorable!"
Sapsaree, who had been wearing a rabbit hat with enormous pride, heard the word adorable and sat down hard on the spot.
"I'm n-not cute, I'm not. I'm cool, I am."
Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi patted his back with their front paws. A comforting touch.
Having gotten off on the right foot with Yeo Un-hyeok, the three of them gathered a few days later in a corner of the 2nd Floor Cat Playground to talk it over.
They kept their voices quieter than usual.
"Petting Teacher is weird-ong."
"You too? I thought the same thing."
"Me too, I did. Petting Teacher keeps staring, he does. He stares at our friends too, he does."
Petting Teacher was Yeo Un-hyeok.
Among everyone at Mongmong Animal Hospital, the three of them called only two people Hyung-nim: Lee Jun and Go Gi-jin. The one they called Nunim was Jang Sora. Everyone else was Teacher.
"I saw it too-ong. I was getting a treat from Nunim and Petting Teacher was staring-ong."
"When Strong Hyung-nim gave us chewy treats, Petting Teacher was staring."
"Me too, I did. I was eating crunchy treats and he was staring, he was."
"But he doesn't look when we're sprawled on the cat tree-ong."
"Oh. I think Hoesaegi's right. When I was lying on the floor he just glanced and walked by."
Their faces were as grave as they had ever been.
A silence settled. Then Hoesaegi spoke.
"I think Petting Teacher only watches us when we're eating-ong."
"I think Hoesaegi's right."
"Seems so, it does. Is Petting Teacher hungry, maybe?"
"I-is that so-nyaong?"
"That's it! He was looking because he's hungry!"
At Sapsaree's words the cats startled — and then their faces filled with guilt.
"Let's share our treats-ong."
"Yes. Being hungry is sad."
"That's right, it is. It's sad, it is. Let's give him treats."
"But there's something else weird-ong."
"What?"
"Petting Teacher looked at Hyung-nim like this-ong."
Hoesaegi slid his eyes sideways in a sly little glance.
"Ah. I saw that. He looked at the Good Teacher like this too."
The Good Teacher was Yoo Mu-hwan.
Gkamnyangi flicked a sidelong look of his own.
"Is that so? Then it's not just us he's watching?"
"That's right-ong. It was the same look Sapsaree has when he watches us-ong."
At Hoesaegi's words, Gkamnyangi bumped his two front paws together.
"That's it. That's the one. The look Sapsaree had when he was tailing us. That exact look!"
Thump.
Sapsaree sat down hard on the spot.
"Th-then he's after Benefactor Hyung-nim? He's going to switch Hyung-nim out?"
Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi had once put on weight and then taken it off again through a merciless diet. Sapsaree still believed that a bad man had kidnapped the cats, and that Benefactor Hyung-nim had barely managed to find them and bring them home.
The cats, who knew the truth, locked eyes in midair.
Sapsaree's got the wrong idea-ong. Still, Petting Teacher is pretty suspicious-ong.
That's right. Let's watch him until we get a lead.
They delivered the agreed-upon version to Sapsaree.
"Sapsaree-ong, let's gather solid evidence-ong."
"Yes. Then we tell Hyung-nim."
"Hyung-nims are right, they are. We have to gather evidence."
The three of them locked eyes, gleaming, and sealed their pact.