A Miracle Made of Love
The next afternoon, Kkomi's guardian came to the animal hospital — bringing Kkomi and a dog with a coat of fluffy yellow fur.
"So this is Janggoon."
Yeo Un-hyeok approached with a smile to greet them.
"Kkomi, Janggoon, say hello to the doctor."
The guardian beamed at the dogs as she spoke. The two of them wagged their tails and smiled up at Yeo Un-hyeok. Janggoon's long, plush tail fluttered rapidly back and forth, while Kkomi's bandaged tail swept slowly from side to side.
Only yesterday, Kkomi wouldn't even look at him. And now here she was, offering him a bright, unguarded smile. The corners of Yeo Un-hyeok's mouth lifted of their own accord. He had just greeted the two of them with a smile, but this one was incomparably brighter — a laugh that rose from somewhere deep.
"Our Kkomi must be in a wonderful mood."
The words welled up from the bottom of his heart. How could she change this much in a single day? Yeo Un-hyeok felt as though he had witnessed a miracle.
Whether or not she sensed his bewilderment, Kkomi let out a little whine. The guardian's lips curved up.
"You want down? All right."
The moment she set Kkomi on the floor, Kkomi glued herself to Janggoon's side, and the two of them crossed the lobby. Where they were headed was the Director's office.
When Kkomi and Janggoon stopped in front of the door, a sudden chorus of meows rang out — Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi, who had been following close behind. At that moment the door opened, and Lee Jun welcomed the two of them.
"Kkomi brought her little brother Janggoon, I see. Come on in."
After greeting Kkomi and Janggoon, Lee Jun turned and nodded a greeting toward the guardian standing in the lobby. Then, smiling, he led the two of them into the Director's office, and Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi followed. Sapsaree, who had come ambling after them, did not go in. He sat in front of the door and peered inside.
From the Director's office came a harmonious mix of woofs and yips from the dogs and meows from the cats. Hearing it, the guardian smiled and spoke to Yeo Un-hyeok standing beside her.
"Just as you said, Doctor — our Kkomi really does seem to be in a great mood. She hardly ever makes sounds like that when we're out."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Same with Janggoon. Whenever we go out, he never wants to leave my side, but…"
Still smiling, Kkomi's guardian walked toward the Director's office, and Yeo Un-hyeok followed. Lee Jun, noticing the two of them, spoke up.
"Kkomi's guardian, please come in. Dr. Yeo, you too."
When they entered, Kkomi and Janggoon, who had been on the floor with the cats, wagged their tails in delight. The guardian's smile deepened as she watched the two puppies grinning away.
"My goodness… Director, they really seem to love it here."
"That's a relief — that they're comfortable. How was Kkomi at home yesterday? She was all right?"
"Yes, just as you said, Director. She didn't scratch herself, she ate well, and she slept soundly. Still, I never expected it would be this fine even with Janggoon along."
The guardian went on, drinking in the sight of the two of them grinning.
"You wouldn't believe how surprised I was this morning when Kkomi picked up Janggoon's leash in her mouth and brought it to me. I was so moved."
"The leash?"
Yeo Un-hyeok tilted his head.
"Yes. Whenever I packed the leash to take Janggoon for a walk, Kkomi would appear out of nowhere, snatch it, and run off. Meaning, don't take Janggoon out. But today, the moment I took the leash out, Kkomi bounced over, brought Janggoon right to my side, and then held the leash out for me to put on him…"
The guardian couldn't quite finish. She simply stroked the two of them. That alone was enough to show how happy she was. Lee Jun and Yeo Un-hyeok watched quietly as she petted them.
A moment later, she spoke again.
"I think you were right, Director. Kkomi must have been on pins and needles, terrified I'd send Janggoon away somewhere. And Janggoon knew it, too — he was just watching her cues."
"That…"
Yeo Un-hyeok had been about to ask how she knew, but the guardian's next words made him close his mouth.
"From the moment we got home yesterday, Janggoon's whole expression changed. The second we walked in, Kkomi and Janggoon stuck together and started murmuring to each other. It was like they were having a conversation, and from then on Janggoon started smiling so brightly."
The guardian looked at Kkomi and Janggoon with an expression full of affection, then continued.
"I always thought he was a cheerful kid, but that was my mistake. Kkomi was so timid and wore such a gloomy face that Janggoon just seemed bright by comparison. I only realized that yesterday."
Yeo Un-hyeok looked at Janggoon. Janggoon, who looked like a mix of Pomeranian and Korean mutt, was gazing at Kkomi with a wide smile, his tail swaying lazily.
Lee Jun answered the guardian in a gentle voice.
The Director doesn't just treat the animals — he heals the guardian's heart along with them.
Yeo Un-hyeok looked at Lee Jun. Lee Jun was smiling, gazing at the puppies with clear, unclouded eyes. Was it because he looked at animals with a heart that pure? In that moment, Yeo Un-hyeok found himself thinking that Lee Jun really could read the animals' minds.
But the thought did not last long.
"Well then — Kkomi listened to the doctor and brought Janggoon along, so she deserves a reward, doesn't she? What shall we give you?"
Lee Jun pulled a container from a drawer and opened it. The container was divided into five compartments, and Kkomi immediately stretched out a front paw.
Tap.
The compartment her paw landed on held cookies. Next to them were tuna soft sticks that all the dogs and cats loved, and chicken snacks rolled with sweet potato that dogs almost universally adored. There were also toothpaste chews that had been hugely popular lately.
Those cookies again, from yesterday?
When Kkomi tapped the container with her little front paw, Janggoon beside her flicked his tongue and smacked his lips. Watching this, Yeo Un-hyeok's eyes narrowed. Separate from his growing sense that Lee Jun's judgment about Kkomi and Janggoon was correct, his suspicions about those cookies only deepened. It couldn't be helped — dogs who would pass over chicken-breast treats to choose cookies were rare.
They like them that much? Look at that. Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi are smacking their lips too. What on earth is in those cookies? And why is the Director trying to feed them those cookies again today, after yesterday?
Whether Yeo Un-hyeok's suspicions deepened or not, even Sapsaree, who had been sitting outside the door, joined in, and all five of them chose Ju Mi-seon's freshly baked cookies. The five of them each received a cookie from Lee Jun, crunched it up on the spot, and headed out.
"Th-those — where are they going?"
"They're going to the Hospital Animal Playground, so please don't worry too much."
"The playground?"
"Yes. They seem to want to play. Kkomi must have wanted to go for a walk with Janggoon."
"I-is that so?"
"Yes. She wanted to go around together, but she was worried about what would happen if Janggoon disappeared. Let's follow them in a little while."
Coming out of the Director's office, Hoesaegi spoke.
"Kkomi-ong, Janggoon-ong. You mustn't run here-ong."
"There are sick ones here, so we have to be quiet. But you can run and play at the playground."
"Mm-hmm, quiet!"
"Hehe, super quiet!"
The two of them listened carefully to the cats and followed cautiously behind. The four of them toddled down the hallway.
"Heehee, this is so nice. Walking with Janggoon is so, so nice."
Even as she walked, Kkomi kept looking to the side and smiling.
"Heehee, I'm so happy being with Noona too."
Janggoon's face was just as bright as he called Kkomi — who was barely half his size — Noona.
A little later, with Sapsaree catching up, all five entered the Hospital Animal Playground. Inside, Ttangkhongi, who was already playing, greeted the four of them.
"Welcome, little ones."
"Elder Hyung-ong, having fun-ong?"
Hoesaegi asked, by way of greeting, of Ttangkhongi, who was wobbling through a balancing game atop a balance ball.
"Fun, that it is. And those two behind you — first time seeing them. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ttangkhongi."
"Ah, hello. I'm Kkomi. And this is my little brother, Janggoon."
Kkomi greeted him stoutly.
"Hello! I'm Janggoon, Kkomi Noona's little brother!"
When Janggoon greeted him just as stoutly, Ttangkhongi grinned.
"Haha, you two look to be on fine terms."
"Yes! We get along great!"
Kkomi answered proudly, and Janggoon beside her beamed.
"Heehee, I love my Noona."
"You'll get along just fine from here on. And our veterinarian fellow is a very good sort, he is. If anything comes up, you go on and tell our veterinarian. He'll see it sorted."
"Heehee, that's right. The teacher saved my little brother."
"Saved him? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, what happened was…"
Kkomi and Janggoon began pouring out to Ttangkhongi everything that had happened.
While the three of them talked, Sapsaree approached Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi.
"Hyungnims, da-yo. Petting Teacher looked at Benefactor Hyungnim like this, da-yo."
Sapsaree cut his eyes sideways — meaning Yeo Un-hyeok had given Lee Jun a sidelong look.
"Why'd he look at him like that-ong?"
"When Benefactor Hyungnim was giving cookies to those kids and to you hyungnims, he looked like that, da-yo. Suspicious, da-yo."
Sapsaree was in the middle of investigating the suspicious points about Petting Teacher, Yeo Un-hyeok. And he had caught Yeo Un-hyeok looking at Lee Jun strangely.
At Sapsaree's words, the two of them put on serious faces. They knew what kind of suspicion Sapsaree harbored, and it wasn't true. But the situation they'd just heard was, admittedly, a bit suspicious. Someone looking at the hyungnim they loved most with suspicious eyes. No matter how they thought about it, Petting Teacher was suspicious.
An hour later, Kkomi and Janggoon left the animal hospital, smiling brightly.
"Oppas, see you again!"
"Hyungs, let's play again!"
Watching the two of them flutter their tails, Yeo Un-hyeok smiled and turned away.
"Whatever the case, it's a relief Kkomi got better. It's really nice to see."
Muttering this as he turned, Yeo Un-hyeok found his field of vision filling with the three of them. Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi were waving their front paws from the cat tower, meowing, and Sapsaree had his face pressed flat against the glass door below, watching.
"They're seeing them off… Wait. What am I even thinking."
Yeo Un-hyeok shook his head and turned, then looked at Lee Jun, who had been seeing Kkomi's party off beside him. The expression with which Yeo Un-hyeok looked at Lee Jun was complicated. And Hoesaegi was watching that look in Yeo Un-hyeok's eyes.
When Yeo Un-hyeok went to the exam room, Hoesaegi said to the other two in a very small voice.
"Petting Teacher's eyes when he looks at Hyungnim really are strange-ong."
"I saw it too. That's the look I get when I'm watching a suspicious guy."
"What's that supposed to mean, da-yo?"
Sapsaree, who had lived on his own and didn't know what a look for watching a suspicious guy was, asked with eyes round as saucers. Hoesaegi answered him.
"Sapsaree-ong, you were right-ong. Petting Teacher is strange-ong."
"Is that so, da-yo? I was right, da-yo? Petting Teacher is thinking of switching places with Benefactor Hyungnim, da-yo?"
His own suspicion had surely hit the mark. Sapsaree poured out his thoughts in a rush. Hoesaegi's and Gkamnyangi's gazes met in midair. After conferring with their eyes, Hoesaegi spoke.
"I think we still need to watch that-ong."
"Hoesaegi's right. We don't know about that yet. But he's definitely suspicious."
At the cat hyungnims' cool-headed judgment, Sapsaree nodded.
"Got it, da-yo. Let's keep watch, da-yo."
Then Hoesaegi offered an idea.
"Let's check if maybe Petting Teacher just wanted the snacks-ong."
"How do we do that, da-yo?"
"Let's give him snacks-ong."
"Ohh, that's a good idea. If Petting Teacher eats the snacks, it means he was greedy for them."
"That's right-ong."
That evening, late, the three of them received snacks from Jang Sora and trotted over to Yeo Un-hyeok. Then, tap-tap-tap. The three of them set the snacks on Yeo Un-hyeok's exam table at the same time and spoke.
"Petting Teacher-ong. Eat-ong."
"It's tasty."
"Petting Teacher, da-yo. Eat, da-yo."
When the three of them meowed and woofed as they set down the snacks, Yeo Un-hyeok's eyes went wide.
"Kids, what is it?"
Just then, Yoo Mu-hwan, who happened to be passing by, put in a word.
"Dr. Yeo, they must like you. Look at them bringing you snacks and everything."
"I-is that so?"
"Hahaha, I received snacks from them like that once myself, and Director Lee said they were giving me a present because they liked me."
"I-is that right? Well, animals sharing their food isn't an ordinary thing, I suppose."
"Right? Anyway, this whole affair has made me see you in a new light, Dr. Yeo. To think a case like Kkomi's can be treated with medication — that's impressive."
Yoo Mu-hwan, who didn't know the details of Kkomi's consultation, praised Yeo Un-hyeok's skill in treating her.
"Ah, no. It's thanks to the Director."
"Haha, our Director is remarkable, isn't he. Anyway, if something like that comes up going forward, I'll have to ask you, Dr. Yeo."
Yoo Mu-hwan praised Yeo Un-hyeok thoroughly and turned away. Left behind, Yeo Un-hyeok looked at the snacks he'd received from the three of them and muttered.
"A present because they like me…"
Yeo Un-hyeok smiled at the three of them.
"Kids, thank you so much. I'll gladly take them. Is there anything you want from me?"
Yeo Un-hyeok asked as he put the snacks the three had given him into a plastic bag. The three of their expressions grew even more serious.
"H-he's not eating them, he's hiding them-ong."
"So it wasn't that he was greedy for the snacks."
"Strange, da-yo."
"Even more suspicious-ong."