I'm Truly Lucky
"You bought a really nice one. Even in the photo, it looks expensive."
Just moments earlier, Momo's guardian had taken a small, quiet bruise to the heart upon hearing that Momo didn't care for the food bowl she'd bought. But that single remark from Jang Sora brought a smile blooming across her face. Perhaps that was why the voice that followed came out so warm.
"There's a cat painted on it that looks just like our Momo. It was so pretty I had to buy it."
"Yeah. It really is pretty."
"But you said you wanted to get a new one?"
"But Momo doesn't like it…"
The child's voice shrank smaller and smaller. The guardian glanced at her, then turned back to Jang Sora.
"But does our Momo really hate this bowl? I bought ceramic because I heard ceramic was best."
"It's too narrow, that's all."
"Too narrow? This?"
"Yes. Look here — Momo's whiskers are touching the sides of the bowl."
Jang Sora pointed to the video paused on the child's phone.
"Her whole face fits in it with room to spare. Isn't that big enough? And you said the whiskers touch the bowl, but it's only the very tips…"
"The whiskers on a dog's face are often called a sixth sense. They use them to read what's around them, and to pick up information about objects."
"Oh, is that so? But why are we talking about dogs all of a sudden…?"
"Wow, dogs too? I didn't know that."
"You're wondering why I brought up dogs, right?"
"W-well, yes."
"Whiskers matter to dogs, but cats depend on theirs far more than dogs do."
"Is… that right?"
Momo's guardian still couldn't quite see what any of this had to do with Momo disliking her food bowl. She offered a reluctant little noise of agreement, her expression faintly dubious.
"Yes. A cat's whiskers grow from inside sensory cells. The ones on the face are so sensitive they can even detect the tiniest shift in the air."
Momo's guardian's eyes went wide; she'd never heard any of this before.
"Wow, so that's why you're not supposed to cut their whiskers?"
The child leaned in, face bright with fascination, hanging on Jang Sora's every word.
"That's right. They work like radar. They figure out direction, they even predict movement — all of that."
"Wow, wow! Our Momo is so amazing!"
The child burst out in praise, practically vibrating with excitement.
"She is, isn't she? Have you ever watched Momo walk around in the pitch dark without bumping into a single thing?"
"I have!"
"That's all thanks to the whiskers on her face. They measure the distance between Momo and whatever's in front of her so she doesn't collide with it. When we walk through a dark room, we grope along with our hands, careful with every step. For cats, the whiskers do that job."
"Whoaaa! So they're like hands?"
"In a way, yes."
Jang Sora smiled at the child, then turned that same warm smile on Momo's guardian.
"So when pressure lands on those whiskers, cats really don't like it. The sensitive ones can get quite stressed."
"So that's why our Momo hated the food bowl?"
"That's how it looks. Every time she ate, her whiskers touched the sides. That's probably why she scooped the kibble out and ate it off the floor."
Having said so, Jang Sora turned her gaze back to the child.
"Momo's a clever one, huh? Scooping the food out so her whiskers wouldn't touch the bowl."
"Hehe, yeah! I think so."
What guardian in the world wouldn't melt at praise for their cat? The child and her mother both broke into matching smiles.
"Then what kind of bowl should our Momo be using?"
Momo's guardian asked as she moved over toward the displayed dishes, and Jang Sora moved with her.
"From the photos I only saw the food bowl. You have a separate water bowl, don't you?"
"It's a lot like that one."
The child pointed at the water bowls sitting on the floor — the ones that belonged to Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi.
"She saw them in the videos and begged and begged for the same kind… I had no choice but to switch."
The water bowls Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi used were wide-mouthed, clear glass.
"Momo must love it."
"Yes! She used to only drink a tiny bit, but after we changed it she drinks so, so much!"
"You did wonderfully."
Jang Sora looked at the child with such open fondness that the guardian asked,
"Is that also because her whiskers don't touch, so she drinks more?"
"That's probably a big part of it. And it was a good switch. If they don't drink enough water, they can get sick."
"Well, people are supposed to drink plenty of water too… Then we should change to something like this."
The guardian pointed to a dish shaped almost like a plate.
"That would be fine."
"What would you recommend?"
Momo's guardian asked it with the look of someone who trusted Jang Sora completely.
"Hmm. If it were me, I'd go with this one, or that one."
Jang Sora pointed to the bowls that came with stands.
"When they lower their heads to eat, it puts a strain on the neck and the legs."
"Cats get things like herniated discs too?"
"You can assume they get just about every illness people get."
"Oh my. I never once imagined cats that flexible could get disc problems. Then I'll take this."
"Well — the stand does make it a bit pricey. As long as you've got something to prop the bowl up, you can set it on top of that. Even stacking a few small books works just fine."
"No. I'll go with whatever you pick."
"All right, then…"
Jang Sora reached for a bowl — and that was when Momo's guardian asked,
"What do Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi use?"
"Ah, our little cuties?"
The word slipped out on its own. Jang Sora gave an awkward little laugh and stretched her hand a little farther to point.
"They use those. They're a bit expensive, though…"
"Then we'll take those."
"Of course. One moment."
When Jang Sora took the bowls down to show them, the guardian was delighted — and the child even more so.
"Hehe, now our Momo gets to use the same ones as Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi!"
"You like it that much?"
"Yeah, I love it. Thank you, Mom."
The child liked it so much she bowed to her mother, neat and earnest. Finding her impossibly dear, the guardian stroked her hair.
"We don't need a new water bowl, though, do we?"
"A water bowl shaped like that one is tall enough. As long as you keep it well filled, the height will be just right."
"Ah, that makes sense."
"Hehe, I told you, Mom. I said what Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi use would be the best thing for cats."
"I guess so, sweetheart."
Listening to the mother and daughter, Jang Sora felt her shoulders lift with a quiet, helpless pride. She smiled at the two of them.
"Give me just a moment, then. I'll bring out a new set."
A little later, at the reception desk, Momo's family paid for the food bowl, a little mouse toy, a bag of the kibble Momo already ate, and several kinds of treats. Every last treat was one that Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi loved.
"Momo's going to love these."
"Hehe, yeah."
"Here. This is a present for Momo."
Jang Sora held out a fish plush — the kind Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi adored — and the child's face lit up like a lamp.
"Wow! This is the one Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi were hugging!"
"You've got a sharp eye."
"Hehe. Our Momo loves it so much every time she watches the videos. She'd see Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi holding this and tap the monitor with her front paws, like this."
"Is that so? She must have wanted it badly."
"Hehe, yes. I was saving up my allowance to buy it for her… Thank you so much."
The child clutched the fish plush in both hands and bowed to Jang Sora, deep and sincere.
"Why didn't you just ask Mom to buy it?"
The child's mother said it with a faintly awkward look. The child gave a small shake of her head.
"Mom already buys Momo food, and litter, and lots of treats. So…"
Hearing that, Jang Sora said,
"Momo must be so happy. She's getting so much love from her family."
"Hehehe. I'll show you our Momo next time. She's really, really cute."
"Then I'll take that as an honor."
Jang Sora answered with a smile, and Momo's guardian — who had been watching her daughter with a look of deep contentment — put in a word of her own.
"As it happens, she's due for her vaccinations. We'll have to come here for those. What time do you see patients until?"
"Emergency care runs twenty-four hours, but since Momo would be a first-time patient, I'd recommend coming between ten and five."
"Understood. We should call ahead before we come, right?"
"If you do, you won't have to wait. That'll be nicer for you."
"All right. We'll call, then. Thank you for today."
"Go carefully."
Jang Sora walked the two of them all the way to the door, and waved to the child as they went.
"Bye now."
"Goodbye!"
Jang Sora kept waving until they had gone out of sight. It looked exactly like Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi seeing their friends off.
The moment she stepped back inside, the guardians who'd been standing in the supplies corner flocked to her in a rush.
"What kind of food bowl is best for a dog?"
"I want to change out the water bottle. What would be good for mine?"
"Our kid has long whiskers too — we should switch to a wide-mouthed food bowl, right?"
All at once, the guardians had developed a keen interest in food bowls and water bowls. Jang Sora met every one of them with painstaking care.
At the reception desk on the first floor, Jung Seung-jin — who shared the desk with Jang Sora — smiled to himself and murmured,
"Our manager really does give every guardian her whole heart, every single time. Then again, she's just as good with the animals."
Back when she'd worked at other animal hospitals, she too had been praised often as a technician who truly loved animals. Coming here, to Mongmong Animal Hospital, had taught her otherwise. Set beside the family of this place, her own love for animals was a drop in the ocean.
"She's amazing, isn't she? I don't know if I'll ever be like our manager."
Jung Seung-jin turned toward the voice at her side. It was the veterinary technician who had joined at the same time she had.
"Na? When did you get in?"
"Just now. But honestly, isn't our manager incredible? No matter how unreasonable a guardian gets, she never lets it show on her face."
"She puts her whole heart into answering even the people who only stop in to ask a question and leave."
"Right? That's probably why so many places want to scout Manager Jang. Anyone who comes in leaves satisfied."
"That's true enough. But would Manager Jang ever leave this place?"
"She wouldn't. Where else is this good? She would never go."
"I'm not going anywhere either — and that's me. Manager Jang doesn't even need saying."
The two of them mapped out Jang Sora's future in voices of absolute certainty.
"Manager, you should head out."
Jang Sora turned at the sound of Jung Seung-jin calling her.
"Hm? Already?"
"It's not already. It's almost six."
At that, Jang Sora looked at the clock on the wall, and her eyes went wide.
"It really is. It doesn't feel like any time has passed since lunch. When did it get this late?"
"That's the magic of Mongmong Animal Hospital. Magic. You blink a few times and suddenly it's time to go home!"
When a staff member said a thing like that, it meant the workplace was a good one. Jang Sora felt the same, so she laughed and took the line.
"You're right. Spend a little time with the kids and it's already time to head home."
"Exactly!"
Jung Seung-jin laughed and chimed in, then added,
"Go eat a lot and have a wonderful time."
"Thank you for staying on for me today. If something busy comes up for you, you tell me, all right?"
"Yes, yes. Don't worry about a thing. Go have fun."
"I will."
Jang Sora said her goodbyes to the hospital family and set out for the gathering. Forty minutes later, she arrived. Ten friends were already in their seats, and they lit up at the sight of her.
"Jang Sora! It's been forever."
"Sora, you made it!"
"You all got here early."
"It's our day off. Day off."
"Right — it's Saturday."
"Must be nice, playing on a Saturday."
"Yeah, well, you get other days off."
"That's true, but I still want to rest when everybody else is resting!"
"It was quiet today, so I got out early."
The friends who'd greeted her were the ones who had the day off, or whose work had wrapped up early. One of them asked,
"Sora, didn't you say you got off at seven?"
"I did, but the director sent me out early. He told me not to keep my friends waiting."
"Yes! That's the Mongmong director for you. He's seriously the best."
"Right? Sora, how are you this blessed? A wonderful director, and you get to see Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi and Sapsaree every single day."
"That's what I'm saying! I want to see Hoesaegi too!"
"Gkamnyangi — I just want to stroke that sleek, glossy black back once."
From a corner, a friend who worked as a zookeeper said, quietly,
"For me, it's Sapsaree. I want to walk side by side with Sapsaree. I heard Sapsaree's that smart?"
"Yeah, that one really does look brilliant."
"As if Sapsaree's the only clever one? Did you see Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi acting? A top star would drop into a full bow and call them Hyungnim."
"They really are incredible. How on earth were they trained?"
A trainer friend leaned in, openly curious. Praise for the three animals she held so dear put a smile on Jang Sora's face.
"Our kids have always been smart."
"Ooooh, Jang Sora. Isn't that a little arrogant?"
"Hey, isn't it obvious? If I got to see those three every day, I'd be that smug too."
"Ugh. I'm so jealous. So jealous."
"Sora, honestly, I envy you most of all. Envy you. When are you going to let us meet those little cuties?"
"Yeah, show us once."
Jang Sora looked around at her friends and answered with a grin.
"I'll ask the director about it."
At that, they burst into applause as if they were a single body.
"Hey! I only said I'd ask! I didn't say I'd show you!"
"Same difference. We're counting on you, Sora!"
"I want to see them in person too, just once. I really do!"
Jang Sora looked at them with warm eyes. Every last one of them, like her, truly loved animals.
Her university classmates had scattered into all kinds of work. There was a zookeeper who poured herself into the job, a handler, a pet groomer, a trainer — a companion-animal behavior specialist, as they were called. There was a friend who was a pet funeral director, the one who tended animals on their last journey to the Dog Star and the Cat Star. Some worked at pet-food companies or supply companies, and some, like Jang Sora herself, worked as veterinary technicians in animal hospitals.
Of all of them, the ones who worked as veterinary technicians and pet groomers, the way Jang Sora did, made up the largest share. Veterinary technician was Jang Sora's profession — sometimes called an animal-hospital nurse. The official title was Animal Healthcare Specialist.
They all loved animals, and they all held jobs bound up with animals, so conversation came easily.
"All right, all right — let's order already."
They ordered food, and the table grew noisy with all the catching-up they hadn't been able to do. When classmates gathered and talked, the talk tended, sooner or later, to slide into complaints about work. Jang Sora's reunion was no different. Grievances about workplaces poured out, and among them, complaints about animal hospitals were overwhelmingly the most common. That was only natural: between the friends who did grooming and the ones who worked in hospitals, they made up the biggest group.
This time, though, there wasn't much complaining about animal hospitals. Or rather — there hadn't been time to complain. Their classmates had only one thing on their minds: Mongmong Animal Hospital.
Just as they had brought up Hoesaegi, Gkamnyangi, and Sapsaree the instant they saw Jang Sora, they kept asking about the three of them. They asked about Lee Jun too, and about Go Gi-jin, but the undisputed star of the evening was those three little cuties.
Every one of them envied Jang Sora. No matter how hard things got, they said, if those three were by your side you could get through anything — and they held her up as the most successful of all their classmates.
Jang Sora smiled and answered them.
"Yeah. I really do feel like I've made it. I work at a hospital with a wonderful director, wonderful colleagues, and Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi and Sapsaree — the ones you all keep shouting that you want to see."
And as she said it, she thought to herself, I'm truly lucky.
She praised the Jang Sora of a year and a half ago — the one who had followed her director, Lee Jun.
Jang Sora. Back then, you really did the right thing.