Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Gray's Get-Well Visitors
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As Lee Jun entered the park, the cats came swarming over.
[B-Boss! How's he doing?]
[Our Boss... Is he okay?]
The cats' voices were filled with worry as they asked about Gray.
"He's fine."
A simple phrase, but it captured the situation perfectly.
The cats erupted in cheers.
[Wooow!]
[Wow! Woo woo woo!]
[Boss...!]
Their cries echoed through the park.
But no one grimaced at the noise.
Even to a stranger, it was clearly a joyful sound.
The cats, having let out their short, intense cheers, gathered around Lee Jun.
Cats leaning against his legs. Cats rubbing their heads against his legs—rub rub rub.
Cats leaping up to cling to his thighs.
Cats so overjoyed they bounced around him on their hind paws—hop hop hop.
People out for walks stared in bewilderment at the bizarre scene.
Some even pulled out their phones to film it.
"Your Boss is gonna have to stay hospitalized for a while."
Lee Jun explained it plainly for the cats, who might not understand "hospitalization."
"So he's gotta lie down at our animal hospital for the time being. His leg hurts too much to move."
There happened to be a broken tree branch nearby.
Lee Jun picked it up and snapped it clean in two.
"Right now, your Boss's leg is like this. This leg here."
He pointed to the hind leg of the cat plastered to his thigh.
[Ugh...!]
[Oof!]
[No way!]
[Ughhh...]
The cats gasped in horror.
They were remembering comrades who'd suffered broken legs.
They knew all too well how much agony those cats had endured.
And that most of them hadn't had good outcomes.
"So that's why I fixed it up like this."
Lee Jun pressed the broken branch back together.
The cats' eyes went wide.
"So our Boss... He can run around again? Like before?]
A tawny tabby cat blinked hopefully as it asked.
"Pretty much."
[R-Really?]
[For real?]
[Woo woo! What a relief.]
The mood brightened even more than before.
The hopping cats now sprang as high as Lee Jun's shoulders.
[Yahoo!]
The cats let out cheers like it was a festival.
But mindful of their Boss's order to stay quiet after sunset—they'd disobeyed that once already—their meows were quite subdued.
Once the wildly excited cats had calmed down, the yellow cat asked in a solemn tone.
[Woof Teacher, when will our Boss return to the park?]
"Hmm. Bones don't heal overnight. At least a month? Could be even longer."
The atmosphere suddenly drooped.
But only for a moment—soon they each chimed in.
[Woof Teacher, thank you for saving our Boss.]
[Thank you so much. You're our cats' benefactor.]
[Yeah, we're so grateful~]
"It was your Boss who bravely hung in there. I just helped a tough guy out."
"That's the same thing. Thank you~]
[Woof Teacher, tell the Boss to hang in there.]
[Yes. Don't worry about us...]
The cats chattered on, each with a message for Gray.
Lee Jun told them.
"Go tell your Boss yourselves."
[Us? How?]
"Just visit him at the hospital. If you all swarm in at once, he might get too excited, so I'll let him know first. Starting tomorrow, two of you come to Meongmeong Animal Hospital each day for visiting hours."
***
Tap tap. Tap tap tap.
Jang So-ra peered out at the tapping on the glass door.
Two cats were pawing at the animal hospital's glass.
Up close, she recognized them.
Cats who sometimes tagged along with Gray to Meongmeong and grabbed snacks.
Spotting Jang So-ra, the cats mewed softly: nyaa.
"Oh my, you two must be hungry!"
Jang So-ra opened the door and let the cats inside.
Just then, Lee Jun came out from the back.
"You guys are here."
[Yes. Our Boss is...]
The cats sniffed around curiously.
"Your Boss is over there."
No sooner had Lee Jun spoken than Gray meowed.
[Come on in, nya!]
[Boss!]
[Boss!]
The two crept cautiously toward the spot Lee Jun indicated.
Jang So-ra's jaw dropped.
"Those guys... They're here to visit Gray?"
"Something like that."
Lee Jun led the cats to the recovery room, leaving Jang So-ra staring in astonishment.
The small hospital had just one recovery room—not cat-exclusive, but it didn't matter.
Gray was the only patient hospitalized there.
[You made it, nya!]
[B-Boss! Are you okay?]
[Boss, how's the injury?]
[I'm fine, nya. Woof Teacher took good care of me, nya.]
Gray emphasized "our" as he looked at Lee Jun.
[He's a grateful Teacher, nya!]
[Thank you.]
[Thank you, Teacher.]
The two bowed to Lee Jun, following Gray's lead.
"You already thanked me yesterday. Just say what you want to your Boss. But he's still delicate, so no touching him or the lines and stuff."
[Got it.]
[Understood.]
Lee Jun left them to it and stepped out.
They'd have cat talk to catch up on.
The moment he was gone, the cats poured out their words in worried mews.
[B-Boss, sob!]
[When we heard you'd collapsed, we cried so much. We thought we'd never see you again... Boss!]
The cats wailed softly.
[I'm okay, nya. Thanks for worrying, nya.]
[Sniff! We heard... You got hurt saving that kid, Sogeum-i.]
What was this now?
Lee Jun, outside the recovery room, perked up his ears.
[Ahem, how's Sogeum-i, nya?]
[He's fine. Other than blaming himself for getting you hurt instead.]
[As long as he's not hurt, nya!]
The meowing in the recovery room fell silent for a moment.
After a brief hush, Gray's voice rang out.
[Tell everyone to watch out for those shiny lights, nya.]
[Shiny lights?]
[Yeah, nya. Sogeum-i froze when the light hit him, nya.]
Lee Jun got it.
The little cat trembling beside Gray back then must've been Sogeum-i.
Too young to know to dodge cars, he'd stared straight into the headlights.
Blinded, he'd just plopped down.
"Gray must've dashed over to save Sogeum-i as he passed by."
But Gray himself hadn't dodged in time and got hit.
"Cars do speed through alleys sometimes."
Lee Jun's expression turned bittersweet.
Either way, he now knew exactly why the cats revered Gray.
"No wonder they respect him when he cares for his crew like that."
As if echoing his thoughts, the visiting procession continued.
The next day, and the day after, cats came in pairs.
[We're glad you're safe, Boss, but seeing you lying there... Sniff! Boss!]
[Doesn't it hurt?]
[I was Haenguni, nya. If Woof Teacher hadn't found me... So you all be careful, nya!]
[Yes, sob!]
Each time cats visited, Gray warned them to watch for cars on the streets.
It wasn't just cats visiting.
"Jamongi ran so fast, I could barely keep up."
Yu Ji-yeon panted into Meongmeong Animal Hospital.
[B-Brother, you okay?]
"He must be worried about Gray."
Lee Jun explained Jamongi's feelings to Yu Ji-yeon, who knew the whole story.
"Oh my, these guys have loyalty too."
"Of course. They're park buddies."
Yu Ji-yeon's cheeks flushed at Lee Jun's words.
"It's such a beautiful story. Oh, how's that cat doing?"
"Smooth recovery."
Just then—
Jamongi, who'd been standing stock-still in front of the recovery room, stared hard at Lee Jun and barked.
Woof!
"Wanna see Gray?"
[Yes.]
"You rascal!"
Lee Jun patted Jamongi's forehead and opened the recovery room door.
"Gray, Jamongi's here to visit."
[You came, nya!]
[Brother, does it still hurt?]
Jamongi approached Gray cautiously, his face full of concern.
"Yeah, it doesn't hurt, nya."
It did, but Gray answered with a stoic expression.
Jamongi's worried face instantly lit up.
[Hee hee, good. I was so worried you'd be hurting, Brother.]
[Thanks for finding me, nya.]
Jamongi's eyes went huge.
The brother who commanded dozens of park cats.
Jamongi thought Gray was the coolest.
For his idol brother to thank him...
Jamongi was touched.
[Sniff, get well soon, Brother.]
With that, Jamongi bolted out of the recovery room, tapped at Yu Ji-yeon with his paw, then headed to the treat corner.
At the treat corner, he pawed at his favorite tuna soft stick.
"Want that one?"
Lately, Jamongi had been obsessed with picking his own treat and carrying it to the counter to "pay."
Yu Ji-yeon picked it up and let him mouth it, as usual.
Jamongi chomped down and trotted back to the recovery room.
Yu Ji-yeon followed in surprise, with Lee Jun and Jang So-ra trailing behind.
Jamongi set the soft stick down in front of Gray's cage.
[Brother. Eat this and get strong.]
Yu Ji-yeon gasped.
"No way. It's like a fairy tale."
"Right? A dog visiting a hospitalized cat and bringing a gift."
Jang So-ra peered into the room with the same amazed look.
"Friendship beyond species. So beautiful!"
"Totally."
Yu Ji-yeon and Jang So-ra clasped hands, exclaiming in awe.
After that, every dog that visited the hospital made sure to see Gray at least once.
Han Na-hyuk, stopping by to check Gray's surgical progress, was stunned by the scene.
"How is this possible? Good vibes in this turf? Or is it the energy from that painting Kwak Su-ho did?"
"Haha, the animals here are just good-hearted."
"Nah, come on. Even housemates wouldn't do this. Right?"
"They must see the park as home. They're all from that park behind here—the one we ate at with you after, Senior? That one."
"Still, stray cats and walkies getting along? First I've heard."
"Yeah. This hospital's magical. Dogs don't bark, everyone welcomes them. Look, even our Haenguni's fitting right in."
Namgung Hyun, who'd come with Han Na-hyuk, chuckled heartily as he watched Haenguni (Haenguni) charge into the recovery room with the pack.
"Never imagined him not trembling next to a dachshund."
"He's socializing."
"I see. For cats like that, do you do rehab therapy too?"
"Cats are flexible—good recovery from fractures as long as no nerve damage. But yeah, it's helpful. Muscles atrophy under the cast."
Lee Jun replied.
"Tougher than with dogs?"
"A bit. But we do acupuncture, electrotherapy, laser. Senior, we're adding a cat rehab room, right?"
"You will, right?"
Han Na-hyuk tossed Lee Jun's question to Namgung Hyun.
Namgung Hyun let out a dry chuckle before nodding.
"If needed, we will. Anyway, for a case like Gray's, how long's the hospital stay?"
"Minimum two to three weeks—no moving around."
"Gonna keep him here that long? You haven't even gone home yet."
"Really?"
Namgung Hyun double-checked.
"Oh, well. I pop home quick when Manager Jang's in."
"Sleep? You got an on-call room?"
Namgung Hyun scanned around for one.
"On-call room? Probably just some styrofoam sheets laid out."
"What?"
Namgung Hyun's voice cracked in shock.
It's been a week since surgery.
Sleeping in such abysmal conditions all that time?
"Ah, I'm used to it. It's fine."
Namgung Hyun recalled asking Lee Jun to do Haenguni's leg surgery.
'He said he doesn't leave post-op animals alone, so do it at a 24-hour clinic.'
They'd later settled on Lee Jun doing surgeries with a big hospital handling recovery.
'But treating a park cat the same way. Consistent principles.'
Lee Jun seemed even more impressive.
"What about a cot or something?"
"No room. Styrofoam with a sleeping bag works."
"Oh no, you're wrecking your health."
"Yeah, pushing seventy soon—gotta take care of myself."
"Once he's mobile enough in the carrier, thinking of taking Gray home."
"Good idea. Can't have him out and about yet."
"Right. Needs rehab anyway. Build those muscles."
Since it came up, Lee Jun figured he'd ask Gray.
"What do you think? Live with Teacher?"
He glanced toward the recovery room.
His eyes met Gray's, who was leaning against the cage watching them.
Gray stared at Lee Jun with round eyes and mewed.
[You talking to me, nya?]
"Yeah. Gray, you're mobile enough now. Time to go home."
[Home...?]
Gray's eyes sparkled.
[Does Woof Teacher wanna live in the park too, nya?]
"What?"
How'd it twist into that?
"Pff haha."
Lee Jun burst out laughing.