Those Admirable Little Cuties
The extraordinary trio. Precious beings wreathed from head to tail in a brilliant golden halo.
Those extravagant modifiers were how Kwak Suho described Hoesaegi, Gkamnyangi, and Sapsaree.
And Kwak Suho had called them something else, too.
Walking corporations.
Lee Jun had to agree. Hadn't these three already brought in an enormous amount of advertising revenue? The view counts on the videos featuring Hoesaegi, Gkamnyangi, and the park cats had been staggering.
"It was a lot last year too, but this is... I never expected it to be this enormous."
Lee Jun had been busy. Not merely the kind of busy people claimed to be — truly, relentlessly, without a moment to catch his breath.
The work at Mongmong Animal Hospital alone filled his days, and on top of that he spent half a day each week seeing patients at Namgoong Animal Medical Center. In the gaps between, he made regular visits to Uriteul Shelter, and he took the three of them along to volunteer with the elderly residents at the Community Welfare Center.
Then one day, a phone call from his senior, Kang Han-ul.
That call had reunited Lee Jun with Haennim-i. The Haennim-i who had been so round and adorable as a cub.
From that day on, Lee Jun had done everything he possibly could for Haennim-i and the rest of the Somang-is. Hoping no other Haennim-i would ever have to exist, he visited them whenever he could spare a moment — asking them himself if anything hurt, looking them over with his own eyes. Wishing that the remaining three hundred or so could all live out their days walking on soft earth.
Even that alone would have been enough to leave anyone gasping at how packed and exhausting the days were — but Lee Jun didn't stop there. He reached out to the Santa Dog Project as well.
In any case, his present life had been so overwhelmingly busy that Lee Jun had completely forgotten about the money the three of them had been earning.
"This is the first time I've opened this since summer, but... how did it get this big?"
Had Kwak Suho just handed over every last bit of the income these kids generated?
It was possible. Thinking that, Lee Jun stared at his phone screen.
His eyes, which had started out as round as Hoesaegi's own round pupils, slowly narrowed into crescent moons. A smile formed at the corners of his mouth.
Even if I set aside half for income tax, how much is this? That means I can spend about two hundred million won, right? And I've got about three hundred million in spare funds in my own account, so if I add this in, I can put together five hundred million.
Lee Jun let his imagination take flight around the thought of five hundred million won.
Ah, no, wait. I have to set aside a hundred million from that. I almost forgot about the basement-level security deposit.
Still, that left around four hundred million.
"I wonder if there's land around four hundred million? Ah, no. I'll need operating funds too. And I have to furnish their house..."
The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like this wasn't going to be a matter of pocket change. As he wondered whether he had any more spare money, Lee Jun's expression suddenly brightened.
"Ah — the donations!"
Charitable contributions were tax-deductible.
"I can spend more than I thought. Oh, that's right. I still have the money from selling the pearls."
The money from selling the pearls, which he'd intended to use to build a playground at Uriteul Shelter, had been saved thanks to Namgoong Hyun. He'd spent a little of it putting a playground on the mountainside where the large dogs could run freely.
"Ah, right. We bought that land really cheap, didn't we? I should ask CEO Namgoong about it later."
If it came to it, he could buy land nearby and make a home for the ones they were about to rescue.
"That's perfect. It's not far. And it's close to Uriteul too."
If that worked out, they could even use Uriteul's animal hospital, which would make it an ideal place for the friends who had been rescued — or were about to be.
Lee Jun's chest swelled as he let his imagination soar even further.
He had been inspired by watching Go Panseok, Go Gi-jin's father, create a farm for cattle. Veterinarian Go Panseok had said it was just a farm for cows that were unwell and growing old, but that place was a home where the cattle could live out their lives in comfort — a sanctuary. Nestled against the mountains, it was spacious, too.
"Yeah. This is how you start. Let's begin with a shelter for those friends."
And then they'd expand it, little by little. One step at a time, and someday they would be able to build the sanctuary of their dreams.
"Hmm, should I call it Mongmong Sanctuary? That's a bit... Should I name it after Hoesaegi, Gkamnyangi, and Sapsaree? SSS?"
Taking the first letters of Silver Rain, Shadow, and Sapsaree — Triple S.
"And as the finishing touch, add Kongdol-i, the one who connected the three of them... Kong-S?"
Lee Jun, whose naming sense was a complete disaster, cooked up this bizarre name and curled the corners of his mouth into a grin.
"Not bad, right?"
If Kwak Suho had been here, he would have frowned and asked, What's not bad about that?
Unfortunately, however, Kwak Suho hadn't arrived yet, and Lee Jun was thoroughly pleased with his own naming sense.
"Hehe, I like it. We'll be taking in kids from other countries at our sanctuary someday, so a global name like this is actually pretty good."
Grateful to the Denver sanctuary that had taken in Haennim-i and the Somang-is, Lee Jun dreamed of a distant future and felt happy.
"Ah, that's right. They said those kids have gone into hibernation? It's really amazing. Kids who've never hibernated in their lives just went right into hibernation the moment the environment was right."
He was talking about the Somang-is who had relocated to Denver.
The Somang-is here hadn't changed quite as dramatically, but there had been changes all the same. The ones who now had even a small yard had brightened considerably. Their health had improved, too.
"They'll get better, little by little."
Lee Jun's dreamy expression slowly turned bittersweet. Not entirely bitter, though. Woven into that bittersweet look were relief, and a quiet pride in them.
He was grateful that bears who had spent their entire lives in cramped cages had been so overjoyed just to have a yard — however small. And grateful that they were getting healthier.
As he thought of the bears, the meat dogs settled back into Lee Jun's mind.
"Those friends will get there too, right? I hope even a few more of them can spend this winter in comfort. Eating the kibble those kids are going to help us get for them."
Lee Jun thought this as he listened to the three of them outside, greeting Kwak Suho.
"They're really happy to see him, huh."
Meow-meow, nyaong-nyaong, woof-wuff-ruff-ruff!
Just as Lee Jun had guessed, the three of them were greeting Kwak Suho in cute, lively voices.
Soon the director's office door opened, and Kwak Suho came in with the three of them.
"Hey! Director!"
Kwak Suho's face, as he walked in with his greeting, was extremely excited.
"You're here?"
"Yeah. So what are we doing? What's today's concept? Looking at these guys, it seems like you're planning something huge?"
Hoesaegi was wearing a lion's-mane hat and a yellow vest. Gkamnyangi had on a sunflower hat that glittered gold and silver — Lee Jun had no idea where they'd even found such a thing — and of course a yellow vest as well. And Sapsaree, also in a yellow vest, was wearing a surprisingly well-behaved hat. The kind magicians wear. Though it was red and sparkly.
And all three of them had colorful streamers hanging from their bodies. Long tassels dangled from the yellow vests, making them look twice as big every time they moved.
Lee Jun's eyes went twice as wide, too.
"Wait, you guys... what are you trying to do?"
"We're gonna click-click, ong."
"Hyung-ah, I'm the coolest, right?"
"That's not right-dayo! Hyungnim-ayo, I'm the coolest-dayo? Right-dayo?"
The three of them thrust their faces up high and declared this with complete confidence.
At that moment, Kwak Suho activated the action cam in his hand.
The three who had been looking at Lee Jun spun around in an instant toward the action cam Kwak Suho was holding.
Then Hoesaegi launched himself into the air.
Shalalala...
The long, colorful streamers fluttered and traced arcs through the air, looking for all the world like a bird with beautiful wings in flight.
"Wow..."
It was only a brief moment, but Lee Jun was genuinely awestruck.
Hoesaegi landed as lightly as down on Sapsaree's back. Right after, Gkamnyangi jumped exactly the way Hoesaegi had.
Once again a beautiful bird took flight, and Gkamnyangi settled softly onto Sapsaree's back.
It all happened in an instant.
"Whoa! That's amazing. Cool — that's really cool."
When Kwak Suho shot a thumbs-up with the hand that wasn't holding the camera, Hoesaegi and Gkamnyangi stood on Sapsaree's back, stretched out their right front paws, and grinned.
"Hyungnim-ong, take lots and lots of pictures, ong."
"Hyung-ah, get lots and lots of paper."
"Hehe, I'm so cool-dayo!"
"Yeah, yeah. I'll take great pictures of you guys. Don't worry."
Kwak Suho understands these kids' words just as well as Gi-jin does.
Lee Jun was thinking that when Kwak Suho asked,
"Is today's concept a festival parade?"
"What?"
"What do you mean, 'what'? Whatever these kids do, they're cute and pretty. Right, guys? Ahahaha!"
Watching Kwak Suho having far too much fun all by himself, Lee Jun made a face of utter disbelief.
"Ah, right. Kwak Suho, didn't you send way too much?"
"Send what?"
"I just looked at these kids' balance. There's a ton in there. Did you just hand over everything?"
"No? I said I wanted to, and you said you wouldn't take it if I did. It's not even half. Even a quarter of that would be too much. Anyway, I sent it at the amount we compromised on back then."
Lee Jun suddenly stared at Kwak Suho.
"What, what is it?"
"You're loaded."
"Ah, ahahaha — ah, no, it's thanks to these kids, you know."
Then Lee Jun held out his hand to Kwak Suho.
"What, what?"
As Kwak Suho slowly backed away, Lee Jun and the three of them opened their mouths at the same time.
"Give us some money so we can buy the kids some land."
"Cool Hyungnim-ong, we have to click-click, ong. You can't leave, ong."
"Th-that's right. We have to get the paper."
"Hyungnims-ayo! Show off how cool you are-rayo! If you don't, the cool Hyungnim will leave-dayo!"
"I-is that so, ong?"
Hoesaegi looked flustered, then in a flash launched himself into the air, spun a full circle, and landed again.
Seeing that, Gkamnyangi launched himself too. But he didn't spin like Hoesaegi. He jumped down to the floor, jumped again, then whoosh — spun a full circle and landed on Sapsaree's back. As light as down.
"Whew!"
Gkamnyangi wiped his forehead with a front paw. Where on earth had he learned a detail like that?
That aside, Lee Jun and Kwak Suho's mouths fell open.
"Huh! Th-that's amazing."
"Wow...!"
Of course cats were good at jumping. But the dazzling costumes that made your jaw drop just looking at them, Sapsaree's back, and the midair spin — those elements elevated it into art.
Kwak Suho, who had been speechless with his mouth hanging open, looked at Lee Jun. The face that had been grinning a moment ago had grown a little stern.
"Lee Jun, haven't you been working these kids too hard?"
"Me?"
Yeah, Kwak Suho's eyes answered.
"You think these kids would do this just because I told them to?"
"Then who told them? And they hang on your every word."
"I'll give you that they listen well. But I didn't tell them to do this. They did it themselves. This is the first time I'm seeing it too."
"What? First time? I thought you were putting these kids in a movie or something."
"A movie? Nothing like that. Our kids are just smart."
"Incredibly smart."
"They want to give food to their friends."
"Ah, they remember that? Well, it is winter already. So... but doesn't Hols provide a lot of support? And there's CEO Namgoong too."
"Ah, you mean the park cats? Not them — the meat dogs."
"Reeeally? That's admirable."
Kwak Suho looked at the three of them with proud eyes.
"But Lee Jun, how do these kids even know about those dogs?"
"They saw the video."
"Ah... I see. They watched what you were watching."
That wasn't it. Lee Jun had shown it to them himself.
But Lee Jun just nodded vaguely and said,
"The law's changing too, so I figured I'd do some rescuing while we're at it."
"Rescuing?"
"Nothing grand..."
Lee Jun told Kwak Suho what he'd been thinking. Kwak Suho's face lit up.
"Great! That's really great. Ah, so that's why you asked me for money?"
"Yeah. Ideally I want to buy land and make a shelter. Renting would be fine too, but then you get kicked out."
There was nowhere that welcomed a shelter — barking, smells, any number of reasons. Even if you rented a rundown place, you'd still get told to tear it down.
"Got it. It's money we made thanks to these kids anyway. I'm in."
"Thanks, Kwak Suho."
"Alright, then we shoot a new video and use that revenue as operating funds for those kids going forward?"
"Oh~ that's good. If we can do that, we won't have to worry."
"Okay, first let's film these guys. Best to shoot while they're this fired up."
"In a way, you might know these kids better than I do?"
"No way. I just read their faces. Right now they look like they're dying to show off."
Kwak Suho said this to Lee Jun, then looked at the three of them.
"Shall we start the click-click, kids?"
Aieoho!
The three of them answered at the top of their lungs, and then Hoesaegi shouted,
"Let's go to the playground, ong. We'll click-click at the playground, ong."
"The playground is great!"
"Hehe, we're going to the playground-dayo? I like that-dayo!"
Just as the three of them were bouncing cheerfully toward the director's office door, something appeared through the open doorway.
Peek!
Wearing a black pirate's hat, One-eye stuck his one-eyed head out through the gap and grinned.