I'll Go Instead

"I'll take care of the kennels. The operating costs as well."

Lee Jun's eyes widened a fraction. Then he gave a small shake of his head.

"I'm grateful just for the offer. But I can't keep leaning on you for everything, Chairman. The figure I mentioned was the land cost alone. My friends have stepped forward to join in, so we have a little room to work with."

Kwak Suho had pledged the same three hundred million won as Lee Jun, and Choi Woo-jin had agreed to put in a hundred million. Setting operating costs aside, that meant they could put roughly five hundred million toward the land itself. Revenue would keep coming in, too — even after sinking that much into the property, the numbers said they could still keep every animal well-fed.

It'd be wonderful to buy a wide stretch of land. But that would mean going far out, wouldn't it?

Somewhere like a remote backwater, a long way from the city.

A place like Donghae might even come cheap.

The Donghae where Haennim-i and her friends had suffered would probably be inexpensive. But if it was that far away, Lee Jun would have a hard time visiting often.

There's already so much to do here. If I let my guard down even a little, those friends could end up neglected. I can't let that happen.

And so Lee Jun wanted to build their sanctuary somewhere he could reach on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a regular basis.

In his heart of hearts, he wanted to put it right beside Mongmong Animal Hospital. That, however, was truly impossible.

While Lee Jun turned these thoughts over, Namgoong Hyun had fallen silent as well.

Thorough as always. That said... I should be able to look into this a little more generously, shouldn't I?

A faint smile touched Namgoong Hyun's mouth.

"I'll look into it."

"Thank you."

"And as I said a moment ago, please leave the kennels to us."

"Ah, come on — it's not as if it's anything grand enough to trouble you with, Chairman. I'm already so grateful you built the cat town in the park..."

"Didn't I tell you then? Thanks to that, our company's name became known."

"That was a real blessing. It meant I could give something back to you."

"Hahaha. We were the ones who came out far ahead. In any case, I hope to bring you good news soon."

Namgoong Hyun left them with an easy, open laugh.

Rattle, rattle, rattle.

The van jolted and bounced, kicking up clouds of yellow dust, and in the back seat Lee Jun sat gripping the handhold. From the passenger seat, Park Joo-hwan turned to look at him.

"The road's pretty rough."

"It's always like this, wherever the animals are."

"This here's nothin'~. A stretch like this is downright gentle, y'know."

Lee Jun and Go Gi-jin answered at the same time.

"I suppose you're used to roads like this, Dr. Go?"

"Well, I s'pose so. With the big animals, y'go out to where they are, y'see."

In other words, large-animal practice was mostly done in the field.

"Though these days, ranches don't hardly have roads this rough no more. Most of 'em got proper roads laid down."

"Well. It would be hard to do that kind of thing somewhere people come and go."

Which was why the road was this rough.

Lee Jun said it and turned his face to the window. Everyone in the van understood exactly what he meant, and the temperature inside seemed to drop all at once. Go Gi-jin looked out. Park PD's gaze followed. Writer Yeom, sitting beside Lee Jun, turned to the glass as well — and so did Lee Jun, who had spoken the words in the first place.

Silence held for a beat. Then Park PD twisted around to look at Lee Jun.

"Director Lee."

"Yes?"

"Are you really planning to take them all?"

"Yes. That's the plan."

"I heard there are more than fifty of them."

Lee Jun nodded as he answered, and Park PD let out a thin, whistling sigh.

"Those dogs... every last one of them was huge."

How was he going to manage more than fifty dogs that size? That was the real question underneath.

"I'd do it even if there were a hundred."

"Even a hundred? I was going to suggest something else, actually. Fifty is too many — rescue about half for now, then work through the rest step by step."

"And the ones left behind?"

Every meat-farm dog on that land was pitiful. Every one of them was a wound.

"I thought about it. Do we pull the sick ones first? The puppies? The ones who've lived in those cages the longest?"

"...That's a hard one."

Park PD's voice had gone low. Another voice followed on its heels.

"It's just too pitiful, Hyungnim."

Go Gi-jin sniffled as he said it.

"It's too cruel."

Writer Yeom, who had kept her mouth shut and her eyes on the window until now, let the words out like a sigh.

"I think so too. No matter who leaves, the ones who stay will have a terrible time of it."

Whether from missing the others, or from envy, or from the fear that they would be the next to die.

The last of those, at least, was a misunderstanding Lee Jun could correct. But beyond that, he had nothing to say to them. Nothing came to mind.

How do you tell them — you're staying here, and those ones are going somewhere good?

Would those words even leave his mouth?

No. He would never be able to say them.

Lee Jun smiled bitterly and went on.

"We have to shut the farm down. Even just this one. That way, at least here, no more of them will keep being added."

"I hope we can."

Writer Yeom let out a long breath.

"That owner — no, I don't even want to call him an owner, but I don't have another word for him. Anyway. He doesn't look like the type to hand anything over quietly, and that's what worries me."

Go Gi-jin snorted, a sharp puff of air through his nose.

"He just try tellin' us no — I won't sit still for it!"

Every pair of eyes in the van swung toward him. Even Maknae PD, who was driving, flicked a glance at Go Gi-jin in the rearview mirror — a look that said he felt steadier just having him there.

Park PD put the feeling into words.

"Hearing Dr. Go say that, I suddenly feel a lot more confident."

"It's true. Honestly, ever since we came back a week ago, I've been in an awful mood. That so-called owner... ah, seriously! Why can't I think of another word? I'm a writer, aren't I?"

Writer Yeom's voice had gone sharp with irritation. She hated even putting a man that repulsive in her mouth — and she hated calling him "owner" just as much.

"I don't know. Anyway, he looked at us like we were marks. And that wasn't even the worst of it — he treated the dogs like they were nothing. Ah, seriously! The more I talk about it, the angrier I get!"

It was hard to believe this was the same person who had been staring out the window and sighing only moments before. Writer Yeom was well and truly burning.

"What'd he do to 'em?"

"Well, he grabbed one of them right in front of the others and... I don't know. Anyway, it was really... Director! Please, you have to shut that place down, all right?"

"I will. I'll make sure it closes."

At Lee Jun's answer, Kwak Suho, who had been silent until now, clenched his jaw until the muscle jumped.

Quiet settled over the van once more.

The rattling vehicle slowed by degrees, then came to a stop. Lee Jun looked ahead.

"Is that it?"

"Yes."

They would have known even without seeing it.

A chorus of enraged barking no ordinary dog would ever make came rolling toward them — sounds closer to screams than barks. Krrang-kraaagh-kuhk-kuhk. Muhk-muhk-muhk. Wuhk-wuhk-wuh-wuhk. Kkeek-kking-kkigi-gik.

"They're all big, just like you said, Park PD."

"You can tell just from the barking, can't you?"

"That's right. You can tell."

"Let's go."

Lee Jun's face tightened as he climbed out of the van. Park Joo-hwan, who had gotten out first, caught that expression and spoke.

"The dogs aren't going to be easy, are they?"

He meant the size of them — that pulling them out later would be a fight. Instead of answering, Lee Jun looked at Kwak Suho, who was stepping down from the van, and gave a single nod. He nodded to Go Gi-jin, last out of the vehicle, as well — and then he was already running. There was no need to ask which way. You just went toward the barking.

That was when Lee Jun's stride began to lengthen.

Tadak-tak-tak-tak-tak.

Kwak Suho's and Go Gi-jin's footsteps picked up behind him.

Chak-chak-chak-chak.

Kung-kung-kung-kung-kung-kung.

And then, in a single instant, the enraged barking cut off.

"Wh-what? Why'd they go quiet like that?"

Sensing something wrong, Go Gi-jin poured on more speed. Kwak Suho did the same.

A sound tore out of Lee Jun's throat as he ran. He knew why the dogs had gone silent.

"This insane—!"

Dudadadada!

Lee Jun sprinted as if he were running a hundred-meter dash. Go Gi-jin stayed on his heels. Only Kwak Suho fell behind, gasping, swearing inwardly as he ran.

What the hell is with this guy being so fast? Is this really the same guy who sits cooped up in an animal hospital all day?

He had no way of knowing Lee Jun was putting out a burst of unnatural strength. All he could do was curse and chase from the rear.

Three minutes of that, and Lee Jun unleashed a roar.

The words came out raw, stripped of everything but fury.

On the way here, Lee Jun had sworn to himself more than once. Don't lose your temper. If you blow up, you might fail to save all these children. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠So hold it in. Hold it in. Hold it in. He had kept the word endure turning over and over in his mind the whole way.

And in a single breath, all of it had crumbled.

It could hardly have gone otherwise. The dogs had been crying out as one for him to save their friend. He had come running in a single burst — and now one dog stood trembling before a raised club.

The dog might already have been hit with that thing. Lee Jun had simply arrived too late to see the blow.

"Wh-what? Who the hell are you?"

The man holding the club startled. Then his face twisted into something ugly, and he bellowed.

"I can do whatever I want with my own property — what's it to you? And you — this is trespassing. Get out. Get off my land right now!"

"Go on, then. Report us."

The voice was thick and pointed at once. The man with the club looked past Lee Jun, his eyes finding the source of the sound on their own — and then those eyes flew wide as saucers. Whether it was the sight of Go Gi-jin that did it, he began to stammer and shout.

"Wh-who — who are you people? Get out of here! Get out!"

"We ain't leavin'! We won't go! Hand 'em over! We ain't goin' nowhere till you hand them dogs over!"

"What did you just say?"

At the demand to hand over the dogs, the owner's eyes bulged with rage.

"Look at you. Thieves, the lot of you. Trying to steal another man's property right in front of him."

While the owner ranted, Kwak Suho had already slipped out of his line of sight and was moving among the cages. Park PD and the rest of the team came into view behind him. The moment the owner spotted Park PD, he puffed himself up and crowed.

"Ah, it's you people from before. I told you I wasn't selling, didn't I? I'm not selling. So go home."

"I'm sure you're aware the law has changed."

"So what?"

The landowner's temper flared all at once, and he pressed on, louder.

"They're all my property. I paid money for them. So what right do you have to tell me to sell or not to sell?"

The mention of the law had set him off — which meant he knew perfectly well what had changed, and how.

And he's been breaking it in broad daylight anyway.

A hard light came into Lee Jun's eyes. He swept a look around the grounds.

"Since you say you own everything here... I suppose we could report you for building-code violations as well."

In other words, the revised Animal Protection Act was only the beginning. There was no shortage of things to report.

"Illegal?"

"Yes. These structures were all put up illegally. Not that they deserve to be called buildings."

A short distance from the iron cages that passed for kennels, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a few ramshackle outbuildings stood in a cluster. The Animal Praise team had already confirmed they were illegal constructions.

"Wh-what? Those are just farm huts I put up to sleep in or rest for a bit. Farm huts."

"You can't put up a farm hut illegally either."

Lee Jun answered evenly, but he knew exactly what those buildings were for.

How could I not, with eyes like that looking at them?

The dogs had their shoulders hunched to their ears, heads dropped, stealing glances at the shabby structures Lee Jun had named. Terror lived in those eyes. That alone was enough to tell him what went on in there — ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and then the dogs began to bark, very, very softly.

He wanted to cover his ears. He wanted to shut his eyes.

And in the middle of that, Lee Jun heard something that stopped him cold.

Aigoo.

Friendship? In a place like this?

Lee Jun wanted to sink to the ground right then and there.