Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: A Morning Walk with Gray
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“Gray, let’s go.”
Lee Jun slung the carrier where Gray was riding over his shoulder and stepped out of the house.
As he walked down the alleyway after leaving home, cats began slinking up one by one to greet Gray.
[Boss, good morning.]
[It’s such a warm day—perfect for some sunbathing, Boss.]
Some cats exchanged light morning greetings like that,
[Boss, how are you feeling today?]
[I’ll escort you all the way to the end of that alley, Boss.]
While others, like Norangi from Evergreen Park, volunteered as bodyguards.
Gray responded to each of them with careful attention.
Once the greetings wrapped up roughly, Lee Jun spoke up.
“I left food and water at Alley House over there, so go eat.”
Gray made a habit of asking the visiting cats if they’d eaten, like a bedside manner for the street animals.
It was only natural, since food and safety were the main concerns for strays.
After overhearing it a few times, Lee Jun started stocking the yard with cat food and water.
[Thank you.]
[Thanks, Woof Teacher.]
[We’ll dig in.]
Not a single cat skipped thanking him.
Even Gray showed his gratitude toward Lee Jun.
[Thanks, meow.]
“No need.”
Lee Jun smiled at the cats.
“You guys must be hungry. Go eat. I’ll take good care of your boss.”
[That’s right, meow. Everyone go rest up, meow!]
[W-well, then we’ll go just up to that corner.]
[Alright, that far then, meow.]
Their conversations brimmed with care for one another.
‘These guys really get along well.’
A smile bloomed on Lee Jun’s face as he watched the cats.
Before he knew it, he’d reached the crosswalk while listening to their heartwarming exchange.
Standing at the light, Lee Jun chuckled.
“Back in the day, this walk felt so long. Now it seems way too short.”
That was how fun it was listening to the cats chat.
Especially with Gray right there beside him.
Was it because he wasn’t alone anymore?
Humming a tune, Lee Jun waited for the light.
That’s when he caught Gray sniffing the air.
It was surprising that such a faint sound carried over the traffic noise on the main road, but somehow it rang clear in Lee Jun’s ears.
Maybe he’d grown sensitive to these noises ever since treating Dubu.
“Gray, is your nose hurting?”
[No pain, meow!]
Gray insisted he was fine and kept sniffing.
“Then why are you sniffing like that?”
[I’m smelling something, meow!]
“Smelling?”
[It’s a really good smell, meow!]
“Where?”
[Over there, meow. That way. It’s the smell I love, and there’s a ton of it, meow!]
The spot Gray indicated was a flower shop.
“No way, flowers? That?”
Lee Jun pointed at the shop.
[Yes, meow. So good, meow.]
Lee Jun’s eyes widened. Then he let out a soft chuckle.
‘Kongdori used to love flowers too, back in the day.’
He wasn’t entirely sure if it was love.
But in flower season, Kongdori would head to the yard or park, bury his nose in the blooms, and sniff away.
Unlike his usual toy-chewing playfulness, he’d only sniff flowers, never destroy them.
Even with gifted bouquets, he’d just inhale the scent without damaging them.
That’s how Lee Jun came to believe Kongdori liked flowers.
Perhaps because of those memories of Kongdori and Gray’s love for the floral scent, Lee Jun’s gaze lingered on the flower shop while waiting at the light.
‘They’re selling carnations already? Guess May’s here.’
Lee Jun visited his old university professor every May and at year’s end.
And this year, barring any issues, he planned to drop by.
‘While I’m thinking of it, I’ll ask Jin-han about the professor’s free days.’
Once at work, Lee Jun texted Eom Jin-han, his surgical resident junior pursuing his PhD.
The reply came instantly with the professor’s schedule.
‘Immediate response, huh. This kid’s got free time.’
Eom Jin-han, in his second year of PhD studies, was now the ace of the surgery department, but to Lee Jun, he was still a junior who needed looking after.
‘I’ll have to drop by and knock some sense into him.’
Grinning, Lee Jun texted Choi Woo-jin.
[Me: It’s May. Time for school. I can do next week Wed and Thu afternoons. You?]
[Choi Woo-jin: Wednesday work?]
[Me: Perfect.]
***
A week later, on Wednesday.
Lee Jun and Choi Woo-jin arrived at the university.
Without hesitation, they headed straight for the animal hospital next to the veterinary school building.
They figured that’s where the professor would most likely be.
As they reached the hospital entrance, barking greeted them.
Woof woof woof.
Arf arf arf.
“Man, it’s been ages since I heard that sound.”
“Yeah. Back then it drained me just hearing it, but now it’s kinda nostalgic.”
While the two were lost in memories, three students emerged from the building, each holding a dog leash.
The dogs strained at their leashes, pulling forward with all their might.
It was the exact ordeal Lee Jun and Choi Woo-jin used to face, now passed on to the juniors.
“See that? Holding it too loosely like that, they’re gonna get dragged.”
Choi Woo-jin clucked his tongue at the students.
And right on cue, the dogs started dragging them off, just as he predicted.
“Oedonga, calm down, calm down.”
“We’re going, we’re going.”
The students tried soothing the dogs, but the excited pups paid no mind.
Throats choking or not, they bounced and leaped in delight.
In the end, the students surrendered and started running, which only hyped the dogs up more as they sped off.
[Eek, this is exciting! So exciting!]
[Run, run!]
[Whoa ha ha, it’s been forever! Let’s really tear it up!]
“Waaah!”
“H-hey, slow down, slow down!”
“Oedoongaaah…”
The two burst out laughing at the sight of the students being hauled away.
“Totally a two-hour walk there.”
“They gotta get dragged around like that to learn.”
“True. You got dragged plenty yourself.”
At Lee Jun’s words, Choi Woo-jin’s face flushed red.
“It wasn’t just me, okay? You were the weird one. Everyone else got dragged.”
“Yeah, right.”
“I’m serious!”
Choi Woo-jin pounded his chest indignantly, his face beet-red like it might burst.
In truth, he and his classmates had collapsed from exhaustion multiple times thanks to the school’s managed animals.
But Lee Jun was the exception—no one had ever seen the animals obey him so effortlessly.
That’s why everyone desperately hoped to be in the same group as him.
“Fine, fine. Anyway, check that out.”
“Where?”
“There. That one.”
Lee Jun pointed to a spot. A turtle was waddling along slowly.
“A turtle?”
“That one’s pretty big, right? Bigger than two handspans put together.”
“Yeah, it is big. But it’s kinda cute.”
Lee Jun and Choi Woo-jin watched the turtle with curious eyes.
“That’s a land tortoise, yeah?”
“Looks like it. Not a star tortoise?”
“The shell pattern suggests it. Things have really changed since our time. A tortoise strolling the campus.”
“Tell me about it. But why’s it moving so fast? You ever see them walking like that?”
“Nope. Every land tortoise I saw was sick.”
Even Choi Woo-jin, who specialized in exotic animals, had never seen a tortoise out for a walk.
“But it looks so happy. Hey, little tortoise, what’s your name?”
Lee Jun approached and asked.
The tortoise, however, kept plodding forward on busy legs, ignoring him.
The answer came from the student following behind.
“It’s Star Turtle-i.”
“Star Turtle-i?”
“Yeah, it’s my tortoise.”
“You named a star tortoise Star Turtle-i? That’s straight stream-of-consciousness if so.”
“Hee hee, it’s easy to say and cute.”
“Fair enough.”
“You two are seniors, right?”
“How’d you know?”
“It’s obvious.”
“Spot on. What year are you?”
“Third-year clinicals. And drop the formal speech, seniors.”
“Alright, casual it is. Third year’s when things get insanely busy, huh.”
“Yeah. On the brink of madness. Oh, hold on.”
Star Turtle-i’s owner dashed after the speedy tortoise and scooped it up.
[Ungh… let… me… goooo…]
Star Turtle-i wriggled and grumbled in her arms.
The junior looked down at its feet.
“Star Turtle-ah, does your foot hurt? Did you get stung?”
“Doesn’t seem like it. I think Star Turtle-i just wants to keep walking.”
Lee Jun spoke up, then addressed the tortoise.
“Right, Star Turtle-i?”
[…Y… yes.]
Star Turtle-i turned its head toward him slowly and replied even more slowly.
“See? It says yes.”
“Really?”
The junior tilted her head and set Star Turtle-i down.
Sure enough, it took off at the same quick pace as before.
Sasasak.
Only then did the junior smile and follow along.
“It really is.”
Lee Jun flashed a grin.
That’s when someone shouted loudly.
“Seniors! You’re here?”
“Hey, Eom Jin-han’s still alive.”
“Long time.”
“Heh heh heh. I’ve missed you seniors.”
“Why the act again? Who’s bullying you?”
“Them! They don’t listen at all. Trying to teach with these disobedient ones… ugh.”
Eom Jin-han trailed off with a sigh, then continued.
“Look how worn out my face is. Forehead’s gotten bigger too. I lose cMongchis of hair every morning.”
He suddenly yanked back his bangs and shoved his forehead at them.
“What’s with this kid?”
Lee Jun took a step back.
“Why? I’m scared I’ll go bald. Dodging the prof’s glares, wrangling these juniors… hair’s falling out nonstop. Forehead’s looking bare, right?”
“Such a drama queen! You replied to my text right away last week—seemed pretty free.”
“No! I just happened to be on break then…”
“Yeah, sure. Anyway, don’t dump the annoying stuff on your juniors. Take care of them.”
“…Choi Senior did the same.”
“What?”
“Nothing! Anyway, the professor’s still in a meeting. It’ll end soon, so hang tight a bit.”
The three chatted as they headed into the building.
This time, a tortoise with a harness strapped around its waist caught their eye.
“Is this a trend now?”
Lee Jun pointed at the tortoise toddling along in a red harness leash.
“Oh, yeah, pretty much.”
“Gonna be a boom in tortoise experts.”
Lee Jun smiled warmly.
“It’s all thanks to you seniors. Wait, no—because of you, Senior. The profs love it too.”
“Me?”
Lee Jun pointed at himself.
“Yeah, this senior. You’re the role model for us juniors now. They all wanna be like you, so they’re suddenly into this stuff.”
“Why? What do tortoises have to do with me?”
Lee Jun blinked, genuinely puzzled.