Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Strong Brother Gi-jin Arrives
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The next day.
Gray and Shadow, who had been lounging comfortably on the cat tower gazing outside, abruptly jumped to their feet.
[A strong energy... I feel it-nyong.]
[That one's the enemy.]
"Enemy?"
Having overheard the cats, Lee Jun peered outside and soon let out a chuckle.
"It's Gi-jin."
[Oh, you know him-nyong?]
"Yeah. Not an enemy—an ally."
[Really-nyong?]
Seeing Lee Jun unfazed, the cats relaxed and asked.
"Yeah."
A short while later, accompanied by a loud jingle from the bell, a massive figure pushed open the door to the animal hospital.
Even after hearing he was an ally, the cats—intimidated by his threatening bulk and overwhelming presence—scrambled up to the highest perch on the cat tower.
"Bro! I'm here, yuh!"
"Oh, Gi-jin. You found it okay?"
"'Course, yuh. Right from the subway station, yuh. Piece o' cake, yuh."
"Good to see you."
Lee Jun introduced his junior to Jang So-ra.
"Manager Jang, this is my junior. Go Gi-jin, veterinarian. He's a large animal specialist who wants to learn small animal care, so he'll be sticking around for a bit."
Jang So-ra was quite taken aback upon seeing Go Gi-jin.
She had heard a junior was coming, but she wouldn't have batted an eye if someone said he was a pro wrestler.
'Whoa, no wonder he handles large animals. That's no joke.'
Though his vibe was worlds apart from any vet she'd met before, Jang So-ra quickly composed herself and greeted him.
"Hello. I'm Jang So-ra."
"Pleasure, yuh."
Once the two had exchanged greetings, Lee Jun asked.
"What do you want to drink?"
"It's fine, but..."
"Nah. I feel like having something. Manager Jang, cafe latte as usual, right? What about you?"
"No, let me go grab them."
Jang So-ra offered.
"You sure?"
"Director, you have an iced Americano, right? Should I get the same for Teacher Go?"
"Nah, yuh. I'll take an iced cafe mocha, yuh."
"Pardon?"
"Y'know, the one stuffed full o' cream. Pleeease, yuh."
Ordering a sweet drink with a face that looked like it could chew through iron.
The sheer gap sent a tremor through Jang So-ra's pupils for a moment.
But his next words made Go Gi-jin feel surprisingly approachable.
"Oh, and if they've got fresh cream cake over there, grab some o' that too, yuh."
It was none other than her favorite cake.
"Got it."
As Jang So-ra headed out, the two men's conversation continued.
"So, how long's it been, anyway?"
Lee Jun clapped his junior on the back, delighted.
"Right yuh are. Last time was when y'all came volunteerin' on Anmyeondo. Gotta be a year now, yuh?"
"Has it been that long already?"
"Yessir. Was a real hoot back then."
"It was great. Owe your dad a ton, too. How's he doing? Staying healthy?"
"Don't get me started, yuh. That old man's got strength comin' outta nowhere. I still can't hold a candle to Dad, yuh."
Hearing the complaints from a junior whose forearm looked thicker and tougher than Lee Jun's thigh, Lee Jun couldn't help but chuckle.
"Yeah, Director Go's something else, alright. Speaking of, what about your hospital if you're here?"
Lee Jun's junior, Go Gi-jin, was a large animal veterinarian.
He'd been working under his father, who ran Go Pan-seok Animal Hospital near Hongseong. For him to drop everything and come like this had Lee Jun worried.
"Ah, no sweat, yuh. Got two juniors holdin' down the fort right now, yuh."
"Good to hear."
With large animal vets dwindling by the day, it was cause for celebration that his juniors had stepped up.
Lee Jun was genuinely pleased.
"But what's got you interested in small animals all of a sudden?"
"Don't even ask, yuh. When those bros came volunteerin', yuh? Dad took one look and was hooked—that's why, yuh."
After wrapping up their volunteer work on Anmyeondo, Lee Jun's group had stopped by the Go family home to rest for two days.
At the time, an emergency puppy had come into Go Pan-seok Animal Hospital, and Lee Jun's team had saved it.
Recalling the memory, Lee Jun asked.
"Oh, right. How'd that puppy turn out?"
"Doin' just fine, yuh. The owner's still goin' on about it, thankin' y'all nonstop, yuh. Bottom line, y'all are that pup's saviors, yuh."
Lee Jun's lips curved into a smile at the good news.
"Glad to hear it. But how's that connected to you being here now?"
"Honestly, Dad never cared much before 'cept life or death, yuh."
"Yeah, figures. Industrial animals and all."
The goal in raising what were called industrial or economic animals—large livestock—was profit.
When treating them, large animal vets always had to consider whether saving them was more beneficial to the farm or if letting go was kinder.
It was heartbreaking, but it was reality.
"Right, yuh."
"Still, from what I've seen, Director Go couldn't just look past the sick ones."
"'Save 'em, sure, but how long they gonna last? Too pitiful if they're sufferin', yuh.'"
His massive frame welled up with tears on the verge.
It didn't suit him at all, but it was this very kindness that had Go Gi-jin monopolizing affection from his seniors.
And among those seniors who doted on him was Lee Jun.
"You haven't changed a bit."
"Well, same goes for you, bro, yuh? Anyway, Dad went gaga over y'all's skills, yuh. Brought back a half-dead palm-sized thing, yuh. Truth be told, without y'all, that pup was goners, yuh."
"Nah, you and your dad are the impressive ones."
"Hahaha, Dad'd love hearin' that, yuh. Anyway, a few big hospitals poppin' up 'round there, and Dad wants in on it too, yuh."
"Like a medical center?"
"Yup. Folks in our village raisin' all these cute lil' ones now. But they can't even do a proper scaling... Anyway, take care o' me, yuh."
"Not sure how much help we'll be—cases aren't that plentiful here—but make yourself at home while you're around."
"Bro, thanks, yuh."
After thanking Lee Jun, Go Gi-jin finally took a look around the hospital.
"Hot damn, this place is top-notch, yuh. Knew your spot'd be good, but whew, yuh."
"But your accent's gotten thicker, hasn't it? Wasn't this strong back in school."
"Really, yuh?"
"Yeah. You weren't laying it on this heavy."
"Yeah, well, dealin' with elders all day does that, yuh. It'll lighten up soon enough, yuh. Weird, huh?"
"Nah, it's got heart. I like it."
"This the exam room, yuh?"
"Yep."
"Figures cat 'n' dog rooms gotta be different, yuh."
"Kinda has to be."
"True that. Cats are way too sensitive, yuh. Skittish as heck, tons o' self-defense. Oh, right—hold up, yuh."
Go Gi-jin dialed somewhere.
"It's me, yuh. Forgot to feed the kitties. You handle feedin' 'em from now on, yuh."
-… .
"Right. Thanks."
Watching the call end, Lee Jun asked.
"You got cats?"
"Nah, not really, yuh. Just a handful that swing by the hospital yard for chow, yuh. Maybe ten? Been feedin' 'em, yuh."
Go Gi-jin pulled up photos of the cats on his phone.
"They're adorable."
Intrigued by the word "cats," Gray and Shadow hopped down from the cat tower and settled beside Lee Jun.
Spotting them, Go Gi-jin went wide-eyed.
"Who're these cuties, yuh? Dang, they're precious, yuh."
His voice had suddenly gone soft.
It startled Lee Jun, Gray, and Shadow alike.
"Why the sudden change?"
"Cats get spooked by loud voices, yuh. Sorry 'bout that. Didn't see ya there, yuh."
At Go Gi-jin's words, Gray and Shadow cocked their heads.
[Guess he is an ally-nyong.]
[Doesn't look like an attacker.]
Lee Jun smiled at the cats' spot-on judgment.
"They say you seem like a good guy."
"Bro says so, so they musta, yuh. Hahaha!"
Go Gi-jin burst out laughing and reached out toward Gray, who was sitting between him and Lee Jun.
With his huge, thick hand, he ruffled Gray's head wildly.
Gray's head flopped every which way—side to side, forward and back—and his eyes rolled accordingly.
[Wh-what's he doing-nyong?]
"Haha, even the meow's cute on this one."
Gray endured the massive paw assault for quite a while without unsheathing a single claw.
'He's close to Bro, so I gotta tough it out-nyong.'
But the moment he wriggled free from Go Gi-jin's grasp, Gray bared his teeth in a timid show of defiance.
[Kyaoong!]
"What a cute lil' rascal, yuh. C'mere you."
This time, Shadow got snatched up and met the same fate as Gray.
[Urgh... wh-what's with this guy?]
His actions seemed rough enough to offend.
Yet beneath the roughness lay a gentleness.
Struck by the strange, wondrous feeling, Gray and Shadow gazed up at Go Gi-jin.
"What? Wanna climb up?"
With hands like pot lids, he scooped up the cats and plopped them on his shoulders.
Gray on the right, Shadow on the left.
[Ow! That hurts-nyong!]
[Ow, he's manhandling the cat!]
The cats let out massive yowls and leaped off, fleeing to the cat tower.
Go Gi-jin shook his head ruefully as he watched.
"Cats sure are tricky, yuh. Lovin' on 'em like this, and still they won't open up easy, yuh."
[How's that loving-nyong?! That's straight-up torment-nyong!]
[Nearly died! How do you grab a neck that hard?!]
The cats hissed at Go Gi-jin one more time.
"You're squeezing too hard. Anyone'd hate that."
"That so, yuh? Cows take it fine, yuh."
"How do you compare them—barely 5 kilos—to cows?"
"Oh yeah, yuh?"
Go Gi-jin sMongchied his shoulders.
For Go Gi-jin, who had dived headfirst into large animal studies since undergrad, small animals were uncharted territory.
"You just need to learn how to handle them. Don't sweat it."
"Still, these cats here are real sweethearts, yuh. Didn't claw or bite once. Our kitties? Try huggin' one and they kick up a fuss like you wouldn't believe. Check this out, yuh—ain't a day my hands ain't scarred, yuh."
Go Gi-jin stuck out his arm.
It was covered in scars here and there.
"Yeah, they're extra gentle."
As Lee Jun praised the cats, Jang So-ra returned with drinks and snacks in both hands.
"Whoa, cake after forever!"
Go Gi-jin beamed at the pristine white cake, and Jang So-ra smiled as she asked.
"Teacher Go must love sweets, huh."
"A bit, yuh."
"This guy's been sweet-obsessed since school. Nickname was 'Sugar Killer' for a reason."
"Oh yeah, Sugar Killer—reminds me, Director."
"Hm?"
"The cafe owner's Sugar's not well, apparently."
Sugar was the Pyrenees owned by the cafe owner across from Evergreen Park.
"Sugar?"
"Yeah. Been limping a few days—today couldn't even stand. Says can't carry him, asked if you'd do a house call."
"Too big to carry, yeah. I'll swing by after closing."
"What's wrong, yuh? Sugar too mean to bring, yuh?"
"Nah, just too heavy. Almost 50 kilos. I'll go help the owner lift him."
"Why fret, yuh? I can carry him, yuh. C'mon, bro. Let's roll. Gotta tote him for X-rays anyway, yuh?"
"Oh, right—you're here."
Remembering how Go Gi-jin hefted calves like nothing, Lee Jun's eyes lit up.
"Manager Jang, prep the X-ray."
Jang So-ra figured three people including the cafe owner would manage Sugar just fine, and nodded.
"Got it."
Thirty minutes later.
Jang So-ra, who had been peering out the window waiting for Lee Jun, realized she'd misjudged.
Go Gi-jin was walking in carrying Sugar all by himself.
And not struggling with a fireman's carry either—it was just like guardians hauling in 3- or 4-kilo dogs.
"G-Good lord, how can a person..."
Jang So-ra gawked at Go Gi-jin's superhuman strength, but Go Gi-jin was the one gobsmacked by Lee Jun's exam.
"Really don't need me holdin' him, yuh?"
"Nope. Just make sure Sugar doesn't slip."
"That's easy, but... big dog's alright like that, yuh?"
"Fine."
Lee Jun examined Sugar's body top to bottom on his own.
For whatever reason, Sugar neither growled nor snapped—he simply entrusted himself to Lee Jun.
And that wasn't all.
Sugar even shifted his body this way and that at Lee Jun's direction.
"Hm? This area's really swollen. That's why he couldn't walk."
He pinpointed the cause of the limp in a flash.
Lee Jun addressed Sugar's owner, the cafe proprietor who'd come along.
"You nearly had a major disaster on your hands."
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