Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Rescuing the Trapped Cats
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Wardrobes, bookshelves, and desks lay tangled in a chaotic heap.
Go Gi-jin clicked his tongue at the sight.
"Aw, heck, this is what brought the whole mess down."
He pointed to a shattered piece of wood that looked like part of the furniture hardware.
The two figured that when it broke, the stacked-up pieces had toppled in a chain reaction.
But that didn't matter right now.
No matter the cause, rescue came first.
They quickly faced the situation head-on.
"Hup!"
Go Gi-jin positioned himself at one end of the heavy wardrobe and tried lifting it.
Grind.
As a small gap opened, Lee Jun's eyes widened.
"It's moving!"
"Shore is. Big Bro, I'll hold up this side, so you steady that one over there. Feels like if I push here, the other end might wobble."
"Got it."
Lee Jun headed to the far end to brace it when a faint sound came from somewhere.
[Ah... it hurts...]
His eyes turned to the fallen cat.
But the cat in his view still had its eyes closed.
'Not that one? Is another cat buried too?'
As Lee Jun frowned in thought, Gray approached him.
[There's another buddy inside, meow.]
Convinced he hadn't misheard, Lee Jun spoke up.
"Hang on. Let's check inside."
"What's up?"
Instead of answering Go Gi-jin's question, Lee Jun turned on the flashlight on his phone and peered into the gap.
"Oh, you're makin' sure no others got trapped. Always thorough, ain'tcha, Big Bro."
Go Gi-jin switched on his own flashlight and looked too.
"There's one in there."
"Another one way over here too?"
They spotted two cats that way.
Including the one already visible, three cats total were buried under the furniture pile.
"Whew, good thing you checked, Big Bro. We'd have been in trouble."
If they'd just yanked the furniture to free the one in sight, the others might've gotten hurt.
"Haenguni break. But this just got trickier. Better call 119 and wait for rescue."
"Nah, firefighters need their rest this late. Can't bother 'em with this. Can't reset the whole pile, but we can lift and make space. I'll pry it open—you pull 'em out."
"You sure?"
"Now that we know they're in there, no worries."
When Lee Jun asked if he could lift the heavy stuff alone without hurting the cats, Go Gi-jin promised to handle it carefully.
"Start with this one. I'll make the gap—you grab it."
"Right."
"Hrah!"
Go Gi-jin heaved, creating a big opening between the furniture.
[Whoa!]
[Incredible, meow!]
[Whoa, that's some strength.]
The cats marveled at Go Gi-jin effortlessly hoisting the massive wardrobe.
Lee Jun swiftly pulled out the fallen cat and set it down in a safe spot.
The other cats swarmed around it.
As he returned to the scene, Lee Jun called out to them.
"Check if it's breathing okay."
He'd already confirmed the rescued cat's breaths while carrying it.
But emergencies could happen anytime, so he said it anyway.
[Got it, meow.]
Hearing Gray's response, Lee Jun focused on the next cat.
Go Gi-jin lifted the topmost pieces one by one and set them aside.
"That's some real muscle."
While admiring him, Lee Jun shone his flashlight below to check.
Working in sync, they rescued the cats one after the other.
The displaced furniture piled up neatly beside them as they saved the second cat, leaving just one more.
The cats watched the rescue site, paws clasped together anxiously.
But they weren't just watching.
They scanned the area with their keen sense of smell and hearing.
Lee Jun and Go Gi-jin looked relieved after freeing the third cat.
"Phew, that's all of 'em."
"Good work."
"Ain't nothin'. They nearly had it bad."
Go Gi-jin wiped sweat from his brow and grinned broadly.
Then Gray approached him, politely clasping his front paws.
[Thanks for saving us, meow.]
Go Gi-jin might not understand the words, but the vibe said it all.
His small eyes widened just a bit.
"Did... did that cat just thank me?"
"Yeah, it did."
"Aw, man. What's goin' on in that little head..."
Go Gi-jin's pot-lid-sized hand gently petted Gray's head.
Even with his rough touch shaking Gray's head around, the cat stayed put without fleeing.
Lee Jun shone his flashlight into the remaining pile one more time.
"Looks clear now."
[No, meow. More in there, meow.]
Gray replied, his head now a tousled mess from the petting.
"More?"
[Yeah, meow. I smell it, meow.]
"Really?"
Lee Jun's relieved expression turned serious.
He crouched and peered in again.
But he still saw nothing.
"Big Bro, what's wrong?"
"Feels like there's one more in there, but I can't see it."
"That so?"
Go Gi-jin eyed the pile.
"If it was just y'all we'd seen, I'd call it done, but nope."
He started hoisting and moving the remaining pieces aside.
When he lifted the last one, a tiny kitten trembled beneath.
Lee Jun picked it up—it barely weighed a kilogram.
The terrified kitten just darted its big eyes around, too scared to meow.
"Good thing we found you."
He stroked the kitten gently with his free hand.
After a few pets, it let out a tiny cry.
Nya~.
"Hey, little one. What're you doin' in such a dangerous spot?"
Go Gi-jin gazed pityingly at the tiny life cradled in Lee Jun's palm and asked.
Lee Jun placed the kitten in Go Gi-jin's hand.
Its small body barely filled his massive palm.
Go Gi-jin looked at the fragile creature with compassion.
"You saved this little kitten."
The tiny, frail thing licked Go Gi-jin's palm.
Lick.
The raspy yet soft sensation brought a smile to his face.
"Can't drop it while carryin'..."
Go Gi-jin tucked the kitten carefully into his chest.
It wriggled a bit at first, then settled calmly.
The warmth had soothed it.
"Alright, let's get 'em to the clinic and check for injuries."
Lee Jun and Go Gi-jin carried the cats back to Meongmeong Animal Hospital.
***
"At least they're mostly okay. One aside, and this one's fine except the tail."
"Shore is. Haenguni, huh."
The first cat they'd found had a fractured tail pinned under the furniture.
The rest were just shaken up, no major issues.
"So we gotta do a caudectomy on this one?"
Go Gi-jin asked if the tail needed amputation.
"We'll watch and decide. Told it no touching or licking, no moving. If nerve damage shows, then we do it."
"You told the cat?"
Go Gi-jin's eyes bulged in confusion, but Lee Jun grinned at the cat.
"It'll listen if it wants to keep its tail."
[O-of course! I absolutely won't wag it!]
The cat with the bandaged tail glared wide-eyed and meowed fiercely.
Go Gi-jin eyed it skeptically, wondering if it'd really stay still.
"The others just need fluids and a day or two of monitoring."
"But why were the cats in there anyway?"
"There were bookshelves and a bed. They probably saw it as a new hiding spot and loved it."
Lee Jun relayed what the cats had told him.
"Ah, could be."
"Anyway, glad it worked out."
"Yep."
"You did a big thing today."
"Feels good?"
"You bet. You earned it. Used all that strength... too late now, but tomorrow I'll buy meat after work. Let's grill some."
"Meat's nice, but..."
"What? Seafood then?"
"Cake. Cravin' that."
"Huh?"
"Wanna try a whole one this time."
Instead of meat, cake? Lee Jun chuckled.
"Figures, that's you alright."
He laughed, recalling Go Gi-jin's nickname.
As the mood lightened, Gray and the alley cats stepped forward.
[Thanks for saving our friends, meow.]
Gray bowed first, then the cats shouted in unison.
[Thank you!!]
They rubbed against Lee Jun and Go Gi-jin's legs to show their gratitude.
"Haha, what in the world? Cats treatin' me like this. Never thought I'd see the day."
Go Gi-jin petted them happily.
"Big Bro, they ain't even clawin'."
"They're grateful to you."
"That so? Our neighborhood cats gotta see this."
Lee Jun smiled along with Go Gi-jin's beaming grin.
"Alright, take your crew home now."
"What about you?"
"Gotta watch these guys."
"Then I'll stay too."
"You pulled plenty of overnights when Sugar was admitted. Go rest."
"I'm fine."
"Save the 'I'm dyin'' complaints for later—rest when you can."
"I'll stick around. Worryin' about 'em."
To Go Gi-jin, who treated cows, the cats looked so small and delicate.
Seeing them lie there hooked to IVs tugged at him.
Especially the kitten.
But that wasn't the only reason he volunteered.
He wanted to watch Lee Jun treat cats up close.
"And I wanna see how you handle cats, Big Bro. Folks call you Vet God for a reason. Can't pass up seein' it myself."
"When'd you hear that?"
Lee Jun smiled awkwardly.
"Aw, I may be in Hongseong, but I hear everything. Know you fixed up that park nearby too."
"That right? Then let's start with cat-handling basics."
That night, Lee Jun explained cat restraint in detail to Go Gi-jin.
Models: Gray, Shadow, and the alley cats.
"That's tricky stuff."
"Yeah, grab 'em like cows and you're done for. Kitten ribs snap like twigs."
"Eek, for real?"
"Yep. Keep your strength loose—that's the key."
"Like this?"
Go Gi-jin placed the ultrasound probe on a cat's belly.
The cat on the exam table was the one that had come to Lee Jun's house to report the accident.
[Ow, it hurts!]
"No, even looser."
"Like this?"
Go Gi-jin held the probe with zero pressure.
"Yeah, perfect. Good job."
Lee Jun praised his control and moved to the next practice.
With the cats' cooperation, Go Gi-jin quickly got the hang of small animals.
Knowledge makes sight sharper—he now pitied the cat moving oh-so-carefully to avoid wagging its tail.
"Pungseong, you hurtin' bad?"
Pungseong—the name Lee Jun gave, meaning "plentiful tail," to encourage fluffy recovery.
Pungseong nodded at Go Gi-jin.
[Yes. It hurts, meow.]
"Yeah. Must be rough. I broke a toe once—know how it feels."
Understanding him, Pungseong brought its head to Go Gi-jin sitting in the ward.
Asking for pets.
Go Gi-jin's hand naturally went to stroke it.
Stroke, stroke—gentle, careful not to shake the tail.
Lee Jun smiled warmly at the sight.
'Soon I can let him treat cats.'
***
Lee Jun's expertise with animals and top-notch skills were already well-known, but Meongmeong Animal Hospital wasn't a go-to for large dogs.
Strong large breeds hesitated at a solo small-animal clinic.
The equipment was geared for small pets, and there weren't enough hands to handle big dogs safely.
But with Go Gi-jin joining, large dogs started visiting one by one.
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