Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Aji's Desperate Plea for Rescue
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The Cocker's heartbreaking cry for help.
It was such a tiny, feeble bark, but to Lee Jun—who had been on edge ever since the Cocker was brought in—it rang out like a thunderclap.
‘Just as I thought!’
His suspicions confirmed, Lee Jun's expression turned icy.
At that moment, the Cocker, who had been dragging its feet while following him, flinched.
‘This guy's sharp.’
It had picked up on Lee Jun's shift in mood right away—clearly battle-tested from reading the room.
Lee Jun quickly softened his face and spoke to the Cocker.
“It's okay. It won't hurt, so don't worry.”
His hand reached out instinctively to comfort the Cocker, who was trembling with its head hung low.
But before it touched, Lee Jun pulled back.
He worried that even a gentle touch might feel like violence to a dog already terrified by his mere change in expression.
‘Touch it now, and it'll think I'm hitting it.’
Instead, he shot a glance at Shadow, conveying his intent with his eyes.
‘Calm this one down for me.’
You understood what it said, so you handle it.
Shadow got the message and spoke to the Cocker.
[Relax and follow him inside.]
[Yeah, meow. Tell our Big Brother, and he'll help you, meow!]
The cats were clearly talking about the vet in the white coat dragging it along.
The Cocker stared at the man walking ahead.
‘The vet doesn't understand me...’
For the past five years, every time it came to the animal hospital, the Cocker had begged the vets to save it.
But not a single one had ever listened.
Realizing its plea to the cat had failed too, the Cocker's already droopy eyes sagged even further.
With a miserable look, it trudged into the exam room. At the doorway, Lee Jun said,
“Teacher Go, once the owner's initial intake is done, can you handle the questionnaire?”
Go Gi-jin, who had been following Lee Jun into the exam room, turned back to glance at the owner.
The owner was sipping coffee while scrolling on his phone, showing zero interest.
It was an initial visit for a skin condition, so there were tons of questions for the owner: what it ate, how they dried it after baths, and so on.
But judging by the owner, he wouldn't bother answering even if they called him in.
“Alrighty. Leave it to me.”
Go Gi-jin grabbed the questionnaire and headed to the owner, while Lee Jun took the Cocker into the exam room.
Handing off the questionnaire to Go Gi-jin wasn't just so Lee Jun could chat freely with the Cocker.
He knew the abuse topic would come up naturally, and with Go Gi-jin's temper, he'd explode on the spot.
‘That guy's grab the owner by the collar first thing.’
Go Gi-jin could easily overpower him, but that wasn't the priority right now.
When discovering an abused animal, you had to report it to the local government or animal protection center.
If Lee Jun had witnessed the abuse firsthand, he could've secured video evidence and reported immediately.
But in this situation, all he could do was gather evidence of abuse.
‘I need proof it was abused. Even a fracture trace would do.’
Lee Jun vowed never to hand the Cocker back to that owner.
“What's your name, buddy?”
[...Aji.]
“Aji. Cute name.”
Aji's eyes widened in an instant.
[H-How do you know my name...?]
“You just told me.”
“W-Well, yeah, but...”
“Remember what Gray said? Tell me, and I'll help.”
“Yeah...”
Aji nodded slowly.
“Alright, Aji. Want to tell me what's wrong?”
“What's wrong?”
“Yeah. But first, let's weigh you.”
Abusers never fed their animals properly.
Lifting Aji to weigh it, Lee Jun was stunned. His hand sank into the fluffy fur, feeling only protruding bones.
‘It's all fur.’
Way too skinny.
A Cocker like Aji should weigh at least nine kilograms.
Lee Jun weighed himself with Aji first, then just Aji on the scale.
“Not a mistake.”
Same reading as before.
6.3 kilograms.
“How long have they been starving you?”
Lee Jun gritted his teeth, staring at Aji.
Aji flinched, curling up like a turtle retreating into its shell, and muttered,
[I-I'm sorry. P-Please don't hit me.]
Sensing Lee Jun's sharpened mood.
“Why would I hit you?”
Lee Jun's hand descended gently onto Aji's head.
Aji's tensed body stiffened even more.
It broke Lee Jun's heart.
Kongdori, Gray, Shadow—they all begged for more pets when he stroked them, never trembled in fear like this.
‘How much abuse has it endured...’
Lee Jun stroked Aji's head softly.
Aji's whole body went rigid.
Lee Jun's heart ached, but he wanted to show Aji what a kind touch felt like.
As he petted gently, Aji's tension slowly eased.
Eventually, Aji leaned into his hand on its own.
[...Warm.]
Aji grinned happily, but the expression looked so awkward.
It probably hadn't smiled enough to work those facial muscles.
Lee Jun hugged Aji tightly with affection, and Aji went limp, leaning fully against him.
A sign of trust.
Lee Jun whispered softly,
“Aji, the doctor will help you. Can you tell me where and how they hit you?”
Aji stammered out its story.
Beaten at the drop of a hat, starved, sometimes denied water.
Reasons varied.
Hit for eating too much, for pooping, for peeing.
Sometimes for no reason at all.
The textbook pattern of animal abusers, ad nauseam.
Even a few days ago, it said. Lee Jun soaked alcohol generously on Aji's body.
To check the bruised areas.
‘Want to shave the fur and inspect, but this'll have to do for now.’
The black, long fur made it hard to see, but the alcohol matted it down.
Lee Jun shone a bright light over Aji's body.
Bruises dark red here and there.
He photographed every lesion meticulously with the camera. Then took X-rays.
‘These are healed fractures.’
Not surgically fixed—bones knit crooked. Even toe fractures.
‘Tsk...’
How terrifying and painful for such a small body? Rage surged in Lee Jun, but he took a deep breath to suppress it.
‘Can't scare Aji. Now, what to do with this inhuman monster?’
With fractures confirmed, no way he'd let Aji go back.
‘Reporting's the only way... Call 112, and the station will come?’
Lee Jun looked at Aji. It looked far more at ease now.
‘Better get CEO Namgung's help—faster.’
He'd planned to just call 112. But quicker resolution seemed better.
Lee Jun sent Namgung Hyun a brief text about Aji's situation.
Reply came right away.
-I'm looking into it. Wait just a bit.
Then another.
-They'll arrive in thirty minutes. Hold him till then.
Lee Jun's eyes hardened as he read.
“Perfect!”
Sensing hope in Lee Jun's voice, Aji tilted its head, eyes sparkling.
Quick to read the mood again.
“Aji, the doctor will make you comfortable.”
“What's comfortable?”
How to explain to a dog that didn't know peace.
Lee Jun just petted it, murmuring,
“You'll learn bit by bit.”
He told Aji to wait inside, then stepped out.
“Sir.”
“Oh, all done?”
“No, not yet. To drain the pus, we need tools in the ear canal, but it's too swollen. We're waiting for the ointment to reduce it a bit.”
A stall to tie up the owner for thirty minutes—but also true.
Aji's ear was a wreck; pus packed in the swollen canal made even applying ointment feel cruel.
“Tch, what a pain in the ass.”
Lee Jun's eyes chilled at the owner's irritation.
Not just him—Go Gi-jin, Jang So-ra, even the cats' faces hardened.
Oblivious or uncaring, the owner kept griping.
“Why does owning a dog cost so damn much? Director, don't these breeds all come with ear problems? Or is this one just extra weak? Constant ear infections, skin issues... Ugh, the stink. Director, Poodles don't smell as bad as this, right?”
Mid-rant, he dragged Lee Jun in.
Everyone knew what he left unsaid.
‘Gonna get a Poodle next.’
The air turned frosty—not just Lee Jun, but Go Gi-jin, Jang So-ra, and the cats.
The owner's mismanagement of this dog while eyeing the next rubbed them wrong, plain on their faces.
‘Raising a dog like that?’
Go Gi-jin's face flushed purple. Lee Jun gripped his hand tight and shook his head.
Hold it in.
Lee Jun held back too.
‘Just a bit longer.’
Thinking of what was coming, he answered the question.
“With proper care, any dog stays clean and odor-free. Aji too.”
“Pfft, that one?”
“Yes. Two months of steady treatment, and it'll be fine. No smell either.”
“Whoa, two months? Money pit. Might as well get a Poodle... The one I had shed no fur, no smell. So, how much for black Poodles these days?”
Hearing that, Lee Jun clocked it.
‘Serial abuser.’
A cunning one.
Black, long-furred dogs hide injuries well.
Bruises, even blood—barely shows.
Vets struggle diagnosing them; this guy picked them for that reason.
‘No way I'm letting Aji go back!’
And he'd ensure this man never owned another animal.
But that was just Lee Jun's hope—reality in this country said otherwise.
‘If not, make it so.’
Lee Jun burned with resolve to strip this man of pet ownership.
“Well, we're treaters, not sellers.”
“Fine. Just fix this one quick.”
The owner radiated annoyance, itching to leave.
“We're waiting for the ear to open up after ointment. Takes longer than expected to drain the pus.”
He checked his watch, clicking his tongue.
“Busy? We can stop here if you want. Shame, though—smell was almost gone...”
Lee Jun dangled the bait.
“Oh, really? Then finish it clean today. The smell goes away for real?”
“Yes. But it'll take about thirty minutes. Okay?”
“Hmm, I can wait that long.”
Lee Jun returned to the exam room, calling,
“Teacher Go, bring the questionnaire in.”
“Yes.”
He'd prepped Aji that Go Gi-jin was coming.
When Go Gi-jin entered, Aji trembled slightly but soon relaxed.
Lee Jun showed Go Gi-jin a written warning.
-Don't say a word no matter what I say. Stay quiet. No reactions. Got it?
“What's going on?”
Instead of answering, Lee Jun showed a text.
-Told you not to speak!
Go Gi-jin finally nodded.
“I'll talk while you look at this.”
Lee Jun turned to the monitor; Go Gi-jin followed.
“This here.”
Lee Jun pointed to the malformed bone union.
“Hit with a stick, broke it. Healed without setting.”
Go Gi-jin's eyes nearly popped.
‘What? Beating a defenseless animal?’
He knew to stay silent, but couldn't hold it.
Face fierce, he opened his mouth.
“You crazy ba—... Mmph.”
Lee Jun clapped a hand over it.
“Told you not to talk.”
“Mmph.”
Go Gi-jin's face beet-red, he nodded. Lee Jun released and continued.
“Yell, and he'll bolt with Aji—or run himself.”
Go Gi-jin scribbled furiously on exam room paper.
[No way.]
He knew he'd yell if he spoke.
“Serial abuser. Beat it yesterday, today too.”
Lee Jun showed fresh side and belly photos.
Deep purple bruises.
“You sick... Kicking a dog like a soccer ball?!”
Barely audible through clenched teeth.
Lee Jun had said shut up, but he got it—and added,
“Payback's coming. Definitely!”
Go Gi-jin nodded vigorously.
“I'll go report.”
“No.”
“You said report?”
He took “payback” as “report.”
“Already did.”
“Y-You did?”
“Yeah. Act normal—officials coming soon. You stall him outside, keep him from bolting.”
“Got it. He's good at that crap.”
“No rough stuff.”
Go Gi-jin waved off worries and left.
True to word, he chatted up the owner, dragging out time.
Thirty minutes later, cars pulled into Meongmeong Animal Hospital's lot.
One police, one district office van, and...
‘Huh? Senior Han? What's he doing here?’
Go Gi-jin blinked at Han Na-hyuk as Lee Jun—briefed by the cats—called from inside,
“Teacher Go. Bring Aji's owner in.”
“Yes.”