Use This One
"It's okay. It'll be okay."
"Seung-wan, calm down. Stop staring so much, you might make Samsaek-i nervous."
"But..."
"The cats probably know how you feel. But they're sick and sensitive right now, so you shouldn't keep talking to them like that."
"Okay..."
"..."
Despite his rushing heart, a smile spread across Do-jin's face at the conversation drifting from the back seat.
Their usual roles are completely reversed. Now I see why they're friends.
Usually, Seung-wan was the one keeping Do-hee's high tension in check.
But right now, Do-hee was soothing Seung-wan, who was growing overly anxious.
Thanks to that, Do-jin could focus entirely on driving without worrying about the back seat.
After all, Seung-wan was looking after the cats, and Do-hee was looking after Seung-wan.
In 300 meters, you will arrive at your destination.
"We're here."
As Do-jin relayed the navigation's words to the back seat, his eyes caught the sign he had been desperately searching for.
Good Doctor Animal Hospital
As they drew closer, he saw people who looked like veterinarians and staff standing outside the clinic.
When Do-jin's car approached, they raised their hands to signal their presence, as if they had been waiting for them.
Is that why they asked for our estimated arrival time?
Do-jin had called the clinic before setting off.
He had only called to check if they could treat the cats, but upon hearing their condition, the receptionist had immediately transferred the call to the director.
"Their condition is very critical. We might need to perform emergency surgery. When will you arrive?"
The director's voice had sounded quite urgent, as if he had been listening in on the call.
Do-jin also tried his best to calm his racing heart before speaking.
"Well, it's my first time driving there. About twenty minutes? We should arrive within thirty minutes at the latest."
"Understood. We'll prepare in advance. Please hurry as fast as you can. Every second counts."
As Do-jin recalled the phone conversation, a familiar voice drifted in from outside.
"Just pull up over here and let us see the kids first!"
"Yes!"
Do-jin replied quickly to the voice that greeted him the moment he entered the parking lot.
The man speaking was indeed the director he had spoken to on the phone.
Click.
The moment he parked the car and unlocked the doors, the passenger door swung open.
It wasn't Do-hee or Seung-wan who opened it, but someone from the outside.
From that point on, Do-jin and his group had nothing to do.
"Director, the mother cat's pupils aren't reacting."
"Take her to the emergency room immediately. Check her vitals and prep her for surgery."
"Yes, sir."
"How are the kittens?"
"Similar. They have some pupillary response, but they're all severely dehydrated due to the virus."
"Administer basic first aid for now. We'll treat them immediately after the mother's surgery, depending on how it goes."
"Understood."
Do-jin and the others stood dazed, watching the director and staff rush inside with the box of cats, when someone approached them.
"You're the one who called, correct? The cats you found in your yard..."
"My yard... Yes, something like that."
It was far too large and spacious to be called a mere yard, but technically, it wasn't wrong.
"We need to register them. Would you follow me?"
"Ah, please go ahead with them. I'll follow right after I park the car properly."
"Ah, yes. Understood."
After sending Do-hee and Seung-wan inside with the staff member, Do-jin parked his car properly and hurried into the clinic.
Meow...
It hurts.
My whole body aches, and I have no strength.
When did it start being like this?
Meowww...
I can't open my eyes.
It's strange.
Just a moment ago, I could at least open one eye.
Meow...
This is scary...
I want to see that human again.
I only just managed to see him again.
Meow...
What a shame.
If I had known, I would have run and jumped into his arms the first time I saw him.
I regret stopping just because his eyes looked so worried.
Meow...
Oh, right.
Come to think of it, that strange water he gave me was so delicious.
It was a taste I'd never experienced in my life, so delicious I could never forget it.
My siblings even sneaked out of the house several times just to look for it.
Of course, they got caught and scolded by Mom afterward.
Meowww...
N-No...
My consciousness is fading.
Mom and my siblings lost consciousness like this and couldn't wake up...
Is it my turn now?
...Ah.
What a pity.
If I had known, I would have looked at that human a bit longer.
But still...
Thank you, human.
For looking at me so lovingly.
For giving me that delicious water.
And most of all...
For finding me again.
...saek-i...
Next time...
If we ever meet again in the next life...
Then, for a little longer than this time...
Let's play together.
"Samsaek-i!"
Meow?
Opening his eyes to the familiar voice echoing above his head, the cat felt that something had changed.
His breathing was easy now, and his body, which had been so itchy he'd roll on the ground until he bled, felt fine.
Most of all, his eyes.
His left eye, which wouldn't open no matter how much he rubbed it with his paw, opened naturally.
With that eye, he looked up.
The being he had regretted leaving behind.
The one who had woken him from his sleep was looking down at him.
Still with those same warm eyes.
And still with that same gentle voice.
"Are you okay?"
Meow...
A response naturally slipped from the cat's mouth at a warmth he had never felt from anyone other than his mother.
"Oh my gosh! Look at him. He understands what you're saying, right? Cats really are mystical creatures!"
"Thank goodness... What a relief... He was the last to start treatment, so I was so worried."
Ignoring the voices of the two women behind him, Do-jin lowered his body to meet Samsaek-i's eyes.
He recalled reading somewhere that making eye contact like this builds trust with animals.
"You had me worried sick, you little rascal. You were the most energetic one earlier, yet you took the longest to wake up."
Meow.
"I'm glad you look okay. But don't overdo it. The doctor treated you, but you're not fully cured yet."
Meow?
"No, you're treated. It's just that you've been sick for so long, you need a bit more care. You and your family both."
At Do-jin's words, the cat Do-jin had named Samsaek-i looked around.
His siblings and mother were lying in other compartments partitioned by transparent acrylic.
Meow~
Meow...
Meow.
As if they had heard Samsaek-i's call, the others began to let out faint cries from where they lay.
It was as if they were announcing they were alive. Only the mother cat remained silent, staring intently at Do-jin.
"Hmm? What is it?"
Did the mother cat, who had been watching him for a while, seem strange?
Do-jin moved away from Samsaek-i and stepped in front of the mother cat.
Immediately, the mother cat, who had been lying as if dead, bolted upright and puffed up her fur.
Hiss!
"Whoa, you startled me. You've still got some fight in you, huh?"
Hiss!
"Alright, alright. I'm leaving, so stop wasting your energy and lie back down."
Do-jin eventually backed away slightly at the sight of the mother cat crying fiercely, looking ready to pounce at any second.
He didn't know why, but he could feel that he was the reason the mother cat was reacting so sensitively.
"Man, I went out of my way to help, and she's so feisty."
Do-jin grumbled as he stepped away, feeling a bit hurt.
But there was someone there to comfort him.
Meow~
"Huh? Samsaek-i, are you comforting your big brother?"
Meow.
Dragging his still-weak body up, Samsaek-i walked over to the front of the glass and rubbed his face against it.
Although they couldn't actually touch due to the glass barrier, Do-jin felt instantly healed just by watching him.
Do-hee and Seung-wan, who had approached at some point, watched in fascination.
"Oh my goodness, he's flirting with you. Hey, give up, kitty. This man is my future husband."
"What are you talking about? Didn't you hear the staff earlier? He's a male."
"Still, no is no. He's mine."
"No one is trying to steal him! Just take him, he's all yours!"
Perhaps because they were relieved to see the cats safe, the two girls' voices grew louder.
The voices of the two standing next to Do-jin gradually rose.
To Do-jin, who was used to their bickering, this was a familiar sight. But to the little creature watching them, it wasn't. As their voices grew louder, he began to tremble.
Meow...
"Wait, both of you quiet down. You're scaring him."
"Oh?!"
"Oh dear... I'm sorry, baby..."
Baby?
At the word Seung-wan used, Do-jin and Do-hee stared at each other.
The same look of utter bewilderment was written on both of their faces.
Baby? Who?
Him! I knew he was a cat lover, but calling him 'baby' is a bit much!
Unaware of the looks they were giving him, Seung-wan was entirely focused on Samsaek-i behind the glass.
He looked exactly like a butler completely smitten by a cat, but unfortunately, Samsaek-i didn't seem to care for this particular butler.
Because Seung-wan was pressed right against the glass staring at him, blocking Do-jin from view no matter how Samsaek-i moved, the cat had pouted.
Meow.
Snort!
Seung-wan cried out in despair, but Samsaek-i had already turned his back and lay down with a huff.
He didn't even look back, as if determined never to show his face again.
"Ah... No..."
At the sight of Samsaek-i's resolute back, Seung-wan collapsed on the spot.
To an outsider, he looked like someone who had just been dumped.
As Do-jin debated whether to laugh at him or comfort him, a clinic staff member approached.
"Excuse me, guardian. Are you ready now?"
"Ah, yes. I'm fine."
At the staff member's words, Do-jin quickly stepped toward her.
He didn't forget to wear an apologetic expression.
What an embarrassing scene.
In truth, Do-jin had been talking with the staff member just moments ago.
They had been discussing the cats' treatment plan, precautions, and most importantly, their future living arrangements...
But of course, Samsaek-i had to start groaning right then.
The other cats had shown similar reactions before waking up.
But Samsaek-i was... different.
Perhaps because they had bonded a bit, he felt like family.
Seeing him groaning without even being able to wake up, Do-jin had instinctively rushed over to him.
"I'm sorry. I suddenly walked away in the middle of our conversation. I must have startled you."
"Oh, not at all. We get guardians like that all the time. Since they usually bring in sick pets, they get startled at the slightest whimper."
"Ah... Thank you for understanding."
Although Samsaek-i wasn't his pet, Do-jin simply nodded.
"Well then, let's continue where we left off. First, the treatment cost so far is about this much, and the future costs are expected to be around this much. On top of that, the director has a request..."
The staff member, who had been explaining the medical details and upcoming costs, paused and gauged Do-jin's reaction.
The costs incurred so far were not small, and the future costs were substantial, but what she was about to say would add even more to the bill.
However, remembering the director's final words, she composed herself and continued.
"Since they require intensive care, he recommends hospitalizing them for the next two weeks. Of course, if you do, hospitalization fees and food costs will be charged separately."
"..."
Watching Do-jin silently review the treatment details without any reaction, the staff member let out a quiet sigh.
As expected, this is too much.
She had heard that these cats weren't even his pets, but strays rescued from his yard.
Just by not turning a eye and bringing them here for treatment, the guardian before her had already done more than enough.
The bill for today alone already exceeded five million won.
The kittens were in bad shape, but the mother cat's condition was especially critical.
She had feline herpes virus, her ears were infested with mites,
she had dermatitis from a fungal infection, and she was suffering from diarrhea due to a protozoan infection.
But those were the relatively mild issues.
Feline panleukopenia... That's incredibly difficult to treat and takes a long time.
Also known as feline distemper, once contracted,
it was a terrifying disease with an 80% mortality rate.
It caused lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal issues. Even for adult cats, the recovery rate wasn't high, and the ones infected this time were a mother who had recently given birth and her newborn kittens.
No matter how hard they tried, it was difficult to ask someone to bear costs that could run into millions of won for animals that were more likely to die than survive.
The director's final words from earlier echoed in her mind.
"If the guardian finds the cost too burdensome or wants to give up on the kids, let them. I'll cover the rest myself."
Looking at Do-jin, who still hadn't answered, the staff member made up her mind.
She assumed he was hesitating because of the financial burden.
"Um, you can actually go home now. Our director said he would cover the remaining costs."
She expected the young man in front of her to leave.
He might look apologetic, or perhaps thank her and leave with a bright expression.
I wonder how this man will choose to leave.
Having experienced this many times before, she was confident she wouldn't be flustered no matter how Do-jin reacted.
At least, until Do-jin spoke.
"Pardon? Why would the director do that?"
"Pardon? Well... because the treatment costs might be burdensome..."
"For me? No, I wasn't thinking about the cost at all."
"Then why...?"
Although she cut herself off, Do-jin was quick-witted enough to understand she was asking why he had been standing there silently without answering.
A gentle smile played on Do-jin's lips.
"Ah, I was just looking at this new treatment method."
"Pardon?"
"It says here that it's effective against all feline viruses. Is this true?"
Looking at where he was pointing, she nodded reflexively.
Beneath the glass of the desk lay a pamphlet explaining a newly released feline treatment.
When new equipment or treatments came out, they would slip promotional pamphlets under the desk glass, and she had temporarily forgotten about it.
I've heard Virbagen Omega is highly effective against feline viruses, but honestly, that's way too expensive.
The cost was nearly four to five times that of conventional injections.
Although the clinic kept it in stock just in case, she had never actually seen it used for treatment.
"Yes. According to research papers and reports from other clinics, it's generally much more effective than conventional drugs. But the cost is..."
The staff member, who was about to explain how much more expensive it was, couldn't finish her sentence.
Do-jin, having heard the answer he wanted, cut her off and pointed at the pamphlet.
"Please treat them with this. I don't care how much it costs. Ah, should I pay in advance while I'm at it?"
That day,
for the first time since she started working there, the staff member witnessed Virbagen Omega being used for treatment.