The Last Dog Day of Summer
Pant, pant...
Dojin looked down worriedly at Ttorang-i, who was sprawled out on the hallway floor with her tongue hanging out.
"Don't you think Ttorang-i has been really low on energy lately?"
"Yeah... I think it's because of the heat. Lately, even when I ask her to go for a walk, she just pretends she can't hear me," Do-hee replied with a sigh.
She was just as worried about Ttorang-i as Dojin was.
Though they bickered constantly, Do-hee cared for Ttorang-i more than anyone else besides Dojin, so she always kept a close eye on her.
Dojin turned his gaze toward the cat playroom.
Inside, he saw Bo-ri lying on the floor in a posture very similar to Ttorang-i's.
Miyo, miyo...
Miyo, miyo...
"...Why is she making that sound?" Dojin asked Seung-wan this time.
Just as Do-hee looked after Ttorang-i, Seung-wan was the one in charge of taking care of Bo-ri and her kittens.
Calling it a "charge" was a bit of a stretch, though; they simply looked after the animals they liked best.
"Every cat makes a different sound when they're having a hard time. Just like how some humans make weird noises," Seung-wan explained.
Still, isn't that a bit too strange? Dojin thought, tilting his head as he looked at Bo-ri again.
Miyo, miyo...
Hearing it described as a panting sound made it feel less bizarre than when he had first heard it.
In fact, it felt rather pitiful.
If I get used to it, I might actually find it endearing.
Of course, the best thing would be to prevent them from making those sounds in the first place.
Both Ttorang-i and Bo-ri had suffered from severe illnesses in the past, so keeping them from overexerting themselves was the top priority.
Dojin and the others were naturally paying close attention to this.
"Isn't the playroom, and even the hallway, pretty cool already?" Dojin asked.
The playroom was already temperature-controlled with an air conditioner, and the hallway was quite cool due to the nature of the school building.
If there were many people, body heat would raise the temperature, but there were only three people living in the main building they used.
The security team members walk around occasionally, but that's not enough to change the temperature.
If anything, opening and closing the doors as people came and went was the real issue, letting the cool indoor air escape and the hot air rush in.
"Maybe even this is too hot for Ttorang-i," Do-hee suggested.
"And I think Bo-ri's stamina dropped a lot after giving birth to Samsaek-i and the others," Seung-wan added.
"Hmm..."
Dojin nodded as he looked back and forth between Ttorang-i and Bo-ri. Their words certainly made sense.
Ttorang-i doesn't shed, but her coat is very thick.
Ttorang-i was a Golden Doodle. Since the breed was a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle to minimize shedding, her fur didn't fall out, but it was dense and thick.
That alone made her highly vulnerable to the heat.
It's the same for Bo-ri, who fell ill right after giving birth.
A weakened body after giving birth was common to all animals.
In Bo-ri's case, as a former stray, she had hovered on the brink of death from various illnesses right after delivery. Even the slightest environmental change could affect her condition.
"Let's lower the playroom temperature by one or two degrees. Take Ttorang-i to my workshop and set the AC to twenty degrees Celsius," Dojin instructed.
"Okay."
"Sure, will do."
At Dojin's words, the two dispersed to carry out their tasks.
Left to his thoughts, Dojin began to ponder their next steps.
Lowering the temperature is one thing, but isn't there a better way?
Air conditioning was only a temporary fix. Running it too much could actually harm their health, so he needed a way to boost Ttorang-i and Bo-ri's stamina.
"They're already taking supplements. Should I let them swim in cold water?"
Dojin shook his head after a moment of thought.
They were already bathing or swimming once every four to five days. The playground was still set up with various play equipment, including a water bounce house where they could splash around.
Dojin used that area for the security team's welfare and for Ttorang-i's baths.
"Drying her fur was an absolute nightmare, though..."
It was a miraculous playtime that took three hours of splashing and two hours of blow-drying.
Even so, because Ttorang-i loved it, he and Do-hee had taken turns playing with her. But looking at her today, it didn't seem to have helped much in the long run.
"And Bo-ri doesn't like water anyway. Baths are out."
Like most cats, Bo-ri hated water. Fortunately, she stayed calm when Dojin held her, so he washed her once every seven to ten days.
Meow.
"Huh?"
Perhaps because he had been thinking about swimming and bathing for so long, Bo-ri, who had been sprawled on the floor, sensed something ominous. She raised her head and stared at Dojin with anxious eyes.
"It's nothing, go back to sleep."
Meow?
It was a cry that seemed to ask, Really? Can I trust you?
When Dojin smiled and nodded, Bo-ri finally lowered her head back down, looking relieved.
"No wonder people call cats mystical creatures."
To think she could sense his thoughts just by him thinking about it.
It was easy to see why cat owners ended up becoming butlers rather than masters.
Just then, the outer door opened, and a familiar figure walked toward Dojin.
"Hello, Director."
"Ah, hello, Mrs. Heo."
Dojin bowed in return to the woman bowing to him. While Dojin was polite to everyone working at Three Meals House, he was exceptionally respectful to the woman standing before him.
And for good reason—she was the chief cook who managed and supervised the entire cafeteria.
If I get on Mrs. Heo's bad side, my side dishes might start disappearing.
Heo Mi-yeong, commonly known as Mrs. Heo, wielded immense power. Not long ago, one of the troublemakers undergoing reform, who had just finished his training and was about to leave, complained about the food to her.
"What's with these side dishes? We worked our butts off out there, the least you could do is give us some meat or even sausages. It's all vegetables. This is worse than an orphanage."
He was the youngest and the most malicious of the bunch.
At that, Mrs. Heo snorted and retorted, "If you don't like my food, don't eat it. We didn't spend hours cooking in front of a hot stove just to feed a punk like you!"
That single sentence decided the boy's fate.
For the next two days—a total of six meals—he was served nothing but plain rice, soup, and kimchi.
After that incident, Mrs. Heo, who already held absolute authority, became completely untouchable.
She wouldn't do that to me, but I should still watch my step.
No matter where you were, it was never a good idea to offend the person holding the ladle. Especially if that person cooked incredibly delicious meals.
"So, what brings you all the way here, Mrs. Heo?" Dojin asked.
Mrs. Heo smiled warmly. "Tomorrow is Malbok, the last dog day of summer. We got through Chobok and Jungbok with the mushrooms you harvested and some loach soup, but looking at the weather, we can't just breeze past Malbok. I want to prepare something proper. What would you prefer? Ginseng chicken soup? Eel? Abalone?"
Dojin fell into thought at her question. Having never really kept track of the traditional summer health days throughout his life, he was rather clueless about these things.
However, even Dojin had to agree with Mrs. Heo. The recent weather was too murderous to just ignore.
Unlike them, who stayed indoors, the security team and the kitchen staff working in front of hot stoves desperately needed a proper nourishing meal.
They're all decent options. Maybe eel and abalone are the best?
Ginseng chicken soup, or samgyetang, was the most famous stamina food, but it was so common that it didn't feel quite special enough.
Just then, a great idea popped into Dojin's head.
"Why don't we just combine them all?"
"Chicken, eel, and abalone?"
"Yes. I heard there's a dish called haesintang. People say it's the ultimate health food. Is that true?"
"Well, haesintang is indeed the pinnacle of nourishing soups. Hmm, let's do this then: eel doesn't usually go into haesintang, so we'll swap it for octopus. And if we make fritters out of the bellflower roots you harvested recently, it'll make a perfect feast."
"Oh, bellflower root fritters! That sounds amazing. Please do it that way..."
Dojin suddenly trailed off.
As he smacked his lips thinking about the bellflower root fritters, a brilliant idea struck him like lightning.
Noticing his sudden freeze, Mrs. Heo called out to him. "Director?"
"...Ah? Oh, yes, please do it that way. Also, I'm going to boil some chicken separately out on the playground, so you don't need to worry about that part."
"Boil chicken... separately?" Mrs. Heo tilted her head, unable to grasp his intention.
If he was going to boil chicken anyway, he could easily do it in the cafeteria kitchen, which was fully equipped. Why do it out on the playground? And why boil plain chicken when they were already preparing a grand feast like haesintang?
Seeing her confusion, Dojin gave an awkward smile.
"Ah, it's for the animals. They've been so lethargic lately, I figured they need a stamina boost too. But it feels a bit odd to cook animal food in the same pots as human food. Plus, the seasoning has to be different."
"Ah... I see. If that's the case, I understand," Mrs. Heo nodded, convinced by his explanation.
No matter how much one loved their pets, boiling animal food in the same pot as food meant for humans was a bit uncomfortable. Her brief worry that he might not trust her cooking skills vanished instantly, leaving her completely at ease.
"Should I tell the security team to set up the cooking equipment for you then?"
Dojin waved his hand. He had another reason for boiling the chicken himself.
"No, it's fine. I'm going to film a video while I'm at it, so I'll handle it myself."
"Ah."
Mrs. Heo nodded in understanding. Since he didn't film constantly, she often forgot that Dojin was a NewTuber.
Until now, he had mostly used the CCTV footage and action cams around Three Meals House, but it seemed he was planning to shoot a proper, structured video this time.
"Alright, then we'll start preparing the haesintang and the bellflower root fritters."
"Yes, thank you as always."
"Hoho, we're the ones who are grateful that you always eat so heartily."
After exchanging pleasantries, Mrs. Heo headed back to the kitchen. Dojin returned to his office to grab his car keys.
Unlike the kitchen staff, who had to order ingredients in bulk, he only needed a few chickens, so he planned to buy them himself.
Of course, he immediately shared his plan with the other two.
"Oh, a nourishing meal? That's great. I was worried because Ttorang-i has been struggling so much lately," Do-hee said.
"It's great for content too. Our videos so far have been too vlog-like and a bit plain. If the response to this video is good, we could start a series on special meals for the animals," Seung-wan suggested.
Since both of them reacted positively, Dojin headed out to the city right away.
Since it was hard to find even a convenience store around here, he had no choice but to drive to the city to buy proper ingredients.
After driving for about ten minutes, Dojin glanced at the camera clipped to his chest and spoke.
"I'm currently heading to the city to buy ingredients for Ttorang-i and the cats' stamina meal. We don't even have enough ingredients for our own health food at Three Meals House right now."
Meow?
Samsaek-i tilted his head at Dojin's sudden monologue. The cat's expression seemed to say, What are you doing? which made Dojin's face flush slightly.
But he was a NewTuber with some experience now. He could easily overcome this level of embarrassment.
"And as you can see, sitting next to me is Samsaek-i... Wait, seriously, when did you get in here?"
Dojin tried to continue naturally, but his composure finally shattered. He had clearly checked that Samsaek-i was in the cat playroom before heading to his office.
Yet, when he got into the car, the cat was already sitting in the passenger seat. If it had been a human instead of Samsaek-i, he would have thought it was a ghost.
Yawn~
Regardless of Dojin's shock, Samsaek-i simply stretched in a classic cat pose and yawned. Then, he began kneading the car seat.
Squeak, squeak.
Purr, purr.
He had the look of a perfectly content cat. With his eyes closed, Dojin couldn't bring himself to scold him anymore.
After driving a bit longer, they arrived at the Hanaro Mart in the city.
Since this was the largest supermarket in the area, Dojin parked the car and was about to get out when—
Meow!
Samsaek-i, who had been quietly loafing in the passenger seat, suddenly scrambled over to Dojin.
"Weren't you asleep?"
Since the cat hadn't made a sound during the drive, Dojin had assumed he was asleep, but apparently not.
"Well, I was worried about leaving you in the car anyway, so this works out."
The weather was so hot that the car would turn into an oven in minutes. Lifting Samsaek-i onto his shoulder, Dojin walked into the mart and headed straight for the meat section.
"Welcome! What can I get for you?" the butcher, a friendly-looking man in his fifties, asked as Dojin approached. He had strong, handsome features, suggesting he must have been quite popular in his youth.
"Do you have chickens for ginseng chicken soup?"
"Aigoo, tomorrow is Malbok, of course we do! What size would you like? If you're making samgyetang, size ten or eleven is just right."
"Hmm, what's the largest size you have?"
"We have up to size sixteen for soups or stir-fries, but we only stock up to size fourteen in this store. Honestly, once you go past size twelve, the meat gets pretty tough, so I don't really recommend it."
"Hmm..."
Dojin pondered the butcher's words. Since it was for the animals, it didn't really matter if the meat was tough. However, hearing that larger chickens might have a stronger gamey smell, he decided to buy three size-twelve chickens.
After picking up various other ingredients for the soup, Dojin turned around.
"Oh? Chief Hong?"
"Oh? Dojin? What brings you all the way out here?"
Chief Hong, the chief of Boseok-ri village—whom Dojin had rushed to the hospital after a hornet sting not long ago—smiled warmly upon seeing him.
But Dojin noticed it.
The moment the chief recognized him, he quickly hid whatever he was holding behind his back.
That was definitely instant, pre-packaged samgyetang.
He must have bought it to eat for Malbok tomorrow. Living alone after his wife passed away early and his children grew up and moved out, this was likely his best option.
Looking at the chief, Dojin pretended not to notice and asked casually.
"Haha, tomorrow is Malbok. I was going to just skip it, but the heat is getting too intense, so I couldn't let it go."
"Haha... I see..."
At Dojin's words, Chief Hong's face darkened slightly. He was probably thinking of how Three Meals House was always bustling with people, unlike his own quiet home.
Dojin gently prodded him further. "By the way, does our village not do any kind of feast for the dog days of summer? I saw on TV shows like Hometown at 6 that old villages usually gather to eat together."
"Haha, that's only when there are actually people in the village. As you know, Dojin, our village is mostly elderly folks, and there aren't many of us left..."
Perhaps Dojin's question had opened the floodgates, because Chief Hong began reminiscing about the village's past.
"In the old days, our village would gather every dog day of summer to eat and drink together. We'd even buy fireworks for the kids. Haha, the local police station used to visit us all the time because of that. They'd say, 'We love that you're having a feast, but please stop setting off fireworks, we thought war broke out!'"
Since their village was located on the outskirts of Paju, close to Kaesong in North Korea, the police had probably been even more sensitive about it.
After talking about the village's past for a while, Chief Hong seemed to snap back to reality, a bittersweet smile appearing on his face.
"Haha, but now, well, look at us. Everyone either heats up something like this, or they just skip it altogether."
The chief showed the instant samgyetang pouch he had just hidden. He had hid it out of embarrassment, but now even that feeling seemed to have faded.
"Haha, still, the village has been feeling a bit more human lately. It's all thanks to you, Dojin. With so many young people coming and going from your place, the whole village feels livelier."
"I haven't really done anything."
"Haha, they say you don't notice when someone arrives, but you certainly notice when they leave. Just filling up the empty space with people is a huge strength. So, I look forward to your continued presence here."
With those words, the chief headed toward the checkout counter. As he walked away with heavy steps, the only thing in his hand was that single pouch of instant samgyetang.
"..."
Dojin watched him for a moment, then turned back toward the meat section.
It hadn't been in his plans, but it looked like he would have to make more ginseng chicken soup.
And in bulk, at that.
If a cutie like this is sitting in your passenger seat...
Could you really tell him to get out?