It Wasn't Canine Adolescence After All
"Here you go."
"Ah, thank you."
Even after accepting the drink Dojin handed him, Yu-sik's gaze did not drift from Sun-jam.
He couldn't help it. How could he possibly look away when the scene he had only ever dreamed of was unfolding right before his eyes?
"Sit."
Thump.
"Stand."
Rustle!
"Spin."
Twirl.
"Down!"
Drop!
"Whoa..."
An exclamation of awe naturally escaped Yu-sik's lips.
Honestly, he wasn't being dramatic. Anyone would have reacted the same way if they saw a five-year-old girl controlling hundreds of dogs with a single word.
Surely they would, but...
"Hmm, the facilities here are definitely nice."
"Since it's run directly by the city. I heard they also take care of animals that got injured or separated from their packs near the Imjin River, not just dogs and cats."
"Ah, I saw the newsletter on the way in. They're caring for otters and, what was it, cranes? Those animals too."
"..."
What was this conversation he was hearing from CEO Baek and his group on the left? It was as if they couldn't even see the miracle unfolding right in front of them.
The problem was that they weren't the only ones reacting this way. Yu-sik turned his head to the right this time.
"Ah, I'm so glad I volunteered. Otherwise, I'd probably be cleaning the bathhouse right now."
"Cleaning is actually better. The ones assigned to the snack bar don't even get to rest properly."
"True. It's like those bastards are possessed by a starving ghost, ordering things at all hours."
"Just wait. When the shift schedule changes, I'm paying them back in full."
"..."
These people weren't even looking over there. And all they could talk about was the inventory of snacks and sweet rice punch?
Yu-sik couldn't help but wonder if they had all lost their minds.
Just then, one of CEO Baek's companions looked at the miraculous scene and spoke up.
"Dojin, shouldn't we tell her to stop now? I think this is enough."
At Do-hee's words, Dojin looked at Sun-jam and the dogs for a moment, then nodded.
Thanks to Sun-jam's training, they had become quite orderly. Even the ones that had been wary when they first saw the group had now turned into gentle lambs, as if they had never been hostile.
"Sun-jam~"
"...?"
At Dojin's call, Sun-jam, who had been in the middle of her instruction, looked up.
"I think that's enough. Come over here and rest."
"Okay, Uncle."
At Dojin's words, Sun-jam approached him without hesitation. Chang-su and Hui-su welcomed her warmly.
"Aw, so cute!"
"Sun-jam, you're really cute."
"Heheh."
Thanks to the siblings hugging her from both sides and pampering her, a happy smile spread across Sun-jam's face.
It was hard to believe she was the same tiger instructor who, just moments ago, had been standing with her short arms on her hips, training the dogs.
Clap, clap.
"Alright, you guys scatter and do your own thing now. Don't make too much of a fuss. You know what happens if you run wild, right? Our Sun-jam will step in again, and I won't stop her next time."
Snort!
The dogs, who had been warily watching Dojin, nodded in unison at his words. Yu-sik's eyes widened once again at the sight, but once more, he was the only one surprised.
Clap!
"Off you go!"
Bark!
As Dojin clapped his hands again and spoke, the dogs that had been sitting at attention scattered in an instant.
...It's like watching reservists.
Those legendary beings who vanish within ten minutes the moment the end-of-training announcement is made.
As the dogs ran away as fast as their tails could carry them, they somehow exuded the strong aura of those tired reservists.
"C-CEO Baek, who on earth are you?"
"Pardon?"
Dojin turned his head and tilted it in confusion. Yu-sik, who was standing beside him, seemed to have said something, but Dojin hadn't heard it clearly.
However, Yu-sik didn't seem to have any intention of repeating himself.
"Ah, it's nothing. Would you like to see the other areas?"
"Of course. We need to check on the abandoned cats and other animals, not just the dogs."
"Yes, I will guide you."
At Dojin's response, Yu-sik continued the tour of the center. Although it was strange how he had become noticeably more polite than before, Dojin just let it go.
He simply focused on his auditing duties. In fact, his audit was incredibly thorough.
"Isn't that a fire barrier over there? You shouldn't stack boxes in front of it."
"There are no safety inspection records for this. Have you not had it inspected yet, or did you get it done but failed to display the record?"
"What is this feed? It's a brand that wasn't on the purchase list earlier."
"This is strange. I don't see a single toy. According to the documents, there should be tug toys and cat towers."
"Why is there so little emergency medicine? There should be at least two more boxes."
"..."
As Dojin's remarks continued, the awe in Yu-sik's eyes gradually turned into sheer terror.
His criticisms weren't things that could be spotted just by glancing at a document once.
For Yu-sik, who had been working here since before the new animal shelter was built—back when it was just the Paju Abandoned Dog Shelter—this felt like the most rigorous audit he had ever experienced in his entire career.
Yet, ironically, Dojin was the one walking on eggshells around Yu-sik.
Ah, they shouldn't do it like that... If I point out even things like that, will he curse me out for being too nitpicky? Ah, those cat shelves are just expensive and the cats barely use them.
Dojin's eyes tirelessly scanned the surroundings. Everywhere he looked, there were either active problems or things that would surely become issues later.
The problem was that the line of how much he should point out was blurry...
Well, different managers have different styles.
This wasn't Sekki House, and he wasn't the one managing it. With that thought, he only brought up the truly critical issues.
"Ah, this is a narcotic painkiller. This could cause serious trouble if it falls into the wrong hands, so please discard all of it and replace it with certified non-narcotic alternatives. This will definitely cause problems down the road."
"Pardon? Ah, yes!"
Dojin reached out and spoke the moment they entered the medicine storage room.
By chance, he had spotted the exact medication that the director of the Good Doctor Animal Hospital had warned him to be careful with during every house call.
But Yu-sik had no way of knowing that.
Now he even knows about pharmaceuticals? Who on earth is this man...?
Whatever his inner thoughts, Yu-sik was writing down every single word Dojin said without missing a beat.
If it had been unreasonable nitpicking, that would be one thing, but all of Dojin's criticisms were clear and well-founded, so he had to take notes.
The only problem was that there was just too much of it.
P-Please stop... I've already run out of space on the paper I brought...
This was the reason Yu-sik's face grew increasingly pale as Dojin continued to speak.
"We'll stop here for today. Thank you for your hard work."
"...Yes. Thank you... for your hard work."
Yu-sik reacted a beat late to Dojin's farewell. Dojin looked at him with concern.
Is he feeling sick?
His condition had seemed to deteriorate rapidly halfway through the audit. Now, he looked as if his soul had completely left his body.
I'm glad I didn't point out everything. I would have just burdened a sick man.
Thinking thoughts that would have made Yu-sik foam at the mouth had he heard them, Dojin headed toward the activity room for the abandoned dogs.
Bark! Bark, bark!
As the door to the activity room opened, barking echoed from all directions.
Goodness, what a racket.
Still, it wasn't unbearable. Compared to when they first entered the activity room, this was practically silent.
It was all thanks to Sun-jam putting them through their paces.
"You're back?"
"Did the audit go well?"
"Yes, well, there were a few things that caught my eye, but it's mostly done."
At Dojin's words, Do-hee and Seung-wan nodded.
They had been thinking the same thing as Dojin.
Having lived at Sekki House, which Dojin managed with meticulous care, coming here made them notice countless things that rubbed them the wrong way.
Unlike Dojin, they had no authority here, so they were simply trying their best to ignore it.
"Are we heading back now, then?"
"Well..."
Dojin hesitated at Do-hee's question and looked around. The group looked far too excited to leave.
Is it because they haven't been out in a while?
Strictly speaking, it hadn't been that long since their last outing. Even now, they were staying overnight at a bathhouse instead of their usual quarters.
However, having spent several weeks cooped up there, the group felt as though they hadn't been out in ages.
"Should we stay for another hour, or maybe just thirty minutes?"
At Dojin's suggestion, the two smiled and nodded.
"Sure. Since we're already here, let's rest a bit before we go."
"Especially since you must be tired from the audit, Dojin."
Sitting at a table in the corner of the activity room, the group looked around the spacious area.
"Whoa, look at this one! It's huge! It's so big, which makes it twice as cute!"
"It is cute... but it smells..."
"..."
The three children were buried among the large dogs, playing happily.
Bark, bark! Bark!
"They're absolutely thrilled."
"From their perspective, these are the friends they shared joys and sorrows with. Imagine how glad they must be to see each other after so long."
"But is it just me? To my eyes, it looks like our dogs are showing off to the ones here."
"Right? They've got their heads held high, totally bragging."
The security team members were chatting as they followed their assigned dogs around, but no matter how much they looked around, something felt missing.
"...Wait, is someone missing?"
"Huh? Who?"
"...Oh? You're right. I don't see Ttorang-i."
"Ah!"
"Oh, seriously."
At Seung-wan's words, the group finally realized that Ttorang-i had been missing for a while and began searching the area.
However, Ttorang-i was nowhere to be found—not among the other dogs, nor near the snack station.
"That's strange. She couldn't have gone anywhere else."
There were only two exits to the activity room, and a staff member was stationed at each door. If she had tried to leave the room, the staff would have alerted them first.
"Where did she go now? She's being such a handful today."
At Do-hee's exasperated sigh, Dojin gave a bitter smile. Come to think of it, Ttorang-i had been scolded quite a lot today.
Since Do-hee had been Ttorang-i's primary caretaker before Sun-jam arrived, she couldn't help but worry about her constantly.
Just then, Seung-wan, who had wandered a bit further away, approached the two.
"I found Ttorang-i."
"Ah, thank goodness."
"Where? Where is that little rascal hiding?"
Unlike Dojin's calm response, Do-hee rolled up her sleeves and pressed Seung-wan for answers.
Weren't you just worrying about her a second ago?
The gentle big sister who looked ready to embrace her younger sibling's faults was gone, replaced by a fierce mother ready to smack her child's back.
"Let's go see first," Dojin said.
At Dojin's words, Seung-wan led the way.
Passing by the children and the shelter dogs gathered near the security team, they finally spotted the pink Golden Doodle they had been searching for.
"She really is there. But... what is she doing?"
Upon finding Ttorang-i, Dojin naturally hid behind a pillar.
Peering at Ttorang-i from behind Dojin, Do-hee tilted her head.
"I know, right...? It's not like she's hunting or anything."
Ttorang-i's behavior was highly unusual. Just like Dojin, she was hiding behind a pillar, staring intently at something.
Following her gaze, Dojin's eyes landed on a certain dog.
"A Golden Retriever?"
It was a handsome fellow with bright golden fur. He looked like the type whose gentle smile could melt any owner's heart.
However, the dog wasn't smiling at all, and Dojin could guess why the moment he looked closer.
His paw... is gone.
For some reason, the space where his front right paw should have been was completely empty. Looking closer, his back left leg also seemed to be impaired.
Perhaps because of this, he sat apart from the pack, staring blankly at the wall all by himself.
Whimper...
"Oh?"
As Dojin watched the disabled Golden Retriever, a soft sound from Ttorang-i reached his ears.
It wasn't a loud cry, but rather a faint, longing whimper. Only then did Dojin realize why Ttorang-i was hiding here and watching him.
"Ttorang-i, you've fallen for him, haven't you?"
!!
At Dojin's voice suddenly coming from beside her, Ttorang-i whipped her head around in surprise.
The funny thing was, even in her surprise, she didn't make a sound. It seemed she didn't want to disturb the resting Golden Retriever under any circumstances.
"Ttorang-i, it wasn't canine adolescence after all, was it?"
What clearer proof could there be?
Come to think of it, there was something that came even before canine adolescence.
Heat.
She had been quiet lately, so he thought the season had passed, but the arrival of her heat meant she was already prepared to find a mate.
She was having a hard time but wouldn't even look at the other dogs, so I thought she just wasn't interested...
But it turned out there simply hadn't been a male that caught her eye.
And now, she had finally found a male she liked here.
Fortunately, in a situation like this, there was something Dojin could do for her.
"Ttorang-i, do you want to go meet him?"
Snort!?
At that moment, the eyes of Ttorang-i, who had been sulking ever since they arrived at the center, finally sparkled with their usual brightness.