Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Bom, becoming serious herself, leaned in to try and figure out what was happening, but the call ended quickly.
"Whew."
Exhaling slowly, Jae-gyu wiped his face with his hand several times before taking one last deep breath.
"Um, is something wrong?"
Shaking his head, Jae-gyu tucked his phone into his back pocket.
"It’s nothing."
"But your expression..."
"Anyway, I felt pretty good earlier."
"About what?"
"You were looking at me all slyly like this. With a look full of ulterior motives. Weren't you?"
Was it... that obvious? Even in her slight embarrassment, Bom could tell. Jae-gyu was avoiding the subject.
Something was definitely up. Bom tactfully changed the topic.
"Is there a veterinary clinic we can go to?"
"Yes, I’ve got one picked out. Let’s head out."
She thought he was just looking for any clinic, but he seemed to have done his research.
"Thank you."
Before she knew it, she was leaving the house and getting into Jae-gyu’s car. She felt both grateful and apologetic for receiving such help in a place where it was hard to even catch a taxi.
It couldn't have been easy to drive a high-end vehicle to the town center with a shedding Baek-gu inside, yet Jae-gyu had readily taken the wheel. And that was after he had just finished climbing Jirisan, his whole body likely exhausted.
"Is it in the town center?"
"Yes. I heard the name is Dog-Comfortable World."
"..."
Bom looked at Jae-gyu with a slightly suspicious gaze. Bom-sik was just a baby, and he was weak from being neglected on the streets for so long. Since he was even limping, she wanted to go somewhere with genuine expertise.
"...Is it a place we can trust?"
"Considering the devotion this guy pours into Elizabeth, this place is a hundred percent certified."
"Really?"
"I heard he even feeds her that raw food diet. All organic ingredients."
Only then did the anxiety in Bom’s eyes settle.
The hand stroking Bom-sik regained its composure and became relaxed. If the owner went as far as feeding organic raw food, it was clear, as Jae-gyu said, that the clinic was frequented by someone who knew what they were doing.
"Then let's go there. It sounds reliable."
Entering the town center, Jae-gyu parked the car in a public parking lot next to the market. The veterinary clinic was at the entrance of the market.
<Dog-Comfortable World (Cats too)>
After checking the sign and opening the door, the two were startled. They hadn't expected so many people. They had heard that the domestic pet-owning population had reached 15 million, but they didn't expect Shinsu-eup to be like this too.
"...It’s a hot spot."
There were only a few seats left in the waiting room.
A Chihuahua was scurrying around the waiting area. It was busy picking fights, darting between a Golden Retriever and a Shih Tzu who were sitting quietly.
Watching this, Bom-sik began to bark loudly. The atmosphere heated up as if he were about to have a showdown with the Chihuahua. Bom scolded Bom-sik.
"Bom-sik, shh. It’s okay. Don’t fight."
Jae-gyu, saying Bom-sik had a strong sense of justice, patted his rump and praised him for doing a good job. Bom felt a headache coming on.
"Let’s register first."
The crowded interior was dizzying. Bom followed Jae-gyu to the counter.
"It’s our first time here."
"Ah, I see. Then could you please fill out this initial visit questionnaire?"
"Yes."
The staff member at the counter handed over a clipboard with the questionnaire. Bom and Jae-gyu sat on chairs in the corner and began to fill it out.
It was two pages long, with more blanks to fill in than expected. She was surprised by how professional it seemed. The very first box was for the pet’s 'Name.' Bom wrote it down confidently.
Bom-sik
"I’m glad I gave him a name. You have to write the name first."
"The name is the most important thing. Let’s see, gender is male."
The place where Bom’s pen stopped as she wrote was the guardian section.
Guardian Name—Mother: / Father:
Below that, there were spaces for their respective contact information. Why is this so official? Bom felt a bit strange as she wrote her name and phone number in the 'Mother' column.
I could become someone’s mother.
Her heart felt ticklish. The things she had been disappointed by, missed, and hoped for regarding the existence of a mother suddenly came to mind. She suddenly felt the weight of being responsible for a living being. Can I really do a good job?
While she was worried, she also felt a surge of motivation. Bom stroked Bom-sik, who was on her lap.
"Hey. You can't leave blanks."
Just as she was about to move to the next section, Jae-gyu took the pen and boldly wrote his own name and phone number in the 'Father' column.
"Why are you Bom-sik’s father, Jae-gyu?"
"Then am I the mother?"
"..."
It was logic worse than an elementary schooler's. While Bom shuddered at the childishness, she was suddenly surprised by Jae-gyu’s handwriting. The script, written clearly in block letters, was elegant and intellectual.
Bom was the type to scribble. She wasn't a bad writer, but she had free-spirited handwriting that was the opposite of her neat outward image.
Seeing them written side-by-side like this invited comparison. While she was preoccupied with the handwriting, she noticed Jae-gyu was quickly filling out the rest. Jae-gyu was filling in the blanks with deep concentration.
"Since we're here, I think it's best to get a full check-up. Vaccinations too."
Why is he so experienced at this? Jae-gyu showed the completed questionnaire to Bom for confirmation, then stood up abruptly and submitted it to the counter.
While waiting, the two looked around the 'Pet Supplies' corner set up on one side of the clinic.
"There’s so much stuff, but I’ve never raised a dog before."
"Food, clothing, and shelter. Just satisfy these three for now. We can buy the rest later."
It sounded plausible. Jae-gyu first looked at the dog clothes, which corresponded to 'clothing.' Then he shook his head. He grumbled that there were only winter clothes even though it was summer. Looking at it, Jae-gyu was right.
"He’s already wearing a fur coat, so he’s fine for the summer. Then shall we look at food? The kibble."
There were many types of feed. Jae-gyu added that it would be better to get a recommendation from the doctor for this.
"The house is worth buying, though."
There were cushion-style houses and enclosed-style houses. Jae-gyu looked back and forth between Bom-sik and the houses before recommending a pink cotton enclosed house.
Perhaps they had been looking for a while, as the three teams ahead of them finished their exams quickly. The staff member called out from the counter.
"Bom-sik’s guardians, please come in!"
Jae-gyu, Bom, and Bom-sik entered the examination room with tense expressions. The veterinarian sitting there looked to be in his early fifties. That meant he had quite a bit of experience.
"I brought Bom-sik in from the street today. His leg seems to hurt, and he looks like he has no energy."
"Is that so? Hmm..."
Bom-sik was well-behaved on the table. As the vet began the basic examination, Jae-gyu spoke up.
"I want to do a full check-up. What do we need to do?"
The vet recommended blood tests, X-rays, and an IV drip. He said it would take a while, so they could go run errands nearby and come back.
Jae-gyu said that while they could leave during the IV drip, it was better for the guardian to stay firm while the animal was being tested.
"It’s the same as a hospital for people. There’s a clear difference depending on whether a guardian is there or not, so it’s better to wait."
"Is that so?"
"From the kid's perspective, knowing their family is nearby makes them much more at ease. Don't you think?"
Hearing it, it made sense. When she thought about why he was so adept at this, she figured it was because of Han-gyeol. Since he said he had raised him alone since he was young, he knew the role of a guardian well.
Bom-sik struggled for a moment when they drew blood, but he endured it well. Cheering him on to hang in there just a little longer, Bom thought it was a good thing she stayed, just as Jae-gyu had said.
After silently enduring all the tests, Bom-sik was taken to the IV room. Only then did Jae-gyu pull his wallet from his back pocket and gesture with his chin.
"Let’s head out for now. I’ll show you around the market. Have you been here before, Bom?"
"Ah, no. It’s my first time."
She had been curious. Bom followed Jae-gyu out with an expectant expression.
Seeing him today, he couldn't have been more reliable. If it hadn't been for Jae-gyu, she would have struggled just to get to this veterinary clinic, and she might not have been able to care for Bom-sik properly.
He had a bit of an eccentric side, but he had a good personality, was handsome, and was versatile in many ways...
What would it be like to date a man like this?
Are you crazy? Bom scolded herself for having such a foolish thought, even for a moment. It was likely because her heart was momentarily confused by the blind date with Lee Jun.
Get it together.
As they entered the market entrance, Jae-gyu reached out and pointed to a sculpture at the beginning.
"That’s the Shinsu Market mascot. It’s ugly, right?"
Whatever the local government had done, a grotesque figure was blowing finger hearts. Jae-gyu said he called it the Shinsu Monster.
"Are you still not hungry?"
Come to think of it, she was starting to...
"A little."
"Then shall we eat something light? There’s a meat pancake place if we go in this way. Since we were going to go to the Hanwoo Festival today anyway."
Meat pancake? She had never tried it. Hearing Jae-gyu’s explanation, it sounded like it would be delicious. Apparently, it was thinly sliced beef coated in flour and egg and pan-fried like a pancake, and it was superb when eaten with seasoned green onions.
"Sounds good."
Bom nodded. It was just as they were about to enter the market alley. Suddenly, Jae-gyu stopped in his tracks.
"Bom."
Before she could even answer, Jae-gyu turned his back and spoke urgently.
"Could you wait here for just a moment? I’ll be right back."
At Jae-gyu’s inexplicable behavior, Bom nodded reflexively. Jae-gyu’s eyes were fixed somewhere.
"What? Yes."
As soon as permission was given, Jae-gyu turned around and began to run, weaving through the people as he chased someone. Just as his figure was about to disappear, she faintly heard Jae-gyu’s voice.
"Lee Hee-yeon!"