Byul-i
“Oh, Dr. Oh. What brings you here?”
“I left my wallet at the hospital. I was just heading to grab it…. And you, Director? What are you doing on the ground?”
“I was walking to sober up….”
“Ah… I see.”
“Haha, looks like I accidentally trespassed into the territory of the local stray cats. Must’ve slipped somewhere along the way.”
“Ah… I see.”
Time to drop the lame excuses.
I knew that look in Oh Ha-yoon’s eyes all too well. The familiar gaze of pity.
“…….”
“…….”
Leaving the suffocating silence between us behind, I forced a smile and brushed the dust and cat hair from my pants as I stood. As if nothing had happened.
“If you’re heading to the hospital, want to walk together?”
“Ah, yes. Sure.”
Another thick silence settled in.
I wasn’t the type to mind walking without chatter.
But after she’d seen me get thrashed by those cat punks, I wanted to say something to break the ice.
“It’s been a whole month since Dr. Oh joined us already. How’s it going? Settling in alright?”
“Yes. I feel like I’m getting along with everyone now…. And I’m starting to get a sense of what a real veterinarian is.”
“Already?”
Oh Ha-yoon smirked and nodded.
“You’re still on probation, so you observe your consultations weekly, right? I’ve felt it every time.”
She had solid experience, so I couldn’t treat her like a total newbie. But she needed more hands-on practice before handling cases solo like Kang Ha-neul. That’s why I’d set a three-month probation period for her to shadow me and Ha-neul.
“Veterinarians treat animals, sure. But in the end, every treatment decision rests with the owner, right? Animals can’t exactly speak up for themselves.”
Walking side by side toward Hanmaum Animal Hospital, Oh Ha-yoon kept going.
“Back in the day, I focused purely on analyzing patient behavior and objective disease markers. I’d pick the best option based on that data and lay it out so owners had no choice but to go along. Even then, I was always careful with my words to the owners.”
“I figured you were the same. Wasn’t that your style?”
Oh Ha-yoon smirked and shook her head.
“It’s not about being rude. I just wouldn’t say things that might rub owners the wrong way. There are problems treatments can’t fix—like what you always tell brachycephalic owners.”
“Ah…. You mean asking them not to breed?”
Ever since I started hearing animals’ voices, I’d grown even more cautious about neutering surgeries.
If the patient themselves wanted pups, I’d persuade the owner accordingly.
But there were patients begging for it against their own instincts—brachycephalics chief among them.
“Yes. They’ve got serious genetic issues, so I get why you bring it up…. But there’s no legal restriction here, right? No one’s making you say it, yet you do…. Honestly, it surprised me. At Taesan, they’d never mention it first unless asked—it was that touchy.”
“It’s not easy. But… I believe telling the facts matters. Most of those kids live in constant pain, from the moment they’re born.”
Flat faces, huge bulging eyes. That innocent, dopey expression with the tongue lolling out—who wouldn’t love a brachy?
But their cuteness had to take a backseat to the suffering they endured.
Brachys from just a century ago looked nothing like today’s….
“As you’ve seen, I’m not as pro-neutering as some vets. I only recommend it when truly necessary. But for brachy pups, over eighty percent need C-sections.”
Designer pets, bred artificially to match human tastes for a specific look.
Naturally, they carried more genetic baggage than other breeds.
“More than half struggle with respiratory diseases right out of the gate. Those oversized eyes lead to corneal ulcers and other eye issues. And their lifespan? Three to four years shorter than average dogs on top of that.”
With faces so flat, even breathing and eating were ordeals for brachy kids.
Excessive wrinkles often trapped skin folds, breeding dermatitis.
I’d been warning owners about brachys long before I could hear animals speak.
The difference now? Most actually listened instead of storming out in a huff.
“In the Netherlands, only brachys with muzzles at least a third of their skull length can breed—and only if they pass government fitness and health checks, under vet supervision. We’ve got no such guidelines here, so I have to speak up. We’re vets, aren’t we?”
No one ordered me to do it.
It was just my duty to make sure no patient suffered in ignorance of hard truths.
Besides, now their pained groans rang clearer in my ears than ever. I couldn’t just leave brachy kids to their fate.
By the time we finished talking, we’d reached Hanmaum Animal Hospital.
“Ah, here it is. Thanks for walking with me, Director. You’ve got that shoot tomorrow—get some rest.”
“Yes. You too, Dr. Oh—enjoy your day off.”
I saw her off and headed inside. No sign of Ssal-i.
“Where’s that rascal Ssal-i? What time is it, and he’s still not home? Weather’s freezing out…. Oh, right—he said he was crashing at Big Rock tonight?”
With Nureoguman and Seondeo still hibernating, Maeng-maeng-i had been extra lonely lately.
The booze must’ve dulled my memory; it hit me late that Ssal-i was sleeping over at Maeng-maeng-i’s nest.
“Our Ssal-i really…. He’s one of a kind.”
Then, out of nowhere, my first companion dog crossed my mind.
Nothing special like Ssal-i’s powers. Utterly ordinary.
But that small, squat little one had been my greatest comfort in the ordinary.
“…You’re on my mind extra today. I miss you…. our Byul-i.”
“That’s the kid. Min-hyeok.”
“Hoho. He’s such a sweet boy—gets along great with the older kids, so kind. And sharp as a tack; always top one or two in class without extra tutoring. Perfect fit for a doctor’s family like yours.”
The nursery director’s words were half true, half false.
Min-hyeok was smarter than most.
But.
His pretty face.
His brains.
His quiet nature.
They tacked on every excuse to beat him black and blue—older kids, routinely.
Even at just ten, his eyes held a calm beyond his years. A robotic face that never cracked a smile.
Anyone could guess the hell he’d endured at the nursery from that alone.
“Dear. What do you think?”
“Min-hyeok… I like him. Name fits right in with ours—no awkwardness. He’s the one.”
The Baek Jong-hyeon couple weren’t blind to it. But they brushed it aside and decided on the spot.
Like tossing an item in a shopping basket, Min-hyeok became the Baek family’s youngest son overnight.
“This is your home from today on.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Call us Father and Mother. We’re your parents now.”
“Ah… yes, Father.”
Clean clothes.
Varied dishes at every meal.
A sprawling country house straight out of a drama.
Just like Kim Min-hyeok turning into Baek Min-hyeok, his life flipped overnight.
Yet even after a month, two, three in the new home, his adoptive parents treated him the same as day one.
…It’s fine. Calling them Mom and Dad still feels weird. And Kang-hyeok hyung’s not well, they said.
Never once laying eyes on Baek Kang-hyeok, the family’s sole blood heir, felt off too.
But whenever doubt or unease crept in, Min-hyeok steeled himself.
Doesn’t matter. Getting adopted into a good home’s a miracle. Just be good.
Orphan kids past toddler age rarely got adopted—especially boys. He knew it well, so he vowed to be perfect.
He choked down carrots he’d never touched at the nursery, fighting vomit.
His quick mind helped him adapt fast at the new school.
Then one day.
A shy smile lit his deeply dimpled face as he clutched his report card.
Finally number one. Mom and Dad’ll be thrilled, right?
First time hitting top of the class at the new school, Min-hyeok headed to Prof. Baek Jong-hyeon’s second-floor study, buzzing with excitement.
As the thrilled boy crept up, raised voices leaked from the ajar door.
“How long! Till when do I wait! You brought him here just to show this? Save our kid first!”
“Haa… Dear. You think I want to hold off? There’s an order to things!”
Hard to follow exactly.
But the vibe screamed: don’t interrupt.
“That damn order! Our kid’s dying—how long?! Save him any way possible!”
“Enough already! Critical or not, there’s still order. You think I don’t get that? Should I just steal it?”
“I told you: once he’s here, we do it my way! If it saves our kid, I’ll do anything. Steal it, snatch it—whatever!”
“You think that’s sane…….”
Amid the Baek couple’s shouting.
The hand gripping the report card went limp.
…Brought? Our kid? Steal? What’re they saying?
Min-hyeok pieced the puzzle like scattered bits snapping together.
Mom raging to save the kid. Dad holding her back.
Our kid… that’s Kang-hyeok hyung….
A bit more, and the “brought” one clicked too.
…Me?
The report card in his hand—and his heart—trembled.
Not the thrill from earlier. Pure terror.
Brought me… to save hyung? How? No way….
A thought flashed: a news word from before.
Organ… donation?
Once it hit, Min-hyeok bolted straight to his room.
How… how do I stay safe?
He was only ten.
But his mind ran deeper than most kids his age.
Another child might’ve buried under blankets sobbing. Min-hyeok sat at his desk, calmly sorting his thoughts.
Back to the nursery: daily beatings from older kids, endless same-side dishes.
…No more. Hate that life.
His cooled resolve led to one path.
Even organ donation won’t kill me. Worst case, aftereffects…. Fine by me.
Study like mad.
Become a doctor like his adoptive parents.
To him, it was the only way to prove his worth—and survive.
“Ma’am. About the second young master….”
“Yes?”
“He’s been studying… way too hard lately.”
“What’s wrong with studying hard?”
“Not wrong, but it’s… excessive? Got a call from his homeroom teacher. Doesn’t hang with friends, studies even on breaks. Grades are school-top, impressive…. But teacher’s worried, so I thought I should tell you.”
“…….”
One word from the housekeeper, and a new family member joined the house.
Woof! Woof!
That was Min-hyeok and Byul-i’s first meeting.