Already Committing a Crime
Lunchtime had arrived before I knew it.
Sometimes, like today, I ate alone on the third floor instead of with the staff.
After finishing my meal and cleaning up, I casually checked my phone—and my eyes went wide.
"Whoa... I can't just post recklessly anymore."
Kim Mi-so usually handled all the Hanmaum Animal Hospital SNS posts, and we didn't post that often anyway.
It was more like we were just keeping up appearances because every other animal hospital did it.
We'd post about the clinic or snap a pic of a cute patient, and likes would average between 7,000 and 10,000.
'But 50,000 likes?'
The flood of comments and likes made my head spin.
This was the first time I had posted directly instead of Mi-so, so maybe that's why the reaction was explosive.
Or perhaps it was because it wasn't just cute animal pics—it was about an abandoned pet, drawing extra attention.
"Alright then. Time to take a look."
Swipe—swipe—
I'd asked Smith's owner to DM me separately. Now it was time to reel in the net I'd cast.
I scrolled through my phone carefully, checking DMs, and found several intriguing ones.
I skipped past pointless ad links, loan requests, and compliments about how cute Smith was.
"Hmm. This one? The person who called Smith their 'little owner'?"
"Smith. This is the guy who says he's your owner. Does he look familiar? Is it him?"
—Where... Huh? It's Se-jun.
Smith peered at the photos from the smith_daddy_agt account, his beady eyes sparkling.
—Se-jun's my little owner. He's coming to pick me up now?
"I told him to come after work hours. But Smith, even if Se-jun shows up, you can't just go home with him right away."
—What... do you mean? So... I'm staying here longer?
Smith stretched out his neck, blinking up at me, and I met his gaze carefully.
"Here's my plan. First..."
I explained the plan I'd prepared in advance, then got back to work.
Before long, closing time arrived.
Bang bang bang!
"Hello? Dr. Baek! I'm here for Smith! The wolf turtle you posted on Star Talk! Dr. Baek, you there?"
A boy about middle-school age, dressed in a school uniform, pounded fiercely on the locked glass door.
I opened it, and he bolted straight for the glass tank holding Smith.
"Smith! Big bro's here! Do you know how long I've been looking for you?!"
Tears streaming down his face, he called out desperately to Smith. A middle-aged woman followed behind, glancing around.
"Park Se-jun! Didn't you hear your mom? Running off like that?"
She was probably the 'big owner' Smith had mentioned—the one who'd abandoned him.
She glanced at Smith, then crossed her arms with an irritated tone.
"Where does that look like Smith? I told you it's not. Don't make trouble for your mom—let's go. Ugh, just look at the size; it's way bigger than Smith."
"What are you talking about?! The dot by the nostril, the shell pattern—it's identical to Smith!"
Despite Se-jun's yelling, his mom didn't bat an eye and turned to me instead.
"Ugh, this kid. Sorry for the intrusion, Director. My boy's just confused. Anyway..."
She gave an awkward smile and whispered in my ear.
"Could you play along?"
"...Pardon?"
"That turtle does look like Smith, but it's hard to tell just from looks, right? So help me out here? Please."
I couldn't quite grasp what she wanted help with—or why she was asking—when she turned to her son.
"Se-jun, enough. Time to go home. The director says it's not our Smith. Don't be a nuisance—let's go."
This was insane.
When did I say that?
"How would you know if Dr. Baek says it's Smith or not?! It looks exactly like him! No matter what, I'm taking Smith home!"
"Park Se-jun! Cut it out! What are you gonna do if it is Smith? You're starting high school next year—how long are you gonna fuss over a turtle?"
"Nooo! I need Smith at home no matter what!"
"This kid... Fine, quit being stubborn. If you wanna raise one so bad, Mom'll buy you a baby one. Where are we supposed to put that big thing?"
"Why do you keep saying no?! Smith is my..."
The mother-son argument was getting more ridiculous by the second.
"Hold on. Both of you, quiet down in my clinic."
There was a line even for nonsense, and theirs had crossed it long ago.
Before the stunned pair could speak again, I pressed on.
"Over 100,000 pets are abandoned in Korea every year."
"Pardon?"
"No 'pardon' about it. That's why I'm saying this—to people like you, ma'am. Too many treat pets like disposable toys you can buy and toss."
"W-Wait, Dr. Baek, that's not— I..."
"I have no idea how you can be so brazen right now, but I've never agreed with you. Not once. I never said it wasn't Smith."
She was already looking flustered.
And I hadn't even gotten started.
"Abandoning a pet is a crime, punishable by a fine up to 3 million won. And leaving Smith to starve all day? That's clear-cut animal abuse under the Animal Protection Act."
"S-Sorry. My kid wanted it so bad, but it got too big... I was gonna get a smaller one instead..."
"Do you think that makes sense? Smith started out smaller than your palm too, right? If you adopt a new turtle and it grows like Smith, you'll just dump it again?"
"......"
Abandoning animals is a straight-up crime.
Sure, Korea's laws are softer than overseas, but even so—could she really be this shameless and careless?
The woman flushed as I scolded her, while her son perked up.
"Mom, let's take him! Abandoning is a crime, she said. And it is our Smith!"
"Ugh... Fine. Then we'll..."
"Sorry, but that's not happening either."
I hadn't called them here to hand Smith back. It was to make them realize the gravity.
"W-What? You won't let us take him home? Smith's my brother—why can't he come back?!"
—Se-jun...
Smith, who'd been listening silently from the tank, splashed lightly as if to defend the boy.
But I raised a hand slightly, stopping him.
"Your name's Se-jun, right?"
"...Yes."
"Let me be blunt. Turtles aren't like dogs or cats. They're way harder to care for, and spotting their distress is tough."
"But I've taken good care of him so far! Smith likes me too..."
"He might've liked you. But happy? Probably not."
"W-What...?"
"You call Smith your brother, but your mom handled the actual care. You have no clue what his daily life was like—how could you know if he was happy? Bet you never even changed his water properly."
"That was because Mom said focus on studies..."
I already knew from Smith himself. Mom fed him and changed the water—everything.
Strictly speaking, I didn't even need to say this. But before their goodbye, the kid needed to own his part.
Otherwise, he'd just feel robbed of his pet.
"Pets aren't just for human entertainment or ornamental toys. Smith is a living being with his own life."
"......"
That should sink in. How unfit he was to raise Smith.
"So Smith needs a better home."
"N-No! He's my brother—where are you sending him? Our tank's small, sure, but..."
"It's not just the poor conditions. You and your mom probably don't know this, but the wolf turtle is an invasive species. Illegal to keep without permission. You were already committing a crime."
Their eyes went wide—they clearly had no idea.
"Oh my god. W-What happens now?"
"Except for academic, research, educational, or exhibition purposes with local environmental authority approval, keeping, importing, transferring, or buying them is all banned. Violators face up to 2 years in prison or fines up to 20 million won."
"Oh my... What do we do?!"
Exactly.
Fine incoming.
"N-No way..."
Mom fretted over breaking the law; Se-jun teared up for other reasons.
"H-How is living with Smith illegal?! How can it just... suddenly..."
"Wolf turtles are aggressive predators with no natural enemies here. They're a huge threat to local ecosystems—even attacks on people. That's why so many get dumped once they outgrow."
Like your mom, I didn't add.
"T-That's ridiculous! They didn't say that when we bought him! We've been together since elementary school!"
"It's not just the invasive status. Even without that, could you really care for him now?"
"Why not? I can keep doing what I've been..."
"Doing what, exactly? Cleaning the tank yourself? Feeding? Do you know monthly costs? Odor control? And the tank size? How long you gonna keep him cramped?"
"H-How...?"
I relayed the truth straight from Smith, no sugarcoating. Se-jun looked lost.
"Your old tank was probably smaller than this temp one, right?"
"......"
No turtle enjoys a cramped shell-squeezing space.
That was Smith's reality.
I tapped the temp tank.
"FYI, even this one's too small for Smith long-term. If you really love him, Se-jun, give him a space where he can thrive."
"But not just dumping him in a ditch..."
"Not a ditch—a better place."
"Is there... such a place?"
Releasing a wolf turtle into streams is illegal too.
"I promise. He'll go somewhere great. I found you for one last goodbye."
That was why I'd tracked them down—for Smith's sake.
His former owners tearfully said farewell.
Once they were gone,
I texted the person for Smith's fostering. Almost immediately, my phone rang.
"Hello, Chairman."
"—Long time no see. What brings our veterinarian to me?"
"I need a favor."