Hello Vet! How are you?

Lick.

On the waiting chair by the window of the Woof Woof Animal Clinic, grey one was licking a fish-shaped plush toy.

It was a gift from Lee Joon not too long ago, and Grey one liked the toy very much.

‘I feel so good, meow!’

Grey one held the fish plush, decorated with yellow and blue stripes, tightly with both front paws and licked it diligently.

After licking it for a good while, grey one nudged the fish plush with a front paw.

Tap. Taptap. Tap… Tok.

As he played by moving the toy with his paw, grey one’s motions gradually slowed down.

Losing interest in the fish, grey one sprawled back on the chair and rolled his eyes around.

‘It’s boring without hyung.’

While lazily rolling around, grey one’s eyelids slowly drooped shut.

Bathed in warm sunlight by the window, grey one soon fell into a cozy sleep.

Watching Grey one from the reception desk, Jang Sora found her own eyelids growing heavy.

“It’s quiet. Maybe they know the director isn’t here? Not a single phone call.”

Feeling that she might fall asleep if she kept sitting, Jang Sora stood up.

“Better to clean up a bit.”

At the sound of Jang Sora getting up, grey one’s ears twitched for just a moment but he quickly fell back into slumber.

However, this peaceful sleep didn’t last long.

The relaxed Gray cat abruptly opened his eyes wide.

Sparkle.

Its golden eyes shone brightly.

The ears perked up.

Swoosh.

Grey one sprang to his feet and looked out the window.

Although there was no suspicious movement in sight yet, nothing could escape Grey one’s senses.

‘Someone is coming, meow!’

Clatter. Clatter.

『Run. Run!』
『I’ll run faster!』
『No way, I’m faster.』

Frowning at the noisy voices, grey one remarked.

‘Such noisy creatures, meow.’

And it seemed they were headed this way.

『Oh? But going this way leads to the scary doctor, right?』
『Y-Yeah, it’s the way to Woof Woof Animal Clinic!』

The voices grew louder until they finally appeared into view.

Two dogs, with white, elongated snouts and long ears flapping, were running towards the clinic.

‘They look like Jamong, meow.’

To Grey one, Jamong was a younger brother he was immensely grateful for.

Jamong had saved him in the past, after all.

And these Beagles approaching now, he recognized them from before.

Like Jamong, they were quite well-mannered.

They listened well to Lee Joon too.

‘They were loyal to hyung, meow.’

Gray one’s tail, lifted high, slowly wagged—a clear sign of welcoming.

Soon after, the bell on the door jingled loudly.

Jingle-jingle-jingle.

With the noisy sound of the bell, the two Beagles along with their guardian entered.

“Welcome.”

“Hello, I’m here to get their vaccinations.”

“Oh dear, the appointments concluded early today. I’m sorry.”

“It’s my fault for coming without a heads-up.”

Though advised to come another day, the guardian hesitated to leave.

The Beagles, standing there wagging their tails, still looked energetic.

Meanwhile, the guardian, practically dragged along by these unruly Beagles, seemed exhausted.

He found himself unable to leave immediately.

“Huff, I’ll rest for a moment.”

“Yes, you should.”

After suggesting rest to the weary guardian, Jang Sora turned to the dogs.

“Would you fluffballs like some water?”

Jang Sora spoke, seeing the two Beagles panting with long tongues stretched out.

“You remember our Som and Moongchi’s names.”

“Of course. It’s been two times already.”

The guardian was pleased with Jang Sora’s words.

‘They welcomed us warmly last time, and it’s the same now.’

Som and Moongchi, being large and mischievous, were rarely welcomed anywhere.

Thus, their leashes always had to be held firmly elsewhere, but here, som and Moongchi could roam freely.

‘They really enjoyed moving around here last time.’

Remembering their calm demeanor before, the guardian inquired of Jang Sora.

“Can I let them loose then?”

“Sure.”

Upon releasing the leashes, the guardian approached a waiting chair and noticed Grey one.

“Hello, grey one! Is your leg all better now?”

Meow!

At the sound of Grey one’s reply, the Beagles’ gaze turned towards Grey one.

『It’s a cat.』

Som flapped its tail while speaking.

『Yeah, remember the cat from last time?』
『Should we go over?』
『Hmm, nah. I want to go smell over there. There are lots of interesting scents. Besides, the vet said not to bother that one.』
『Oh, right.』

The Beagles turned and sniffed around the interior, exploring thoroughly.

Grey one watched them warmly.

‘So refined, meow!’

Grey one thought Som and Moongchi were very polite, beagles who did not bother him.

Whether aware of this gaze or not, the two Beagles wagged their tails lazily and conversed.

『Hey, did you hear? The vet’s not in today.』
『Yeah, I heard.』

『Isn’t that great?』
『Heh, of course. We can wander freely without being nagged.』
『Hahaha, I wanted to explore there.』
『Yeah, me too. Wonder what’s inside.』

Som and Moongchi started exploring with excitement.

Then thud, som stumbled over something and the water in the bowl spilled onto the floor.

『It’s water.』

Som dunked its head into the bowl and drank.

Slurp, slurp.

With its long tongue drinking noisily, more water splashed, and the floor became soaked, with spilled water also spreading around.

『Oh, I want some too.』

Moongchi, seeing Som drinking, came running to the bowl to drink too.

After finishing the water, they walked off.

With their paws soaked, wherever they stepped, wet paw prints followed.

『Look at this, it’s so fun.』

Looking back, som delighted in the wet prints on the floor.

『Oh yeah, it really is. This place is too fun not to play around.』
『Totally. Remember they told us not to run? Smaller ones might get hurt.』
『Keh, what do they take us for then.』
『Seriously. No one else is as calm as us.』

Just then, som tripped over something again.

It was the water bowl they’d been drinking from before, which had toppled over.

Water was steadily soaking the already messy floor.

『Heh, this is even more fun.』

Slosh, slosh.

With soaking wet paws, som delightedly slipped on the floor.

Next to it, moongchi jumped around with equal glee.

‘What are they doing, meow?’

Why were these otherwise calm Beagles acting out?

Grey one’s eyes sharpened into slits.

Among subordinates, there were now and then those who’d get overly playful.

At such times, a warning usually helped them regain sense.

『You’re being too rowdy, meow!』

Grey one scolded the two Beagles.

But even then, they kept stamping their paw prints in enjoyment.

Feeling irritated, grey one turned his gaze to Jang Sora.

Still, caught up replying to their guardian, Jang Sora was oblivious to their mischief.

『Here, I’ve wanted to check this room.』
『Me too.』

Som and Moongchi headed towards the patient room, where Grey one had exited, its door left ajar.

『What are you doing, meow!』

Grey one frowned deeply and dashed toward the patient room.

『Hey, nobody’s here anyway.』
『Yeah, though I can smell cat scent?』
『The scent from that cat earlier… Oh? What’s this?』

Som ducked its head into the recovery ward.

Soon it emerged, swinging its tail with something in its mouth, and headed back out.

『Hey, that’s mine, meow!』

Moongchi, following Som, bumped into Grey one at the entrance of the patient room.

『That’s mine, meow!』
『Meh, let me just play with it for a bit.』

Thud, as Som responded to Grey one, the toy mouse dropped from its mouth.

Grab.

Quickly seizing the toy mouse, moongchi sprinted away.

Behind it, som chased as they both sped along.

Trot, trot, trot.

The narrow animal clinic reverberated with the rush of the two Beagles.

The guardian, busy choosing snacks, shouted.

“Som, moongchi! Can’t you two behave?”

But the Beagles, now in full sprint, didn’t halt.

The thrill of retrieval drove Som’s speed higher, and Moongchi ran faster to hold onto it.

Trot, trot, trot.

Focused solely on the toy, their hunting instincts flared to life.

Dash.

And right behind them, grey one gave chase.

It was then that Som noticed something exciting.

Once, it had snatched a fish off a dining table.

Though it had suffered from a bad stomach later, it didn’t remember the misery.

Only how delicious it was.

『Fish!』

Chasing Moongchi, som changed its target and dashed toward the fish.

Chomp.

Clamping the fish in its mouth, som felt ecstatic.

Unlike fresh fish, this was fluffy and fun to chew.

‘Hehe!’

Excited, som darted off to a corner.

All took place in a flash.

Watching helplessly as even his precious fish toy got stolen.

Already upset from losing the toy mouse, now this.

Anger swelling inside, grey one shouted out in frustration.

『That’s mine, meow!』

Abandoning the chase after Moongchi, grey one now pursued Som.

Seeing Grey one approaching, som became even more thrilled.

『Hehe, catch me if you can!』

With both hunting instinct and joy peaking, som wore a delighted expression and ran into the patient room.

There, it flopped down and began gnawing on the fish toy.

When the soft fabric tore, revealing stuffing inside, som began tugging at it.

Rip.

As the fabric split further, stuffing fluffed out from inside.

『What are you doing, meow!』

Flying through the air, grey one landed on Som’s face, throwing a flurry of light paw punches.

『Ow, that hurts!』

Som, startled by Grey one’s attack, jumped up, and as Grey one leapt, it landed on Som’s back and continued throwing light punches.

Just as Lee Joon had taught, without extending its claws.

Whap, slap, whap.

Som’s face swung left and right, with its long ears flapping accordingly.

True to its title as the boss of Evergreen Park, grey one’s punch was formidable.

Bright stars appeared before Som’s eyes, big and small.

Moongchi, who had come to retrieve the fish toy, couldn’t avoid Grey one’s attack either.

Kapow, whap, whap.

『Oh…』
『Whine…』

Som and Moongchi, never having faced such aggression before, whimpered, prompting Grey one to give a fierce punch as a warning.

Whap!

『Silence, meow!』

Beyond having been angered by the destruction of his cherished toys was Grey one’s displeasure with these reckless ones ignoring his hyung, Lee Joon’s, words of caution.

『Our hyung had told you to stay quiet last time, meow!』

Of course they remembered.

It was weekend, that much they knew.

But replying in this setup would only fetch more hits.

So Som and Moongchi exchanged wary glances, silent as ever.

Whap, whap.

But even more punches came their way.

Their faces held a look of wounded innocence as they took another hit.

『Those acting as if they forgot are much worse, meow!』
『I-I remember.』
『Yeah, I remember.』

Dolefully, their heads nodded vigorously in response.

Whap, whap!

Yet another punch came flying.

Looking more betrayed than before, their faces held mournful looks.

『If you remember and still pull such stunts, it’s worse, meow!』

Seriously! What else could they do?

They had taken such a beating, rebellion simmered within them.

『Try causing trouble one more time, meow!』

What’s left to be done but face more blows?

With their heads hung low, the Beagles smirked internally.

‘This damned cat, just wait. We’ll get our revenge next time.’

‘Should’ve chewed up that dummy more thoroughly.’

Despite these thoughts silently broiling inside, grey one seemed privy to them and threatened further.

『I’ll ensure you never get another treat again, meow!』
『Ridiculous.』
『Impossible. How exactly?』

Unable to disguise their internal shock, their genuine thoughts slipped out.

Whap, whap!

『Our hyung can do anything, meow!』

Then a loud noise came from outside.

“Oh my, just look at this floor. Som, moongchi, get out here right now!”

“It’s all right. It can just be cleaned up.”

“Even still, I’m so sorry. Oh? What’s this now?”

“Oh, that. It seems to be our Grey one’s toy. Don’t worry about it.”

“How can I not? I’m really sorry.”

The guardian sought out Som and Moongchi.

Upon reaching the patient room, seeing the shredded fish toy on the floor, the guardian exclaimed again in frustration.

“You, you two! Who did this!”

***

The next day, Jang Sora relayed the previous day’s events to Lee Joon as he arrived.

“I was going to discard these, you know? But Grey one dragged them to the patient room. There, he snuggled them closely, curling up like that.”

Lee Joon was already aware of what had transpired.

Arriving past 10 PM after classes, he had stopped by the clinic to pick up Grey one.

“Grey one remained in the ward, just leaving his face peeking out. I was worried he might be hurt, but he was clutching onto these.”

“Yeah. You couldn’t believe how sadly he gazed at the broken toys. The guardian of Som and Moongchi was genuinely remorseful.”

Recalling the previous day, Jang Sora added further.

“They ended up buying replacements…”

In the waiting area lay a new fish toy and mouse toy, both much larger than Grey one’s original.

However, grey one didn’t even glance at them.

『Not from hyung, meow!』

Grey one mumbled.

“Huh?”

『I’m sorry. Hyung, it was your gift.』

The torn and shredded toys—the fish and the mouse.

These were Grey one’s very first toys, precious ones from his beloved hyung.

For Grey one, they were meaningful and special.

Such meaningful toys should have been cherished and kept intact, yet due to carelessness, this had happened.

Grey one was deeply upset that he couldn’t protect what was precious.

He felt apologetic to his hyung.

As Lee Joon continued to pet Grey one, he said,

“Grey one, why didn’t you just give them a smack or two?”

『I smacked them a lot, meow!』

“Good job. If you want anything else from now on, just say it. I’ll get whatever you wish.”

『No need, meow!』

Grey one shook its head against the offer of another treasure.

Causing further trouble wasn’t right.

“Haha, what do you take me for?”

Embracing Grey one, Lee Joon headed toward the place where toys were piled up.

“Pick anything you want. Take them all if you like.”

『Really, meow!』

“Of course.”

Grey one’s eyes sparkled.

After browsing the toys for a good while, it reached out with its paw.

『That one and this one, meow!』

Grey one pointed at a yellow and blue striped fish plush and a mouse toy that looked exactly like the ones given by Lee Joon.

—