Hello Vet! How are you?

Bang, bang, bang.

Lee Joon pulled out the toolbox, hammered in nails, and then hung up the picture frame he had just received.

“Director, this drawing looks so beautiful.”

“It really does. I didn’t expect to receive such a precious gift.”

“That’s how grateful they must have been. Anyway, it’s really well-drawn.”

Lee Joon and Jang Sora stood for a long time, appreciating the artwork.

Lee Joon smiled as he looked at a happily smiling Mong-i.

‘I hope all the animals who come here can smile like you.’

As Lee Joon resolved to make that happen, Jang Sora had the same thought.

“I hope all our clinic patients can smile like Mong-i.”

“Indeed.”

“That would be wonderful. Receiving such a great gift in the first week of opening… Director, I really think our clinic will do well.”

“We can only hope so.”

While Lee Joon and Jang Sora were again staring at the drawing, they were interrupted.

Ding-ding.

A woman carrying a dog walked into the clinic.

“Welcome.”

“When did this place open? I don’t think I’ve seen it before.”

“We opened yesterday.”

“Oh, I see. Mind if I look around? I want to check out what food and snacks you have.”

“Sure, take your time.”

“Can I put him down?”

“Yes, of course.”

Lee Joon intended to enter the examination room to give the visitor more freedom to look around, but he quickly changed his mind.

『Try buying something tasty this time.』

A raspy voice caught his interest.

‘The way of speaking is unique?’

Intrigued by the raspy voice and the unusual phrasing, Lee Joon approached the dog.

“What kind of food is this?”

“Oh, that’s food made from herring.”

“Herring? Do they like it? The last time I got salmon food, and my little one didn’t like it much…”

“Some dogs love it, but if they don’t like salmon, they might not like this either. How about looking for something else?”

“I thought it loved fish because it liked salmon snacks.”

『The snacks were soft and easy to eat. Tasted good, too. But the food itself wasn’t great.』

Sniffing around the clinic and exploring, the Yorkshire Terrier spoke again.

To Jang Sora and the dog’s owner, they heard barking sounds, but to Lee Joon, it was crystal clear.

『Could you buy something soft like those snacks?』

The voice and appearance carried a sense of age and experience.

Lee Joon squatted next to the Yorkshire Terrier.

Sensing movement, the dog looked at Lee Joon.

Despite being in an animal clinic, the Yorkshire Terrier wasn’t afraid of the clinic or the vet.

It was as if speaking to a passerby.

『First time I’ve seen this vet.』

“Hello. I’m Lee Joon, the vet. What’s your name?”

『I’m Ddangkong.』

“Nice, ddangkong. That’s a good name.”

『It’s a good name because my mom gave it to me.』

Ddangkong turned its head to watch its owner choose dog food.

“Ddangkong, is the food not tasty?”

『That’s not it.』

Lee Joon looked at Ddangkong closely.

The dog didn’t seem to lack appetite, considering its chubby appearance.

“Ddangkong, how old are you?”

『13 years? That’s what I’ve heard.』

“I see.”

Thirteen years old.

Lee Joon repeated the age in his mind before continuing.

“Ddangkong, do you find it hard to chew your food? I mean, is the food tasty but too hard to eat?”

『Well, sometimes.』

“How about soft food? It might be easier to eat.”

『There’s such a thing? Can’t I just have soft snacks?』

“Eating only snacks isn’t good. So, do you want to try some soft food? It should be manageable.”

『Well, if that’s the case, I’ll give it a try.』

“Alright.”

Lee Joon, carrying Ddangkong, walked over to where the owner stood.

“Hello, guardian.”

“Hello. Are you the owner?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Oh, I look forward to seeing more of you. I didn’t know about this clinic. You just opened yesterday, right?”

“Yes, we opened yesterday.”

“It’s so clean. The staff is friendly too. I’ll have to visit more often.”

“Thank you. By the way, I heard Ddangkong isn’t eating its food well.”

Lee Joon initiated the conversation.

“That’s right… Ddangkong used to eat well, but he’s been eating less lately. I’m not sure what to feed him next.”

“What kinds of food have you tried with Ddangkong?”

“Uh, this one, and that one, and that one too.”

The owner pointed to more than five different types of food.

“That’s quite a variety you’ve tried just from here.”

“Yes, sigh… I guess it’s age. I’m worried. Ddangkong is 13 now.”

“Have you tried canned food or semi-moist food?”

“Canned food?”

The owner tilted her head in confusion.

At that moment, Jang Sora held out a can of dog food.

“Like this.”

Ddangkong immediately responded.

『Hmm, that one was edible. Actually, it was quite tasty. Could we buy that since we’re already here?』

Unable to understand Ddangkong’s words, the owner said.

“I think he ate this well… But isn’t this a treat? I thought it wasn’t good to feed him too much meat.”

“Oh, I see. This is a regular meal can. It’s made like a stew or porridge, and treats are like this.”

“Oh, I had no idea.”

“These are good for pets who find hard food difficult to eat. Also, for those who don’t drink much water.”

“He doesn’t drink water much. But, director, ddangkong has strong teeth. None are loose.”

“Even if it seems that way, it can be different from when he was younger. Trying a change is good. Feeding this is better than just treats.”

“Should I try?”

“This food is also good. It’s soft.”

While Lee Joon pointed out a semi-moist food and explained, Jang Sora brought over a sample for Lee Joon to show.

“Feel it. It’s soft, right?”

The owner felt the sample bag and her eyes widened.

“Indeed.”

“Wanna try feeding him?”

“I wonder if Ddangkong will eat it.”

“You can try it here. If he doesn’t, I’ll give you a sample to take home. If he eats it well, you can buy it then.”

Lee Joon opened the bag and gave Ddangkong a piece.

Nom.

Ddangkong accepted it with his tongue.

『Oh, this seems good.』

“Right? Tasty, isn’t it? Hold on a second.”

As Lee Joon poured some food onto a small dish, ddangkong devoured it in no time.

“Oh my! Ddangkong! I can’t believe he’s enjoying food so much.”

The owner was delighted enough to clap her hands.

But Ddangkong, not caring about that, tapped the dish with his paw.

『Could you provide more?』

After Ddangkong finished two sample bags of food, the owner beamed with joy.

“Director, I’ll take this food and the meal cans too.”

“Yes, just a moment.”

While Jang Sora gathered the products, Lee Joon spoke to the owner.

“Do you have time?”

“Pardon? Time?”

“If you’re not in a rush, I thought it’d be good to get Ddangkong’s heart checked, at least.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Not at all. Prevention is the most important.”

Being too thorough might burden the owner, so Lee Joon kept it simple with a heart and lung check and measuring the temperature.

“He’s doing well. But since Ddangkong is older, I recommend doing a regular check-up once a year.”

“Yes, I was thinking about it. Thank you. I’ll feed him this and come back.”

“Take care.”

The owner, about to leave, turned back to grab some business cards from the reception desk.

“Can I take a few more of these?”

“Of course. Thank you. And I forgot to give you this, it’s a gift for our opening.”

Jang Sora handed a gift box in a bag.

“Thank you! I’ll see you again. Say goodbye to the doctors, ddangkong.”

『Thank you. I will enjoy the food.』

“Right, eat well and drink lots of water.”

Lee Joon waved with a satisfied smile.

“Dogs really do have different personalities. Even their manners of speech.”

“Oh, calling dog barks a manner of speech? You might be too deep into your role, director.”

“Hahaha, perhaps.”

Lee Joon laughed heartily at Jang Sora’s comment.

—

The next day, ddangkong and Mong-i met at the park.

The two, walking at similar times, often encountered each other at the park.

『Hello there.』
『Ah, it’s young Mong-i. How are you?』
『Good. But a few days ago, I almost died.』
『What did you say? You nearly died?』
『I ate grapes, you see.』
『What? Why would you do that? Grapes are poisonous, you know?』
『Well, here’s how it happened… 』

While Mong-i recounted his close call to Ddangkong, Mong-i’s and Ddangkong’s owners were also deep in conversation.

“You won’t believe it, but Mong-i almost died.”

“Why?”

“I mentioned I’ve been going to the hospital often, so I’m frequently away from home.”

“Oh, right. How’s Hyerim’s Grandpa doing?”

“He’s getting better.”

“Good to hear. But what about Mong-i? What happened?”

“Mong-i ate some grapes, and…”

“Oh no, how did that happen? How much did he eat? Is he okay now?”

Ddangkong’s owner looked at Mong-i sitting beside Ddangkong with concern.

“Oh, he didn’t really eat them, they got stuck in his throat, and he almost choked to death.”

“Ah, that’s even scarier. Weren’t there dogs that died from choking on treats a few years back?”

“Exactly. Fortunately, Hyerim ran to the animal clinic, and they saved Mong-i. I was so shocked when I heard. Thinking that something terrible could have happened to this little cute one… Oh…”

Mong-i’s owner shivered at the thought as she looked at Mong-i.

“Running all the way there without Mom, Hyerim must have been worried sick.”

“No, it wasn’t that far. It was to the new Woof Woof Animal…”

“Oh, Hyerim’s mom. Speaking of which, the new Woof Woof Animal… Wait?”

The two women stopped mid-sentence with eyes wide open.

Realizing they were talking about the same animal clinic.

“You mean the Woof Woof Animal Clinic?”

“Yes.”

“That’s the one Hyerim went to. The doctor saved Mong-i. He’s skilled, kind, and simply wonderful.”

“I went there yesterday, too. I meant to tell you about it, so I brought something for you.”

Ddangkong’s owner took a business card from her small bag.

“You’ve been there already. Isn’t it a great place?”

A smile bloomed on Mong-i’s owner’s face as she took the card.

“Yes, it’s a really good place. Remember how I was worried about Ddangkong not eating his food?”

“Yes, you mentioned.”

“He figured out the cause immediately.”

“The doctor seems to understand the dogs’ hearts very well.”

“Right? I really thought he was having a conversation with Ddangkong.”

Then, a black Dachshund approached where they were.

『Greetings, everyone.』