Hello Vet! How are you?

As Gray one talked about its dwelling, it suddenly burst into laughter.

“Why are you acting like that all of a sudden?”

“It seems like he hasn’t had enough rest…”

“Well, if you don’t get enough sleep, you do start hearing things.”

Lee Joon looked at him with sympathy.

“Haha, he’s really a cute one, isn’t he? How does he come up with such thoughts? I suppose it’s possible to think like that.”

Saying something even more puzzling, Lee Joon stood up and entered the ward.

“Gray one, do you want to go to the park?”

When people are hospitalized, they wish to go home, perhaps Gray one too, felt that way?

Although fellow companions visited every day, the park must have been missed.

『I want to go, meow. But…』

Gray one’s legs twitched.

He wondered if he could still climb trees like he used to with those legs.

In his current state, he could only manage to walk on the bare earth, and even that at a snail’s pace.

He wouldn’t be able to escape anywhere and getting water would be quite difficult.

He might not even be able to drink water.

There were two places in the park where one could drink water, and both were at a high place.

Although he never thought those places were high before, they seemed quite tall to him now.

He knew better than anyone, especially himself, that he couldn’t jump.

His companions wouldn’t leave him alone.

That wasn’t good.

After all, the basic of park life is self-care.

Gray one let out a long sigh.

『If I went back to the park now, I’d be a burden to my companions, meow.』

Lee Joon had an inkling of what Gray one was thinking.

To console him, Lee Joon opened the ward door and gently patted Gray one on the forehead.

At the comforting touch of Lee Joon’s gentle hands, Gray one purred and continued to speak.

『But if Doctor Woof Woof wants to be a park companion, I’ll speak to them on his behalf, meow.』

“Puhaha.”

Lee Joon burst into laughter again.

『If I permit it, they’ll all welcome you, meow!』

Gray one felt satisfied.

He was glad he could help Dr. Woof Woof, his savior.

As Lee Joon playfully ruffled the fur on Gray one’s forehead, he told him.

“No, I mean, we’re going to my house. Since you’re a bit more mobile now, why don’t we commute together from now on?”

Gray one didn’t completely understand what he meant, but the words ‘with me’ made him smile.

Meow~

***

Swaying gently back and forth in the bag, Gray one felt extremely comfortable.

‘How long has it been since I got to see the outside world, meow!’

Looking through the lattice-like openings at the scenery passing by, Gray one’s lips curled up in delight.

Sniff, sniff.

A blend of various smells filled his nostrils.

Some were familiar, while others he was encountering for the first time.

Gray one’s head moved left to right repeatedly as he took in the sights of the street.

The path they were taking seemed familiar to him. It was the route he had followed when he first saw Lee Joon, crossing the road.

『It’s the alleyway, meow.』

Due to the noise of traffic, Lee Joon couldn’t hear Gray one’s words and spoke up.

“We’re heading to the house at the end.”

Ah, that place.

Realizing where Lee Joon was taking him, the corners of Gray one’s mouth lifted even more.

‘We’re going to the alley home, meow.’

Soon, the door to the alley home opened, and after passing through the yard, another door slowly creaked open.

As the view descended… click.

The carrier door opened.

“Gray one, come out slowly. But remember, no climbing or jumping.”

Having been told several times by Lee Joon why jumping wasn’t allowed, Gray one remembered.

『Understood, meow!』

Gray one peeked his head out from the carrier to survey his surroundings.

Sniff, sniff. He took in the scents.

『I smell Doctor Woof Woof, meow.』

There were other faint smells, but they were very subtle.

It meant that in this new space, it was just Lee Joon and Gray one.

Glancing around, Gray one stepped out of the carrier with one paw onto the rug that Lee Joon had hurriedly bought the previous day, concerned about Gray one’s discomfort with his hind legs.

This was a texture Gray one had recently become familiar with, since the place he lay inside the ward felt similar.

Tap. Tap, tap.

Gray one tapped the floor a few times with his paws, feeling the same comfort underfoot.

Watching this, Lee Joon chuckled.

‘It’s all intriguing to you, isn’t it? I suppose it’s your first time in a human’s house.’

Lee Joon decided to let Gray one get used to the environment slowly.

After a moment, Gray one emerged fully from the carrier and began to walk around.

Though his hind leg with the cast dragged a bit, his expression was relaxed.

Seeing Gray one like this brought a smile to Lee Joon’s face.

‘He perceives it as a safe space.’

Relieved, Lee Joon went into his room to change into casual clothes.

Gray one cautiously explored the room, taking careful steps as his eyes went wide.

『It’s soft everywhere, meow!』

The feel of the floor on his paws was tender and smooth.

Walking on grass or weeds, or even sand, brought similar softness to the paws.

However, the sensation beneath him now was different.

There was no crunch one feels while treading over grass, nor the slight sinking or tickling felt amongst the blades of grass.

It was simply soft.

There were no roots to trip over.

It seemed viable to walk on with his uncomfortable leg.

Gray one began his exploration of the living room.

When Lee Joon returned to the living room, he found Gray one sitting in front of a cushion placed beneath the sofa, pressing it down with his front paws.

“Do you like that?”

『It’s even softer than this, meow.』

Gray one responded while kneading the area.

“That’s your cushion. You can rest on it.”

『My cushion?』

“Should I lift you onto it if you find it difficult?”

『I can do it myself, meow.』

For the first time in his cat life, Gray one climbed onto his very own cushion, wearing a peculiar expression.

While his circular eyes danced around, he seemed pleased.

『What is this, meow? It’s so soft, meow!』

“Do you like it?”

『Yes, yes, meow. This is the first time I’ve experienced something like this, meow!』

Lee Joon asked with satisfaction as he watched Gray one respond with delight.

“Aren’t you hungry? Let’s eat.”

『I want Churu, meow!』

“You’ll have that as a snack. For your homecoming celebration, let’s have something delicious.”

Heading to the kitchen, Lee Joon retrieved some chicken breast.

“Every so often, it’s nice to have something like this.”

A short while later, savoring the chicken breast, Gray one’s eyes glistened.

While he’d tried chicken breast before, this was the first time it was freshly grilled.

『It’s delicious, meow!』

“Right? I’ll make something tasty again next week.”

Lee Joon planned to prepare special meals like this once a week.

However, Gray one, face buried in the dish and immersed in the taste of the chicken breast, wasn’t listening.

Instead, once finished, Gray one thought of his companions.

『It’d be nice to eat together, meow!』

“You’re a leader at heart, aren’t you? Next time, we’ll eat together.”

That night, Lee Joon laid a blanket next to Gray one’s cushion and lay down beside him.

‘Doing this reminds me of when Kongdori first came to our house.’

Lee Joon had always wished for Kongdori to sleep in his bed.

But Grandpa insisted that it would be dangerous if Kongdori fell from the bed.

Despite being told no, Lee Joon persisted, expressing his yearning to share the bed with Kongdori.

In the end, his Grandpa, Lee Joon, and Kongdori all lined up to sleep in the living room together.

‘We slept like that for more than a month.’

Recalling those times, Lee Joon affectionately patted Gray one beside him.

Feeling Lee Joon’s touch, Gray one flopped his belly upwards and soon fell asleep, purring contentedly.

***

The next day, waking up from sleep, Gray one felt immensely joyful.

The wonderfully soft and cozy place to rest, a first in his cat life, and having his savior, Doctor Woof Woof, right beside him was heartening.

Of course, there had been times in the hospital when he’d slept beside the doctor.

However, back then, they were separated by glass doors, he couldn’t actually touch him.

Tap, tap, tap.

Gray one gently nudged Lee Joon.

Lee Joon flinched.

This time, Gray one stepped off the cushion and leaned against Lee Joon’s side.

‘It’s so warm, meow.’

Feeling cheerful, Gray one closed his eyes beside Lee Joon.

Lee Joon also felt happy.

The cozy warmth prompted his hand to naturally lift and embrace Gray one’s body, feeling the soft fur between his fingers.

Lee Joon’s lips involuntarily curled up.

‘I think Kongdori’s hungry.’

Kongdori never woke Lee Joon up.

Instead, he would simply snuggle beside him until he woke naturally.

Being nudged, one would invariably awaken.

However, today, nothing happened.

Cautiously, Lee Joon half-opened his eyes to glance at the warm lump beside him.

‘Hmm, why does Kongdori seem smaller?’

His hand, which was petting Kongdori, suddenly halted.

He felt something solid under his touch.

Leaping up, Lee Joon stared at Kongdori.

“Oh… it’s just Gray one.”

An amusing mix-up.

However, Lee Joon’s expression remained cheery.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had such restful sleep.”

***

Staying with Lee Joon, Gray one recovered swiftly.

When Han Na-Hyuk visited the Woof Woof Animal Clinic a week later, he was surprised to see Gray one prancing around, following Lee Joon.

“Is he already moving around like this?”

“He started scurrying around at home, so I guess his bones have healed well. You know, senior, bones need bearing weight to heal nicely.”

“True, but is it really okay for him to prance around outside like that? What if he jumps?”

“He won’t.”

“Don’t make promises. It’s not like he couldn’t do it before; he just hasn’t tried yet. When he feels better, he’ll surely want to jump. Cats have a natural jumping instinct, you know?”

“He’s not like that. He’s the dashing cat leader, after all.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Ah, it’s just something like that. But speaking of which, how’s work going?”

“CEO Nam Gung is supposed to bring the design today.”

“The design? Already?”

“I guess he must have been planning it earlier. He said he just adjusted it based on our feedback, and it’s really impressive.”

“Have you seen it?”

“Yes, I saw it at the office. When I heard they were building something, I didn’t think much, but the scale is—whoa—it’s something.”

“Is it that significant?”

“Yeah, when they mentioned a 10-story building, I thought, well, that’s normal, right?”

“There are animal hospitals that use an entire building.”

“Exactly. So I didn’t think much of it. But when I saw the renderings and the plans, I was amazed.”

“Is it that impressive?”

“Yeah, it’ll probably be the largest in the country. A construction company’s approach is quite different.”

“I’m curious how it wowed you that much.”

“Just wait. They should be arriving soon.”

“Is CEO Nam Gung coming?”

“Yes.”

“He wants to discuss the scale of the animal hospital for the shelter.”

Lee Joon was taken aback.

The request for support was made not long ago, yet it was already being discussed in detail.

“Already? These things usually take years after they are first suggested. I thought they would only break ground after setting up the medical center.”

“I thought so too, but I guess he’s not that type. CEO Nam Gung wants to show you the medical center design too. You will be amazed.”

“Sure, I’d like to see it, but would they really show it to me when it’s not my center?”

“No, CEO Namgung said he wants you to see it too. He believes there are things a professional would notice. Isn’t that true? The layout of the previous center had too long a flow. Plus, the surgical room was too high up.”

“Yeah, it was a bit inconvenient.”

“So, make sure to have a good look. It’s not every day you get such an opportunity.”

Just then.

“Is founding an animal medical center your dream, Director Lee?”

Lee Joon hadn’t heard Nam Gung-hyun enter due to Han Na-Hyuk’s booming voice, so he greeted him awkwardly.

“CEO, you’re here?”

“Yes. I thought you enjoyed managing a local animal hospital, but…”

Lee Joon felt slightly uneasy.

There was a chance Nam Gung-hyun might misunderstand and think Lee Joon didn’t wish to work at the medical center he was planning to build.

“Haha, it’s not that. What I envision is different from the center you’re pursuing.”

“How so?”

“Hmm, simply put, it’s a place that combines the best of local animal hospitals and clinic.”

“Would you be able to elaborate?”

Curiosity piqued Nam Gung-hyun’s interest in Lee Joon’s vision.

—