Hello Vet! How are you?

“It happened about four months ago. Tofu started sneezing. I thought it might be due to the cold and quickly turned up the heating. I believe that’s when it began.”

“Was the sneeze like we heard just now, or did it sound more like a cough?”

“I think it was more of a hissing sound, the kind it made back then.”

Lee Joon nodded and took notes in the medical chart, preferring to keep eye contact with the pet owner rather than immediately inputting data.

He favored handwriting when consulting with pet owners, especially when confirming detailed medical histories like now.

“Tofu just sneezed initially, but then one day, nasal discharge started dripping from its nose. It began as a clear secretion but gradually turned into pus with blood.”

“So, did you visit a clinic then?”

“Yes, when the discharge turned yellowish, I visited a clinic and medicated Tofu for a week. Then, due to the bleeding, I was advised to get a CT scan. I decided to try another clinic.”

“So you medicated for a week and then proceeded with a detailed examination.”

“Yes, he was not improving at all, so I had no choice. However, the examination only revealed pus, nothing else.”

“Did they suggest examining again after treating the inflammation?”

“Yes, that’s what they said. They mentioned the inflammation might be masking the real cause.”

“That’s possible. Did they ever mention bone erosion?”

“What! Bone erosion?”

“Oh, if the inflammation is severe, it may erode surrounding bones or calluses. If they didn’t mention it, it would likely mean all is well.”

Reassuring a visibly pale Hong Jisoo, Lee Joon pondered the situation.

‘Hmm, what’s hiding beneath the pus? What could be the cause of such a prolonged condition for over four months?’

If it was an ordinary bacterial infection, antibiotics should have resolved it by now.

A foreign object? Or perhaps a tumor?

In his former clinic, under these circumstances, even Lee Joon would’ve recommended a CT scan.

However, at Woof Woof Animal Clinic, they had limited equipment — just X-ray, ultrasound, and endoscopy.

Lee Joon explained this limitation to Hong Jisoo.

“Well, it seems we need a detailed examination, but unfortunately, our clinic doesn’t have the facilities.”

“Even so, could you take a look at Tofu?”

“The nasal region is surrounded by the skull, making examinations particularly challenging. X-rays have limitations, and what couldn’t be detected with CT…”

Lee Joon paused.

‘Identifying the cause is essential, but what’s more crucial is figuring out where Tofu is hurting now. If we can alleviate any discomfort or pain, that should be my top priority.’

Increasing the quality of life — Lee Joon, well aware of its importance, continued to speak.

“As mentioned, all we can do is X-ray and endoscopy. There’s a possibility we might not find the cause. Are you still okay with that?”

Hong Jisoo hesitated momentarily at Lee Joon’s words.

But considering the trust Lee Joon had established from when they met at the entrance until now, she thought it might be worth going for it.

“I’d like you to examine Tofu.”

“Alright, shall we meet Tofu then?”

“Yes. Tofu, come out. The director wants to see you.”

The phrase ‘shall we meet’ instead of ‘let’s take a look’ was simple yet heartwarming, prompting a gentle tone as Hong Jisoo called out to Tofu, opening the carrier bag.

『Doctorr?』

A black-backed, white-bellied cat spoke with a purring voice.

‘I can communicate with the cat too!’

Lee Joon was delighted when he heard Tofu’s words, as anticipated.

However, the joy was soon overwhelmed by pity.

Tofu, with yellow nasal mucus smeared around its nose, looked at him with lifeless eyes.

“Oh dear, Tofu, you must have had a hard time.”

Never before had Tofu heard a veterinarian acknowledge its struggles.

It widened its amber eyes, though they barely opened halfway.

Tofu dashed toward Lee Joon, hugging his arm with its front paws tightly.

『Meow. Doctor!』

To Tofu’s sudden behavior, Lee Joon was taken aback.

Even more so was Hong Jisoo.

“Oh my!”

Startled, she barely nodded at Lee Joon’s promise to return after the examination.

“Tofu isn’t usually like this.”

Tofu had always disliked visiting animal clinics, and recent frequent visits made it dislike them even more.

Yet, here it was, acting differently.

“Just maybe…”

Hong Jisoo’s optimism started growing.

***

In the examination room, Lee Joon was listening to Tofu’s tale.

『So they were tormenting me. And then… And then, they made me lie down like this. Oh, it was so painful. Really.』

“So what did they do?”

『They tied me down like this and laid me on my back.』

“In a place like this?”

Lee Joon pointed at the X-ray machine.

『Yes. Exactly. When I lay down, it hurt more.』

Suffering from relentless sneezing and constantly dripping nasal discharge, lying belly-up for an X-ray must have been torturous.

“You had a tough time.”

As Lee Joon gently stroked Tofu’s head, twofold Tofu continued happily sharing its story.

『Then they kept pricking me with these sharp things. Ack.』

Tofu, with a disgruntled look, tapped its right front paw with its left, referring to when they drew blood for the examination.

“Were you pricked a lot?”

『This much!』

Tofu lifted both front paws.

“Ten times? Can’t be!”

『Exactly. But I can tolerate this much!』

Tofu lowered one paw, suggesting it could bear up to five times.

‘Probably less, I bet…’

Yet Lee Joon chose not to voice it, opting instead to pacify grumbling Tofu.

Basking in the affection, Tofu nudged its nose.

『Meow, director. My nose hurts.』

Seeing Tofu tapping its nose, Lee Joon asked the question he was dying to ask.

“What exactly hurts there? Ah, before that, did you ever feel something foreign in your nostril?”

『Yes, there was something. How did you know?』

“A foreign object, huh!”

Now knowing the cause, there was no need to delay — simply extract it.

Endoscopic procedures were straightforward tasks for Lee Joon.

Informing Hong Jisoo about the procedure, he swiftly removed the foreign object.

***

“Did you see the video?”

“… Yes.”

Hong Jisoo was in a state of awe.

Lee Joon claimed he identified the cause, quickly performed a procedure, and mentioned it would be brief.

However, it was quick, exceedingly so.

In the wink of an eye, the procedure was already done, and Lee Joon was reviewing it with her.

“In Tofu’s right nasal cavity, deep in the nose, there was a foreign object like this.”

Lee Joon showed the foreign object extracted via endoscopy.

The object measured over 2 cm in length.

“Oh my, what is it?”

“It looks like grass.”

“No way. Tofu never goes outside, director.”

“Do you perhaps have potted plants at home? Or maybe you arranged some flowers in a vase?”

After hearing Tofu’s story, Lee Joon provided some hints to Hong Jisoo.

Those hints seemed to trigger something, and her eyes widened.

“Oh, there was a time when I received a bouquet. Come to think of it, Tofu started getting sick shortly after that.”

Hong Jisoo recalled receiving such a bouquet as a birthday gift.

It was so large and beautiful that she had displayed it in her room for a while.

Quickly, she opened her phone to find a photo.

“Oh my, it was this. The bouquet had several grasses mixed in, and it must have been one of them.”

Hong Jisoo shook her head, incredulous.

“I just thought it was cute when Tofu sniffed the flowers, never expecting such a mishap.”

“If Tofu had sneezed after strolling on the grass or through bushes, you might have realized it immediately. Then you would’ve easily resolved it at a clinic.”

“Is that so?”

“Absolutely. And prolonged exposure can often not be detected in examinations. It wasn’t hard metal, and it had adhered to the inflammation.”

“… Thank you so much.”

“Oh, it’s all in a day’s work.”

Holding and tenderly stroking Tofu, hong Jisoo asked.

“Will Tofu get better now?”

“He’ll need to take a few more medicines, but he should improve.”

With that assurance to Hong Jisoo, Lee Joon turned to Tofu.

“Tofu, you’re not hurting anymore, right?”

『Yes, thank you for saving me, doctor!』

Tofu responded in a lively tone.

Meow!

“Tofu says it’s no longer in pain.”

Hearing Tofu’s bright sound and seeing its cheerful face, hong Jisoo couldn’t hold back her tears.

“Ah, thank you, doctor. Truly, thank you.”

“You’ve done well.”

“No, not me, look how much Tofu has suffered. Such a sharp thing was in its nostril.”

Hong Jisoo, expressing gratitude numerous times, exited the animal clinic with Tofu.

***

That night, a post was uploaded to the ‘Cats are Adorable’ forum, commonly referred to as ‘Adorable Cats’.

– Dear members! Our Tofu has found a new beginning.
Hello everyone, Tofu’s owner here.

I’m at a loss for words to describe my current emotions.

I wanted to bring some good news to dear members who supported us with comments and thoughtful concerns regarding Tofu’s condition.

Dear members, our Tofu has found the light.

〈omitted〉

Everyone! There’s never been a more refreshing clinic visit, nor a chance to say thank you this sincerely.

Do you know what the revered Dr. Lee said regarding Tofu? He merely remarked, ‘Shall we meet Tofu now?’.

Oh my, instead of ‘let’s take a look’ he used ‘shall we meet?’.
What kind of sweet, overflowing doctor is this?

Moreover, when Dr. Lee immediately said ‘you must have had a hard time’, I felt my heart skip a beat. Along with tears, of course.

It seemed like Dr. Lee understood very well how much Tofu had experienced.

And Tofu ran straight towards the doctor the moment it stepped out of its carrier!

Or rather, he wasn’t just that, Tofu hugged Dr. Lee, showing gratitude.

Then it was like a scene from a fantasy — believe it or not, Tofu, which originally hated vet visits, was in someone’s arms.

〈omitted〉

Tofu, let’s live happily together with nuna for eternity.

Summary

1. Tofu’s sick nose was caused by its guardian’s ignorance.
2. Yet, they encountered a remarkable vet.
3. Meeting this vet, Tofu returned to normal.
4. The vet conversed with Tofu.
5. Woof Woof Animal Clinic is the best!

End.

Hong Jisoo’s post rapidly garnered increasing views.

Most comments were congratulatory and encouraging, expressing relief over discovering the cause, happiness for Tofu, or a desire to visit the clinic themselves.

A few skeptical comments accused it of being fiction or a promotional post, recommending its removal.

However, there was one thing every reader shared.

‘Woof Woof Animal Clinic’ had etched itself in their minds.

With its soaring views, the post ascended to the popular rankings, drawing more attention.

Among the forum members seeing this post were several industry professionals as well.

***

“Dr. Choi, isn’t this Dr. Lee’s clinic?”

“What?”

“Did Dr. Lee open his own clinic, Woof Woof Animal Clinic?”

“That’s correct. But why’re you asking?”

“Look at this. Dr. Lee is performing exceptionally well!”

Choi Woo-jin took the offered phone from a colleague and began to read.

“The Woof Woof Animal Clinic? Yes, that’s Lee’s clinic.”

Scrolling down, Choi Woo-jin returned to the top to carefully read the post. His smile deepened as he read through.

“Wow, he actually did it?”

Choi Woo-jin had always known Lee Joon was talented but hadn’t imagined achieving this much independently.

Though being highly skilled, he’d so far handled cases within well-established systems, where it was more challenging to conduct consultations during non-regular hours due to limited support.

“Indeed, talented individuals will excel anywhere.”

“What’re you looking at?”

Asked a senior veterinarian from the side.

“Oh, senior. A review of Dr. Lee’s clinic was posted.”

“Review? Did he advertise?”

“It’s not an advertisement. Would he do something like that? If he had spare funds, he would’ve bought more equipment.”

“That’s exactly why I’m asking. Despite being unlike him, he’s making waves online. Hopefully, it’s not due to negative reviews.”

Familiar with how friendly and diligent Lee Joon was firsthand, he couldn’t help worrying.

“No negativity, instead, it’s said they found a new beginning through meeting Lee.”

“Phew, that’s a relief. But what was treated to find a new beginning?”

Both people read through Hong Jisoo’s post.

And it wasn’t just them, Lee Joon’s name started circulating amongst veterinarians too.

—