PROLOGUE

"Yongnyeo, go home and listen well, and eat your meal well!"

Slurp. Yongnyeo licked my forearm with her long tongue.

"Child, it's good that you're going home."

"Doctor, thank you so much. Our Yongnyeo...thanks to you, she survived."

"No, I just did what I had to do."

"No one else would treat our Yongnyeo, except this animal hospital. How can I repay this favor..."

Yongnyeo, a Cane Corso breed, is quite large.

When a dog weighing close to 50 kilograms wandered near the parking lot, people's attention focused on it.

It was a natural reaction, considering it is an uncommon breed.

However, no one dared to approach due to the intimidating presence emitted by the fierce-looking dog.

'Well, I supposed it's because the mafia members often used them as guard dogs, hence the breed known as the 'mafia dogs'...'

I understood why people reacted that way.

But once you get to know her, she's actually a good-natured fellow.

I gently stroked Yongnyeo's head.

"Yongnyeo, you're not fully recovered yet, so walk instead of running."

-Woof woof.

Her barking made the parking lot echo.

"Judging by the way she barked, it seemed like she's gained strength. It all thanks to you, doctor."

The guardian looked at Yongnyeo, smiling proudly.

"She's still in a lot of pain. When you get home, make sure she doesn't jump up and down the bed or sofa."

"Yes. I'll be careful. Well then, doctor, I'll be going now."

As the car drove away, I heard murmuring sounds from the surroundings.

"That person is a veterinarian, right? The one who handles aggressive dogs."

"Yes. Just a while ago, he was casually petting a really scary-looking dog."

"That dog, it's a mafia dog, right?"

"Yeah, but doesn't that veterinarian seem scary too? Just looking at him gives me the chills."

"Hey, look at that appearance. Even the most aggressive dogs would straighten up just by seeing him."

"That's true."

I chuckled inwardly after hearing the people's conversation. It was the truth after all.

It was true that he had a fierce appearance, and it was also true that dogs would quiet down when they saw him.

Well, who cares? As long as he can comfortably carry out his examinations, that's all that matters.

As I entered the building, my colleague and co-director, Seong Soo-ho, came out of the examination room and spoke to the staff.

"You've all worked hard keeping an eye on Yongnyeo. How about a drink?"

"Yes."

"Sounds good."

"Sounds good to me."

It was a rare day without any animals admitted to the hospital. Such days were perfect for a team gathering.

***

Dr. Yang, whose face was already flushed, began pouring soju into his beer glass.

"What's this? I just wanted to relax and enjoy some chicken and beer today. What am I supposed to do if you're like this from the very beginning?"

"Director Kim, you must be tired. We need to hurry so that you can rest. Hehehe."

"That's right. What's the rush!"

It had been a long time since their last team gathering, so everyone started drinking at a faster pace.

Flushed faces and raised voices. They enthusiastically shared stories from the day.

[I'm in pain...]

"Are you in pain? Where?"

"Who's in pain? You seem tired. Seeing you already getting drunk after just one drink."

"Is that so?"

I'm pretty sure I heard someone say they were in pain.

"Wow, this soy sauce chicken is always so delicious! Director, you should have some."

"Oh, sure."

"Just last week, when Yongnyeo came, I was really worried that she would wreak havoc at the animal hospital."

"But didn't you say the same thing when that amazing Doberman came?"

"Why, why don't normal and cute dogs come to our animal hospital? I, for one, want to see Chihuahuas and treat a Pomeranian."

I laughed and replied to Dr. Yang's words.

"Well, those dogs can still receive treatment at other animal hospitals. But it's true that large dogs are often overlooked just because of their size."

Even if they claim to have a professional calling, there probably aren't many veterinarians who are willing to go through the trouble of treating them.

My dog Canon, who grew up with me like a brother, was just like that. He's a German Shepherd, of a large breed.

Whenever I took Canon for his vaccinations at the animal hospital, there was always a common phrase I heard.

"Make sure to hold him tight."

If not, they would hand me a mask with a serious expression.

"Make sure to secure the mask tightly."

Sometimes, we even faced resistance at the entrance. Perhaps that's why I'm even more dedicated to treating large dogs.

"Dr. Yang, you have to understand. Director Kim has been taking care of large dogs since his school days. They're treated poorly just because they're big and intimidating.

"Well, that's true...big dogs can be really scary. It's hard to focus on treatment when they're so intimidating. Baekgu today was also very scary. Why is he so aggressive?"

"Jinsoon? Well, his ears were really swollen. He had both external and middle ear infections. Can you imagine how painful that must have been?"

Dr. Yang responded to my words with a frown.

"He opens his eyes wide and glares at me when I clean his ears... Ugh, even thinking about it now is terrifying."

"If we clean the inflammation in his ears, he'll recover quickly. We should try to do it whenever possible."

[It hurts, it's painful...]

What's going on? Is this really just my hallucination?

This time, without asking, I glanced at the faces of the staff. They all looked red but with pleasant expressions.

Dr. Yang raised his voice.

"I know that, but when he breathes heavily and shows his teeth growling, it's hard to approach him. Jinsoon, according to his medical history, used to have a great record. He seems to have never been to any other nearby animal hospital..."

'That's why I'm even more concerned,' I thought as I sipped my beer.

Some might call it unnecessary responsibility. However, such aggressive dogs are mistreated wherever they go. When I think about that, I can't just refuse to treat them.

Once the word spread that our animal hospital treats large dogs, a significant portion of the animals coming in for treatment were large dogs.

'I feel sorry for the staff. And also for Soo-ho.'

Soo-ho and Dr. Yang, who were particularly scared of large dogs, couldn't handle them when they came in. Instead of showcasing their skills, they would freeze up.

The perceptive dogs knew that and ignored the two of them even more.

But knowing that they wouldn't quit, I grinned and told Dr. Yang.

"I mentioned it last time. I'll consider having a separate entrance and waiting room for large dogs. If that's resolved, small animals can come in without worry, right?"

[It hurts, it's painful, save me, I want to live...]

The auditory hallucination came back again.

Could it be that the stress has accumulated unknowingly due to the recent increase in emergency cases?

"Alright, let's stop talking about the animal hospital now. It feels like we're working overtime."

With Soo-ho's suggestion, we stopped talking about the animal hospital. From then on, we enjoyed ourselves in a lively atmosphere, eating and drinking to our heart's content. The drinking session lasted until midnight.

"Take care, everyone."

I waved and bid farewell to the staff.

[Dying... animals in pain... are waiting for your touch. Will you offer help?]

I heard the voice. I knew it was just a hallucination, but the repeated sound annoyed me. It was partly due to being drunk.

"Oh, come on. If it hurts that much, come here. If you come, I'll fix everything!"

[%^$ #@%^&*&*% you!]

"What did you say?"

What's the point of trying to understand such a hallucination anyway?

With a wry smile, I stepped onto the road to cross the intersection when suddenly a cat leaped onto the road.

"Oh no, that little guy."

A car came rushing into view, ignoring the signal. It was a bright yellow sports car with an open roof.

"No!"

Instinctively, I rushed forward and hugged the cat.

"Collision...."

I did it...

Screech!

The speeding car collided with my body.

That's how my life ended.

Well, I thought it had ended.