Hello Vet! How are you?

Woof woof woof woof! Growl, grrr, woof woof!

Yap yap yap, yip, yip!

『Wow! Just how long has it been since I’ve been out? Yeehaw!』
『Seriously, who on earth marked their territory here? What a funny idiot! I’ll erase your traces for you!』
『Hehe! This is thrilling, yeah! Run, run!』

A dog, as big as a house, thundered down the sidewalk with a smaller dog that looked like a bulldog flew by its side.

Behind them, a man was being pulled along, desperately holding onto two leashes. Or rather, he was being dragged.

One was a Jack Russell Terrier, and the other a Pyrenean.

“Ahhhh! You brats, slow down a bit, will you?”

The man, almost screaming, was being dragged by the dogs.

He was a regular customer at the park café run by Sugarr’s guardian.

He had dropped by the café a few days earlier and heard news about the Woof Woof Animal Clinic.

‘They said they easily picked up Sugar, right?’

The dogs charging ahead had earned the nickname ‘Destruction Quartet.’

With their overwhelming energy and unstoppable mania, whenever they appeared, destruction soon followed.

They were true chaos incarnates.

With such energy overflowing everywhere, who would welcome these troublemaking dogs?

Even their owner couldn’t handle them. Because of this, he couldn’t properly take them for walks.

This only worsened the dogs’ hyperactive personalities, as they expended all their pent-up energy when they did go out.

It was a chain of mischief.

Animal clinics were no different.

The ‘Destruction Quartet’ had been blacklisted at all three animal clinics in the area as problematic customers.

Veterinarians at these clinics dreaded seeing this man and his dogs because of the chaos they brought with them.

The clinics had advised bringing them one at a time, but how could the man do that?

If he left one behind, its barking would threaten to bring the house down.

It just wasn’t a feasible option.

Because of this, the dogs hadn’t seen the inside of a clinic in over a year.

“Haa, I hope I can at least get their vaccinations today…”

Ear cleaning and nail clipping would be ideal, but hoping for that was a stretch.

The man just wanted to get the vaccinations done without a hitch.

As he looked up, he saw the animal clinic where, reportedly, they could handle small dogs like Sugar.

“I hope they take these guys…”

Praying silently to himself, he called out to the dogs.

“Stop, stop. No more running!”

Of course, the dogs didn’t listen.

They continued charging ahead, pouring out energy that knew no bounds.

Without a moment’s rest, the man shouted again, this time louder.

“Gum! There’s gum over there!”

Suddenly—

The dogs running like racehorses came to a screeching halt.

『Gum? Did you say gum?』
『Yeah, he did. Let’s go!』
『I’m going for two big gums.』
『I want three!』
『Then I want four!』

Yap yap yap!

The dogs made peculiar sounds and charged toward the Woof Woof Animal Clinic.

Watching this scene unfold from their tower, the cats hissed with amusement.

『Hey! Those strange ones are coming!』
『Who are those lunatics?』

Hearing their unusual hostility, Lee Joon, who was tending to a cat in the ward, stepped outside. Go Gijin followed him.

“Who’s coming?”

But as a large white dog approached, answers were unnecessary.

“It’s the same breed as Sugar. I’ve never seen a Pyrenean and Jack Russell combo before!”

“That Jack Russell looks like the one in our neighborhood, you know. People mistake it for a Jindo.”

“They’re gorgeous. But it seems like they’re coming to our clinic?”

“It’s been ages since I’ve seen such cute ones.”

Thinking the ‘Destruction Quartet’ was adorable, Lee Joon and Go Gijin leisurely strolled to the entrance and opened the door for them.

“Welcome—”

Before Lee Joon could finish his welcome, the dogs and their owner barreled into the clinic.

『Wow, this place looks fun!』
『Sniff, sniff. Who dared to mark here? I’ll cover it with my scent!』

“You, you guys, please stop now that we’re here.”

Breathing heavily, the man shouted, and Go Gijin approached him, holding out his hand.

“Hand me the leash.”

“What?”

“Take a seat and give me the leash. You look exhausted, sir.”

Startled by the first act of genuine kindness he’d encountered, the man nodded, too winded to ask questions.

“A-ah, okay.”

As Go Gijin took the leash from the man’s hands, the dogs were bewildered.

『What, why aren’t we moving? Grr, gahhh!』
『I want to go over there, arghhh!』

The dogs whined and strained, trying to move.

Yet they couldn’t advance a single step.

They were taken aback by being restrained for the first time.

Woof woof woof!

Bark bark bark!

Both dogs barked loudly as if to make the entire clinic hear.

Just as bewildered as the dogs, the man felt astonished.

Both dogs couldn’t move an inch?

‘Whew, just how strong is he? I guess that’s why he could pick up Sugar so easily.’

The thought that he might finally be able to get a proper medical examination made the man’s lips curl into a slight smile.

At that moment—

“Be quiet!”

Lowering his voice, Lee Joon commanded the dogs.

However, the dogs continued barking and bouncing around.

“I-I’m sorry. They’re not bad guys, it’s been so long since they’ve been out, they’re just excited… I’m really sorry.”

Apologetically, the man attempted to explain.

But the Jack Russell Terrier ignored its owner, persistently jumping and barking.

『Why, why aren’t we going out already? There’s a ball right there, ball, ball!』

“This?”

Holding a ball in one hand, Lee Joon grinned at the dogs.

『Yes, give it to us! Ball!』

The Jack Russell jumped high, reaching for the ball.

However, Lee Joon raised his hand higher, making the ball unreachable.

“These rascal pups are full of energy.”

Watching one leap upwards and the other trying to bolt forward, Go Gijin smiled contentedly.

Seeing the dogs subdued by Go Gijin’s strength, a sense of strength filled the man’s heart.

‘To, to think they could subdue my kids, extraordinary!’

Finally, he relaxed, convinced he could get a calm medical checkup.

Still jumping for the ball, the Jack Russell paused as Lee Joon sweetly engaged it.

“I’ll give you this if you sit and wait.”

『Really?』

“Of course!”

Desperate for the ball, the Jack Russell immediately sat down and stared at the ball, hopeful.

“Wha, what…?”

Witnessing this for the first time, the man’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Go Gijin, who had been watching, voiced his admiration.

“Wow, this is fascinating every time I see it. Just how do these fellas listen to you so well, hyung Joon?”

Grinning, Lee Joon focused back on the dogs.

“If you sit nicely like this, you can have the ball and a cookie too.”

『Really?』

“Yep.”

『I, I want gum too!』
『Me too, gum.』

“Gum?”

『Yeah, gum!』

“Alright then.”

Lee Joon, replying casually, picked up a piece of gum from the display.

It was only about the size of three knuckles.

Instantly, the dogs were disappointed.

『Oh, that?』
『Hmph, that won’t even be a mouthful.』

“Precisely. You know your stuff. If you listen to me, I’ll give you this.”

He pointed to the largest piece of gum in the clinic.

The dogs’ eyes sparkled.

Even the Pyrenean had suddenly nestled beside the Jack Russell, sitting quietly.

“Okay, since you’ve sat nicely, here’s your reward.”

Lee Joon handed each dog a ball, then gave them gum.

Ecstatic, the dogs switched between biting the ball and gum.

“Ha ha, I can’t believe this. How about you two?”

Unbelieving, the man rubbed his face as Lee Joon chuckled and responded.

“The dogs are just well-behaved. They listen well.”

“They’re good, but they only do this at home…”

“They’re more than good. They’re full of energy, but they aren’t aggressive.”

True enough, neither dog had shown its teeth or acted aggressive this whole time.

“You’re right. They’ve never bitten anyone before, not a person or dog.”

“Exactly. That’s because of your good care.”

“But they’re too hyper…”

“If the personality is right, this can be fixed quickly.”

“Really?”

“Definitely. Now, how about we proceed with the check-up?”

“Oh, right.”

Caught up in their handling and training, the man momentarily forgot why he was there and explained.

In no time, both dogs received their vaccines, had their nails trimmed, and ears cleaned.

“Thank you so much, doctors.”

“Oh, it was nothing. Just doing our job.”

Grateful, the man expressed his appreciation to Lee Joon.

“T-thank you. Honestly, I’ve never had such a relaxed check-up! Thank you very much. I hope to see you again.”

“You’re welcome to come anytime.”

『C-can we come back tomorrow?』
『I, I want to come too.』

Charmed by Lee Joon, who understood and fed them, the dogs eagerly wagged their tails.

“If you promise to stay calm!”

As the dogs nodded fervently, Lee Joon addressed the man.

“They promised me, so they will keep it.”

“Will they?”

“Sure. Dogs don’t lie. Try trusting them on the way home. If they behave, come back tomorrow. A promise is a promise.”

“Of course. If they’re good, we will come every day.”

Thanking Lee Joon and Go Gijin several times over, the man left.

“Time for some cleanup, I guess.”

“I’ll do it. You and the doctor should take a break.”

Sora offered as she emerged with a vacuum cleaner.

“I’ll handle it. By the way, why does that Jack Russell shed so much? It’s always surprising, you know. And that Pyrenean is just a bundle of fur.”

“Short-haired breeds shed a lot.”

“That’s true. I used to think dogs with short fur didn’t shed.”

Go Gijin said while vacuuming up the scattered Jack Russell Terrier fur all over the clinic.

“Then, I’ll clean the examination room.”

“I’ll do the mopping.”

With three people cleaning together, it was finished quickly.

Go Gijin, looking around the now spotless clinic, spoke up.

“They’re adorable, but the fur can be quite the ordeal. Short breeds shed a lot, but the big ones, even if they don’t shed as much, they’ve such huge fur volume that it still feels like a lot.”

“True. That owner is impressive, raising them both indoors.”

“That’s true. He seem like a really nice person.”

“Yeah. Anyway, your help made the consultation smooth.”

“No, it was because you connect to them well. It’s amazing.”

“You were amazing too.”

“No, really, I was just holding the leashes.”

Go Gijin humbly downplayed it and continued.

“The dogs, like Sugar and those earlier ones, seem truly fortunate. They’re clearly loved. Taking care of big dogs is a formidable task…”

“Yes, once you commit to raising them, you should do it well.”

“True. We only live once, we should do it properly.”

“I agree.”

“Everyone coming to your clinic seems like good people.”

“I admit. Wonderful people all around.”

Lee Joon smiled as he reminisced about all the individuals he’d met since the clinic’s opening.

At that moment—

Gray one perched on the cat tower, chirped out.

『Kkamnyang, look, it’s a black one like you!』
『Me?』

Curious, Kkamnyang peered outside, quickly becoming disappointed.

『Oh, darn, that one even has black paws.』
『Close enough, isn’t it?』
『Yeah, guess that’s true. But why is it walking with its head down? Did it drop something?』
『Must’ve dropped a toy!』

Their conversation made Lee Joon chuckle lightly.

‘It’s a dog coming to our clinic.’

He was sure the sight was of a dog unwillingly brought towards the clinic for treatment.

Looking outside, Lee Joon spotted a black Cocker walking with its head drooped, trailing behind its owner.

A chime sounded as the black Cocker, led by its owner, entered the clinic.

“Welcome.”

“Ahem, this guy’s ears seem bad, it reeks, so I brought him here.”

Responding to Lee Joon’s greeting, the owner tapped the Cocker’s head.

Lee Joon’s gaze subtly narrowed.

‘This Cocker flinched.’

With even the slightest touch, the Cocker shrank away in fear.

‘Moreover, standing idly behind the owner, that’s a little strange too.’

Fresh from dealing with hyperactive dogs earlier, the comparison became even more pronounced.

“The Cocker here is so quiet. Must’ve been trained well.”

Taken aback by Go Gijin’s unexpected compliment, the owner awkwardly laughed.

“Haha, this one listens well.”

“They seem to. Cockers are high-energy dogs too, you know.”

As Go Gijin pointed out, despite being in a new place, the Cocker neither sniffed around nor roamed.

It simply remained with its head hung low behind its owner.

But this was no reason for outward suspicion.

Maintaining composure, Lee Joon spoke up.

“Shall we head to the examination room?”

“Examination room? Erm, I’ll just wait here. Can I get some coffee?”

Handing Lee Joon the leash, the Cocker’s owner headed over to the beverage stand.

No well-wishing words, no explanation of what part was hurting.

“Okay, let’s go.”

As Lee Joon gently led the Cocker towards the examination room, their eyes met Kkamnyang’s.

Realizing what the Cocker’s gaze conveyed, Kkamnyang calmly called out.

『Are you… having a hard time?』

A faint light of hope appeared in the Cocker’s once-dim eyes.

『Sa… save… please help.』