Chapter 215

<Dead Point (3)>

Thanks to her brother’s logical analysis, Son Yoo-jin found some comfort.

– “Hmm. Maybe Yoo-jin’s ability doesn’t work on Cheon-ma because it’s meant to heal, not kill? It’s just a hypothesis, but still…”

– “What do you mean?”

– “Remember when you had a stomachache, and Yoo-jin’s hands didn’t work? Maybe she can remove tumors, but since bacteria and viruses are also considered life, her healing hands don’t work on them?”

E. coli, staphylococcus, and whatever other bacteria. According to her brother, they’re all considered life forms.

– “Just think of it that way. It’ll make Yoo-jin feel less upset.”

It might not be the absolute truth, but the reasoning fit, so there was no way to argue against it. After all, it came from the smartest person Yoo-jin knew.

– “But didn’t you say it gets better if you keep touching it?”

– “Yes. If you warm it up, the bad guys start moving around and eventually find an exit.”

It wasn’t visible, but it felt like they were searching for a way out, like fleeing for their lives.

Were they leaving to survive, or running away because they couldn’t survive? Wait, is that the same thing?

When Yoo-jin had a stomachache, she pushed them out of her body like that.

Those bacteria or viruses or whatever they were.

Of course, it took a long time, but it was enough progress to say it was thanks to Yoo-jin.

“Unnie, unnie!”

Jeong-won grabbed Yoo-jin’s finger and shook it.

Just like when baby Yoo-jin used to cling to her brother.

“Huh? What’s up, little bro?”

“Ubba!”

Jeong-won raised his arms toward his sister in a “pick me up” gesture.

Even with his wide-brimmed hat, his cheeks were flushed from the heat rising from the ground.

Oh no, I made this little guy walk too much.

But seeing how he didn’t whine, Jeong-won seemed especially mature in Yoo-jin’s eyes.

She crouched down, stretching her arms back.

“Come on, piggyback for my baby sister!”

“Ubba!”

“Whoa, unnie’s gonna fall!”

With a trusting jump, Son Jeong-won climbed onto his sister’s back.

He immediately hugged her shoulders and let out an excited crow-like sound.

“Caw!”

Haengun-i, who had briefly flown up to avoid the baby’s hands, landed on Yoo-jin’s head as she straightened her sturdy legs.

“Hehe. Let’s head home!”

“Ttuppa!”

Even though she was panting from the heat, Yoo-jin was happy.

Thinking of Cheon-ma wagging his tail at the sight of a bone, and her sleepy little brother rubbing his face against her back, she felt warm inside.

The sky, which had been scowling as if ready to pour rain, began to drop a few droplets.

***

Jang Gun-i settled down a little away from the acorn tree.

He swished his tail across the dirt, enjoying the shade’s coolness.

Hehehe.

If you had to pick the person the dogs in this house love and follow the most, it’d be Son Wang-wang.

They spend a lot of time together, and when those soft hands pet him, it feels great.

Among the dogs, Cheon-ma is definitely the one who loves Son Wang-wang the most.

Cheon-ma is fiercely loyal, following Son Wang-wang, Son Ang-ang, Jang Gun-i, and whoever else, regardless of their strength.

Son Ang-ang probably knows that, which is why he went out to get Cheon-ma’s favorite bone.

But hey, at least give him a cooked one, not a raw bone. What am I supposed to do with that?

Anyway, Son Ang-ang is hopeless.

Hehe.

Man, it’s so hot.

Huff, huff, huff.

That’s not the sound of my tail wagging.

It’s the sound of air escaping from my overheated lungs.

Jang Gun-i is a smart dog, so he knows these things.

Last year was just hot, but this year’s humidity makes it worse.

Summer is tough for dogs. Humidity is scarier than the heat.

If it were just hot, finding shade and lying down would be enough, but humidity doesn’t go away even in the shade.

Sigh.

It’s so hot, I’m sweating buckets. Okay, I don’t have buckets, but you get the point.

Jang Gun-i is a literary dog, so he knows how to exaggerate.

After a downpour, the sun came out, making it even harder to breathe.

Grr.

But seriously, Cheon-ma, what’s up with you?

You’ve been sick for too long.

Jang Gun-i gave up the acorn tree to Cheon-ma.

That’s a big deal. It’s a prime spot he doesn’t share with just anyone.

The area around the acorn tree is bug-free, making it a comfortable resting spot, and the large leaves provide massive shade.

He gave it up, but…

The shade is so wide that Jang Gun-i sat by Cheon-ma’s side, cooling off. Hehe.

Woof.

Jang Gun-i was disappointed in Cheon-ma.

The guy who supposedly detected bombs or drugs is this weak?

A guard dog showing such vulnerability in this heat is just asking for death!

Cheon-ma showed no interest in the bone Son Ang-ang brought and was struggling to breathe.

That scared Jang Gun-i.

What if the old dog dies?

This is a secret, but…

Even though he acts like he’s from nowhere, Cheon-ma actually has a purebred lineage. Purebreds have shorter lifespans.

Unlike Jang Gun-i or Hong-shi, who have diverse bloodlines, Cheon-ma’s pure blood means he could go anytime.

Huff.

But Cheon-ma said he’s not sick enough to die.

His lower belly hurt, but Son Ang-ang touched it, and now he’s fine.

He’s just hot and having trouble breathing.

Hey, then get up and catch some fish.

I’m not feeling the dog food because of the heat.

Grr, huff.

Cheon-ma struggled to get up.

Woof.

Hey, you don’t have to catch them now. Let’s do it when it’s dark.

If we get caught fishing during the day, Son Wang-wang will throw a fit.

Grr.

Cheon-ma said Son Wang-wang is here.

Being a former military dog, Cheon-ma was trained from day one to follow Son Wang-wang as the leader.

Even now, he’s trembling as he heads toward the kid.

I almost got emotional thinking he got up to catch fish for me.

Sigh.

I want some snakehead fish.

But since Son Wang-wang is here, I’ll wag my tail.

Too lazy to get up, so I’ll do it lying down.

Huh?

But who’s that guy in white behind the kid?

He smells like Dr. Bark-bark.

***

Yoo Jae-woon, relying on a single fan, couldn’t refuse the earnest request of a high school student.

Country folks ask for house calls for all sorts of reasons.

The rooster stopped crowing, the cow’s urine hasn’t been falling like a waterfall for days, the ostrich egg is too small, etc.

Luckily, Yoo Jae-woon loves animals and majored in veterinary medicine. Though he switched to human medicine due to his parents’ urging, he still has plenty of veterinary knowledge.

The locals don’t always come to the clinic. They’re sensible enough to only ask for help when the vet, Dr. Bark-bark, is away or the animal hospital is closed.

“Sorry, Dr. Bark-bark is on vacation. My little brother is really worried.”

“Yeah, I get it…”

Yoo Jae-woon’s response was casual. How much could this big brother care if his little brother is worried? People who suddenly show up at the clinic are all desperate, hoping for a miracle.

Still, it’s kind of funny. Now I’m making house calls for a dog.

“Let’s see, this one?”

Yoo Jae-woon approached the mutt wagging its tail in the shade.

“No, not that one. This one.”

“Ah, right. The Shepherd.”

“Cheon-ma, come here.”

When Jin-hyuk called, Cheon-ma staggered over to the bench.

Jin-hyuk watched silently.

As the doctor examined the animal.

Yoo Jae-woon listened to Cheon-ma’s chest with a stethoscope, wiped his nose, and observed how quickly the snot returned. Like Dr. Bark-bark, he even stuck a white plastic stick up Cheon-ma’s butt.

With Jin-hyuk nearby, Cheon-ma flinched but stayed still for the examination.

He took his temperature, checked his tongue and palate.

Even to Jin-hyuk, who didn’t know much, Yoo Jae-woon seemed more thorough than Dr. Bark-bark.

After finishing, Yoo Jae-woon chuckled, pushing up his gold-rimmed glasses.

“Seems like a cold.”

“Huh?”

What the heck?

What kind of dog gets a cold in the middle of summer?

“Can dogs really catch colds? He hasn’t been sneezing or coughing.”

“It’s rare. Only those who’ve studied veterinary medicine deeply would know…”

Confidently, Yoo Jae-woon nodded firmly.

“Maybe something like body aches?”

“Body aches?”

“Look here.”

Yoo Jae-woon pressed around Cheon-ma’s belly.

Cheon-ma flinched but didn’t look scared.

“Older dogs usually start with kidney failure.”

“Kidney failure…”

“It’s like a life-or-death situation. When old dogs get kidney failure, they slowly fade away. Canine kidney failure can’t be cured yet. We can prolong their life a bit, but no one’s trying to cure it.”

Yoo Jae-woon smiled bitterly and shook his head.

“At first, I thought it might be that. But this guy is perfectly healthy.”

He moved his hand to Cheon-ma’s front leg, massaging it.

Grr.

A pained metallic sound came from Cheon-ma’s throat.

“See, he’s reacting. He’s making pain sounds.”

“Yeah, he is.”

“It’s muscle pain.”

Jin-hyuk’s eyes widened in surprise.

‘Ah, maybe because Yoo-jin only touched his head and belly?’

But can dogs get muscle pain?

Jang Gun-i and I have been running around for years, and I never knew that.

As if understanding Jin-hyuk’s doubt, Yoo Jae-woon continued explaining.

“This guy overexerted himself. He didn’t play or train too long, did he? Shepherds are fiercely loyal, so even if they’re tired, they’ll keep going if their owner tells them to. There are cases where they played fetch all day and died the next.”

“What could he have overdone-”

Jin-hyuk stopped himself.

Ah!

That damn Jang Gun-i…

Swimming is harder than running on land, diving is harder than swimming on the surface, and catching fast fish underwater is several times harder than just diving.

Looking around the wide yard and lawn, Yoo Jae-woon whistled in amazement and turned to Jin-hyuk.

“You said there are five dogs, but I only see two.”

“Ah, the other three must be out with my brother for exercise.”

“Hmm. No wonder they’re healthy. Moving around is good, even in the heat. Don’t worry too much. This guy will be fine. I’ll give you some fever reducers. Keep him hydrated with clean, cool water.”

Yoo Jae-woon packed up his house call bag and stood up.

“Where’s their bathroom? I don’t see any poop, so they must have a designated spot.”

After closely inspecting the compost pile and dog poop area, Yoo Jae-woon said not to worry too much. No parasites, and everyone seems healthy. Except for one thing.

“Is this it?”

“What is it?”

“Look here. His poop is loose. Probably because of the cold, his digestion is off.”

No way?

That’s probably Jang Gun-i’s poop from eating raw fish.

Jin-hyuk wanted to say something but just nodded silently.

The truth is best kept to oneself.

*

Jin-hyuk quickly went inside and brought out some juice.

“Have this while you wait.”

“Sure.”

He ran to the garden and picked some ripe tomatoes, melons, and a watermelon with a twisted stem. Not satisfied, he also grabbed a few ripe peaches from the yard. Country hospitality means you can’t let a grateful guest leave empty-handed.

“Is the corn ready?”

He harvested a few ears of corn, sweat dripping down his neck, but he didn’t mind. It’s just sweat; showing gratitude is worth it.

He asked Kim Sang-ho to drive Yoo Jae-woon back to the clinic. A car ride would be quick.

“Thank you.”

“Sure, I’ll enjoy these.”

Yoo Jae-woon, carrying a sack of fruits and corn, awkwardly smiled before getting in the car.

No matter which farm he visits, as a country doctor, he always receives more than he gives, so this reaction comes naturally.

A few fever reducers were definitely worth the generous reward.

Jin-hyuk walked toward the acorn tree.

After giving Cheon-ma the fever reducers, he had business with Jang Gun-i, who was sprawled out sleeping there.

‘Is he like those humans obsessed with sushi?’

Anyway, that guy is a weirdly exceptional dog.

I need to teach him that eating raw stuff will get him in trouble.

*

Dusk.

A cold lasts a week whether you go to the doctor or not.

Whether it was the fever reducers or just time, Cheon-ma felt lighter and looked down at the waterway. Or rather, he curiously watched two beasts running along the waterway.

“Get over here, you brat!”

The summer chase that started in the yard had moved to the waterway track.

Jin-hyuk, holding a broom like a sword, and Jang Gun-i, fur like armor.

A race fueled by pride, ignoring the heat. A life-or-death match, you could say.

For Jang Gun-i, getting caught meant death. For Jin-hyuk, chasing this guy was killing him.

“Stop right there, you brat!”

Yap yap yap!

Even while looking back, Jang Gun-i cried pitifully as he ran along the track.

Toward the training center.

“Stop and talk, you brat!”

Yap yap yap!

It’s hot! Let’s talk!

Why are you holding a broom if you want to talk?

“Damn, those short legs are fast!”

Yap yap yap! Ow ow ow.

Puppy Jang Gun-i is gonna die!

That guy’s gonna sweep me away!

Woof.

Why are they acting crazy in this heat?

To Cheon-ma, it looked like the madness of youth with too much energy.

Good times.