Hello Vet! How are you?

As the sand was swallowing me, the vet hyung was just laughing.

Gray one felt a sense of betrayal as he listened to Lee Joon’s laughter echoing across the wide expanse of the water-filled area.

It was the first time since getting to know Lee Joon that he felt such an emotion.

Trembling with betrayal, as Gray one floundered with his legs, they sank further into the sand. With a pallid expression, Gray one shouted.

『Help! The sand is trying to devour me!』

“Ha ha ha! Ah, seriously, this is driving me nuts. Gray one, you’re really making me laugh.”

Instead of saving him, Lee Joon laughed even louder than before.

Hearing that, Gray one despaired.

『I believed in you!』

Truly, there was no one he had trusted as much as the vet hyung in his life.

When both betrayal and disappointment surged over him, tears welled up in Gray one’s golden eyes.

Then it happened.

Swoosh!

His body suddenly lifted into the air.

“What…?”

Without thinking, Gray one’s body landed on Lee Joon’s shoulder.

Kkamnyang was on the opposite shoulder.

“How is it? Isn’t it magnificent?”

What was so magnificent about this?

Gray one couldn’t comprehend Lee Joon’s words. But following Lee Joon’s gaze, he looked far away.

Beyond, the vast expanse of blue water thrashed up and down, making a splashing sound.

『The blue water stood!』

Both amazed and scared, Gray one gripped Lee Joon’s shoulder tightly with all four paws.

『The water rose up…』

Kkamnyang also shouted, surprised.

“It’s called a wave.”

『A wave? What’s that?』

“It’s when the sea moves. You know the small pond in the park? When the wind blows, ripples form on the pond, right?”

『That’s right. The water moves when the wind blows.』

“Exactly. It’s similar, but here, since there’s a lot of water, the waves are just bigger.”

『Can you eat it?』

“Eat what?”

『The water, I mean. I want to try drinking it.』
『I want to taste it too.』

Sniff sniff.

Gray one and Kkamnyang’s noses twitched.

The salty and fishy scent tickled their noses, making the corners of their mouths curl up.

『It smells like that whisker food! It must be delicious.』

“Whisker food?”

『The savory, bouncy stuff we had last night!』

“Oh, you mean shrimp?”

『Shr…imp… it was shrimp.』
『Shrimp… I want some more.』

The cats etched the word shrimp deep into their hearts.

『But that place is scary. The sand is trying to eat me.』
『It seems terrifying.』

“That can’t be.”

Lee Joon remarked, placing Gray one and Kkamnyang back on the ground.

『No, don’t do it! Save me!』
『Ugh, are you trying to get me killed?』

As the cats desperately clung to their legs, Lee Joon sat down on the sandy beach. Only then did the cats let out sighs of relief as they settled on Lee Joon’s thighs.

“The sand won’t eat you.”

『It pulled on my legs!』

“It’s because the sand is plentiful and soft. Like this.”

Lee Joon demonstrated by plunging his hand into the sand and pulling it out.

“And see, it slips right out. Want to try it?”

Curious, the cats tentatively placed a paw on the sand.

With their bodies on Lee Joon’s thighs, they didn’t seem too scared.

First, just one front paw. Then both front paws touched the sand, and soon the cats were comfortably wandering around, feeling the squish under all four paws.

『My paws disappear and then come back.』
『Fascinating.』

The cats, having discovered the fun of the sandy beach, waddled and wandered about.

“If they had run like they usually do, they wouldn’t have noticed their paws sinking.”

It was an amusing mishap born of caution in a new environment, but thanks to it, the cats discovered a new game.

As Gray one and Kkamnyang enjoyed themselves on the sandy beach, other park cats joined in the fun.

“Wow, what a spectacular sight.”

Gwak Soo-ho approached where Lee Joon was standing and marveled.

“Look at their expressions. They seem to love it, don’t they?”

“Yes, indeed. In all my years, this is the first time I’ve seen a group of cats frolic on a sandy beach. Just like the time I first saw them line up like kindergarteners boarding a bus.”

Gwak Soo-ho continued with a satisfied smile, looking over at Lee Joon.

“Give me your account number.”

“Why?”

“Because thanks to you, my channel’s skyrocketing.”

“Thanks to me? Your channel was already popular.”

“No, really. The views keep climbing. I need to split it.”

“What are you saying? It’s because you’re good at filming and editing. But if you insist, just donate to Our Meadow Shelter.”

“Of course, I’ll do that. Don’t you need funds to feed and care for them well?”

“I’m earning enough for that.”

“Consider it their appearance fee. That way, you can upload the video without worry, right?”

Even as they chatted, Gwak Soo-ho was filming the cats with his camera.

“Well, if that’s the case, sure. Just enough for the cats’ meals.”

At that moment, there was a loud thunk followed by a voice.

“Hey, guys, time for breakfast!”

“…?”

“!”

Lee Joon and Gwak Soo-ho’s eyes widened in surprise.

The outdoor table they had used for a late dinner the previous night was now in front of them.

What Gwak Soo-ho had brought over by himself was a natural wood-integrated barbecue outdoor table, complete with a grill and a parasol.

Even with four people, moving it would be hard, yet he managed it alone.

“How did you even think of moving that?”

“Well, at the beach, the real taste comes from eating while looking at the sea.”

Without a care, Go Gijin lit the grill on the table and started placing prepared meat on it.

As the Hongseong Hanwoo beef sent by Go Gijin’s father began to cook, smiles spread wider on the faces of those seated around it.

“The aroma is already different.”

“Wow, eating Hanwoo like this, dr. Go, thank you.”

“It looks splendid. I’m curious about the taste.”

The savory scent wafting from the grill reached the cats playing on the sandy beach.

Sniff sniff.

『What’s that smell?』
『It seems delicious.』
『I want to try it too!』

The cats gathered around the table, sniffing the air with their noses raised.

“Dr. Go, you’re really attentive. There’s not even a trace of fat.”

“Since we’re giving it to the cats, my father sent the one with the least fat.”

“It might be a bit dry, but the smell is heavenly.”

Usually preferring fatty cuts, Gwak Soo-ho remarked while smacking his lips.

“Everyone says that at first. But once you try it, you’ll see what I mean. It’s truly savory and delicious. Ah, it’s all cooked now, try it.”

Go Gijin offered a cooked piece of meat to Gwak Soo-ho.

“Well, just a taste then.”

Without much expectation, Gwak Soo-ho accepted and tasted the meat, his eyes lighting up.

The meat he assumed would be tough was incredibly tender.

Not soft, but with a pleasantly firm texture, as he chewed, the juice burst in his mouth, followed by the rich flavor of the beef.

Gwak Soo-ho’s eyes widened.

“Wow, this is delicious?”

“Go ahead and eat.”

『I, I want some too!』

Gray one clung to Go Gijin’s leg.

“Oh sure, once it cools down.”

Easily understanding Gray one’s words, Go Gijin laughed heartily as he responded.

Soon, on a wide mat, the 53 cats stared at their individual plates.

The glossy Hanwoo beef was sliced into easily manageable pieces.

“Everyone, eat slowly.”

As soon as Lee Joon’s words fell, the cats dove in to savor the Hanwoo beef.

Licking.

Gray one lightly licked the meat, and even with just a light taste, the savory flavor spread throughout his mouth.

Drool dribbled spontaneously.

Thinking back to the chewy whisker food, any plan to savor it slowly crumbled.

Bite.

Chewing a piece of meat, the juice trapped within the beef burst in Gray one’s mouth.

‘It’s delicious!’

Gray one’s eyes sparkled with delight at the savory taste he’d never experienced before.

Lee Joon did say to eat slowly, and Gray one always listened well to Lee Joon.

But at this moment, those words escaped his mind.

Simply following his instincts, Gray one ate from the plate repeatedly.

Gray one wasn’t alone. The entire group of engaged cats, including the humans, was equally absorbed in savoring the Hanwoo beef.

“This is so delicious.”

“It makes me question every beef I’ve had before. It’s incredibly tasty.”

“Haha. Ms. Kim, please write how you feel now. Our Hongseong Hanwoo is incredibly delicious.”

“Alright, I’ll become an ambassador for Hongseong Hanwoo from now on.”

“This is really good.”

Lee Joon gave Go Gijin a thumbs-up.

“Hehe, oh, it’s nothing. My father feels sorry he can’t do anything more for the hyung and said not to worry about beef anymore. I’ll make sure to get the delicious ones for you.”

“Thanks, just listening makes me grateful. So, if everyone is done eating, let’s get the medicine for the cats.”

Lee Joon prepared digestive enzymes, worrying about potential over-eating yesterday and today.

Without protest, the cats took the digestive enzymes Lee Joon provided and scuttled to the beach.

As the morning chill faded, the sand warmed with the shining sun.

Stretched out on the heated sandy beach, the cats basked leisurely.

『This feels good!』

Gray one lay just there.

Pat pat pat pat.

Kkamnyang dug into the sand, burying himself a bit deeper.

『It’s cozy.』

“This makes it feel even better.”

Lee Joon covered Kkamnyang with sand.

Seeing that, the other cats plunged into the sand too.

『Please cover me too.』
『Cover me as well.』

“Alright.”

While covering cats with sand blankets, Lee Joon spotted movement in his sight.

“Uh, what’s that?”

Bewildered, when Gray one suddenly stood upright with an arched back.

『A strange creature is coming here!』
『It’s something I haven’t seen before.』

Kkamnyang joined Gray one in moving ahead of Lee Joon, sniffing curiously.

‘If both are so unworried, it doesn’t seem dangerous, but what might it be?’

Lee Joon zoomed in with his phone camera.

“A turtle?”

A turtle was crawling towards them from the distant sandy area.

Having fond memories of the school’s lone turtle, the approaching turtle felt friendly to Lee Joon, who walked carefully towards it.

While walking, Lee Joon felt something was off.

‘What’s wrong? There’s definitely something odd. Is it injured?’

Though he wanted to rush and verify, sudden movements might spook the turtle into fleeing.

First, Lee Joon calmed the cats.

“It seems that friend is hurt.”

『Hurt? Being hurt is bad!』
『Vet hyung, help it.』

“I will. So you all stay calm there. But if it runs away scared, I can’t help it, understood?”

『Got it. So fix it already.』

“Yes.”

With commands from Gray one and Kkamnyang, the cats sat quietly.

Meanwhile, the turtle came closer to Lee Joon.

A green sea turtle, its entire body flashed a green hue.

Judging by its size, it must be at least 100 kilograms.

『He… help me…』

Its voice was weak and waning, calling for help.

“It seems injured.”

Though internal organ issues were possible, all Lee Joon could do right now was a visual examination.

Swiftly scanning over the turtle meticulously, Lee Joon’s face scrunched.

“Oh, darn!”

A plastic ring was caught around the turtle’s neck.

“That’s terrible.”

Lee Joon sighed heavily and addressed the turtle.

“I’ll remove it, so just hold on.”

The turtle’s appearance suggested no such words were necessary.

Despite having a shell, the horribly malnourished turtle appeared fragile.

‘What strength brought you this far?’

With another sigh trapped in his throat, Lee Joon gently dislodged the ring from the turtle’s neck.

As the ring was removed, the turtle’s eyes brightened with joy.

『Ohhh, I’m saved…』

“Indeed. You’ve struggled.”

Examining its now-free neck with care and contentment, the turtle bowed to Lee Joon.

『Thank you.』

Lee Joon couldn’t bring himself to speak as he patted the bowing turtle in front of him.

‘It’s because of us you’ve suffered, so what is there for you to be thankful for?’

As the turtle began waddling away, Lee Joon halted it.

“Take some fluids before leaving at least.”

Lee Joon hurriedly called Go Gijin.

***

At 2 PM in the afternoon.

The car carrying Nam Gung-hyun drove into the villa area in Gangneung where Lee Joon’s group was staying.

Already alerted, the villa caretaker greeted Nam Gung-hyun.

“Welcome, sir.”

“Gramps, it’s good to see you.”

“Thanks to you, sir, I’ve been well.”

“Where’s Director Lee Joon?”

“The guests are currently at the beach. However…”

“What’s the matter? Is there an issue?”

“Oh, no. It’s nothing.”

Recalling the unbelievable events on the beach, the caretaker chose silence.

Seeing this, Nam Gung-hyun surmised the cats frolicking on the beach had surprised him.

“Gramps, based on your expression, it appears curious. If I hadn’t seen this, I wouldn’t have believed it.”

Leaving instructions to his secretary and aide to move the items to the villa, Nam Gung-hyun proceeded to the beach.

The sole reason the busy man came to Gangneung was simple.

It was because of a photo Lee Joon sent in the morning.

The picture showcased a group of cats bathing collectively in the sand.

“I couldn’t resist coming after seeing this picture.”

Nam Gung-hyun eagerly headed to the sandy beach.

But the sight wasn’t as expected.

While some cats were there, it wasn’t like in the image, nor was Lee Joon visible.

Sitting under a parasol, Jang Sora recognized Nam Gung-hyun’s arrival and greeted him.

“Sir, you’ve come? Thanks to you, we’re having such a splendid time.”

“Haha, is that so? That’s wonderful. But by the way, where is Director Lee Joon?”

“Oh, over there. He’s treating a patient.”

“Treating?”

Following Jang Sora, Nam Gung-hyun’s eyes widened.

“What on earth is that…”

Yet quickly he nodded, smiling.

“Indeed, it must be Director Lee Joon.”

—