Hello Vet! How are you?

“Though it’s late, here is an opening gift.”

Team Leader Park handed quite a large box to Lee Joon.

It was a box with the logo of the pet food company ‘Horse Diet’ imprinted prominently on it.

Horse Diet was the first company in the world to develop prescription diets for animals, and it still boasted the top position for prescription diets.

These prescription diets were customized pet foods with different nutritional components according to the symptoms.

They included food for animals suffering from kidney disease, heart disease, diabetes, urinary stones, pancreatitis, tumors, and even for those on a diet or with food allergies.

However, the problem was that although it was effective, the taste was not very good because it focused too much on efficacy.

“You didn’t have to bring anything… thank you.”

“No, I should have come by long ago, but I couldn’t visit until now because I’ve been on business trips. I’m sorry.”

Team Leader Park, with an expression that truly looked apologetic, handed over a shopping bag he brought this time and continued speaking.

“That one is from the company, and this is a personal gift from me.”

“Really, team Leader Park… You gave me a gift when I said I was resigning, and now again like this…”

Lee Joon, with a mix of embarrassment and gratitude on his face, continued talking.

“Who doesn’t know how busy Team Leader Park is? I’m grateful just that you came to visit, yet you even brought these. I sincerely thank you.”

“Haha, I’m not that busy. Compared to your path, dr. Lee, it’s nothing. By the way, I’ve heard about your great achievements. Your fame has spread even to faraway Topica.”

“Topica? Ah, it seems you’ve been to the main research lab in America.”

“Yes. I was the chief manager for the Asian segment for four months for the palatability test.”

“Oh, that must have been interesting!”

“There’s nothing particularly interesting about it. I’ve just been observing dogs and cats eating pet food all day.”

“Ah well, I’ve heard that the Horse Research Lab is really prestigious. How was it? Is it really that good?”

Team Leader Park’s eyes widened slightly when he looked at Go Gijin.

‘Where did he work? There’s no way I wouldn’t know such a person; was he perhaps at school?’

While Team Leader Park was curious about Go Gijin’s identity, he maintained his professional smile adeptly and handed over his business card to Go Gijin.

“Sorry for the late introduction. I’m Park Seung-hwan from Horse Diet.”

“I’m Go Gijin.”

“He’s my junior. He’s been dealing with large animals till now.”

“Ah, so you were a large animal veterinarian.”

“Yes, I’ve been treating cattles in Hongseong.”

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

Thinking Go Gijin suited his sturdy build, team Leader Park nodded in agreement.

“Perfect timing. Team Leader Park, would you like some coffee?”

Thanks to Sugar’s owner providing an extra beverage, there was one left available. Lee Joon offered it to Team Leader Park.

“Ah, thank you. I should have brought something myself.”

When Team Leader Park accepted the cup of coffee, Go Gijin’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, and he asked.

“Tell us about the Horse Research Lab. Why do people who’ve been there always say it’s fantastic?”

“I think I heard that the number of companion animals there is nearing a thousand. How do they manage that? I heard it’s extremely comfortable for them…”

Lee Joon was indeed curious about how the world’s best prescription diets were created, but he was more consumed by curiosity about animal care at the moment.

“As Dr. Lee said, it’s quite comfortable there. The sheer scale is overwhelming. The lab spans 726,000 square meters. Accordingly, the living and exercise environments are splendid. Seeing it in person would probably be easier to understand.”

Team Leader Park pulled out his tablet and played a video of the lab.

“That’s incredible!”

“Wow, it’s no joke huh?”

“So this is where a thousand animals live?”

“Ah, the cats have separate spaces. Just a moment.”

Just as Team Leader Park was about to play another video, there was a fierce roar.

Knyawoooong!

Kyaooong!

Gray one and Kkamnyang, who had been holding back until now, let out their roars.

『Why, why aren’t you giving it to us, meow!』
『I’m hungry! Hurry up and give it!』

Instantly, eight pairs of eyes were drawn to the cats.

“Oh, sorry, I forgot about you.”

Lee Joon, with a look of embarrassment, stood up and gathered snacks to offer each of them what they wanted.

Then, with an irritated hiss, Gray one and Kkamnyang each snatched their desired treats— a toothpaste chew for Gray one and a square treat for Kkamnyang—before sitting down beside Lee Joon.

Watching the cats enjoy their treats happily, team Leader Park’s eyes grew wider.

“Is, is that… Gray one?”

Team Leader Park asked Lee Joon in an astonished voice.

“Isn’t that Gray one? The famed leader cat from Evergreen Park.”

“That’s right.”

“Wow, I’m meeting a famous cat from MyTube in person! Would it be alright to take a commemorative photo?”

“I’ll take one for you.”

Lee Joon answered Team Leader Park and then spoke to the cats.

“Hey, you guys, could you sit beside this person?”

『No way, meow! We ate late, meow!』
『Meh! I don’t like the person who disturbed my eating.』

The cats resolutely refused.

“Oh dear. They’re very upset, huh?”

“Upset? Why… Oh, is it perhaps because they smell the scent of dogs on my clothes?”

Team Leader Park sniffed at his clothes.

“No, that’s not it. When you came in, I was just about to give them some snacks. But I forgot, and they got mad.”

“Oh, so they’re mad because they couldn’t eat because of me. Just a moment.”

Team Leader Park dashed to his parked car and returned shortly.

“This is a sample we plan to send to animal clinics early next month…”

“Is this a new product?”

“Yes, it’s scheduled for launch. We’ve added cat treats and wet snacks to this batch…”

“It looks a lot like a tube treat for cats?”

“Yes, it’s meant to encourage cats to drink more water. It has received favorable feedback locally.”

Team Leader Park extended a treat resembling a tube to the cats.

“Sorry. Please forgive me with this.”

However, the cats hissed once, shot Lee Joon a glare, and turned their heads away.

『We want more, meow!』
『This time, I want what Gray one ate.』
『I want what Kkamnyang ate, meow!』

“Okay, okay, just a moment.”

As Lee Joon returned with the treat pouches the cats had been eating, team Leader Park slumped his shoulders and sighed.

“Getting cats to try something new is truly a challenge.”

Glancing back at Lee Joon, he continued to speak.

“This is the company’s latest product release, and honestly, I’m quite anxious about it. The dog treats seem alright, but as for the cat treats, the existing ones are so wildly popular…”

“The reason they’re behaving this way is because I taught them not to take anything from strangers. Team Leader Park, how about trying to give them the treat?”

Lee Joon spoke to the cats while holding the Horse treat.

“Let’s try this one. It seems tasty.”

『We want what we were eating, meow!』
『Not interested.』

“Really?”

As Lee Joon began to open the package, the cats exhibited curiosity, sniffing the air intently.

Touch.

Gray one placed his front paw on Lee Joon’s thigh.

Slight.

This time, Kkamnyang placed her white fluffball of a paw on him.

“Doesn’t it smell delicious?”

『Give it to us, meow.』
『I want to eat it.』

As Lee Joon placed a tiny treat in each cat’s mouth, they began to chew contentedly.

After finishing, they licked the area around their mouths with small, thin tongues, smiling with crescent eyes.

Team Leader Park, witnessing this, clapped excitedly.

“Wow, they’re eating it so delightfully.”

“They seem to find it delicious.”

“Then, would you like to try this one too?”

Team Leader Park tore open a red packet and offered it to the cats.

Just as before, a similar treat.

Sniff sniff sniff.

After taking a sniff, the cats sharply wrinkled their noses and turned away.

“S-Surely it’s because I’m giving it to them?”

Eyeing the cats with drooped eyes, team Leader Park asked with concern.

『It smells strange, meow!』
『I don’t want to eat it.』

“They say it’s just a dislikeable scent.”

“Ah, I heard this one had a strong polarization. Indeed… Then how about this one? How do you feel about this?”

Team Leader Park removed a treat from a blue packet and offered it instead.

Snag.

Munch.

Intantly, both cats simultaneously grabbed and devoured the treat.

Afterward, the four little paws tapped entertainingly on Team Leader Park’s knee.

Team Leader Park’s eyes widened with surprise.

“Do you want more?”

Tap tap tap tap tap.

The cats continued tapping their paws energetically on Team Leader Park’s knee.

“Alright, I’ll give you some more.”

As soon as the cats snagged the treat from the packet Team Leader Park opened, they started munching away.

“Hehe, this one passed the test! Then how about this one?”

Elated by the clear response from Gray one and Kkamnyang, team Leader Park opened yet another packet.

This time, a yellow packet.

“Well then, how about this? The response to this one was really great…”

Before Team Leader Park could completely unpack it, Gray one and Kkamnyang began to scream in unison.

『Smells delicious, meow!』
『Please hurry.』

“Al-Alright, here’s some.”

Quickly munching down the snacks, Gray one and Kkamnyang soon found themselves clinging to Team Leader Park.

『Give us more, meow!』
『I want to eat even more!』

The cats flailed around, trying to reach the floating packet.

“Looks like it’s really tasty, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, they seem to really enjoy it!”

“Heheh, the cats’ reactions are truly something! I’ve never seen any with such a clear response…”

Thrilled by the overwhelming reactions of Gray one and Kkamnyang, team Leader Park tore open another packet, this time with a colorful blend of gray and blue.

Then.

Thak.

Tik!

Gray one and Kkamnyang leaped and clawed at the packet with their paws.

Rustle.

The treats tumbled down in a shower.

Snap.

Snap!

The falling treats were caught by the cats in mid-air and chewed with abandon.

Clap clap clap!

Lee Joon, Go Gijin, and Jang Sora clapped in delight.

“Wow!”

“That was amazing, guys!”

“Y’all were awesome, ya hear?”

“You guys looked like something out of a movie. You could even shoot a commercial with that scene.”

Jang Sora added another comment, captivated by the cats’ sleek agility.

Hearing her words, team Leader Park’s eyes sparkled slightly.

『Hmph, this is nothing, meow!』
『This was nothing special.』

While the cats feigned indifference, they picked up more treats from the floor and munched away with relish.

In a flash, they finished three, no four, in quick succession.

『This is the tastiest! But I’m so full, it’s a struggle, meow!』
『Ah, very delicious. But I can’t eat more.』

Even as they spoke, the two continued to grip multiple treats in their mouths, prompting Lee Joon to dissuade them.

“You said you were full? Stop eating.”

『I’m not eating, meow!』

“Then?”

『When my friends arrive, I will share this deliciousness, meow.』
『I want to share this tasty treat.』

Speaking so, the cats leisurely ambled towards the ward, with mouths stuffed with treats.

Watching the cats waddle away before him, team Leader Park finally realized his inadvertent action.

“Oh dear! That wasn’t my intention…”

He stood, promptly addressing his mistake.

“I’m sorry about this. I let them eat too much all at once.”

“But they seemed to enjoy it greatly. They certainly ate delightfully, didn’t they?”

“Still… if anything happens… what if they end up with a stomach ache?”

Worried about a possible tummy issue, team Leader Park timidly posed his concern to Lee Joon.

“They won’t eat more.”

Lee Joon, understanding the situation, replied with a chuckle, yet Team Leader Park remained unaware, still visibly uneasy.

“Do you want me to go ask ’em for it back?”

“No, it’s alright.”

Lee Joon halted Go Gijin, who was about to get up, and reassured Team Leader Park.

“It’s okay. They’re just saving it to share with their friends later.”

“Really?”

“And trust me, they can handle that amount.”

Gray one and Kkamnyang were street-hardened gents who once had to feast immensely when food was available and starve when it wasn’t.

Thus both of them possessed extraordinarily adept digestion abilities.

“If so, that’s a relief… But I still feel bad. I’ll make sure to provide snacks for their friends as well. Their friends at the park, right?”

“Yes, but there are quite a few of them. Are you sure it’s okay?”

“Of course, it’s my responsibility after all. Hahaha.”

“Then I’ll gladly accept.”

Lee Joon conveyed the delightful news to the cats, feeling pleased.

“Hey guys, team Leader Park said he’d provide snacks for your friends too.”

『Really, meow?』
『Truly?』

The cats dashed out from the ward, eyes glittering with curiosity.

Eagerly, the cats questioned Lee Joon again.

『They’ll give more of this delicious treat, meow?』

“Yes, so make sure to thank him.”

Meow meow.

Nyow~.

The cats, expressing their gratitude, brushed against Team Leader Park’s legs.

『If you’re giving some, give the last one we had, meow!』
『No bad-tasting ones, please.』

“Indeed, they have clear preferences, don’t they?”

“Pardon?”

“They just won’t accept anything that’s not tasty, they said.”

“Then let’s stick to the last one. But before that, I doubt we’ll find cats with such clear preferences as theirs. Could we perhaps run one more test?”

“What sort of test?”

“I’d like them to help sift through the flavors. We can’t launch all ten flavors this time, so we’re planning to narrow it down to the top five.”

“Go ahead.”

“Thank you so much. I’ll reach out soon.”

After a bit more conversation, team Leader Park took his leave.

Once outside, team Leader Park sat in his vehicle and promptly called Manager Gong from the publicity team.

After a few rings, Manager Gong answered.

– Yes, team Leader Park.

“Manager Gong, have you found suitable contenders for the MyTube advertisement shoot yet?”

– No, it’s been tough finding suitable contenders. Many cats are rejecting the new treats. And we can’t risk feeding them competitors’ treats for filming either. Hmm… We’ll keep looking and select the most appropriate ones among them eventually.

“Don’t worry. I’ve found some outstanding candidates.”

Team Leader Park Seung-hwan’s assured voice filled the car as he spoke.