SMS | Chapter 1.2

I’d seen the sign passing by, but this was my first time inside. I didn’t know much about it, only that it hadn’t been here long. A small cafe used to occupy this space, and I’d felt a slight regret when it closed because their coffee was cheaper than most places.

But right now, I was thankful for this animal hospital’s existence. Otherwise, I would have been wandering around for a while with a sick kitten in my arms.

“Sorry for coming by so late…”

I mumbled to the man, a bit intimidated by the unexpected situation and his appearance. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and took the kitten from me.

“There’s no specific time for animals to get sick. Is this cat yours?”

His voice was polite as he examined the kitten, prompting me to quickly respond.

“No, no. I found it on my way home. I couldn’t just leave it there… it seemed like it was dying.”

“Do you live around here?”

“Uh? Yes, just up ahead.”

“I think I’ve seen you around.”

It was a normal conversation, but I felt unnaturally tense. I looked down, trying to understand why, and soon realized it was because the kitten looked in really bad shape. Seeing the handsome man’s face did make my heart race, but now was not the time to be distracted by a pretty face.

After all, you can’t eat scenery.

He carefully measured the tiny cat’s temperature and checked it over meticulously. His hands were large compared to the small creature, but his touch was gentle, which was somehow reassuring. He wrapped the kitten in a towel, drying it and probing gently, causing it to mew softly.

“Was it alone? No sign of its mother?”

I was so fixated on his hands that his question caught me off guard. I wasn’t sure if I had heard him correctly but I answered as best as I could.

“When I found it, yes. I didn’t have time to look for a mother.”

“If it was alone on the street in this weather, it was probably abandoned or lost its mother. Or the mother could be dead. It doesn’t show any obvious symptoms of panleukopenia, though. It’s a bit dirty and cold but…”

I swallowed hard, feeling genuinely anxious. I didn’t want to see this little life I had picked up die. The man seemed to sense my unease and quickly added,

“Let’s warm it up and feed it first, then see. It’s particularly cold today.”

“Yes…”

I was sweating despite the cold as I listened, knowing nothing about caring for cats. The man noticed my discomfort and offered a tilted smile, then gestured towards a neatly arranged set of tea bags.

“People get colds if they’re cold.”

“…Yes?”

“Would you like some hot tea?”

Caught off-guard and with my way with words shrinking even more, the man smoothly offered the drink. I only then realized how chilly I was under my clothes, shivering slightly.

“Uh, yes, please.”

He handed me a white towel and turned to fetch some snacks, leaving me momentarily free from his stunning appearance. Was there really a need for him to be that good-looking? Not that he had the world to himself. Regardless of how ideal his looks were, it didn’t make a difference to me.

With my initial irritation subsided, I finally noticed the hospital’s immaculate interior. It was unsettlingly clean and perfectly organized.

Maybe this gorgeous man has OCD. People can have their quirks. Not that cleanliness is a flaw; if anything, it’s a desirable trait.

The place was so tidy it was hard to imagine animals came through here. Everything seemed arranged by some invisible rule, and it was all white.

Now that I think about it, even this towel is white. With that thought, I shook out my wet hair just as the door opened and the man came back, his approach marked by the faint scent of his cologne.

“There are some biscuits here, if that’s okay.”

He handed me a package with lettering that could be English or some other language; it didn’t look like the typical store-bought variety. I nodded slightly in thanks and fiddled with the biscuit packet.

Watching him prepare the tea was like seeing someone from a TV commercial. Soon enough, a teacup with a reddish liquid was placed before me, emitting a strange but intriguing aroma.

“It’s hibiscus tea.”

“Thank you.”

I had just about to ask what it was when he answered preemptively. He must have seen my curiosity. Suddenly thirsty, I took a sip and immediately coughed; it was much hotter than I anticipated, scalding my lips and the roof of my mouth.

“Ow…”

I covered my mouth with my palm, wincing from the sudden pain, and he quickly fetched a handkerchief from his pocket, dabbing it at my mouth.

“You should drink it slowly. That could have been bad.”

His voice was close and laced with concern. I was mortified at such a rookie mistake at my age, my face turning red as I looked up at him. His eyes seemed to study me with a peculiar intensity.

“Are you okay?”

“Ah, yes, yes…”

My tongue and palate stung, bringing tears to my eyes, but I managed to respond automatically. The room fell silent except for the tiny breaths of the sleeping kitten. Outside, it had apparently stopped snowing; the darkness was complete. Realizing how late it was, I fumbled my words in a rush.

“Ah, were you about to head home? Shouldn’t you be going?”

“Well, there’s no one waiting for me, and it doesn’t matter. Tomorrow’s a day off.”

I remembered it was Friday.

“You stayed really late…”

“Yes.”

Silence fell again. It was hard to pry why he stayed so late when he cut the conversation short like that. The operating hours on the glass door of the animal hospital read ‘AM 9:00~PM 6:00’. It was around 11 PM now, so he had stayed in the hospital for about five hours after closing.

Was he taking care of sick animals? I hadn’t paid much attention when passing by before, so I didn’t know. As I pondered this, he picked up the conversation again, perhaps feeling the awkward silence too.

“Are you the guardian, then? It’s rare to see kindness like this nowadays.”

I had never been called kind before, so it felt both strange and embarrassing.

“I couldn’t just ignore it… the cat looked too pitiful. By the way, how much is the vet fee?”

“Forget it. You look young. You’re not a student, I guess? Did you start working early? You’re wearing what looks like your dad’s clothes.”

My soaked coat hung carelessly over a chair, and the oversized suit I was wearing did make me look younger. I chuckled awkwardly; I often received comments about my youthful appearance, so I had chosen a more mature-looking design on purpose, but it seemed I had missed the mark.

“It’s just an office job. I’m not that young. I’m twenty-eight.”

The man looked surprised, a familiar reaction whenever I mentioned my age.

“I would have guessed you were barely in your twenties. You know, early employment isn’t uncommon these days.”

It was a hard comment to respond to. It was weird to say thank you.

“Still, at that age, you should be saving money. Do you save? We would have brought it in anyway; it was dying in front of our clinic. If you hadn’t noticed it, I would have taken it inside.”

I wondered how old he was to be giving such advice. Knowing my age and still saying that, he must be older. He certainly looked it.

“You seem kinder than me.”

“Doctor? Well, yes. But I’m a vet. Even doctors for humans can’t ignore a dying patient.”

His use of the term ‘Doctor’ wasn’t odd, but he made a strange face as he said it. My curiosity piqued, I managed to ask another question.

“Do vets make some kind of oath, too?”

“No, not really, but it’s just the heart, I guess.”

“Oh, I see…”

“Can you take the cat home? Do you live with family?”

The conversation shifted back to the cat, creating a suffocating atmosphere, and I sighed softly.

“No, I live alone. Is that okay? I don’t have anything at home…”

“Leaving it here and finding it cold tomorrow would upset us both.”

“Oh…”

“Sending it back to the street right away doesn’t seem right either. It’s too young.”

He was a professional, so he must be right. Even a non-expert like me could see it was too harsh to send a kitten back out into the cold after just feeding it.

“How old do you think it is?”

“Looks a bit over a month old. We need to think about after it gets better too. Do you want to send it to a shelter?”

“A shelter?”

“If it’s young, there might be someone who would adopt it.”

Just then, the pitch-black kitten mewed softly. I reached out reflexively, and it rubbed its head against my hand. Objectively, it was a cute kitten, but would someone at a shelter adopt it? People usually prefer purebred cats.

I didn’t know much about animals, but I was aware that many people avoid black cats. Yet, seeing its tiny white-socked paws, it was hard to consider it just a black cat, especially with such endearing antics.

I was increasingly charmed by the kitten’s cuteness. If it could capture the attention of someone like me, who wasn’t interested in pets, the chances of someone adopting it were good. But what if not? The thought of the little weight curling up powerlessly in my arms weighed heavily on my heart.

“Have you ever had a cat before?”

“I’ve had fish, but never a cat or a dog.”

“Really?”

Actually, even the fish were left by someone who moved out, and I ended up taking care of them reluctantly.

He tapped his smooth fingertips on the white table, as if timing out his thoughts. The regular noise made my ears extra sensitive.

“Let’s take it to my place for now. Give me your contact info. Since you brought it in, after all. I already have quite a few animals at home.”

“Really?”

“I can’t just let it die, can I?”

My eyes widened in amazement at his kindness.

“Thank you. You’re a really good person.”

As if he had saved my life.

“Does it seem so?”

He flashed a subtle smile. Flustered, I hastily handed over my business card, and he fetched one from the front desk of the clinic. ‘Lee Dohoon, Director of Dohwa Animal Hospital,’ it read clearly.

“Lee Dohoon. You can call me Doctor. Ha Mino.”

Saving a kitten had unexpectedly connected me to this handsome veterinarian. What a surprising end to the day.