NOVEL WEB Chapter 59
A shimmering silvery pearl gleamed on the plate, prompting Kim Eun-ji and Jang Sora to exclaim in unison.
“A real pearl!”
“My goodness…”
At their outcry, everyone’s eyes were riveted on Lee Joon’s plate.
Nam Gung-hyun was no exception.
“It’s a pearl.”
“I thought it was just a news story… This really happens.”
Lee Joon looked puzzled as he spoke, and a secretary approached Nam Gung-hyun.
“Sir, please have a look at this.”
“What is it?”
The secretary presented a plate with five round pearls, each of varying colors.
Not only was there another silvery pearl that amazed them earlier, but there were also pinkish, white, and yellowish pearls.
“They’re pearls.”
“They just came out of the clam a moment ago.”
“Clam?”
“Yes. The caretaker, under Director Yi’s instructions, found them while preparing the clam meat.”
“This many?”
“And this isn’t all. The caretaker says they’re still coming out. According to him, every third clam contains a pearl.”
“Really?”
Kim Eun-ji placed an oyster on a plate and searched.
“Oh, there’s one!”
“And here, too.”
Said Jang Sora.
After that, everyone began searching the clams and oysters for pearls.
“It’s like we’re harvesting pearls in a pearl orchard.”
“Indeed.”
They collected as many as fifty pearls of various sizes.
“This is too much…”
Lee Joon spoke with a perplexed expression towards the animals.
“Guys, haven’t you overpaid your medical fees?”
『Hehe, do you like it? We’ll bring more tomorrow.』
『It’s nothing compared to saving our lives.』
Lee Joon smiled, pleased with the animals’ joy.
“If any of you get sick while I’m here, bring them by.”
『Really?』
“Yes, make sure to bring them when I’m around.”
There was nothing else Lee Joon could offer.
“Still, these natural pearls must fetch quite a price, don’t they?”
Kim Eun-ji, who often covered celebrity news, remarked while looking at the bowl full of pearls.
“It must be.”
“My friend, you’ve been blessed with good fortune for all your good deeds. Well done.”
Nam Gung-hyun said as Gwak Soo-ho patted Lee Joon on the shoulder.
“Is this really mine? It belongs to them. Please, take whichever ones you like.”
“What? But they’re yours. Why should we take any?”
“Exactly. These were given to you by the animals.”
“We all worked together to save them. Go ahead, choose what you like.”
Lee Joon said, passing around the bowl of pearls.
“Now that we’ve been handsomely paid, I must work even harder starting tomorrow.”
“That’s right. But will sick ones come as frequently as today?”
“They’ll bring them.”
“It’d be great if they brought them all while we’re here.”
“That would be ideal.”
“By the way, director, what do you plan to do with these?”
Nam Gung-hyun asked, holding the bowl of pearls.
“Well… should we visit a pearl wholesaler?”
“They might scam you!”
Kim Eun-ji suggested.
“That could be true. Do you know anyone who deals with this stuff, sir?”
Lee Joon asked Nam Gung-hyun, the richest person he knew, to handle the pearls.
“Yes, I do. I’ll make sure you get a good price.”
With Nam Gung-hyun’s promising response, the pearl incident wrapped up as the night grew late.
The cats, who hadn’t eaten all day while waiting, began to express their displeasure.
『Feed meow!』
『Starving here!』
『Hungry meow.』
Mew, mew, mew.
All the previously silent cats meowed together.
“Oh, sorry, sorry. What do you want to eat?”
『Whisker fish. Give me shrimp meow!』
『I want something savory and chewy. I want to eat that.』
“Shrimp and beef. Got it. Just a moment, okay?”
Go Gijin quickly understood the cats’ wishes and started grilling meat for them.
While the meat was grilling, the cats spent time chatting with the turtles and seals.
『We’re so lucky to have met our hyung. I had a broken leg, and he fixed it.』
『Yes, indeed. Our hyung is amazing. Thanks to him, I can see now.』
『What? You can see?』
『Really? How?』
『Well, you see…』
The cats shared stories of their treatments at the hands of Lee Joon, while the sea animals listened intently.
As Gwak Soo-ho filmed the scene, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Seeing cats, turtles, and seals playing together… Even as I record it, I can hardly believe it’s real.”
“I agree. Honestly, I only came here to show support and was planning to leave right away, but I’m glad I stayed.”
“Me too. However, it seems the cats truly like it here. They seemed comfortable in the park, and now they seem even more at ease.”
As Kim Eun-ji pointed out, the cats really enjoyed being by the seaside.
Whenever they got a chance, the cats expressed their gratitude to Lee Joon for bringing them to the beach.
Understanding the cats’ feelings better than anyone, Lee Joon felt genuinely happy watching them.
He was also thankful to Nam Gung-hyun for arranging such an event.
“Guys, thank Mr. Nam Gung-hyun for inviting you to the beach.”
As soon as Lee Joon finished speaking, the cats approached Nam Gung-hyun, meowing softly.
Meow!
Mew mew.
Nyaa!
Some lowered their heads, others rubbed against Nam Gung-hyun’s legs, and some embraced his legs.
Their ways might have differed, but all expressed gratitude.
“Haha, you guys…”
Nam Gung-hyun was briefly startled by the cats’ surprise expressions of thanks but soon broke into a wide smile.
‘They must have really enjoyed it.’
Watching the cats interacting warmly with Nam Gung-hyun, Lee Joon felt he had made the right choice by bringing them along.
Meanwhile, thoughts of the animals back at Our Meadow Shelter crossed his mind.
“Seeing how happy they are makes me think of the animals at Our Meadow Shelter.”
“Our Meadow Shelter…”
Nam Gung-hyun smiled knowingly, guessing Lee Joon’s train of thought.
“Oh, director, whenever you have time, we should visit Our Meadow Shelter together.”
“Are you planning to volunteer? I was thinking of going next Sunday. Would you like to join me?”
“That’s for another time. For this trip, I wanted to show you the site for the Our Meadow Shelter Animal Clinic.”
“Oh, is the construction starting already?”
“It has already begun.”
“Then I must go. By the way, sir, how is the land price around Our Meadow Shelter?”
“Are you planning to build a house there?”
“No, it’s not that; I was thinking of creating a playground for the animals there.”
“With these pearls?”
“Well… since the ones that can’t be adopted will spend their whole lives there, having a space to roam around would be nice, right? I was just thinking of checking the prices.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve already secured a site for the playground.”
“Really?”
Lee Joon, who was usually not easily surprised, was genuinely taken aback this time.
“Ha, Director Lee, you seem flustered.”
Nam Gung-hyun laughed heartily.
“Wow, finally, two of hyung’s wishes will come true simultaneously.”
“Director Lee’s wishes?”
Kim Eun-ji, who had been listening to the conversation, asked.
“Yes, hyung has a few wishes, and one of them is to establish an animal clinic exclusively for Our Meadow Shelter.”
“Our Meadow Shelter?”
“Yes, it’s a place he’s been volunteering for a long time, and Nam Gung-hyun is going to build an animal clinic there.”
Lee Joon praised Nam Gung-hyun.
“That’s impressive. So, the second wish is to provide the shelter animals with a playground, isn’t it?”
“Yes, and Nam Gung-hyun said he’d take care of that, too.”
Lee Joon responded confidently to Kim Eun-ji, then addressed Nam Gung-hyun.
“Sir, I don’t know what the price will be, but I’d like to contribute as well.”
He gestured at the bowl of pearls.
“No, please let our company handle that.”
“Isn’t it too much? You’re already building the animal medical center.”
“Not at all. It’s nothing compared to the image boost our company received thanks to the Director. Don’t worry about it.”
Nam Gung-hyun sought agreement from Lee Joon’s companions to ensure Lee Joon wouldn’t insist.
“Compared to what Director Lee has done, an animal playground is nothing. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, both of you are amazing, but Director Lee is truly beyond imagination. How would we have experienced this if not for him?”
Kim Eun-ji pointed to the scene of cats and sea animals sitting together harmoniously.
“Agreed. He’s my friend, but he’s truly remarkable.”
Gwak Soo-ho patted Lee Joon’s shoulder with a satisfied expression.
“Honestly, our hyung is exceptional, haha.”
“He really is.”
『That’s right! Our vet hyung is the best!』
As Gray one raised his voice, praising Lee Joon on the sandy shore, an 80-year-old turtle elder nodded, stretching its neck.
『Oh my, indeed. In all my time, I’ve never seen someone as remarkable as that teacher.』
『Me too. Hey, look at me. My neck turns now.』
The turtle, whose neck had been encircled by a ring, chirped joyfully.
『I am free of pain here now.』
A seal, previously with a sharp metal piece in its head, voiced gratefully.
『I can breathe through my nose again.』
Smiled a seal that had a straw stuck in its nostril.
『Thank you!』
『Appreciated.』
『Thanking you, youngster.』
Hearing the animals’ grateful cries, Go Gijin commented to Lee Joon with a content smile.
“Hyung, it seems even they are expressing their thanks to you?”
“Could you really understand what they said? How can you be so sure?”
Lee Joon chuckled softly, inquiring back.
“It’s obvious just looking at their expressions. Don’t you see how happy they are? Look at that seal; its eyes have turned into crescents.”
Go Gijin told Lee Joon as he called out to the sea animals.
“You all are certainly fortunate, meeting someone like my hyung.”
“Indeed, I agree.”
“Same here. Meeting Director Lee was a real stroke of luck.”
The parade of praise for Lee Joon continued the next day with a visit from specialists at a marine animal rescue and treatment institution.
Their reactions were no different from those of the people here.
Initially, shock, followed by admiration and reverence.
“It seems we don’t have any work to do here. In fact, we should probably learn from you, sir.”
“Sir, may we record your treatment procedures? We’d like to study your methods further.”
“If there are any difficult cases, would you allow us to consult you?”
“Anytime.”
“Thank you.”
Laughing heartily at the response from the marine treatment institution, Go Gijin chuckled.
“Hehe, hyung, don’t tell me you’re going to get famous as a marine animal specialist soon? It would be truly outstanding if different countries start requesting you to come.”
“Stop your nonsense and lift this guy onto the examination table.”
Lee Joon pointed to a large turtle waiting for treatment.
“Understood. But it really seems like it will happen.”
***
After spending a full week in Gangneung, Lee Joon’s group expressed their reluctance while giving one last check on the sea animals.
“I’m sad to leave.”
“Indeed. I wish we could help more of the sick ones.”
Emotionally attached, Go Gijin pouted and suddenly hugged a nearby seal tightly. Had it been a dog or a cat, it might have yelped for help, but the seal just giggled.
“Hey, Gijin, just live here. They like you.”
“I wish I could. Oh, why are there so many I want to help!”
Go Gijin sighed deeply while hugging the seal.
Lee Joon felt the same way.
He wished he could care for these creatures every day, but he couldn’t ignore reality.
“My heart says I want to come once a month, but that might be hard. Let’s aim for once every quarter.”
“Yes, hyung. Please do.”
Lee Joon informed the animals of his resolution.
“I’ll be back sometime soon, so see you then.”
『Understood.』
『Thank you.』
『Stay well meow! See you meow!』
『It was fun. Let’s meet again and play.』
The cats hugged the sea animals and bid them farewell.
“Just seeing it makes me smile.”
“Indeed, it feels healing just to watch.”
Kim Eun-ji and Jang Sora, with hands clasped, watched the farewells between the animals.
Even Lee Joon beamed with a satisfied smile watching them.
‘It was really worth it.’
***
Two days later, sunday morning at 7:30.
Lee Joon and Go Gijin arrived at the Our Meadow Shelter in Namyangju.
The volunteer vehicles were scheduled to arrive around 9 AM, but Lee Joon came early, eager to interact with the animals. Go Gijin, who lived with him, naturally arrived early as well.
Standing at the entrance of Our Meadow Shelter, Go Gijin tilted his head curiously.
“This is strange.”
“What is?”
“Did all the animals get adopted here? Why is it so quiet? There don’t seem to be many barking ones.”
The animals at Our Meadow Shelter were keeping the promise they made to Lee Joon.
Only the newcomers, unfamiliar with the rules, were barking and being reprimanded by the more seasoned residents.
Unaware of this fact, Go Gijin found the situation utterly bewildering.
“Did all the animals fall ill together?”
Worried, Go Gijin entered Our Meadow Shelter carrying boxes of treats, both confused and relieved by the scene before him.
“What, what is this?”
Contrary to his voice of surprise, a smile spread from ear to ear across Go Gijin’s face.