UAI Chapter 25

Episode 25

As soon as the staff member came to their senses, they approached Hajin.

"Yes, welcome! How can I help you?"

Cheolhwan quickly held out a box and explained.

"Uh, I found this puppy abandoned in a box while passing by. It looks really weak and lifeless… I was worried it might be sick, so I brought it here. Could you take a look?"

"Oh! Of course. But we do have a few people waiting right now… You might have to wait a little."

One of the pet owners who overheard the conversation between the staff and Cheolhwan spoke up.

"Um… My pet’s not in urgent condition, so you can go ahead and take the consultation first!"

It was the woman who had seemed like a fan of B-One earlier.

As soon as she said that, other pet owners started chiming in.

"Yes, please go ahead. Mine’s just here for a routine check-up, so I don’t mind waiting."

"My pet just needs a quick shot, so you can go first. If it’s a rescue dog, it should get checked right away…"

With everyone showing such kindness, Hajin gave a heartfelt thank you.

"Ah, thank you all so much. Really… I’m truly grateful."

"Thank yooou! Hope y’aww get bwessings!"

Sejin, who was standing nearby, gave a deep bow and shouted out in his childlike way, making everyone in the waiting room burst into laughter.

"Oh my, listen to the little one talk!"

"Hahaha, sweetie, okay—we’ll take those blessings!"

“Gasp~!! It’s really Sejin!”

The room became lively with laughter and squeals from fans. Just then, the previous pet owner came out of the consultation room, carrying their dog.

"You can go in now."

The staff member, having spoken with the vet, informed Hajin’s group.

As Hajin and the others entered the examination room, the staff gently closed the door behind them.

"Hello."

"Yes, welcome. I heard you found an abandoned puppy?"

"Yes, right here."

Cheolhwan placed the box on the examination table.

The veterinarian got up and began examining the puppy’s condition.

"Hmm… I think we’ll need to do some blood tests and a few other checks. Is that okay?"

"Yes, please go ahead and do all the necessary tests. Don’t worry about the cost."

"Understood. If you could wait outside while we run the tests, I’ll call you back in when we're done."

"Thank you."

Hajin’s group exited the consultation room and sat down on a bench to wait.

Hajin leaned in and whispered softly.

"Hyung… I want to treat everyone here to a cup of coffee or something…"

Cheolhwan nodded understandingly.

"Sure. I’ll text Minsu and ask him to bring some drinks."

"Okay."

As they sat for a bit, little Sejin tugged at Hajin’s clothes.

"Uncle… are we gonna keep the puppy? Go ask the other uncles now."

"Okay, just a sec. I’ll go call them, so stay with Uncle Cheolhwan, alright?"

"Yup!"

Hajin stepped outside with his phone. Since the hospital was on the 3rd floor of the building, he went toward the stairs and called Jaewon.

"Hey, Hajin! You on your way?"

"Ah, hyung. Something came up, so we’re going to be a bit late."

"What? Did something happen? Was there an accident?"

Jaewon sounded alarmed, so Hajin quickly explained the situation.

"Oh! So you’re at the animal hospital now?"

"Yeah. But it looks like Sejin really wants to keep the puppy. He told me to ask the uncles for permission, so… I’m calling. Haha."

Hajin laughed a little awkwardly.

The members, who were listening on speakerphone, laughed too.

"Haha! Hajin, it’s fine. Just bring it home."

"Of course. If Sejin wants to raise it, then we have to!"

"We all love animals anyway. Just bring it already."

"Right? When else would we even get a chance to raise a dog like this? Don’t feel pressured—just bring it after the check-up."

"Aw, thanks, guys. I’ll take care of the puppy, so you don’t have to worry about anything!"

"Oh, come on. What are you talking about? We’ll all raise it together. We can help each other out."

"Exactly. Let’s talk about that later. Just finish the check-up and come home. I miss Sejin."

"Okay. The vet said it'll take a while because they need to run some tests, so I’ll call again when we’re about to head out."

"Got it. Let us know. Auntie is preparing dinner."

"Okay, will do."

After hanging up, Hajin returned to the hospital, only to find a crowd gathered around Sejin.

Apparently, Minsu had already come by and handed out drinks—everyone had one in hand.

"Aww, this little one talks so well! How old is he?"

"Three! I’m Lee Sejin!"

"Haha. He’s such a pretty boy for a little guy!"

"Sejin, here—this is from me, sweetie."

"Thank yooou."

The other pet owners were chatting with Sejin and sharing snacks with him.

Hajin smiled warmly at the sight and walked over.

Seeing Hajin, the pet owners expressed their thanks for the drinks and stepped aside to give him space.

At that moment, a young woman approached shyly.

"Oppa… I’m Genie."

"Oh! Nice to meet you. I didn’t expect to run into a fan in a place like this. Haha."

“Excuse me… could I get your autograph?”

“Oh, sure! Would you like a selfie too?”

“Huh? A photo? I mean… I’d be happy with just an autograph.”

“Haha, it’s okay. Here, hand me your phone. Let’s take one together.”

“Wow! Thank you so much!”

The fan, thrilled by the unexpected photo opportunity, quickly handed her phone to Hajin.

After the brief fan service, Hajin returned to his seat and noticed Sejin holding an armful of snacks.

“Looks like Sejin got a lot of treats?”

“Yup! But Uncle! Did you ask the other uncles?”

“Yeah. I just called. They said we can bring the puppy home. So now you’re its owner, Sejin—you’ll need to take good care of him, okay?”

“Yup! He's my baby now! I’ll feed him, take him on walks, and do everything!”

“Good. Your uncles will help too.”

As they chatted and waited, the vet called them back in.

Inside the exam room, the puppy was quietly lying on the table.

“Come in. We ran some bloodwork and other tests, and thankfully, everything seems fine. He looks to be about five months old and is male. Based on how he was abandoned, he likely hasn’t had his vaccinations yet, so we’ve started him on the necessary ones today. When you leave, we’ll give you a medical record card with the next vaccination dates noted. Even if you go to a different vet later, just bring that with you.”

“Thank you. But he still seems so lethargic… why is that?”

“Well, it looks like he hasn’t eaten properly for a while—he’s a little underweight. He’s not seriously ill, but I think the emotional trauma of being abandoned might have affected him. I’ll give you a list of suitable food and snacks. With proper care and nutrition, he should bounce back quickly.”

The vet paused, then added gently.

“Although you’ve said you’ll take him, if for any reason it becomes difficult, we can keep him here temporarily and send him to a shelter.”

“Oh! No, no, we’re planning to raise him. My nephew here’s been begging to keep him. Haha.”

“He’s my baby!”

“Haha, you’re going to be his big brother then? That means you have to take good care of him, okay? Can you promise the doctor?”

“Yes!!”

“Alright. Thank you.”

After finishing his talk with Sejin, the vet looked over at Hajin and Cheolhwan.

"These days, there's been a surge in abandoned animals. Shelters are overcrowded, so I really appreciate your decision. Since he's a rescue, you'll get a discount on the treatment. You can just buy the urgent supplies for now and get the rest later. And you’re aware of the pet registration system, right? It’s mandatory. Would you like to register him now?"

"Yes, let’s do it now."

“There are two types: a microchip implant or an external tag for the collar. Which would you prefer?”

“Uh… is the implanted chip safe?”

“Yes, it’s completely safe. Many choose the internal chip since it makes it easier to track a lost pet.”

“Then we’ll go with the internal chip.”

“Have you thought of a name yet? We need it for the registration.”

Hajin and Cheolhwan paused to think, but Sejin blurted out excitedly.

“Uncle! Bbokdol! I wanna name him Bbokdol!!”

“Huh? Bbokdol?”

“Yeah!”

“Uh… isn’t that kind of old-fashioned?”

“Uh… yeah, it kinda is. Haha.”

Embarrassed, Hajin and Cheolhwan glanced at each other.

“He’s a boy, and I wanna give him lots of blessings!”

Sejin insisted firmly.

“Haha, that’s a nice thought. You know, some people deliberately give their pets old-fashioned names because of a superstition that pets with such names live longer.”

The vet smiled.

“Oh, really? In that case, let’s register him as Bbokdol.”

Hajin nodded, smiling.

“Uncle! He’s my blessed bbaby, so he’s Bbokdol!”

“Haha, alright. We’ll register him as Lee Bbokdol.”

Hearing this, the vet picked up the puppy gently and said.

"Okay, I’ll go ahead and implant the chip. In the meantime, you can fill out the paperwork with the staff outside. Once you're done, I’ll bring him back to you."

“Thank you.”

After completing the documents, the vet returned and carefully handed the puppy to Hajin.

Hajin took him gently, cradling him close to his chest.

The puppy, calm and sweet-natured, didn’t resist being held by a stranger.

"All the essentials are taken care of. This here is puppy food—start with some of the wet food or porridge first, since he hasn’t eaten well. Once he’s adjusted, you can transition to dry food."

They bought the recommended food, snacks, puppy pads, and a cushion, then went to the counter to pay.

“Thank you! Take care!”

“Bye-bye!”

“Take good care of your new puppy!”

With the checkup done, Hajin and the group left the clinic.

Minsu, spotting them, quickly opened the car door.

“Alright, let’s head out. We’re getting back to the dorm later than expected.”

As Cheolhwan spoke, Minsu started the car.

Hajin gently held the puppy and quickly texted Jaewon to say they were on the way.

Watching Hajin cradle the pup, Sejin asked.

"Uncle… Can I hold Bbokdol?"

"Well, we’re still in the car, and he’s not feeling too well yet… So let me hold him for now. When we get home, you can give him a hug. But even if you’re excited, it’s best to just watch him for a while until he gets used to everything. Can you do that, Sejin?"

"Yup! I won’t bother him."

"Good boy."

"Hehe."

Pleased with Hajin’s praise, Sejin happily kicked his feet in excitement.

About 20 minutes later, the car entered a luxury villa complex.

After parking, the group took the elevator up to their home.

When they rang the doorbell, the other members came rushing out to greet them.

"Sejin!!"

"Welcome home!"

"Wow, the puppy’s adorable!"

They slipped off their shoes and stepped inside, greeted by the familiar layout of their residence. The high-rise villa, well known for housing celebrities and wealthy families, had a wide windowed living room overlooking the Han River in full view.

"Sejin, welcome back from the hospital. You must be hungry, right? Auntie’s prepared lots of delicious food. Let’s wash up and eat first—then we can show you around the house."

Following Jaewon’s words, Hajin gently laid down a cushion in a corner of the living room and carefully placed the puppy on it.

He went to the kitchen to greet the aunt helping with household chores, then filled the new food and water bowls. He placed a bit of porridge for the puppy.

The dog, still cautious, sat still for a moment, then slowly got up and sniffed the food. After confirming it was safe, he started eating ravenously.

Everyone quietly watched the touching scene.

"Looks like he was really hungry."

"Yeah… he’s so skinny. Poor thing."

"He’s so tiny and cute… how could someone just abandon him?"

"I know. How do you just give up a dog you raised?"

Hwan and Roy whispered softly, clearly affected.

As Bbokdol continued eating, Sejin, who had been watching closely, suddenly turned to Hajin.

"Uncle, Dol-i needs to pee."

"Oh—right! Just a sec!"

Hajin rummaged through their bags, pulled out the puppy pad and pee tray, and set it up a short distance from the cushion.

After Bbokdol had finished eating and drinking, Sejin cheerfully pointed at the tray.