The year had been plagued by drought, causing hardship for farmers, but today, it rained as if all the delayed rain was falling at once.

The rain fell as if the sky had sprung a leak.

“This rain makes it hard to go home.”

Since drawing the line in response to the manager’s question last time, ‘I dislike Teacher Ok,’ things had become awkward between them.

Did they hear me? Or did they not? Subtle days followed that event. We commuted together a few times. However, there wasn’t much deep conversation.

“You seem tired today.”

Eun Woo, usually quite talkative, had become unusually quiet to the point that Seol Hee remarked on it. All he responded to her was, ‘Yes, a little.’

It was awkward. It was fortunate and regretful at the same time that we couldn’t return home together.

It was a strange emotion.

Seol Hee stood at the reception desk, watching the rain pour down outside. Whether it was due to the bad weather, there were barely any patients today.

Doctor Choi and Technician Chae Rin had gone in for surgery, and the director had the day off, so the hospital was idle. The waiting room was left to the manager and Seol Hee alone.

“It’s really empty today.”
“When it rains, it’s like this. Unless there’s an urgent matter, people usually don’t come to the hospital on such days. My friend who works at a human hospital told me that even there, fewer people come when it’s raining. It’s even worse at a veterinary hospital. It’s hard to walk a dog in the rain, and carrying a carrier while holding an umbrella is also troublesome.”
“I see…….”
“But we need days like this, don’t we? Always busy, take a break. We can also do inventory checks and paperwork that we couldn’t do before.”
The raindrops showed no sign of stopping. The rain was so heavy that even the regular, punctual guardians had to cancel their appointments.

Even ‘Bibi,’ a Yorkshire terrier, a regular visitor we expected today, didn’t come because of the rain.

In the afternoon, as the rain intensified, a young lady with an umbrella in one hand and a carrier in the other was seen walking towards the hospital through the thick raindrops.

“Look, a patient is coming.”
The manager craned his neck.

“We don’t have any appointments today. Hm…….”
At his doubtful voice, Seol Hee looked at the manager.

“Why?”
“Well, patients who come without an appointment on a day when it’s raining heavily are often in serious condition. Look, she doesn’t look well.”
Should she really be coming to the hospital?

At first, watching her hover in front of the hospital, I wondered if she might just be passing by. But soon she grabbed the handle of the hospital door. Seol Hee quickly rushed out and opened the door for her. The woman bowed her head deeply.

“Thank you.”
Even though she had come with an umbrella, her body was soaked from the rain. Water droplets dripped down from the ends of her hair.

“I didn’t make an appointment today, can I see a doctor?”
“Yes, of course.”
Then, the manager stood up from his seat.

“I will call Doctor Ok, who was organizing medicine earlier.”
Her face was pale. Her lips were dry, and a dark shadow hung over her face.

“Aren’t you cold?”
The woman shook her head. Then she took a cat out of the carrier. Unlike her, drenched in water, the Persian cat that came out of the carrier, well protected under the umbrella, did not have a single drop of water on its fur.

“Oh my, how cute. But…….”
Normally, cats tend to run away instead of snuggling into the arms of a stranger, but this cat was weakly clinging to Seol Hee’s body.

Something was off. Seol Hee, who didn’t know much about cats yet, could sense that much.

The cat was panting heavily, barely able to maintain its posture. Even a beginner like Seol Hee could tell it wasn’t normal.

“Shall we go to the examination room?”
Once in the examination room and the cat placed gently on the examination table, the cat sprawled out, breathing heavily. Seol Hee gently stroked the cat’s head with one hand and asked.

“Have you visited our hospital before?”
“Yes, once for a vaccination.”
“May I ask the cat’s name?”
“Yes, it’s So Ri.”

Soon, the door swung open, and Eun Woo, dressed in a white gown, entered the examination room. Seol Hee handed the cat to him and brought up the relevant charts on Dr. Ok’s computer. She then fetched a clean towel from the staff bathroom and offered it to the guardian.

“Use this to dry yourself, you might catch a cold.”
“Thank you.”
The guardian bowed in gratitude, but held the towel without wiping their face.

Eun Woo brushed the cat’s fur and asked in a low voice,

“How did you come here today?”
The guardian responded to Dr. Ok’s question, their lips still trembling,

“The cat started limping a few days ago, like it was in pain. I thought it had hurt its leg and planned to bring it to the hospital on Saturday… but… this morning it started panting, it couldn’t get up properly…”
Their rambling was interrupted by a sob. At the guardian’s words, Dr. Ok nodded gently.

“It’s alright. I will examine it now. Here, let’s open its mouth.”