A Beastly Boss (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14
I needed to reply, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak.
How many times had I heard Eun Woo say my name by now?
“Did you do this correctly, Yoo Seul Hee?”
“Stay focused, Yoo Seul Hee!”
“Please fill out the medical history thoroughly, Yoo Seul Hee.”
I’d heard it so often it felt like calluses had formed inside my ears. I’d heard it so much that sometimes, even in my sleep, I’d have nightmares of him sharply calling out, “Yoo Seul Hee!”
He’d always called my name with such firmness and severity.
But then—
“Seul Hee.”
The way he called my name now was incredibly gentle and tender—so soft and sweet I didn’t even know how to respond. It was the same voice I knew, yet utterly unfamiliar.
“Why are you just standing there like that? Are you okay?”
Perhaps sensing something odd about my continued stillness, Eun Woo stepped a little closer. Despite the lack of cold, Seul Hee stood frozen, eyes wide open, until he lightly tapped her cheek with the back of his hand. Only then did her lips move, as if a spell had finally broken.
“Oh, yes.”
“You suddenly went silent. Are you upset because I switched to informal speech?”
“No. No, it’s fine.”
“Even so, your tone sounds way too stiff.”
True to his observation, Seul Hee had abruptly stiffened both her posture and her speech, moving like a robot.
“…No, I— uh, yes.”
“You can use informal speech too, Seul Hee.”
He was telling her she could use informal speech—and even called her “Seul Hee.”
Eun Woo was moving too quickly for her to catch up.
Of course, Seul Hee herself had suggested using informal speech, and it wasn’t that she disliked it—but dislike and being utterly unable to keep pace with him were two different things. Her vision blurred as if she might faint right then and there.
“…I’ll go slower. Just a little slower.”
She needed time to mentally prepare. He always barged in and out so abruptly. At Seul Hee’s cautious reply, he gave a small nod.
“Alright then. Just let me know when you’re ready.”
Perhaps because Seul Hee was so nervous, she’d already slipped back into formal speech.
“I’ll also drop the honorifics when the time comes.”
“You can keep using informal speech, Teacher.”
“That wouldn’t be fair. Let’s take it slow.”
His soft chuckle felt refreshing. Embarrassed, she couldn’t bring herself to look at him.
“Then, Teacher, thank you for giving me a ride home today.”
Without even turning back, Seul Hee quickly got out of Eun Woo’s car and bowed her head.
“Well then, I’ll head inside.”
Tap-tap-tap—her footsteps toward the house were hurried.
It was an unusually sunny afternoon. A woman who looked to be in her thirties arrived with an adorable pug—a cute male pup with wide, round eyes and droopy ears.
“His name is Gom Gom, and he’s eight years old.”
It was the dog’s first visit to the clinic. Seul Hee typed into the computer the information the woman provided.
“My name is Kim Hye Yeon, and my number is 010-3324-XXXX.”
While the woman recited her personal details, Gom Gom looked around curiously, rolling his big, dark eyes nonstop, fascinated by the new surroundings of the clinic.
His squashed little nose, floppy ears, and tightly curled tail were so cute she wanted to nibble on him. His fluffy tail wagged gently, clearly in good spirits.
A smile spread across Seul Hee’s face too.
“Gom Gom is really adorable.”
Normally, when someone complimented a pet as cute, the owner would smile happily—but this owner was different. The woman replied with a bland “Is that so?” and walked straight into the examination room. Gom Gom’s attending vet for the day was Eun Woo.
“Hello, what brings you in today?”
Eun Woo greeted Gom Gom and the woman with his business-only “customer service smile,” reserved strictly for consultations.
“Oh, well…”
The woman placed Gom Gom on the examination table and shrugged her shoulders.
“Lately, he’s been lacking energy. When he comes home, his body trembles uncontrollably, and even though he usually enjoys walks, he’s been refusing to go lately—just won’t budge.”
“How’s he doing with bathroom habits?”
“The bathroom thing too…”
For a brief moment, the woman frowned as if annoyed.
“He used to be well house-trained, but now he’s soiling right next to where I sleep.”
Eun Woo carefully palpated Gom Gom’s plump, short body. The moment his hands reached the dog’s legs, Gom Gom—previously quiet and calm—let out a sharp cry.
“Kyaaang!”
It was such a spine-chilling shriek that goosebumps sprouted at the nape of her neck.
Gom Gom had been perfectly silent and peaceful since arriving at the clinic. Hearing such a loud cry from him startled Seul Hee, and her eyes widened.
“Oh dear.”
He must really be in pain—the cry was so piercing.
Seeing Gom Gom trembling like an aspen tree, a slight furrow appeared between Eun Woo’s brows.
“How long has he been like this?”
“For about a week.”
“Has he been making these kinds of noises at home occasionally as well?”
The owner nodded. After observing the dog thoroughly, Eun Woo spoke.
“We’ll need tests to be certain, but judging by his reaction, it seems like intervertebral disc disease.”
“Disc disease?”
“Yes. We should take X-rays first, and if necessary, possibly do a myelogram. But based solely on his symptoms, it appears to be disc-related—likely intervertebral disc herniation.”
At this, the owner tilted her head in confusion.
“Disc disease… like the kind humans get? The one that causes back pain?”
“Yes.”
Mr. Ok then brought over a diagram showing skeletal anatomy and explained further.
“This area here is called the intervertebral disc. As dogs age, or if they’re overweight, or if they move too vigorously, excessive pressure can cause the disc to bulge outward and compress the spinal cord.”
The owner’s expression brightened considerably, and she stroked Gom Gom with one hand.
“My dad also had disc disease. So I guess we just need to be more careful, right?”
Eun Woo shook his head.
“Unlike in humans, disc disease in dogs should ideally be treated. In humans, paralysis from disc issues is rare, but dogs can, in worst-case scenarios, suffer from hind-leg paralysis or even die from complications.”
Hearing this, the owner’s face fell.
“You mean our Gom Gom could become paralyzed in his hind legs?”
“No, Gom Gom still has good reflexes in his hind legs, and since it’s caught early, medication should help him recover.”
Still, the owner didn’t look reassured.
“So… what exactly do you suggest we do?”
“We’ll need to take X-rays first before deciding, but either a short hospitalization—three or four days—or outpatient treatment with medication would be best.”
The owner looked back and forth between Mr. Ok and Gom Gom. Gom Gom, unaware or perhaps sensing the tension, stared intently at his owner with a deeply anxious expression, his tail tightly curled.
“Then I’ll have him hospitalized.”
The owner abruptly stood up, left Gom Gom behind, and swept out into the waiting room without another word. Surprised by her reaction, Seul Hee glanced at Mr. Ok. He looked momentarily stunned as well, staring blankly at the owner’s retreating back before shrugging his shoulders.
“When their pet gets sick, people react in all sorts of ways.”
After the owner left, Gom Gom—now alone—whimpered anxiously.
“Keeeng…”
As if pleading, “Mom, come back.”
But the owner never looked back at Gom Gom, simply leaving and saying she’d return in four days to discharge him.
“Krrrng…”
Left alone in the hospital room, Gom Gom cried softly. His eyes were damp with worry.
“It’s okay, Gom Gom. Mom will come back in just four days. Eat well, get good treatment, and be healthy when you see her again.”
Even with Seul Hee’s gentle reassurance, Gom Gom only kept whimpering anxiously.
Krrrng.
That sorrowful sound echoed through the clinic.
Four days passed with the lovable Gom Gom.
On the first day, he cried constantly, looking for his mom. Thankfully, by the second and third days, he’d grown accustomed to clinic life—his anxious expression softened considerably, and he barely cried anymore.
How adorably squished his nose was.
Eun Woo, carrying Gom Gom around for various examinations, nodded in approval.
“Hmm, the inflammation seems to have gone down a lot.”
“Really?”
It was always heartening to see an ailing animal recover, but this time felt especially joyful.
Seul Hee beamed as she stroked Gom Gom’s fluffy fur. Apparently enjoying her touch, Gom Gom narrowed his eyes contentedly—then rested his face on her palm and dozed off with little nods.
“Yes. No more pain, good responses—so as long as you’re careful from now on, he should be fine. Today’s his discharge day, right?”
“Yes. I wonder when she’ll come.”
“Since she came late afternoon last time, maybe she’ll show up around then today too?”
Yet that evening, long past closing hours, the owner never arrived. Nor did she come the next day, or the day after that—no calls, no visits.
“Could she have mixed up the date?”
“That’s possible. Should we give her a call?”
At Seul Hee’s suggestion, the manager dialed the number. But soon, her face crumpled as she held the phone.
“What’s wrong?”
“It says the number doesn’t exist.”
Hearing this, Mr. Ok, who had just stepped into the waiting area, halted mid-step and frowned at the manager.
“The owner of Gom Gom?”
“Yes.”
When the manager nodded, Eun Woo let out a short sigh.
“She bolted.”
“Bolt—bolted?”
The manager ran a hand over her jaw in dismay and clicked her tongue.
“Sometimes people abandon their dogs at animal hospitals. They admit them and never come back. Some think it’s better than just leaving them on the street.”
Although Gom Gom had calmed down over time, whenever someone entered his room, he’d still stretch his neck forward, hoping it was his mom. And if it wasn’t, he’d slump back down dejectedly, pressing his face to the floor with a sigh.
“No way… Could I have written down the number wrong?”
On Gom Gom’s first day, she’d been so charmed by his cuteness that maybe she’d absentmindedly recorded the wrong number.
“But she didn’t show up on his scheduled discharge day… And she wasn’t a referral either, right? This is bad. Gom Gom wasn’t even registered as a companion animal—there’s no way to track her down. Maybe I really did jot down the number wrong?”
“No, she definitely ran. The vibe was off.”
At Eun Woo’s words, the manager’s eyes widened.
“It was?”
“Normally, when a pet’s sick, owners ask things like ‘What’s the treatment plan?’ ‘How long will it take?’ ‘What’s the prognosis?’ But she didn’t ask any of that—just said ‘Hospitalize him’ and walked out. That should’ve tipped me off right then.”
“Maybe she just mixed up the date. Let’s wait a few more days.”
Under his intense gaze fixed on her, Seul Hee tensed up and unconsciously bit her lip. Eun Woo shrugged.
“We’ll have to wait, I guess. But… she probably won’t come back. Don’t get your hopes up too much.”
As if Mr. Ok’s words had been a prophecy, even after a full week passed, the owner never returned for Gom Gom.
Gom Gom got along well with Dol, the dog the clinic kept, as well as with other patients.
He was also fond of people—especially Seul Hee, whom he loved. He’d often nuzzle his face against her legs, showing off his affection. Whenever Seul Hee offered him a treat on her palm, his tightly curled tail would wag happily.
Seul Hee crouched down and gently patted Gom Gom’s head.
“Gom Gom, you ate so well again today. Such a good boy.”
Eun Woo watched her silently for a moment before speaking.
“Yoo Seul Hee.”
“Yes?”
Her small shoulders flinched. Had she done something wrong again?
Though afraid of what he might say, her little hands never stopped stroking Gom Gom. The soft fur brushed against her palms.
“Don’t get too attached to Gom Gom.”
“But it’s break time right now.”
At Seul Hee’s sulky reply, Eun Woo sighed and opened his mouth. His handsome lips twisted slightly.
“Ah, that’s not what I meant.”
He dragged a hand down his face and muttered,
“I’m worried you’ll get hurt, Yoo Seul Hee—I’m worried you’ll get hurt.”
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
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