Chapter 35: This Is My Friend
Joo-seok Hyung, my fellow crew member from the ship and the first person to introduce me to the golden light into my life, stared at me with his mouth wide open.
Even my expression, which usually maintained a poker face, was now showing signs of surprise.
Who would have thought I’d run into Joo-seok Hyung in a place like this?
Joo-seok Hyung, who had rushed over in a single bound, pulled me into a tight embrace.
“Hey, man! Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed you? It was like trying to find a spy or something—no matter how hard I searched, you were nowhere to be found.”
Considering that I’d spent my days quietly studying, keeping a low profile after leaving the ship, it made sense.
But I was more curious about something else.
“Hyung… you’ve really changed a lot, haven’t you?”
This wasn’t just an empty statement.
The Joo-seok Hyung I remembered always seemed on edge, with a sharp look in his eyes that even made our fellow crew members hesitate to approach him.
But now, his demeanor had softened so much that you could mistake him for a kind neighborhood dumpling shop owner.
If it weren’t for his distinctive face, which resembled a Chihuahua, I might not have recognized him at all.
“Hahaha, of course I’ve changed! It’s been so many years. A lot has happened since then.”
The onlookers couldn’t hide their shock by the sight of us embracing each other.
Even Hong Seul-gi was watching us with curious eyes in the distance.
After all, this was none other than Lee Joo-seok, the so-called ‘Dog President’, who had become a major influencer with 2.5 million subscribers on NerTube 1The term “nertuber” in the original Korean text is likely a misspelling of “youtuber” and who frequently appeared on TV.
For him to suddenly hug some random guy as if it were a reunion of long-lost family members—people couldn’t help but be taken aback.
“Isn’t that the guy who was working with Hong Seul-gi earlier?”
“That’s right. Who on earth is this guy? Now I’m genuinely curious.”
“Is he a celebrity too?”
“No, I heard earlier that he’s a student at Hanyeong University.”
At that moment.
PD Park Jin-woo quietly approached us.
“Excuse me…, are you two acquainted?”
“Oh yes, this young man is a very special Dongsaeng 2Younger brother to me. I spent years searching and looking for him, but I eventually gave up, thinking I’d never find him. Who would have thought we’d meet in a place like this?”
“This is really turning into an eventful day, isn’t it?”
Like a predator eyeing its prey, PD Park Jin-woo looked at me with great interest.
“Did you say your name was Song Dae-woon? Would it be possible to ask you for a short interview later?”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. You’ve been working hard with Hong Seul-gi today, and since you also have a connection with Trainer Lee Joo-seok, it seems like it would be meaningful in many ways. Please do me this favor, I would really appreciate it.”
His tone was so earnest that I couldn’t easily refuse.
‘Well, it’s just a short interview. What harm could it do? Besides, I got to see Joo-seok Hyung after a long time.’
After a brief moment of contemplation, I nodded willingly.
“Sure, I’ll do it.”
“Thank you so much! Then, Trainer Lee, shall we start filming right away?”
“Of course. Dae-woon-ah, don’t you dare run away. Stay right here. I’ll be back soon. If you run away, I’ll send people after you, okay?”
“I won’t go anywhere. I’ll be here watching, do your best.”
As Joo-seok Hyung and PD Park Jin-woo left to start filming, Kim Joo-hee, Im Yoo-jin, and Lee Ga-haeng rushed over to me.
“What’s going on? Is this for real? Hyung, you’re the same Dae-woon Hyung that I know, right?”
“What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”
“The Dae-woon Hyung I know led a solitary life after the grueling years on a deep-sea fishing boat…”
“He’s the Hyung I met on that very fishing ship.”
Hearing my words, my friend’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“What? Trainer Lee Joo-seok was on a deep-sea fishing ship too? And with you? But why would someone like him, at his level, be on a fishing ship?”
I couldn’t just share someone else’s private life, so I gave a vague response.
“Well, yeah, we were on the same ship. I never imagined I’d meet him in a place like this.”
“But what did that PD guy say to you, Oppa?”
“I don’t know. He just asked me for a short interview.”
“No way! Does that mean you’ll be on ‘Animal Plaza’? That show has insanely high ratings!”
“It’ll be short. Really short. It might even get edited out entirely.”
After this brief conversation, we sat down and absentmindedly watched the filming.
Joo-seok Hyung’s role was simple.
It was a kind of volunteer service where he corrected the behavior of dogs that showed aggression or abnormal symptoms.
“He’s still the same… No, he’s even better now.”
There were rumors that he might have been a dog in a past life because he could read a dog’s mind with precision and solve problems from the dog’s perspective, it was clear he was someone who truly loved animals.
I remembered one incident where an old sailor claimed that dogs only listened when beaten, and he had picked up a stick to threaten Bison.
Ju-seok Hyung, enraged, had shoved the sailor hard and they almost came to a fistfight.
Even when he trained Bison on the ship, Joo-seok Hyung never resorted to punishment.
Instead, he stuck to a training method that instilled positive memories through treats and praise.
‘A dog’s no different from a human. Dae-woon-ah, would you feel good if someone hit you or nagged at you? You’d just grow more rebellious, right? You have to coax them gently like this for them to understand.’
I still vividly remember the image of Joo-seok Hyung, his face bathed in the red light of the setting sun, softly stroking Bison’s head.
As the filming was almost over, PD Park Jin-woo approached me.
“Dae-woon-ssi? Shall we start the interview now?”
“Sure, let’s do it.”
Following the PD, I found two chairs placed alone on the outdoor grass, with two people already seated.
But something seemed off about the seating arrangement.
On the left was Hong Seul-gi and on the right was Joo-seok Hyung.
Could it be that the empty seat in the middle was for me?
Sure enough, PD Park Jin-woo pointed to the middle seat with his finger.
“Please take the empty seat.”
“Are you sure it’s okay for someone like me, just an ordinary person, to sit in the middle?”
“Hahaha, it doesn’t really matter. Just make yourself comfortable.”
And so, before I knew it, I was seated between two famous people and the interview began in earnest.
“Hello, I’m Trainer Lee Joo-seok. The reason I’m here today is to address the fact that every year, 80,000 pets are abandoned on the streets…”
As expected from a professional, Joo-seok Hyung delivered an in-depth message about the seriousness of animal abandonment and the measures needed to address it.
“Thank you for your insightful words. But I hear you also found a long-lost friend at the shelter today?”
At the PD’s question, Joo-seok Hyung turned to look at me.
His eyes were filled with a mix of emotions.
“Honestly, I never imagined we’d meet again in a place like this. It makes me think that our bond was truly meant to be.”
“Could you tell us more about your relationship?”
“He’s the benefactor who saved my life when I was about to hit rock bottom. I can say for certain that without this friend, I never would have become a trainer.”
The sincerity in his response gave PD Park Jin-woo a sense that he had a stroke of gold.
“This is something I’ve never shared on any broadcast before, but my eldest daughter was diagnosed with childhood leukemia when she was young. At that time, I was barely making ends meet with a delivery job. I was desperate to save my daughter, so I recklessly gathered every penny I could for her treatment. Fortunately, her condition improved significantly, but I was left with a mountain of debt. That’s why I decided to work on a deep-sea fishing ship.”
“What? Trainer Lee Joo-seok worked on a deep-sea fishing ship before?”
This was a fact he had never revealed to any media outlet before.
PD Park Jin-woo clenched his fists in an attempt to contain his excitement.
“Yes, I did. That’s when I met this Dongsaeng here. He helped me a lot when I couldn’t adjust to life on the ship, but more importantly…”
Trainer Lee Joo-seok looked at me with a deep, meaningful gaze and I awkwardly scratched my cheek in embarrassment.
“To be honest, I was lost after I left the ship. I didn’t have any particular skills to rely on. That’s when Dae-woon-ie said something to me. He told me I was much better at training dogs than any professional trainer he’d seen. And more decisively, he pointed out that my expression looked completely different when I was working with dogs compared to when I was doing ship work. He advised me to do what I truly loved. That one piece of advice became the turning point that led me to where I am today.”
“”Wow, what a bond…”
The story, almost like something out of a movie, left the production crew and even Hong Seul-gi, who was sitting next to me, staring at me with wide eyes.
After that, Hong Seul-gi’s interview continued.
“Hong Seul-gi-ssi, you worked really hard today. How do you feel?”
“Thanks to my talented mentor here, it feels like I was able to do a proper volunteer job for the first time in a long time. I can’t even remember the last time I was covered in this dirt.”
For a moment, I was a bit worried that Hong Seul-gi’s fans might take this the wrong way.
Hong Seul-gi’s interview ended smoothly, and finally, it was my turn.
With a gleam in his eye, PD Park Jin-woo asked me.
“This was your first time volunteering for abandoned animals, right? Could you share your thoughts?”
‘My thoughts, huh…’
Countless emotions swirled in my mind.
After a moment of silence, I finally managed to speak, my lips feeling unusually heavy today.
“To be honest, this is my first time volunteering. I grew up in a nursery, so I’ve always been on the receiving end of volunteer work.”
The atmosphere grew somber with my sudden confession, but it didn’t matter. I no longer felt the need to hide the fact that I was parentless. It wasn’t my fault that I ended up this way, so why should I be ashamed? The shame should belong to the parents who abandoned me.
“The dogs here in this shelter and I aren’t so different. In the end, we were both abandoned by our guardians. Whether it’s an abandoned animal or an abandoned child like me, we’re left waiting for someone to adopt us, hoping for a new home. Both of us still need love and attention.”
I could sense that Joo-seok Hyung flinched, his gaze now fixed on me.
This was a part of my story that I had never shared with him, not even on the ship.
Back then, I was too ashamed to admit that I was parentless.
“I’ve learned a lot here today. I used to think that animal shelters were nice, clean places. But I’ve heard that in some shelters, if no one adopts the animals within a few days, they’re euthanized. In that sense, a nursery is slightly better—we’re just tossed out into society instead.”
Was my story interesting?
I could feel Hong Seul-gi’s intense gaze on me.
“One thing I’ve realized is that it’s much better to be the volunteer than the one being helped. And I’ve come to understand that volunteering isn’t just for others—it’s for yourself too.”
I looked directly into the camera, enunciating my words clearly.
“The people who abandon can sleep peacefully, but those who are abandoned carry that memory for the rest of their lives. Never take the weight of a life lightly. Always be responsible until the very end.”
Perhaps this was a message for the parents who had abandoned me.
“Thank you for your hard work, everyone.”
As the interview wrapped up, the film crew began packing up their equipment.
PD Park Jin-woo approached me, bowing deeply in sincere gratitude.
“That was one of the most impactful interviews I’ve heard in a long time. Thank you.”
I suddenly felt a bit embarrassed, realizing that I might have projected too much of my own feelings onto the abandoned dogs with their pleading eyes.
Soon after, Joo-seok Hyung took my phone and entered his number into it.
“Sorry, Dae-woon-ah. I’ve got another appointment, but I’ll call you later. Make sure you answer.”
“Okay, Hyung. Let’s have a proper drink together soon.”
After Joo-seok Hyung left, I glanced sideways at the person still lingering nearby.
Why was Hong Seul-gi still here, not leaving like everyone else?
“Aren’t you busy?”
“Nope, not busy at all.”
“Oh, okay.”
That was the end of our conversation.
And then I heard a familiar sound.
Meeeow
“You’re back again?”
It was the black cat I had seen earlier.
Despite its plaintive cries, its emerald-green eyes were fixed solely on me.
I approached it as gently as I could, careful not to startle it.
To my surprise, the strange little black cat recognized me first and nudged its round head toward me.
“Well, aren’t you something? Are you sure you’re not a dog?”
Is this what they call a ‘cat-like dog’?
The black cat rolled onto its back, displaying an irresistible charm with playful antics.
Then, suddenly, it sensed an unfamiliar presence and quickly scampered away.
When I turned my head around, I saw Hong Seul-gi staring at the cat with a forlorn expression.
“How… Did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“How did you become friends with it? How can I touch it like you did?”
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
The cat had come to me on its own—there wasn’t any special method to it.
“I want to get close to it too…”
After spending the entire day together, seeing her looking so downcast didn’t sit well with me.
I glanced over at the cat, which was watching us from a distance with a wary expression and called out impulsively.
“Hey! This is my friend. There’s no need to be scared, just come over here! Geez, what a scaredy-cat.”
And then, something amazing happened.
As if it understood my words, the cat’s wary gaze softened, and it began cautiously approaching us.
A smile slowly spread across Hong Seul-gi’s rosy lips.
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