PUPPY 1

“Jjokko, bang—.”

As Seowoo made a finger gun gesture with his hand, the small, white-furred puppy flopped onto its back on the floor, revealing its round belly. The name Jjokko, taken from the first part of ‘Jjokkomi’ (tiny), suited the cute puppy perfectly.

“Want a treat?”

Seowoo asked, sitting on the floor to lower himself and stroking the puppy’s fur. The puppy, which had been enjoying the touch with its eyes closed, suddenly perked up its ears. Not long after, the sound of footsteps reached Seowoo’s ears as well.

“Seowoo, are you in there?”

“Yes. Why?”

Seowoo replied, his eyes wide at the sudden sound of his grandmother’s voice.

“Open the door for a moment.”

“Seowoo, I said open the door.”

“Nothing’s wrong, why? I’m going to sleep.”

A flustered Seowoo shouted toward the door.

“The light’s still on. Just open the door for a moment.”

It was strange for his grandmother, who rarely came upstairs, to suddenly be asking him to open the door. Seowoo’s panicked gaze darted around. If he was caught with Jjokko, whom he had secretly brought in, he would surely get a huge scolding.

“Ah… I’m screwed.”

Sitting on the floor, Jjokko looked up at Seowoo with sparkling eyes. Jjokko’s gaze was filled with trust.

“It seems to be locked from the inside. Should I get the key?”

He could hear not only his grandmother and grandfather’s voices, but his sister-in-law’s as well. The whole family had assembled, making Seowoo even more flustered. Amidst the chaos, Jjokko, who had been lying on the floor, got up and started following Seowoo with a cheerful expression.

“Jjokko, just a second…”

“Ryu Seowoo.”

He heard his grandmother’s stern tone, a far cry from how she usually called him affectionately: Seowoo-ya, my dear, our puppy. Seowoo immediately picked up Jjokko. Then he surveyed the room.

If there had been a closet or a large drawer, he would have put Jjokko inside for just a moment, but the room only had a desk and a bed. Because the room was small, all the storage furniture and the closet had been crammed into the utility room next to the bathroom.

There were no other options. Seowoo sat on the bed with Jjokko in his hands. He swiftly pulled off the t-shirt he was wearing and threw it onto the floor. If they asked why he didn’t open the door, he planned to make the excuse that it took him a while to change his clothes.

Seowoo stared into Jjokko’s black eyes and asked in a serious voice.

“Jjokko, you can stay quiet, right?”

“Arf!”

Jjokko barked lightly, as if answering.

“Quiet. Shh, Jjokko, shh.”

When Seowoo spoke with wide eyes, Jjokko seemed to find it amusing and smiled, its tongue sticking out slightly.

“Jjokko, if you just stay quiet for a little while, I’ll let you out again. Let’s go night-night, Jjokko.”

Seowoo pulled the blanket up over himself while holding Jjokko in his arms.

“Some man jumped over the wall and went right to Seowoo’s room…”

“And the neighborhood has been so unsafe lately…”

The sound of the doorknob turning and his sister-in-law’s voice sounded louder than before. As Seowoo felt like he was about to stop breathing from the tension, Jjokko’s face popped out from beside him.

“Jjokko, in…”

Seowoo reached out his hand toward Jjokko to push him back under the blanket, but he felt a moist sensation on his lips. Jjokko had licked Seowoo’s lips.

The events that followed were utterly surreal.

“…Gasp.”

“Oh, my goodness.”

“What on earth is this…!”

The first thing he heard was his family’s shocked cries. Then, he felt the weight on his body and the touch of bare skin. It wasn’t the light, cotton-candy feel of the soft, white-furred Jjokko, but the firm body of a man.

“…Cha Juwon?”

As he slowly raised his gaze, a completely naked Cha Juwon, without a single thread on him, came into Seowoo’s view. His mind went blank at the absurd situation.

What is happening right now…

“Hello.”

While Seowoo was flustered, Juwon placed one hand on the headboard, turned his head, and gave a nod of greeting to Seowoo’s family. Not only his grandmother’s, grandfather’s, and sister-in-law’s eyes, but their mouths also dropped wide open.

“…Grandma. What happened was…”

Seowoo pushed Juwon away and got up to explain the situation before his eyes. Because of that, the blanket that had been caught around Juwon’s waist, covering Seowoo as well, fell away. At the same time, Seowoo remembered that he had taken off his t-shirt.

“Ah…”

I’m really screwed.

This was Seowoo’s impression of the moment he first witnessed Juwon’s transformation.

🦴

Cha Juwon is the most handsome man since Dangun. His eyebrows were perfectly shaped as if drawn, with black eyes beneath them. His high nose bridge and strong jawline drew everyone’s attention from his first day at school.

As soon as he appeared at school, unfounded rumors spread like wildfire: ‘He’s a celebrity trainee.’ ‘He’s already debuted.’ ‘He has over ten million TikTok followers.’ But his striking looks weren’t the only reason Cha Juwon became famous.

Cha Juwon transferred just before the winter break of his sophomore year. No one believed that he had transferred ‘without any special reason’ right before his senior year.

‘Nice to meet you. Let’s get along.’

Cha Juwon greeted them listlessly, in a voice that didn’t sound pleased at all. As if bothered by his attitude, the moment the teacher left, the so-called popular clique of students surrounded Juwon. However, even with the sudden shadow cast over him, Cha Juwon showed no signs of being flustered.

‘Who the hell are you to be transferring now?’

Kang Jihyeok asked Cha Juwon, chomping on his gum.

‘Look at this. He’s wearing some fucking expensive clothes for a guy like him.’

‘Hey, what school did you come from?’

Even as they poked his head and flipped over the collar of his padded jacket to check the brand, Cha Juwon still wore an expression of disinterest.

‘Did you get expelled? For what?’

The atmosphere changed subtly the moment Kang Jihyeok patted Cha Juwon’s head. He ruffled his hair messily and flicked his forehead with a finger. Flick—.

‘Expelled?’

‘Are you deaf? Why are you asking again?’

‘…asking again?’

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, the students in the classroom began to turn their gazes toward Cha Juwon and Kang Jihyeok.

‘Get lost.’

Juwon said with a sound like air escaping, one corner of his mouth lifting.

‘You’re annoying, so get lost.’

Then, he slapped away Kang Jihyeok’s hand from his head with a sharp sound. Kang Jihyeok’s friends standing beside him let out sounds of admiration, ‘Ooh—.’

It looked like a fight could break out at any moment. The glances of the students, who had been watching cautiously, now gathered on them openly.

‘Wow, what an interesting bastard. What do you mean, get lost?’

It was the moment Kang Jihyeok, conscious of the stares, deliberately acted tough and raised his hand.

‘…Can’t you understand human words?’

‘What?’

‘Want me to bark for you?’

Cha Juwon, letting out a short sigh, grabbed Kang Jihyeok’s wrist. He didn’t bend or twist the wrist, just squeezed it with his grip, but Kang Jihyeok’s expression contorted in pain.

‘Aargh…! Shit!’

With an undignified scream, Kang Jihyeok was pushed back—shove. Everyone watched with bated breath as the social hierarchy was re-established. Kang Jihyeok seemed to think he had defended himself pretty well, but the onlookers thought differently. He got his ass totally kicked.

Cha Juwon looked down at Kang Jihyeok with an indifferent gaze, then turned his head toward the front of the classroom. At that moment, Cha Juwon, who was taking a deep breath, made eye contact with Ryu Seowoo, who was sitting in the very front row, shivering uncontrollably.

After that incident, Cha Juwon went from being just a handsome transfer student to a handsome and fucking strong transfer student.

🦴

A siru-tteok, a steamed rice cake dotted with yellow pumpkin, was placed on the table. His grandfather was snoring with the remote control held tight in his hand, having seemingly fallen asleep while watching a daily drama.

“You know the tile-roofed house up ahead, right?”

His grandmother said to Seowoo, wiping her hands dry.

“Yes.”

“They spent all winter renovating it, and they were handing out rice cakes today since they’re done organizing. Have some.”

In the neighborhood where Seowoo lived, there was a tile-roofed house that seemed to have transcended time. It wasn’t just any traditional Korean house, but a palace-like one that was said to have a whopping 99 sections.

The tile-roofed house, with a yard the size of a soccer field, had been on the market for a long time, but it couldn’t find a buyer due to the skyrocketing land prices. But last winter, the house was sold to a businessman who had succeeded in the food industry.

“Oh, I see…”

Seowoo, taking a bite of the siru-tteok, whispered softly, “It’s delicious.” His grandmother, as if agreeing with his words, nodded and began to explain about their new neighbors.

“Grandma, but do they have a dog at that house?”

For the past few days, workmen had been frequently coming and going in front of the tile-roofed house. He asked because he remembered a small white puppy standing there and staring intently at him.

“So I heard. A few puppies, about the size of my palm, were going in and out of the gate.”

“Wow…, they must be cute.”

Hearing that there wasn’t just one, but several puppies lining up and walking through the gate, Seowoo’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. Then, glancing around cautiously, he looked at his grandmother with an expectant expression.

“Grandma, can we also get a pupp—”

“Tsk. Dogs should be raised outside. You can’t raise them in a room. They poop, and their fur gets everywhere.”

Of course, the attempt didn’t even make a dent.

“Who raises dogs outside these days?”

“Don’t you even think about getting a dog later on. You’ll start coughing again because of the fur.”

‘Still so frail,’ Seowoo added his own excuse to his grandmother’s words as she patted his back.

“I don’t cough anymore.”

“Jihye said she’s taking the bus after the next one. Walk home with her later. Got it?”

“Okay.”

“Looks like your grandfather is just going to sleep there.”

His grandmother said, checking a message that arrived on her cell phone and patting Seowoo’s shoulder. Seowoo, who had put down his fork, pondered for a moment before getting up from his seat and putting on the padded jacket he had left on the sofa.

“Um… I’ll just go now.”

“There’s still time, why are you leaving so early? It’s cold.”

When he put his hand into the inner pocket of his padded jacket, his fingertips touched his cell phone and card wallet. It was a relief that he didn’t need to stop by his room.

“I’ll just go and wait. Get some air.”

“Wear warm clothes. Where’s your scarf?”

“Right here.”

“What about your hat?”

“I’ll use the hood of my jacket.”

“Alright, my dear. Be careful on your way.”

Seowoo waved goodbye to his grandmother and went down the stairs with a light step.

As Seowoo walked down the alley, his cell phone rang.

— Hello. Seowoo?

“Noona. I’m on my way out.”

— My friend is giving me a ride and dropping me off in front of the house. You don’t have to come out.

Seowoo’s steps paused for a moment when she said he didn’t have to come meet her at the bus stop. But after a brief hesitation, Seowoo continued walking forward.

“Ah… okay.”

— Okay. Seowoo, are you already outside?

Jihye asked in a curious voice, as if she had heard Seowoo’s footsteps.

“I was going to the convenience store… Keep it a secret from Grandma.”

Feeling guilty, Seowoo whispered in a small voice. Fortunately, there was no one in the alley.

— Okay. Don’t eat anything spicy.

The reply came out slowly from Seowoo’s mouth, who had been planning to eat ramen that was spicy enough to feel like it was on fire.

“…Okay.”

He had eaten dinner after his academy class and also the siru-tteok his grandmother gave him, but he was still feeling a little hungry. It seemed he was probably having a growth spurt.

🦴

— Tinkle.

The convenience store door opened with a cheerful sound. Seowoo, who had entered the store, chose Mr. Cha’s Royal Dumpling Soup after careful consideration. He also bought some snacks to eat later and two cans of cat food that were on sale.

Seowoo’s eyes were vacant as he waited for the water to boil and the dumplings to cook. It felt like the winter break had started just yesterday, but now the spring break was also over, and school would start tomorrow. To think he was now a high school senior. It was a series of nerves and tremors, but it was a real relief that he was in the same class as his close friends.

‘This should be cooked by now.’

When he opened the instant royal dumpling soup, a cloud of hot steam billowed out. As he was sprinkling the stick-packaged spicy sauce on top, he sensed someone next to him.

The man, who was wearing only a hoodie despite the cold weather, was extremely tall. Seowoo’s head tilted up automatically.

At the end of his gaze was a very handsome face. An exceptionally handsome man, the kind you don’t see often.

It was… Cha Juwon.