PUPPY 17

Waking up early in the morning, Seowoo took a shower and then dried his hair more meticulously than usual. It was because his family’s worry had intensified after learning he had gotten a nosebleed at the reading room last time.

No matter how much he insisted he wasn’t sick, he had met his grandmother’s and grandfather’s worried gazes several times. In a situation like this, it was plain to see how much they would worry if he were to catch even a cold.

Although it was the weekend, being a high school senior meant the only thing to do was study. His friends had already arrived at the reading room early in the morning, and Juwon had sent a message saying he would go to the reading room after finishing his morning walk. He had sent it with an emoticon of a dog blowing a heart, which made Seowoo feel a little ticklish.

“I got my allowance today, so it’s fine….”

“Let’s just go eat a little bit of ramen. How can you manage your diet while studying?”

The group chat was filled with cries of hunger, so they decided to meet in the break room for lunch. He thought his friends who had gathered in advance would be choosing a restaurant, but instead, they were engaged in a heated debate about which ‘PC bang’ to go to.

“Aren’t you guys going to study? What’s with the PC bang?”

Seowoo asked his three friends with a look of disbelief.

“We won’t be long, just for one hour.”

“We can eat at the PC bang, so we’re saving time. Multitasking.”

“What kind of bullshit is that?”

Seowoo said, dumbfounded, to his friends who were rationalizing their reasons for going to the PC bang. Just then, Juwon’s voice rang in Seowoo’s ear.

“Woof woof.”

No, it wasn’t a voice, but a realistic imitation of a dog’s bark.

“Huh?”

“That’s a real dog sound, and what they’re saying is just nonsense.”

At Juwon’s words, Seowoo let out a soft, deflating laugh. Kim Dongwon, who was watching the two of them, asked.

“You guys wanna come too?”

“Not going.”

“Not going.”

Seowoo and Juwon answered at the same time. When their eyes met, they both smiled faintly. He always felt like he was making a fuss whenever he refused to play games with them, but he felt relieved that Juwon also said he wouldn’t go to the PC bang.

“You don’t play games?”

“I play sometimes, but I don’t go to PC bangs. I just play at home. You?”

“I just play sometimes too.”

Once the three of them, who had engaged in an exciting round of rock-paper-scissors to decide who would pay for the meal, disappeared, the break room became dead quiet.

Gosh, that was chaotic. Juwon said, shaking his head briskly.

“On a nice day like today, rather than go to a PC bang, I’d much rather go hiking. A pretty tough route.”

“Hiking…?”

Seowoo’s mind was thrown into confusion at Juwon’s words. Seowoo had never once thought of hiking as a substitute for gaming.

“Or. Well, something like throwing a frisbee or playing tug-of-war is good too.”

“I’ve never done things like that.”

“Really? I thought everyone did that a lot.”

At Juwon’s words, a sigh of realization escaped Seowoo’s lips. He must have done these kinds of activities a lot since he was the owner of several dogs. Seowoo tried to picture Juju going for a walk with him. It was easy to imagine him deftly hiking up a mountain, but the other activities seemed a bit dangerous.

He couldn’t believe Juju would bite and pull a rope with teeth as small as millet seeds. Besides, Juju was a small dog that looked like he would be in big trouble if he got hit by a frisbee.

“Let’s just go get something to eat.”

Juwon said, putting an arm around the shoulder of the lost-in-thought Seowoo. One of his shoulders instantly felt heavy.

“You smell exactly the same as Juju.”

The scent of shampoo wafted from Juwon, who had come closer to his side.

“Juju?”

“Yeah.”

“Ah… That’s because I washed my hair with dog shampoo.”

Realizing a beat too late that he himself was Juju, Juwon let out a slow sigh. And then he nonchalantly confessed the truth about the shampoo scent.

“What did you say?”

“Why?”

“You really use dog shampoo?”

“It’s true.”

Because of Juwon’s serious expression, he was confused about whether this was a joke or if he was being sincere.

“I’ll give you one too. We have a lot at home. They’re stacked up in boxes.”

Not long ago, his sister had started the 27th round of a group purchase for the shampoo, and the warehouse and the utility room were all filled with shampoo boxes. It was at a level where you could sneak one box out and no one would ever notice.

“You’re telling me to wash my hair with dog shampoo?”

“Yep.”

There was a smile playing on Juwon’s lips as he said that. It was something he said with the thought that if they washed their hair with the same shampoo, Seowoo would have the same scent.

“…No thanks.”

The usually quiet Seowoo clearly showed his reluctance. Compared to other kids his age, Seowoo had a quiet and calm personality, but the things he said one by one had a funny side to them.

“Alright. Then, I’ll buy you human shampoo later. Wash your hair with that.”

Juwon laughed out loud as he ruffled Seowoo’s hair with his hand.

“Shampoo?”

Seowoo tilted his head at Juwon’s kindness, which was offered without any strings attached.

“Let’s go to Olive Young and buy it after we eat. But, what should we eat?”

“It’s raining, so let’s just eat whatever downstairs.”

At Seowoo’s words, Juwon looked out the break room window. The raindrops that had been drizzling since morning had grown thicker.

“Walks in the rain are fun….”

Juwon muttered as if to himself, looking at the rain pattering against the window. Juwon enjoyed transforming into a dog and going for walks on rainy days.

Rolling on all fours in puddles of rainwater and running around until his whole body was soaked made him laugh automatically. Washing his dirty white fur after the walk was a hassle, but it was still fun.

“You go hiking when it’s raining?”

Seowoo, who had overheard Juwon’s mumbling, asked with wide, horrified eyes.

“No, not hiking, I just run around a park or by the river. It’s fun to run while getting drenched in the rain.”

“You’ll catch a cold doing that.”

“Is Seowoo worried?”

Juwon asked Seowoo with a mischievous smile.

“Of course. It’s still cold out.”

For Seowoo, who had layered several thin clothes to avoid catching a cold, running in the rain was something he couldn’t even imagine.

Isn’t wandering around endlessly in the rain something that crazy people do…?

Juwon, who had gently poked the serious-faced Seowoo’s cheek with one hand, said with a laugh.

“You’re the first person to worry about me catching a cold.”

The Cha family of beastmen was naturally strong-boned and healthy. Juwon himself could count the number of times he’d been sick since birth on one hand. He’d heard that humans get sick often when they’re young, but Juwon had never even had a feverish cold. That’s why Seowoo’s words of concern felt unfamiliar, yet a little ticklish.

“Should we go to the gimbap place?”

“Sure. Ah… I left my phone.”

Juwon said, putting his hands in his pockets just as the elevator was about to arrive. The elevator arrived with good timing, and there were already several people inside.

“Huh?”

“Go into the restaurant first. I’ll be right there.”

“Okay.”

As Juwon turned back, the elevator doors closed. Soon after, the elevator arrived on the first floor. Seowoo came out of the building and walked toward the gimbap place. He stood under the foldable awning and watched the rain fall for a moment. The air had become cold and damp from the continuous rain.

To walk around in this rain….

Seowoo recalled what Juwon had said. It might look crazy, but he thought it might also feel liberating.

「go」

A short message from Juwon came to Seowoo’s cell phone. It said he was leaving now. Juwon, who usually sent messages in complete sentences, sending one like this seemed to indicate he was being considerate, worrying that Seowoo might be waiting.

But Seowoo didn’t mind this time spent waiting for Juwon. Since Juwon always waited for him, he felt it was okay for him to wait this time.

Listening to the sound of the rain, Seowoo read the menu posted on the glass window. Besides the menu, a paper saying they were hiring part-timers and a familiar yet somehow different flyer were posted in a neat row on the glass.

“Reward 2 million won…. Blue eyes. Long brown and white fur.”

It was the flyer looking for a dog that he had seen with Juwon last time. The number of photos had increased a little, the description of its appearance had gotten a bit longer, and most notably, the reward money had doubled, making it stand out.

Seowoo’s grandmother and grandfather had been feeding cats for a long time. Perhaps because a rumor had spread among the cats that it was a hot spot, quite a few cats passed through Seowoo’s house. Among them were some purebred cats that someone had abandoned or lost.

Seowoo’s prospective sister-in-law, Jihye, would find temporary fosters or adoptive homes for the cats whenever she had the time. The young purebred cats quickly found adoptive homes and left. The cats that had gotten lost and come to Seowoo’s house also quickly returned to the warm embrace of their owners. The cats that were not purebred, were old, or had disabilities became long-term visitors to Seowoo’s house. The owner’s desperation in searching for the dog wasn’t necessarily just because the lost dog was a purebred, but he couldn’t help but feel a bitter taste in his mouth at the clearly contrasting reality.

“Ryu Seowoo!”

Just then, Juwon broke his train of thought by calling his name in a booming voice. Juwon, lightly jogging over, resembled Juju, who would fly up with a pitter-patter sound. He thought that although they were different in many ways, including their build, there was a very similar aspect to them.

“You should have gone inside. Your cheeks are red.”

Juwon, who had closed the distance in an instant and come close, cupped Seowoo’s cheek with one hand. Warmth spread from Juwon’s large hand. Now they just needed to go eat….

“Is it really fun to take a walk in the rain?”

A very impulsive question flowed from Seowoo’s lips.