PUPPY 27

“Huh…?”

At the appearance of an unexpected person, Juwon’s brow furrowed sharply, and a low voice escaped him.

“She says she’s the one who was raising the puppy.”

That can’t be. The wrinkle between Juwon’s brows deepened. It was an instinctive defense mechanism that came from knowing that the Ha family’s youngest son was not just a puppy, but a beastman.

“Hello. I am Kim Haeun from the Cloud Class at Hope Kindergarten.”

As if to mock Juwon’s guarded stance, the kindergartener was impeccably polite.

“You’re the brown puppy’s owner?”

“Yes.”

At Juwon’s question, the little girl bit her lip firmly and nodded. Her answer was clear, but her expression looked as if she would burst into tears at any moment. Soothing the kindergartener, this time the child’s mother, who was standing beside her, spoke.

“We came to the park to play with the puppy yesterday, but he suddenly disappeared. We couldn’t find him even after looking around, so today I posted on an app that an acquaintance told me about.”

“How long have you been raising that puppy?”

“It’s been about three days. It was really strange, the puppy was lying right in front of our door. We made an announcement in the apartment, but the owner didn’t show up, so we decided to take care of him for the time being.”

At the woman’s explanation, a small sigh escaped Juwon’s lips. To think he had just stubbornly lain down in front of the house. Without even hearing more of the explanation, a picture formed in his mind.

“Do you live in Cheonho-dong?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

Instead of revealing the truth, Juwon pointed to the yellow kindergarten bag Haeun was wearing and said.

“It’s written on her bag. What’s your name?”

“I am Kim Haeun from the Cloud Class at Hope Kindergarten.”

At Haeun’s clear-cut response, stating her affiliation and name immediately upon being asked, Juwon let out a small smile.

“Haeun is so well-disciplined… Someone I know is terrible at listening to his mom and dad.”

Lowering his stance, Juwon met Haeun’s eyes and spoke. Recalling that the Ha family’s youngest son was also this kindergartener’s age, he felt petty for being jealous that the little puppy had been held by Seowoo.

Thinking the situation over again… no. Still, that little squirt crossed the line.

“Do you have a picture taken with the puppy?”

“Yes. Mom, please show him your phone.”

Nodding at Juwon’s question, the child stretched out her hand toward her mother and spoke. Not only a kind heart, but a sharp personality as well. Juwon could vaguely understand why the Ha family’s youngest son had just plopped down in front of her house. Still, considering his pride and safety as a beastman, it was something he shouldn’t have done. This is why beastmen need to graduate from beastman kindergarten, he thought.

“I think that’s the right puppy. What do you think, Juwon?”

“Uh… yeah, I think so.”

Even though it was a short period of three days, there were endless pictures of the Ha family’s youngest son and Haeun taken together. Such as running around at the playground together, or sitting side-by-side with Haeun eating snacks. In the pictures, the Cheonho-dong Ha family’s youngest son had a constant smiling face.

“Where is the puppy now?”

“He was admitted to the veterinary hospital…”

At Haeun’s question, Juwon hesitated before telling the truth. Haeun, who had been maturely holding back her tears, finally burst out crying with a waaah as soon as Juwon finished his answer.

In that moment, only one thought entered Juwon’s mind.

‘Ah, I’m screwed.’

🦴

“Juwon, are you okay?”

Seowoo, who had finished talking with Haeun, gently patted Juwon’s shoulder and asked in a worried voice.

“Yeah.”

“What are you eating?”

“Ah, just a snack.”

“You’re not eating anything weird, are you?”

Seowoo asked with a smile, looking at Juwon who was munching on something. Although he answered no, Juwon flinched inwardly. What Juwon was currently chewing was a dog snack made from turkey tendon, which he had purchased at the veterinary hospital.

‘It’s Haeun’s puppy!’

It felt as if the child’s crying was still ringing loudly in his ears. For Juwon, who had good hearing, loud noises were even more overwhelming.

The reason the well-behaved child had thrown a tantrum and wailed was because the Cheonho-dong Ha family had appeared and the three parties had their meeting.

The Cheonho-dong Ha family had brought an entire album to show Haeun the youngest son’s growth process. At first, she held back her sobs and calmly looked at the pictures, but when she was told that he now had to return to his family’s arms, she finally burst into tears. For a 6-year-old, she had held it in very well.

Over the weekend, Seowoo had set aside his studies to check the posts on the missing animal app in real time, so he must have been tired from all the chaos, but he didn’t show it at all. Instead, he smiled and said to Juwon.

“Still, it’s a relief he went back to his original owner. Right?”

Whenever Seowoo smiled with his eyes crinkling like this, Juwon felt like he could hear a sound effect in his ears. Something like ‘sareureuk’ or ‘ppyororong.’

“Uh…”

“It seems you get attached quickly even if you only spend a short time together.”

Juwon said, recalling the pictures of Haeun, who had run at full speed with the puppy, so fast that the pup’s ears flipped back, and had also played fetch with him.

“Looking at the pictures, they seemed to have a lot of fun together. It makes sense they got attached.”

“If a puppy came to me, would it be like that?”

“Probably? There aren’t many beings in the world as lovable as a puppy…”

Juwon quietly gazed at the side profile of Seowoo, whose eyes were cast down. Just by looking, his heart began to beat faster and faster.

“Are you going to the study room today?”

“What about you?”

“I’m just going to go home. I’m tired.”

Seowoo’s eyes, as he answered, were bloodshot. Did he not sleep properly? To get a closer look at Seowoo’s eyes, Juwon brought his head closer. Tensing up for a moment, Seowoo quickly managed his expression and spoke to Juwon in a playful tone.

And he said it with a bright smile.

“Why, are you going to bite my nose again?”

Juwon then felt like he finally knew the identity of the ‘sareureuk, ppyororong’ he had been hearing in his ears.

This was the kind of sound effect that plays when you fall in love.

🦴

Having arrived home, Seowoo, standing in front of his gate, called out to Juwon.

“Juwon.”

“Yeah?”

“Even though he was a puppy that came into my house, thank you for caring about him.”

“It’s nothing.”

At Seowoo’s words as he stood before the gate, Juwon reacted by shrugging his shoulders.

“What do you mean, nothing. You found his original family.”

“Ah… that’s true.”

Although he had used a bit of a trick. Juwon thought to himself.

“I’m going now, then.”

At Seowoo’s words as he took the key out of his pocket, Juwon’s lips moved for no reason. He wished they could stay together a little longer.

“Seo…”

Feeling a sense of regret, he tried to call Seowoo again, but Seowoo had already disappeared inside the gate.

Juwon pointlessly tapped the ground with his foot, thump, thump, and looked at the small doggy door in the wall of Seowoo’s house. The walk here is so nice, but they always end up parting here. Because of that, layers of longing accumulated in this place.

“What a shame.”

Lifting his head, Juwon confirmed that the light in Seowoo’s room had come on and muttered quietly.

Just when it feels like I’m finally starting to understand what form this feeling, once as vague as being buried in sand, is taking…

The reality of having to part like this every night was too cruel.

I want to be with him just a little longer…

‘If a puppy came to me, would it be like that?’

Just then, what Seowoo had said in front of the veterinary hospital popped into Juwon’s head. Juwon’s mind began to spin rapidly.

“…Since Seowoo said he wanted to find out.”

Wouldn’t that be okay? Juwon thought, looking at the small doggy door in the wall of Seowoo’s house. Having made his decision, Juwon took off the bag slung over his shoulder, held it in his hand, took off his school uniform jacket, and went into his house.

Tossing his shirt and pants onto the wooden floor, Juwon transformed into a puppy right before he became completely naked.

“Ruff!”

Shoving his shoes away with a struggle, Juwon shook his head, ruffling his fur. After being in human form all day, transforming into a puppy stimulated muscles he hadn’t used, and it felt like the stiffness in his body was loosening.

A smile formed on the mouth of Juwon, who had become a puppy, and his pink tongue popped out. Juwon immediately ran in front of a mirror and checked his appearance, panting with a happy sound.

Because he had put off grooming out of laziness, his fur had gotten much fluffier than when he was in the puppy form that Seowoo had called by the name ‘Juju.’ Even so, his white fur, shiny nose, and the pink paw pads he disliked—it was a look that could too easily bring ‘Juju’ to mind.

As Juwon pondered how he could hide his identity, the conversation he had with Seowoo came to mind.

‘Juju is a puppy, so what should I say… Ah, he looked classy.’

Classy.

If Seowoo’s impression upon seeing Juju was ‘classy,’ then all he had to do was show the opposite characteristic. Juwon, who had been looking at his reflection in front of the mirror with satisfaction, ran to the outer kitchen where the fire pit was.

The answer is to be scruffy.

He ran so fast that his fur scattered in the wind. Juwon, now disheveled, began to rub his face and fur in the soot of the fire pit without hesitation. As the area around his mouth turned jet black, a satisfied smile began to appear.

Pant, pant, pant.

Letting out a laugh that sounded like rapid breathing, Juwon waddled his way toward Seowoo’s house.

To properly deceive someone, you must even deceive yourself. Juwon closed his eyes for a moment and focused his mind. Then, deeply immersing himself in the situation, he began to brainwash himself.

Right now, I am…

a pitiable, pathetic puppy…

Juwon, who had even changed his expression to a pitiable one, curled his body up small and went into the doggy door. Through the lowered line of sight from his smaller body, the familiar yard of Seowoo’s house came into view.