PUPPY 29

Even after dinner, Juwon and Seowoo, still feeling hungry, came down to the convenience store. Upon arriving, Juwon started sweeping snacks and chocolates into his basket without even looking at the price tags.

“Is it good?”

“Yeah. Want some?”

When asked by Seowoo, Juwon, who was eating a chocolate bar, offered the one he had taken a bite out of to Seowoo. Looking at it, Seowoo took a small bite of the chocolate bar. Then, he looked at Juwon and asked.

“How should I play with a puppy to make it happy?”

At Seowoo’s question, Juwon secretly raised one corner of his mouth, a triumphant smile forming. It was a good opportunity to satisfy his own desires.

“Why do you ask?”

Since he asked like this, he’ll never think that I’m the puppy. Juwon rejoiced inwardly.

“A puppy has been coming to my room to play lately.”

“To your room?”

Juwon feigned ignorance once more.

“Yeah, he doesn’t eat food, just drinks water, plays for a bit, and then leaves again.”

“He probably plays with you and then goes home in the evening.”

“Do you think he has an owner? He’s a bit too scruffy for that…”

The strategy of deliberately making himself look shabby to appear different from the puppy form Seowoo knew was a great success.

“What’s he like, the puppy.”

“Should I show you a picture? Ah…”

Seowoo, who was taking out his cell phone, suddenly lowered his head. Immediately, red drops of blood fell, drip, drip, onto the table.

“You’re having another nosebleed.”

Juwon, who got up from his seat right away, took out a tissue he had in his pocket and said. Seowoo took the tissue Juwon handed him and held it under his nose.

The white tissue quickly turned red and became soaked. It didn’t seem like it would stop anytime soon, so Seowoo got up from his seat.

“Uh, ah… where’s the restroom.”

“Let’s go.”

Juwon, who had grabbed Seowoo’s cell phone from the table, wrapped one arm around Seowoo’s shoulder and guided him out of the convenience store to the restroom in the hallway.

After throwing away the blood-soaked tissue and leaning his head over the sink, blood dripped down again, drip-drip-drip. The amount and consistency of the blood suggested it wouldn’t stop easily.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m dizzy…”

Seowoo whispered quietly, closing his eyes. Seowoo’s face, as he said that, was pale. Seowoo was someone who rarely complained of weakness, but his body swayed as if he were truly dizzy.

“Seowoo, are you okay?”

“Yeah… just, dizzy for a moment.”

“The bleeding hasn’t stopped yet… Lean on me.”

Juwon said, gently pulling Seowoo from behind. Seowoo, in no position to refuse by saying he was fine, leaned against Juwon and pressed on the bridge of his nose.

“I’ll do it for you.”

The moment he felt his hand starting to ache a little, Juwon’s voice came close to his ear. When Seowoo nodded instead of answering, Juwon’s hand approached. Juwon’s body, which Seowoo was leaning against, was as solid as a tree, providing a sense of stability. Feeling all his energy drain away, Seowoo closed his eyes.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

Unlike Seowoo, whose expression was becoming more stable, Juwon was getting more and more flustered as time went on. His heart… it began to beat faster and faster, to the point where he wondered if there was something wrong with it. Once he became conscious of it, even his breathing seemed to grow rough. Just at the moment he thought he might be found out, the restroom door burst open.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

It was Yang Juhyeon again.

“…Isn’t that Yang Juhyeon?”

“Right?”

“Did he not recognize us?”

Seowoo, who had been narrowing his eyes, slowly looked up at Juwon and asked in a weak voice.

Since they had met face-to-face, it was unlikely he hadn’t recognized their faces, but seeing as he spoke formally and scurried out, it was possible. Either way, it didn’t really bother him, so Juwon replied in an indifferent voice.

“I guess so.”

“I think my nosebleed has stopped now… Thanks.”

Seowoo said, still leaning against Juwon’s body, only removing Juwon’s hand. Juwon’s voice, as he lowered his head, came close to his ear.

“Should we just go home?”

“I can go by myself. You should study more.”

“Why would I be here alone. I’ll go get our bags from the chairs outside.”

After hesitating, Seowoo nodded and answered weakly. He felt a sense of relief at Juwon’s response.

“Okay…”

He felt sorry for causing trouble for Juwon, but at the same time, he felt a contradictory desire to be pampered and to lean on him. Still feeling completely dizzy, Seowoo closed his eyes, leaning against the wall.

🦴

While walking home together after leaving the study room, Seowoo took out his cell phone and showed it to Juwon. On the screen was a scruffy puppy, in other words, Juwon.

“What do you think, cute, right?”

Ah… this is a bit embarrassing.

He felt a little awkward being in a situation where he had to praise himself while looking at his own picture. But Juwon decided to evaluate himself from the most objective perspective possible.

“Rather than just cute, he looks a bit charismatic… is it because of the sharp teeth?”

“To me, he’s just cute.”

Even though Juwon explained with valid reasoning, Seowoo stubbornly insisted that he was cute. Of course, it wasn’t that he was displeased, but Juwon wanted to let him know about his other charms too. Because he had heard that he was cute and lovable to the point of being sick of it since he was born.

“Try touching his legs, or his torso… some puppies are muscular.”

“He’s this small and muscular?”

“Yeah.”

“Uh-huh…”

At Juwon’s words, Seowoo agreed weakly instead of refuting. Juwon, who was watching Seowoo swipe through the photos, casually said.

“I think this one came out well.”

“Really?”

“Make it your profile picture.”

Juwon said in a nonchalant voice. But contrary to his voice, the speed of his heart beating increased.

“No, he’s not even my dog, it’s not right.”

“My sist—… no, I saw on the Genius Dog Grace channel that all the people who comment have Grace’s picture as their profile pic.”

“You watch that channel too?”

“Yeah.”

Not only did he just watch it, but he also made occasional appearances. As his sister’s channel continued to expand, his family members began to appear, which led to the creation of emoticons as well.

“I watch that channel sometimes too. Hmm, then should I take a picture with him and change it.”

Juwon came closer to Seowoo, who had stopped in his tracks to think. He could see Seowoo’s long eyelashes as his gaze was lowered to look at the cell phone screen.

Juwon held his breath without realizing it. No, it was an intense feeling, as if he had even forgotten how to breathe. Juwon lightly ran his tongue over his dry lips and slowly opened his mouth.

“I know what that puppy likes.”

“Huh?”

At Juwon’s out-of-the-blue words, Seowoo raised his head. Unconsciously, the distance between the two had become very close.

Other than the sound of cars occasionally coming from the main road, the alley was quiet. Because of that silence, Juwon’s voice, slightly cracked with nervousness, sounded closer, more explicit.

“You asked earlier. What the puppy likes.”

“What is it?”

Seowoo, who heard the sound of Juwon swallowing, also became tense and asked, holding his breath. Juwon’s gaze moved from Seowoo’s long eyelashes to his nose. Then he brought out the words he had been hesitating to say.

“…Kisses.”

Juwon’s gaze was still intensely fixed on Seowoo’s porcelain-white face. Seowoo couldn’t bring himself to meet Juwon’s eyes.

“You’re telling me to kiss the puppy?”

“Yeah… he’d really like a kiss from you.”

His heart felt like it was pounding fast again, thump, thump, as if he had secretly revealed his true feelings using the puppy as an excuse. Feeling his mouth go dry, Juwon looked at Seowoo with nervousness.

Seowoo’s subsequent answer was unexpected.

“I read an article the other day, and it said that puppies find it burdensome when a face approaches them, so you shouldn’t kiss them recklessly if trust hasn’t been formed.”

“…What kind of quack wrote an article like that.”

Juwon ground his teeth, wondering who the self-proclaimed dog expert was that had ruined his chance to get a kiss from Seowoo.

“It was a column written by the director of the veterinary hospital we went to last time, though?”

“Ah…”

A small sigh escaped Juwon’s lips. Since it was the word of a real expert, it became difficult to argue.

“Does it depend on the dog?”

Seowoo looked up at Juwon and asked as if he were genuinely curious. Looking at Seowoo, Juwon was caught in a dilemma.

It was a golden opportunity to get a kiss from Seowoo, but if he misunderstood and started kissing any dog, that would also be a problem. Juwon liked Seowoo for being naturally affectionate and kind. But he had a childish desire for that kindness to be directed only at him, not at other dogs.

“No?”

His deliberation must have shown on his face, as Seowoo asked again in a cautious voice.

“I think you’re right. Just don’t kiss him. And…”

His own mouth felt bitter as he said the words ‘don’t kiss him.’

“Okay.”

“He might get jealous, so just hold him and don’t hold other dogs.”

“Jealous?”

“Yeah, there’s jealousy in his eyes.”

At Juwon’s words, Seowoo’s eyes crinkled as he smiled and spoke. It was even funnier because Juwon was making a serious face while saying something so absurd.

“What do you mean a puppy gets jealous.”

“It just depends on the dog.”

Juwon replied, repeating the words Seowoo had said. At the sound of Seowoo’s clear laughter, a laugh couldn’t help but escape Juwon’s own lips as well.