PUPPY 33

“Wow…. Good job.”

Seowoo praised Juwon, who had picked the right answer immediately, stroking his head. Then he took out some dog treats he had put in a drawer and offered them to Juwon.

Juwon stared down at Seowoo’s hand held out before him. What Seowoo was offering was a dog treat.

“Not eating?”

He ate dog food out of a sense of duty, and very occasionally ate snacks like dried beef jerky when he was bored, but it wasn’t something he particularly enjoyed, so he politely refused in a way that wouldn’t offend Seowoo.

“Then shall we try a difficult one…. 1 plus 3 is 2.”

Seowoo asked, holding up both hands, showing a 1 with his right hand and a 3 with his left.

“Woof!”

This time too, Juwon pointed to the card with an X written on it at a very fast speed. If it were his sister in the video, she would have shown herself getting it wrong once or twice to avoid suspicion that it was a set-up, but Juwon’s goal right now was to surprise Seowoo.

“Uh…. Then, 1 plus 3 is 4.”

“Woof!”

This time, Seowoo tapped the card with the circle drawn on it with his front paw. At the continuous string of correct answers, Seowoo’s eyes grew surprisingly wide.

“Does he really understand? Then, I ate rolled omelet today.”

“……”

Juwon fell silent for a moment at Seowoo’s question. Then he sniffed with a sniff sniff, gathering olfactory information. It seemed Seowoo had already eaten and showered, as the only scents coming from his body were body wash and his natural body odor. When he sniffed one more time, he could smell a faint oily scent from Seowoo’s clothes.

Of course, just from the oily smell, he couldn’t conclude that the food Seowoo ate today was rolled omelet. But Seowoo had specifically mentioned ‘rolled omelet’ out of numerous foods. It felt like playing a high-level psychological game. Juwon decided to trust his instincts and logical reasoning.

“Woof!”

“Oh my gosh.”

As Juwon’s small front paw pointed at the card with the circle drawn on it with a thump, Seowoo’s already large eyes opened even wider.

“Wow…. This is amazing. Do you really understand everything I’m saying?”

“Woof! Woof!”

Juwon answered in a confident voice and jumped up and down on the spot. To be able to receive praise for such a trivial act, being able to turn into a dog was a really useful ability.

“Then can you get other questions right too?”

“Woof!”

Seowoo, who had gently stroked Juwon’s head, maintained a moment of silence before throwing out a thought disguised as a question.

“…Ryu Seowoo is gay.”

At the unexpected question, Juwon flinched for a moment. Then he looked at Seowoo in front of him. Seeing the look of clear contemplation on his face, Juwon mulled over the question again.

To put it simply, it was a question about whether Ryu Seowoo liked men. Juwon’s tail, having understood Seowoo’s question, began to wag slowly.

In the beastman world where even love that transcends species was acknowledged, same-sex relationships weren’t something to be so hesitant about, but for Seowoo, who was human, it was an issue he could certainly be concerned about.

However, as they say, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Seowoo first had to like men.

“Woof! Woof!”

‘Gay! Gay!’

Juwon shouted with hope in his heart. The speed at which his tail was wagging gradually increased. Juwon looked at Seowoo and pointed to the card with the circle on it.

“……”

“Woof!”

‘Is that right?’

Juwon asked, barking shortly again. Instead of praising him with a ‘good job,’ Seowoo was just staring blankly down at the circle card Juwon had pointed to.

“Woof?”

Juwon asked toward Seowoo in a small voice. At that, Seowoo’s expression changed subtly. He seemed flustered, and also surprised. Seowoo, who had gently bitten his lower lip, put the card down and stared blankly at Juwon.

Seowoo, stroking Juwon with a mechanical touch and a vacant look in his eyes, said in a small voice. The sound was so soft that even Juwon, with his good hearing, would have had a hard time understanding if he hadn’t been listening carefully.

“Ryu Seowoo.”

“Woof!”

“…likes Cha Juwon.”

“……”

At Seowoo’s words, which sounded like a calm confession rather than a question, Juwon felt as if his own heart had dropped with a thud.

It was absolutely, definitely impossible, but.

He had a suspicion that perhaps Seowoo had read his desires. Juwon, who had been providing the correct answers to Seowoo’s questions right away, was also frozen in place this time.

“…I’ll just ask a different question.”

Seowoo, who had been staring blankly at the card, said to Juwon, forcing a smile. After that, Seowoo threw out a few trivial questions. Both Seowoo, who was asking the questions, and Juwon, who was answering them, responded mechanically.

“Jjokko, you really don’t want a treat?”

“Woof….”

Juwon shook his head, declining. Seowoo, who had put the treats away in a drawer, walked toward the door. Seowoo’s complexion didn’t look very good.

“Sorry…. I’m really tired today, so I’m going to sleep early.”

“Woof.”

Juwon asked in a worried voice, but it didn’t reach Seowoo.

“I’ll open the door for you.”

Perhaps still not feeling well, Seowoo opened the doorknob and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Then he pressed the switch next to the door to turn off the light and closed the door again.

Juwon, who had been circling Seowoo’s feet with a worried face, missed the timing to go outside. But Seowoo, perhaps not conscious of Juwon’s presence, got right into bed.

Seowoo, who had pulled the blanket up to his neck, took out medicine from the pill container by his bedside and took it. Swallowing the pill with a gulp without any water, Seowoo closed his eyes just like that. He probably thought Juwon had already left.

‘What do I do.’

Juwon held his breath and sat quietly, just watching Seowoo. Since the door had been completely closed, he wouldn’t be able to open the doorknob and leave unless he turned back into a person.

‘I should wait and then leave.’

He thought it would be more comforting to watch over him for a bit, in case his illness got worse.

“Ah….”

Fortunately, after taking the medicine and lying down, the expression on Seowoo’s face gradually became more relaxed. Every time Seowoo tossed and turned, he would get up, wag his tail, and observe Seowoo.

Seowoo’s unstable breathing became even, and his tossing and turning gradually decreased. Juwon, after confirming that Seowoo had fallen into a comfortable sleep, finally transformed into his human form.

The white fur that covered his whole body disappeared, and his arms and legs grew long. Juwon, standing tall in the room, looked down at Seowoo’s face one last time.

But, for a moment.

“…Cha Juwon?”

Seowoo, who had opened his eyes halfway, called Juwon’s name.

“……”

No way, did he open his eyes?

Startled, Juwon froze where he stood. Without even thinking of turning back into a dog and hiding, Juwon just looked down at Seowoo.

Their eyes met, but Seowoo closed his eyes again with a slither. Then he tossed and turned again, bunching up the blanket and tucking it between his legs.

“……”

Juwon looked down at Seowoo, holding his breath. Seowoo tossed and turned once more, whimpering in his sleep.

“Uungh….”

Soon, a familiar yet unfamiliar musky scent spread through the air. Other people might not know, but there was no fooling Juwon, who had a good sense of smell.

🦴

“Ah….”

Letting out a short gasp, Seowoo shot up from his seat.

“Where are you going?”

It was a question Juwon had wanted to ask too, but Kim Dongwon was faster.

“The restroom. My pen exploded.”

The uniform shirt of Seowoo, who had said that, was splattered here and there with black ink. Seowoo busily left the classroom, holding the hem of his shirt. As soon as Seowoo left, Juwon also shot up from his seat.

“Cha Juwon, where are you going?”

“Me too, the restroom.”

“…What, is this a new kind of bullying? Or are we all going to the restroom together from now on?”

Yang Juhyeon said, trying to stop Kim Dongwon.

“Ah, leave him alone.”

Whatever Kim Dongwon and Yang Juhyeon were chattering about, Juwon paid them no mind and bolted out of the classroom. Juwon, who had come out into the hallway, followed Seowoo’s tracks among the other students with his eyes while simultaneously sniffing the air.

He felt anxious with every step he took, which was perplexing. Since he had become aware of his feelings of liking Seowoo, he had been conscious of his every move, but the problem was that now a sense of anxiety was starting to mix in.

“Found him.”

Juwon, who had arrived in front of the restroom, whispered quietly. It was because the refreshing yet sweet scent that Seowoo had, only continued up to this point.

Juwon stood in the hallway and waited for Seowoo to come out again. Perhaps because he was concentrating on the sounds coming from the restroom, he felt like his dog ears were about to pop out. Bothered by it, Juwon repeatedly ran his hand through his hair.

‘Why isn’t he coming out, making me anxious….’

While Juwon was tapping the floor with the tip of his foot, Seowoo, who had washed the ink off his shirt, came out of the restroom. Seeing Juwon right there, Seowoo made a surprised expression.

“You scared me.”

“You’re out.”

At the sight of Seowoo, Juwon finally made a relieved expression.

“Why are you here?”

“I was just going to the restroom too.”

“Really? But why didn’t you go?”

Seowoo tilted his head and asked at Juwon’s half-hearted excuse. He was curious why he was just standing idly right in front of the restroom.

“I don’t think I have to go anymore. You’re going to the classroom, right?”

“Umm…. Want to stop by the snack bar before we go?”

Seowoo, who had been pondering Juwon’s question, drew out his words. At that voice, which resembled a sleep-talking whimper, Juwon’s body stiffened on the spot.