PUPPY 39

Changes occurred in the daily routine of studying together at the study room, eating, coming home, transforming into a dog, and then playing with Seowoo. It was because of the white puppy, the second stone that had rolled in.

“Will it really be okay to go for a walk in the evening?”

“You said it slept all day. It needs to walk in the evening at least.”

“Yeah. Grandpa said it just closed its eyes and refused even when he tried to take it out.”

Dogs are supposed to enjoy walks, but this white puppy showed no signs of excitement at all, even when outside. Juwon vaguely guessed the reason, so he couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the white puppy.

“Here’s the leash.”

Juwon handed Seowoo a leash for small dogs. Seowoo admired it softly as he looked at the leash, which had pink hearts drawn on it.

“Wow, it’s really cute.”

“I swiped it from my noona.”

“Is that okay, though?”

“Yeah. They were lying all over the house.”

This leash was a product from his noona’s shopping mall, and sure enough, there was a pile of them at home along with various samples. Juwon became a little anxious as he watched Seowoo look at the leash with interest. Surely he wouldn’t try to put the leash on Jjokko, that is, on him, right? Juwon would rather ride in a dog stroller than wear a suffocating leash.

“How is it, did I put it on right?”

“You can’t tell because its fur is so fluffy, but it’s really small. It’ll probably slip out like that.”

Juwon knelt down and tightened the leash that Seowoo had put on loosely. Unlike his own cautious and clumsy movements, Juwon showed very skillful handiwork. Seowoo looked at Juwon and said in a small voice.

“Thank you.”

Juwon shrugged his shoulders up and down as if to say, what’s there to be thankful for over something like this. Seowoo’s ‘thank you’ included not only putting on the leash but also coming out for a walk with him. In fact, Seowoo was feeling a pang of guilt, as if he were using the little puppy to satisfy his sly desire to spend time with Juwon.

“I didn’t bring any water. Should we buy some at the convenience store?”

Seowoo, who had stopped at a crosswalk heading to the park, said as he looked at Juwon. Perhaps because it was still unfamiliar with its new home, the puppy had only slept in the morning and had barely eaten or drunk anything. It kept turning its head away even when food and water were brought right in front of its nose. He had meant to bring water, thinking it might get a little thirsty after a walk, but he had forgotten.

“I’ll go get it. You wait here with him.”

“Okay, thanks.”

Seowoo nodded at Juwon’s words. And he stood in front of the convenience store, holding the leash tightly. Then, his eyes fell upon a commercial building wall plastered with flyers. With the puppy, Seowoo took a step closer. Most of them were tutoring flyers, but among them, there was one that caught Seowoo’s eye at once. It was a flyer looking for a Shetland Sheepdog.

Reward of 3 million won! Blue eyes. A mix of long brown and white fur.

The reward was much higher than when Seowoo had first seen it. It had already been a month or two since he first saw the flyer, but the owner was still desperately looking for their dog.

With a heavy heart, Seowoo read the other flyers. According to the woman, this puppy had been curled up alone in a small alley that branched off from the main road. He was searching diligently in case there was anything about a missing Pomeranian.

“What are you looking at so intently?”

Juwon asked, handing Seowoo a bottle of water.

“Ah, I was just wondering if there might be a flyer looking for him.”

“Really? Is there anything?”

“No. There’s nothing here…. I’m going to check the app today, just in case.”

Juwon stood with his arms crossed at an angle and looked at Seowoo. Seowoo’s gaze was still fixed on the flyers he hadn’t finished reading.

Seowoo is pure, doesn’t lose hope, and is kind. He also looks at the world warmly through that lens. Juwon liked that about Seowoo. It was something he, who knew all too well what the lives of were-animals and dogs were like, could never emulate.

“Seowoo.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you want to find his owner?”

“He’s a purebred and still a baby, so I think his owner must be looking for him.”

No, probably not.

He couldn’t say it to Seowoo, but that’s what Juwon thought. It wasn’t because his view of the world was cynical, but because that was the reality Juwon had seen so far.

Is all life equally precious, with no hierarchy of value?

Humans themselves might think so, but the standard they applied to dogs was different. When you consider whether a mutt and a prized purebred, a dog that has grown large with age and a cute, doll-like puppy, a dog that is ill and will cost a lot of money and a healthy dog, hold the same weight of value to humans….

Well. Juwon didn’t think so.

“What are you going to do if you can’t find his owner?”

“For now…. I want to try my best to find him.”

“Why?”

“That’s.”

“……”

“I’m not really sure about that myself.”

Seowoo tried to force the corners of his mouth into a smile, but it didn’t work as he intended. He had boldly stepped up to find the owner, but he hadn’t thought about the ‘what if’ Juwon had mentioned.

“Then….”

“Yeah.”

At Juwon’s low voice, Seowoo lifted his head and answered.

“Let’s look together. I’ll help you too.”

At Juwon’s kind offer, Seowoo smiled brightly and nodded.

“Thank you.”

‘Is that all?’

Juwon’s face, as he looked at Seowoo, was full of disappointment. He felt like he had done something worthy of praise, but the reaction was a bit bland.

If he were in his dog form right now, and not his human form, he would have been petted and even kissed. It got to the point where Juwon started to feel jealous of himself.

“Aren’t you going to praise me?”

“Thank you.”

“That’s not praise.”

Seowoo smiled radiantly as he looked at Juwon, who threw a straight ball instead of beating around the bush. He thought that this bold demand for praise, rather than acting all modest and saying it’s fine, was so very Cha Juwon-like.

“Then, how should I praise you?”

He looked as if he would spare no expense in giving any kind of praise. Hearing Seowoo’s words, only one thing came to mind.

‘Kisses.’

The kisses he showered on him without restraint when he was transformed into Jjokko.

‘Kisses.’

Juwon shouted fervently in his mind, wondering if Seowoo might notice if he sent a desperate signal.

‘Kisses.’

Please…. Kisses.

“Tell me how I should praise you.”

But perhaps the signal didn’t get through, because Seowoo asked Juwon again. A little disappointed, Juwon bowed his head slightly to at least get his hair ruffled.

“I don’t know, just touch me.”

“Huh?”

Seowoo’s eyes suddenly widened. And then he continued in a very flustered voice.

“…Touch you where, where?”

At Seowoo’s unexpected question, Juwon couldn’t answer right away either.

‘Cha Juwon?’

Juwon’s body stiffened at the memory of Seowoo’s voice suddenly replaying. Although it didn’t show on the outside at all, a flustered Juwon answered with whatever came to his mind.

“Just…. anywhere.”

“Ah, okay.”

Seowoo answered awkwardly and looked at Juwon. Their eyes met, but it didn’t seem like either of them was going to slowly close them. Juwon, who had tousled his hair with his hand, thought to himself.

That relationships with humans, especially these tingly ones, were too difficult.

Juwon was the first to break the awkward silence. He pointed to the white puppy that was standing there, as if completely uninterested in what kind of looks the two were exchanging or what conversation they were having.

“Let’s go to the animal hospital first tomorrow.”

“The animal hospital?”

“I think he’s sick somewhere.”

At Juwon’s words, the white puppy slowly and very weakly lifted its head.

🦴

Seowoo’s mood was down for the entire walk at Juwon’s words that the puppy might be sick. Juwon, who immediately made an appointment at the animal hospital, comforted Seowoo, telling him not to worry too much. However, knowing full well how heavy the weight of being sick could become, Seowoo couldn’t help but be worried.

Usually, they would part ways in the alley where their houses met, but today Juwon followed Seowoo all the way into his house.

“I’ll leave after I see you go in.”

“You should go now. Aren’t you tired?”

“Me?”

Juwon reacted to Seowoo’s question as if he had heard something strange. Only then did Seowoo also let out a small, “Ah….”

“I have something to say to him.”

Juwon said, pointing with his chin to the puppy that had hidden inside the box again.

“To him?”

“A secret conversation.”

“……”

Juwon was saying the joke-like words about having a conversation with a dog seriously.

“You go in first, I’ll talk briefly and then go.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Yeah, you too.”

Juwon stood in the yard and watched Seowoo go up the stairs. After waving goodbye one last time and hearing the sound of Seowoo’s door closing, Juwon knelt in front of the puppy. And after checking his surroundings once more, he spoke softly.

“Woof. Woof.”

In dog language….

It was something he didn’t usually do in his human form, but the situation was unavoidable. Since he had decided to help Seowoo find this puppy’s owner, he had to gather the necessary information.

“……”

“Woof!”

Juwon spoke in dog language once more. It meant, ‘Where does it hurt?’ But the puppy only lifted its eyes slightly. Cough—a small coughing sound was heard, but the puppy seemed to be desperately trying to hide the fact that it was sick.