PUPPY 73

Seowoo stared blankly at his own handwriting on the notebook.

Friends (Kim Dongwon, Oh Dongjae, Yang Juhyeon)

Family (Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, Jihye noona, Hyung)

Seowoo’s small circle of relationships was all contained within the small notebook. They were also the people he planned to cautiously inform about his relationship with Juwon, if it were to become more serious than it was now in the distant future.

But…

‘It’s hard to be this extra.’

‘I want to get married as soon as we become adults.’

They’ve all found out, haven’t they…?

Seowoo, who had reread the names written with a serious expression, closed the notebook and stood up. He had planned to tell them slowly in a serious atmosphere when he was mentally prepared, but not only his friends but also his entire family had found out.

There was none of the worst-case-scenario reaction he had worried about for the once-in-a-lifetime event of coming out. Seowoo wondered if Korea had become more open-minded without him realizing it, but that wasn’t it. Just yesterday, his grandfather and grandmother had muttered that it was the end of the world while watching a dance that involved shaking one’s butt.

This was purely due to good luck. It was possible because his friends were exceptionally accepting, and his family had understood warmly with love. After closing the notebook, Seowoo checked his reflection in the black screen of his cell phone and tidied his hair once. Then he got up and headed to the hallway outside the study room where Juwon would be waiting.

“Juwon…”

As soon as he opened the study room door, he saw Juwon. It wasn’t hard to find the tall Juwon, as his head always stuck out among a crowd. However, a strange figure was standing next to Juwon. The tall and slender girl was Lee Yerin, whose nickname was ‘goddess.’

“It’s really annoying.”

“So you should tell Hyewon unnie…”

Lee Yerin, with her hair tied up tightly, was wearing simple sportswear. Her face was completely free of makeup, but her skin was so good that her face seemed to be sparkling.

Juwon and Yerin, chatting amicably, looked so good together that Seowoo unwittingly stopped in his tracks. Just then, Juwon turned his head.

“Seowoo.”

As soon as his eyes met Seowoo’s, Juwon smiled. It was a moment when the cold-looking Juwon’s face brightened up. Seowoo hesitantly approached the two of them.

“Hi…”

The moment Seowoo was about to awkwardly greet Lee Yerin, Juwon put his arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer.

“You said you were going for a run, hurry up and go.”

“Follow me back.”

Juwon stroked Seowoo’s back and nuzzled his head against his shoulder, waving his hand dismissively at Yerin. Watching this, Yerin whispered “What the hell” under her breath, gave Juwon a brief farewell, and left.

“…Isn’t that Lee Yerin?”

“Yeah.”

“What were you talking about?”

“We were talking about my noona. She asked if I have In-X-ta. Told me to follow her back.”

Juwon was popular. He didn’t realize it when he was in the classroom swarming with only boys, but when they went out together, or when he looked at Juwon’s SNS, he could immediately feel that popularity.

Perhaps thanks to his noona, who was a famous influencer, Juwon’s SNS had many followers. He couldn’t understand the meaning of the comments left in various languages from around the world, but they were plastered with emojis of praying hands or burning hearts.

“…I see. Are you going to follow her?”

“No.”

At Seowoo’s subtle question, Juwon answered immediately without a second’s hesitation. Juwon had recently unfollowed everyone except Seowoo. There were no exceptions, not even for family and friends. Seeing this, his friends were amazed, saying, “You’re going to be this extra, for real?”

“Let’s go. We’ll be right on time if we leave now.”

Juwon said with a satisfied expression, looking at the watch on Seowoo’s wrist. Time had flown by, and the second semester was about to begin. On the last day of the hot summer vacation, the two decided to have a meal at a special place, not the usual study room or the restaurants near the special lecture academy.

“Grandpa’s sulking because of you.”

“Why?”

“…You really don’t know?”

Seowoo asked Juwon back, who had a puzzled expression.

“If you don’t know, then never mind.”

“Ah, I need to get on Grandpa’s good side if I want to marry you. Did I do something wrong?”

He had cast suspicion that his grandfather had bought the family registry of the Ryu clan he had served as a master in the late Joseon Dynasty, yet he wore a nonchalant expression.

“Juwon, how old are we?”

“19 in Korean age.”

“We’ll barely be twenty next year, no one’s going to believe us when we say we’re getting married.”

“Why wouldn’t they believe it. I’m serious.”

At Juwon’s expression, Seowoo couldn’t help but smile. Perhaps because of his excessively handsome face, even this image of him worrying looked like a scene from a drama or a movie.

“For them to take it seriously… don’t we kind of not have a plan?”

“I’ve thought of everything.”

“Liar.”

Seowoo said playfully, narrowing his eyes. Then Juwon spoke as if he were genuinely wronged.

“It’s true. First, I’m going to give you the most expensive thing I own. As a vow of love.”

At the sight of Juwon talking so naturally about marriage and love, Seowoo’s face gradually heated up with a time lag. Hiding his embarrassment, Seowoo raised his wrist towards Juwon and asked.

“Something more expensive than this?”

“Yeah, it’s not really an object… a thing.”

Juwon scratched his head with his finger and whispered quietly. Does a building count as a thing? was the useless thought he had. Just then, Seowoo called Juwon, inhaling slightly as if nervous.

“But Juwon.”

“Yeah.”

“Aren’t we… going to meet your family?”

Seowoo brought up the words he had been mulling over. Now that he had said it out loud, it sounded a little strange. He felt like they had become a couple who took turns going to greet each other’s families. They were a couple, that was true, but it felt like, what’s the word, a serious couple preparing for marriage.

“…Huh?”

“My family… well, they all know now, but I’ve never met your family.”

“Ah… that’s true.”

At Juwon’s words, Seowoo closed his mouth. Juwon’s reaction was more lukewarm than he had expected. After a moment of silence, Seowoo spoke to Juwon again.

“Do… your mom and dad know you turn into a dog?”

The question he wanted to avoid flew at him like an arrow hitting its target. Juwon frowned slightly and licked his lower lip. It was an unconscious action born from tension. Juwon quickly thought of two scenarios in his head.

First, what if he said his parents knew he turned into a dog? The kind Seowoo might mention it out of concern. If that happened, he would have a tearful parting with Seowoo.

Second, what if he said his parents didn’t know he turned into a dog? The kind Seowoo would keep the secret. Then, there would be no forced shaving of his fur, or an unwanted lifelong separation from Seowoo.

Juwon naturally chose the second option. It was a choice he made because he couldn’t break the unwritten rule of therianthropes, but in the end, it meant he had lied to Seowoo.

“They don’t know.”

“They don’t?”

“My mom and dad… let’s meet them later.”

Juwon said, avoiding Seowoo’s gaze. He spoke in a nonchalant manner, in his usual tone, but Seowoo felt that something was strange.

“Why?”

“They’re busy… they’re not home much.”

“Then your parents don’t know anything…”

Juwon cut off Seowoo’s question, which might have gone a little deeper.

“Let’s go quickly, you’re hungry.”

“……”

“Hmm? I’m hungry too.”

Juwon placed his hands on both of Seowoo’s shoulders and playfully pushed him forward as he spoke. At the sight of Juwon blatantly avoiding the question, Seowoo bit his lower lip slightly.

🦴

The restaurant Juwon had reserved was a fusion Korean restaurant. The restaurant, which had gained recognition by recruiting a famous chef, was quite expensive. Among the dishes spread out on the table, Juwon picked out the ones Seowoo would like and pushed them in front of Seowoo.

“Looking back, I realized I solved over 20 workbooks this summer vacation. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get through all the past exam questions… Seowoo, did you finish all your online lectures?”

To shake off the awkward atmosphere from before, Juwon was talking more than usual. Seowoo calmly nodded and answered Juwon’s question.

“Yeah. I did everything I planned to do during the summer vacation.”

“I used to just rely on my brain and study half-heartedly, but this time I really worked hard.”

Juwon said, recalling the summer vacation when he sat in the stuffy study room and forcibly crammed the answers to problems into his head.

“Really?”

“Yeah, praise me.”

Juwon said, bowing his head and pushing it towards Seowoo. Seowoo muttered as he looked at Juwon’s slightly longer hair.

“Praise?”

“Pat my head.”

“…Pat pat.”

Seowoo, with a small laugh, repeated Juwon’s words and stroked his black hair. When he turned into a dog, his fur was white as snow, but as a human, his hair color was as black as the deep night sky. Just then, the hair on top of Juwon’s head turned short and white, and dog ears popped out.

“Juwon, your ears are out.”

Startled, Seowoo covered Juwon’s dog ears with both hands in case anyone saw and whispered quietly. Juwon tilted his head slightly and said with a slight frown between his brows.

“What should I do. You’d better kiss me quickly.”

As he said that, Juwon’s eyelids slowly closed. He wasn’t in the mood for a kiss because something was weighing on his mind, but it would be troublesome if Juwon turned into a dog here.

Seowoo quickly turned his head and glanced around, then left a kiss on Juwon’s lips that made a smack sound. But there was still no change, so he left a series of small pecks, peck, peck. It was when Juwon’s dog ears, which he could feel inside his hands, disappeared and only hair remained.

“…We will prepare your dessert now.”

A restaurant employee with an awkward smile said, looking at Seowoo and Juwon.