PUPPY 74

“Here is the fresh cream cake with seasonal fruits and pudding. Enjoy your meal.”

“Thank you.”

“…But are you okay eating things like grapes?”

Seowoo’s eyes caught sight of Juwon rolling a grape around with his fork, picking it out to eat. Moreover, unlike Seowoo who had chosen tea as his drink, Juwon was drinking coffee. He had just seen the dog ears pop out, so he was worried if it was okay for him to eat food that was fatal to dogs.

“Me? I’m totally fine. I eat chocolate just fine too, you know.”

Juwon pushed a piece of peach into Seowoo’s slightly open mouth. Watching Seowoo munch on the fruit, Juwon’s lips curled up into a grin.

“Now we just have to endure a few more months at school and then it’s the college entrance exam.”

Unlike a high school senior facing the exam, Juwon’s face was full of anticipation. Seowoo, on the other hand, had been fumbling with his chopsticks for a while. Not only was he a picky eater, but the conversation he’d had with Juwon in front of the study room was also weighing on his mind.

“Is it good?”

“…I’m not sure.”

“You don’t have an appetite?”

“I guess so.”

Seowoo replied, chewing and swallowing the fruit with an impassive expression. Juwon’s tone was affectionate. In fact, it was because of this soft voice and tender manner of speaking that being ignored and avoided when he suggested ‘let’s go greet your family too’ felt even more upsetting. Seowoo cut the small fruit into even smaller pieces with his fork and put it in his mouth. After chewing and swallowing the small piece of fruit, Seowoo looked at Juwon as if he had made up his mind and asked.

“If your parents are away on a business trip, who’s taking care of your family’s dog?”

“Ah… my hyung took the dog.”

“Then you’re home alone?”

“Yeah.”

“Should I come over to your place today?”

At Seowoo’s suggestion, Juwon paused for a moment.

“My place?”

“My room has a small bed and it keeps creaking… and it doesn’t have a window so the ventilation isn’t great.”

He had come over to play once before, but the situation and their relationship were completely different now. Seowoo is coming to my house? Juwon once again thought about the meaning of what Seowoo had just said.

He’s coming to my cozy room, which I consider the safest place and have filled with my favorite things, to leave his scent behind?

Just imagining it sent a thrilling excitement up his spine. He wanted to tell him to come over right away. But the words that came out of Juwon’s mouth were a gentle refusal.

“Sorry. My house is a little…”

Lies are like snowballs, growing in size as they roll. If you keep adding lies to cover up other lies, at some point they become too big to handle.

His mouth felt bitter having to convey a refusal without being able to give a plausible, proper excuse. And that was despite having had sweet fruit in his mouth just moments before.

“…Okay, I get it.”

Seowoo, who had answered quietly, started cutting the fruit with his fork again. A silence fell between them, and only the quiet clatter of dishes echoed. They hadn’t argued, but a chilly atmosphere lingered as if they had. At Seowoo’s unusually cold expression, a small pained sound escaped Juwon’s lips.

🦴

The walk home together was an ordeal. Seowoo’s mouth was shut tight as if locked, showing no signs of opening. As he walked while gauging Seowoo’s mood, they were in front of their houses before he knew it.

Today, too, Juwon naturally planned to go over to Seowoo’s room to hang out. But looking at Seowoo’s troubled expression, Juwon asked a different question than usual.

“Do you just want to rest today, Seowoo?”

Normally, he wouldn’t even have imagined saying such a thing, but today was different. It was because he had talked to his noona on the phone just yesterday. While asking her to pick out his clothes for today, he had subtly sought her advice on dating. The words from his noona, who always judged people with an objective eye, were shocking.

‘You’re the type of person who makes people tired of you.’

‘Me? You said I was a cutie.’

His noona’s words about being tiring were so unexpected that a resentful reaction immediately burst from Juwon’s lips.

‘If you want to be loved for a long time, act with some sense. Don’t be clingy.’

‘…Okay.’

It was Juwon’s instinct to wag his tail and express his whole heart as much as he liked someone. But his noona suggested a more strategic approach.

“I’m not going to hang out in your room today, so just rest comfortably.”

Juwon said, as if confirming what he had just said to the dazed-looking Seowoo.

At Juwon’s words, Seowoo felt a sense of disappointment welling up from deep within his heart. For Seowoo too, Juwon coming over to his room late at night to hang out for a bit had become a natural part of his daily routine. He had come over every time even when Seowoo suggested meeting outside because he was conscious of his grandmother and grandfather, so why of all days was he saying he wouldn’t come over today?

“…It’s fine.”

Seowoo said, after biting his lower lip tightly and releasing it. And just as he was about to say once more that it was fine and he should come over to his room, Juwon opened his mouth at the same time.

“It’s fine…”

“Let’s go to school together tomorrow.”

After saying that, Juwon bent down and kissed the top of Seowoo’s head. It was something Juwon, who never went home in one go and always dawdled, asking ‘should we play a little longer?’ or ‘should we take one more walk around the block?’, did when he was really saying his final goodbye. It was an indirect expression of his will to really go home today without coming over to his room.

“What time should we meet?”

Seowoo asked Juwon. Exactly one semester ago, he had wracked his brain to get rid of Juwon who wanted to go to school with him, but now the situation was completely reversed.

“Just whenever you’re done getting ready in the morning.”

Juwon’s relaxed expression made Seowoo even more upset.

“…Okay. See you tomorrow.”

His pride was somewhat hurt to hold onto him any longer, so Seowoo turned away after a brief farewell. Just then, Juwon called Seowoo’s name.

“Seowoo.”

“What?”

At Seowoo’s question, Juwon tapped his own lips with his index finger.

“You have to give me a kiss before you go.”

Juwon took a step closer and, to make it easier for the shorter Seowoo to kiss him, bent his waist slightly and offered his face. Juwon’s suddenly close face came into Seowoo’s view.

His facial lines and features were so well-defined they seemed to have been delicately sculpted, and his deep, dark eyes were shining.

“Hurry up and do it.”

Juwon said, tapping his lips again. Watching him, Seowoo felt a surge of sorrow welling up inside him.

“…All you need is my kiss.”

“Seowoo…”

At Seowoo’s expression and tone, which he had never seen before, Juwon froze in surprise. Seowoo’s lips pressed against Juwon’s rather roughly. But it seemed hard to change a habit that had already formed, as the cute ‘smack—’ sound remained the same.

“I’m going. Like you said, I’ll get plenty of rest.”

After saying that, Seowoo turned around sharply and disappeared into his house. The last expression he saw on Seowoo’s face seemed dark, which made Juwon feel uneasy.

It was an act of consideration in my own way… It was certain that he had messed up.

Should I have just been clingy like usual? No, if Seowoo got tired of me because of that, it would be an even bigger problem. Juwon let out a deep sigh and turned around as well. Opening the gate and entering his house, Juwon walked with heavy steps, thud, thud, then threw his bag on the floor. Then he threw off the clothes he was wearing.

In an instant, Juwon was completely naked. It had been a while since he had stripped like this outside the house. These days, he proudly visited Seowoo’s house in human form, so there was rarely an occasion to turn into a dog outside.

The moment Juwon took a step, his long limbs became short and stubby, and soft white fur began to sprout on his smooth body. Juwon, who had turned into a small, cute dog, shook his head vigorously, shake shake shake.

He felt a deep sense of emotion as he entered through the small doggy door in the wall of Seowoo’s house. Juwon began to roam freely through Seowoo’s house, which he was so used to that it felt like his own. Then he climbed the stairs leading to Seowoo’s room. He could see inside the living room through the window.

“…Woof.”

‘Kang Chunsam is living the good life.’

In the living room, Kang Chunsam, formerly known as Gureum, was sitting quietly next to the grandmother and grandfather, wearing a quilted vest. Chunsam’s fur was cut very short, making him look like a different dog. Above all, his gaze had changed from receiving warm care and love. Of course, his body had gotten a bit chubby too.

When their eyes met through the window, Kang Chunsam wagged his tail gently. Juwon raised one front paw to greet Chunsam. Then he went up the stairs and stood in front of Seowoo’s room door.

“Woof…”

Juwon pressed his ear tightly against Seowoo’s room door. He planned to stand guard until Seowoo fell asleep just in case something happened, and then leave.

“Haaah…”

A deep sigh could be heard from inside the door. At that, Juwon’s heart grew heavy. He had wanted to make one more good memory before the new semester started, but it felt like everything had gone wrong.

‘…All you need is my kiss.’

Seowoo’s words weighed heavily on Juwon’s mind. Juwon, lying on his stomach, thought to himself as he left his scent in front of the door.

“Whine…”

It’s not that I only want to kiss you.

“Whine…”

I just want to be with you every day, as my honest self.

Juwon repeated the words he couldn’t bring himself to say to Seowoo.