< Chapter 3 >

Why on earth is he here?

Before I could even process my shock, Seok Haewon lifted me up with both hands. His lifeless fish eyes came so close they filled my entire view.

“Chairman Seok, where did you even get this?”

“On the street. Why?”

“No, it’s just…”

He stared straight at me, his expression twisting in disgust.

“…something about it feels unsettling.”

As I pushed at his cheek with my hind leg, I froze.

‘Come to think of it, what do I even look like right now?’

Maybe I still had traces of my human self. If that were the case, it made sense that Seok Haewon felt so uncomfortable.

The old man, watching us with little interest, spoke casually.

“Anyone would feel unsettled getting kicked in the face by a dog.”

Well, it wasn’t my fault. His face was too close. I awkwardly pulled my paw away from his cheek.

‘Is this the living room?’

Finally able to glance around, I looked left and right.

The old man sat on the sofa, and nearby stood a sharp-featured middle-aged man and a short-haired middle-aged woman.

One look at them, and my brain was hit with the image of winter snacks.

‘Fish-shaped buns…’

This family’s genes were far too strong.

I didn’t even need to ask to know that the man and woman were Seok Haewon’s parents. Now that I looked closer, the chairman’s long, narrow eyes and neat lips resembled Haewon’s exactly.

‘How did I not realize it before?’

Of all the people in the world, why did he have to be the grandson? Even considering we lived in the same neighborhood, the world felt too small.

“It’s getting late,” the old man murmured, checking his watch.

“I’ll say this again. I’m thinking of letting that dog stay here for a while. Mr. Jung took it to the vet, and apparently there’s no microchip. What did they call it again?”

“Temporary care,” Mr. Jung answered politely.

“Right, temporary care.”

My ears perked up immediately as I struggled in Seok Haewon’s arms.

‘Temporary care?’

That didn’t sound too bad. It meant I’d have plenty of time to somehow explain my situation to the chairman.

“Haewon, you like dogs, don’t you? You always play with them, even when they bite you.”

More like he teased and poked at them until they did bite him.

“You take care of it for now.”

Sensing danger, Haewon didn’t even try to hide his disapproval.

“That dog looks like bad luck waiting to happen.”

“Good thing you already are the bad luck in this family,” the chairman replied dryly.

Judging by the old man’s tone, Haewon clearly wasn’t much of a model grandson.

“Father, I don’t think it’s a good idea to keep an animal in the house all of a sudden,” Haewon’s mother stepped forward, her tone polite but firm.

“Do you not like it either, Eunsoo?” the chairman asked.

She gave me a brief, unimpressed glance and tilted her chin.

“Yes.”

The chairman turned to the man beside her.

“And you, Haegang?”

“I don’t like it either,” came the curt reply. He didn’t even spare me a glance. His voice was cool and detached.

“Hmm.”

The old man frowned slightly, surrounded by his family’s unanimous disapproval.

‘They’re not really going to throw me out, right?’

My heart sank. All I could do was wait anxiously for the chairman’s verdict.

Finally, with his hands clasped behind his back, he declared, “Not that I cared for your opinions anyway. Not even the size of that dog’s big head.”

The best decision anyone had made all year.

“Father!”

“Father!”

“Don’t raise your voices at me.”

His sharp words silenced the room in an instant.

I didn’t even need to check to know it. He was the undisputed ruler of this fish-shaped family.

‘Come to think of it, he was pretty intimidating even at the park.’

Even the neighborhood’s alpha dog, Ppori, used to instinctively avoid him.

“You two really are a couple. Both so heartless. You’re not even the ones who’ll have to take care of it, so what’s the problem?”

Grumbling without filter, the chairman turned toward the front door.

“I have business to handle, so I’ll be heading home.”

What? He doesn’t live here too?

Confused, I blinked between the old man and the fish-bun family.

“Mr. Jung, let’s go.”

“Yes, sir.”

Wait, that meant I was being left behind in Seok Haewon’s house.

‘W-wait! Grandpa!’

Take me with you! The desperate cry that escaped my throat came out instead as a small, pitiful bark.

“Can’t do that,” Haewon said, flicking my front paw with his thumb and middle finger like a scolding tap.

“The old man’s got a mild dog-fur allergy.”

Allergy?

‘Ah.’

That explained why, even though he got along with Dog Seori, he never actually petted her.

“I’ll call you tomorrow, Father,” Haewon’s father said.

“Good night, Father,” added his mother.

While I was still processing that, they followed the chairman out. I tried to move my paws, but Haewon held me firmly in place, so all I managed was an awkward flailing in the air.

‘Wait…’

Thud!

The door slammed shut beyond my outstretched paw. The family patriarch was gone.

“…”

Silence fell over the house.

Haewon’s mother turned around slowly. Her gaze traveled up and down me with obvious distaste before she clicked her tongue and turned away.

“Make sure that dog doesn’t come up to the second floor.”

“Of course, ma’am,” the woman in the apron replied before following her upstairs.

Haewon’s father disappeared into another room without even looking at me.

Left alone in the spacious living room with Haewon, I scratched my cheek with my paw.

His parents were…

‘A little scary.’

As I stared blankly at the closed doors, Haewon set me down on the floor.

He turned to leave for his room, then looked back slightly over his shoulder. His eyes didn’t smile, but his lips curled in a mocking smirk.

“Not following me?”

That smug look always came right before he said something unpleasant.

“You’re not very bright, are you. Guess life’s going to be rough for you.”

Just as expected. I snorted, glaring up at him as my expression hardened.

My life had already been rough ever since the day I met you.

* * *

The first time I met Seok Haewon was at the entrance ceremony for middle school.

‘Someone here ranked first on the placement test, right? Let’s see… Kim Seori, where are you?’

When the teacher called my name, I lifted my hand proudly.

Grades.

They were the only thing I had to prove myself, the only tool that let me believe I could live a normal life despite my circumstances. They were also one of the few ways I could make Grandma happy.

‘You ranked first on the test?’

A friendly voice came from beside me. I turned my head to see a boy with bleached hair.

He had a doll-like pretty face, a half-worn uniform, and a piercing in one ear. Someone who clearly lived in a different world from me.

‘Yeah. Why?’

‘I came last.’

‘…Good for you.’

He grinned crookedly.

‘You’re looking at me like I’m some pathetic loser.’

Creak, creak. His chair tilted back dangerously as he fidgeted with his name tag. It read Seok Haewon.

My first impression of him was simple.

A pretty delinquent.

But that impression changed faster than expected.

The day we received our first midterm report cards.

‘Class rank – 2nd.’

Second place.

As I stared at the paper in disbelief, someone slid their report card in front of me. It was Seok Haewon’s.

‘Class rank – 1st.’

First. He’d gone from last to first. It wasn’t just an improvement, it was like he’d deliberately failed the placement test on purpose.

When I looked up, he was smiling just like he had that first day.

‘Looks like the trash beat you.’

‘…’

As he waved his report card mockingly in front of my face, my opinion of him changed again.

A smart delinquent.

I told myself I’d do better next time.

That quiet promise lasted all through middle school, never once fulfilled. Every test, every term, Haewon stayed at the top.

Whenever report cards came out, that bold 1st place would flap in front of my face like it was taunting me.

‘I never really meant to get first every time, you know.’

Every time we talked, he found a way to get under my skin. And every time, it worked.

‘Why does he keep doing that to me?’

Had I accidentally offended him somehow? Sometimes I wondered if I’d triggered some strange grudge.

But then again, I didn’t care enough to ask.

Maybe he could tell I hated being second. Maybe he enjoyed it.

Either way, by the end of middle school, everyone called me Kim Second Place, not Kim Seori.

I thought I’d finally be rid of him after graduation, but no.

Same high school. Same university. Same major.

The name Seok Haewon was like a splinter that wouldn’t go away.

‘Why are you always following me, Kim Seori? Try not to like me too much.’

‘Hello? Grandma? I think I need to see a doctor. I’m hearing nonsense.’

Out of all the people in Korea, why did fate stick me with him?

At least the small mercy was that we didn’t have to deal with each other much.

Different personalities, different worlds. Aside from grades, we had nothing in common.

And yet…

Here I was, in Seok Haewon’s room.

Ssshh…

The sound of running water came from the attached bathroom.

Before he went in, he had casually stripped off his shirt. I almost clawed my own eyes out.

‘Who just takes their clothes off with no warning?’

Then again, I guess it would be weirder if he did give a warning.

Still hiding behind a potted plant, I craned my neck.

‘What a house.’

I could now understand all the rumors about his family being rich. Especially this room, which wasn’t just a bedroom but practically its own wing.

‘Feels like a separate guest house…’

Looking around the high-ceilinged space, my eyes caught on something, a full-length mirror.

‘Mr. Jung said there wasn’t even a pet registration chip…’

Which meant even the vet thought I was just a normal dog.

Gulp.

I swallowed dryly and crept closer step by step. My reflection slowly came into view in the mirror.

What I saw made my face stiffen.

Light beige fur. A thick tail. Half-folded ears.

Gentle yet proud eyes. A body shaped like a little snowman.

It was the same face as Dog Seori, the day we first met.