< Chapter 5 >

I ran past countless legs and across a crosswalk, my surroundings blurring like watercolor. My breath came in short gasps as I glanced back repeatedly.

Mr. Kwon, who had been chasing me, was now nowhere to be seen.

Relief made my legs falter. I stopped abruptly and looked around in confusion.

‘Where am I?’

The place I’d stumbled into was unexpectedly familiar.

The lakeside park where I used to walk Dog Seori.

I licked my dry lips, hesitating to take another step forward.

I had escaped for now, but if someone else caught me and turned me in to a shelter, it would all be over.

My stomach tightened.

“Oh? A puppy!”

A bright voice cut through the cold air, and suddenly a group of dark shadows surrounded me. A handful of little kids, probably around early elementary school age, circled in curiosity.

* * *

The moment the café door opened, a large dog pounced on Haewon out of nowhere.

He stepped aside just in time, and the dog wagged its tail like a helicopter blade.

‘Seori’s scent. Is this her person? Then why no greeting? Needs serious manners training.’

“P-Ppori! I’m so sorry!”

The dog’s owner rushed over and pulled it back, bowing apologetically.

“I swear, I don’t know what’s gotten into her. She’s usually so shy.”

Hands in his pockets, Haewon looked around the café.

There were dogs everywhere, on seats and under tables. It was clearly a pet-friendly place.

Naturally, that brought back thoughts of the troublesome puppy his grandfather had dropped on him.

Despite everything, he’d brought it into his room last night. Almost as if something had compelled him to.

He wasn’t sure why, but rejecting it hadn’t felt right.

It was uncomfortable to look at, yet oddly familiar.

‘No, more than familiar…’

It was hard to describe. Like he was missing something important.

Haewon’s brow furrowed slightly.

And aside from that feeling, there was another problem.

‘…I’m exhausted.’

He hadn’t slept all night because of that dog. It kept whining in its sleep, as if having a nightmare.

Every time he patted its rear, it quieted down, only to start again soon after.

His first night sharing a room with an animal had been far more tiring than he’d imagined.

“Seok Haewon, what are you thinking so hard about?”

A face suddenly popped into view, startling him. It was Nam Yeonho, the second son of N Foods.

“…”

“I said, what are you doing?”

Haewon ignored him as usual, which made Yeonho grit his teeth.

If not for his father’s warning to stay on Haewon’s good side, he’d have flipped the table by now.

Instead, he cupped his hands and muttered under his breath toward Haewon’s back.

“Arrogant jerk.”

“I can hear you, Nam Inho.”

“It’s Nam Yeonho! God, you’re so— wait, you heard that?”

“Unless I’ve gone deaf.”

Yeonho decided to pretend he hadn’t seen the faintly amused look on Haewon’s face and quickly changed the subject.

“My treat today. What do you want?”

“Iced Americano, two pumps of syrup.”

Yeonho blinked at him.

“What? You always said coffee was too bitter for you.”

“You talk too much. Is that why your wallet’s always empty?”

“H-hey! My wallet opens just fine! Hear that? Jingle jingle!”

As he spoke, the café door jingled open, and two new customers entered.

“Hey, that puppy we saw at the park earlier.”

The two men spoke quietly as they stepped aside from the entrance.

“The one with the big head?”

“Yeah. Weren’t those kids bothering it? It didn’t look right.”

“Come on, they were probably just playing. One of them must be its owner.”

“I don’t know. I thought I saw one of them poking it with a stick.”

“Should we go back and check? It’s like a twenty-minute walk from here to the lake park though.”

Haewon’s eyes flicked toward them. The lake park wasn’t far from his house.

“Haewon, your coffee’s ready.”

Yeonho approached with two cups, but stopped when he saw Haewon staring blankly out the window.

‘I’ll never figure out what goes on in his head.’

He could look carefree one moment, then completely unreachable the next.

It was that combination that made people misunderstand him. Behind the polished exterior was a walking mess.

A pretty face paired with a terrible personality.

“Here. Iced Americano, extra syrup.”

Yeonho handed him the cup and glanced out the window as well.

“Oh, it’s snowing.”

One flake, then another. The snow started falling heavier and heavier.

“This winter’s been freezing. Still, they said it’ll stop soon. You drove, right?”

“Yeah, doesn’t matter.”

Haewon took a sip through his straw and leaned back against the window.

“Doesn’t matter at all.”

* * *

“She’s so small. Can I pet her?”

“Don’t! What if it’s dirty or something?”

The circle of children around me grew tighter. Their little hands loomed above my head like giant maple leaves.

‘I have to get away.’

I tried to dash through their legs, but pain stabbed into my side. One of them had jabbed me with a stick.

‘It hurts.’

I yelped, a sharp, pitiful sound escaping my throat. The kids flinched back.

“Hey, it’s hurt!”

“Don’t do that!”

“I didn’t mean to… oh? It’s snowing!”

Soft white flakes landed on my nose.

“Mom! It’s snowing!”

“Let’s make a snow duck!”

The children quickly lost interest in me and ran off, laughing.

I sank to the ground, my legs trembling. My side still throbbed where the stick had poked me.

I sat there, motionless, watching people hurry past to avoid the snow.

A deep, sinking fear crept into me.

I couldn’t talk. I couldn’t act freely. Even little kids scared me.

I had never felt so helpless before.

And now I’d been kicked out of the chairman’s house too.

‘Where should I go?’

In such a wide world, I had nowhere to return to.

‘Maybe I lived my life wrong.’

All I’d ever done was cling to Grandma and Seori.

A bitter smile flickered across my face as I looked up. Snow poured from the sky, and there was no one waiting behind any door for me.

The icy winter wind brushed past my body.

I stared blankly at the world turning white around me. Then suddenly, the snow stopped falling on my head.

‘Did it stop snowing?’

No. It was still coming down.

Puzzled, I looked up and saw a plastic convenience store umbrella blocking the snow above me.

“I figured it out when they said you had a big head.”

It was Seok Haewon.

“You ran away.”

My brain froze.

He crouched down, holding the small umbrella that barely covered him. His long black coat brushed the snowy ground, carrying the cold scent of winter.

“Because of you, your owner’s soaked too.”

Haewon brushed the snow off his shoulders. The way it fell showed just how long he’d been searching.

“I don’t even like snow, you know.”

He looked down at me, then poked my cheek lightly with a finger.

“And I don’t like it when you ignore me either.”

My eyes stung.

‘…Why am I crying?’

It was strange. I’d managed not to cry even when Grandma and Seori left me, but now tears welled up uncontrollably.

Even if I was relieved, crying in front of him was the last thing I wanted. Grandma used to say my pride was something fierce, and she wasn’t wrong.

Haewon watched silently as I rubbed my eyes with my paw. Then he stood up, turned around, and started walking away.

After a few steps, he looked back over his shoulder.

“Not following again? Do you still not recognize me as your owner?”

Should I follow him?

It wasn’t even a real question. I had no other choice.

Still, I hesitated.

I turned to glance behind me. The park was empty now, blanketed in thick snow.

When I looked forward again, Haewon stood there like a figure from a painting, his black hair and coat stark against the white snow, his fringe swaying in the wind.

For a moment, it felt like there were only the two of us left in the world.

How strange. Of all people, the one who came looking for me was Seok Haewon, the last person I’d ever expect.

‘Somehow… it’ll be okay.’

I took a step forward. Then another.

With each step, the smile on his lips deepened.

Based on experience, that wasn’t a good sign.

And sure enough, the moment I caught up, he turned sharply and started running, his flimsy umbrella flipping inside out in the wind.

“Catch me if you can.”

What is wrong with him? Seriously.

‘He could at least share the umbrella.’

I chased after him, fur flying, paws kicking up snow.

He didn’t make it easy to catch him and kept laughing, his voice blending with the sound of falling snow.

“Your head’s too heavy. No wonder you’re slow, Big Head Dog.”

Correction. I still hated him.