< Chapter 7 >

Haewon stepped out of the bathroom, pulling on a plain T-shirt. Droplets of water fell from his hair and darkened the floor.

‘My neck’s stiff.’

He ran a hand through his damp hair and rolled his shoulders. The cause of his fatigue came to mind right away, that big-headed dog.

‘…Maybe I was a little impulsive when I brought her back.’

‘That puppy with the big head?’

‘Yeah. Weren’t those kids picking on it? I felt bad leaving it there.’

He hadn’t planned on checking the park again, yet the rain tapping on the windshield wouldn’t stop. By the time he came to his senses, he was already standing in the middle of the park.

Maybe it was because he had acted so unlike himself, but a chill ran through him.

‘Am I possessed or something?’

It felt like one of those stories where you throw away a doll, only for it to keep finding its way back to you.

Creepy.

Haewon shook his shoulders, trying to clear the thought away.

Whatever the reason, he couldn’t deny that something about the dog had been bothering him. It reminded him of someone he knew, especially that startled look whenever he reached out to pet her.

Resting his chin on his hand, he tilted his head slightly.

‘What is it?’

There was definitely something familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

Those eyes that looked at him like they had seen something they shouldn’t, that defiant glare whenever he tried to approach her.

Suddenly, an image flashed in his mind.

“Ah.”

Kim Seori.

She looked like Kim Seori.

The thought hit him out of nowhere and his gaze flicked toward the bed.

Soft, steady breathing filled the quiet room.

Haewon tiptoed closer.

The puppy, who had glared at him with bristled fur after her bath, was now fast asleep.

She twitched slightly, lifted her head for a moment, then collapsed again. Her little tongue stuck out from her mouth, still not tucked in all the way.

Watching her, Haewon thought, No way.

Kim Seori was sharp and organized, the kind of person who always had control. There was nothing careful or composed about this little creature.

‘Haewon, I’ll take care of giving the puppy her bath from now on. She keeps hiding in tight spaces and with your size you’ll never get her out.’

Especially a fool who didn’t even realize how big her own head was, squeezing herself into corners she’d never fit through.

They had nothing in common.

He dismissed the thought and glanced toward the laptop lying open on the bed.

‘Did I leave that on?’

He didn’t remember touching it.

It was probably nothing, but after all that talk about ghosts, the thought felt oddly unsettling.

He brushed it off and got ready to lie down.

But then he noticed the puppy curled up right in the middle of the bed, her body rising and falling softly with every breath.

He put his hands on his hips and let out a small laugh.

‘Should I wake her or not?’

If he didn’t, he’d end up squished against the edge all night.

Just as he reached out to move her,

Whirrr.

The laptop screen suddenly lit up, opening a browser he hadn’t touched.

“…”

They said dogs could ward off ghosts. Maybe that was true after all.

Deciding to let her rest, he lay down awkwardly beside her.

Not because he was scared of sleeping alone, of course.

* * *

When I woke up, my eyes opened to a bright ceiling.

It was my second morning waking up in Seok Haewon’s room, and I still wasn’t used to it.

I sat up, rubbing my eyes with my front paws. No, with my hands. Wait…

‘Wait.’

Why do I have hands?

I stared at them for a long moment, then calmly pulled the blanket up over my head.

Human hands. Maybe I was still dreaming.

‘…No, that’s not it.’

I shot upright and touched my face. My hand brushed against smooth skin instead of fur.

“I turned back into a human…?”

It wasn’t a bark. It was my real voice.

I almost jumped up but froze halfway through, crawling back under the blanket. I was naked.

That was close. Almost went full naturalist there.

I wrapped the blanket tightly around myself and stood in front of the full-length mirror. The reflection staring back was taller now, at human height.

Light-colored hair and pale eyes, like Grandma’s. Sharp eyelids, long hair.

It was me. The real Kim Seori.

‘I actually turned back.’

I touched my hair, fumbling through the tangled strands.

‘How did this happen?’

Why? How?

Could it be that turning into a dog had just been one long nightmare?

The thought brought relief, but it didn’t last.

No, it wasn’t a dream. I was in Seok Haewon’s house, in his room no less.

It had felt awkward as a dog, but as a human it was even worse.

Was Haewon still home? My eyes darted around until they stopped on one spot.

‘That’s…’

The door to the dressing room.

I looked down at my body, still wrapped in nothing but the blanket. My heart skipped a beat.

“…”

I covered myself more tightly and took a deep breath.

Money, fame, and power didn’t matter now.

What I needed most at this moment was basic human decency.

* * *

Beep, beep, beep.

Thud.

When the door burst open, I found myself back in Grandma’s old apartment.

The few pieces of furniture, the worn but tidy living space, it was home.

‘My house.’

My knees gave out and I slowly sank to the floor. The oversized pajamas I had borrowed from Haewon dragged on the ground.

An hour earlier.

I had spent a long time pacing around his room, afraid I might turn back into a dog at any second, but nothing happened.

‘Puppy… oh right, her name was Daengdaeng? Daengdaeng, where are you?’

Then I heard the housekeeper’s voice searching for me. I panicked and slipped out the back door.

How was I supposed to explain myself to her?

Now, sitting on the floor in a daze, I looked down at my trembling hands.

‘Don’t be scared.’

I bit down on my lip.

If this was all because of Dog Seori, then I couldn’t let myself fall apart. What kind of owner would I be otherwise?

I walked over to the dresser and picked up the framed photo of Dog Seori.

“Dog Seori, you!”

I barely stopped myself from spilling a whole storm of scolding words.

‘I want to be like you.’

That one wish had caused all this chaos.

“Listen carefully.”

I took a deep breath and began speaking softly.

“I get it now. You wanted me to understand the hardships and pain that dogs go through, right?”

It wasn’t an empty guess. The world I had seen as a dog was much less kind than I ever imagined.

It was a world controlled by humans, where they decided how you lived, acted, and even died. And despite that, dogs still gave unconditional love.

I didn’t want to admit it, but meeting Seok Haewon had been luck, the good kind.

“Still, if you can, please cancel the wish.”

I tried to bargain gently, but my eyes caught the phone sitting on the desk.

‘Not that I’m expecting any messages.’

I plugged it in, and it flickered to life.

As expected, nothing but ads, KaTalk spam, and a few missed calls.

Then a single calendar notification popped up.

[University Career Center Program – C Construction Company Field Visit]

I had signed up for that program before the semester ended.

Beep.

[1:00 PM]

That was today.

* * *

Front gate of C Construction.

I arrived just on time and stopped in place.

Was I really in any position to be attending a corporate field trip right now? What if I turned back into a dog again?

I swallowed the uneasy feeling and stepped forward. Maybe nothing would happen. And even if it did, I couldn’t just abandon normal life completely.

“Over here, student.”

A woman who looked to be in her late forties approached, a staff ID hanging around her neck.

“I’m sorry for being late.”

“You’re not late at all. You still have ten minutes to spare.”

I didn’t realize how happy I’d be just to talk to someone again. I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling too much.

“You’re Kim Seori, right? Since you’re here, let’s head inside.”

“Inside? Are there others already here?”

“In the business department, there are only two students, including you. Applications from other majors were higher.”

Only two?

The woman must have read my expression because she chuckled awkwardly.

“Well, construction companies don’t tend to attract many business majors.”

“Oh…”

“What made you apply?”

“I attended a company seminar hosted by C Construction last year, and it left an impression.”

Because their salaries were among the highest for mid-sized companies. The real reason stayed buried deep down.

“I see. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Yoon Miyang, HR Manager.”

She smiled warmly and led me toward the building.

“The other student’s waiting in the lobby. You’re from the same department, maybe you know each other?”

“I’m not sure. The department’s pretty big.”

Considering how rarely I attended social events, the chances were low.

“Really? Well, he’s very handsome. When I first saw him walking toward me, I thought he was an idol.”

Broad shoulders, flawless skin. Her detailed description made a sinking feeling settle in my chest.

There was only one person in the department who matched that level of praise.

“Seori, this way.”

Following behind her, I discreetly pulled out my phone and searched for C Construction.

The latest article appeared on screen, a new partnership with S Group starting this year.

My face stiffened.

So that was why a manager-level employee was handling a simple student visit.

The “other student” waiting in the lobby had to be someone important.

“Over there.”

Manager Yoon gestured toward a small group of students gathered in the lobby.

But her finger pointed directly at one man in particular, tall and wearing a long gray coat that made him stand out immediately.

He had his hands in his pockets and turned fully when he saw us. His steps were slow, but his long stride closed the distance fast.

A tall shadow fell over me as he stopped in front of us.

“It’s been a while. Almost two years, isn’t it?”

It was Seok Haewon.

Completely unaware that I had stolen his pajamas that very morning.