“It looks like a Maltese pup, about three months old. Since it's a mix of small dog breeds, even when fully grown, it will only weigh around five kilograms.”
I listened carefully to the vet while gently stroking the puppy in my arms. The vet, hands clasped behind their back, bent down slightly to examine the puppy.
There was a reason why the vet was being cautious during the check-up.
“I’d like to listen to its heartbeat and check inside its ears… but the puppy is too stressed, so a detailed examination will be difficult.”
“I see.”
The puppy, which had endured the freezing weather without whining, started barking hysterically the moment we entered the clinic. More specifically, it began the moment the vet or nurse tried to touch it.
I had initially assumed it was barking out of fear of strangers and had spent a long time trying to soothe it.
But the barking didn’t stop. It reached a point where I started worrying about the strain on its throat. This wasn’t just fear, this was aggressive barking, filled with hostility.
The vet finally stepped back, unable to bear it any longer. As if nothing had happened, the puppy flopped onto its back in my palm.
Seeing this, the vet, the nurse, and I all let out a dumbfounded chuckle.
The vet, who had been in practice for 20 years, said they had never seen a puppy this temperamental before. Feeling awkward, I laughed sheepishly.
“You said you took the puppy in just yesterday, right?”
"Despite its extreme wariness, it seems to trust you quite well. Maybe it recognizes who its owner should be."
I looked down at the tiny black puppy resting in my palm.
I hadn’t taken it in with the intention of keeping it. I just couldn’t stand by and watch it freeze to death, so I had brought it to my apartment.
My plan had been to search for its owner, and if no one claimed it, I’d find it another home.
But now, seeing how aggressively it reacted to strangers, who would be willing to adopt it? That thought unsettled me.
“…Yeah.”
“From what I can see, there are no health concerns. Judging by all the barking, the puppy has plenty of energy. Just make sure it eats well and uses the bathroom properly at home.”
“Understood. Thank you.”
I bought the dog food and pee pads the clinic recommended. With a heavy plastic bag in one hand and the puppy, wrapped snugly in a scarf inside my tote bag, in the other, I stepped out of the clinic.
The blizzard that had buried the world in snow all morning had finally settled.
As I waited for the bus home, I decided to call someone who might be able to help with this unexpected turn of events.
"Oh, Inah?"
“Gwon Jintae, are you busy?”
The fact that I was now asking Gwon Jintae for help… Life truly was unpredictable.
I first met Jintae during our middle school entrance ceremony. That day, he had asked me for a favor, to borrow a pen.
At the time, I had a ballpoint pen with my favorite anime character on it, my most prized possession. But Jintae, who had somehow shown up without one, looked so pitiful that I reluctantly lent him mine.
For some reason, he was incredibly touched by my small act of kindness. From that moment on, he clung to me, declaring we were fated best friends.
And along with that so-called fate came an endless stream of annoying little requests.
“Can you help me collect homework?”
“My leg is hurt, can you support me?”
“I just got dumped, can you comfort me?”
The list went on and on, too many to count.
I never thought of our friendship as particularly deep or meaningful. But whether it was fate or just Jintae’s sheer persistence, we remained close even after graduating from university.
“If I was busy, I wouldn’t have picked up. What’s up?”
“So you’re saying you only pick up when you’re free?”
“You never answer my calls when I ask you to hang out.”
I had no comeback for that. The number of times I had ignored his calls out of sheer exhaustion was more than I could count on one hand. Clearing my throat awkwardly, I dodged the topic.
“I need a favor.”
That was when Jintae’s relaxed, sleepy voice suddenly sharpened with interest.
"Ju Inah is asking me for a favor?!"
"Don't make such a big deal out of it. It's nothing special."
Even though I said that, Gwon Jintae couldn’t calm down. Over the past ten years, he had constantly asked me for small favors, while I had never once borrowed so much as an eraser from him.
It wasn’t out of pride or some belief, I just never had a reason to ask. Unlike Jintae, who had no problem asking others for help, I found it hard to understand the habit of relying on others so easily.
"Tell me. Whatever it is, I’ll do it. Do you need money? Should I break my savings account?"
"I don’t need money. Jin-hyuk oppa has dogs, right? You showed me pictures before."
"Yeah, four Welsh Corgis. My brother’s house is a nightmare with all the fur. But why?"
"I… found a puppy."
"What?!"
"My eardrums are about to burst."
"Ah, sorry. Keep going."
At that moment, I saw my bus approaching from a distance. I pulled out my transit card and continued the conversation as I stepped toward the stop.
"I don’t know if it was abandoned or just lost. I thought maybe Jin-hyuk oppa could help ask around."
"It’s not like my brother knows every dog owner in Korea."
A deep sigh escaped me before I could stop it.
"Yeah… fair point."
The bus pulled up to the stop. Through the window, I could see it was already packed. Given the weather, I hadn’t expected to find a seat anyway, so I boarded without hesitation.
"Actually, there is a way."
"Really?"
Hope sparked unexpectedly, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"My brother is active in an online community for dog owners. People post a lot about lost pets there. If you send me a picture, I’ll ask him to put up a post."
"Got it. I’ll send it right after we hang up."
"Alright. But what if no one claims it? Are you going to keep it?"
"...Not sure."
"Come on, you’ve never even taken care of a houseplant. Raising a dog is no joke."
"Yeah, I’m starting to realize that."
"Anyway, I’ll tell my brother right away."
"Thanks."
As soon as I hung up, the murmurs around me became more noticeable.
The students standing nearby were sneaking glances at the puppy.
"It’s so tiny."
"Look how cute it is, just poking its head out."
"Should I try petting it?"
"What if it bites?"
"It probably doesn’t even have teeth yet. It'll be fine."
I’m not fine with it.
I tried to stop them, but before I could move, one of the students' hands reached out and touched the puppy's head.
"Ah!"
A short scream rang out, quickly drowned out by the puppy’s fierce barking. It didn’t just bark, it bared its teeth, ready to lunge at the student.
Every pair of eyes on the bus turned toward us. The startled student burst into tears, and in an instant, the whole bus descended into chaos.
I still had four more stops to go before home, but I had no choice, I quickly pressed the stop button and got off at the next stop.
The bus left me and the puppy behind without a second thought.
"Puppy, if no one claims you, I’ll have to find you a new home. You can’t bark like this when that happens."
The now-calm puppy yawned widely. Maybe it was just sleepy, but for some reason, it felt like it was completely ignoring me, as if my words weren’t even worth acknowledging.
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