Read at: https://blogspot-translatedstories.blogspot.com/?m=1
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I didn’t want to believe that man was Raum, but for one thing, his bright, jewel-like golden eyes looked just like Raum's, and the fact that he was rattling off stories only Raum could possibly know couldn't be ignored either.
Even I think I must be crazy... but that man really seems like Raum.
"Inah, are you feeling okay?"
I hadn't done anything wrong, but I startled in surprise. Seeing me startle, the store owner apologized.
"Sorry to bother you while you're resting."
"No, it's not that. I just didn't hear the door open. Is something wrong?"
The owner stood halfway through the door, reading my expression.
"Aah!"
The owner was suddenly pushed inside. Hyeonju was standing behind him. Hyeonju, who had shoved the owner inside, walked in herself and closed the door.
"It's fine since there are no customers. If anyone calls, we can just head out."
Catching my eye, Hyeonju answered with a shrug.
"...Why are you both just standing there?"
Even though they had cleared the POS counter, instead of sitting on the chairs to rest, the owner and Hyeonju were just standing straight, staring at me.
"Inah, is something bothering you lately? If you need help with anything, just tell us."
"What are you suddenly talking about?"
"Well..."
When the owner couldn't bring himself to finish, Hyeonju took a step forward.
"He said the kid is sick."
Kid? While I was wondering what she meant by 'kid,' I remembered Raum being sick a few days ago.
"Ah..."
"Look at Inah's expression. Is he really that sick? How did he end up sick while all alone..."
"...He's not a kid."
What kid? He's a healthy, sturdy man who could knock down several decent-sized men with a single punch.
"A-Ah, really? Whew, I did it again."
"I thought he meant your boyfriend."
As the owner mumbled like someone who had lost his mind, Hyeonju tilted her head at my words. With a sigh, I muttered to myself: "He's bloody huge."
Of course, I was talking about his height and build.
"What do you mean by that?"
"No, I didn't know before, but when I opened my eyes, he turned out to be a huge guy. He's this tall, and he's packed with this much muscle."
"B-Boyfriend?"
"You said he was a 'kid'."
"I thought he was, but turns out he isn't."
Just thinking about Raum made my head feel chaotic. Right then, I heard a customer looking for a clerk at the counter. I should keep my body busy at least. Perfect timing, I thought, quickly standing up.
"I'll go."
As I closed the door, I faintly heard them saying something like "Younger guy," "Living together." But I didn't have the energy left to care about that.
Glancing at the clock, there were less than two hours left until off-hours. Why was time flying by so fast today of all days? It was just regrettable.
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Beep, beep, beep.
Even with my eyes closed, I carefully pressed the passcode numbers one by one today. The familiar chime sounded, and the front door opened.
"Welcome home."
I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest. Opening my eyes wide, I swallowed dryly. The man was leaning crookedly against the entryway wall, waving his hand. Still completely naked.
Instinctively, I managed to stop my head from dropping down toward his lower body. Holding my chin up stiffly, I crossed the entryway.
"Why are you ignoring my greeting?"
"..."
"Master."
Is he calling me master, or saying 'it's master'? Without waiting for a response, the man sat on the sofa and clung to my side as if he'd been waiting for me. Wanting to avoid our thighs touching, I shifted slightly to the side, but he slid over by the exact same distance to stay close.
"Aren't you going to give me a kiss?"
...Crazy bastard.
"I waited for you in front of the door the whole time."
"......!"
The man leaned his face right in front of mine. His face was close enough for our noses to lightly brush. Surprised, I jerked my head back. Looking hurt by my reaction, the corners of the man's eyebrows turned downward.
"Did you lie when you said we'd live together forever?"
"..."
“Did you pick me up because I was cute, only to throw me away now that I'm all grown up?”
What does he take me for! I flared up for a moment. I was about to tell him off, saying I wasn't like those irresponsible people who treat pets like dolls. In the first place, I didn't bring him home just because he was cute!
But the moment I saw the man's face, the heat of my anger instantly evaporated. The man looked like he was on the verge of tears. A transparent film glistened in his clear eyes. My heart ached sharply. I felt an urge to stroke his head, just like I often did for Raum.
“…No, it's not that.”
I spoke in a weak, deflated voice like a leaking balloon.
In an instant, the man's expression completely shifted. His face turned bright and radiant, as if he had never been on the verge of crying.
“……”
He was just pretending to be pitiful to provoke my conscience, but now he looked pleasantly full, like someone who had eaten their fill of sweet treats.
“You're not using polite language anymore, I see.”
“……”
“Do you finally believe I'm your Raum?”
Shifting his body to face me completely, he asked in a sly tone. His intense, burning gaze felt hot enough to scorch the right side of my face.
It was so hard to accept this situation that I almost wanted to lose consciousness.
However, hard as it was to accept, it seemed this man really was Raum.
As a total humanities person, no matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn't comprehend the process of a puppy evolving into a human... but whatever the case, this man is...
I pressed firmly against my throbbing forehead. With my free hand, I grabbed the blanket folded in the corner of the sofa and tossed it over his lower body.
“…Cover up down there. It's even more noticeable because you don't have body hair.”
I grumbled in a low, pained voice. Luckily catching my drift, the man unfolded the blanket wide and tied it securely around his waist.
In the meantime, I tried to calmly organize my thoughts.
This man, who went from four legs to two, has the exact same eyes as Raum, and he knows memories that only I and Raum could know, not just on a superficial level, but with details only the person involved could possibly know.
And as soon as this man appeared, four-legged Raum vanished without a trace. Furthermore, the man shows no aggression toward me. If anything, he is excessively obedient (if he had shown even the slightest threatening vibe, I would have called the police immediately), just as Raum used to follow me.
Even though he's standing stark naked in broad daylight, he doesn't feel a shred of shame, something a normal 'human' ought to feel.
All these circumstances were pointing to this man being Raum. But logically, it makes no sense. A dog turning into a human!
“Could it be...”
“Huh?”
“Did some evil... people in white lab coats use you as a test subject?”
“What?”
I moved my stiff, creaking neck to look at Raum. What if, like in common movie tropes, villainous people took innocent Raum and experimented on him? What if Raum couldn't take it anymore, risked his life to escape, and I happened to rescue him?
I thought it was a fairly reasonable guess, but the man scowled as if he were listening to utter nonsense.
“…It's not?”
Letting out a sharp sigh, the man opened his mouth as if ready to refute immediately.
“……”
“…Raum?”
However, contrary to his initial momentum, Raum closed his mouth again. Then, appearing to think of something, he subtly grabbed the back of my hand. Gasp. As I unconsciously gasped, Raum tightened his grip on my hand.
“Hey...”
“If I say yes... will you take care of me?”
“……”
I flinched. His trembling, anxious voice reverberated in my ears. The large hand covering mine suddenly felt ridiculously small, like an illusion.
Is it true? Was he really an abused test subject or something like that...?
The man's long eyelashes fluttered faintly. Biting his lower lip slightly, he hung his head deeply.
BOOM.
I felt a shock as if lightning had struck right above my head. Dark storm clouds seemed to swell and fill every corner of the house. Oh my god. I had my doubts, but it was actually true...!
Thinking of him as a test subject made all his actions until now make sense.
Having been locked in a lab his whole life subjected to experiments, he wouldn't even know what shame was. They clearly never even threw a gown over him in that lab. That's why he walked around the house thinking being naked was natural.
His past aggression toward people back when he was a dog must have been his desperate struggle to protect himself.
Perhaps I was the first and only person in Raum's life to reach out a hand to him. That's why he might be obedient and attached only to me.
“Ah...”
Now that I knew the full truth, Raum looked overwhelmingly pitiable. Right, those muscles on his body weren't something he built because he wanted to, they were the evil doing of researchers who needed a strong body capable of enduring their experiments.
“Master, I want to stay with you. You promised to stay with me forever.”
Raum rubbed his face against my neck and pleaded.
Right, we did make a promise. Even if his outer appearance changed, his core is still Raum. My pitiful, precious Raum.
In movies, men in black suits always tear up the whole area looking for escaped test subjects... Villainous guys like that will surely come after Raum too.
Fear washed over me at the thought of getting swept up in something huge, but even so, I didn't want to abandon Raum.
How could I possibly send this pitiful child back to that horrific laboratory? To calm the anxiously trembling Raum, I slowly stroked the child's head.
“It's okay, it's okay.”
A sense of duty to protect Raum safely firmly took root in my chest. Because I'm Raum's master. As his master, I will protect this child.
Despite my reassuring words, Raum still seemed anxious and remained buried in my embrace for a long time.
No matter how his appearance has changed, Raum is Raum. Let's treat him like before. He isn't a man. He's Raum. My precious Raum...
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T/n: Girl, really?
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