Haa—Eun-jo sighed and gave Lee Sang-heon a light tap on the chest. Lee Sang-heon, who’d been glaring in the direction the three had disappeared, turned to look at him. Eun-jo’s furrowed expression reflected clearly in those pitch-black eyes.
“Lee Sang-heon, you do realize hitting a civilian can get you disciplined, right?”
In response, Sang-heon tapped his own snout with one foot.
Unbelievable. Eun-jo stared at him, completely dumbfounded.
“Biting counts as hitting too, you know. What’s the difference?”
“……”
“And right in front of the Center, no less—what were you thinking? If you really had to bite someone, at least pick a place where no one’s around.”
“……!”
Right then, his ears, which had been drooping, suddenly perked up. Alarmed, Eun-jo quickly added,
“Not that it’s okay to bite people anywhere! Even if no one’s around!”
With a low growl, Sang-heon snapped his head away. His ears drooped again—he clearly didn’t like that answer.
It felt like being the owner of a troublesome dog. One that barked at every other dog on walks, forcing you to keep apologizing to everyone in sight. Still, seeing him sulk like that tugged at Eun-jo’s conscience, so he reached out and gently ran his hand through Sang-heon’s fur.
“I’m only saying this because the team leader’s definitely going to bring it up. I’m not siding with them.”
“……”
“If you get disciplined because of me, what then?”
Sang-heon gave a short snort, clearly unbothered. He didn’t care about disciplinary action. Worst case? A pay cut.
Because Lee Sang-heon had already sunk his teeth into a few people he didn’t like, Team Leader Park Se-yul would probably just sigh and go, Figures. The guy wasn’t the type to be fazed by stuff like that anyway. As long as it didn’t interfere with work, Park Se-yul rarely gave him grief.
“Next time, just bark and get someone to come.”
“……”
“Huh? Lee Sang-heon, I said answer me.”
He clearly had a lot to say, but instead of speaking, Sang-heon grabbed the hand Eun-jo had been using to pet his back and plopped it on top of his own head.
“You want me to pet your head now?”
The gentle strokes resumed. It was a different kind of touch from Jung Tae-seok’s rough, no-nonsense pats. Softer. And for some reason, that only made it harder to ignore.
After awakening as a beast-type Esper, Sang-heon had half-forgotten what his life used to be. Now, he felt more like a creature than a person. He could still talk, sure—but deep down, he was closer to an animal.
In the world of wolves, there was nothing more precious than the pack. Family came first—always. If a mate or pup was taken, they’d chase after them until their dying breath.
For someone like him, part wolfdog, there was no fate crueler than being abandoned by family. Remembering the glimpses he’d caught of Eun-jo’s family at the Center, Sang-heon let out a low growl.
It’s been bothering me.
Still rubbing his head against Eun-jo’s palm, Sang-heon suddenly nudged his leg, knocking him clean off balance.
“Ah—!”
As Eun-jo toppled, Sang-heon caught him on his back and bolted straight into the Center.
“Where the hell are you going now?!”
People inside the Center stared in disbelief as Eun-jo, now unwilling cargo on a massive dog’s back, was hauled away like some kind of eco-princess from a fantasy film.
You’ve got to be kidding me. Defeated, Eun-jo gave up resisting and let his body go limp. There was no stopping this overexcited mutt.
The place Sang-heon brought him to was a secluded garden deep within the Center.
The moment the door opened, a greenhouse-like space came into view. Warm sunlight poured in through the glass ceiling, and a wide stretch of grass covered the floor. Even the air felt soft and serene.
Towering palms and broad-leafed tropical plants lined one side, while small fountains trickled gently throughout the space. It was meant for welfare purposes, supposedly—but honestly, it was impressive enough to be a full-fledged botanical garden. Sang-heon strode in like he’d been there a hundred times.
There’s a place like this?
Eun-jo tried to recall the novel, but he didn’t think the protagonist had ever set foot in this spot.
Doesn’t look like anyone’s around.
Maybe it was thanks to Sang-heon, but the only ones in the garden were the two of them. Well—almost two. Calling them both “people” felt like a stretch right now.
Sang-heon stopped beneath a broad-leafed tree and gently dropped Eun-jo onto the grass. Then he tapped the tree trunk a few times with his paw.
“You want me to rest here?”
“Snrf.”
With that one grunt, Sang-heon lowered his tail and vanished into the greenery. A few moments later, he returned with his mouth stuffed full of food.
He opened his jaws over Eun-jo’s lap, and—plop—a pile of snacks spilled out. Chocolates, gummies, candies—all sweet stuff.
One by one, Sang-heon kept bringing back more, each time clutching a snack in his mouth. Only when Eun-jo’s lap was completely covered did he finally wag his tail in satisfaction. Then, without a word, he curled up beside him, tucking himself into a neat ball.
Eun-jo stared down at a chocolate bar and held it up with a baffled expression.
“I’m supposed to eat this?”
“Rrrm…”
Sang-heon let out a low, half-snort as if to say, What else would you do with it?
“…Seriously.”
He gave a noisy yawn and rested his head again, clearly done with the conversation.
What even is this guy? Still stunned, Eun-jo leaned back against the tree trunk like Sang-heon had suggested and looked down at him. The sunlight made Sang-heon’s snowy white fur shine. Eun-jo gently ran his fingers through the messy tufts, his body slowly relaxing.
I don’t even know anymore.
He’d been tossed out cold, and yet… he couldn’t shake the feeling of emptiness. They were the ones who’d done wrong, but somehow it still felt like he was the one at fault.
Even before his death, Eun-jo had already severed ties with his parents and taken a long hiatus from acting. Whenever he lay in bed watching TV in silence, childhood memories would surface without warning—those simple moments of sitting around with his family on weekends, watching dramas and eating sliced fruit.
“…They’re probably cursing me out right about now.”
The legal inheritance he’d left behind would’ve gone to his family anyway. For all he knew, they were thinking, Good. Serves him right.
They probably badmouthed me at the funeral too. Saying I was heartless ‘til the very end.
Or maybe they didn’t even bother with a proper funeral—too busy calculating what they’d gained. For the first time, Eun-jo found himself imagining what things might’ve looked like after he died. He shoved a piece of chocolate into his mouth.
“Family’s the worst. Seriously.”
“……”
“You can’t choose them, and you can’t completely get rid of them either.”
“……”
“If everyone just treated each other with a little care, that’s all it would take. Why is that so damn hard?”
Maybe it was because Sang-heon was in his beast form, but Eun-jo found himself speaking more freely than usual. He gave a bitter chuckle and popped another piece of chocolate into his mouth. The sweetness filled his mouth, but it didn’t do a thing to lift his mood.
“Maybe it would’ve been better if I’d just been… normal.”
If he had been, maybe his parents wouldn’t have fought over money, maybe things wouldn’t have fallen apart. As he mumbled to himself, Sang-heon—who’d been quietly soaking up the affection—suddenly rose to his feet.
“Huh?”
He climbed onto Eun-jo and lifted his head, eyes narrowing when he saw the swollen cheek—still puffed from where Cheol-won had hit him. A low growl rumbled up from deep in his throat.
I hate this.
He should’ve bitten Cheol-won’s face, not just his hand. Regret simmering inside him, Sang-heon leaned down and gently licked Eun-jo’s bruised cheek.
“Ah—! That tickles!”
The wet swipe of his tongue made Eun-jo burst into laughter as he tried to push him away. But Sang-heon didn’t budge. He stubbornly kept licking.
“Stop—pfft—ha!”
It tickled like hell. The way his shaggy fur brushed against him, the warm, rough tongue swiping at his skin—Eun-jo couldn’t take it. Still laughing, he collapsed sideways against the tree. And that’s when Sang-heon finally settled in, curling his large body right on top of him like he belonged there.
