“Hold on. Let me ask Min-hee noona.”
“Huh?”
“I just don’t feel right about letting you head back alone, hyung. Wouldn’t it be better to stay until morning and then take the bus home with the dog?”
“He’s right, oppa. You can’t even catch a taxi easily out here—and no way would one take a dog this big.”
“Guess we’ll just have to beg her.”
“Come on, hyung. Just stay and go back with us.”
The dog, watching everyone cling to Jae-ha as if desperate to hold him back, showed clear irritation in his eyes. A faint growl leaked from his chest, though thankfully only Jae-ha noticed. Keep quiet. Stroking between his neck and shoulders with that meaning, Jae-ha managed to calm him down.
Flatly refusing again would draw suspicion, and honestly, the juniors had a point. So Jae-ha gave a quiet hum and looked at them.
“Alright. I’ll at least ask Min-hee.”
Dragged out in the middle of the night, Min-hee listened to the explanation, her gaze serious as it landed on the dog.
“He doesn’t bite, right?”
“No. He’s smart. As long as no one tries to force themselves on him, he’ll be fine.”
That answer was for Hae-hyun’s sake. Speaking loud enough to make it clear, he watched as the dog sharply turned his head away, sulking. Was he a pet or a person—who could tell?
“Hmm… even so, I can’t let him inside the building. But outside should be fine. There’s a big bench over there—I’ll bring out some food. Tomorrow I’ll ask the bus driver about anyone with allergies and get his okay.”
“That’s a lot of trouble for you, isn’t it?”
It felt like he’d just shoved a mountain of extra tasks on her. Jae-ha frowned as he asked, but Min-hee only grinned.
“Come on, oppa. For you, this is nothing. Just treat me to a meal later.”
“Of course. Pick what you want.”
At their easy back-and-forth, Hae-hyun suddenly lifted his head and stared at her. Unaware, Min-hee only cooed that oppa’s dog was adorable. But feeling the growl start to rise again, Jae-ha subtly shifted, separating Min-hee from Hae-hyun.
“If you hadn’t shown up like this, none of this would’ve happened…”
The muttered words, half-chewed as if through clenched teeth, still came out clear enough to understand. At that, Hae-hyun’s tail drooped pitifully. What kind of fake sympathy act was that supposed to be?
Min-hee soon went back inside, probably planning to rope in the rest of the student council—it was too much work for one person. Jae-ha sighed, deciding he’d owe the whole council coffee next week, and stood.
“You guys should go enjoy yourselves now. Thanks for the help.”
He figured he’d play with Hae-hyun on the bench and catch a nap near dawn. Exiled like this, he couldn’t just leave the dog and head back in. To free his unlucky juniors—who, on a simple walk, had ended up saddled with a giant dog—he waved them off. But instead, they clung to him again.
“Why? Oppa, you’ll be bored out here alone.”
“Yeah, hyung. Let’s drink together. I’ll bring my cup and some booze.”
“Han Jeong-seok, it’s chilly. You should go inside—I’ll take care of Jae-ha oppa.”
“And you expect me to trust leaving him alone with you?”
“Shut it. Oppa, I’ll bring yours too. Just wait here.”
After bickering a moment, the two disappeared inside. Left suddenly alone, Jae-ha blinked, then headed quietly toward the bench. Such lively, affectionate juniors…
But when they came back, their numbers had magically multiplied.
“Hyung, since you can’t go inside because of the dog, let’s all drink out here!”
“Oh, so this is the dog? He’s bigger than I thought.”
“Seo Jae, can I pet him once?”
“His name’s Juju. Cute, right?”
Two had somehow turned into six. One by one, they chattered and climbed onto the bench.
The dog’s ears pricked as he lifted his head, clear displeasure on his face at the newcomers. Who knew a dog could be this expressive?
“No. He doesn’t like being touched much.”
“Aw, too bad.”
“But look how much he clings to Seo Jae—he’s like a loyal guard dog.”
“I heard he ran off from Seoul while Jae-ha’s house was empty. How does that even happen?”
“I thought I was dreaming when I saw him in the yard.”
“Still, thank god you made it back safe, man.”
What had seemed like a spacious bench quickly grew cramped as everyone piled on. With no room left, Jae-ha coaxed Hae-hyun forward into his lap. The dog squirmed, then sprawled between his legs—so big that his head and hind legs stuck out beyond.
“Looks like he only likes Jae-ha oppa. Cute.”
“Check it out—his paw pads are pink.”
No one touched him thanks to Jae-ha’s warning, but every eye was still on Hae-hyun. Irritated by their curious stares, the dog flicked his tail sharply. Acting cranky when he was the one barging in here? Jae-ha lifted his cup.
“Feels like I’ve become a lonely old man. Drink with me?”
“If you ever do, hyung, I’ll come visit every week.”
“Wow, Lonely Old Man Jae-ha Oppa. Never heard that one before.”
The mood stayed light and playful as always. Cool night air teased their hair, a few chips had spilled out onto the bench, and though the troublesome dog weighed heavily on his knees, it wasn’t so bad. Jae-ha downed his drink.
The impromptu bench party grew until even Min-hee and Hyung-jun joined, leaving not a single spot free. With nearly the same group that usually gathered in the department lounge, it felt less like an MT and more like a casual trip.
“Can’t we give Juju a snack? He might like it if we feed him.”
“Human snacks aren’t good for dogs. Chocolate’s a definite no, and even the rest aren’t healthy.”
Chattering away, they kept sneaking glances at Hae-hyun. No matter how calm he looked, his sheer presence couldn’t be ignored.
Would it be dangerous if Ju Hae-hyun, a human, ate in this dog form? Jae-ha wondered briefly, then brushed the thought aside—Hae-hyun would know better than him.
He held out a chip. The dog gave it a narrow-eyed glance, then snapped it up, jaws almost swallowing Jae-ha’s fingers along with it, before spitting them out damp with saliva.
The hell—drooling on me now? Startled, Jae-ha tugged on one of his floppy ears. But the dog only buried his head back in Jae-ha’s lap, unbothered. Such an arrogant mutt.
Though Hae-hyun kept his eyes closed as if asleep, his ears flicked with every stroke, betraying he was awake. Now and then his tail swayed lazily, brushing against Jae-ha’s wrist on the bench.
“Seo Jae, isn’t it rough? Coming all the way to an MT and barely drinking.”
Min-ho teased with a grin. Jae-ha swirled his cup casually. The half-filled paper cup rippled faintly.
“I am drinking.”
“Come on, that’s not the same. They’re playing drinking games downstairs—it’s wild.”
“Honestly, this might be better. If Jae-ha oppa went down, he’d just end up being everyone’s Black Knight shuttle, right?”
Min-hee chimed in. Calling him a shuttle, really.
“Not true. Think about it—the whole Black Knight squad’s already up here. If Seo Jae went down now, wouldn’t that be a total win?”
Ji-hyang cut in with a smirk. And she wasn’t wrong—requests for a Black Knight usually went hand in hand with how close you were to someone.
“Ji-hyang noona, don’t think you’re safe. You asked hyung to be your Black Knight too.”
“Ugh, once. Just once. I poured one shot into my liquor-soaked stomach—is that a crime?”
Calling someone a liquor tank, really.
“Now that you mention it, hasn’t everyone here asked him? Ji-woo, Min-hee noona, Seongji noona, Ji-hyang noona, even Cheong-hee noona.”
The only one older than Jae-ha, Cheong-hee, shamelessly protested.
“I was exhausted that day, so I asked a junior for a drink. Is that a crime?”
“No, of course not, sir.”
After the playful bickering, Ji-woo shrugged.
“Still, no one beats Seongji unnie. Remember? Three times? No, four in a row, she made him her Black Knight.”
