When I opened my eyes to the sound of whimpering, I found a puppy pinned beneath my hand.
“Yelp, yelp!”
“Oh no…”
As the crying grew louder, I quickly sat up and lifted my hand off the pup.
How did he end up under me? Did I do that in my sleep?
The puppy looked at me, then trembled and stepped back. He seemed spooked, like he’d really been startled.
“Ah… I’m sorry. I must’ve done it while I was asleep. Are you okay?”
“Woof, woof!”
He seemed to calm down right away. Panting with his tongue out, he ran up to me and snuggled into my arms.
The way he cuddled up to me—even after I’d hurt him—made my chest tighten with guilt.
You’re making this harder for me to forgive myself.
I held him close, gently patting his back as I glanced around the room.
…Something felt off.
“…I swear I just felt killing intent.”
The puppy in my arms stiffened for a split second, but then—like nothing had happened—he started wagging his tail and barking again.
“Woof woof!”
I stared at him. Those innocent, clear eyes were staring back at me like I was the center of his world.
Could it have been you?
The thought flashed through my mind—but I quickly dismissed it.
If Baek Beom really wanted to kill me, whether in human or werewolf form, I doubt he’d be acting all cuddly like this. He’d be trying to rip me apart, not wagging his tail and looking adorable.
Still holding the puppy, I lay back down. He settled quietly next to me.
He’s so well-behaved and affectionate. Honestly, he’s adorable. If he could stay like this forever, I wouldn’t mind. I could keep seeing this cute side of him every day.
But Baek Beom wasn’t just a dog. He was a man trapped in a dog’s body. Eventually, with enough Guiding, he’d turn human again. And when that happened, I’d have no choice but to put him down. I shouldn’t get too attached.
As those thoughts lingered, my eyes grew heavy again. I fell back asleep—never noticing the look on the puppy’s face as he stared at me.
***
“Woof woof! Woof!”
“Puppy… What’s wrong…?”
“Woof woof!”
His barking snapped me awake, and only then did I realize my phone alarm was going off.
“You woke me up?”
“Woof!”
He barked again, as if saying yep. I smiled, patted his head, and got up.
Wait a minute… Is it just me, or does he actually understand what I’m saying?
I looked at him suspiciously.
“You… You don’t actually understand me, do you?”
“Woof? Woof woof!”
“…Yeah, no way.”
Why would Baek Beom be pretending to be a dog, acting all cute like this?
If he’d come to his senses, he would’ve either killed me or broken out by now. He wouldn’t be playing house, tail and all.
Reminded of yesterday’s thoughts, I unwrapped the bandage from the puppy’s leg and checked the wound. Thankfully, it had healed a lot. Was that his Esper power at work? I had stabbed him with everything I had, and it looked serious yesterday—but now, new skin had already started forming. At this rate, he’d be fine in a week.
After disinfecting the wound and wrapping it again, I started taking off my clothes to shower.
I’d just taken off my top and was about to pull down my pants when I felt a sharp gaze on me.
“…Puppy?”
I turned to see him staring at me, tongue out, drool dripping from his mouth.
“….”
He looked so spaced out, I wondered if he was sick or something. Concerned, I walked over to him.
“You okay?”
“…Woof, woof!”
As I got close, he wagged his tail like nothing had happened. Thank God—he didn’t seem hurt.
Even knowing this puppy was Baek Beom, I didn’t want to see him in pain. Relieved, I hurried to finish getting ready for work.
Before heading out, I grabbed the leash I’d bought yesterday and approached him. He immediately sensed something and began slowly backing away.
Oh no you don’t. I lunged forward and caught him before he could escape. I secured the leash around his neck and tied it to the doorknob.
“Whine! Whimper…! Woof! Woof woof!”
He barked like he was begging me to let him go, but I didn’t budge.
“Sorry. Just hang in there a little. If you turn back into a person while I’m gone, that’s gonna be a problem.”
If he turned human while I was out, he’d definitely escape. And then he’d do whatever it took to kidnap Kim Yong-ha again.
If Baek Beom were a decent guy like Kim Seong-gyeong, I wouldn’t have gone this far. But I couldn’t risk letting a man who tried to abduct and rape the protagonist roam free.
In the original timeline, even after being rescued, Kim Yong-ha would start trembling and have trouble breathing whenever Baek Beom’s name came up. The trauma was that deep. If I wanted to prevent that kind of future, then doing this much was necessary.
That’s what I told myself as I tied the leash around him—but no matter how I looked at it, he was just a small, young puppy. It felt too much like abuse, and I couldn’t shake the guilt.
“Woof woof! Woof!”
“Here, eat this and wait quietly, okay? I’ll be back early. Got it?”
I placed the kibble I’d bought yesterday in front of him. He looked at it and scrunched up his face.
Seeing a puppy make that kind of expression was ridiculous. It was way too human. Probably because he actually was one.
Still, he’s in a dog’s body right now, so dog food should be fine, right?
“……”
I patted his head several times, trying to cheer him up, but he just turned away like he was sulking—refused to look at me at all.
…Is he seriously pouting? That’s kind of adorable.
I let out a small laugh and said, “If you behave while I’m gone, I’ll bring you a present. Sound good?”
“…Woof.”
He barked softly, as if giving in. Thank god.
I gave his head one last pat, placed a bowl of water beside the food, and stepped outside.
Even as I walked down the hotel hallway, I kept glancing back. I couldn’t stop thinking he might break the door down the second I was gone.
Honestly, the leash was just a temporary measure. If Baek Beom really wanted to break free, he could. But I figured he hadn’t fully come to his senses yet, so it should be fine for now.
Still, the thought of him all alone, tied up like that, made me frown.
Is this what pet owners feel like? That constant worry about the dog you left at home?
Sure, my case was a bit different—but I couldn’t help but feel uneasy all the same.
Why did it have to be a puppy of all things…?
I sighed and picked up my pace. Time to get to work.
And on the way back, I’d stop by a pet store. Maybe grab a toy or two.
***
When I arrived at the Guide Center, the atmosphere at the entrance was completely different from yesterday.
Guards were posted in tight formation, thoroughly checking everyone who came in.
As a Guide, I passed without issue. But the Espers arriving for Guiding looked thrown off by the unexpected inspections.
So they had reported yesterday’s kidnapping attempt. Still, I didn’t think the response would come this fast. That must be the power of having a protagonist around.
“Guide Hwang Seol-bin.”
“Good morning, Team Leader.”
Just as I was about to enter the Guiding Room, the Team Leader called me over.
“There’s something we need to discuss. Please come with me.”
“…With me?”
“Yes.”
I followed him into an office. Inside were Kim Hyun-joong and Kim Yong-ha, already seated. As soon as Yong-ha saw me, he shot to his feet.
“Sunbae!”
He walked over with a smile on his face. I gave him a polite nod.
“Hello, Kim Yong-ha.”
“Are you okay, Sunbae? Are you hurt anywhere? I’m really sorry. You saved my life yesterday, and then got dragged into all this because of me…”
“I’m fine. What about you?”
“I’m okay too, thanks to you. Oh! Are you free later today, by any chance—?”
“I’m here too, Hwang Seol-bin.”
Kim Hyun-joong cut in, making sure we knew he was there. I pretended not to notice.
Just as I was about to speak again—
Clap—!
“Alright, that’s enough greetings. Let’s all take a seat,” the Team Leader said, clapping his hands to grab our attention.
Right. This meeting was his idea. I quickly sat down, and he took the seat next to mine.
“I wanted to sit next to Sunbae…” Yong-ha muttered to himself, clearly disappointed.
Hyun-joong, meanwhile, watched him with eyes full of admiration.
Why is he acting like that with me when his eyes are glued to someone else?
I clicked my tongue mentally and glared at Hyun-joong. That’s when the Team Leader began.
“I heard about what happened yesterday. That was almost a disaster.”
So this really was about that. I nodded.
It really could’ve been a disaster. Things might’ve blown over quickly this time, but if this had followed the original plot, the news would be flooded with reports of an S-Rank Guide abduction, and Kim Yong-ha would be long gone—dragged away by Baek Beom.
“According to the reports, the smoke grenade made it difficult to see the kidnapper. There’s nothing useful on the surrounding CCTVs either. It’s a frustrating situation. I heard you engaged the suspect directly, Guide Hwang. Do you remember anything?”
Ah, so that’s why they called me. Well, the smoke really had been thick.
“They say the suspect might be an Esper with enhanced physical abilities. Sound about right? Anything you can recall—please share.”
Hyun-joong had been too far away to see anything, and Yong-ha had been too busy running to register much. That left me.
How much should I say? His powers? His face? …No. Instead—
“…It all happened so fast. I didn’t get a clear look either.”
The Team Leader looked like he’d hoped I’d offer even the tiniest clue—but I had no intention of doing that.
I’d already decided I was going to kill Baek Beom. No need to give them anything that might help them track him down. If they found out later I’d been hiding him, it would just complicate things.
“…I see.”
He sounded disappointed, but he moved on quickly.
“So, is it true you landed a hit on the Esper?”
“…That was pure luck. I just swung a pen in panic and got lucky.”
“Hmm, I see.”
The Team Leader looked oddly intrigued, then clapped his hands once.
“Alright, that’s enough about that. Kim Yong-ha, Kim Hyun-joong—you’re both free to go.”
The two of them stood. Yong-ha looked back at me as if he still wanted to talk, but Hyun-joong pushed him toward the door and they left.
Now it was just me and the Team Leader. What did he want to talk about in private?
Once the door closed, the room went quiet. Then, with a faint smile, he spoke.
“…You’ve been getting rave reviews from the Espers lately, you know.”
…What?
“…Me?”
“Yes. People used to say your Guiding was too weak, but lately they’re saying they’re very satisfied.”
I thought I’d been keeping my output low. Was I wrong? Could I even lower it more than this? I had been Guiding a little, but just enough to get by. Should I have pretended to be more drained?
“Uh… Maybe it’s because I’ve been working out more lately.”
“That’s actually why I wanted to talk. I think it’s time you retake your Ability Evaluation.”
I stared at him.
“…A retest?”
“Yes. It doesn’t happen often, but some Guides level up after using their abilities more. Like how you fended off that Esper yesterday. It’s worth checking, don’t you think?”
A retest? Seriously?
“I—I’ve got a full schedule of Guiding appointments today, so I’m not sure I can—”
“No need to worry. I’ve already rearranged your morning schedule. You can head over now and take it easy.”
Great. Now I had no excuse left.
“…Understood.”
And just like that, because I did too good a job yesterday, I was being forced into an Ability Evaluation I never even wanted.
Crap. I did not see this coming.
