Don’t Mess with the Puppy! - Vol.1 Chapter 1 Part 3
In the evening, Heeseong went down to the gambling den.
“This Heeseong is here?”
“Hmm.”
Heading to the office, his brother welcomed him.
Manager Park Geontae
The title engraved on the black nameplate on the desk felt strangely unfamiliar.
It’s been almost half a year since his brother became the manager of the gambling den, but Heeseong still wasn’t pleased with his brother’s position. It seemed like the path to escape this life was getting further away, which he disliked.
However, voicing his complaints wouldn’t change anything. Annoyed, Heeseong sat on the sofa, chewing on the sweet potato snacks he brought along. Maybe it was because he had rested all day, but his mind seemed to work a bit better.
Yet, a persistent question lingered in his mind.
‘Why does Yoon Chi-young act like he knows me?’
Heeseong thought hard about whether they had met before. But nothing particular came to his mind. He had been working like a dog, after all, dealing with countless customers.
Ah, there was a time when he handled a gambling table Yoon Chi-young was at.
As his brother said, Yoon Chi-young was there when Heeseong threw chips to a customer who was a chip-counting beastman. With his usual consistent smile, his gaze… was fixed on him.
Recalling that fact, a shiver ran down Heeseong’s back.
Could it be that, just like the rumors of cannibalism, Yoon Chi-young wanted to eat him? Because he was from a dog tribe with no significant background and his true form was a small breed, making him seem easy prey? Suddenly, Yoon Chi-young’s comments about him being tasty, and the weird remark about passing by the smell of a puppy, seemed suspicious.
With a more serious expression, Heeseong spoke up.
“…Bro.”
“Huh?”
“Did Yoon Chi-young… pick on me because I’m, um, a small breed?”
“How would he know? You’ve been hiding it so well.”
His brother chuckled dismissively, shaking his head as if the idea was preposterous. Heeseong was cautious about revealing his true form, so very few had seen him transform. The only times he had slept in his true form were in rooms where no one would come in without a reservation.
But something still felt off.
“When we were drinking, Yoon Chi-young flipped my white ears too. He doesn’t know I’m that small dog, does he?”
“You worry about the strangest things. How many white dogs work here, buddy?”
True. It was unlikely he’d be recognized. Half of the dog tribe in Korea had white ears, and recognizing someone just by their ears, especially in their true form, was nearly impossible. It was akin to not being able to recognize someone in human form by their ears alone.
Yoon Chi-young was probably just another gambling den customer with a penchant for bothering people. While Heeseong was reassured, his brother glanced around cautiously and then dropped a hint.
“Heeseong, just do one delivery today.”
“Suddenly?”
Heeseong looked up in confusion, though he didn’t really mind. Doing deliveries was much preferable to dealing with gambling den customers.
“Just need to pick up one item from here. Here.”
His brother handed him a note. Heeseong, still chewing on the sweet potato snack, checked the note.
The destination was a construction company building, the stronghold of the wolf tribe.
“…Isn’t this where Yoon Chi-young works?”
“Hmm. Right…”
His brother observed Heeseong’s reaction, then cautiously approached him. With his robust build and rough appearance, it seemed as if a thuggish gangster had come to extort money from the pure white Heeseong. Yet, in reality, his brother was carefully gauging Heeseong’s mood.
“Yoon Chi-young seems to have some interest in you. So, if you go, it might…”
“Are you saying you’re sending me to that cannibalistic wolf bastard?”
Heeseong growled, grinding his teeth. His black eyes sharpened like those of a predator. Then, his brother, taller by half a head, patted Heeseong’s back, trying to soothe him gently.
“Hey, calm down… You know how those wolves don’t always hand over the goods properly and hassle our guys.”
“And you’re sending me knowing that?”
“I’m sending you because I trust you! Buddy, don’t make me feel bad.”
“……”
Heeseong wanted to hate his brother. But he couldn’t bring himself to despise the only family-like figure he had left. Having been abandoned by his family once, Heeseong didn’t want to be left out of the pack again.
However, he couldn’t help but dislike the task.
Heeseong had heard many rumors while working at the gambling den. An increase in dealings with the wolf tribe meant the gambling den was receiving illegal goods.
For instance, smuggled items or drugs.
Therefore, couriers often found themselves in dangerous situations, either going missing or running off with valuable items. For this reason, courier tasks were usually entrusted to reliable members of the organization.
“…Brother, do I really have to go for this deal?”
Heeseong asked, glaring at some spot on the floor. He had always said this to his brother, but Heeseong no longer wanted to be involved in such activities. He wanted to live a normal life, just like everyone else.
At that moment, his brother tightly wrapped his tattooed arm around Heeseong’s shoulder, pulling him into an embrace and thumping his back firmly.
“Then let’s just go this one last time. Okay?”
“……”
“After all thishyungdone for you, just do this one last thing for me, will you?”
Heeseong silently stared at the floor for a while. He thought he would be happy just not working at the gambling den. But then he realized that doing deliveries was even more dangerous and dirty.
Still, he couldn’t whine to the brother who had taken him in after he was abandoned.
“I’ll go… I’ll be back.”
Resignation came easily now. Heeseong forcefully gathered his composure, grabbed his black helmet, and put on his outerwear.
Silence lingered in the office for a while. Heeseong finished preparing to leave without a word and headed for the door.
Then, a soft call came from behind.
“Heeseong.”
“……”
“After this job, let’s wash our hands of all this, together.”
At those words, Heeseong turned to look at his brother, his black eyes brimming with life. As he relaxed the tension in his face, his round eyes and boyish features became more pronounced.
“Really?”
His brother was silent for a moment. Then, he smiled belatedly, speaking earnestly.
“Yeah. I’m almost done paying off my debt. This is the last time.”
Heeseong smiled brightly at his brother. It was a genuine smile, the kind he hadn’t shown since he started working here.
“I’ll be back.”
With a much brighter expression, Heeseong left the gambling den that felt like a rat’s nest. Emerging from the dim underground, he was greeted by the sight of the bustling streets at dusk. Heeseong watched college students around his age for a moment before putting on his black helmet and mounting his bike.
It was time to face Yoon Chi-young, the cannibalistic wolf.
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