Don’t Mess with the Puppy! - Vol.1 Chapter 1 Part 6
In the early dawn, Heeseong awoke in his puppy form.
It was natural for beastmen to revert to their original form when severely injured. It seemed he would need to maintain this form for a few days due to the depth of his injuries.
‘Why is this guy sleeping with me?’
Heeseong glared at the sleeping Yoon Chi-young, then inspected his hind leg. It was wrapped in a stiff bandage, and there were signs of a catheter on his front paw, recognizable from his few childhood hospital visits.
It appeared Yoon Chi-young had picked him up and treated his injuries. While surprised, Heeseong cautiously surveyed his surroundings, aware that he was essentially in the wolves’ den.
The puppy, looking around the dim surroundings, limped towards the end of the bed where Yoon Chi-young’s smartphone lay.
Managing to reach it, Heeseong pressed the home screen of the smartphone with his front paw, revealing Yoon Chi-young’s stylish selfie against a backdrop of the sea—seemingly full of self-admiration—and the date.
November 3rd, Wednesday
‘Have I been asleep for three days?’
He remembered going to Yoon Chi-young to fetch something on the last day of October. Heeseong sighed deeply, knowing his brother would be worried. He hadn’t realized so much time had passed.
The drugs he was transporting had been stolen, and he had vanished without a trace.
The members of the canine tribe’s gambling ring would probably think the youngest had run off with drugs worth tens of millions of won. But Heeseong was sure his brother would believe in him and wait.
‘I need to contact my brother.’
Heeseong smartly prioritized his actions. He needed to inform his brother of the situation and return as soon as possible.
Determined, the puppy tried hard to use the smartphone, which was half his size. Fortunately, it wasn’t locked, but operating it with his jelly-like paws was nearly impossible, like trying to use a smartphone with his toes.
After accidentally pressing various buttons, Heeseong found a gallery named ‘Furry Friends’ full of his sleeping photos, snorted in frustration, and threw the smartphone under the bed. It was a disheartening start to the day.
The next day, Yoon Chi-young, with his finely sculpted physique, woke up and mumbled something strange while burying his nose in the puppy’s pink belly.
“Sleeping with this little one is quite nice…”
‘What kind of nonsense is that?’
Heeseong frowned deeply and glared at Yoon Chi-young, who seemed more relaxed than usual, probably due to it being morning. The puppy offered his own morning greeting to Yoon Chi-young’s handsome, slightly disheveled face.
Achoo!
With a powerful sneeze, the boss of the wolf clan was comically toppled from the bed. Yoon Chi-young, who had fallen onto the bed, let out a long, incredulous laugh. In front of him, the puppy looked triumphantly at him, smugly licking its nose with its tongue.
From the first day he awoke, Heeseong had been on high alert. He started by figuring out the layout of the excessively large house, dreaming of escape.
But Yoon Chi-young, that lunatic, even took Heeseong to his office.
Once again in the heart of the wolf clan’s territory, Heeseong found himself perched on Yoon Chi-young’s lap. The puppy sat awkwardly on his uncomfortable host’s legs, visibly displeased with the arrangement.
However, some welcome news came through.
“Sir. There’s been a call from the gambling den looking for Heeseong.”
‘Me?’
Heeseong perked up, straightening his body to listen more attentively. The puppy assumed a sphinx-like posture on one of Yoon Chi-young’s thighs.
‘My brother is looking for me.’
Heeseong’s tail wagged rapidly, filled with both joy at being sought after and guilt for worrying his brother. His anxiety grew.
‘How do I escape from here?’
That concern completely occupied his little mind.
Then, Yoon Chi-young asked as if hearing it for the first time, puzzled.
“Heeseong?”
“The guy from the canine tribe who came to pick up goods from us this time.”
“Ah…”
Yoon Chi-young sighed softly, mulling over this unexpected piece of information.
“The one who hit my face?”
Saying so, Yoon Chi-young gently caressed the small white bundle seated on his thigh.
Heeseong wanted to gauge Yoon Chi-young’s expression but couldn’t afford to. He felt Yoon Chi-young’s sharp gaze from behind. Turning around and meeting his eyes would surely arouse suspicion.
“Let the canine tribe keep looking.”
Yoon Chi-young said cheerfully, his attitude nonchalant as if watching a fire in a neighboring town. Meanwhile, Heeseong, a member of the household on fire, was deeply contemplating how to escape and extinguish the flames.
Yoon Chi-young added softly,
“If they find him… bring him to me first.”
“……”
“Debts need to be repaid.”
Yoon Chi-young, smiling, played with the white puppy’s body. Every time his unusually large hands touched its back, Heeseong’s folded ears twitched nervously.
‘This wolf’s grudge…’
Heeseong thought timidly. However, Yoon Chi-young still bore the torn wound at the corner of his mouth, inflicted by Heeseong’s forceful punch.
A fragment of a vivid memory then flashed through Heeseong’s mind.
A beastman lying beaten and bloodied before Yoon Chi-young.
If his true identity were revealed, he might be next. Or worse, he could end up as a meal for this cannibalistic wolf. Being a small dog with no significant background, Heeseong would be an easy cleanup.
“Why is your tail tucked?”
Yoon Chi-young asked, gently fondling the area near the puppy’s tailbone. Startled, Heeseong looked back to find his tail had involuntarily tucked between his legs.
Yoon Chi-young playfully toyed with the retreating tail. With a smile in his eyes and a sweet curve to his lips, he offered Heeseong a piece of dried sweet potato.
“Here. Have a snack.”
“……”
Faced with the treat, Heeseong was plunged into deep contemplation.
Yoon Chi-young didn’t know he was Heeseong. Even the doctor hadn’t identified him as a beastman.
Perhaps he could continue pretending to be a puppy until he recovered, and then transform back into a human when possible to escape back to his brother?
It was a plausible plan, and frankly, there weren’t any other options available. If Heeseong transformed back into a human now, it would be a significant strain on his body. Moreover, he couldn’t predict what kind of revenge Yoon Chi-young might seek upon discovering his identity.
Ultimately, Heeseong chose temporary survival.
With a dignified air, he accepted the dried sweet potato while pretending to be a puppy. His black eyes intensely glared at Yoon Chi-young, forming sharp triangles.
‘Bowing at the right time is wise, as brother said.’
Swallowing the humiliation of having to pretend to be a puppy, Heeseong forcibly reminded himself of his brother’s teachings.
He was determined not to be devoured by Yoon Chi-young and to return to his brother. If possible, he’d even steal some valuable information or money along the way. Heeseong clung to this grand dream as he accepted another piece of the snack. It was delicious.
