Don’t Mess with the Puppy!

“I’m also the original form, but it’s been ten years since I’ve been sane.”

“Huh…?”
Hee-sung raised his head in a daze, and there was Yoon Chi-young, half-transformed. He looked genuinely happy. Hugging Hee-sung while lying down, he busied himself leaving loving kisses on Hee-sung’s ear and the nape of his neck. At the ticklish sensation, Hee-sung twitched one eye and asked,
“So… you’ve been enduring pheromone shock for ten years?”

“I relied a lot on medical help, but yes.”
“……”
Hee-sung’s eyes filled with countless emotions upon hearing that.

Inwardly, Hee-sung felt sorry for Yoon Chi-young, knowing he had always endured with strong medicine. He also vaguely knew that the purebred wolves pushed him to develop his pheromone line excessively.
“…Why did you pick me up so late?”
Feeling a pang in his heart, Hee-sung asked with a hint of resentment. Yoon Chi-young burst into a bright smile, saying, “That’s true,” then gave a bird kiss. Seeing the puppy’s serious expression, Chi-young gently stroked the corner of Hee-sung’s eye to soothe him, but Hee-sung just stared silently. Thinking about Yoon Chi-young having endured pain alone for the past ten years made him feel sad.

Feeling pity, Hee-sung quietly hugged Yoon Chi-young and patted his back. Chi-young pretended to be hurt but was busy chuckling.
Buzz.
At that moment, Yoon Chi-young’s phone rang again.

It rang briefly once, so it seemed like a text. With ongoing messages, Hee-sung pushed Chi-young aside and sat on the bed, intending to hand over the phone.
But he couldn’t just pass by the message without reading it.
[Is it true you’re seeing someone?]

The saved name was Yoon Chi-young’s mother. Hee-sung’s puppy ears perked sharply as questions flooded his mind.
He glanced back again. Yoon Chi-young, happily wagging his wolf tail and hugging his waist, was there. Unlike the peaceful scene, Hee-sung’s eyes became sharp and fierce.
‘…Is this bastard seeing someone else besides me?’

Among the wolf clan, especially purebred wolves with strong group consciousness, it was natural to have a fiancée. But surely not the puppy himself.
Suddenly, Hee-sung felt a strange unease. He wanted to bite, curse, and interrogate Chi-young fiercely. If he were still in puppy form, he would have done so immediately.
Then Yoon Chi-young asked,
“What’s the message about?”

“…Should I read it?”
“Yeah.”
Chi-young just closed his eyes, resting his nose on Hee-sung’s waist, smelling his scent. Above him, Hee-sung read the message sharply and fiercely, like confronting a cheating lover.

“‘Is it true you’re seeing someone?’ Mother’s message.”
“How did she find out so fast?”
Chi-young murmured pleasantly. Seeing his peaceful expression again, Hee-sung wanted to bite Chi-young’s wagging wolf ears in frustration. Somehow, he felt disappointed. He didn’t even know what he had expected, just felt let down. He thought they had become one pack with no secrets.

Just then, another message arrived. It had a photo attached. Holding the phone, Hee-sung inadvertently saw the picture.
[(Photo)]
[Is this the wolf clan member?]

“……?”
The photo showed Yoon Chi-young and Hee-sung sitting close in a hospital’s upscale lounge. Only Chi-young was clinging happily; Hee-sung was glaring at him sternly.
“Hmm….”

Before he knew it, Yoon Chi-young rose from behind Hee-sung, also looking at the photo. Nodding as if he expected it, he hugged Hee-sung from behind. His subtle smile and murmured words were ambiguous.
“Yang Hye-chan can be helpful sometimes.”
“What? What do you mean?”

Why did Yang Hye-chan come up all of a sudden, and what help was he talking about? Was Yang Hye-chan the one who spread the photo? Hee-sung asked nervously.
“An adult can sleep with their lover, so why is your mom asking?”
“Hmm, because wolves are strictly monogamous?”

“W-w-wild….”
Only then did Hee-sung recall the strict traits of purebred wolves. He felt Chi-young’s hurt gaze behind him but couldn’t care about his confused heart.
Shocked beyond belief, Hee-sung jumped up and questioned sharply,

“We only slept together once!”
“Then of course we have to get married.”
Yoon Chi-young smiled shyly. To Hee-sung, it only looked hateful. Because Chi-young was stroking his own white tail under the gown as he spoke.

Chi-young smiled happily, as if looking at the person he truly promised to marry.
“Wolves are monogamous for life and chaste before marriage.”
“I’m not! We only slept once, what marriage?”

Even though the puppy argued sharply, Chi-young just pretended to be pitiful. Seeing that hateful expression, Hee-sung couldn’t curse anymore and froze awkwardly. Then Chi-young lowered his head pitifully, saying,
“…You were the one who attacked me first.”
“You, you….”

“Did you really plan to eat me once and throw me away?”
Hee-sung finally swung the pillow at Chi-young’s handsome face. But he found a sly smile on his lips. Surely this cannibal wolf bastard was pleased.
 

After beating the cotton ball for a while and puffing out his cheeks, Hee-sung spoke fiercely.
“I didn’t plan that. I was going to try a bit more.”
“Oh, so you wanted to taste more before deciding…”

Yoon Chi-young smiled slyly, his eyes narrowing mischievously. Being born a wolf, that bloodline didn’t go anywhere. Hee-sung clenched his fists tightly, his ears red to the tips. It was embarrassing to have his inner thoughts seen through.
Anyway, Hee-sung was a vigorous male member of the dog clan. Sharing body heat and flesh with someone for the first time was an electrifying experience that sent chills down his spine. Though he hated to admit it, the lips that caressed him, the warm embrace, and all the moments they lost themselves in flesh felt bittersweet and precious. The puppy always longed for someone’s warmth.
But Hee-sung had no skill in showing such loving feelings openly. Yoon Chi-young, on the other hand, was a madman who liked to tease such a puppy.

Suddenly, Yoon Chi-young stood up and stepped close to Hee-sung. When the small Hee-sung hesitated and stepped back, Chi-young slowly loosened his robe and said quietly,
“Then maybe you should taste a few more times?”
“You’re crazy!”

Flushed to the tips of his ears, Hee-sung grabbed the robe’s front that Chi-young was loosening and pulled it tight again. He didn’t want to see the disgusting thing that had tormented him all night again.
Anyway, that wasn’t the point now.
“Stop joking, the issue is marriage and monogamy!”

“I was never joking.”
Yoon Chi-young said calmly. Behind his handsome face were gentle yet quiet gray eyes. Hee-sung remembered seeing that expression when he first met Chi-young. Back then, it looked lifeless and statue-like, but now it felt completely different. His gray eyes reflected a warm glow that clearly included Hee-sung.
But Hee-sung had to put such thoughts aside. His ears still burning red, he massaged his throbbing head.

He had suddenly become engaged to someone he had just slept with because he was monogamous. As a fighting dog, he could understand taking responsibility for one partner, but with a cannibal wolf, it was a different story. Moreover, Hee-sung couldn’t shake the feeling that he had fallen for the shyly smiling Chi-young, making the talk of marriage even more awkward.
Buzz. Just then, another message arrived beside the puffing Hee-sung.
It was again from Yoon Chi-young’s mother. The message poured fuel onto Hee-sung’s burning emotions.

[Your sister is really angry. If you’re going to spread rumors like this, she said you might as well have a formal meeting.]
Hee-sung froze, repeatedly checking the unfamiliar words, then angrily asked Chi-young.
“What’s with your sister…? Why is she already talking about a formal meeting?”

Hee-sung couldn’t understand it at all. Nowadays, talking about a formal meeting just because of one night was excessive. Even for purebred wolves, this was too much.
Chi-young, as if expecting this, flopped onto the bed and pulled the smaller Hee-sung onto his lap.
“It’s okay. It’s not serious, just political meddling.”

“What the heck!”
“They’re trying to suppress the power by pairing a seemingly weak dog clan member as a watcher’s partner.”
At those words, Hee-sung’s face hardened terribly as he looked up at Chi-young. His puppy ears folded back tightly, and the white tail that had been trembling in excitement cooled down abruptly. His complex had been seriously triggered.

“…Do you think I look weak?”
“No, you look really strong, my love…”
Chi-young hastily tried to soothe without meeting Hee-sung’s eyes, but the puppy’s anger rose enough to grit his teeth. His body, exhausted from all the night’s mating, couldn’t handle it.

Wang!
In the end, Hee-sung transformed into a puppy and threw a tantrum. He stomped his paws and bit at the phone and Chi-young’s wolf tail fiercely. But when Chi-young flicked his black tail once, Hee-sung collapsed. Still, having vented his anger, Chi-young was forced to leave the bedroom.
“Puppy… should I go out?”

Wang!
It had been two months since they started living together, and now Yoon Chi-young could understand a few of the puppy’s words. “Go out,” “get lost,” “don’t touch,” “shrimp.” This time, the puppy’s message was clear.
‘Go out!’

At the stern command, Chi-young pretended to be sulky, then smiled wryly and went out onto the terrace. The white lump on the bed kept being angry, but Chi-young knew the hot-tempered puppy would calm down and make a wise decision. He even enjoyed the waiting time.
For the first time in his life, Yoon Chi-young was on edge. An hour had passed since he was kicked out of the bedroom, but the puppy hadn’t called him or come out to talk like usual. He seemed really mad today.
“Puppy… don’t come in yet?”

“……”
There was no reply. Only a nervous scratching sound like something scraping the wall. Chi-young pretended to linger in front of the bedroom and then sat on the terrace to smoke.
Although he was nervous for the first time, he felt okay. His lips were relaxed and his expression looked just satisfied as he exhaled smoke.

He didn’t mind having fought about marriage with the puppy. It felt shy and sweet, like what real lovers do.
The messages from his mother confused Hee-sung, but Chi-young was already prepared mentally for monogamy since they started sharing a bed.
Waiting for the puppy’s anger to cool, Chi-young looked again at the message that caused the fight.

[Your sister is really angry. If you’re going to spread rumors like this, she said you might as well have a formal meeting.]
A formal meeting? Even for wolves with strict monogamy and pureblood ideology, it was a bit rushed.
‘Seems like the leader wanted to show off a bit in front of his mother…’

Chi-young just chuckled amusedly.
The sister was the leader, so she had a reason to discipline the disorderly clan member, and the mother had always been obedient to the leader. It hadn’t changed since the father was leader, and it wouldn’t now that the sister was.
Chi-young wasn’t particularly upset since he expected this.

He leisurely smoked and read reports from his subordinates on a tablet. A subtle smile played on his lips as he saw the context.
The leader’s fiancé, Yang Hye-chan. It was clear that rumors spread through him.
‘Yang Hye-chan played his cards well.’

Chi-young exhaled smoke slowly. Occasionally, his wolf tail lazily wagged behind him. It seemed like there was a lot ahead.
“Sigh…”
He sighed deeply. The watchers and the leader were always in opposition. It was the best way to develop the clan, but still, this relationship was exhausting.

The leader had to lead the pack, and the watcher was like a referee keeping the leader in check.
Naturally, if the referee was controlled or weakened, the leader could roam the field wildly. But this watcher, Yoon Chi-young, strictly monitored the leader’s behavior. The leader was already on a yellow card.
‘Last time, he tried to kill me. Now he’s trying a different method…’

The current leader had a history of trying to control and kill the watcher. But being extremely cautious and using Yang Hye-chan, Chi-young had no concrete evidence or reason to oust the leader.
He at least bit Yang Hye-chan’s right hand almost to bits as a warning, but it wasn’t enough. Trying again to suppress the watcher by using him, Chi-young chuckled coldly.
This time, they planned to weaken the leader’s power long-term by pairing him with a seemingly weak dog clan member as a partner.

‘Knows one, not the other…’
Chi-young smiled secretly and put down the tablet. Sitting with legs crossed on the table, he brushed his black hair back over his forehead. His wolf ears felt good as they tingled in his hands.
Even though he was half-transformed now, he wasn’t tense or aggressive. It was all thanks to the puppy. He finally found a partner to healthily contain his pheromones and could maintain a clear mind even in his original form. Now, Chi-young could fully use his power, making it harder for the leader to control the watcher.

‘Then I’ll give him what he wants.’
Thinking happily, Chi-young stubbed out his cigarette and got up. Since the leader wanted it, he would gladly prepare to introduce the puppy as his partner, though a bit earlier than expected.
Preparation was needed.

Chi-young organized the tasks in his mind. He had to buy the puppy nice new clothes, try grooming again including nail clipping which the puppy hated. And most importantly, persuade the partner to attend the formal meeting.
“Puppy?”
Chi-young called the puppy entering the living room, but he still didn’t answer, staying sulky. It was unusually quiet, and if it weren’t for the scratching sounds, he would have thought the puppy was asleep.

Chi-young washed his hands and went to the bedroom to soothe the puppy himself.
“Jagiya?”
There was no puppy in the bedroom. Chi-young’s smile froze for a moment. The uneasy memory of the last time the puppy disappeared at will flashed through his mind.

Fortunately, this time there was no need to worry.
Thanks to his heightened sense of smell in half-transformation, Chi-young clearly caught the puppy’s scent. He also heard the puppy mumbling faintly as if grumbling. Maybe he was hiding under the blanket or behind a pillow.
“Still mad, jagi?”

Chi-young began searching for Hee-sung himself. Finding the white lump in the darkly decorated bedroom was easy. He lifted the gray blanket and pushed aside the soft pillow.
Sure enough, the puppy was somewhere on the bed.
“Ah…”

Next to the bed, wedged between the mattress and the wall, was a small lump exposing a pink belly.
…Wang.
When their eyes met, the puppy glared at Chi-young as if saying “What are you looking at?” Avoiding the gaze, Chi-young quietly suppressed a smile and rescued the puppy. It was already the second time, so he was used to it.

Chi-young took the flattened puppy for special care. The first stop was the anthropomorphic grooming salon.
The grooming salon was万能 (万能 literally means “all-purpose”, a translation here is “all-round”) — whether in human form or original form, one could get the care they wanted. At a high-end salon, Chi-young sat before the mirror. The puppy, embarrassed, hid his face in Chi-young’s arms.
Chi-young smiled brightly, unfazed.

“I’d like a nail trim and basic grooming for the puppy.”
“Then will the guardian wait separately?”
“Ah.”

When the groomer tried to take the puppy, Chi-young smiled softly and pulled the puppy closer.
“He has separation anxiety.”
“Oh, sorry! Then the guardian will stay with you!”

The groomers seemed to understand and agreed gladly. Hearing the conversation, the puppy was baffled.
‘This muscle heap has separation anxiety?’
Though the puppy grumbled with a grimace, the groomers prepared for grooming saying it was possible for a dog like that. Though Hee-sung wanted some distance from Chi-young after the morning’s events, he resigned himself and got care in Chi-young’s arms. Actually, Hee-sung felt most comfortable in Chi-young’s arms.

Afterwards, the puppy screamed while getting nail clipping that he hated — Park Geon-tae often made him bleed, so he was scared — and got his white fur fluffy trimmed, and the long hair of his folded ears stylishly left. He came out of the pet shop looking even rounder.
Next, they went to a department store.
“Puppy, what new clothes should we buy?”

‘…Why is it just you and me here?’
The puppy looked around curiously. It was the first time coming to a personal space in the unfamiliar department store. A personal shopper followed them, and Yoon Chi-young and the puppy sat on a sofa just watching the clothes introduced.