Don’t Mess with the Puppy!

If separated for a long time, the heart inevitably grows distant, as if seeing someone else.
They were a species for whom emotional connection was crucial, yet Yoon Chi-young hadn’t seen his family or his true form since he was ten years old.
Because of that, a territorial instinct developed, causing him to perceive his family’s pheromones as strangers’, intensifying his aggression. Even at half strength, it was as if he was drunk, making it hard to maintain self-control.

Moreover, when pheromones accumulated, no matter how hard he tried to keep his mind clear, his true form would surface, and he would completely lose himself to the point of biting someone.
That itself was immense suffering for Yoon Chi-young, yet he became a reason for hatred and suspicion from his family, who never understood him.
It was only natural that Yoon Chi-young stopped considering them family.

“That’s fine now. After meeting my partner, I changed too. Even in my true form, I can think clearly.”
“......”
“But… hyung.”

Yoon Chi-young swirled the glass in his hand and looked at his older brother sitting beside their mother. Although he smiled gently, his brother only showed a stern gaze filled with disgust toward him.
“If I return to my true form but keep my sanity, who do you think would be in the most danger first?”
Yoon Chi-young asked coldly, directing his words to his older brother, Yoon Jin-young. Suddenly, the atmosphere grew silent. The contemptuous looks toward Yoon Chi-young vanished.

“Are you threatening me right now?”
“Threatening? Why, hyung? You sound like someone guilty.”
Yoon Chi-young acted as if he didn’t know anything and spoke in a friendly tone. That alone enraged his brother, feeling insulted, but unable to hide his tension, he averted his gaze elsewhere.

If the watcher could freely return to his true form, his range of activity would increase. Moreover, since he could use the power of his strong true form, anyone would realize that the watcher could fully exert his abilities.
“I’ll be leaving now. My lover’s waiting.”
Yoon Chi-young smiled cheerfully and stood up first.

“Ah.”
As if suddenly remembering, Yoon Chi-young deliberately walked behind his brother Yoon Jin-young, who was seated far away, and stood there. The second brother had little ability but lived by clinging to their mother’s favor through status and money. Because of that, many small problems arose behind the scenes. He was already under careful watch as a target.
Yoon Chi-young patted his brother’s neat shoulder and whispered close to his ear.
“Thanks for worrying about our puppy’s safety last time, hyung.”

“......”
“Thanks to you, I didn’t eat him and brought him back safely.”
The etiquette-conscious older brother hated Yoon Chi-young the most for his act of cannibalism. The one who scolded Yoon Chi-young by text last time was probably him. Yet Yoon Chi-young acted as if nothing happened and left a warning. Though his words sounded warm like family, it was a reminder that he hadn’t forgotten his duties as a watcher.

With a subtle smile, Yoon Chi-young left first. The place remained silent for quite a while afterward.
After leaving the room, Yoon Chi-young felt terribly uneasy.
It was always like this after meeting his family. It seemed like a problem that could never be solved in life, a suffocating feeling of facing an enemy that could never be defeated. Even though he was raised as a watcher, Yoon Chi-young was a wolf clan with a strong sense of kinship. No matter how often he faced contempt and suspicion from his family, he never got used to it.

‘I want to see Gyeon Hee-seong...’
At times like this, Yoon Chi-young especially wanted to see his lover. Just the fact that Hee-seong wasn’t afraid of him brought Yoon Chi-young great comfort. Moreover, the first being to give him their whole heart was that white, round existence that made Yoon Chi-young ache with longing.
Naturally, his steps quickened. Giving up even the thought of smoking, Yoon Chi-young headed to the detached building. The sound of clear water trickling and familiar wolf howls echoed from afar. But the brave puppy wasn’t afraid of wolves and knew they would be waiting for him.

And sooner than expected, he saw the puppy quickly. Outside the detached building’s door, Hee-seong was sitting down, facing the cold air.
Oddly, Hee-seong was muttering that the black, proud wild wolf looked like Yoon Chi-young.
“You look like Yoon Chi-young...”

“......?”
“You have a bit of a bad attitude too.”
Behind Hee-seong, the organization’s members waited at a respectful distance, protecting him. The new clothes Yoon Chi-young had dressed him in hung loosely over his shoulders. Yoon Chi-young burst into hearty laughter, finding even that sight lovable, and slowly approached.

At that moment, Hee-seong staggered and stood up. Feeling someone’s presence, he turned sideways, and their eyes met. Hee-seong’s black eyes narrowed as he spotted Yoon Chi-young.
“It’s Yoon Chi-young.”
“Puppy?”

Hee-seong’s stance as he got up looked somehow different than usual. His staggering gait and messy smile seemed suspicious. Sensing something strange, Yoon Chi-young watched the puppy from five steps away.
Hee-seong, who had been staring blankly, suddenly grinned.
“Yoon Chi-young. Even your name sounds damn weird.”

Then he staggered and rushed at Yoon Chi-young, crashing his small body into Yoon Chi-young’s chest. The clean scent of soap mixed sharply with alcohol.
Yoon Chi-young didn’t move and just held the intoxicated Hee-seong close, wrapping him with his coat. Hee-seong leaned his head on Yoon Chi-young’s warm chest, looking up with shining black eyes. His flushed cheeks looked especially red, probably from the alcohol.
“Why are you here now? You’ve been leaving me alone a lot these days.”

“Why? Were you waiting for me, puppy?”
“I wasn’t waiting.”
Though his words sounded blunt, his white tail flicked quickly behind him, as if flying. At the adorable sight, Yoon Chi-young couldn’t help but burst into laughter, feeling helpless. The rebellious charm that toyed with Yoon Chi-young’s heart, plus the tail that couldn’t hide its feelings, looked so sweet he wanted to devour it.

“I said I wasn’t waiting.”
“But you’re this happy even though you weren’t waiting?”
“What are you talking about?”

Hee-seong answered again without being asked, resting his cheek on Yoon Chi-young’s. Stroking his head, the puppy’s ears twitched back slightly, as if asking for more petting.
For now, Yoon Chi-young had to put aside even this pleasant feeling. He had been taking special care of the puppy’s diet for health reasons, but something had happened. Yoon Chi-young’s smile faded as he looked around with cold eyes.
“...Who gave the puppy alcohol?”

All the organization members stiffened and froze. No answer came to the question. In the silent space, the only movement was the busily wagging white tail.
Sensing something odd, Hee-seong chattered with a drunken voice.
“I drank the alcohol. So? Do you want some too?”

The misunderstanding was easily cleared. The wolves behind nodded affirmatively in place.
Understanding the situation, Yoon Chi-young wrapped his arms tightly around Hee-seong’s head as if he had never been tense. Then, telling the organization members to rest, they quietly withdrew. Now it was time for just the two of them, away from the harsh pheromone stimuli.
Yoon Chi-young sighed lightly and gently picked up Hee-seong. Although he had fed him plenty of large prawns recently, Hee-seong was still relatively light. But Yoon Chi-young never showed such thoughts in front of the fighting dogs and softly asked.

“Our puppy shouldn’t drink alcohol…”
“No, we wolves can drink.”
“Not that. It’s your recovery time.”

There was a special reason Yoon Chi-young had been carefully managing Hee-seong’s diet. It wasn’t to tease that the puppy shouldn’t drink hot chocolate or alcohol.
Hee-seong had poor digestion to begin with, and when Yoon Chi-young first brought him home, he had woken up in the middle of the night convulsing and vomiting. Yoon Chi-young had been worried that his fist-sized body might choke and die.
But Hee-seong just seemed excited to have a drink after a long time.

“A fighting dog should always know how to enjoy drinking.”
Suppressing a laugh at the rough drunken rambling, Yoon Chi-young kissed Hee-seong’s hair. Hee-seong had been raised by fighting dogs but seemed naturally rough in temperament.
Even when given toys, he mostly attacked like hunting—though they often wrestled together—biting at the toys. He liked sports and martial arts or only watched action and thriller movies. On the other hand, all things emotional seemed to be his role. Yoon Chi-young was head over heels watching the puppy stomp his feet watching martial arts.

“I wasn’t going to let you stay up tonight. Maybe I should just put you to bed early…”
He had wanted to scold him for drinking, but seeing Hee-seong’s bright face softened his heart. Inside the house, Yoon Chi-young laid the roundest fighting dog in the world on the bed. Hee-seong, liking the soft blanket, rolled around and busily wagged his white tail over the pants. Seeing this, it seemed he wasn’t so different whether he was human or puppy.
“Drunk, you don’t even recognize your lover.”

Yoon Chi-young lightly tapped Hee-seong’s butt. The puppy showed his teeth and turned back but did nothing else. Yoon Chi-young then began carefully taking off Hee-seong’s socks one by one. Surrounded by the heady pheromones and tiring power struggles from earlier, he only wanted to smell Hee-seong’s pure body scent.
Whether it was the alcohol or not, Hee-seong spoke many things he usually never said.
“Hey… Yoon Chi-young. Why do you keep treating me so well?”

“Why? Aren’t you my lover? Can’t I even take off your socks?”
“What are you talking about… We never even agreed that we’re lovers.”
Hee-seong grumbled and turned over. His clear face, lying on the ceiling, flushed red with drunkenness and showed dissatisfaction. Yoon Chi-young chuckled softly. Climbing on top of Hee-seong’s body, he brought his face close and whispered quietly.

“Ah… Our puppy needed a gradual process.”
“Haa…”
Hee-seong avoided Yoon Chi-young’s persistent gaze, clearly tired of this kind of talk.

But to Yoon Chi-young, it seemed like Hee-seong was accepting it. That such a process was necessary. Proof of that was Hee-seong resting his cheek weakly on the arm Yoon Chi-young had placed beside his head.
Soon, Hee-seong closed his eyes tightly and mumbled indistinctly.
“Weird…”

“What is?”
“I’ve never known why you like me.”
It felt like dying of happiness. Hearing Hee-seong’s words, Yoon Chi-young clenched his teeth and barely held back a laugh of joy.

 
Yoon Chi-young deliberately didn’t answer. Finally, the puppy was sulking while subtly showing that he liked him, and if he teased him as usual, he might ruin the confession.
He wanted the puppy to speak his true feelings a little more and realize it on his own.
“What I’ve shown you all this time… was just a damn dog’s side of me.”

So he understood. Yoon Chi-young thought the puppy was smart after all. He hadn’t expected him to be so good at self-awareness.
Unaware of that, Hee-seong closed his eyes and tapped one arm lightly against the bed, mumbling nonsense.
“Before we knew each other, I threw chips at Kwon Ki-hyuk’s face… punched you first… after turning human, I ran away and started picking fights with Yang Hye-chan.”

“......”
“I’m just a fighting dog living that way… so why do you like me?”
“Guess I’m attracted to bad boys.”

He spoke sincerely, but Hee-seong’s dissatisfied face opened his eyes drowsily. The eyes looking up at Yoon Chi-young from above were filled with irritation and contempt. Yet he didn’t push Yoon Chi-young away, sighing drunkenly. Though in human form he wouldn’t be beside the bed, he didn’t run away.
“Okay, I won’t do that anymore.”
Still, Yoon Chi-young was quick to notice. The puppy sincerely wanted to talk, so he couldn’t act recklessly anymore.

This time, he hugged Hee-seong tightly. Though it might have been frustrating, Hee-seong didn’t push him away, instead wrapping his waist steadily. The gentle stroking on his broad back showed satisfaction.
Yoon Chi-young bit gently at Hee-seong’s ear and spoke.
“We first met in the hallway of a gambling house.”

“The hallway of a gambling house? Ah… yeah…”
Hee-seong answered without much interest. Drunk and maybe drunk on the peace too, he seemed about to fall asleep.
Yoon Chi-young tidied Hee-seong’s hair and quietly said,

“I was born with strong wolf blood, and for years couldn’t properly control my pheromones, so even in human form, I was especially sensitive to them…”
Yoon Chi-young spoke in a husky yet calm voice. The puppy ears twitched atop Hee-seong’s black hair. His pleasant voice always comforted Hee-seong’s heart—if only the meaning inside wasn’t so heavy.
“One day, I met a beastman who smelled only gentle and pure.”

“…A nice smell?”
“Yeah. A nice smell.”
“A nice smell…”

Hee-seong repeated as if he didn’t understand. He had no clue what his own scent felt like.
But Yoon Chi-young, who painfully inherited thick wolf blood, was different.
“Living among beastmen who sprayed strong perfume, I thought I’d go crazy from pheromone shock and either kill everyone or end up self-harming…”

Yoon Chi-young spoke, lifting his head. He saw the puppy trapped in his warm embrace, his expression softened. Though a little dazed, the puppy was focused only on Yoon Chi-young’s words. The soft rustling sound beneath the blanket was surely his tail. Yoon Chi-young fiddled with Hee-seong’s puppy ears and smiled lightly.
“I met our puppy.”
“…Really.”

Hee-seong looked away, incredulous. Still, Yoon Chi-young seemed so happy he gnawed on his fingers. The black wolf ears standing on his head, the smiling gray eyes, and the happy-upturned mouth were exactly the same as when Hee-seong was in puppy form chewing on him.
But Hee-seong was displeased with something. Lying weakly, he pulled his hand out from Yoon Chi-young’s mouth and turned his head.
“I was just born to reject all other beastmen…”

“I was born to like only the puppy.”
“…Crazy.”
Though his words were rough, the folded puppy ears twitched. Hee-seong buried his head deeply in Yoon Chi-young’s shoulder, trying to hide his expression. Yet Yoon Chi-young had already noticed his ears were flushed red to the tips. Earlier they were only white as usual, so it wasn’t just drunkenness. Smiling, Yoon Chi-young said as if it was no surprise.

“You know I only have eyes for the puppy.”
“……”
But no answer came back. The sound ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) of the tail brushing the blanket busily faded. Something felt strange. Yoon Chi-young’s smile faded curiously.

“Puppy?”
“Hey… you…”
Hee-seong hesitated as if wanting to say something. Seeing him unexpectedly reluctant, Yoon Chi-young grew more concerned and lifted himself slightly from the embrace to see his face.

Hee-seong’s drunken gaze changed. Unlike before, it looked moist and calmer. When Yoon Chi-young brought his face close, Hee-seong briefly met his eyes but quickly looked away muttering,
“…No.”
“……”

Yoon Chi-young remembered seeing this expression on the puppy sometimes. Since being betrayed by Park Geon-tae, Hee-seong often looked sorrowful with dead black eyes. Though he wanted to soothe him, Hee-seong pushed him away so he couldn’t even start the conversation.
“…I don’t believe those words.”
“Why?”

“I…”
Every time Hee-seong hid his true feelings like this, Yoon Chi-young grew anxious. It felt like looking at a terrified, curled-up puppy. If he reached out, Hee-seong would act rough and wary, but he knew the puppy wanted affection more than anyone.
Yoon Chi-young quietly waited for Hee-seong. Gently stroking his cheek, he showed he could speak when ready. As expected, the puppy needed time.

After patiently waiting, Hee-seong spoke in an unstable, trembling voice, unable to meet his eyes.
“Park Geon-tae was nice to me at first too…”
“……”

“He said I was the only family to him.”
Hee-seong’s voice began to choke up. His drooping puppy ears lost strength, and his face crumpled sadly as if crying.
“But then he started dating a pretty sister and changed…”

“……”
“How do I know you won’t do the same?”
“……”

Yoon Chi-young silently looked down at Hee-seong with quiet eyes. He felt sorry inside for the puppy. The fighting dog clans valued loyalty, so betrayal would be an even greater shock. He thought he hadn’t given the puppy enough time to process this sadness. It was his fault for holding Hee-seong close due to pheromone shock and separation anxiety.
“But… monogamy, marriage? I, I don’t trust you.”
Hee-seong spoke with tears welling in his black eyes. Trying not to show his tears, he held his breath tight and bit his lip, looking fragile.

Yoon Chi-young knew Hee-seong’s pride was strong. Hearing those words, it must be chronic pain from his drunkenness and wounds of being abandoned twice before. His chest ached. He wanted to wait patiently for Hee-seong’s trust to come, no matter how long it took. This time, he whispered close to Hee-seong.
“You don’t have to trust me, puppy. Trust me when you want to.”
“……”

“It doesn’t matter, because everything I do is because I love you.”
At those words, tears finally streamed down Hee-seong’s eyes. Yoon Chi-young purposely didn’t react and just watched.
“You’re annoying…”

There was so much bottled up in his chest, Hee-seong couldn’t hide his tears. Instead, he buried his head back in Yoon Chi-young’s shoulder and sobbed weakly.
“Sniff…”
“……”

Yoon Chi-young quietly held the sobbing puppy. All this time, pheromone shock had made him worry only about his own pain. He felt deeply sorry for finally recognizing Hee-seong’s wounds.
The puppy, quietly crying with tears held back, sobbed,
“My mom and dad, them abandoning me was okay. Because I was weak, sick.”

“……”
“But this time… it’s not. I really tried hard… tried to be useful…”
Hee-seong didn’t want to show weakness, so he turned back into a puppy. From under his nicely dressed new clothes, a fist-sized bulge stuck out. He stayed like that for a long time until Yoon Chi-young lifted his clothes and took out the puppy.

The puppy was crying. Even when Yoon Chi-young gently held him, the puppy was limp, tears flowing in his big eyes.
“Ah….”
Yoon Chi-young lay down with a sigh, pressing the puppy’s forehead against his own. What could such a tiny thing possibly cry so sorrowfully about? It felt like a knot was forming in his own chest.

He knew Hee-seong was still very young. But this child had been abandoned twice in his life. Yoon Chi-young knew the puppy left alone in an empty house, and Hee-seong who, after being betrayed by his brother, still looked only for him. Seeing him cry like this, feelings of regret—ones he never had before—surged up inside him.
“I really want to kill Park Geon-tae…”
If only he had been by Hee-seong’s side earlier. If only he had dealt with Park Geon-tae sooner… Useless thoughts followed endlessly. Yoon Chi-young sighed and wiped the puppy’s tears.

The sorrowful puppy howled toward the wall. A plaintive, soft howl echoed faintly. Yoon Chi-young stayed by his side, letting him cry freely as he wished. Until the small one cried himself out and fell asleep.
That day, for the first time, the puppy burrowed inside Yoon Chi-young’s clothes and fell asleep. Unaware of the painful events that would unfold the next day.
“Ugh…”

Early dawn, Hee-seong woke with a dizzy headache and nausea. The puppy, waking with a haggard face, looked around with sleepy eyes.
‘Where am I now…?’
Though it was dark, it felt like he was trapped inside a blanket and couldn’t make out his surroundings.

Luckily, the puppy, having occasionally gotten lost inside blankets before, knew that if he just went forward, he could escape somehow. Staggering forward with a hangover, Hee-seong finally reached an exit.
Whew…
The place the puppy emerged from was near the neck of Yoon Chi-young’s white long-sleeve T-shirt.

Exhausted, he stuck out only his potato-sized face and lay down sideways. In that state, Hee-seong looked up at Yoon Chi-young’s solid neck and wiggled his downy body. Seeing Yoon Chi-young, memories of last night started coming back one by one.
‘What did I say to him last night…?’
Unfortunately, Hee-seong didn’t lose memory when drunk. Once recalled, his trivial and weak behavior from last night came flooding back.

He rubbed his cheek against Yoon Chi-young’s chest just because he liked him so much, and said some strange things… even cried bitterly while being held by Yoon Chi-young. That was something a proud fighting dog shouldn’t do.
In disbelief at reality, the puppy kicked wildly at Yoon Chi-young’s T-shirt, like a blanket.
“Ugh, my head hurts…”

But after moving so violently once, the hangover surged even hotter. With a dizzy headache, the puppy whimpered and lay down limply. Though unwilling to admit it, Hee-seong was weak against alcohol and suffered severe hangovers. He wanted to just lie on Yoon Chi-young’s neck and sleep more, but his stomach hurt so much he couldn’t.
“Hey…”
Eventually, Hee-seong wriggled out from inside the clothes and crawled up onto the pillow. The mood light was on in the bedroom, and Yoon Chi-young looked like an angel with his eyes closed while sleeping. The puppy staggered and softly mumbled, pressing his button-like little nose against Yoon Chi-young’s eyelids.

“Yoon Chi-young… I’m hurting…”
Hee-seong spoke and was surprised himself. It was the first time since his mother that he’d said he was hurting to someone.
At the gambling house, if he showed weakness even a little, he would be scolded or told that as a fighting dog, he had to endure. So he endured as expected. But maybe because last night he showed Yoon Chi-young things no one had seen and revealed his true feelings, saying he was hurting didn’t feel strange. At least saying it as a puppy, so the other wouldn’t understand, was a little comforting.

Encouraged, the puppy tried to say more bravely.
“My stomach hurts so much…”
It was strange. The more he mumbled, the hotter something welled up inside his chest. Knowing there was someone he could lean on made the past sorrows sting sharply at his nose. Strangely, just having someone to say this to made him feel better.

The puppy, resting his small head against Yoon Chi-young’s cheek, tried to change into a human to drink some water alone.
At that moment, Yoon Chi-young’s brows twitched. The puppy’s sleepy eyes widened in surprise.
Suddenly, Yoon Chi-young sprang up. Rousing in a tousled state, he urgently asked the puppy in a low, hoarse voice.

“Are you hurting, babe?”
‘Uh…?’
Before the puppy could be startled, Yoon Chi-young sighed and gently scratched the puppy’s cheek while leaning close.

“You feel this way because you drank last night…”
“……”
“Then why did the puppy drink alcohol?”

Hee-seong opened his eyes in surprise at being scolded but only looked up at Yoon Chi-young. It amazed him that Yoon Chi-young understood he was hurting. And though it was a trivial matter, this kind of thing always felt huge to the small puppy.
‘…How did he understand?’
Looking up at Yoon Chi-young, Hee-seong slowly shifted into human form.

Next to him, Yoon Chi-young ordered something on the phone from the nightstand. He asked for honey water and soup good for hangovers.
Hee-seong stared blankly at Yoon Chi-young’s broad back and listened to the call. “Is the young master drinking? Then, did he spend the whole night drinking with his lover? Very good. Then I have to prepare it.” The polite but caring tone from whoever took the order was impressive, even at this early hour.
‘He treats me well even when I’m not a puppy…’

Lying down, Hee-seong felt ticklish and pleasant and lightly bit Yoon Chi-young’s fluffy black wolf tail, then gently toyed with it. Now they were used to being half transformed. It really felt like they were lovers.
At that moment, Yoon Chi-young ended the call and turned around with a loose chuckle.
“Are you trying to seduce me?”

“…You’d be halfway gone if you just shut up.”
“Why? You touched my tail first.”
“Sigh…”

Hee-seong, lying down, sulkily tossed Yoon Chi-young’s tail away. But the jet-black tail curled back around, gently brushing Hee-seong’s flushed face. Achoo. Startled by the tickle, Hee-seong sneezed and turned his body. His ear tips were red. He couldn’t believe he was doing something lovers usually do.
The sensation in a beastman’s tail was similar to that of ears. Pulling it caused obvious discomfort and pain, while soft touches or gentle bites held sexual connotations. For that reason, touching a beastman’s tail was a lovers’ prank and a form of sex appeal. Since the tail was attached above the buttocks, it was natural, and many beastmen like Hee-seong had their tail as an erogenous zone.
But now, it had become natural for them to touch each other’s tails.

Though this relationship felt somewhat unfamiliar, Hee-seong willingly took the hand that helped him up. Yoon Chi-young, still sleepy, rubbed his nose affectionately against Hee-seong’s nape while stroking his dry back. Moved by the gentle touch, Hee-seong parted his lips and asked hesitantly,
“But how… did you understand what I said earlier?”
“I learned. From Young-bae…”

Yoon Chi-young answered drowsily in a husky voice. Perhaps because he was sensitive to sleep, he was acting relaxed. Still, Hee-seong was amazed he was awake like this—knowing he hadn’t woken even when Hee-seong ran off with his bundle last time.
Yoon Chi-young’s breath kept brushing his nape. Twitching his white ears from the tickle, Hee-seong asked,
“When did you learn?”

Meanwhile, Yoon Chi-young got up and wrapped a warm robe around Hee-seong, saying,
“I got curious about what the puppy’s whining sounds meant. I asked and memorized them.”
“......”

Somehow, Hee-seong felt exposed. At the same time, he wondered why he had bothered to hide his weak side from Yoon Chi-young, a member of his own pack. Maybe he had already relied on Yoon Chi-young for quite some time.
In the meantime, Yoon Chi-young moved a table in front of Hee-seong, who was sitting on the bed. He wondered why the table was set so quickly, when the servant brought honey water first. While Hee-seong sipped the honey water to settle his stomach, a simple meal of spicy bean sprout soup, warm rice, and side dishes was served. Hee-seong found it strange to have a meal prepared at any time of day.
Thinking he could just eat it, Hee-seong was surprised when Yoon Chi-young sat on the bed holding him. With messy hair, he personally took a spoon and tried to feed Hee-seong.

“Feeding and holding—just like when you were a puppy…”
“Let go. I can eat by myself.”
“Here, ah.”

“I can eat by myself… sigh. Ah.”
Hee-seong tried to grab the spoon but gave up. Annoyed, but knowing Yoon Chi-young’s arms were longer, he never won these tussles. Used to being fed anyway, he sat quietly and ate comfortably.
Yoon Chi-young’s gentle touch caring for Hee-seong was no different from when he was a puppy. Truly, he cared for him as a lover would. Feeling awkward about this situation, Hee-seong wondered if he even deserved such care.

No matter how much it came from the giver’s heart, Hee-seong wanted to give something back to him. Knowing his own worth was too poor to return affection, he wanted to show it through actions.
“…Hey. Yoon Chi-young.”
Hee-seong grabbed Yoon Chi-young’s hand that was wrapped around his waist. Though his hand was twice the size of Hee-seong’s fist, it always followed wherever Hee-seong held and interlocked fingers.

Hee-seong took a sip of the soup Yoon Chi-young fed him to calm his stomach. Feeling steadier than when he had gotten up weakly, he spoke with a firmer expression.
“Anyway… even if you picked me up for some sly reason, you’re my benefactor.”
“Why would picking up an injured puppy be a sly reason…”

Despite such slanders, Yoon Chi-young just smiled lightly. Taking another warm spoonful of soup, Hee-seong spoke more seriously.
“What do you want me to do at the formal meeting?”
“Is it really necessary to prepare for that?”

“Of course.”
In his leisurely attitude, Hee-seong looked up at him as if asking if he’d forgotten.
“You and the leader are hostile toward each other.”

“Smart puppy.”
Yoon Chi-young said in a husky voice and kissed Hee-seong’s hair. Still drowsy, Hee-seong lazily opened his gray eyes and muttered nonsense.
“Just act like usual. Like I’m going to die loving you.”

“I never did that.”
“You do it all the time.”
Hee-seong scratched his neck with a sulky face, wondering if Yoon Chi-young was dating other puppies. Still, he didn’t misunderstand much because he guessed what Yoon Chi-young really thought. No matter what he did as a puppy, Yoon Chi-young loved him to death.

Then Yoon Chi-young asked,
“Puppy, is it burdensome?”
“…A little.”

“Then you don’t have to go to the formal meeting.”
“What?”
Hee-seong frowned incredulously, asking what he meant after they’d come this far. Seeing that expression, Yoon Chi-young calmly wiped the spilled soup with a tissue and said,

“I’m going more as a warning anyway.”
“A warning about what?”
“Um…”

Yoon Chi-young smiled faintly and looked down at Hee-seong. The dimly lit bedroom only had mood lights, casting shadows that emphasized his gray eyes and somewhat indifferent smile. When Hee-seong saw that face, he thought Yoon Chi-young seemed angry about something.
“I’m bringing you to the formal meeting because you’re my precious lover… a warning not to mess with you.”
“......”

Hee-seong hadn’t known about that intention. He thought Yoon Chi-young came here to check if there was contact between Park Geon-tae and the leader’s people, but Yoon Chi-young had his own purpose. He was inwardly surprised.
Hee-seong thought that although Yoon Chi-young seemed like a careless loafer, he might actually be very cunning. He himself hadn’t even realized he was the only one who saw him as easy and careless.
Then Yoon Chi-young muttered as if talking to himself.

“But now that I’m thinking of showing them to my family… I kind of regret it…”
“…Why?”
“Because I want to show only the good side to the puppy.”

Yoon Chi-young said, hugging Hee-seong tightly from behind. The slender body fit snugly in his broad arms. Hee-seong frowned slightly from his hangover and rested his stone-like arm. Still, Yoon Chi-young clung to him like he didn’t want to let go, and his whispered words sounded pitiful.
“I hope you only see the good side of me like this…”
“…When have you ever shown me your good side?”

Hee-seong grumbled but lightly held Yoon Chi-young’s hand on the back of his hand. He thought he somewhat understood why Yoon Chi-young said that.
Maybe at tomorrow’s formal meeting, Yoon Chi-young’s family would try to keep him in check. He didn’t expect a harmonious meeting anyway, but still, Hee-seong didn’t want to see Yoon Chi-young being controlled by his family. Just thinking about it made him angry as if he were the one being wronged. Knowing Yoon Chi-young’s situation and as a member of the same pack, he didn’t understand them.
‘I can understand pheromone shock…’

Having been close to Yoon Chi-young, Hee-seong felt a lot. He enjoyed art and loved himself that way. But he seemed to hate the true form that lost control due to pheromone shock. He was always alert of his own consciousness and habitually anxious. Hee-seong pitied him and sat quietly in the now calm embrace of Yoon Chi-young for a long time.
“…Yoon Chi-young.”
After finishing his meal, Hee-seong said to himself like a resolution.

“No matter what the leader’s people say, I’ll only believe what I see with my own eyes.”
“Really?”
“…Yeah.”

From behind, Yoon Chi-young let out a quiet chuckle. He seemed to think it was nonsense but Hee-seong was sincere. The puppy who tightly held his hand spoke firmly.
“A fighting dog doesn’t back down once he’s made a decision.”