Kill Your X Chapter 104

“Seunghan. You know.”

“Yes.”

“Are you, by any chance, allergic to dog fur?”

Seo Seunghan let out a scoff at my question.

“If it’s not that, then let’s just keep him for a little while. The employees posted a notice earlier, so I’m sure the owner will show up soon. The puppy is so small and cute, if they have any sense, they’ll surely come looking for it.”

While I was talking, I suddenly got worried about the puppy being too quiet and went to check the room. The puppy was sprawled out on its special cushion, sound asleep. Its paws with adorable little jelly beans and the pink belly peeking through the pure white fur were fatally charming.

Enthralled by its chubby belly, I approached but managed to withdraw my hand. Crouching in front of the cushion, I watched the tiny puppy breathe in and out rhythmically, losing track of time. It seemed to be eating something delicious in its dream as its damp nose twitched occasionally.

But do puppies normally sleep with their bellies exposed like that? I found the creature, with not a speck of wariness, strangely fascinating. For some reason, it made me want to protect it even more.

“Seunghan. You should go see too. The puppy is sleeping so cutely right now. A baby is a baby.”

I returned to the kitchen and suggested it, but I belatedly realized his expression had soured. Feeling sorry for thinking and acting solely with the puppy in mind, I moved to sit next to him.

“I’m sorry. Are you mad that I acted on my own?”

“I’m not mad.”

“Then why do you look like that.”

“I can’t explain it exactly, but I just feel a certain way.”

Is it kin-hate? I kept the thought to myself and held a piece of chicken to his lips. Seo Seunghan crunched on the delicious chicken as if it were a stone.

✽✽✽

Unfortunately, the expectation of finding the owner soon was not realized.

I thought I would have the puppy for three or four days at most, but its stay at our house stretched on indefinitely. It felt strange to keep calling the puppy ‘puppy’, so I temporarily named it ‘Jjingjjingi’.

When the search for the original owner became a distant prospect, the notice was changed to one seeking a new adopter for the puppy. Still, no one contacted us.

At first, I didn’t quite understand. Although I don’t know much about the pet adoption market, Jjingjjingi is small, cute, and young. Doesn’t that mean he has all the conditions most people would like?

Moreover, this puppy is even healthy. I recently paid out of my own pocket to complete its additional vaccinations. So how could there not be a single applicant?

“Sir. I think it’s because Jjingjjingi is a Jindo mix.”

An employee put forward a hypothesis.

“What’s wrong with being a Jindo? Don’t Koreans all like Jindo dogs?”

“Liking them conceptually and actually raising them at home are two different things. For one, Jindo dogs are big. They can be quite a burden to live with in a regular home. And their energy levels will continue to increase.”

She also said that being a ‘mix’ itself was not a preferred condition among adopters.

“He’s so lovable, though…”

My frustration doubled as I thought of Jjingjjingi from this morning, playing happily by himself at home. A pure soul who had so much fun with just one of Seo Seunghan’s socks that had fallen from the laundry basket.

“What if we can’t find a new owner even if we keep posting the notice?”

“Then we’ll have no choice but to send him to a shelter, and as you know, Sir, if he’s not adopted within the deadline there…”

The employee’s face turned grim as her voice trailed off. At the same time, her eyes, looking at me, were filled with desperation. A plea to not turn away from this small life.

When I couldn’t readily continue, the employee cautiously asked.

“Do you really have no intention of keeping him, Sir? From the pictures and videos you showed us, Jjingjjingi seems to like you a lot and follows you well.”

It was true. This small, naive puppy, without knowing what kind of person I was, followed me around all day. Even if I just popped out to the convenience store in front of the house, it would greet me by wagging its whole body as if it would break. It would stare only at me with its bright, clear eyes. Is it even possible for a person with feelings to ignore that gaze?

“But I’ve never had a pet in my life. I looked it up and their lifespan is about fifteen years, and taking full responsibility for that long time is another matter entirely. Most importantly, my current housemate doesn’t really like Jjingjjingi…”

“Sir. What if we do this?”

The employee, who had been looking dejected, suddenly had a sparkle in her eyes.

“We could hire Jjingjjingi as our book cafe’s temporary mascot.”

“Ooh.”

Another employee standing next to her chimed in, clasping her hands as if in prayer.

“Temporary mascot?”

“Yes. During the day, he comes to the cafe with you, and when you leave work, he goes back home. We’ll keep the adoption notice up in case a potential adopter shows up late. Customers will definitely take pictures of Jjingjjingi, which will not only promote the book cafe but also increase the number of people interested in him by a lot.”

“That’s right. There are dozens of posts for abandoned dog adoptions every day. If there’s a way for people to actually meet Jjingjjingi, it will definitely be a great help for his future. He’s very friendly with people, and our Jjingjjingi is even better in person.”

The employees persuaded me, saying they would take full responsibility for looking after Jjingjjingi when he was at the cafe. It certainly seemed like a better option than keeping the puppy at home all the time. I had been secretly anxious about leaving Jjingjjingi and Seo Seunghan alone together when I happened to be out.

Of course, Seo Seunghan wouldn’t do anything to Jjingjjingi, but for some instinctive reason, I just couldn’t feel at ease.

“But is it really okay to let a puppy roam around the book cafe? There’s the issue of allergies, and what if a customer is afraid of dogs…”

I don’t think they were this proactive even when negotiating their terms of employment, but the employees voiced their opinions with genuine passion when it came to the puppy.

“We can just put a notice on the reservation page in advance. And most customers will probably love it. Imagine coming to a quiet book cafe to relax and finding a cute little furball roaming around. I predict at least a 1.5 times increase in sales next month.”

“If it were me, I’d make my next reservation on the spot.”

The employees added that it’s good for a puppy’s socialization to meet as many people as possible when they’re young. They said that point would surely be a big advantage when he meets his real owner in the future.

Listening to them, I strangely felt like they were snake oil salesmen, but honestly, I was tempted. Putting all other reasons aside, I just couldn’t bring myself to push this small puppy back out onto the harsh streets.

“Thank you for your opinions. I’ll think about it some more. Finding a compromise with my housemate is the priority.”

That night, when I came home from work, Seo Seunghan and Jjingjjingi greeted me. I picked up the puppy, who was making a fuss, and asked him.

“Have you gotten close with Jjingjjingi? Did you feed him?”

“I fed him two hours ago.”

“What’s the answer to the first question?”

“Do I really have to be friendly with him?”

Seo Seunghan asked back, incredulous.

“It would be nice. It looks like Jjingjjingi has taken a liking to you.”

After spouting words that were different from my true feelings, I told him about the suggestion the employees made earlier that day.

“Right now, when I’m not home, it’s just you and Jjingjjingi. If you go out too, Jjingjjingi is alone. In many ways, it seems better for me to just take him to work on weekdays.”

“You brought him, so it’s your decision what to do with him, Sunbae.”

Seo Seunghan replied without sincerity. I thought to myself that it seemed impossible to keep Jjingjjingi.

Sometimes, non-verbal expressions are more powerful than words. A person who was usually emotionally stable was now blatantly showing his discomfort.

“Alright. Then starting tomorrow, I’ll take Jjingjjingi to work with me. I’ll keep trying to find him a new owner, so don’t worry too much.”

I said that, but honestly, I wasn’t confident. It had already been three weeks since I found Jjingjjingi. I had been promoting him so hard, both online and offline, during that time, but with no results. This was not a good sign for Jjingjjingi’s future.

Whimper.

Speak of the devil. Jjingjjingi reappeared and scratched at my leg, asking to be held. When I granted his wish, Seo Seunghan openly scowled.

“Don’t give in to all his demands like that. You’ll spoil him.”

“Does it matter if a little thing like this is a bit spoiled?”

“You’re so merciless with people, Sunbae, but endlessly generous with animals.”

“Putting aside the fact that he’s an animal, Jjingjjingi is still young. I just don’t want to treat an immature being carelessly.”

Once settled securely in my arms, Jjingjjingi blinked his bright, sparkling eyes. Thump, thump. Even the sound of his heartbeat is cute. The warmth of his body, the feel of his soft fur, and on top of that, his affectionate gaze that was fixed only on me, made me melt helplessly. In the place where realistic worries had evaporated, only sincere feelings remained.

“He’s so cute. How can he be so lovely?”

“Ha.”

When I looked up, Seo Seunghan was looking at me with one corner of his mouth twisted up. The way he tapped the armrest of the sofa with his fingers, tap, tap, felt like a countdown betting on his patience.