By Zephyria 
Eui-jae continued speaking earnestly.
“She manages that place too, doesn’t she, Aunt Seok-jeong?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“If it’s okay with you….”
“It is okay, but let’s see each other another day, not today.”
“Huh? Why….”
Her gaze landed on Ha-eun, who was lying sprawled on the sofa rolling around with the puppies. Ah. Eui-jae placed his juice cup on his thigh and smoothed Ha-eun’s tangled hair. A giggle burst out as his hand touched her.
“That tickles!”
Ham Seok-jeong let out a low laugh following Ha-eun’s lead.
“Hoho, I don’t think you’ll be able to focus properly today.”
“…That’s true.”
Eui-jae smiled awkwardly. Ham Seok-jeong looked at Ha-eun with a warm gaze.
“Come again after all the puppies have been adopted. When you have some free time.”
“Ah, I understand. Ha-eun, do you want more juice?”
“No!”
“I’ll take the cups. Please give me your cup too, Auntie.”
“Alright, thanks.”
Eui-jae headed to the kitchen holding three cups. The kitchen was neatly organized without a speck of disorder, as if reflecting the owner’s personality. He turned on the water and washed the cups. From the living room, Ha-eun’s excited voice, the sounds of the puppies, and Ham Seok-jeong’s calm voice drifted in little by little.
“Auntie, since I’m here, let me do some housework before I go.”
“There’s no need. There probably isn’t much to do anyway.”
“Let me at least clean or something. It’s fine. I’ll leave Ha-eun in your care for a bit.”
Eui-jae picked up a dry dishcloth and started wiping, beginning with the sink. As he focused on cleaning, he suddenly looked around the kitchen. The dishes, spoons, and chopsticks were all for just one person. The cups were originally paper cups, but she bought new ones upon hearing Ha-eun was visiting. If they stopped visiting, it would likely go back to being just one again.
‘Will she be okay alone?’
He knew she was a strong person. But wouldn’t living alone be too lonely? The hardest thing to endure in the West Sea Rift was loneliness.
Solitude breaks a person. No matter how strong they are.
Eui-jae roughly wiped his wet hands on his pants and headed to the living room. Ham Seok-jeong was now gazing down at Ha-eun, who had fallen asleep hugging a puppy.
“Is she asleep?”
“Yes. Little kids fall asleep in a flash, you know.”
The gentle smile seemed unfamiliar. Eui-jae sat down amidst the puppies wriggling their way over and stroked their soft fur. He hesitated, then opened his mouth.
“Auntie, is there a reason you live here alone?”
“Hmm?”
“You don’t even keep in touch with anyone besides me. You don’t take Jung-bin’s calls either.”
“…….”
“You must have your reasons, Auntie, but….”
“Eui-jae.”
Eui-jae abruptly lifted his head. Ham Seok-jeong was looking at him with a serene face.
“Don’t you know the answer?”
“Huh? Uh, no….”
“Really? I see.”
She turned her gaze towards the living room window. The words that followed were unexpected.
“Why don’t you ask Sa-young?”
“Sa-young?”
Why was Lee Sa-young coming up here? As Eui-jae asked back with a puzzled face, Ham Seok-jeong smiled faintly.
“He’ll hate me saying this, but we’re quite alike.”
“…….”
“That’s why he avoids me. Whether it’s species aversion or something, really.”
Lee Sa-young and Ham Seok-jeong were alike? Lee Sa-young’s face bloomed like a cloud in his mind. That guy with a pretty face who only spits out nasty words. He does his own job properly, but can he be compared to the Director…? Perhaps his confusion showed on his face. Ham Seok-jeong covered her mouth and laughed as if amused.
“Is it something to ponder that much?”
“No, I was just wondering if you really are alike….”
“That’s possible. Anyway, if you’re pondering and can’t figure it out, try asking that guy. Hoho… I bet he’ll guess it right away? I guarantee it.”
Just then, Eui-jae’s phone rang. Speak of the devil, it was a text from Lee Sa-young.
: When are you coming?
“Ah, it’s already time…. I should get going soon.”
“Alright. Be careful on your way. I’ll contact you once a date is set.”
Eui-jae headed to the entrance with Ha-eun in his arms. Ham Seok-jeong waved her hand to see them off. Eui-jae bowed his head in farewell and left the house.
\ \ *
If asked if he found the answer,
‘Not at all.’
If also asked if he asked Lee Sa-young,
‘No, I didn’t.’
He postponed asking Sa-young as a last resort. Since it was a matter related to both aunts, he wanted to find the answer himself. However, no matter how much he pondered, no suitable reason came to mind.
‘Why on earth? Is it because she’s afraid she’ll be harassed by Hunters if she keeps in touch? Does she just want to live quietly?’
He agonized as he meticulously laid anti-slip pads, blankets, and pee pads on the clean floor of the side room at the Hangover Soup Restaurant. Sa-young, who had been leaning against the side room door frame watching, brought a fence.
“Here, this.”
“Thanks.”
He covered the wall with a blanket and put up the fence to prevent urine from splattering on the wall. He also carefully installed a fence in front of the side room door. This should be usable as a temporary shelter. As Eui-jae stood up, Sa-young picked up his phone.
“Shall I call?”
“Yeah, I’ll ask you to do it soon.”
A short while later, a brown door appeared in the middle of the Hangover Soup Restaurant. Min-gi Seo, wearing sunglasses, appeared carrying two large kennels covered with blankets.
“Good afternoon, customer, and former Master. Here, I’ve brought the puppies you ordered.”
“Hello. Ugh. Bleh.”
“Sa-young, give the envelope to Romantic Opener.”
“Sigh….”
Sa-young let out a sigh but still trudged over holding a black plastic bag.
“Now I’m even running errands for a former employee…. Right, Choi Goyo.”
And he personally hung the black plastic bag on Romantic Opener’s ear. Romantic Opener’s nausea worsened upon receiving this affectionate touch.
With one ear tuned out to Min-gi Seo’s chatter about his service, Eui-jae looked beyond the door. It was an open, park-like place, and Ham Seok-jeong stood there wearing sunglasses. She smiled and waved. And then slowly faded from view.
Min-gi Seo placed the kennels in the side room without a single tremor. The five puppies were huddled together, two or three in each kennel. When he removed the blankets and opened the doors, they finally began to stir and move. A few of them, perhaps remembering Eui-jae’s scent, immediately clung to him, whining.
“Hoo, they recognize the customer? They’re smart ones.”
“Indeed.”
Eui-jae smiled as he soothed the plump puppies. Bleh, the sound of Romantic Opener’s dry heaving echoed like background music.
In the afternoon, next to the collection of Hunter signatures plastered on the wall of the Hangover Soup Restaurant, cute puppy photos were added.
Looking for people to become the puppies’ lifelong family.
Along with such a caption.
‘It’s unsettling to send them to strangers, and there’s a lot to check…. Regulars are more trustworthy.’
Perceptive Hunters quickly noticed the addition of the puppy photos.
“Huh? Are you giving puppies up for adoption?”
“Yes, an acquaintance rescued a stray dog that was pregnant. They raised them with the mother, they’re weaned, and they’ve completed their second round of vaccinations.”
“Ah, no wonder I heard puppy whining. Are they here?”
“They’re in the side room over there.”
“Can I take a look?”
“Yes, there’s a fence in front of the door, so be careful not to knock it over.”
One thing was added to the daily routine of regulars whose only activities at the Hangover Soup Restaurant were eating hangover soup, eating more hangover soup, and eating even more hangover soup. After eating hangover soup, eating more hangover soup, and eating even more hangover soup, go see the puppies.
“Wow, look at this one. It’s so solid, a real leader type.”
Bae Won-woo exclaimed as he picked up and held a black, plump puppy. He showed the puppy to Sa-young, who was sitting in the hall.
“Hey, look at this, Sa-young. It’s so chubby!”
Sa-young retorted sullenly, chin propped on his hand.
“Well, of course…, that one steals all the other kids’ food.”
“What!”
For safety, Sa-young did not approach within a 3-meter radius of the puppies. Instead, he installed a pet cam in the side room and observed them whenever he had time. Since he had plenty of time to spare, he also looked up things to be careful about when raising puppies, training videos, and such. Enough for his YouTube algorithm to be filled with puppy training videos.
Eui-jae watched Sa-young observing the puppies on his tablet and was impressed.
“You’re really thorough.”
Sa-young answered while swiping the tablet screen with a black finger.
“You’re the one who’s too reckless, Hyung. You just brought the puppies without thinking just because Ham Seok-jeong asked.”
“But still, she’s not someone who makes requests like this lightly.”
“What are you going to do if some don’t get adopted? Are you going to keep them all?”
Did he think I hadn’t considered that? Eui-jae had even resolved to look for a house with a large yard just in case. But before he could voice his resolution, Sa-young narrowed his eyes and glared.
“Don’t say you were planning to do that. Don’t say you were planning to buy a house with a yard either.”
Damn mind reader. Eui-jae pouted his lips and played with the puppies.
“…No, there were customers thinking about adoption. There were more people thinking about adoption than there are puppies. That’s why I brought them.”
“Aha…, I see. Well….”
Sa-young said while taking a picture of Eui-jae surrounded by the puppies.
“They say to let them meet lots of people, give them treats or food, and touch them naturally. So they get used to human touch. That way they become dogs with good social skills, apparently.”
“Do you have to separately build their social skills too?”
“Seems so. You have to imprint on them that good things happen when they interact with people….”
Eui-jae suddenly looked up at Sa-young. Sa-young was moving his thumb up and down, probably scrolling on his phone.
‘Well, if you compare the Lee Sa-young from the second world and this guy….’
Because the Lee Sa-young from the second world stuck right next to Cha Eui-jae and wouldn’t leave, he had no particular contact with other people. He even considered Jung-bin a nuisance.
In contrast, this guy acts as a Guild Master and has built reasonably decent relationships with other Hunters, hasn’t he? Ah! So this is the importance of social skills. Eui-jae felt a strange sense of pride and rubbed the tip of his nose.
Simultaneously, as if sensing something, Sa-young tilted his head suspiciously.
“What are you thinking?”
“Huh? What? N-nothing, really.”
“I told you. You’re really bad at lying.”
“Ah, I’m not.”
Sa-young strode over and grabbed Eui-jae’s hand from over the fence. His narrowed eyes scanned Eui-jae.
“What were you thinking? Tell me honestly.”
“I wasn’t… Ah, that tickles!”
The black hand began tickling Eui-jae’s sides and waist mercilessly. Eui-jae shook his head, laughing, “Puhaha!”
“Ah, I surrender, surrender!”
But the hand didn’t stop. Sa-young kept tickling until Eui-jae laughed himself tired and slumped down, and only stopped his hand when the strength left Eui-jae’s body. Then he pressed his lips firmly against Eui-jae’s cheek, like stamping a seal.
“It’s a punishment.”
“What, what punishment….”
“Punishment for only paying attention to the puppies and thinking other thoughts.”
I was thinking about you, you idiot.
Before Eui-jae could retort, thick lips descended upon him. Eh, whatever. Eui-jae closed his eyes.