By Zephyria 
Upon hearing the news that the puppies had arrived at the Hanover Soup Restaurant, Ha-eun rushed over as soon as school ended. She then began rolling around and playing with the puppies in the side room. Of course, Eui-jae and the regular customers watched the scene with warm smiles. Ha-eun’s eyes sparkled as she asked.
“They’re so cute! Are you going to raise them all, Uncle?”
“No, I’ll find them good homes and send them off. They’re just in temporary care for now.”
“Can’t we raise one?”
“Huh?”
“I want to raise a puppy. This one! I like this one the most!”
Ha-eun scooped up the puppy with a brown base and white spots. It was the one she had been hugging and playing with since Ham Seok-jeong’s house. Whether it was born with a laid-back personality or not, it just smacked its lips and yawned, indifferent to being lifted.
Eui-jae narrowed his eyes. He wanted to give Ha-eun everything she wanted, but…
‘Still, you have to adopt a life carefully… You have to live together for a long time.’
You can’t adopt just because it’s cute. Eui-jae deliberately spoke in a stern voice.
“Ha-eun, you can’t raise one just because it’s cute. From the moment you adopt, they become family you’ll live with for life. That means there’s a lot to care for and be responsible for.”
“I know that!”
Ha-eun pouted her lips and retorted. Eui-jae crouched down to meet the eye level of Ha-eun, who was sitting in the side room holding the puppy.
“You have to take it for a walk outside once a day, and if the puppy gets sick, you have to take it to the hospital.”
“I know!”
“You have to clean up every single thing the puppy poops.”
“Umm…, yeah, I know.”
“They shed a lot of fur too. You have to clean diligently.”
“Hmm, uhh… I know that too!”
Eui-jae gazed into Ha-eun’s clear eyes and rested his chin on his hand. Then he deliberately presented a tough condition.
“Uncle might not be able to help with everything. Still?”
“I can do it! You just need to help with the hospital!”
Ha-eun nodded her head quickly. What would parents do in this situation? Eui-jae vaguely recalled old memories. When something is a no, it’s a no. Eui-jae had never once won against his parents and gotten his way. But…
‘I want Ha-eun to get to do everything she wants.’
Just as Park Hye-kyung became Cha Eui-jae’s aunt, Cha Eui-jae became Ha-eun’s uncle. Eui-jae knew that family not related by blood could be just as close as biological family.
He reached out and stroked her round head.
“Okay. Uncle will help. But Ha-eun, let’s make just one promise with Uncle.”
“What is it?”
“Study hard about puppies. Things puppies like, dislike, things they shouldn’t eat, training methods, things like that. If you adopt, you’ll have a little sibling, right? You should know your sibling well.”
“Sibling?”
Her black, round eyes sparkled. Eui-jae grinned.
“Yeah, sibling.”
“Sibling…”
Ha-eun stared intently at the puppy in her arms, then hugged it tightly and rubbed her face against it.
“Yeah, okay!”
“Then it’s a promise.”
Eui-jae held out his pinky finger. Ha-eun beamed and extended her hand.
“Promise!”
A small finger and a long finger intertwined. Eui-jae suddenly turned his head at the gaze he felt from behind. Sa-young was watching the two of them with his chin resting on his hand.
‘Will you wait for me?’
Lee Sa-young, who had extended his pinky first to that selfish request. Eui-jae coughed, ahem, at the memory that suddenly surfaced. When he glanced sideways, the purple eyes were curved into thin crescents.
As if he knew exactly what he was thinking.
\ \ *
That evening, Eui-jae stopped by Grandmother’s house and moved the puppy house and various supplies there. Ha-eun named the puppy Mini. Said it sounded nice.
Eui-jae sat in front of Ha-eun, who was petting Mini, and asked.
“What if something happens?”
“This, press the pager button hard!”
Ha-eun triumphantly held up a small remote with a red button. Worried that something might happen when he was absent, Eui-jae had gifted several emergency pagers to Ha-eun and Grandmother. They were set to contact Eui-jae, Sa-young, Bae Won-woo, Min-gi Seo, and a few trusted regulars when pressed.
“Good, if anything happens, call or press the pager. Don’t press the pager as a joke! It contacts other people besides Uncle too.”
“Okay!”
Eui-jae patted Ha-eun’s head and stood up. Then, at Ha-eun’s eye level, he posted a laminated sheet with puppy care instructions. It was a document Lee Sa-young had personally written.
He let out a small sigh.
…Now four left!
Fortunately, before Eui-jae collapsed from exhaustion caring for the puppies, interested regulars began inquiring one after another. The first adoption inquiry was from Bae Won-woo.
“I was just thinking it’d be nice to run with a dog!”
“If you want to run together while jogging… wouldn’t a Border Collie or something like that be better?”
To keep up with an Awakened’s stamina, you’d need at least the activity level of a Border Collie. But Bae Won-woo chuckled heartily.
“When there are cute ones here, why look far away? We can adjust our pace to each other. Which one is the most active?”
Sa-young pointed with his chin at the black puppy chewing on Bae Won-woo’s pant leg.
“The one tearing your pants right now.”
“Ooh!”
Bae Won-woo’s eyes sparkled as he picked up the black puppy.
“Ah, so this is the one that steals all the other guys’ food? Sturdy, I like it!”
The so-called firstborn was larger and had a better appetite compared to its siblings. And it would run around, udada, waking up the other puppies even when they were sleeping. Bae Won-woo held the black puppy in one arm and gave a thumbs up.
“I like this one. I’ll adopt it!”
Eui-jae gave a thumbs up too. Bae Won-woo was trustworthy.
Now three puppies left!
The second adoption inquiry was from an unexpected person.
“Puppies? Cute~ Are you giving them away?”
“Yes. Would you like to take one?”
Gyu-Gyu, visiting the Hanover Soup Restaurant after a long time, watched the puppies rolling around together.
“Unfortunately, I spend little time domestically. I keep moving around overseas, not staying in one place either.”
“Well then, nothing can be done. How are things overseas lately?”
“Not good~ Crime organizations are running rampant, you know. Thanks to that, my work comes in steadily, though. Hmm…”
Gyu-Gyu picked up one of the wriggling puppies by the scruff. It was the one with brown fur.
“Oh~ It’s ugly.”
He cradled the brown puppy and began gently scratching its head with his finger.
“Anyway, my parents keep telling me to come back to the country more often… but that’s not something I can decide at will~”
“Is your mother doing okay?”
His mother had undergone Mutation in some body parts due to Whitening. Gyu-Gyu stroked the wriggling puppy as he answered.
“Yeah~ Thanks to the Doctor. Now she speaks and walks well. She still can’t do delicate work like cutting or scissoring. And once hair turns white, the color doesn’t come back, you know.”
Gyu-Gyu glanced at Eui-jae and smirked. You’re the same, right? As if asking that.
Eui-jae just shrugged. Someday, when the System’s influence completely disappears, and even the first Awakened, Cha Eui-jae, returns to being an ordinary person. By then, maybe his hair will turn black.
‘It’ll take about 10 years, but whatever.’
Gyu-Gyu watched the brown puppy squirming in his arms, then curled up the corner of his mouth.
“Hmm… Puppy, want to do filial piety on my behalf?”
“Huh?”
“Mmm~ Okay, I’ve claimed this ugly one. I’ll go ask my father, so don’t give it to anyone else~”
Gyu-Gyu, who disappeared like the wind, reappeared like the wind one day.
“Got permission~ I’ll take that ugly one.”
And he left with the brown puppy. Not sure why he kept calling it ugly, but anyway.
Now two puppies left!
The third adoption inquiry was from Yoon Ga-eul.
“Ehehe… Actually, it’s more that my parents want to raise one than me.”
She smiled awkwardly and scratched her cheek.
“The dog we raised went to doggy heaven two years ago. They’ve been feeling lonely, but they couldn’t get a new one because I was preparing for the college entrance exam. Well, now I’m a college student!”
Ga-eul picked up the puppy with a white base and black spots.
“This one looks like the dog we raised… I’d like to take this friend.”
“Sure. If it’s Student Ga-eul, I can trust you.”
“Thank you!”
Ga-eul smiled brightly and bowed her head, then paused. One white puppy remained inside the fence, whining. It was the one with white fur and eyes as black and round as beans.
She hesitated for a moment before asking.
“This might be presumptuous meddling, but… this white puppy… has a home been decided yet?”
“No, not yet. Why? Are you thinking of taking both?”
“Ah, no! Not that, I was just thinking, if it’s not decided yet, maybe you could contact Hong Ye-seong.”
“Hong Ye-seong?”
As Eui-jae blinked, Ga-eul nodded awkwardly.
“Yes, well, somehow… Doesn’t this one’s eyes resemble Cluck’s? Hmm, he might like it.”
Eui-jae looked down at the white puppy hanging on the fence and whining. Now that he heard it, it did seem similar. White and round body, round and black eyes.
He found himself taking out his phone without realizing it.
“…Okay, I’ll try contacting him.”
And he sent a text to Hong Ye-seong.
: Come to the Hanover Soup Restaurant
: Have something to say