READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 234
Every time it squeaks and moves on its own, it’s the best toy from a dog’s perspective.
Lying leisurely on someone else’s floor, fiddling with a smartphone that’s buzzing and vibrating.
Before I knew it, it was 10 o’clock, and a message arrived from Siyeon.
[Did you arrive safely?]
[Yes]
Tap tap tap, sending a message with half-closed eyes, indifferent.
Ah, the pitiful life of having to chat with family via messages from the break of a holiday.
On Labor Day, as a student, I can’t rest; on Children’s Day, as a special worker, I can’t rest either.
I had already explained my situation to Siyeon the day before.
Unusually, two magical girls overlapping in one area, us.
If it were the good-natured Siyeon, she would have gone without a second thought, so it was the right choice for me to come.
‘Though it might seem like I’m taking advantage… in any case, she understands a lot.’
Actually, there are quite a few magical girls in similar situations.
Students who become magical girls alone without parents before becoming adults.
Starting with us, welfare systems for students in such situations have been internally reviewed and recently implemented.
Though it’s obviously hard to replace parents, having an adult stay at home beyond just a helper.
Not just providing money to call a helper like when we were in middle school, but allowing retired single magical girls like Ji-eun to help.
Actually, it’s not that there hasn’t been talk of supporting such a system for us.
The problem is that receiving such support would create an opportunity to be torn apart under the pretext of having care.
Both Siyeon and I have school issues, and we don’t immediately need an adult to care for us, nor do we want to be far apart.
But this logic only applies until we’re seniors in high school.
Given the nature of magical girls who can’t hire separately, they’re eagerly waiting for the moment we become adults to legitimately tear us apart.
‘About two and a half years left…’
As I was inwardly calculating the remaining time.
A white fluffball quietly entered my sight and started sniffing around.
“Ugh…”
“Go wash up in the restroom.”
As they say, only small people can beat dogs; Gomteng was already exhausted, sprawled out in front of the restroom.
Since he was covered in drool, I hurried him to wash up and then turned my gaze to the large, snowball-like dog.
Having eaten and played to his heart’s content, he seemed a bit tired and now came asking to be petted.
Having finished his own exploration, he blatantly sat beside me and stared at me.
“Did Joraengi have fun playing?”
Joraengi, with his fluffy fur, was petted for a while.
Seemingly satisfied, he waddled away on his short legs and plopped down on his cushion, yawning lazily.
Seeing him tired from playing alone, a thought crossed my mind.
‘Isn’t it okay not to go for a walk in the afternoon?’
Having heard that feeding intervals are 12 hours, the outside world during spare time.
Looking for transformation points, I started checking which alleys don’t have CCTV.
‘This place looks good.’
A pile of uncleaned cigarette butts, gum and spit dried on the cement road.
Though the atmosphere doesn’t suggest it, it’s the optimal place for a magical girl transformation.
To onlookers, unmistakably a criminal preparing to commit a crime.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s just pre-mission preparation for a magical girl.
After finishing the reconnaissance, I returned to someone else’s house.
With no monsters appearing, having nothing to do, I started a journey through a video site following the algorithm.
Occasionally, videos from famous dog trainers seen online.
Though I don’t have a pet dog, once I started watching, the smooth and pleasant speech kept me going.
[Sounds dogs love]
Then suddenly, a video title caught my eye.
Is there a sound that dogs particularly love?
Out of simple curiosity, I clicked on the video title to watch the next video.
Unlike previous videos that called various dogs to explain different characteristics, this one was just the trainer sitting alone, talking about various things.
A peaceful broadcast listening to dog owners’ stories and giving advice.
About three-quarters into the video…
“Everyone, call your dogs, your dogs.”
Midst various advice, the trainer suddenly asked to call the dogs.
“Yomi, Shong Shong, come here, make them sit on your lap. Turn up the speaker. I’ll make sounds that dogs, uh, like… sounds that make dogs feel good. Got it?”
The sounds dogs love, the title of the video.
Not wanting to disturb the resting Joraengi, I just quietly approached the cushion and slightly turned up the smartphone volume, curious about the sounds dogs love.
What kind of sound could it be that they even suggest turning up the speaker volume?
“Shall we go for a walk? Let’s go for a walk.”
“?”
As the voice echoed, Joraengi, who was resting on his cushion, suddenly jumped up and clung to my leg.
The trainer’s voice didn’t stop there; it started to go wild.
“Shall we go for a walk? Shall we go for a walk? Let’s go! Walk! Where’s the leash, where’s the leash? Leash! Shall we go for a walk?”
As the trainer’s voice repeated and got louder, Joraengi went crazy, jumping up and down.
Well, he likes it, but this is liking it to the point of going crazy.
After the trainer in the video finished with a big smile, he calmly continued.
“Alright everyone, it’s chaos, right? Go out and come back. Hehehe, go out and come back.”
‘Oh, this damn…’
An involuntary walk I couldn’t help but curse inwardly.
Joraengi was already waiting with the leash in his mouth near my legs.
Ruining a day that could have been spent lounging without a walk.
“Good night, see you next week.”
Even the short, malicious greeting of “Good night” was heard as I grabbed the leash, realizing the broadcast was live at midnight.
Comments under the video mentioned kids running around at midnight, suddenly going out and coming back.
Others mentioned having walked three times already, pretending to sleep, only to have their faces stepped on.
Many were victims of turning up the volume that day… not just one or two.
Due to an unexpected walk, I clumsily handed the leash to Joraengi.
‘Is there a park nearby…’
After grabbing the leash handle, I checked the nearby park location on my smartphone.
Reluctantly, thinking of it as light exercise, I handed Joraengi over the fence and stepped out.
Just walking seemed to make him so happy, quickly descending the narrow stairs.
Tap tap tap, the sound of short legs walking on the asphalt road.
Walking through unfamiliar streets of an unfamiliar city towards an unfamiliar park.
A holiday afternoon park, with aunts and grandfathers occupying every bench.
Following Joraengi, loosely holding the leash, navigating through the park.
Some young people were seen running through the park with their dogs, as part of their daily routine.
“Yap! Yap!”
Normally, we would pass by without a care, but Joraengi, unaware of his size, barked and provoked a large dog, forcing me to say a few words.
“Hey, you’re not even a mouthful, buddy.”
As I subtly shortened and gently pulled the leash, Joraengi stepped back a few steps due to the force.
The fearless dog’s first greeting made the owner of the large dog smile and stop to ask.
“What’s his name?”
“Joraengi.”
The man’s question about the name, I had heard it before, so I could answer immediately.
The first question was easily handled.
“How old is he?”
The second question that flew in was something I didn’t know.
How would I know how old someone else’s dog is, or if it’s male or female?
While the two dogs sniffed each other, I was momentarily lost in thought.
“He’s my cousin’s dog…”
“Ah, I see.”
With a quick lie, I managed to avoid further questions.
Leaving behind the brief encounter during exercise, I focused back on the park walk.
When I started running, he followed; when I stopped, he sniffed the ground, looking for something to pick up.
“Hey hey, Joraengi. Don’t eat that.”
Whenever he tried to pick something up, I handed him a snack I brought.
Just a fragment of knowledge picked up from today’s video.
If it were just grass, it would be one thing…
But picking up cigarette butts all over the park, even though he’s not my dog, worried me.
After finishing the dog walk and owner’s exercise, I returned feeling strangely refreshed.
Thinking of taking a shower and waiting to be discharged, my mind felt at ease.
Then, a few hours later…
“Ah, really, really thank you. I had no one around to ask for such a favor. I’m so grateful, I’ll send you more money.”
A neatly dressed woman returned home, expressing excessive gratitude for the work done, even offering additional payment while fiddling with her phone.
Actually, I had already received double the salary and care fee.
“It’s okay, really… are you feeling alright?”
Unless it was a rude attitude, I thought there was no need to accept more, so I declined and asked about her health.
“Yes… just minor bruises, nothing seriously injured, but I need to be hospitalized…”
“Ouch, you had a rough time.”
“Was it tough taking care of Joraengi?”
“No, he was quiet. I’ll be going now, take care and rest well.”
“Yes, thank you-”
A warm send-off on a ambitious night, leaving the villa.
Getting into the black van that had been waiting since dawn.
No need to say anything now, just the sound of the engine starting.
On the road home at night, staring blankly at the faint reflection in the window, thinking.
‘Should I raise something…’
Unable to forget the fluffy furball, my hand grasping at the air.
Even though we only met for a day, Joraengi’s image still lingered before my eyes.