4.1

“The weather is really nice.”

They took Chapssal out for a walk in the park near the house. Since it was the weekend, there were some people around, but the weather was neither too hot nor too cloudy—it was perfect.

“Right. Should I hold the leash?”

“No, I’ll hold it.”

Even though holding Chapssal’s harness leash wasn’t difficult, she insisted on holding it herself. Chapssal wagged his tail and hips excitedly as he walked, occasionally stopping to sniff the dirt. The leisurely pace of the walk allowed her to wait patiently while Chapssal sniffed whatever he wanted. It felt like this kind of time was something she desperately needed.

A moment of purification…

Walking with the pure-hearted Chapssal in nature, she felt as though she was cleansing her recently polluted soul.

Ever since their first time having s*x, Seo Yebom, Juhan, and Hyunho had been, quite literally, having s*x like crazy. Apart from the hours when the two men were at work, it seemed like all they ever did was have s*x. They enjoyed it in various positions, all over the spacious house. It was almost like they were newlyweds—so much so that they would throw down their spoons mid-meal the moment their eyes met, just to have s*x.

That’s why this non-s*xual time felt so unfamiliar. 

Even while she had been consumed by lust, the world had continued to turn, unchanged. 

This time was not only a moment of purification for her considerably corrupted soul but also a much-needed break. The s*x with the two men was so thrilling and indescribably good, but it was also physically taxing and exhausting.

Compared to s*x, walking felt like a restful break. She moved her feet slowly and leisurely.

“I can’t see your face.”

While Chapssal paused to investigate something, Juhan cupped her cheek in his hand, lifting her face to meet his gaze. 

What difference did it make if he didn’t see my face for a short while? 

When Juhan pinched her cheek and stretched it, she let out a groan.

“That’s funny.”

He chuckled and let go of her cheek. 

Flustered, she turned her face away and pulled her cap down lower to hide it. 

Perhaps due to lingering stress from her stalker, she still made sure to hide her face whenever she went out. Occasionally, she would glance around like a meerkat to check if the stalker was nearby. 

Fortunately, ever since moving to this neighborhood, she hadn’t seen him even once. 

Relieved, she glanced at the smartwatch on her wrist. It was a gift from Hyunho, designed to allow her to call for help immediately in case of an emergency.

“Hey, don’t eat that. No.”

Chapssal showed interest in a piece of trash, so she gently tugged on the leash. He resumed walking, wagging his tail, now showing curiosity about some grass or a tree.

“Chapssal is so cute.”

Automatically, she pulled out her phone to take a picture of him. These days, her photo gallery was filled with hundreds of pictures of Chapssal. She had always taken pictures whenever they met, but now that they lived together, there were just too many adorable moments to capture.

“Want me to take a picture of you too?”

“Huh? Sure.”

Juhan took out his phone and started taking pictures of her. She hugged Chapssal, smiled, and posed naturally for the camera. Click, click—Juhan, with his usual expressionless face, took photo after photo.

“Send them to me later.”

“Okay.”

He came closer and wrapped an arm around her waist as they continued to walk.

She wished Hyunho could have joined them. However, since Hyunho worked at an animal hospital, his schedule included weekend shifts and weekday breaks. Juhan, on the other hand, worked a typical 9-to-5 job with weekends off, so they alternated spending time alone with her. While she didn’t mind being with just one of them, she still missed having all three of them together.

“Chapssal, are you scared?”

Chapssal hesitated in front of a stepping stone bridge over a small stream, whining for someone to pick him up.

“Haha, he’s asking to be carried.”

“What a scaredy-cat.”

“Even if he’s a scaredy-cat, it’s okay because he’s cute.”

Chapssal might not be able to protect her or guard the house, but his cuteness more than made up for it.

She picked him up and carried him across the stepping stones. His soft fur, warmed by the sunlight, felt even cozier. Lowering her head, she sniffed his fur and planted a kiss on the back of his adorable little head.

How could anyone abandon such a sweet dog?

Chapssal had been abandoned in a box left outside the animal hospital where Hyunho worked during his early days there. At the time, Chapssal had a severe skin condition, with patches of fur missing and his skin red and inflamed.

While caring for him at the hospital, Hyunho had searched for someone to adopt him. However, no suitable adopters came forward, and in the meantime, he became deeply attached to the dog. After much thought, he decided to adopt him himself.

Thanks to Hyunho’s dedicated care, Chapssal’s skin condition healed completely, and he became a happy dog who smiled often.

Having experienced the pain of abandonment once, Chapssal was especially precious to her. She hugged him tightly, feeling both affection and sadness.

“Chapssal…”

“A scaredy-cat carrying another scaredy-cat around.”

“….”

Juhan’s teasing ruined her sentimental moment.

“I’m not a scaredy-cat.”

“You’re cute, so it’s fine.”

She felt so “grateful” that she almost wanted to cry.

“But while you might look cute, your personality is something else entirely.”

“What’s wrong with my personality?”

“It’s pretty spicy.”

“….”

When they reached a dirt path, she carefully set Chapssal down and bumped her head against Juhan’s chest. However, his rock-solid body only caused her to bounce off.

“What are you, a bullfighter?”

Juhan chuckled, irritating her to no end.

Chapssal turned his head to look at them, tilting it curiously, before continuing on his way. Interestingly, whenever Juhan suddenly lifted her or pressed his face against her, Chapssal would bark, mistaking it for an attack. However, when she genuinely attacked Juhan, Chapssal didn’t seem to care at all.

Such a clever dog. 

She decided to give him a treat when they got home.

“Stop teasing me. Let’s stop by the bakery on the way back. I feel like eating bread.”

“Sure, pig.”

“…Did you just call me a pig?!”

She tried to headbutt him again, but Juhan raised his hands in surrender.

“I meant, ‘Sure, that’s fine.’”

“Liar…”

“You stay outside with Chapssal, and I’ll buy whatever you want.”

He pulled out a card from his wallet and slipped it into her pocket. She opened her mouth to argue but then closed it.

She was slowly getting used to this neighborhood. Being a wealthy area, it had many famous restaurants and bakeries, which was a definite plus. The large park also made it perfect for walks.

When Chapssal spotted another dog approaching from the opposite direction, he sniffed curiously at the other dog’s rear. The other dog returned the gesture, sniffing Chapssal in turn.

Two dogs sniffing each other—it was too cute to handle. Since there were other people around, she held back her squeals of delight.

“Hello.”

“Hello.”

She exchanged an awkward smile and greeting with the other dog’s owner.

After finishing their leisurely walk and buying a bag full of bread, they returned home.

Chapssal was given some pumpkin cubes, while she and Juhan cut up the bread and shared it. After showering and changing into pajamas, she sat down at her desk.

She planned to finish working on the sticker designs she had started the day before. The theme was a picnic in the forest, featuring her animal characters.

With music playing softly in the background, she began drawing on her tablet. She enjoyed creating these cute animal designs against a green, nature-inspired backdrop in her cozy workspace.

While she was deeply focused on her work, Juhan entered through the open door.

“Are you working?”

“Yeah. Where’s Chapssal?”

“He’s asleep. He passed out after the walk.”

“Haha.”

So cute.

Juhan, perhaps feeling bored, dragged a chair over and sat beside her.

“Busy?”

“A little?”

Ah.

She pointed at the tablet with her stylus, fearing he might suggest having s*x again.

“I have to work.”

Without a word, Juhan stared at the drawing she was working on.

“Isn’t the quokka cute?”

She was coloring a quokka sitting on a picnic mat, eating a sandwich.

“Yeah, it’s cute.”

“I’m going to turn this into a sticker.”

“Give me one too.”

“Sure.”

Although Juhan and stickers didn’t seem like a match, she thought it might just be a stereotype. After all, he had taken various items she had designed, including postcards, stickers, pocket mirrors, and plushies. She had even seen him using them from time to time. His current phone case, for instance, was a bear Santa design she had created.

“Don’t work too much.”

“Work? I have to work a lot! This is how I make a living—buying food and other necessities.”

“And dildos too.”

“……”

She glared at Juhan with sharp eyes.

“You don’t need dildos anymore. We can just have s*x.”

Unable to hold back, she bit Juhan’s shoulder with a growl. His shoulders were so broad that it felt like trying to bite into a custom-made burger—her mouth could barely manage. Giving up on taking a big bite, she instead nipped at him multiple times. Perhaps because it didn’t hurt much, Juhan only chuckled.

“Even Chapssal doesn’t bite me, but you do?”

“Because you keep talking about dildos….”

“Oh, I’m hard now.”

“…?”

Juhan pulled her into his arms, and she felt something heavy pressing against her stomach.

“Why?!”

“How could I not get hard when you’re nibbling at me like that with your tiny mouth?”

Had I dug my own grave?