DMWP V1C2 – Part 7

As Heeseong was getting used to commuting with Yoon Chi-young, he finally got a chance to be away from him for the first time.

“Um… No. I’ll go.”

Yoon Chi-young nodded after receiving a whisper from his guard. Then, he carefully placed the puppy he was holding on the leather chair he was sitting on.

“Just wait a bit. I’ll be right back.”

‘Come back late.’

Yoon Chi-young stroked the puppy who was staring at him ambitiously before walking out the door. Heeseong kept one ear up, listening for his footsteps to fade away.

Soon, the office became completely quiet. Heeseong felt like he could cry.

This is my chance.

He was finally going to be away from the annoying Yoon Chi-young. This was the first time in two weeks. The puppy was excited and nervous at the same time, but he didn’t miss the opportunity.

‘I just need to hide somewhere.’

Heeseong had already made a plan. Once he was away from Yoon Chi-young, he planned to hide in a corner and move around at night. The small size of a small dog, his only advantage, was perfect for hiding.

‘I have to run even if one of my legs breaks.’

The puppy carefully positioned himself to jump off the high chair, his front paws dangling. His hind legs were not fully healed yet and he had to limp, but he could not miss this opportunity. Soon, Heeseong bravely jumped down from the chair.

However, Heeseong’s body remained floating in the air as he jumped down.

Something was strange. He looked down and saw a large hand holding the puppy’s soft belly steadily.

“It’s dangerous to jump down.”

“…….”

Ji Young-bae gently placed the puppy back on the chair. He was a member of the organization who always misinterpreted the puppy’s words, causing Heeseong to distrust and resent him.

Only then did Heeseong look behind the high chair, which was like a cliff to him. He could see what was hidden from the puppy’s low field of vision.

‘Damn it… you cowardly wolf cub.’

Six members of the adult wolf clan were watching over the puppy. Heeseong sighed and looked away, feeling sorry for them. He felt that Yoon Chi-young had disappeared too easily.

In the end, the puppy gave up and curled up on the chair like a bagel. Following his uneasy mind, he huddled even smaller.

‘The gambling settlement is coming up soon. Will my brother take responsibility for my mistakes too….’

As time went on, Heeseong became more and more anxious. He was physically comfortable by Yoon Chi-young’s side, but his mind was always restless.

The Dog Clan valued loyalty above all else. And the motto of the canines was that even if you betray your family, you should not betray your packmates. To Heeseong, the brother who had taken him in after he was abandoned was always a being to whom he had to repay his debt.

‘My brother must believe that I didn’t run away….’

But if he didn’t go back forcibly and delayed like this, and eventually betrayed the loyalty between the Dog Clan… he might be abandoned by the pack as well.

Heeseong anxiously looked at the clock in the distance. If he could recover faster and turn into a human, he would have a chance to escape. He hated his small and weak body today.

***

“Boss! Long time no see.”

As Yoon Chi-young entered the visiting room, Park Geon-tae hurriedly stood up and greeted him. He had dressed up in a suit for the occasion and visited the Wolf Clan’s headquarters.

Yoon Chi-young simply nodded his head in greeting and sat down on the sofa in front. He didn’t offer Park Geon-tae a seat and left him standing there. Yoon Chi-young treated Park Geon-tae comfortably, just like he did at the casino, glancing down at his watch.

“Did you have to come all the way here?”

“Yes. I have something to tell you… Are you busy?”

“Very.”

Yoon Chi-young said without hiding it. It was because he had a puppy waiting for him. However, Park Geon-tae, who didn’t know about him, exaggeratedly said that he seemed to be busy lately, and asked if his business was going well these days. Then, he belatedly got to the main point.

“Yes, it’s about the goods we traded last time….”

“Hmm, drugs?”

“Yes, that’s right. Yes….”

Park Geon-tae was flustered by the direct question. He usually talked well and acted innocent, even though he was good at talking. That’s why it was difficult for him to ask for a favor.

“It seems that the person who was transporting the goods, Kim Heeseong, has stolen them….”

“Ah… your youngest?”

“Yes. So, if you could give us some time to pay the balance until we find our youngest….”

Park Geon-tae said with difficulty. He meant that it was difficult because they were also victims, so he asked for understanding.

Yoon Chi-young nodded with a smile, but his gray eyes scanned Park Geon-tae with contempt.

“Yes. It’s suspicious that the youngest disappeared from the wolf clan headquarters, and we don’t know where the goods went… So, I guess you’re saying you can’t pay the balance right away.”

“That’s not what I meant… haha.”

Park Geon-tae glanced at Yoon Chi-young’s expression, feeling like a naked man. The other person was a VIP of the casino and a wolf clan who held a lot of black money. However, Yoon Chi-young was a very unpredictable and perceptive person, so it was difficult to please him. Park Geon-tae cursed inwardly, but he pretended to be flustered in order to catch his eye.

Then, an unexpected question came.

“Where did you get that youngest from?”

“Yes. Kim Heeseong is… huh?”

When Park Geon-tae looked up, Yoon Chi-young was waiting for his answer with an expectant look in his eyes, as if he was listening to the most interesting conversation in the world. Park Geon-tae was surprised to see a seemingly sane psychopath in front of him, but he told him what he remembered.

“It was about 5 years ago, I think? We found a puppy living alone in a house in a redevelopment area.”

“…Was he abandoned by his family?”

“It’s not certain, but it was probably because it was a shantytown. He was so weak that he was about to die… So, I guess he was abandoned.”

“Ah, I see….”

Yoon Chi-young seemed to be sad, as if it was his own story. Park Geon-tae, who knew the personalities of the VIP guests one by one, nodded his head bitterly. Yoon Chi-young was more sensitive than he thought, and he often made a profit by keeping an eye on the members of the organization who were good at talking.

“Then what does he like?”

“Huh?”

“What does he like?”

Yoon Chi-young’s smile cooled slightly. Though it was just a subtle downturn of his lips, the quick-witted Park Geon-tae noticed the difference and hastily responded.

“Well, what Heeseong likes is…”

“Yes.”

“Um. It seems he generally likes all kinds of food…”

“……”

Even as Park Geon-tae rambled, Yoon Chi-young didn’t take his eyes off him, as if watching a poor play. His gray eyes shone coolly. If it were boring, one might look away, but when it’s pitiful, one tends to see how low it can go.

Yoon Chi-young subtly tilted his head and asked.

“Don’t know?”

“No, no, I know. He really liked ramen.”

“Ah… Ramen.”

Hearing the answer, Yoon Chi-young smirked and nodded. He was already looking down somewhere on the sofa with a face tired of it all, where a certain aggressive white mass used to be.

“And the birthday?”

“It was in the summer… Around July. He was a younger brother who always made sure to celebrate my birthday, even if it passed.”

“Well… I see.”

Even with the additional explanation, Yoon Chi-young seemed half-interested. His smile had faded, and he twitched his toes, coiled from the boredom, mumbling.

“You’ve had him for 5 years. Not knowing what he likes or even his birthday. Now, to be hit from behind and not even know where he is…”

“…Yes.”

Park Geon-tae felt a chill down his back. Strangely, he felt like he had made a mistake, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong.

Moreover, he consistently thought that Yoon Chi-young was toying with him. And seeing Yoon Chi-young suddenly laugh as if enjoying himself alone confirmed his suspicion. This guy must have some other scheme.

“Alright, I got it.”

Then Yoon Chi-young easily rose from his seat.

“I’ll go. You don’t have to make a deposit until the youngest is caught.”

“Really? Thank you for understanding! Next time you come to the casino, we will…”

“My lover is waiting.”

Yoon Chi-young said with a subtly amused smile, excusing himself without hesitation. Park Geon-tae followed beside Yoon Chi-young, chattering amiably.

“So, that’s why you haven’t visited the casino lately. Next time, please bring your lover along.”

“Sure.”

Unruffled, Yoon Chi-young stood before the door. Expressionless Wolf Clan members opened the door and waited silently. Only Yoon Chi-young seemed unbothered by the heavy atmosphere.

“Ah.”

As if remembering something, Yoon Chi-young slowly exhaled and turned halfway.

“Your youngest likes grilled eel, right?”

He said with a grin.

Before the flustered Park Geon-tae could respond, Yoon Chi-young walked out into the hallway. The last thing Park Geon-tae saw was the hem of his black coat fluttering slightly with each step of his tall figure.

Even after Yoon Chi-young left, Park Geon-tae remained rooted to the spot for a while. Unpleasant tension crawled up his spine, and he cursed under his breath.

“…What the hell? That damn brat.”

Yoon Chi-young’s last words lingered in his ears. They could have been meaningless, but coming from a cunning wolf like him, it was different. Especially if it was Yoon Chi-young…

Park Geon-tae soon fled the Wolf Clan’s territory with a hardened face. Something didn’t feel right.

***