The Dog Called Tissue
Back at the officetel, Eunha looked down with a troubled face.
"......"
The white dog that had followed her all this way sat neatly and stared up at her.
On the chance it already belonged to someone, she had waited in that same spot for more than an hour, but no one who might have been its owner ever appeared.
"Oh my, it's gorgeous! Can I pet it just once... kyaah!"
And yet, gentle as that face could look, it bared its teeth outright at anyone who came near—truly, as if it meant to bite.
Eunha lifted a hand and stroked the dog's head. Its eyes eased slowly shut, pleased. She didn't know why, but the dog followed her with unusual devotion.
That did not mean she could keep it. Because...
Cat Wandering the Darkness lets out a heartbroken wail. Huk... heuk... huk-huk...
You came to hate me, unni. How could you? How could you leave someone this cute behind! It pats you with its front paws. Pat, pat.
If you don't chase that dog off this instant, I'm running away from home! I said what I said! It lays down the threat.
The cat had been like that the entire time. It seemed convinced someone had stolen Eunha away.
Unused to soothing anyone, Eunha chose to leave it be. Leave it alone, she thought, and it would settle.
Cat Wandering the Darkness spits curses too foul to put in a mouth. That damned dog-XX! XXX! XX!
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......It did not seem to have been a very good method.
People did say dogs and cats didn't get along. Thinking back, the cat had shown a peculiar disgust for anything to do with dogs from the very beginning.
After fretting over it, Eunha called Jehwi. She wanted advice on what to do with a dog she was only sheltering for the time being.
"A dog... you say?"
Once he had heard the whole story, his answer was simple.
"That's perfect timing! Jerim's been pestering me nonstop about wanting a dog anyway. Until we find the owner, how about we foster it at our place for a while?"
"I'd be grateful if you would."
"I'm already nearby taking care of something, so I'll head over as soon as I'm done."
About two hours later, Jehwi arrived at the officetel.
"I haven't told Jerim yet. He won't have the faintest idea, not even in his dreams. You should see how happy that kid's going to be."
He stepped inside beaming. The big shopping bag in his hand—bought on the way, by the look of it—was packed with everything a pet dog could need: pee pads, treats, toys.
And then.
"......!"
At the sight of the dog sitting quietly on the sofa, Jehwi went rigid as a statue. For some reason, cold sweat even began to bead and run.
The dog itself only lounged against the cushions, neither barking nor coming any closer, which made the whole thing stranger still.
"Manager?"
"Ah."
Jehwi snapped back to himself with a groan, his eyes still locked on the dog.
"I... Hunter. I'm sorry, but I don't think I can."
Cat Wandering the Darkness doubts its own ears. It won't work? Hey, you. What do you mean, it won't work?
The sudden reversal left Eunha just as thrown.
"What do you mean, you can't?"
When she asked, Jehwi inched back from the dog.
"Th-that's... now that I think about it, our place is a jeonse rental. If I want to bring a dog in, I'd need the landlord's permission... Ah, and more than anything, Jerim's a little scared of big dogs."
Eunha stared at him without a word. Jehwi smiled, strained and reluctant, and hurriedly hid the bag of pet supplies behind his back, as if afraid someone might see it.
Her gaze moved from him to the white dog. It was watching this place so intently that it almost seemed to understand the two of them, and the sight left her oddly uneasy.
"......Then it can't be helped. I'll look for the owner for a few days, and after that I'll have to call the police, or a shelter for abandoned dogs."
"What?!"
"Ah—ah, no! You can't!"
Jehwi jumped where he stood. Startled along with him, Eunha turned to look.
"Why? Don't worry. There's bound to be a shelter that opposes euthanasia. I'll find one."
She said it in a calm voice. Eunha knew perfectly well that more than a few dogs sent to shelters were put down when no home was found for them.
First I'll take photos and put up flyers nearby.
And if the owner still didn't turn up, she would find a decent shelter. The academy might be able to help.
While she turned over one idea and then another, the sweat beading on Jehwi's brow broke like a shower and ran down his jaw.
"Do you know how rough the world is these days? Leave him somewhere strange, and there's no telling what might happen to the Representative— no, to this handsome dog."
"Hm."
"J-just for a little while, please look after him yourself, Hunter. I'll ask around in your place. I think I might know someone who wants a puppy. And who knows? Before that, the dog might just up and go home on its own."
"On its own feet?"
"Yes. Dogs are very smart these days."
Eunha studied him with open doubt, then slowly nodded.
"All right. A few days."
At her answer, Jehwi's face lit as if by magic. At the same time—
Cat Wandering the Darkness: What was that?! You $#^@!@^&*!
She pretended not to see the yellow message window surging up into her vision, fierce as a threat.
The next day.
"What's with the puppy?"
"A shepherd? Or not? A husky?"
"Look at the muscle on those legs. That's no joke."
"How old is it? It's incredibly gentle."
The dog that had insisted on following her all the way to the academy was an instant hit.
"What's this one's name?"
Caught off guard, Eunha closed her mouth for a moment.
Her gaze, drifting through empty air, snagged on a roll of toilet paper left on someone's desk.
"......Tissue."
The dog's blue eyes flicked toward her.
That pure white coat really did look just like tissue. For someone with no sense for names, she thought she had done rather well, and felt a small flicker of pride.
"Oh my. Looks that cool, and the name's adorable."
"Tissue, look over here. So gentle."
Tissue didn't bark or bite or do anything fierce, but being ringed by people clearly didn't please it; it had gone stiff as a board. Eunha never even considered that it might simply dislike the name.
"Is this your dog, Yura?"
Yunho poked his head in—who knew when he had arrived. Today, too, he wore that refreshing smile.
Cat Wandering the Darkness cries out. No! Say no! Tell them unni doesn't keep a single dog—tell them a cat is what saves the world!
Eunha ignored the yellow window floating in front of her and answered vaguely.
"Ah... it just sort of happened. I've put up flyers to find the owner, but no one's contacted me yet."
"So you're fostering it. You're kindhearted, Yura."
"I'm only keeping it for a few days."
She slid past the compliment and looked somewhere else for no reason. Even now the yellow windows kept popping up without end—ding, ding, ding.
"And after those few days?"
"My mana— no, a friend is looking for a suitable shelter. One that doesn't do euthanasia."
"Hm. If that's what you need, I know a good place."
Yunho, carrying the conversation along with ease, smiled warmly and stepped closer.
"Shall I give you the information?"
Information? Now that she thought of it, he had said he volunteered regularly with abandoned dogs.
"I'd appreciate that."
"Mm. I'd need to send you a link and a few other things, so if you don't mind, maybe a follow on social—gyah!"
That was when it happened.
Woof! Woof, woof!
Tissue started barking, loud enough to fill the room. Every student in the training hall flinched at once. So did Eunha.
Gentle only a moment ago, Tissue bared its teeth at Yunho with open menace. If she hadn't had hold of the leash, his thigh would already have been bitten—and then some.
Cat Wandering the Darkness insists, hard. Look at this. This dog has rabies, no question. Unni, there's nothing left to see. Send it to a shelter right now, or do something.
"Rabies?"
Eunha narrowed her eyes despite herself. Yunho whipped around.
"Huk!"
She blinked at his fear-soaked face.
"Ah, I was talking to myself. Don't misunderstand."
Correcting herself calmly, she patted Tissue's back as if to soothe it. Tissue stopped barking, but it was still growling at Yunho.
"Strange. It was perfectly well-behaved just a moment ago."
"Ah, ahaha..."
Thoroughly spooked, Yunho retreated in short order, all the way across the room. Once Eunha had calmed Tissue, she turned toward him.
"Sorry. It really isn't rabies, so please don't mind it. What were we talking about?"
"Ah, um. It wasn't anything important. After class... no. Let's talk again tomorrow."
Yunho scurried back to his seat as if something were chasing him.
Even after that, Tissue did not take its eyes off him. What kind of animal looked at a person that savagely? The glare alone seemed ready to tear someone to shreds.
In the end, with the academy office's kindness, she decided to leave Tissue in their care while class was in session.
"Stay quiet. All right?"
"......"
"No barking. People will be startled. And they might get the wrong idea."
Did it actually understand human speech? At her words, Tissue set its haunches neatly on the floor. Only its eyes seemed a little sad.
"I'll be back soon. If you behave, we'll go for a walk together when we get home today."
The tail flicked, little by little. It really did seem to understand.
"Good dog."
Eunha smiled faintly and, one last time, carefully stroked Tissue's head.
Cat Wandering the Darkness cannot go on. Unni... It lifts its head with a sorrowful face.
Ah. She had only just turned a dismayed look on the yellow window.
"Y-Yura!"
A woman's shout came from behind. The one who came running, all in a rush, was a student from the same class.
"Hah—hah—they say a gate appeared nearby! We have to evacuate right now. Hurry!"
"Nearby? Where?"
"I think it's the building across from us. Didn't you get the disaster alert? You know, the jjimjilbang—the bathhouse. No, this isn't the time. Grab your things first!"
Urgent as the urging was, Eunha did not move. Expressionless, she only glanced at the view beyond the window.
The building directly opposite.
It was true. Just as the girl had said, across a single crosswalk a faint green crack wavered over the building facing them. The expected difficulty was about B-rank.
Beside it, a handful of civilians—old people, children—looked up at the green fissure with uneasy eyes.
"Look after Tissue."
Speaking calmly, Eunha seized the window's iron bars in both hands.
"......What? Y-Yura?!"
Kreeee—
It was a sight no one could believe. Hauling on the bars with both hands as if to tear them free, she slipped through the gap that opened as easily as pulled taffy and threw herself out.
"Kyaaaaaah!"
From the fourth floor straight down to the first.