Ttorang-i's Outing
"Woof, woof!"
"Whoa, okay, I get it. Calm down."
Dojin pulled back on the harness leash, trying to hold Ttorang-i back.
If he didn't, she would undoubtedly bolt forward again.
She seemed absolutely thrilled to be out of the Three Meals House for a walk; ever since they passed the main gate, her energy levels had been through the roof.
"Did Seung-wan say he was practically dragged around?"
Ttorang-i was originally Do-hee's responsibility.
However, since she wasn't ready to venture outside the house yet, Seung-wan had stepped in to take Ttorang-i for her outdoor walks.
Though he had returned a mere ten minutes after leaving.
"Ttorang-i is so strong, I couldn't handle her at all. I think you'll have to take her out yourself for her first few walks, Dojin."
Dojin, who had been busy checking on Cheongdung-i and the newly joined Hwanggeum-i, had taken the leash without a second thought.
Seung-wan had looked far too disheveled for someone who had only been gone for ten minutes.
Setting aside the fact that he was sweating buckets as he spoke,
his hair was a wild mess, and his shoes and pants were covered in dust.
Did he fall? His shirt is clean, so he probably didn't roll on the ground.
It was easy to forget because she was usually so obedient, but Ttorang-i was a large dog.
If she set her mind to it, she could easily drag someone of Seung-wan's build around.
"Woof, woof!"
"Hey! I told you to calm down."
Feeling the tension in the leash, Dojin pulled back firmly.
Since she was wearing a harness, there was no risk of choking her, so Dojin didn't hold back his strength.
"Whimper..."
Unlike with Seung-wan, Ttorang-i found herself pulled back by Dojin's strength, and she began to gauge his reaction.
Realizing she couldn't get her way, she seemed to regain a bit of her senses.
"Good girl. I know you love walks, but let's calm down a bit, okay? The villagers all know you, but if you get too excited, you might startle the elders."
"Woof."
Ttorang-i barked softly as if she understood.
Now that she was acting like her usual self, Dojin began to walk.
He extended the retractable leash to give her plenty of slack, and Ttorang-i began to enjoy the walk comfortably.
"Woof, woof!"
But whenever she started to get overly excited again—
Tug!
Dojin shortened the leash and pulled it tight.
Pulled right back to Dojin's side in an instant, Ttorang-i looked up at him sheepishly, seemingly realizing she had done something wrong.
"Whimper..."
"Once we enter the village, you can't bark like that. It'll startle the elders. Got it?"
"Ruff."
Watching Ttorang-i blink as if agreeing, Dojin fell into deep thought.
Should I put a muzzle on her now?
She was usually so gentle, and he had never used one since rescuing her, so he hadn't brought it out.
But seeing how easily she gets excited, I shouldn't take any chances.
Before his regression, didn't the owners of large dogs that caused accidents always say the same things?
"Our dog is very gentle."
"My baby would never bite anyone."
"She's an angel at home."
Those owners probably weren't entirely lying.
Even Dojin couldn't picture Ttorang-i ever hurting anyone.
But there was no guarantee that a dog who was an angel to him would show that same angelic side to strangers.
To avoid any unnecessary trouble, a muzzle seemed necessary.
Having made up his mind, Dojin pulled out a muzzle.
"Ruff?"
Seeing the unfamiliar object in Dojin's hand, Ttorang-i tilted her head in curiosity.
"Ttorang-i, stay still. Good girl."
Perhaps because she had never worn one in her life, Ttorang-i accepted the muzzle without much resistance.
But that only lasted a moment.
"Whimper..." Scratch, scratch, scratch.
Feeling the discomfort, Ttorang-i began to whimper and scratch at the muzzle with her front paws.
But no matter how much she scratched, the securely fastened muzzle wasn't going to come off.
In the end, there was only one person Ttorang-i could turn to.
"Whimper..."
Ttorang-i looked up at Dojin, putting on her most pitiful face.
With her naturally droopy eyes, she already looked sorrowful, and her blatant attempt to elicit sympathy made Dojin waver for a second.
"I know it's uncomfortable, but you have to wear it. It's the rule when we go outside."
Steeling himself, Dojin spoke firmly.
"Whimper..."
Ttorang-i continued to try and win him over with her puppy-dog eyes.
However,
"No, I'm not taking it off."
she couldn't sway Dojin, who had already made up his mind.
After her fifth attempt failed, Ttorang-i finally gave up and stopped whimpering.
From then on, it was smooth sailing.
Thanks to Dojin's proper handling and the calming effect of the muzzle, Ttorang-i began to enjoy the walk in her usual calm manner.
Pant, pant...
"Hot, isn't it? Have some water."
As soon as Dojin poured water into the bowl he had brought, Ttorang-i lapped it up.
Fortunately, the muzzle was designed to allow her to drink water while wearing it, so he didn't have to take it off.
It would have been a pain to put it back on if I took it off.
As they walked through the village, welcoming voices greeted Ttorang-i from all directions.
"Oh! Look who it is. Isn't that Ttorang-i? My, you look healthy, girl!"
"This is Ttorang-i? Wow, she looks completely different now that she's washed and well-fed."
The elders walking around the village approached and stroked her head.
"Ruff!"
Perhaps because Dojin was by her side, Ttorang-i wagged her tail and enjoyed the attention.
"Aigoo, you're actually greeting us now? You used to run away the moment you saw us."
"I know. Even when we left food out for her, she'd only eat after we left. Oh, Elder Park! Come over here. It's Ttorang-i!"
"Oh? This is her? Wow, you've really hit the jackpot, haven't you?"
"Living at Teacher Baek's house has turned her life completely around."
In the village, Dojin was still referred to as "Teacher Baek."
The nickname the children used when visiting the schoolyard had naturally stuck.
Only the village chief and a few others called him "Dojin-gun."
Pant, pant.
"Aigoo, why were you so skittish back then when you're this affectionate?"
"Why else? It's because her previous owner abandoned her."
"Tsk, how can people wear human faces and act like that?"
"Sigh, the world is coming to an end. I saw on the news the other day that a high schooler gave birth at school and abandoned the baby."
"A high schooler? How could a child give birth to a child?"
"What do you mean, child? Think back to our days. By seventeen or eighteen, we already had two kids!"
"True, I had my Jo-young around that age too."
Before long, a crowd of villagers had gathered around Dojin and Ttorang-i.
Since nothing much ever changed in this old village, Dojin and Ttorang-i's walk was enough to draw everyone's attention.
Thanks to that, a lively atmosphere resembling the village hall was created right under the blazing sun.
"Ah, Teacher Baek. Thanks for the ginseng chicken soup the other day. I'd been feeling a bit under the weather lately, but that nourishing meal fixed me right up."
"Haha, I'm glad you're feeling better. You need your strength to play with Yong-sik when he visits."
"Haha, having to play with a grandson at my age. Even in old age, life is exhausting, exhausting."
Despite his words, the elderly man's face beamed with happiness.
Unlike his son, who barely spoke to him anymore, his grandson would cling to him, calling out, "Grandpa, Grandpa!"
It was clear why they said elders lived for the joy of watching their grandchildren grow.
"Oh? I don't see Sun-ja Hal-meoni. Did she go somewhere?"
Dojin asked, looking around as he chatted with the residents.
He had been keeping an eye out for her during the walk, but she was nowhere to be seen.
She would have loved to see Ttorang-i.
When she had visited the Three Meals House with her granddaughter, she had actually paid more attention to Ttorang-i than to her granddaughter.
Even Ttorang-i, who had moved into the Three Meals House after her veterinary treatment, hadn't been wary of Sun-ja Hal-meoni.
They said she took good care of her when she was a stray.
She had lost the Jindo dog she had raised for thirteen years the year before last.
She said she had been prepared for it since the dog was old.
However, while struggling with the inevitable loneliness left by the companion she had raised for over a decade, she had spotted Ttorang-i.
From then on, the grandmother had quietly started looking after Ttorang-i.
Though she didn't bring her home because she was at an age where she didn't know when she might pass away, she showered the dog with care whenever she saw her.
Perhaps that was why Ttorang-i never ran away when it was just the grandmother.
If Ttorang-i hadn't been injured, the grandmother might be raising her right now.
Memories of taking Ttorang-i to the animal hospital flashed through Dojin's mind.
The dog who had been wary of people but hadn't rejected a gentle touch.
Although Sun-ja Hal-meoni had said she didn't plan to take her home, Ttorang-i would likely have gone to her on her own.
"Aren't you sad to let her go? If you still want to take Ttorang-i..."
Dojin had asked the grandmother on the final day the schoolyard was open.
Ttorang-i had recovered well and was no longer as wary of humans, so he was willing to let her go if the grandmother wished.
Of course, he only suggested it because Ttorang-i followed her just as much as she followed him.
But the grandmother had shaken her head at Dojin's offer.
She wore a lonely yet relieved smile.
"It's better for you to raise her, Teacher Baek. Who knows when my time will come? Haha."
Since then, the grandmother hadn't seen Ttorang-i.
It was only natural, as the gates of the Three Meals House were closed and Ttorang-i had never gone outside.
That was why she had been so surprised to see Ttorang-i at the feast.
"Aigoo! Is that really you, Ttorang-i? You're completely healthy now! I barely recognized you."
"Ruff!"
Seeing Ttorang-i so lively, she couldn't take her eyes off the dog.
Ttorang-i also seemed to remember the grandmother who had cared for her, lingering by her side and showing off all kinds of tricks.
Thanks to that, Sun-ja Hal-meoni had returned home with the happiest smile after the feast.
"Ah, Sun-ja? She's probably at home. She hasn't been feeling well lately."
"Pardon?"
Snapped out of his reminiscence, Dojin looked at the villager who had spoken in surprise.
It was an elderly man who lived next door to Sun-ja Hal-meoni, someone Dojin was fairly familiar with.
"Is... is she sick? Is it serious?"
Seeing Dojin's concern, the old man shook his head gently.
"It's nothing serious, she just threw her back out a bit. Her knees have been bad lately, and now the pain seems to have spread to her back."
"Ah..."
"Don't look so worried. Knee and back pain are like the common cold for us old folks. Haha."
"..."
"Tsk, cheer up. The neighbors are taking turns looking after her, so she'll be fine soon."
Only then did the tension leave Dojin's face.
He had been worried since she lived alone, but knowing the neighbors were looking out for her brought him relief.
"Could you tell me where her house is?"
"Sun-ja's place? Go straight down this alley, turn left, and you'll see a house with a blue gate. Sun-ja's house is right next to it. Why? Planning to visit?"
"Yes. I should know where she lives if I want to bring her some pain relief patches later."
"Haha, our Teacher Baek really is a warm-hearted fellow."
After bidding farewell to the villagers, Dojin quickly set off to find the house.
"Hmm..."
Arriving in front of the house, Dojin let out a soft sigh.
It was a stark contrast to the house with the blue gate next door.
"...Maybe it's because she lives alone. It's so neglected."
The house with the blue gate was home to three generations, a rarity in this village.
Although the children and grandchildren spent their days at work and school in the city, the house itself was well-maintained, likely because so many people lived there.
Even from a distance, it felt like a home full of life.
In comparison, Sun-ja Hal-meoni's house looked somewhere between an abandoned building and an inhabited home.
Since she lived alone, many parts of the house had fallen into disrepair.
Knock, knock.
"Is anyone home?"
Dojin called out gently as he knocked on the gate.
But the moment he knocked, the door slid open on its own.
As Dojin stood there, puzzled by the door opening by itself without any automatic mechanism, a voice called out.
"Who is it? The door's unlocked, so come on in."
"Ah, right. The neighbors are taking turns looking after her..."
Thinking about it, it would be much harder for someone with a bad back to get up and open the door for every visitor.
Stepping inside, Dojin bowed to Sun-ja Hal-meoni, who was sitting on the living room sofa.
"Hello, Hal-meoni. I heard you weren't feeling well while I was passing by, so I stopped in to say hello."
"Oh my, look who it is! If it isn't Teacher Baek. And... Ttorang-i?"
Her eyes, wide with surprise at seeing Dojin, crinkled into warm crescents the moment they landed on Ttorang-i.
"Ah, so that's what happened."
"I think it would be good to drop by Sun-ja Hal-meoni's house whenever we take Ttorang-i out for a walk."
Seung-wan nodded as Dojin filled him in on what had happened during the walk.
Sun-ja Hal-meoni had been very kind to them as well, so showing her this much care felt like the least they could do.
Besides, seeing her occasionally reminded them of their own late grandmothers.
"Then I'll go visit her next week."
They had originally decided to take Ttorang-i for outdoor walks once a week.
Since she got plenty of exercise inside the school grounds, they didn't see much need to go outside frequently.
However, Dojin wanted to make an exception this time.
"Hmm... How about once every three days for this month? Except Sundays."
"Ah, until she recovers? I'm fine with that."
"Great. Then I'll go every Monday, and I'll ask you to go on Thursdays, Seung-wan. Here are the pain relief patches I prepared."
"Got it."
And so, Ttorang-i's walks and the visits to the grandmother were set for once every three days.
Or rather, they had been set.
At least, until smoke began to rise from the village the very next day.
"What's going on? Did something happen?"
Seeing the security team moving in a hurry, Dojin approached Seung-wan and Do-hee, who were outside, and asked.
Seung-wan looked toward the village and replied.
"We're not entirely sure, but it looks like a fire broke out in the village. The security team already reported it to the fire department, but they're preparing just in case the fire spreads."
"Oh no, a fire..."
Dojin's face clouded with worry at the news of a fire in a place he knew so well.
Just then—
"Woof, woof!"
Ttorang-i, who had been sitting quietly next to Seung-wan, began to bark loudly into the empty air.