On Obsession (2)
That heart-stopping walk from that day wasn’t the end of it. If anything, it was only the beginning. Som seemed to have been so disturbed by me running into that unfamiliar woman outside that, from then on, she couldn’t stand me disappearing from her sight even for a second.
“Seung-ho!! Stay with Som!”
“Som! I’m just taking a shower! I’ll be out in a minute, don’t open the door!”
Rattle, rattle. The bathroom door handle shook like it was possessed. She had moved past scratching at the door and was now genuinely trying to open it and come inside. In the end I gave up on anything resembling a proper shower and hurried out.
But the real ordeal came at bedtime.
“Hehe… Oppa… feels nice…”
Som slipped under my blanket as naturally as she had when she was still a dog, pressing herself into my arms. The problem was that the sensation was nothing like it used to be. Soft skin, unmistakable curves, the steady rhythm of her breath against my chest. And then her lips, brushing right there…
Damn it… What the hell kind of thoughts are you having about Som, you insane bastard…
I shook my head hard, repeating to myself hundreds of times that she was just Som, my dog, nothing more. As I watched her sleep peacefully in my arms, oblivious to the world, I patted her back like I could brush every stray thought away.
It’ll be fine. By tomorrow this will all feel a little more normal.
But the reassurance I’d given myself before sleep shattered the moment morning came. From the moment we woke up, Som and I were locked in a desperate tug-of-war over my clothes.
“Som… these need to be washed properly.”
“No! You can’t have this one!”
I needed to do the laundry that had piled up over several days, but Som was clutching the performance shirt I’d taken off, burying her face in it and refusing to let go.
“Som, that smells like sweat. It’s dirty.”
“Mmm… No it’s not! Seung-ho… Oppa’s scent is so good…”
Even as a dog she had loved sleeping on clothes that carried my scent, but now she was doing it in human form—cheek pressed to the fabric with an expression of pure bliss. I had no words for the strange, mortifying feeling it gave me.
I eventually surrendered. Sighing, I pulled another shirt I’d worn yesterday from the closet and held it out.
“Haa… Som. This one’s clean. I’ll give you this instead. So hand that over.”
“Sssip… haa… hehe… love it…”
She took the new shirt, gave it one good sniff, and only then reluctantly returned the one she’d been hoarding. The way her face melted with satisfaction made me wonder if she was truly doing it with pure intentions.
“Whew… Som. These clothes need washing too, so let’s go for a walk together.”
I picked up the laundry basket, took her hand, and headed for the coin laundry. I hoped the fresh air might dilute some of her obsession.
But the moment we stepped outside, my hope turned into immediate regret. Far from easing up, Som tried to bury her face in the laundry basket even during the short walk.
“Sniff sniff, sniff sniff… hehehe… Oppa’s smell… haa… haa…”
“Hey! Som! We’re outside! People are watching!”
“But why? It smells so good… sniff sniff…”
I quickly lifted her head, but she looked up at me with an innocent face that suggested she had no idea what the problem was, then immediately shoved her nose back in. Sure enough, the couple walking toward us glanced over and started whispering.
“What’s with that woman… why is she burying her nose in a laundry basket?”
“Maybe she likes the smell…? And in broad daylight, too…”
“Som… hurry up and follow me…”
“Ugh… why are you suddenly walking so fast??”
My face burned. I gripped her hand tighter and quickened my pace. Som simply followed with a bright, sunny expression.
“Nooo! The smell! My smell!”
“Som. Please be quiet…”
When we reached the laundromat and I dumped the clothes into the washing machine and closed the door, Som pounded on the glass like the world was ending, wailing.
“No! Oppa’s scent…!”
“What am I going to do with this kid…”
If anyone else had been in the laundromat, I probably would have died of social embarrassment. I was at a complete loss for how to handle this innocent little pervert.
After the chaotic laundry incident died down, we returned home and I threw myself into practicing for an upcoming coding test. Som rested her chin on my knee, watching my fingers fly across the keyboard and the rapidly changing screen with open fascination.
“Wow… what is that?”
“It’s called coding. Cool, right?”
I stroked her hair once and went back to my practice.
“Phew… all done…”
After finishing a round, I stretched my stiff neck and picked up my phone. I scrolled through countless Shorts, skipping past the same old videos. Then a female idol’s stage performance caught my eye. She was wearing a pretty stage outfit, making perfect expressions while she danced. It was the group Yong-jun had gone crazy over, and now I could kind of see why.
“Whoa… she’s gorgeous…”
The moment the involuntary compliment left my mouth—
“…Grrrrr……”
When I looked down, Som was no longer watching me. She was glaring at the smiling female idol on my phone screen like she wanted to devour her.
“Som…?”
The second I looked back at the screen, Som crawled up onto my chest with a whine. Then she started licking the hand holding the phone and batting at it, openly interfering.
“Som, just a second…”
“Grrrr… Hey!! Don’t take my owner away!!”
She let out a fierce growl and, just like a dog digging at the ground, started frantically clawing at the phone screen with both hands. The video stopped and scrolled away. The whole thing was utterly ridiculous.
“Som! Calm down for a moment, okay?”
“No! Som will punish her! Bad woman!!”
I held back a laugh, feeling a mischievous impulse. I played the idol video again. This time Som didn’t hesitate—she started barking furiously.
“Woof! Woof! Don’t watch! Don’t look!”
She shoved her own face between me and the phone, trying to block the screen completely.
“Som, look! The bad person is gone now! See?”
I quickly turned the phone off. Only when the screen went black did Som finally catch her breath. Then, like a general who had just won a war, she proudly rested her chin on my chest.
“Did Som chase her away?”
“Uh… yeah! Our Som did a great job chasing her off!”
“Heheheh. From now on, Som will chase away every bad person who tries to approach Oppa! I love you… Oppa belongs to Som…”
I burst out laughing at her pure-hearted declaration, but at the same time felt a chill run down my spine. It looked like… I was going to have to seriously worry about my future human relationships.
The next day I woke to a damp sensation on my face. Som was licking me awake again.
“Oppa! Wake up!”
She clung to my neck with her small arms as if I might vanish if she let go, then rubbed her cheek against mine. It was the kind of scene you’d only see in comics, but I couldn’t just laugh.
“Ah… mm, Som. I’m awake now. That’s enough…”
“No! Oppa still doesn’t smell like me yet!”
I couldn’t bring myself to say, You can’t leave your scent on me. What was I supposed to do with this kid? I tried to ignore the bizarre situation, wrapping my arms around her as I sat up.
My hand, moving by habit toward the nightstand, met empty air. My phone was gone.
“Huh… where did it go?”
“This?”
When I turned my head, Som was holding my phone with a bright smile. She was clutching it tightly to her chest like it was a precious bone.
“Those bad females who appeared last night! I woke up early to guard it in case they came back!”
She spoke so proudly, as if she’d accomplished something magnificent, that I was speechless. Had that idol fancam really bothered her that much?
“Ah… yeah, good job. No bad people appeared, right?”
“Nope! Som was watching the whole time!”
The obsession that had been merely cute when she was a dog now felt slightly creepy in human form. The way she acted with that innocent face reminded me of an overly possessive girlfriend checking her boyfriend’s phone.
“Yeah… you did well. Here, can I use my phone now?”
“Yes! But be careful in case any bad people show up again!”
Som sat glued to my side, staring at the screen so intently it felt like she was trying to burn a hole through it. At this rate I wouldn’t even be able to chat freely with my friends. I did my best to ignore her surveillance-like gaze and tried to check notifications and messages.
That was when I saw the name Mom.
The warm message made my chest tighten with unexpected emotion. But the two syllables at the end—Som—felt like a light slap to the back of my head, waking me from the strange domestic bliss I’d been enjoying.
Are you taking good care of Som too?
I glanced down at the “human Som” who was resting her head on my shoulder, staring at the phone screen with curious eyes. That’s right. We couldn’t keep hiding away like this forever. I couldn’t just keep enjoying this parenting diary without a care in the world.
With a small sigh, the weight of reality I’d been forgetting settled heavily back onto my shoulders. It was time to take this kid by the hand and step out together into the world beyond that door.