The First Companion
Jun-ho ran eight kilometers at dawn, just as he had yesterday, and headed to the gym to pump iron alongside a trainer who kept shouting, "Come on, come on! You can do it, member!" The trainer was endlessly impressed by Jun-ho, who showed no signs of muscle soreness and seemed even more energetic than the day before. His gaze, sharp as a hawk eyeing its prey, grew even more intense. Jun-ho could have lifted heavier weights, but he wondered how shocked the trainer would be if he knew he was intentionally sticking only to the prescribed routine. Regardless, Jun-ho did his best to ignore the trainer's gaze and ran another eight kilometers back home. Just like yesterday, he felt neither exhausted nor winded. Jun-ho was thrilled by the fact that his body had reached the level of an elite athlete. However, he couldn't afford to get carried away. For now, he had to focus solely on continuing to refine his physique and getting used to the changes.
"Increasing my gym time is a bit much. Maybe I should try running with sandbags?"
In the apocalypse, you rarely travel empty-handed. Whether it was supplies or gear, you always had to carry something, so he needed to get used to the weight. Jun-ho immediately ordered weighted bands and a weighted vest with express shipping. The rest of his daily routine wasn't much different from yesterday. He went to the drone training center, received instruction, and spent time practicing flight. By lunchtime, the two brothers returned home. Leaving his younger brother, who wanted to practice more in the empty lot next to their house, Jun-ho got back into his SUV. He was going to fetch something. It was something he couldn't buy online—something he had to see and decide on for himself. Furthermore, he had to acquire it well before entering the shelter to allow for two years of specialized training. It was something that provided great help in daily life, but in an apocalyptic situation, it could be a lifesaver depending on the circumstances. That thing was, precisely...
Woof! Bark! It was a madhouse. Dozens of small dogs were barking inside their kennels, panting heavily and wagging their tails vigorously at Jun-ho. A staff member, covered in dog hair from head to toe, asked with a shy smile, "We haven't had volunteers for a while because of COVID. The kids are a bit excited to see a person after so long. You don't mind, do you?"
"I don't mind at all."
"Right, right. Oh! Purdy is over there. We manage the medium-to-large breeds separately."
The name 'Purdy' likely came from the German Shepherd breed. Following the small-statured staff member, Jun-ho soon arrived at the kennel for medium-to-large dogs. As soon as the staff member and Jun-ho appeared, the dogs swarmed the fence and barked in welcome. Big or small, they all seemed to love people. Even though they had been abandoned, they still couldn't help but adore humans. But in a few years, these same creatures would fear and turn hostile toward anything that looked like a human.
"Purdy! Purrrdy!" As the staff member raised his voice, a German Shepherd with a long snout and perked-up ears approached, tail swaying lazily. Even though he wasn't fully grown, he was quite large, and most importantly, unlike the other dogs, he showed no signs of excitement, maintaining a calm and relaxed demeanor.
"As you saw on the website, Purdy is estimated to be one year old. He still has two or three months before he's fully grown. As you can see, he's very dignified, isn't he? His temperament is really good, too. And, he's really, really smart."
"Yes, he looks like it."
"Yeah, Purdy is such a kind and wonderful boy. But it's not easy to find homes for large dogs. Especially since Shepherds have an image of being aggressive... most people prefer Retrievers or Huskies."
When the previously cheerful staff member looked a bit dejected, Jun-ho spoke up.
"I like Shepherds. I've wanted to raise one for a long time, but I lived in an apartment, so the conditions weren't right. I recently moved to a house with a yard, so I can raise one now."
"Oh, right! Having a yard is perfect for a large dog! But, by any chance, do you have experience raising large dogs...? Medium-to-large breeds are a bit difficult for beginners."
The staff member spoke his mind despite being cautious. It was clear he truly cared for and loved the dogs. Jun-ho felt a slight pang of conscience but nodded.
"Yes, I managed military dogs when I was in the army."
"Wow! That's amazing!"
In truth, it was a lie. Jun-ho had just been close with the military dog handler in his unit; he had no direct experience managing them. However, he did love dogs, and it was true that he had picked up some knowledge about the characteristics and handling of Shepherds from the handler.
"A yard, and you know Shepherds well. It's a perfect match. You like that, right, Purdy? This big brother is going to be your dad from now on."
Jun-ho smiled at the overly enthusiastic staff member and gently made a fist, holding it out toward Purdy. The dog approached cautiously, sniffed it, and then began to wag his thick tail. He had felt this was the one when he saw the photo on the shelter's website, and seeing him in person, he liked him even more.
"Can I take him home right away?"
"Yes! That's possible!"
The adoption process moved quickly. After filling out the paperwork and receiving the food and basic supplies prepared by the shelter, Jun-ho carefully placed Purdy in the backseat.
"Purdy, you have to be happy."
The staff member, whose eyes were already red, couldn't take his gaze off Purdy in the car. Jun-ho closed the car door, started the engine, and quickly pulled out his phone to manipulate something. He then walked back to the staff member and said, "It's a small amount, but I've sent a donation. I know things are tough with the pandemic, so I hope this helps, even if just a little."
"What? Oh, yes. Thank you so much!" The staff member bowed repeatedly, looking bewildered.
"Don't mention it. Thanks to you, I've gained such a wonderful family member. Well then, goodbye."
"Yes, take care!"
The staff member stood there watching as the SUV slowly pulled out of the shelter. Just then, the shelter director came running over, breathless. "Hey, you! The person who just adopted the dog, is Lee Jun-ho already gone?"
"Yes. Why?"
"No, it's just... that person donated a million won!"
"What!?" The staff member whipped his head around, but the SUV carrying the man and the dog had already disappeared into the distance.
"Holy shit, you scared the hell out of me!" Jun-hyeok, who rarely cursed, was so startled that he let out an expletive and jumped back. It was natural to be surprised; a dog that hadn't been there before he went out to exercise—a large German Shepherd, no less—was sitting firmly in the yard, panting. Purdy looked up at Jun-hyeok and wagged his thick tail lazily.
"W-what is this, Hyung?"
"His name is Purdy. A German Shepherd."
"No, that's not what I meant. Why is there suddenly a dog here?"
Jun-ho chuckled as he watched Jun-hyeok crab-walk away to avoid the large Purdy. "I told you a few days ago. I was going to bring a dog home."
"Hyung, you have to be precise. You said a puppy, not a dog. Where does this look like a puppy? This is just a dog, a big dog."
"He's only about a year old, so he'll grow a bit more. So he is a puppy."
"He's going to get even bigger than this? Wow."
As Purdy approached slowly, wagging his tail, Jun-hyeok cautiously crouched down and held out his hand. Purdy made eye contact, sniffed his hand, and then licked it before panting. Jun-hyeok relaxed his brow, laughed, and scratched Purdy's head and chin. "Who's a good boy? Look at you~ Look at you~ Now that I look closely, you're kind of cute?"
"What's with the 'who's a good boy' routine... Anyway, isn't he handsome?"
"Yeah. A lot. But what's his name?"
"Purdy. The name the shelter gave him."
"Purdy, Purdy. It's not bad. I don't think we need to give him a new one."
Purdy wagged his tail even faster, as if he understood his name. "Wow! He understands his name right away? Purdy, sit!"
He sat instantly. "Whoa! Now, paw!"
He gave his paw. "Purdy, you genius dog!"
"Right? I was surprised when I brought him home and tried a few things."
The shelter staff had kept emphasizing that he was "a truly smart dog," and it was true. After getting out of the car and entering the house, Purdy spent about ten minutes exploring the yard before finding the most secluded corner to quietly relieve himself. Also, when Jun-ho threw him a treat he'd bought on the way, he didn't eat it right away but held it in his mouth and brought it back to Jun-ho. It was as if he were asking for permission to eat it. He didn't resist or fuss during his bath, either; he took it like a champ without a single sign of dislike. He hadn't been taught, yet he was such a commendable fellow. The fact that he shed a lot was something Jun-ho had known since his army days, so it wasn't a problem.
"Hey, hey, that tickles. Who's a good boy~ Who's a good boy~"
Jun-hyeok, who had been cursing in surprise earlier, was now laughing and playing with Purdy, face-to-face. Watching them, Jun-ho said, "For the time being, I'm going to let him adjust slowly while just taking him for walks and playing. I'll handle the mornings, so you take care of him whenever you have time."
"Okay. But you said you were sending him to some training school?"
"Yeah. He needs to prepare for the apocalypse, too."
Jun-hyeok, who had been petting Purdy's head so hard his eyes were rolling back, paused for a moment before saying with a pitiful expression, "I feel kind of sorry for him. Since we actually brought him here to work him."
As Jun-hyeok said, Jun-ho hadn't adopted Purdy as a simple pet; he had a clear purpose. In the apocalypse, a dog was an incredibly useful asset. Strong loyalty, keen sense of smell, quick reflexes, and, in an emergency, offensive capability. If well-trained, he would be better than most human companions. That was why Jun-ho had been thinking of military-grade breeds like Shepherds or Dobermans from the start, and as soon as he found Purdy on the shelter's website, he had decided to adopt him without hesitation.
"If he had stayed at the shelter, he would have been euthanized within the year. Even if someone else had taken him, he probably wouldn't have survived long once the apocalypse hit."
"I guess that's true. Then bringing him here was the best thing for him. You lucky little guy! Hehehe!"
As Purdy licked his face, Jun-hyeok laughed foolishly and stroked the dog's face with both hands. "Anyway, let him get used to the house and us for a few weeks. Then I'll have him properly trained, whether it's a boarding school or a day program. We need to get trained, too."
"Yeah. But did you feed him? If not, I'll do it."
At the word 'feed,' Purdy's ears perked up.
"Go ahead. I need to check on the doghouse."
While Jun-hyeok took care of Purdy's food and water, Jun-ho assembled the wire mesh he'd bought while fetching Purdy and installed a large doghouse inside it. Of course, he didn't intend to keep Purdy only in the yard. But in the shelter, Purdy had a clear role: security, searching, and scouting. For that, he needed to be accustomed to living in a kennel. After laying down a blanket he'd received from a secondhand marketplace app and wrapping it with a windbreak, Jun-ho placed a duck neck bone inside the doghouse. As soon as he finished his food, Purdy smelled it like a ghost, entered the doghouse, and lay down with the bone in his mouth. However, he didn't eat it right away. He just placed the bone on his front paws and looked at Jun-ho quietly.
- Master, may I eat this?
Seeing him look as if he were asking that, Jun-ho felt a strange pang of sadness and nodded. "Go ahead and eat."
Crunch, crunch! Only then did Purdy start happily gnawing on the bone. Jun-ho gently stroked Purdy's head. Although the adoption had been purposeful from the start, Purdy was no longer just an asset. He was the shelter's first companion, someone to brave the apocalypse with.