Pie’s head and body were covered in scars. He didn’t have ears either.
At first, he wondered if it was originally that kind of breed, but in fact, they had been bitten off by other dogs.
Pie was a child who had been miraculously rescued after being used as ‘bait’ at an illegal dogfighting ring.
Far from receiving proper care, he didn’t even get fed on time. Perhaps due to being exposed to severe beatings and fear every day, his body was much smaller than the average Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Lee Seohee’s companion cats, Lemon and Meringue, also had deep stories.
The two cats were rescued from an ‘animal hoarder’.
Dozens of animals were confined together in a narrow, dirty space, neglected and even abused. Neither child had received hospital treatment, let alone been neutered.
Lemon, despite being only one year old at the time of rescue, already showed signs of having given birth multiple times. Meringue, who was rescued together with her, was Lemon’s daughter, and the age difference between mother and daughter was barely five or six months.
Both children were continuously tormented by other cats and people, and due to the resulting injuries, they had to undergo surgery several times even after being rescued.
To make matters worse, they were suffering from various diseases due to living in poor conditions for a long time.
Since the burden of medical costs was expected to continue, no one readily extended a helping hand, but the two children were barely adopted by Lee Seohee just before euthanasia.
‘At least Pie follows me well, but Lemon and Meringue still guard against me even now…’
Hyowoo had yet to properly see the two cats.
They hid so well that even their shadows were hard to see, and if he happened to run into them, they would hiss and try to drive out Hyowoo, the unwelcome guest.
Pie also threatened Hyowoo with growling at first.
Since they were children deeply wounded by humans, such reactions were natural. All three had received nothing but cruelty from people.
“Even when I first adopted them, all three wouldn’t easily let me get close. They wouldn’t eat even when I gave them food, and they would bite first if I got even a little close.”
A few days ago, Lee Seohee told Hyowoo, who was feeling down thinking the cats hated him, about the early days of adoption.
“I got bitten badly many times. Thanks to that, I bled several times too.”
Then he showed him the vivid scar remaining on his calf.
He was a star player in the Premier League with a sky-high price tag.
To think they inflicted such a severe wound on his body, on his legs which were like life itself to a soccer player. It was a situation where one might have considered giving them up. No, the club would have more than demanded he give them up first.
But he didn’t give up on the children.
Day by day, he warmly cared for them and gradually pulled them out of despair.
‘It must be because Seohee-ssi was there that they healed as much as I did…’
Suddenly, the thought crossed his mind that the three children resembled Hyowoo himself.
Hyowoo, who was afraid of alphas, and the children who were afraid of people. And Lee Seohee, who extended his hand to show hope to such beings.
‘Since they’re children with many wounds, Seohee-ssi’s heart must go out to them even more…’
Lee Seohee was a kind person.
Not only because of his gentle personality, but also with his outstanding empathy, he was sensitive to others’ pain and always tried to help.
‘So is that why he was drawn to me too? Because I’m also… covered in wounds…?’
The thought briefly crossed his mind—could it be pity? But Hyowoo immediately shook his head vigorously.
No matter how good a person Lee Seohee was, there was no way he would confess and date someone simply because he felt sorry for them.
‘The very act of thinking this way insults Seohee-ssi’s sincerity.’
It was the moment when he was about to lightly slap both cheeks with his hands to shake off the useless thoughts. Pie, who had been resting his chin on Hyowoo’s leg, suddenly stood up and ran to the entrance. Then, not long after, the sound of the front door opening—click—was heard.
Lee Seohee had returned.
“There you are, my sweetie. Were you good while I was gone?”
Even though they’d seen each other in the morning, Pie welcomed his guardian with his whole body as if reuniting after several years. Lee Seohee also smiled brightly, bent down, and gently stroked Pie’s face with both hands.
“Did you… have a good time?”
Lee Seohee answered brightly toward Hyowoo, who belatedly came out to the entrance and awkwardly greeted him.
“I’m back.”
Along with the greeting, Lee Seohee gently cupped one of Hyowoo’s cheeks and kissed his lips.
“Ah…”
A small breath flowed from Hyowoo’s mouth without him realizing it.
If there was something that changed after becoming lovers with Lee Seohee, it was that they kissed every time they greeted each other.
This morning when leaving the house, he also naturally overlapped his lips with those of the half-asleep Hyowoo.
‘Since Seohee-ssi has lived in England since childhood, kissing between lovers must just be like a greeting…’
For Hyowoo, who wasn’t used to skinship, that action still felt unfamiliar.
‘But… it’s just a bit awkward, it’s not that I dislike it…’
The kisses that continued several times a day were still embarrassing, but honestly speaking, they felt so good that the back of his neck tingled.
“What were you doing? Did you eat lunch?”
Hyowoo, who had been shyly rubbing his flushed cheeks with his fingertips, ended up letting out a small laugh.
To Lee Seohee, who tilted his head asking why he was laughing, he said with a bright smile.
“Even if you’re a British person who grew up here all along, I thought Seohee-ssi is still unavoidably Korean.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You asked if I ate right after greeting me.”
Only then understanding what he meant, Lee Seohee burst into pleasant laughter.
“Now that you mention it, Hyowoo-ssi, it really is like that.”
“As expected, the blood of a people sincere about rice can’t be hidden.”
“Food is important to people, after all. I play soccer all to make a living too.”
Though it lacked credibility coming from the mouth of a chaebol heir who received stock dividends even while doing nothing, Hyowoo just giggled as if it was amusing.
Hyowoo now readily threw around frivolous jokes. At his comfortable appearance, a pleased smile spread across Lee Seohee’s lips.
“So, did you eat?”
“No, not yet…”
“What time is it now and you still haven’t eaten?”
“I woke up late so I didn’t have an appetite.”
“Even so, what are you doing starving all day?”
“It’s okay. I’m used to skipping a meal or two anyway.”
“Don’t get used to things like that. Then you must be very hungry now.”
Though it was a bit early, let’s go out to eat dinner early, Lee Seohee said, picking up the sports bag he’d set down on the floor. He was about to hurry up the stairs to the second floor when Hyowoo grabbed his sleeve.
“I’m not that hungry. Seohee-ssi must be tired, so let’s rest a bit before going out.”
“You haven’t eaten anything all day, how could you not be hungry?”
“Really. I’m not hungry. So… let’s go out in a bit…”
In truth, he was quite hungry. However, he wanted to let him rest comfortably even for a moment after returning from intense training without sleeping for more than a few hours. And more than anything, right now his desire to be alone with him was greater than soothing his hunger.
Afraid his true feelings would be discovered, he fiddled with his sleeve while hiding his flushed face.
However, Lee Seohee was annoyingly quick-witted and good at reading the atmosphere.
“If Hyowoo-ssi says so that much, let’s rest a bit before going out.”
He pretended to put the bag back down, then suddenly pulled Hyowoo into his arms and lifted him up.
“Huh? Se, Seohee-ssi? What are you doing?”
Hyowoo, who ended up being held while defenseless, opened his eyes wide.
“You said to rest before going out. Since we’re resting anyway, I’m going to recharge before we go.”
“Re…charge? Ah, do you need to charge your phone?”
Watching Hyowoo innocently blinking his eyes, he made a playful expression.
“Not the phone, I’m lacking Hyowoo-ssi. I fully charged this morning but now it’s about to run out.”
“What?”
“Let me slowly rest and recharge on the bed.”
In an instant, Hyowoo’s face turned bright red like a ripe tomato.
“…Wh, what’s that. Like an ahjussi…”
“Well, I am more of an ahjussi than Hyowoo-ssi.”
As Lee Seohee nonchalantly said let’s go recharge and climbed the stairs, Hyowoo panicked greatly and struggled.
“Put, put me down. I’m heavy.”
“Not heavy at all. You’re like a feather, you know?”
“Stop joking around. Put me down already.”
“I’m not joking. I really urgently need to recharge.”
“Bu, but it’s broad daylight right now… It’s still bright outside…”
“Ah, then is nighttime okay? Can I do whatever I want when it gets dark?”
“What? No… that’s not… I mean…”
Hyowoo had been famous for being logical since childhood. He had such a clear-cut personality that he could speak and retort well, but strangely, when the other party was Lee Seohee, he never won even once.
Unable to say anything more in response and not knowing what to do, Lee Seohee leisurely climbed the stairs while holding his adorable lover.
