Chapter 9
“Wow……”
Iseo’s eyes widened.
After class, the place Daeun had brought her into was filled with all kinds of cute and adorable keychains.
“There are so many…… I don’t know what to buy.”
“Wait here.”
Leaving Iseo standing there, Daeun walked around and quickly looked through the items.
Then, in an instant, she picked out two keychains, hooked the rings around her fingers, and waved them cutely.
“This unnie found something absolutely amazing! Ta-da!”
What Daeun proudly held out were white and black cat dolls, each about the size of her hand.
They had yellow and blue odd-colored eyes, pink ears and noses, and pink paw pads.
“They look exactly like you, right?”
“This? Looks like me?”
The cats did not have fierce, sharply raised eyes like one might expect from a cat. They looked somewhat blank and even gentler than a puppy. There was nothing about them that resembled Iseo, who was often told that she looked cold and intimidating.
“Yeah. You look like a cat, but when people get to know you, you’re actually really soft-hearted and gentle. You’re exactly like this one.”
“……I’m not gentle.”
Iseo quietly examined the doll she had been given.
She wasn’t sure if it looked like her, but it was definitely cute.
Besides, hadn’t cats been considered spiritual animals since ancient times?
It was perfect to give to Taeheon.
“……Should I buy one too?”
Daeun had put so much effort into choosing it for her that Iseo felt bad about not putting it on her own bag. And the more she looked at the cat doll, the cuter it seemed.
There were two colors, too.
Iseo decided to give the white cat doll to Kyeon Taeheon and keep the black cat doll for herself.
“You’re going to buy both?”
“Yeah. What’s that?”
“This one is Dongjin’s. What do you think? Cute, right?”
Perhaps intending to give it to Dongjin, who was standing outside the door, Daeun picked out a puppy doll and brought it to the counter.
The dark brown puppy doll was certainly cute.
Iseo glanced outside for a moment, then looked through all the hanging keychains.
“Daeun, wait a second.”
She quickly walked over and picked up one keychain that caught her eye.
“Isn’t this one cuter than that?”
“Whoa.”
Daeun covered her mouth with her hand when she saw the doll Iseo had brought.
“This really looks exactly like it! I didn’t notice this one. Iseo, you’re amazing. You just picked it because it was cute, right?”
“Huh? Yeah.”
Iseo could not bring herself to say that this one looked more like the dog Dongjin used to raise, so she awkwardly nodded.
“Crazy, you should open a fortune-telling shop! No, this looks just like the one Dongjin used to—”
“I’m hungry. Let’s hurry up and get out.”
Just as Daeun was about to say something, Dongjin suddenly entered the store and spoke.
“Oh…… okay. I bought everything.”
Daeun quickly paid for the dolls, put them into her bag, and went outside.
Iseo looked at the two of them standing outside the door.
Dongjin didn’t want to talk about his dog, right?
Besides, Daeun had bought the doll but was also watching Dongjin’s reaction and didn’t even give it to him.
Why?
What had happened……?
Iseo stared at the puppy that was panting right beside Dongjin.
If Dongjin had hurt the dog or done something bad to it, the dog would not be looking at him with such eyes.
The two of them had clearly been very close, so why was he reluctant to talk about it?
And why was the dog unable to leave, as if it still had some lingering attachment?
“Hmm…… What could it be?”
After paying, Iseo carefully put the two dolls into her bag, unable to take her eyes off them.
“Iseo, hurry up and come out! Dongjin’s hungry!”
“Yeah! I’m coming!”
For now, she should feed him some chicken first.
Iseo hurried along with her friends toward the chicken restaurant that was famous as a good place to eat.
“Hey. Are you even chewing? It looks like you swallow it the moment you put it in your mouth.”
Daeun was shocked as Dongjin devoured the chicken without saying a word as soon as it arrived.
“You should stop talking and eat quickly, too. This place is really good.”
As if even talking was a waste of time, Dongjin tore into a nicely roasted chicken leg in one hand and a chicken wing in the other.
Daeun, instead of eating, was busy capturing Dongjin’s 모습 on her phone camera.
Meanwhile, Iseo watched the two of them being completely absorbed in what they were doing and cut the unseasoned chicken breast into small pieces with a fork.
Then she secretly lowered the plate of food to the floor.
“Woof.”
The puppy, which had been hovering around while drooling clear saliva, buried its face in the bowl and began devouring the food.
Its tail was wagging so hard that Iseo even worried it might come off.
The owner and his dog really have the same appetite. They even eat the same way.
But while the puppy was gobbling down the chicken breast, it suddenly raised its head and looked at Dongjin.
Seeing him still eating without a care, the puppy suddenly whined and let out sorrowful cries as it circled around Dongjin.
It looked deeply worried about its owner.
“Iseo, why aren’t you eating?”
“Huh? Oh. I’m eating.”
At Daeun’s question, Iseo picked up a piece of seasoned chicken leg and quietly lowered her gaze again.
The puppy continued to circle around, worrying about Dongjin.
Dongjin looked perfectly healthy and strong.
Daeun sometimes teased him by calling him fat, but despite eating that much, he was not overweight at all. He exercised a lot and even had a good build.
He did not look sick anywhere, nor did he look troubled or depressed.
That’s strange.
What was the puppy so worried about?
“Iseo, aren’t you going to eat that? Can I have it?”
“Hey! You already ate four wings! How dare you go after Iseo’s share!”
“I was just asking in case she didn’t like it. I was going to take it away for her.”
“You ate two whole chickens by yourself and you’re still not full? Ah, you pig!”
“Then I’ll eat yours for you.”
“Hey! I was saving that to eat later!”
“……”
No matter how she looked at him, he seemed perfectly healthy.
Watching the two of them bicker over a single chicken wing, Iseo quickly put the wing Dongjin had been eyeing into her mouth.
Even if you’re close friends, going after someone else’s chicken wing was crossing the line.
Iseo decided that she needed to learn more about Dongjin.
In truth, Iseo was close to Daeun, but she was still somewhat awkward with Dongjin.
Since Daeun and Dongjin had been childhood friends, Iseo usually spent time with them at school, but Dongjin was not very talkative, and she had never had a personal conversation with him.
They had exchanged numbers, but they had never even messaged each other separately.
They only occasionally talked through the group chat with Daeun.
Dongjin’s profile did not even have a single photo, so Iseo had never known that he had raised a dog, or that the dog had gone to the doggy afterlife.
Not until this dog ghost appeared.
Hmm.
For now, she should focus on Kyeon Taeheon.
There didn’t seem to be anything seriously wrong with Dongjin right now, so she would look into him afterward.
I’ll definitely help you resolve your lingering attachment and send you on your way.
Iseo made the promise silently as she looked at the puppy.
After eating her fill of chicken and returning home, Iseo took a shower and then took the dolls she had bought earlier out of her bag.
Starting with the white one, she carefully cut open the seam on its bottom with small scissors.
A doll with a separate zipper would have been easier, but since Kyeon Taeheon might open it, putting the items inside and sewing it shut this way would be more effective.
She opened the gap, removed some of the stuffing, and put three protective talismans inside.
She wanted to put ten in there if she could, but after removing the talismans whose power had already been used up because of Park Youngseong, she did not have many left.
“Ah!”
Iseo also tied some roasted salt and red beans in a clean cloth and put them inside the doll.
Then, with a satisfied expression, she carefully began sewing it back together, one stitch at a time.
“Thanks to Kyeon Taeheon, I’m even sewing a doll’s butt.”
Please make all the evil things attached to Kyeon Taeheon fall away. General God, please help me.
With every stitch, Iseo prayed to the General God and carefully finished sewing.
Then she held the cat doll in her hands and smiled proudly.
“Perfect.”
From the front or the back, there was no way anyone could tell that talismans were hidden inside the adorable doll.
Hoping that Taeheon’s health would improve because of this, Iseo sent him a message.
You didn’t forget that we’re meeting tomorrow morning, right? I’ll go according to the opening time of the cafe you told me about, senior! See you tomorrow for sure.
Iseo also attached the cat emoji Daeun had given her.
There was no reply this time either, but she was not worried.
She already knew that he was the kind of person who kept his promises.
