Chapter — Let’s Go for a Walk
[Team Korea seizes dramatic comeback victory over Team Germany]
[Big play from the S+ drone! Team Korea takes the exchange match win]
[‘The Power of Unorthodox Strategy!’ Team Korea proves its skill with a victory in the exchange match]
[Despite Hunter Lea’s interference, Team Korea wins!]
[Difference in technology! The S+ grade drone decides the match]
[President congratulates the debut of the S+ drone: “A triumph of Korean technology”]
[The hidden protagonist of victory—Jjapso? Curiosity ↑ about Jjapso’s identity]
Walking a dog required a lot of things.
Poop bags, a little trowel, and a harness...
“Grrrrr—”
When Guru lifted a pink harness, Yurian growled.
Worried Guru might get bitten, Jurim quickly stepped forward.
“I’ll do it.”
“No! Gwuu can do it!”
Guru whispered secretly, glancing up at Jurim.
“A good puppuh geth in, a good pewson puwts it on.”
Yurian flinched—then quietly lifted one leg.
Though her body trembled with anger she couldn’t hold back, she let Guru slide the harness around her leg.
Phew. Guru exhaled in relief, then slipped the other leg through and fastened the harness neatly.
“Aw done.”
The white Maltese now wore a pink harness.
And climbing slowly onto the Maltese’s back—
Were hamster Veilach and snow-rabbit Lukshifer.
They plopped themselves down as if Yurian were some sort of mount.
“Myu.” (The bag was too stuffy.)
“Kkyuu.”
Lukshifer shook [N O V E L I G H T] his head up and down in agreement.
Guru soothed the growling Yurian as she scurried over to Jurim.
“Pwepawations compwete!”
Jurim straightened the flapping hems of Guru’s clothes and held out his hand.
Guru, clutching Yurian’s harness in one hand, grasped Jurim’s hand with her free one.
Today’s destination was the neighborhood dog park.
They were taking Yurian, their newly “temporary family member,” for a walk.
It was now the second day since Yurian had suddenly become a Maltese.
'Why isn’t it working?'
Riding the elevator down with Jurim, Guru pondered deeply.
For the past two days, she had failed again and again. Even on the snowy field, she hadn’t been able to return Yurian to human form.
'I thought if Gwuu used ‘Squeeze-Squeeze’ like with Veilach, it would work.'
According to Veilach, life forms had a kind of homeostasis that made them try to maintain their original shape.
That meant it should be far easier to restore someone to their true form than to change them into something else.
Like how even when he was turned into a hamster, Veilach kept reverting back into a child’s shape.
So why didn’t ‘Squeeze-Squeeze’ return Yurian to human form?
Nngh.
And while Guru kept failing, Jurim’s misunderstanding only grew and grew.
Among all the strange, vague creatures Guru had brought home so far—the Gnosis, the homeless man, and others—for the first time she had brought back something that looked “normal.”
And Jurim seemed to like that quite a lot—
Enough to suggest,
“Want to take the puppy to the dog park?”
Guru’s eyes trembled nervously as she looked up at her dad.
'I’m sowwy, Daddychann. But she’s not just a dog.'
And so, each with their own delusion, they walked out of the apartment complex together.
Yurian ground her teeth.
'These bastards.'
Not only had they made her into a Maltese, they had no intention of letting her go.
On top of that, they were even using her as a mount for an ugly hamster and a rabbit.
“Myuuu!!!”
“Kkyuuu!!”
Veilach and Lukshifer cried out in satisfaction, reveling in the freedom of being out of the bag.
'I hate this so much.'
She loathed this powerless body that couldn’t do anything.
'...Was this how Dominic ended up dying too?'
The thought made her shudder.
As the Maltese trembled, Guru tilted her head.
“Aw you cowd?”
“Mm, shouwd we buy cwothes?”
Still seething at their cruelty, Yurian was dragged into the little shop attached to the dog park.
“Oh my, what pretty princesses~”
The clerk smiled brightly at Guru and the Maltese.
Guru realized the clerk had just called Yurian a princess, and quickly corrected her.
“Nooo, pwince!”
She knew well—she had seen Yurian’s human form. Yurian was a boy!
But the clerk examined the Maltese from every angle and then said again,
“Looks like our Maltese friend doesn’t want to be a prince. Born a princess~”
“A giww?!”
Shocked at the new revelation, Guru gaped at Yurian.
Yurian snapped her head aside.
She had only dressed as a boy because it made it easier to move around.
And it helped hide her face.
That way, it was easier to avoid her.
For a moment Yurian pictured Lea’s face—then shook her head sharply.
In the end, she ended up wearing the cute yellow dress the clerk recommended.
The shop led straight into the dog park.
Watching Yurian waddle awkwardly in the dress, Guru frowned thoughtfully.
'Maybe Gwuu faiwed da skiww because dere awe tings Gwuu doesn’t knyow.'
Guru wanted Yurian to return to her “real” self.
But it hadn’t worked. After all, Yurian being a boy wasn’t her real form.
'Then next time... Gwuu wiww twy tuwning hew back into a giww human.'
She would try—after the walk, since Daddychann was watching!
Guru clenched her resolve.
At that moment, dark shapes suddenly rushed toward Yurian, startling her into freezing in place.
“Woof woof!”
“Bow wow!”
They were just friendly dogs.
Pulled along by their leashes, they bounded toward Yurian.
Yurian bared her teeth and backed away, bristling with tension.
“Grrrrrr—!”
'Damn it, help me!'
“No! She’s scared! Go away!”
Guru shouted, scooping Yurian up into her arms.
The owners quickly apologized and pulled their dogs back.
“Oh, we’re so sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. Our child just isn’t well socialized yet. Looks like she’s frightened.”
Jurim shook his head as he accepted their apologies.
He approached Guru, who was still hugging the little Maltese tightly.
The child’s face was pale with worry, as if truly concerned about the small dog.
Jurim gently stroked Guru’s cheek.
“They weren’t threatening her. The dogs just wanted to be friends.”
“But Yuwwi dun wanna be fwiends.”
At Guru’s words, Yurian nodded her head up and down furiously in agreement.
Huh?! Guru’s eyes went wide as she stared down at her.
'Why are you nodding!'
Jurim narrowed his eyes.
'Wait. Did that dog just understand human speech?'
A silence passed between them. Feeling guilty, Guru slowly turned her head aside.
A low rumble came from Jurim’s throat, and then suddenly he held out his hand.
“Paw.”
“Arf!”
Yurian bit his hand.
“...Guess she doesn’t understand.”
Jurim muttered, and Guru sighed in relief.
Thankfully, the Maltese’s nasty temper seemed to have smoothed it over.
“We can work on socializing her slowly.”
“Yeshhh...”
But that wasn’t the end of the ordeal.
On the broad lawn, Jurim tossed a plastic frisbee lightly.
“Here! Fetch!”
Yurian squinted up at him.
“Grrrrrr—”
Yurian bared her teeth, and Jurim locked eyes with her in a silent staring contest.
The tension made Guru gulp.
'G-Gwuu has tu step in.'
She dashed across the grass with tiny steps.
Other dogs who were going for the frisbee turned their eyes to Guru.
Diving into their midst, Guru snatched up the red frisbee and lifted it high over her head.
If someone had to fetch it—
“Daddychann! Gwuu bwought it back!”
—I’ll do it!

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