Chapter 1556 Looking After (1)

Baek Hyeon-Jeong yelled at her son.

“How could you be so thoughtless, Jin-Ho! How?!”

“...”

“Do you honestly think we’re heartless, cold-blooded monsters? And that’s why we kept such an adorable little thing outside?”

“...”

“Why didn’t you wet the bed yourself?! Why didn’t you!”

Kang Jin-Ho squeezed his eyes shut. His mother’s nagging stabbed into him like a series of deadly arrows. Unfortunately, he had no way to defend himself against this deadly barrage.

Why? Why did I do something so stupid?

He enjoyed a good night’s rest, didn’t he? Nay, make that a wonderful rest!

The presence of a frail little creature helped him remember his long-forgotten pledge. And the warmth of the puppy helped him fall into a deep, restful slumber for the first time in a while. Everything was wonderful, in other words.

...And the wonderfulness could have continued on had he not discovered the sheets soiled by the puppy’s pee after waking up in the morning!

How did I miss the smell of dog piss during my sleep, though?

Maybe all the accumulated fatigue had come down on him all at once? Considering that he had always been a light sleeper, which wasn’t great for relieving mental fatigue, this development could have been wonderful news for him.

If only it hadn’t been for this catastrophe, that was!

“Why did you have to put the puppy on your bed, Jin-Ho?! Didn’t you consider the possibility that a small puppy like ours wouldn’t be able to jump off the bed even if it wanted to use the loo?! And why did you keep the door shut, too?!”

Kang Jin-Ho grinned brightly just then.

I never knew I could be so thoughtless like this!

He should apologize to Lee Hyeon-Su for calling him absent-minded every once in a while. After all, he was the one who was really absent-minded of the two, now wasn’t he?!

Baek Hyeon-Jeong grumbled loudly. “Uh-whew! Now we gotta wash the sheets again!”

Kang Jin-Ho hurriedly reached out. “L-let me do the laundry, mother.”

“Take off your clothes first, you dummy!”

Kang Jin-Ho looked at himself. Sure enough, a yellowish oval could be seen painted on his shirt.

I didn’t even sense a lowly creature relieving itself on me?

Even if there had been no malice in the act itself, failing to notice this should’ve been an automatic disqualification for a martial artist!

Baek Hyeon-Jeong slapped her son on the back. “Go on! Hurry and take a bath, now! And!”

“Yes, mother?”

“Bathe the puppy while you are at it.”

Kang Jin-Ho stared at a certain puppy, its fur now stained in a distinct yellowish hue. The way it innocently tilted its head this way and that was proving to be very endearing, and that saddened Kang Jin-Ho so much.

***

Inside the Martial Assembly HQ...

Lee Hyeon-Su blinked his eyes in confusion. “A dog, sir?”

“...Yeah, a dog.”

“Hold on, hold on... You’re now a proud dog owner, sir?”

“I’m telling you, it’s not mine, okay?”

This situation obviously necessitated an in-depth explanation. However, as he was in no mood to provide one, only a pained groan leaked out of Kang Jin-Ho’s mouth.

Lee Hyeon-Su cackled as if he could guess his boss’s sentiments. “Raising a young puppy is no joke, sir. Think about it. If you have a puppy, you’d be worried about leaving it alone at home. And there are a ton of things to do for its well-being, too.”

“If that’s true, why do people insist on keeping dogs as pets?”

“That’s because many believe all the inconveniences are worth it at the end of the day.”

“Mm...!”

“I’d even wager that this might not be a bad development for you, sir.”

“Why do you say that?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head in confusion at Lee Hyeon-Su’s unexpected take.

“Sir, in my honest opinion, one of your biggest flaws is your belief that every problem can be fixed by simply attacking it head-on.”

“...? Huh?”

Lee Hyeon-Su furrowed his brow. “Isn’t it your belief that even the most clueless, hopeless idiots could be reformed into half-decent human beings by throwing them into hellish training regimes?”

“Are you saying that’s not gonna work?”

“Of course it won’t work, sir! Every person is born with different levels of talent and limitations, after all. Training them like crazy won’t change that.”

“...”

“Raising a puppy should, hopefully, open your eyes to that reality. Every creature under the sun is born with its own limitations. For instance, a dog can never do a handstand no matter how much you train it, sir. If it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be.”

“What if it can?”

“...? Sorry?”

“What will you do if my dog can do a handstand?”

“...” Lee Hyeon-Su sighed quietly. “And that’s your other flaw, sir. You think everything is a wager of some kind.”

“...”

“Please calm down, sir. You’ve been on edge lately. A little too much, if you don’t mind me saying so. That’s why it might be a good idea to learn how to relax while dealing with a puppy, since you don’t have to be so wary around a dog.”

“Hmm...?” Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded. “Fine. I hear what you’re saying.”

“Sir, it’s wonderful that you unders...”

“So, all I have to do is make the dog do a handstand. Got it.”

“...”

Lee Hyeon-Su squeezed his eyes shut.

***

A certain puppy’s short legs were floundering about. But the expression on Kang Jin-Ho’s face as he stared at those cute legs could only be described as determined.

“Time to use the bathroom.”

The puppy’s feeble whimpering dug into his hearing, but Kang Jin-Ho had already told himself to throw his humanity away for this task.

“And the bathroom is right in front of you,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

That was when Baek Hyeon-Jeong emerged from the main bedroom. She froze on the spot at the sight of her son by the bathroom door and dazedly asked, “What are you doing, son?”

“Mm? Mother?”

“I’m asking what you’re doing to our puppy.”

“As you can see.”

Kang Jin-Ho pointed to a barrier that cordoned off the area around the bathroom entrance and the puppy trapped beyond it. A newly purchased potty pad lay on the bathroom floor.

“I’ve read online that if we make the puppy pee inside the bathroom, it will learn to do so by itself later on.”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong dazedly asked again. “You... think that little puppy can climb into the bathroom by itself?”

“Yes, mother.”

“But I don’t think the puppy is tall enough to do that yet?”

“...?”

Kang Jin-Ho alternated his probing gaze between the puppy and the bathroom door sill.

His mother was right. Which meant his battle plan might need a rethink.

In that case, should he saw off a part of the sill... No, maybe it’d be more efficient to get dog stairs instead?

Baek Hyeon-Jeong silently stared at the serious-faced Kang Jin-Ho before facepalming in dismay. I know he is my son, but why? Why is he like this?!

People in her group of acquaintances heard about Kang Jin-Ho being the owner of a small company and expressed how jealous they were. They would often say something like, “Your boy was excellent in school, wasn’t he? And he’s doing really well after graduation, too!”

However, as Kang Jin-Ho’s mother, Baek Hyeon-Jeong knew how much of a dummy her son really was.

“You idiot! Just where did you read something so dumb?!”

Kang Jin-Ho faltered slightly. “It was a reputable website online...”

“Fine, but stuff like that only applies to an older dog!”

“Mm? But the website said we must discipline the dog while it’s still young...”

“Are you arguing with me? Really?!”

“...”

“Stop bullying the puppy and get rid of the barrier.”

Kang Jin-Ho grimaced. “But if we spoil it too much, the dog will become too undisciplined, and...”

“You were spoiled, too! Is that why you’re behaving like this, son?”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho’s experience as a nurturer was limited to training the Demon Cult members like hell. Since that was the case, there was simply no way he’d win against his mother, who boasted the experience of raising two children.

“Listen, Jin-Ho.”

“Yes, mother?”

“I don’t mind you trying your best to raise a dog, but you shouldn’t force it to earn its keep, okay?”

“I... don’t understand.”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong sighed deeply. “Whenever I see dogs fetching TV remotes for their owners, sitting when told to, and rolling around after their owners had ordered them... I feel a little sorry for them. Because I can imagine how much training they must’ve gone through. Do you think those dogs are truly happy while doing those tricks? I don’t know. I think it only makes their owners happy.”

“...”

“While I was raising you and your sister, I... only wished for you two to do what made you happy. That’s how I feel about this puppy, too. So what if it’s a little undisciplined and likes to cause trouble? If it’s happy, we should let it enjoy its life.”

“Comparing people to a dog is a bit...”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong tutted softly. “Honestly? Puppies are better than human babies, okay? Don’t believe me? Just look at your dad. Because he felt lonely, he brought home a puppy, son. Instead of asking me if we wanted another child.”

Kang Jin-Ho’s facial muscles twitched just then. Another child? As in another younger sibling?! When one was already too much for him to handle?

“So, stop bullying a puppy that can’t even walk properly. Just don’t put it on your bed next time, okay?”

“...Understood.”

Kang Jin-Ho removed the barrier. The puppy waddled over to him and climbed on his legs as if it was happy to see him, regardless.

“By the way, mother? What’s the puppy’s name? Is it Dong-Dong or Choco?”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong shrugged. “We haven’t decided yet. But tell us if you can think of a nice name.”

“...I’m sure she’ll think of one.”

“She? Who?”

“Well...” Kang Jin-Ho glanced at the yellow background on his phone’s screen, then casually shrugged. “There’s something like that.”

“Huh? I don’t get what you’re saying at all, son. In any case... It’s time to feed the puppy.”

“Again? We’ve already fed it five times today, though?”

“A young puppy should be fed small portions several times a day, son. For instance, when you were still a toddler...”

“...! I’m sorry, mother. I’ll feed it right away.”

He couldn’t bring himself to argue back anymore since his mother had resorted to bringing up his childhood whenever they got into an argument these days.

After softening a small amount of dog food with warm water, Kang Jin-Ho stared curiously at the puppy busy chomping on its own paw.

Being happy, is it...?

From his perspective, that concept sounded strange.

Didn’t humans keep dogs as pets for the satisfaction, for the sense of fulfillment, these creatures provided? But Kang Jin-Ho’s mother said she wanted to see the puppy happy, instead.

Could other creatures’ happiness grant satisfaction to the one observing them? He couldn’t tell at all.

Kang Jin-Ho picked up the puppy and sat next to his mother on the couch before addressing her.

“Mother?”

“It’s getting a little creepy now, son. Just call me mom already!”

“...Mom.”

“There you go. Yes, my son?”

“Do you feel happy when looking at the puppy being happy?”

“Yup, I do.”

“Even if the dog is being a handful?”

“Well, if it’s getting too much to handle, I agree that we need to discipline the puppy. But we shouldn’t try to change how it behaves until you feel satisfied.”

“Why not?”

“I mean, it’s the same with you, son. You don’t exactly behave to my liking, right?”

“...”

“You have your own way of living your life. Isn’t that why you work like crazy day and night even though your father and I plead with you to come home and get some rest?”

Kang Jin-Ho contemplatively nodded.

“Maybe this is the wrong way to raise a puppy. Still, I don’t wish for anyone in my care to act according to my whims and satisfactions. Because that’s nothing more than me being greedy, you see? All I want to see is my kids growing up healthy and strong. That’s all.”

“Mm...”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong patted Kang Jin-Ho’s back. “Besides, look at you, son. Look how dependable you’ve gotten.”

“...”

“Remember when you got into that accident? All I could think about back then was... I’d give anything to see you open your eyes again. You being alive would be enough for me, and that I’d never ask you to do something dangerous ever again.”

“...Mom.”

“But there were times when you tested my patience, too. Like when you spent the whole night playing computer games.”

Flinch!

“When you stayed up the whole night to play games but got ready to go to school the next morning, I really wanted to say something to you. But I didn’t. Would something have changed if I had lost my cool back then, son?”

“I... No, it wouldn’t have.”

“There you go. So, yes. You being healthy and happy is enough for me to be happy as well.”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head slightly, unable to wrap his head around the concept.

Baek Hyeon-Jeong grinned gently. “You’re the same, though. You never liked the idea of Eun-Yeong becoming an idol, did you?”

“Yes, I wasn’t in favor of the idea.”

“Even then, you supported her the most out of us. Even when Eun-Yeong is lounging around on the couch the whole day, you don’t bite her head off for it, either.”

“That’s because she seems content, mom.”

“You see? This and that are the same, son.”

Kang Jin-Ho froze slightly before nodding slowly away.

He began thinking about something. Didn’t he always trust and support his family and friends unreservedly? He tried his best to help them so that they could do what they wanted to do.

However, he demanded constant hard work from his subordinates. He wanted more training and more effort from them.

Where did this difference come from?

Familiarity? That didn’t quite feel right.

Kang Jin-Ho differentiated martial artists from those who were not. In other words, he didn’t demand constant training from non-martial artists. But he viewed the concept of getting stronger as something expected of those who walked the path of martial arts.

What Lee Hyeon-Su had said about him... Maybe, he was trying to hint at this side of Kang Jin-Ho.

I should consider them more like my family, is that it?

It could be that Lee Hyeon-Su wanted Kang Jin-Ho to believe them and support them a little more.

Kang Jin-Ho couldn’t help but chuckle away. Here he was, thinking about all kinds of stuff because of a little puppy...

“...?! What the!”

Kang Jin-Ho hurriedly picked the puppy up from his lap and stood up.

Trickle...

A stream of yellow liquid from the puppy energetically splashed onto Kang Jin-Ho’s pants. And he could feel the unwelcome warmth on his legs.

Baek Hyeon-Jeong sighed. “You should take the pants off, son. Be careful not to spill the pee everywhere.”

“...”

“And don’t forget to mop the floor, too.”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho was getting a rather smelly lesson on how some things in this world were well beyond his ability to control.