Work Text:
When Lee Soo Hyuk opened the office door, Kim Rok Soo immediately spoke.
“Team Leader,” he said, “Our Jung Soo has turned into a dog.”
Tired from a long day and with his mind clouded by lack of sleep, he dismissed the madness he thought he had heard.
“What are you even —” he started saying as he headed into the office, but as soon as he heard panting and caught a glance at a fluffy tail thumping against the floor just right next to Kim Rok Soo’s desk, he stopped in his tracks.
His gaze headed over to Kim Rok Soo, who seemed busy petting the dog.
“I told you, he's a dog now,” he said with his usual nonchalant tone.
Lee Soo Hyuk walked closer, and when he reached Kim Rok Soo's desk, he couldn't believe his eyes.
Sitting across from Kim Rok Soo was a deep brown golden retriever with dark gray eyes, which were the same shade as Choi Jung Soo’s hair and eyes.
“…What is going on?” he asked, unable to process what was happening.
“Do you remember Mr. Ha?”
“Of course I do.”
“He stopped by earlier to say hello and brought us some energy drinks. Apparently, they had the opposite effect on me, because after I drank one, it knocked me out completely. When I woke up, the dog was sitting in Jung Soo's chair, and Jung Soo himself was nowhere to be found. I tried calling him, but” he pointed at Choi Jung Soo’s desk, “his phone is right there.”
“…” Lee Soo Hyuk stood silent, staring at the cute dog, who seemed to be basking in Kim Rok Soo’s attention.
“…Are you sure those drinks didn't have anything —?”
“Team Leader,” Kim Rok Soo said, momentarily stopping petting the dog to look him in the eye, “Why would Mr. Ha want to drug us?”
“R-right.”
He crouched next to the dog, who stood up and turned to look at him with those innocent-looking eyes.
“…Jung Soo?”
“Woof!” The dog barked and rested his head on Lee Soo Hyuk’s lap.
“How can you be sure it’s him?” he asked while gently petting the dog’s head.
Kim Rok Soo started listing his reasons.
“There’s the timing of his appearance, and the fact that he looks just like him. He seems to respond to his name. He also seems to recognize us, and I—” he stopped and gestured toward the dog, “—we spent the whole evening looking for him together. So yes, it does seem to be the case.”
Lee Soo Hyuk let out a sigh, “This is ridiculous.”
“We live in a world where a hole appeared in the sky, and monsters fell from it,” Kim Rok Soo said matter-of-factly, and then he pointed at the dog, “Perhaps it's his new ability?”
Lee Soo Hyuk tilted his head slightly to address the dog.
“We get it, you can turn into a dog now. How about you go back to normal?”
The dog opened one of his eyes, but quickly closed it, paying no attention to what Lee Soo Hyuk had to say.
“Jung Soo,” Lee Soo Hyuk said with a hint of authority in his voice.
The dog’s ears perked up.
“Sit.”
The dog opened his eyes and sat up straight, with his chest puffed out.
“Give me your paw.”
The dog followed suit and offered one of his paws.
Lee Soo Hyuk took it and started singing his praises.
“Good boy!” he said while vigorously petting him with both of his hands, “Who's a good boy?”
The dog seemed delighted, since he lay down and rolled over for some belly rubs.
“…What are you doing?” Kim Rok Soo asked.
Lee Soo Hyuk started to laugh while rubbing the dog's belly.
“Okay. Maybe he is our Jung Soo. But right now, this ability doesn't seem to be working out very well for him. He's just a regular dog.”
He leaned closer to get a better view of the dog's eyes.
“Hmmm. Yeah, it looks like he's lost all his intelligence.”
“Eh, it's not like there was much to lose in the first place,” Kim Rok Soo said with a shrug.
“Don't listen to him,” Lee Soo Hyuk said as he continued rubbing the dog’s—no, Choi Jung Soo's belly. “Our Jung Soo is very smart.”
“Woof, woof!”
“It seems to me that you don't understand your current predicament,” Kim Rok Soo said with his hands on his hips as he looked at Choi Jung Soo.
“Arf.”
It was time for them to head home, but they didn't know what to do with their friend, who had turned into a dog.
Lee Soo Hyuk placed a hand on his chin before speaking.
“Will it wear off on its own? Do you know of someone else with an anthropomorphic ability?”
Kim Rok Soo's eyes turned cold as he went over the records in his head.
“There are a few who can turn some body parts, but as far as I know, there's no one else who can completely transform into an animal.”
“Right. For now, it seems like we’ll have to wait. It doesn't even look like he can turn it off by his own will.”
“Which leads us to…”
“What are we going to do with you tonight?”
As he felt both of them staring intently at him, Choi Jung Soo tilted his head.
“It's not like we can just toss him into his apartment,” said Kim Rok Soo.
Lee Soo Hyuk signaled with his eyes, and they both walked in opposite directions, leaving Choi Jung Soo in the middle.
“Where do you want to stay?” Kim Rok Soo asked.
“Rok Soo, remember that you have to treat him like a dog now.”
“Who said that?”
“He seems to like it. Look,” Lee Soo Hyuk said, and then he started whistling, “Jung Soo~ come over here!”
“Hpmh,” Kim Rok Soo crossed his arms with a frown.
Choi Jung Soo’s tail started to wag wildly, and his eyes sparkled as he looked at Lee Soo Hyuk. For a moment, it seemed like Choi Jung Soo would head over to him, but at the last second, he spun around and launched full speed towards Kim Rok Soo.
“Oof!” Kim Rok Soo exclaimed as Choi Jung Soo knocked the wind out of him. They both went down, and once they were on the floor, Choi Jung Soo immediately started licking Kim Rok Soo’s face.
“No, agh!” Kim Rok Soo protested, struggling, “You're, ugh, too heavy! Get off!”
Lee Soo Hyuk didn’t even have time to feel bad about getting rejected, as he was too busy laughing at the sight.
Meanwhile, Choi Jung Soo rested his head next to Kim Rok Soo’s and had the happiest expression his canine features allowed.
“No.”
Kim Rok Soo was currently in a standoff against Choi Jung Soo, who was standing on his hind legs, with half of his body propped up on the bed, looking at him with a pleading expression.
He had prepared some bedding for him on the sofa, but Choi Jung Soo walked right past it and went straight to the bed.
Choi Jung Soo whined and looked at him with those puppy eyes.
“No,” he said again, unmoved by Jung Soo's pleas. And then he started pushing him out of bed.
He managed to get him down, but the moment Choi Jung Soo’s front paws touched the ground, he stood up and put half his body back on the bed.
Kim Rok Soo clicked his tongue and decided to just let him do whatever he wanted.
Once he settled into bed, Choi Jung Soo jumped up and turned in circles in the middle of the bed.
"Could you please not…?"
Smack! Choi Jung Soo’s tail hit him straight in the face.
And that’s how he spent the night sleeping at the edge of his bed, while Choi Jung Soo was sprawled out in the middle.
The next morning, Kim Rok Soo was once again staring at Choi Jung Soo in front of him.
“Should I take you to the office?”
Choi Jung Soo was too busy scratching the back of his ears to pay him any mind.
“I think it would be best to leave you here for the time being,” Kim Rok Soo concluded.
He looked at his wristwatch before heading out.
“You stay put. I'll be back at lunchtime to feed you.”
“Woof! Woof!”
That was the last thing he heard as he closed the door.
However, when he came back at lunch time as promised, what awaited him when he opened the door to his apartment was utter chaos.
Chaos and destruction.
And the one responsible for it all lunged at him as soon as he saw him. Perhaps unaware of the destruction he had left behind him, or perhaps uncaring about it.
“Are you serious?”
“Woof!”
Somehow, Choi Jung Soo had managed to get hold of a bag of napkins, and the floor was littered with chewed-up papers. He had also knocked over a few pieces of furniture, and Kim Rok Soo recognized his pillow stuffing scattered across the floor.
Kim Rok Soo let out a sigh, “I guess I should've taken you for a walk before leaving.”
Choi Jung Soo just looked at him, panting happily, without a shred of guilt.
Kim Rok Soo returned to the office accompanied by Choi Jung Soo.
News of Choi Jung Soo's sudden transformation spread quickly, so most of the employees were already aware of it.
Most of them.
Director Ma barged into their office with an annoyed expression while holding up some documents.
“Hey, Soo Hyuk, why haven't—?”
“Grrr…”
He came to a stop and stared at the dog next to Lee Soo Hyuk that had stood up while growling at him.
“Why is there —?”
“Choi Jung Soo's new ability. Don't ask,” Lee Soo Hyuk replied.
“…I'll just come back another day,” Director Ma said as he slowly closed the door on his way out.
Gritting his teeth, he stomped down the hallway.
“There’s always something with that damn Team.”
Lee Soo Hyuk had changed into his training clothes. He looked at Choi Jung Soo with a smile on his face.
“Hey, Jung Soo. Guess what? We're going on a walk!”
“Awooo!” Choi Jung Soo howled in excitement.
They headed to a nearby park, with Kim Rok Soo begrudgingly walking behind them.
They reached the foot of a hill when suddenly Choi Jung Soo stopped. He raised his snout, his ears, and his tail straight up as he was focused on something he saw in the distance.
And very, very far away, a couple of squirrels could be seen running around.
“You wouldn't… right?” Asked Lee Soo Hyuk, who was currently holding his leash.
But he was too focused on the squirrels to pay him any mind. He lowered his torso slightly, preparing to launch himself towards his target.
“Jung Soo! No! Hey! How are you so strong?! Wait! WAAAIT.”
Lee Soo Hyuk's voice began to fade into the distance as Choi Jung Soo was pulling him at full speed up the hill.
“Take care,” Kim Rok Soo said as he followed at a leisurely pace.
“I'm sure being a dog must be fun and all, but how about you turn back into a human now?” Lee Soo Hyuk asked. But since he didn't receive any answers other than panting, they assumed Choi Jung Soo would spend another night as a dog.
They decided that Choi Jung Soo would stay with Lee Soo Hyuk that night.
After leaving the office, they headed to a supermarket, because if Choi Jung Soo was going to continue being a dog, then they would need more things to take better care of him.
At the entrance of the supermarket, there was a sign that read: “No pets allowed.”
“Is he…?”
“No. But I don't feel like explaining.”
They tied him up near the entrance and headed to… well, to the pet section.
It was located in an area where they could clearly see Choi Jung Soo through the supermarket's glass window.
When he saw them, his tail started wagging happily.
“Hey there!” Lee Soo Hyuk greeted him with a wave. And then, he headed towards the dog food.
“Don’t tell me you’re planning on giving him dog food.”
“Hm? Why not? He's a dog.”
“But he's still Jung Soo,” Kim Rok Soo replied with an expression full of disbelief.
Lee Soo Hyuk's gaze went from the dog food to Choi Jung Soo, who was tied up outside.
“…I guess you're right, my bad,” he said with a frown. “What have you been feeding him anyway?”
“I’ve been giving him a mix of rice, chicken, and eggs.”
“Hmmm,”
“We’re not feeding him kibble.”
“I know! I said I'm sorry, geez.”
He walked away from the dog food and headed towards the other products. He started listing the items they needed with his fingers.
“He's going to need a bed for your apartment, a bed for mine, and another for the office.”
“And new bowls.”
“And some toys.”
“And a brush, shampoo, and soap. Nailclippers and something to brush his teeth. Trash bags and towels. That's all I can think of for now.”
Lee Soo Hyuk was about to suggest treats as well, but he feared Kim Rok Soo would glare at him again if he suggested giving Jung Soo dog food, so he kept that thought to himself.
“Whoa, dogs sure are expensive, huh?” he said instead.
He walked over to the toys, picked up a tennis ball, and held it up in the air while showing it to Choi Jung Soo.
“What do you think of this one?”
Choi Jung Soo stood up with his ears raised high.
“Woof!” They heard through the glass window.
Lee Soo Hyuk tossed the ball into the shopping cart.
He picked up a squeaky squirrel toy and showed it to him.
Choi Jung Soo tilted his head with curiosity in his eyes.
“What? Don’t like squirrels now?” he laughed as he also tossed it in the shopping cart, “Haha, this is fun.”
He picked up a rope toy and also showed it to him.
Choi Jung Soo yawned, clearly annoyed.
“What’s that? Too expensive? Don’t worry, I’ll take part of it from your next paycheck,” he said, tossing it as well.
“Wait, he’s still getting a paycheck?” Kim Rok Soo asked.
“Yes?” Lee Soo Hyuk replied, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
“But he’s a —” Kim Rok Soo closed his eyes with an expression that suggested he found it annoying to keep thinking about the matter. “—Nevermind.”
He had been careless.
They were currently in the middle of dealing with some weak monsters that had appeared on the outskirts. One had managed to slip through the front lines and was headed towards him.
Kim Rok Soo had an annoyed expression as he was getting ready to face it, but all of a sudden, a heroic figure jumped over his head.
Choi Jung Soo had managed to steal a sword and was holding the handle with his mouth. He took down the monster with one fell swoop.
As soon as his paws landed, he ran towards the front lines and took down many monsters with relative ease.
“…” Kim Rok Soo stood there with a blank expression, “What the…?”
The other members of Team 1 were delighted. They surrounded Choi Jung Soo and filled him with praise.
“Our Jung Soo is amazing!”
“The only thing you’re missing now is your White Miru!”
“Jung Soo! White Miru!”
“Arf!”
“Hmph? It seems he's not ready yet.”
“He'll figure it out, I mean, he can use a sword now!”
“Our very first sword dog!”
His heroic deed, however, left him with a bleeding paw.
“Tsk, you’re still the same, even if you changed appearance,” Kim Rok Soo was grumbling while treating him.
Choi Jung Soo whined, and once his paw was all patched up, he lay his head on Kim Rok Soo’s lap while looking at him with a pitiful expression.
And although he let out a sigh, Kim Rok Soo started petting him gently.
Choi Jung Soo, the dog, was far more popular than Choi Jung Soo, the human.
After all, swordsmen were a common sight these days, but a sword dog?
He became a popular sparring partner, as many wanted to try to face him. But surprisingly, even without his White Miru, Choi Jung Soo was almost as strong as he was back when he was a human, and so, he defeated many of his challengers.
The next morning, a local morning radio show featured him in a segment.
And thus, he became a local celebrity.
Kim Rok Soo found it annoying that he couldn’t walk him anywhere without everyone stopping to greet them.
At The Company, they attached a string to his harness so he could pull a little red wagon around the office.
He went from office to office delivering documents in exchange for head pats, belly rubs, and snacks. They even made him a new employee ID badge, hung from a lanyard, which he proudly displayed on his fluffy chest.
A week went by, and everyone got used to the new Choi Jung Soo.
They just assumed he would continue to live like this for the foreseeable future.
It had been a little over a week since Choi Jung Soo’s sudden transformation. The end of the day was closing in.
Lee Soo Hyuk and Kim Rok Soo were sitting on the floor holding up their knees, with Choi Jung Soo sitting in the middle of them.
“You know we’ll always love you no matter what, right?” Lee Soo Hyuk asked while he placed an arm around Choi Jung Soo’s back.
“I have to admit,” Kim Rok Soo said, with his gaze lost in the distance, “I do miss him from time to time.”
Lee Soo Hyuk smiled and closed his eyes as he rested his head on Choi Jung Soo, who seemed happy with the attention.
“Hey, guys! I’m ba— huh?” Choi Jung Soo’s voice echoed in the office.
“Sometimes, I can still hear his voice,” Lee Soo Hyuk said without opening his eyes.
“…Guys?”
“Almost as if he was back to being a human.”
Meanwhile, Kim Rok Soo’s head was alternating between looking at Choi Jung Soo, who was sitting next to him, and the other Choi Jung Soo, who was now standing in front of them.
He put a hand to his mouth.
“…You can duplicate yourself now?”
“No…? What is going on?”
“Choi Jung Soo?” Lee Soo Hyuk had opened his eyes and was now looking at him with his mouth agape.
“Yes?”
“Is that really you?”
“Yes?”
“You didn’t turn into a dog?”
“…No?”
They stared at each other in a stunned silence for a moment. But then, at the same time, Kim Rok Soo and Lee Soo Hyuk turned to look at not Choi Jung Soo, who was still sitting between them, his tail wagging slightly.
“Then whose dog is this?”
“How can you use a sword??”
“Woof! Woof!”
Choi Jung Soo's gaze shifted to the ID badge on the dog’s chest, and as realization hit him, his face flushed with embarrassment.
“Did you…? Did you really think I was a dog?!” he exclaimed.
Kim Rok Soo started to look at him and the dog again, comparing them.
“I mean…”
But as he felt Choi Jung Soo’s glare, he flinched and hid behind definitely not Choi Jung Soo, who let out a short growl as a warning.
“How did this even happen?!”
“Last week… you dissapeared … and he was sitting on your chair …” Kim Rok Soo had a troubled expression as he spoke.
“I had to leave for Busan because they requested my help for clearing up some monsters.”
“They did?” Lee Soo Hyuk asked.
“Yes! You signed off on it!” Choi Jung Soo exclaimed.
“…I did?”
“Yes!!”
“Huh.”
“But… but… You disappeared in the middle of the day. And your phone…” Kim Rok Soo continued.
“I had to leave in a hurry because I was about to miss the last bus, and I didn’t want to wake you. And yes, I forgot my phone, but I didn’t think that would be a problem.”
Kim Rok Soo still looked like he couldn’t grasp the truth.
“How could you not have told me that you were leaving? Or any of us?” he asked.
“Because I thought the Team Leader would tell you.”
They both turned to look at Lee Soo Hyuk, who was busy petting most definitely not Choi Jung Soo.
“Oh, umm.” He flashed them his most charming smile. “Oops?”