𝗦𝗨𝗡 & 𝗠𝗢𝗢𝗡 | ᴬᶰ ˢᵒᵒᴴᵒ 『English Version』

Chapter 23

The night was miserably rainy. Winter wasn’t even close yet, but the weather had been a disaster lately—just like her head. The raindrops pounded against the apartment window so hard that Hyeori was already getting a headache.

Or maybe it was because she hadn’t eaten in hours.

She didn’t know, but she couldn’t stand being in the living room anymore—at least not without a blanket to wrap herself in against the cold that had crept in minutes ago. Her bedroom wasn’t any warmer, so she decided to pull out a thick blanket she usually only used in winter.

The one Sooho’s grandmother had given her for their first Christmas as a couple.

“A delicate girl like you should stay warm, sweetie. My Sooho’s a bit clueless when it comes to taking care of sick people, so try not to get sick too often.”

Hyeori remembered those words as she held the blanket in her hands, smiling softly because it was true. Sooho really was a bit of a dummy when it came to taking care of anyone who was sick. When she was the one who got sick, he’d always go overboard at the pharmacy, buying everything the clerk recommended even when she told him all she needed was a pill.

She tugged on the fabric a little, but let go immediately when she saw a box come tumbling with it. Even though she tried to catch it, everything inside spilled onto the floor—it had been placed upside down.

“Ah… Hyeori…” she muttered, scolding herself as she grabbed the box a little more firmly, lowering her gaze to the things that had fallen.

Her legs tensed at the sight of the items now scattered on the floor. Slowly, she lowered herself until she was sitting in front of them. The first thing she noticed was a collar—small, made of brown leather. The name Jaxx engraved on a little metal tag.

Her hands trembled slightly as she reached for the other collar lying just a few inches away. She picked it up too. Same size, but pale pink. Nala, written on the tag.

Her hands shook even more, the tiny bells attached to both collars jingling faintly. Hyeori let out a small laugh—blended with a quiet sob—as her eyes filled with tears at the sound. That sound used to echo through the house when those little dogs would run around a couple of years ago.

“Babe! Nala’s trying to eat me!”

The memory of Sooho lying on the floor with the months-old puppy climbing on top of him, barking and wagging her tail, made her tears fall faster—yet her smile lingered.

Bittersweet.

Off to the side, some toys had fallen out—Jaxx’s favorites. A small hamburger-shaped squeaky ball Sooho had bought him for his birthday.

“C’mon little guy, go get it! Don’t embarrass me in front of your mom.”

Hyeori laughed quietly at the memory, because the dog had absolutely hated the toy at first. He even gave Sooho dirty looks when he tried to get him to play with it.

At him, not the toy.

But after Sooho’s endless attempts, the dog had grown attached to it.

Among a few more scattered toys, she spotted a photo print—it looked like a Polaroid, not that old, because it was still in perfect condition. It was a selfie. Sooho, shirtless with messy hair, flashing the goofiest and softest smile in the world, with a tiny Jaxx and an even smaller Nala on top of him, barking happily as they looked down at him. She was next to him, kissing his cheek, covering half his face with her own.

It was perfect.

“Uhm, when we have kids… I want them to be like Jaxx. Look at him, staring at you like you're the biggest and most delicious treat on the planet.”