Chapter 174

While observing the Pomeranian, Kang Jin asked:

“They say animals ascend immediately upon death, so why is this pup still here?”

“How did you know that?”

“Lee Hye-sun mentioned it before. She said she had never seen a ghost dog until then.”

Previously, Lee Hye-sun also stated it was her first time encountering a ghost dog when she saw Hwanggu. Unlike humans, animals typically Ascend right after their demise.

“A ghost dog?”

“Hwanggu… Oh! You wouldn’t know about him, would you?”

Bae Yongsoo hadn’t been present when Hwanggu arrived, so he missed seeing the ghost dog. Consequently, Kang Jin briefly explained Hwanggu’s story to him.

“So, we’re going to live with this dog from now on?”

“He’s cute and well-behaved; I’m sure you’ll like him once you meet him.”

“But having a dog in a restaurant?”

As someone who worked as a chef in a restaurant prioritizing cleanliness, Bae Yongsoo found it awkward to have a dog living at the shop.

“If a ghost can reside here, why not allow a dog?”

Bae Yongsoo looked at Kang Jin for a moment before nodding his head.

“You’re right; ghosts don’t dirty the place.”

Seeing that Bae Yongsoo had arrived at a satisfactory answer, Kang Jin approached Pomeranian.

“Hello.”

Kang Jin greeted the dog while bending down slightly. The Pomeranian observed him and then started wagging its tail quickly but lightly.

“Huff huff huff!”

With the dog sticking out its tongue, Kang Jin glanced back at Bae Yongsoo before attempting to pet the Pomeranian’s head.

“Does this one bite?”

“I’m not sure since I’ve never touched it before.”

Bae Yongsoo continued observing the Pomeranian.

“Isn’t it instinct for dogs to lick?” Sung Yongsoo’s words made sense to Kang Jin. He subtly clenched his fist and presented it in front of him. Somewhere he heard one should approach a dog with their fist instead of palm open.

Moreover…

Wouldn’t getting bitten on a fist hurt less than on an open hand?

With this thought, Kang Jin cautiously waved his fist at Pomeranian. The small dog slowly approached and licked Kang Jin’s fist.

Lick! Lick!

Then…the Pomeranian looked surprised as if realizing something. It had licked human skin. Despite occasionally licking people who visited the pavilion, nothing ever touched its tongue until now.

As if tasting human skin for the first time in ages, the Pomeranian licked Kang Jin’s hand frantically. Its tail wagged faster with each lick.

Flick-flick-flick!

The sight of its tail wagging like a windmill brought a smile to Kang Jin’s face.

“You’re so sweet.”

Kang Jin gently stroked the Pomeranian while observing it closely. As his hand caressed its body, the dog’s tail wagged even more rapidly.

However, Kang Jin grimaced as he felt the prominent bones beneath the thin layer of fur.

“You must have been starving,” Kang Jin murmured sympathetically.

“Would you like to come with me?”

Since he planned to raise Hwanggu soon anyway, adding one more pet wouldn’t be an issue.

Moreover, seeing the Pomeranian lick his hand affectionately…he felt somewhat guilty. The dog wagged its tail while licking Kang Jin’s hand, as if pleading for attention due to emotional starvation.

Upon hearing Kang Jin’s question, the Pomeranian paused, turned around, and sat down where it had been before, as if saying: “I miss human companionship and like you but cannot follow.”

Kang Jin looked puzzled at the Pomeranian’s reaction. Sung Yongsoo explained:

“It’s also a land-bound spirit.”

“A land-bound spirit? Why?”

A land-bound spirit refers to entities trapped by unresolved grievances tied to a specific location or object. But why would a dog become a land-bound spirit, especially under this pavilion?

“I don’t know either. It’s not like we can communicate with it,” replied Bae Yongsoo.

Kang Jin glanced back at the Pomeranian, which was panting with its tongue out, staring at him.

Kang Jin tried to coax it closer by extending his hand several times, but the Pomeranian remained where it was. However, its tail continued wagging vigorously, indicating that it wanted to approach him.

Observing this, Kang Jin stood up.

“Didn’t we have some leftover groceries from the previous JS convenience store visit?”

“I think there are eggs and a few sausages left,” replied Bae Yongsoo.

Kang Jin turned towards Yongsoo’s suggestion.

“Let’s go shopping.”

“Why? Are you going to make something for the dog?”

“Hunger affects both humans and ghosts alike.” As he spoke, Kang Jin headed back inside and opened the refrigerator. He retrieved a separate bag labeled ‘JS Convenience Store’ tucked away on one side. Inside were a handful of eggs and sausages.

“Is it okay for a dog to eat human food?”

He wasn’t concerned about the eggs but wondered if he could eat sausages since they were meant for humans.

Bae Yongsoo chuckled at Kang Jin’s concern. “Are you worried about your health even though you’re dead?”

Yongsoo had a point. Consuming human food might not be healthy for a living dog, but what difference did it make now that Kang Jin was deceased and a ghost? After all, neither dogs nor humans get two chances at life once they die.

With that, Kang Jin sliced the sausage, placed it on a frying pan, and scrambled it with the eggs.

Is this enough?

Kang Jin quickly finished making a simple egg-and-sausage dish and transferred it to a bowl. He then left the store and headed towards the park where the Pomeranian usually stayed.

Bark! Bark!

As Kang Jin approached, the Pomeranian wagged its tail and joyfully barked, recognizing him from their previous encounter.

Kang Jin placed this bowl down under the pavilion while watching Pomeranian eagerly wagging its tail.

“Are you hungry? Eat up.”

Pomeranian sniffed at the bowl as Kang Jin spoke to it. Then, it quickly dug in.

Chomp! Chomp!

He watched Pomeranian devouring the sausage and egg stir-fry.

‘Is this why people raise dogs?’

As he watched the cute sight of Pomeranian hurriedly eating, Kang Jin started stroking its back with his hand.

Sssk! Sssk!

Seeing the dog’s bony frame made him feel sorry for it. In no time, Pomeranian finished all the food in the bowl. It licked Kang Jin’s hand before lying on its back.

While Kang Jin was petting Pomeranian’s belly, a middle-aged woman approached them pulling her small cart. She smiled brightly as she greeted Kang Jin.

“Hello.”

Kang Jin smiled at Jiyoon’s greeting and bowed his head slightly.

“Hello.”

Jiyoon smiled as she sat down next to him on the bench.

“I haven’t seen many kids around here lately?”

“Kids?”

Seeing Kang Jin’s confusion, Jiyoon chuckled while pointing towards the bowl on the ground.

“You didn’t come here just to feed them?”

“Yes, I did bring food for them… Of course, it is dog food for ghost dogs.”

“They ate everything.” She smiled at the empty bowl before taking out three bowls from her cart. She filled two with pet food and one with water. Then she gently placed them under the pavilion.

‘Ah…she must be a cat mom.’

He had heard about this phenomenon through the news. There was a case where a woman, who fed stray cats, was murdered. The culprit was eventually caught, but he confessed that he killed her because the stray cats were too noisy due to the woman feeding them.

It was a ridiculous reason, but at least he learned something about cat ladies through that news story.

“You feed them every day?”

“We humans eat everyday too.”

Kang Jin nodded as he watched her smile brightly.

“I guess you’re right.”

“This is my first time seeing you here, young man. I know most of the people who feed these neighborhood strays.”

“It’s my first time coming out here today.”

“Oh really? Let’s be friends from now on. Ah! Why don’t we exchange numbers?” The ajumoni seemed to have an outgoing personality by nature.

He felt slightly taken aback when she suddenly asked for his number, yet Kang Jin readily exchanged phone numbers with her. He liked how cheerful she was, and it indicated what kind of person she must be since she went around feeding stray animals with this cart. At the very minimum, she knew how to share food with others.

“By the way, where do you live?”

“I run a small restaurant called One Meal Restaurant down there.”

“One Meal Restaurant?”

“It’s next to the cell phone store.” Seeing Kang Jin tilt his head in confusion, she laughed.

“I’ll stop by for a meal sometime.”

“Please do.”

As they continued chatting with smiles on their faces, the ajumoni took out a thermos from her cart.

“Would you like some tea?”

“Certainly, thank you.”

With a grin, she shook the thermos and poured him a cup of warm, slightly cloudy liquid reminiscent of makgeolli.

Glug, glug!

“What is this?”

“It’s made with nuts, honey, and milk, all blended together.”

“Just hearing that makes it sound rich and creamy.”

“Indeed!” Smiling, the ajumoni also poured herself a cup and sipped it.

“It’s delicious.”

“Rich and sweet, just right.”

“In summer, people come here to enjoy brunch and tea.”

“Do many families with kids dine here?”

“Not too many.”

As Kang Jin watched the smiling ajumoni, his gaze suddenly shifted to her feet. The Pomeranian had started rubbing its head against her leg.

Kang Jin asked, “By any chance, have you seen this Pomeranian around before?”

“You mean Whitey?”

At the name “Whitey,” the Pomeranian perked up its ears and wagged its tail.

“That’s its name, Whitey?”

“We called it ‘Whitey’ because of its white fur. But how did you know about Whitey?”

“I remembered someone mentioning a cute white Pomeranian living nearby.”

The ajumoni nodded understandingly.

“Yes, it was indeed lovely.” She smiled and pointed towards the pavilion below.

“She used to sit right here all the time.” As if understanding her words, the Pomeranian sat down where she had indicated and started panting with its tongue out. Was it appropriate to describe this as having a “smiling face”? Regardless, its grin made it incredibly adorable despite being matted and patchy-haired.

The ajumoni sighed deeply while observing the dog beneath the pavilion, then shook her head.

“But the poor thing died last year.”

“Was it a stray?”

“How could such a cute pup not have a family?”

Kang Jin sensed the ajumoni’s deep love for animals when she referred to the dog as part of a family rather than just a pet.

She looked at the spot under the pavilion where the Pomeranian used to sit and continued, “They left her behind.”

“They abandoned her?”

Kang Jin’s eyes narrowed at her words. He already suspected what happened, but hearing it from the ajumoni made him feel worse.

Abandoned their family…?

As if understanding Kang Jin’s thoughts, she shook her head. “If you take them home as your children, then you should responsibly raise them like family…

“Hmm…”

After Kang Jin took another sip of his tea, the woman continued.

“I’m glad they left these dogs here nonetheless.”

“Why’s that?”

“Some people abandon pets deep in the mountains or countryside, and animals raised by humans can’t survive there.”

“I see.”

“At least here, kind-hearted folks feed them so they don’t go hungry. It’s better than leaving them elsewhere. Occasionally, some compassionate souls even adopt them to live with.” She glanced toward where the Pomeranian was sitting.

“I thought of adopting Whitey since he seemed quite old…but whenever I tried to take him home, he’d come close when feeding him and loved getting petted, but as soon as I attempted to carry him away, he’d struggle fiercely.”

“He doesn’t want to leave?” Kang Jin asked.

The ajumoni sighed and nodded her head. “I think he believes his owner will return someday. He probably thinks it’s just a temporary separation, not abandonment. So…he stays here because he fears if he isn’t around, his owner won’t find him when they come back.”

Kang Jin pursed his lips at her words and glanced at the Pomeranian. The dog yawned widely, seemingly oblivious to their conversation. With a content expression, it lowered its head between its paws and closed its eyes. Having enjoyed a proper meal for the first time in a while, it appeared ready for a peaceful sleep.

Even after death…you’re still waiting for your master? Is that your regret?