Chapter 113…
The Beggar the Dog Loved
“Those people… it must be hard to feed them all, right?”
If you’re a dog lover, that’s the kind of thing you worry about — dog food costs.
The man didn’t know what he was talking about.
There are things in this world you just don’t need to worry about — celebrity money and beggar food are two of them.
“Of course, it’s not easy since I’ve got another mouth to feed besides my own, but you know, people might not toss food to a beggar — they will for a dog.”
“Oh!”
“I’ve even seen beggars get food because of their dogs. I was jealous, honestly.”
“……”
Why are they all looking at me like that?
“Hey, it’s not like people feed dogs garbage, okay? They give them real food! This is South Korea we’re talking about!”
“…You’re oddly patriotic about that.”
“As expected of a developed nation!”
“Exactly! And if people think the dog can’t eat properly living with a homeless guy, they’ll even bring dog food as a gift sometimes. Though it doesn’t taste great.”
“…You’ve tried it?”
“I’ve had some, yeah. It’s basically fresh food in a sealed package.”
“Ah… wow. No mercy in your talk show skills today! I’ve got enough footage for the day — I can clock out early!”
“Puhahahaha!”
When I gave Mr. Kyungwoo a thumbs-up, everyone burst out laughing.
“Oh?”
But as I laughed along, I suddenly felt like I’d made a mistake.
Ah… I’d ruined my own image again.
How do I know?
Because even while everyone else was laughing, my manager, Mr. Park, was standing in the corner with a face like he’d swallowed dirt.
Sorry, hyung…
“Ah, there you all are! Let’s go in now! Today we’re visiting the animal shelter!”
“Let’s do this!”
Just then, the animal trainer, Mr. Park Sunwoo, appeared — saving me from further embarrassment.
I cheered and quickly slipped inside, avoiding my manager’s glare.
Inside… was total chaos.
Bark bark!
Grrr!
Whiiine…
These were dogs I hadn’t seen since the “Momo incident.”
I’d seen dogs from afar on walks around apartments, but somehow, I’d always kept my distance — maybe out of instinct.
Even from a distance, they made me want to play… my heart racing.
At least I didn’t pick up the habit of lifting one leg to mark territory.
If that ever got caught on camera—
Oh boy.
Actor Woo Mo-ssi can’t forget his beggar days!
That headline would go viral in seconds — screenshots, memes, shorts — total public roasting.
So I’d been avoiding dogs, and yet…
“Not your friend.”
Bark bark!
“Ask your guardian for that.”
“What, what? You can talk to dogs now?”
Mr. Kyungwoo joked as he watched me respond to the dogs circling around me.
…Wait.
“Huh? I can actually hear them!”
“……”
Ah… is this going to get censored?
Woof woof!
[What’s this… this familiarity?]
Bark! Bark bark bark!
[He looks human, but smells like a dog!]
“Smells like a dog?! Come on!”
“Mr. Woo Soo-han, please don’t fight with the dogs.”
Ah… trainer hyung.
What am I supposed to do, just take that insult?
“You’re really trying to hog the screen time, huh?”
“No way! I’m just trying to earn a nice, kind image playing with dogs!”
“Kind image or not, the dogs sure like you.”
Even Ms. Na-ra was saying that now.
Is that why they brought me here?
Dogs had gathered all around me, wagging their tails.
One of them whimpered, licking its belly before looking up at me.
Whine…
[Bro, I think I’m constipated. My poop won’t come out.]
…Since when did I become your bro?
“Trainer, do dogs take laxatives?”
“Huh?”
“This one seems constipated. Or acting like it.”
“What?”
The trainer came over, checked the dog’s belly, then looked at me in shock.
What? I just said what I heard.
“I think you’re right. Looks like it’s been a while, too. Doctor! Could you come check this one?”
A vet came over, checked, and confirmed it — constipation.
Everyone stared at me, wide-eyed.
Ugh, this is awkward.
“How did you know?” Mr. Kyungwoo asked.
“Uh… just looked uncomfortable, I guess.”
“Come to think of it, yeah — when dogs are constipated, they lick their belly a lot. Wow, you actually know quite a bit about dogs, huh?”
“Just a bit…”
Actually, this wasn’t bad.
We came here to improve my public image anyway.
Right.
Today, I’ll be Dog Jesus.
Bark bark!
[My knees hurt!]
“This one’s got a knee problem.”
Arf! Arf arf arf!
[My ears hurt too much!]
One even came up and tilted its head, showing me its ear.
“This one’s got ear trouble!”
Soon the vet was running around checking them all.
Every time I pointed something out, it was right — and everyone just stared.
Was this what a jungle doctor felt like?
Kind of satisfying.
“Seriously… how?”
The vet was the most shocked of all.
Turns out, these were all rescued strays with lots of minor issues.
Alright, the tide’s in — time to row!
“Mr. Woo, is your next role a veterinarian or something?”
“Ah… hahaha!”
Producer Park Yoo-cheon looked baffled.
After my “beggar” gags had nearly tanked me again, the dogs had swooped in and saved the day — turning me into the star of the show.
Even the vet and trainer were staring at me like I was some miracle worker.
So the producer’s question made sense.
“No, nothing like that… Mr. Woo’s just been studying a lot lately — says an actor should be ready for any role.”
“Studying? Really?”
From the producer’s face, I could read it — a beggar who studies?
“Oh, he’s a smart guy! Just had bad luck as a kid. He memorizes scripts after reading them only a few times. And he’s so passionate — always up late learning something new.”
…He stayed up so late watching YouTube and Shorts that we actually installed a KidsKeeper app to limit his screen time.
“Really?”
“Yes, so he actually knows quite a lot. Like now.”
He was just saying it to cover me, but honestly, it wasn’t wrong.
All that smooth-talking had to come from somewhere.
“I see you in a new light now.”
“Haha, please treat him well!”
Mr. Park clenched his fist and grinned widely.
Good rumors spread fast in this business — that’s everything.
Still, he kept glancing at me with a worried look.
‘He’s not possessed by a dog spirit… right?’
“The dogs really… seem to love you, Mr. Woo.”
Ms. Na-ra tried to put it nicely.
I was surrounded — completely buried in dogs.
Like sitting in a flower field.
Well, a dog field.
Mr. Kyungwoo, who always bragged that dogs adored him, suddenly pouted.
“It’s because you don’t bathe! That’s why!”
“I do bathe! You’re calling me dirty just because I used to be homeless?”
“S-sorry! Cut that part out in editing!”
Classic trap.
And no, they won’t edit it out.
You can always tell — TV people.
Woof? Woof woof!
[Bro, you can hear us, right?]
Ruff ruff!
[Can’t you tell just by looking?]
Bow wow wow!
[This human’s super dog-friendly!]
“Yeah… better to be loved than hated, I guess.”
I was getting used to it.
At first it was weird, but I realized the voices faded when the dogs were farther away — only within a certain range could I hear them.
Thank God for that.
My life had shifted from horror to entertainment — and now what, dog-fantasy?
No, that sounds weird.
Woof woof!
[Bro, take me with you!]
Nope.
I already have a ghost at home.
Arf arf arf!
[But we can talk! We’d get along great!]
No thanks.
Stop looking at me like that, you’re making me soft.
Then someone entered.
“Next up, our adoption hopefuls! Please come in!”
“Waaah!”
Ah, right. Today was the “Love Connection” day — matching the shelter dogs with new families.
The dogs’ eyes sparkled with excitement.
But then… tension filled the air.
The dogs stiffened.
I felt it too — a prickling along my arms.
What was that?
I looked around.
They say dogs can see ghosts, right?
But I didn’t see any.
Though…
“It’s hazy.”
“Huh?”
Ms. Na-ra turned toward me.
“Ah, my eyes are dry.”
“I’ve got eye drops — want some?”
“Ah, yes please.”
As I pretended to use the eye drops, I glanced toward the last man who’d entered.
A kindly-looking man, maybe in his fifties.
But around his body… a grayish, misty aura.
I’d heard black meant evil spirits — but gray?
Still, my gut told me one thing:
That man was dangerous.
“Ah… great. My life keeps pulling me toward this weird stuff.”
“Hm?”
“Nothing. Just… trying to live properly.”
“Ahh… I get that. Hang in there, Soo-han.”
“Yes.”
We’d gotten a bit closer after the last team dinner, so she spoke comfortably when the cameras were off.
As she spoke, I kept my eyes on the gray-aura man.
Maybe I should text Mansoo—
“Okay, back to filming!”
“Everyone, places!”
Ah, too late.
“Of course, we’d love for all these dogs to find good homes, but that’s the hard part.”
“Exactly! Hopefully this kind of adoption culture keeps growing!”
While the trainer and Mr. Kyungwoo chatted on camera, I kept sneaking glances at the man with the gray aura.
“Next time, I need to figure out what those aura colors mean…”
“Huh? Aura colors?”
“Ah, I mean — the dogs’ coat colors. I was wondering if different colors mean different breeds.”
Had Na-ra been possessed by a dog too? Her ears were way too sharp.
“Pfft! What are you talking about? Of course it depends on looks!”
“Oh? Humans discriminate by color — why not dogs? Or maybe anyone who does that is worse than a dog.”
“You’re such a walking time bomb, does your agency even know?”
At her words, I just turned to look at poor Mr. Park, my manager.
The anguish on his face said it all — I really was making his life hard.
“Mr. Park must have it rough.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
Meanwhile, the adoption event began.
The would-be adopters mingled freely with the shelter dogs —
a true meeting between man and dog.
