Work Text:
What does one do when the love of their life is all of a sudden paralyzed?
Minjoo found herself typing the above sentence on her Google search bar. She stared at the sleeping figure by her side with a gentle smile playing on her lips. Her mind replayed all the precious memories that she had made together with him. Her whole world revolved around the sleeping being.
She loved him.
She cherished him.
He is the one reason she waked up in the morning.
He only loved one person in his whole life.
You may be wondering, who the hell is he? Well, it is simple.
The one being that Kim Minjoo loves the most in the world either than herself and a fluffy bread-being was him. And he is nonother than an adorable white Samoyed; in order words, he is a dog.
Confused, dear reader? Let us start from the beginning, shall we?
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In the summer of 2004, a very young Kim Minjoo was walking around the streets of Seoul with her parents by her side. Her elder brother was a few steps ahead of them and was skipping his way merrily towards their destination.
An animal shelter- a place where the two siblings have been wanting to visit ever since they heard about puppies- to look for a puppy for them to adopt. Mrs Kim wasn’t exactly too keen on the idea of getting a puppy but the puppy-eyes of the two Kim siblings made her reconsider. Her husband was probably more excited than the kids.
The moment the door swung open, the two kids left their parents behind and ran towards a small playpen set up near a counter. Squeals of excitement resonated throughout the slightly busy animal shelter as the two kids matched the excitement of the puppies.
“Mama! Papa! Look!!” Minjoo said with excitement, pointing towards the cute puppies who gained interest in their new visitors. One may think Minjoo was a puppy, from the way she was jumping around, pulling on her parent’s clothes and the puppy-eyes she puts on as she silently begged her parents for a puppy. Mr and Mrs Kim were taken aback by the sudden burst of cuteness their daughter was displaying; never had they ever seen her this cheerful.
“Honey, calm down~ The puppies aren’t going anywhere,” Mr Kim said with a chuckle. It was quite a sight to see his daughter trying her best to climb over the low fences of the playpen. Minjoo’s brother was already being swarmed by puppies the moment he had stepped in. With the help of her father, Minjoo was in the playpen and was approached by a snowy white puppy.
It was love in the first sight for the two of them. The moment their eyes met, the puppy ran towards the young girl, knocking her onto the floor and licked her face. Minjoo giggled at the ticklish feeling and hugged the puppy with all her 4-year-old self could. This adorable snowy white puppy with fluffy fur was the one.
“That’s Marco,” one of the staff said to the enamoured Minjoo, pointing towards the nametag of the collar around its neck. “Marco is a boy.”
Her parents watched as the puppy now known as Marco yipped happily at his name being called and observed the expression of their daughter. She looked at the puppy with a look of awe and hugged its small body as she whispered, “So floofy!!”
The staff laughed at the cuteness of the pair who were inseparable despite meeting one another less than 10 minutes ago. Mr and Mrs Kim looked at one another as they both nodded in silent agreement. They came to a decision quickly as they stared at the happy duo running around in the playpen.
Marco was the one.
After filling a few forms and was briefed about the puppy they were going to bring home; Marco the Samoyed was theirs. The Kims watched as Marco jumped around them the moment he was released from the playpen and they had a wide grin on their face. After all, who could resist the cuteness of a puppy.
Minjoo sat in her seat with Marco in his carrier by her side. Her parents would glance behind every once in a while, to see the duo awake and excited. Her brother was fast asleep; too exhausted from being swarmed and playing with nine hyperactive puppies. Mr and Mrs Kim shared a knowing glance and a small smile before Mr Kim announced.
“Kids!! We’re here!! Welcome to your new home, Marco!!”
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It took Minjoo three times to give the puppy a tour around his new home; the puppy would seemingly get distracted at every little thing. Her family members have long retreated to their rooms and reached a unanimous decision that Marco would be staying in her room.
“And thwis… is your rooommmm~~,” She said as she jumped around happily with the puppy following her movements well. She watched the small pup run around in circles around her room and giggled as he accidentally tripped over her carpet. Marco’s attention was immediately caught by a photo frame on her desk.
It was a picture of herself and her best friend, Honda Hitomi smiling as they played in the park. The puppy stared at the mochi cheeks with interest and Minjoo realized that as well. She sat by him as she held the frame carefully in her hands before showing it.
Honda Hitomi was the epitome of cuteness and snarkiness embodied in the body of a small girl with mochi cheeks. Minjoo often compared her cheeks to the cheese buns the younger girl would always munch on at any given time of the day. How the two became friends was unknown to both; starting as a chance encounter in the corner of their nursery’s playroom. But if there’s one thing for sure, the two were inseparable just like how Minjoo and Marco are.
“That’s Hii-chan!! She’s my best best BBBBEESSSSTTT friend~” she said as she pointed towards the shorter girl. “You’ll meet her soon, Marco~”
The puppy nodded his head with a yip before running around the room again; this time with Minjoo trailing after him. The two ran until they both were depleted of any extra energy they had from earlier and laid on the bed with a tired sigh. Marco rested right by her side as his tail wagged slowly with happiness and the young girl had a wide grin on her face.
“Good night, Marco~”
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If there was one childhood memory Minjoo would still remember even when she’s eighty-years old, the memory of the first meeting between Hitomi and Marco would be it. Every time she thinks about it, it would crack a smile on her face. After all, when an insanely cute girl meets with an equally cute puppy, the result is an extremely ‘my uwus are bursting out of my heart’ cute encounter.
It all started as an invitation to the Japanese girl for a sleepover at her house to introduce Marco to her. The younger girl was excited to meet the Samoyed puppy ever since Minjoo tell her about him during their usual recess.
“Hii-chan~ Wanna have a sleepover at my house tomorrow? I want you to meet Marco!!!”
The mentioned girl had sparkles in her eyes as Minjoo went on and on about her puppy. Hitomi felt more excited about meeting this puppy than her birthday party coming up. The bread girl nodded her head in agreement and it didn’t take much persuasion for her parents to agree.
Which is how they end up in the situation they are in now.
Loud squeals of excitement and happiness could be heard from every corner of the house. (Mrs. Kim smiled fondly from the kitchen as she prepared some snacks for the two girls). Marco could be seen jumping around as he sniffed the visitor with his tail wagging at high speed.
He nudged the outstretched hands of the girl and found himself being hugged tightly by Hitomi. The small bread rubbed her face over his soft white fur and Minjoo smiled by the side. Thank goodness the two are getting along very well.
The sight of the two snuggling had Mrs. Kim almost dying from cuteness. It was as if from a scene of one of those animes her husband would watch where the characters turned into cute chibi animations. The whole scene in front of her screamed UWUUUUUUU!!!!!!!
With a big smile, she entered the room and Marco turned his attention towards her as he ran out from Hitomi’s grasp and towards her. Hitomi pouted at the loss of the puppy but giggled when she saw the way Marco’s tail wagged as he sniffed at his owner. His obvious shows of affection got him rewarded with a pat on his head and a nice belly rub. His tongue lolled to the side and he closed his eyes in enjoyment.
“Don’t stay up too late, girls. We’re making pancakes in the morning,” Mrs Kim said as she gave both of them a kiss on the forehead and another pat on the head for Marco.
“Okayy~~~”
The two girls ended up sleeping late as their energy matched the ones of Marco. They played and played until the three of them were so exhausted that they fell asleep on the floor, cuddled together. And that was how Mr Kim found them in the morning.
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“Those were the good days, weren’t they Marco?” Minjoo asked as she pats his head gently and saw him peacefully resting his head against her palm. The Samoyed opened his eyes lazily and looked at her for a moment before closing them again.
Minjoo sighed as she could still remember what happened over the next few years since her family adopted Marco. She kept petting his fluffy head as she recalled one particular incident that happened when she was in elementary school.
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The shouts of both her parents were deafening and Minjoo curled into a ball in the darkest corner of her room. How long have they both been fighting with one another Minjoo couldn’t tell. Marco who had grown over the past 3 years was bigger than she was. He sat in front of he whined to gain her attention and nuzzled at her hands that shook by her side.
She couldn’t remember when her parents started fighting like this every night. Perhaps it was after her father came home drunk and she vaguely remembers her mother shouting at him. Her mother thought he was cheating on her after she had seen a lipstick stain on his shirt. Her father said that she was being paranoid and that was from catching one of his co-worker from falling.
Perhaps that was when it started, Minjoo thought to herself. The shouts were growing louder and louder and she choked back a sob. Marco must have sensed that she was crying as soon he was nudging her even more and licked at her face. She laughed at the ticklish feeling, patting his head as she faked a smile.
It was fine. After a few more days, her parents would stop arguing and everything would be back to how it usually was. A perfect happy family that she had believed in.
Oh, how wrong Minjoo was. It didn’t stop; the arguing. Instead, it has gotten much worse as she winced at the sound of glass shattering. Her father must have thrown a plate or a glass again. Marco growled by her side and stood in front of her protectively as they both watched the fight ensuing in front of them.
The girl had only wanted to grab some food for herself and Marco but found herself stuck in a crossfire of both her parents. Her father reeked of alcohol and her mother was shouting, and the two have yet to realize that Minjoo was there just a few steps away from them.
It wasn’t until he had barked that her parents realized the presence of their daughter. Their faces blushed with embarrassment as her mother quickly walked towards her and with a tired smile told her to go back to her room and not come out.
The shouts visibly toned down but Minjoo could still hear them as they both blamed each other for not realizing that one of their kids might hear them. Not that they should be too worried as her brother was sent to a boarding school. Marco jumped onto the bed as he laid next to her, his tail wagging softly as he licked her palm and barked softly. She hugged the fluffy large dog as she cried into his fur as the sound of her parents shouting increased in volume not too long after.
It wasn't even startling when a few weeks later her parents announced that they were getting a divorce. Her parents managed to peacefully negotiate the custody of their two children; Minjoo would stay with her mother as her father takes care of her brother. They even settled all of their assets yet they haven’t discussed who would be taking Marco.
The young girl paled as her father suggested that he should be taking care of Marco since he was the one who often bathed him and cared for his wellbeing. Her mother argued saying that she showed him the most affection and that Marco liked her better than he liked Mr Kim.
As her parents argued over who had more rights to take Marco, Minjoo was taken aback by how her parents didn’t seem to care about her opinion. How Marco liked her the best, how she often the one who would feed him, play with him and how he would often sleep by her side at night. How he was always there as she cried every night because of them arguing.
“Mama. Papa. Do you not care about me at all?”
That one question from Minjoo garnered her parent’s attention as they stared at the still girl in front of them. Marco was by her side and they saw the way she gripped at his white fur tightly as he snarled at them. They swallowed the lump in their throat as they both stared at their daughter uneasily.
“Minjoo, we do care about you but somebody needs to look after Marco and you can’t do it yourself with your mother,” Her father said softly and her mother scoffed. Minjoo knew he had tried to imply that her mother and herself couldn’t lift Marco when he slept on the carpet by the door. She gripped the white fur tighter at the thought.
“Are you trying to say we can’t look after him? How do you think we take care of him when you’re off to one of your many so-called ‘business trips’?”
“When are you going to understand that they were just for business!?”
“HOW CAN I!? I WASN’T THE ONE CAUGHT KISSING ANOTHER WOMAN!”
“That’s-”
Minjoo winced as they started arguing once again, forgetting the fact that their 8-year-old daughter was right in front of them. Her breathing started to get heavier as tears welled up in her eyes. Marco had a protective stance as he growled lowly at her parents.
“ENOUGH!!!!” Minjoo shouted as loud as she can and her parents stared at her in shock.
“I want Marco to stay with me.” She continued much softer than she shouted before but her tone was serious. She mustered the deadliest glare that she could do as she stared at the both of her parents.
“Don’t take away my only source of happiness.”
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The door to the bedroom creaked opened and that had gained the attention of Marco. He sat up slowly as his tail wagged at the person who had just entered. Minjoo gave a big smile as she opened her arms expectantly and felt herself being embraced with warmth in the form of a human bread.
Hitomi sat in her lap as they hugged each other for a while before parting away as the shorter went towards Marco. She patted his head affectionately as she whispered, “Hello there, Mister~ Taking my side of the bed again?~”
Minjoo scooted to the side as Hitomi sat next to her as they stared at Marco who went back to sleep. A comfortable silence engulfed them as they stared at his slowly rising chest as he inhaled before Minjoo broke it.
“I almost lost him, you know?” she said as she stared at the sleeping dog. Hitomi hummed out a response as she knew what she meant.
“It was when your parents were going through a divorce, right?”
Minjoo nodded and continued, “Perhaps my outburst and what I said to them knocked some sense into them. I think I said something like ‘Don’t take away my only source of happiness’,”
Hitomi stifled a laugh at how corny the sentence sounded like and Minjoo groaned.
“Don’t laugh. At that point of time, my eight-year-old brain thought that would be the easiest way to win the argument between my parents.”
“I know where you’re coming from, but it’s very corny,” Hitomi said with a laugh. She rested her head against Minjoo’s shoulder with a contented sigh. “Why are you suddenly thinking about the past?”
“Just for fun, Hii-chan,” Minjoo answered as she laid her against the younger as her mind wandered off to the most eventful memory she had with Marco.
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It was the start of a new year and Minjoo was excited. She was finally going to be a high schooler. She could finally live out the dreams she has always wanted to do ever since she had read a manga based on high school students.
The manga became like a list for her to enjoy her high school life before she gets absorbed into the working adult world. She stood in front of the school gate, her yellow uniform clinging to her body perfectly as she pumped her fist with sudden determination.
She, Kim Minjoo, shall experience the most heart-fluttering moment every high school girl dreamed of. She was going to get herself a boyfriend and start a romantic high school romance.
She longed for the secret handholding as she ‘bumps’ into her future boyfriend in the halls, the romantic after-school dates at the tteokbokki shop by the corner of the street, walking to school together and maybe even sharing a small kiss in the classroom after everyone had gone home.
Hitomi thinks that Minjoo had read too much manga that doesn’t relate to the reality of high school students. But Minjoo follows those mangas religiously and have set up very high expectations for a high school romance to happen.
So, it wasn’t surprising that after being in that school for more than 8 months did Minjoo realized that she could never experience the heart-fluttering romance she had longed for ever since she read the manga ‘Missions of Love’.
She slumped in her seat as she let out an exasperated sigh and Hitomi turned around to see her best friend faking sadness. She took in a deep breath as she counted to 3 and Minjoo started her usual rant of wanting to get a boyfriend.
“I want a boyfriend, Hii-chan~~~ But why aren’t there any nice cool looking guysss~~~~~”
“With how picky you are, it doesn’t surprise me that you’re still single,” Hitomi said with a deadpanned expression on her face and wordlessly munched on her bread. Minjoo let out another cry as she slumped over her desk and stared at the bread girl.
Hitomi had grown into a very cute girl with round chubby cheeks, doe-like eyes and chocolate brown hair and Minjoo can’t help but stare at the human reincarnation of bread. Minjoo on the other hand grew up into a beautiful young lady. Hitomi often said that she looked like an actress or even a model due to her perfect visual and body proportions.
Perhaps I could date you instead?
Another reason why Minjoo had yet to find her boyfriend was because of the girl that sat in front of her. Her best friend of many years that Minjoo found herself falling for. Perhaps it was the way she would cutely whine when she forgets her daily intake of bread or the way she calls for her or even her snarky remarks that could hurt someone.
The taller girl blushed at the sudden thought and she shook her head in denial. What was she thinking? This is Hitomi she was talking about, the girl she grew up with and her best friend. A girl who she knows was openly bisexual but there was no way Hitomi would look at her in that way. Or maybe she does? Minjoo questioned herself before snapping herself out from her dazed state.
She glared at the group of boys that stared at their way, huffing as they weren’t even good looking before turning her attention back to Hitomi.
“Isn’t is cannibalism?” Minjoo asked playfully and the bread girl looked at her confusedly. “I mean you’re eating your own species, Hii-chan.”
It took Hitomi a moment to comprehend what Minjoo had just said and it wasn’t long before the frog was running for her life down the school halls. A scary Hitomi was a sight to behold.
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“Pardon my intrusion~,” Hitomi said softly as she stepped into Minjoo’s house. Miss Hwang (Mrs Kim changed back to her maiden name after the divorce) wasn’t back from work yet and Marco ran towards them.
The dog had grown over the years, now much older and he tackled Hitomi onto the floor as his tail wagged behind him. Minjoo laughed as she sidestepped the pair on the floor and walked towards the fridge, spotting a bowl of fried rice in it and note from her mother.
I won’t be back tonight, heat this up for lunch and dinner is in the freezer. Order some food if you’re still hungry. Money’s on the counter.
Love,
Mom <3
She sighed knowing that her mother was working too hard as usual. Ever since the divorce her mother wasn’t always herself despite the strong front, she puts on in front of her. She knew her mother would try to keep her tears as quiet as possible at night but Minjoo could still hear her. That was also when she began to hate her father.
Hitomi walked into the kitchen with Marco slowly trailing after her and sat herself on one of the kitchen counters as Minjoo turned towards her. She held a note in her hand and showed it to her before asking, “Want to stay over tonight?”
“Sure, why not?”
Minjoo felt her neck feeling hot as a hot blush was painted on her cheeks. The only source of light in her room was from the television playing a late-night horror movie. Marco had gone to sleep before the movie started in the corner of her room designated for him.
All Minjoo could think of was the squishy soft feeling of Hitomi pressing against her as her face was hidden in her neck. Her hands gripped the front of Minjoo’s sweater in tiny balls of her fists as she shook. The taller girl wanted to commend herself for suggesting that they should watch a horror movie but her brain wasn’t functioning.
She was gay panicking at the proximity of the bread girl. She could feel her hot breath fanned against her neck and she swallowed the lump in her throat as she tried to calm her racing heart. She bit back a squeal as Hitomi snuggled closer to her at the sudden jump scare and she smiled.
“Hii-chan, it isn’t that scary~”
“To you, it isn’t, but to me, it is!”
“Come on, you jumped when the MC just opened the door, scaredy-cat~”
“Shut up. You never know what’s behind the door and it could have been a ghost,”
“It’s all the background music talking,” Minjoo said teasingly as she reached over for the remote. She muted the sound and asked the bread girl to look at the screen.
“Nope- not doing it.”
“Just look at it Hii-chan, it is only scary when there’s the BGM.”
“You sure?” Hitomi questioned carefully and the taller girl nodded her head as her hand secretly went to the remote. Her finger hovered the unmute button and she waited until she knew the jump scare would occur. With perfect timing, she unmuted it and a scream could be heard coming from the Japanese girl.
Marco woke up with a jolt at the high pitch scream and was growling as he had presumed his owner was in danger. He looked over towards the two girls on the bed, with Hitomi straddling Minjoo’s legs as she clung onto her neck and huffed out. He stood up slowly as he walked out of the room, knowing that more screams were to come.
Minjoo stared at her dog’s retreating figure and felt sorry for waking him up before focusing on a clinging bread on her lap. Her face was red in an instant as Hitomi hugged her tightly crying and punched her arm repeatedly at what Minjoo had just done.
“Minjoo! Why did you do that for!!!” Hitomi whined and it resembled Marco’s whine.
The taller girl wrapped her arms around the slender waist as she whispered an apology. Her hands moving to her back as she patted it softly. She rested her head on Hitomi’s shoulder, completely unaware of the words she had accidentally blurted out.
“Perhaps, I should date you instead,”
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It took the pair 2 months before they became official after Minjoo’s sudden confession. The two girls realized what had just been said before pulling away from each other quickly. They had a matching blush adorning their face as Hitomi muttered that she was going to the bathroom. Minjoo nodded as she excused herself saying she needed to check on Marco. And the two girls bolted from the bed towards their respective destination as they both palmed their cheeks in embarrassment.
After getting over the embarrassing moment, Minjoo decided to make the first move; inviting the bread girl for a date. The first date -bringing Marco on a walk by Hangang river- was successful and Marco rolled his eyes at the couple and with a huff he walked away quickly, leaving his shock owner behind.
They went on a few more dates, some involving Marco and the Samoyed had played a big role in Minjoo asking Hitomi to be her girlfriend. He had a sign hanged around his neck when Hitomi came to visit with the words asking, “See me in the garden?”
“I wonder what your owner is up to, Marco~” the bread girl laughed as she petted his head and let him lead the way towards the familiar garden. She laughed harder as she saw the party hat and sunglasses that sat on the tip of his nose much to his annoyance.
He let out a huff and non-threatening bark, plopping in front of his owner who had her back turned away from them. Minjoo turn around dramatically as got on one knee as held up a bouquet of red roses towards the bread girl. Marco looked at the scene in front of him with no interest as he let out a yawn. The two girls turned their head to the dog who was bored out of his wits and giggled.
“Honda Hitomi, I didn’t know when I had fallen for you and you have always been one of my best friends. However, I realized that I didn’t just want to be your friend and I found myself wanting more. Which is why I now ask you this question. Will you be my girlfriend?”
“YES!!!”
(The writer decides to not write any further explanation as it is very obvious. They kissed and lived happily ever after with their very white and fluffy Samoyed. Also, they had se-)
PAARRRPPPPPP
The new couple pulled away from their kiss as they stared at Marco. The dog had a ‘what do you want’ look on his face as they shouted. He showed no remorse of ruining the romantic atmosphere with his fart and he stuck out his tongue at them.
“MARCO!!!!”
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That happened 2 years ago and Minjoo laughs at the memory of their romantic first kiss ruined by her dog’s fart. She chuckled softly as Marco starts to whine and she knows why. Hitomi and herself stood up quickly from the bed as they both carried the Samoyed outside.
He could no longer stand as he lost all strength in his hind legs due to his old age and Minjoo heart aches as she looks at him whining in pain. He often tries to stand but falls onto the floor every time he does and lets out a pained howl. The two girls turned their back around as more of Marco’s soft howls and whines were heard.
They waited for a few more minutes before Marco started to bark, signalling that he was done with his business and his two owners start to clean him up. More whines were heard as the two girls quickly washed him and carried him back inside. He weighed almost 25 kilos and the couple was exhausted from carrying him.
Marco had trouble standing ever since he had hurt his paw 3 months ago and often frequented the animal hospital for many reasons. The growing tumour he had which was thankfully not cancerous yet was unremovable due to his old age. His injured paw from trying to stand and a sore from lying on his side for too long.
It didn’t come as a shock when the vet had told her and Hitomi that it wasn’t long until he will move on to his next life. Those words pulled at her heartstrings and she often teared up every time she thinks about it. She couldn’t imagine her life without Marco by her side, nonetheless Hitomi. She loved them both so deeply that losing either of them would affect her greatly.
Marco laid his head down, giving up on trying to stand as he gave one last pained howl and closed his eyes from exhaustion. The couple stared at the old dog as Hitomi said softly, “What should we do, Minjoo-yah?”
“I…don’t know, Hii-chan.” The taller girl hugged the girl by her side as they stared at the sleeping dog sadly. The younger girl had saw Minjoo’s phone and she knew why. They had asked many different vets and they all had given them the same answer.
“Miss Kim, I suggest you put him down. You may not see it but he is suffering.”
She couldn’t bring herself to do it. Even the thought of it scared her but she had no choice. What else could she do, she asked herself. All the vets gave the same response and she tried her best to prolong it but maybe it was time. It was time for her to let him go.
Hitomi turned her head upwards she laid her lips onto the elder’s in a small peck and hugged her tighter. She knew what Minjoo was thinking about even if she doesn’t say it out loud.
“Don’t Minjoo. He still eats and drinks well, so why put a living being down?”
“He’s suffering, Hii-chan. And I feel bad for him,” Minjoo voice was muffled as she spoke into Hitomi’s blonde hair.
“What if the same thing happens to me? What if I got into an accident one day and I lost the ability to use my legs? Would you suggest for me to be euthanized?”
“Hitomi-”
“I know you won’t. You would willingly push my wheelchair until the day we both don’t have the strength to do so.”
Hitomi looked at Minjoo with determination and softness in her eyes and she wiped the small teardrops that formed. She rested her head against the frog’s chest and listened to the calmly beating heart.
“So, until the day Marco goes back to doggy heaven, we shall give him the best life and take good care of him,” she said gently and Minjoo chokes back a sob. “Alright?”
“Alright.”