Chapter 8

Surprisingly, it was a puppy.

It was a black-furred puppy, and I could tell that it was a newborn, its eyes not even fully open yet.

The puppy, unaware of where it was, must have mistaken me for its mother when it sensed my presence, and it was wriggling around.

It was cute, but also pitiful.

I wondered why a newborn puppy would be in the middle of the mountains.

"Why are you here? Where did your mother go?"

The puppy couldn't understand me, but I couldn't help but speak to it, feeling a pang of sympathy.

I noticed that the puppy's fur was slightly damp. It seemed to be from the amniotic fluid when it was born.

"We can't just leave you here."

When I cupped the puppy's face in my hands, it seemed to feel reassured and started to nuzzle against me. Seeing this, my heart warmed, and I felt a deep affection.

"I can't just leave you here. I'll have to look for your mother."

If it was a puppy of a fierce dog, it could be dangerous to leave it here, but I couldn't bring myself to leave a newborn puppy that couldn't even open its eyes.

I looked around, but I couldn't see the mother.

"Let's look for your mother together."

Groan—

I picked up the puppy and looked around for a while, but I couldn't find the mother anywhere.

"I should go back to the pond."

It was possible that the mother had gone to the pond.

I reached the pond.

The surroundings were quiet.

I decided to wait for the mother to come, so I put the puppy down on the grass. It started to shiver as soon as it left my arms.

"It must be because its fur is wet."

I picked up the puppy again and used the front of my shirt to dry its fur. The puppy's shivering gradually subsided.

"It looks cuter with dry fur."

A considerable amount of time had passed.

Still, the mother dog didn't show up.

"Maybe the mother is dead?"

The only conclusion I could draw was that a stray mother dog had come to the mountains, given birth, and then died.

Of course, I had my doubts.

If the mother had died, her body should have been somewhere nearby, but I found no trace of it.

Even if she had been eaten by wild animals in the mountains, there should have been some remains or bloodstains, but I found nothing.

"Hmm?"

At that moment, the puppy opened its eyes slightly.

It seemed to have adapted after some time.

However, its eyes were a deep red, like rubies.

"Hmm. I didn't know puppies could have eyes like this."

Black fur with red eyes. It was somewhat acceptable for a puppy, but if it were a full-grown dog with red eyes, it would have been quite eerie.

"Is there something wrong with its eyes?"

It could be a problem with the puppy's eyes.

To be honest, I had never seen a puppy with red eyes before.

"Anyway, how long should I wait?"

I waited for a long time, but the mother dog didn't appear. So, I had to either take the puppy home and raise it or leave it here. If I left it here, the puppy would likely die.

"Should I take it home and raise it?"

I had already been considering getting a puppy.

Of course, I preferred a slightly larger puppy, one that was more playful and lively.

"But if this is fate, then so be it."

Yesterday, I had a mysterious encounter in the mountains.

Today, I found a puppy.

It seemed that the mountains were not an ordinary place.

I wondered if something strange would continue to happen in the mountains.

"From now on, your name will be Kamy."

Before leaving the mountains, I named the puppy.

Since I was going to raise it, I thought it should have a name.

I simply named it Kamy because of its black fur.

"Let's go home now."

I picked up the puppy Kamy and headed down the mountain.

*

"Try this. It's milk."

I put Kamy down on the porch and brought warm milk from the kitchen to feed it.

The only thing I could give it right now was milk.

Since it was a newborn, it couldn't eat solid food.

Wriggle, wriggle—

Kamy tilted its head toward the bowl.

It smelled the milk and tried to drink it, but being so young, it couldn't manage to drink from the bowl properly.

It seemed like it would spill all the milk, so I had to help.

"I'll feed you, so stay still."

A bottle would be better, but where could I get one right now? I decided to use a spoon to feed it.

"Here, let's have some milk."

I carefully poured milk into Kamy's mouth using a spoon, giving it small amounts at a time.

Slurp, slurp—

Fortunately, Kamy drank the milk.

It must have been very hungry, as its pink tongue kept moving. It was a determined little thing. Its black snout turned white from the milk, but it was endearing to see it trying so hard to drink.

I made sure Kamy drank all the milk in the bowl.

Since it was a baby, I also patted its back to help it burp.

"Now, Kamy, let's go to the bathroom."

Whether human or animal, newborns are the same.

They eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom, repeating this cycle.

I used a box from the shed as a temporary home.

Since it was a puppy, I placed a soft towel inside the box.

Purr, purr—

Kamy, who had been abandoned in the mountains, seemed to have had a tough start in life. As soon as I put it in the box, it fell asleep. It looked quite cute when sleeping.

"I'm not sure if it needs to go to the bathroom."

I had placed some newspaper next to the box for bathroom purposes. If Kamy needed to go, it could use the newspaper.

"Kamy is still a puppy, so it needs a bottle."

Feeding it with a spoon had its limits. A bottle would be more convenient for a puppy. It would help it grow better.

"To get a bottle, I need to go to the city."

This was a small village, so there was no pet shop.

I would have to go to the city to get one.

However, I was hesitant to leave Kamy alone at home. It had just become comfortable after being in the mountains, and it might feel anxious if I left.

Maybe someone in the village raises dogs?

If they do, they would have a bottle.

I decided to ask the village chief, who would know the village's situation well.

I had the village chief's phone number saved.

"Hello, sir. It's Gangsan. I need to feed a puppy milk. Do you know where I can get a bottle?"

-Where did you get a puppy?

"I found it in the mountains."

-In the mountains?

"Yesterday, you mentioned a pond in the mountains. I went to see it, and I found a puppy near the pond."

-If it's a puppy, its mother should be around. Why did you bring it back?

"It seemed to be a newborn, and there was no mother. I waited for a while, but the mother didn't show up. I was afraid it would die if I left it there, so I brought it back."

-Hmm. Maybe the mother was eaten by wild animals. How many puppies were there?

"Just one. Why?"

-Usually, dogs give birth to several puppies at once. It seems the other puppies and the mother died together. Tsk, tsk! Wait a moment. I'll check with my neighbor who raised a puppy before.

"Okay, sir. Please let me know."

I ended the call and waited.

Surprisingly, I received a call back quickly.

-I got a bottle. I'll bring it to you. I want to see the puppy you found.

"Sure, sir. Thank you."

I hung up and waited.

The village chief, Park Dong-soon, arrived.

He was carrying quite a few items, including a bottle for Kamy, formula, and even a doghouse.

According to the village chief, his neighbor had used these items when raising a puppy, but they were no longer needed since the puppy had grown up.

I wasn't sure if I could fully believe this, but I was grateful for the items.

"Wow! Is this the one?"

The village chief's lips curved up when he saw Kamy sleeping in the box. It's true that cute baby animals are a universal truth. The sleeping Kamy seemed to awaken the village chief's paternal instincts.

"Meeting you is a blessing for this little one. Otherwise, it would have been eaten by wild animals in the mountains."

I smiled awkwardly at the village chief's words. I felt that meeting Kamy was a blessing for me too.

Since bringing Kamy home, I felt a renewed sense of energy.

Squeak—

Kamy woke up.

It might have been because it didn't drink enough milk earlier. A well-fed puppy sleeps soundly.

"Hey? Your eyes..."

I hadn't noticed the color of Kamy's eyes while it was sleeping, but now they were clearly visible—deep red.

The village chief looked at Kamy in surprise. It seemed he had never seen a puppy with red eyes before.

"It's a bit unusual, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. We should wait a few days. If its eyes stay like this, we should take it to the vet for a check-up and vaccinations."

"Sure, I will."

I smiled at the village chief and quickly prepared the formula for Kamy.

"Let's have some milk, Kamy!"

I had the experience of raising a daughter for three years and the memories of those times.

I held Kamy and put the bottle with formula in its mouth, trying to keep my emotions in check.

Slurp, slurp—

Compared to feeding it with a spoon, this was much better. It was satisfying to see Kamy drink the formula so eagerly. It felt like true happiness. Bringing Kamy home from the mountains was the right decision.