The Sickly Transmigrator Hides the Fact that He Became a Puppy

P.E. Class: Five laps around the field if you’re late.

There were five minutes left before the end of lunch.

Yi Hyeon let out a sigh as he watched the class president walk into the room and write on the blackboard. Reluctantly, he got up from his seat and sluggishly made his way to the lockers at the back of the classroom to get his gym clothes.

Now that they were in their third year, P.E. was mostly theoretical, but twice a month, they had outdoor classes for the sake of the students’ health. While most students looked forward to these days, Yi Hyeon dreaded them.

He hated physical activities because of his frail constitution, which made him prone to getting sick. If he pushed himself even a little, he would collapse or get a nosebleed.

Thanks to the homeroom teacher, who knew about his condition, he didn’t have to participate in the practical sessions. But he didn’t like the way Won Seok constantly harassed him, calling him lazy.

As he was reluctantly changing into his gym clothes, Won Seok suddenly appeared and began groping Yi Hyeon’s body.

“Why doesn’t this guy have any body hair? Do you not have any down there either?”

“Get off. Stop it.”

Annoyed, Yi Hyeon pushed him away, but Won Seok yanked at the waistband of Yi Hyeon’s gym pants. Just because Yi Hyeon was mild-mannered didn’t mean he didn’t feel humiliation, but for some reason, Won Seok always picked on him more than others. Though Yi Hyeon angrily shoved Won Seok back, he didn’t budge and continued to pull at his clothes.

“I told you to stop!”

Won Seok mimicked mockingly, laughing, saying that if someone saw his teasing, anyone would think he was assaulting Yi Hyeon. Won Seok’s antics were becoming unbearable.

Yi Hyeon clenched his fists and bit down hard, his eyes welling up with frustration. Won Seok was smiling cheekily when he suddenly let out a yelp and fell forward with a thud. He staggered, grabbing the corner of a desk to regain his balance, his face twisted in fury as he looked at whoever had pushed him.

“Which a*shole—! Oh, it’s you again. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with this guy?”

Han Joon stood there, staring down at Won Seok with cold indifference. His gaze briefly flickered over to Yi Hyeon, whose fingers were still tingling from the tension.

“You’re the one with so many problems, I don’t even know where to start. First of all, you’re not a child. What are you doing, blocking the way so childishly? And why are you so interested in someone else’s junk? Are you gay?”

“Shut up! Are you trying to get killed, or what?”

“Just don’t open that rotten mouth of yours anywhere near me. You know, it’s disgusting.”

As Han Joon brushed past him, knocking shoulders, Won Seok glared after him in disbelief before raising his fist and running after him. Han Joon suddenly turned his head to look back at Won Seok.

“What? What are you going to do if I stop?”

Won Seok hesitated for a split second, embarrassed by his own reaction, his expression twisting into an even angrier snarl.

“You don’t have to do anything to me. But seriously, get yourself checked out. I’m not kidding.”

Han Joon’s parting words struck a nerve, and Won Seok’s face flushed a deep red. A snicker erupted from somewhere in the classroom.

“What’s with that bastard?”

Won Seok growled, and the room fell silent again.

* * *

As soon as P.E. ended, Yi Hyeon walked over to the water fountain where Han Joon was washing his face. He hesitated for a while, nervously pacing like a puppy that needed to pee, before finally rushing over and cautiously handing him a towel.

“Here.”

Han Joon lifted his head above the water fountain, his damp bangs parting to reveal his clean forehead. Seeing his face, Yi Hyeon spoke again.

“Earlier… thanks.”

Han Joon stood up straight and glanced at the towel Yi Hyeon was holding out. It was a worn blue towel, embroidered with the words “Congratulations on your 60th birthday, Mrs. Choi.”

“I washed it yesterday and brought it today. It’s clean.”

“Yeah, it looks clean.”

Han Joon stretched out his long, muscular arm to take the towel from Yi Hyeon.

“Really, about earlier…”

“You don’t need to thank me. I didn’t help you. I just couldn’t stand what that jerk was doing. It was a coincidence, that’s all. So don’t get the wrong idea.”

“Yeah, I know. Even though it wasn’t to help me, it still helped, so I wanted to thank you.”

Han Joon looked at Yi Hyeon for a moment, then wiped his face with the towel. After drying off, he handed the towel back and turned to leave.

As the faint scent from the towel wafted up to him, Yi Hyeon instinctively brought it to his nose. The smell reminded him of the same scent he’d caught in the half-open gym storage a few days ago. By the time he realized this, Han Joon had already walked away.

Though Han Joon had been firm in dismissing it as a coincidence, Yi Hyeon didn’t see it that way. It was hard to believe it was just coincidence when Han Joon had helped him so many times before. A strange tingling sensation danced across Yi Hyeon’s sensitive skin before it quickly faded away.