In Baekkie’s eyes, Chanyeol is the greatest owner in the entire world. Not only is he very tall and handsome, but Chanyeol never forgets to greet him in the morning as soon as he wakes up. It doesn't bother him that Baekkie climbs up onto his bed at night and lies down next to him, and he’s never pushed him away or hit him because of it. Rather, when he wakes up, the tall man gives him a huge smile, scratches him behind his ear and tells him how sneaky he is for getting on his bed.

Chanyeol never forgets to leave his bowl full to bursting with delicious chocolate flavored doggy treats before going to the university, and when he gets home late, even if he’s tired, he plays with him for a while, throwing his favorite toy: a ball made of cloth with tons of colors. Baekkie, like the corgi he is, loves to run around the house as he catches the ball, and when he brings the ball back, his owner pets his head and tells him what a good boy he is.

But he probably likes weekends the most. Usually Chanyeol has a lot of homework to do, but he always takes some time to relax and watch movies with him, the two of them squished onto the small couch in his apartment watching whatever catches their attention. Since Baekhyun lies down right next to Chanyeol, it’s often that he feels his owner’s hands rubbing his head and back. Every now and then he’ll even share some of his popcorn with Baekkie, which is one of his favorite foods.

Of course, one can’t forget when they go on walks together, which is practically every day after Chanyeol comes home from school. It doesn't matter if he’s really tired, without fail after eating their dinner together, his owner puts his leash on him as well as a navy blue wool sweater, and they go out to the street to walk for a while.

Baekhyun loves Chanyeol so much and he’ll always think that he is the best owner a puppy like him could ever have. It’s because his owner’s so great that he intends to be the best pet in the entire world. He always makes sure to greet Chanyeol with excited jumps and barks when he gets back from the university, he behaves well at home despite the ever present temptation to open the window in the bedroom and go outside (a window that Chanyeol keeps forgetting to get fixed; the young man doesn't have much time). He ensures that he doesn’t make any kind of destruction and he always, always defends Chanyeol from any stranger that seems suspicious.

The first time that girl entered the house with his owner wasn’t an exception. The first thing he notices is the smell; strange and irritating, completely different from Chanyeol’s. His first reaction is to bark as soon as she enters, and a feeling of pride fills him when the girl jumps and takes a few steps back. Nevertheless, he knows that what he did wasn’t right when Chanyeol gives him that look, the same one that makes his ears droop, and he sits down, awaiting orders.

“It’d be better if you waited outside, Baekkie. Your bowl is full and you have enough water, so there’s no need to worry.”

Sad, Baekkie slowly walks towards the house’s small patio. He hears Chanyeol laughing when he sees him walk like that, and he can’t help wagging his tail when, once outside, his owner crouches down to match his height and pets him on the head, gracing him with a pretty smile. However, the happiness doesn’t last long as, soon, Chanyeol stands up and enters the house, making sure to close the door.

Baekhyun stays seated in the same position for a while, his ears attentive to the laughter that can be heard coming from inside. The smell of the woman doesn’t leave, her fruity perfume makes him sneeze repeatedly and that’s why he continues barking for a while until he grows tired. Then, Baekkie goes to the small bed set outside and lies down, resting his head over his paw while he waits for her to go and for Chanyeol to let him back in.

If someone had told him that the weeks to come would be worse, Baekkie would have bitten the woman without hesitation in the first moment that he saw her.

Soon, Chanyeol stops giving him as much attention as he had done before. At times he doesn’t even greet him in the mornings even though they’re right next to each other on Chanyeol’s bed. Instead, from the moment he wakes up, Chanyeol grabs his phone and doesn't leave it alone until he goes to shower. He tends to get home from school later than normal, always with that horrible smell embedded in his clothes. When he does get home early, it’s always because the girl is with him and Baekkie has to resign himself to staying on the patio for hours until she leaves, or until his owner comes back from dropping her off at the bus stop.

What hurts the most is how his weekends have changed. Those special moments were sacred for Baekkie and his owner as he had more free time to rest and spend time with him. Now, that free time was no longer only for the pup. Chanyeol would leave for the whole day and not come back until it was night time, once again with the smell that left his nose itchy all over him. Sometimes he doesn't even go out to walk on the street with him, being so tired that the only thing he wants to do before going to bed is have dinner.

Even though his replacement seems imminent, Baekhyun accepts it all. He’s always been a loyal and affectionate dog, even more so towards whom he considers to be the best owner in the entire world. He accepts it because he knows that even with everything that’s happened, Chanyeol loves him, and Baekkie will always be there with him no matter what the obstacles are. Besides, another powerful reason to accept all the changes is that Chanyeol looks happy. It’s a new type of happiness that Baekkie didn’t know of, but he liked seeing his owner smiling all the time, even if the smile wasn’t caused by him. Because of that, he doesn’t stop exploding with joy when Chanyeol comes home, he doesn't stop getting on his bed at night, or curling up next to him the few times they get to watch movies on the weekends. He doesn't stop because he loves his owner and because his owner loves him; and if Chanyeol is happy like this, the rest doesn’t really matter.

✧·ﾟ: *✧·ﾟ:* ♥︎ *:·ﾟ✧*:·ﾟ✧

Baekkie begins to notice the changes in Chanyeol as soon as they happen. Little by little, the dog notices that his owner returns earlier than usual and completely alone. It’s not that it doesn’t make him happy, but his smile isn’t the same; the aura that’s emitted from him is…duller—less spirited than usual. Nevertheless, he unfailingly pets his head and tells him how much he’d missed him, plays with him a little, and continues with his everyday activities.

Chanyeol has been going out with that girl for three months and it’s the first time he’s seen him this sad. Baekkie doesn’t really understand what’s happening. He doesn’t know why there are days where Chanyeol stays talking on the phone for hours to later hang up abruptly and lock himself in the bathroom, as if he didn’t want anyone to see him. Of course, the corgi waits outside patiently until Chanyeol comes out of the bathroom and sits on his bed. Baekkie climbs up and sits down next to him, sniffing the air and trying to figure out what it is that is making his owner so sad.

The walks that they go on become longer and longer, and every now and then in the middle of them Chanyeol will get a call that prolongs their walks even more. Curious, Baekkie waits seated with his head cocked to the side until his owner finishes talking, and he doesn't like the how Chanyeol’s eyes look sad when they turn to look at him, despite the smile that is drawn on his lips.

Everything is very suspicious, the puppy thinks. His owner is asleep and Baekkie is at his side, still awake. That woman’s smell is not as prominent as before, but an almost palpable sadness has replaced it. Confused, Baekkie snuggles up next to his owner some more, hoping to make him understand that no matter what happens in the future, he is there for Chanyeol.

The final straw comes two weeks later. It's Saturday night when Baekkie gets up from his bed on the patio once he hears the keys of his owner opening the door. The first thing he does is wag his tail and bark, but he stops for a moment when he detects something strange. The scent of his owner is mixed with the scent of the woman, the smell so strong that the pup sneezes repeatedly. However, now there’s another smell, one of salt. Curious, Baekkie waits at the door of the patio for Chanyeol to open it and let him in, not expecting the view of his owner that meets him.

Chanyeol’s eyes are swollen and this time he’s not smiling. Instead of petting his head as he usually did, Chanyeol only opens the door to let him inside. He sits down on the sofa and covers his eyes while his shoulders move up and down.

A few meters away, Baekkie observes him curiously. The saline smell intensifies and thanks to his excellent hearing, he can hear that his owner is sobbing. His head tilts and his ears raise up in alert, not knowing what to do. Finally he makes a decision, and slowly walks towards him until he reaches his owner’s legs, pacing in between them before jumping up so that his paws are on his knees, and getting his attention by rubbing his snout against Chanyeol’s hands. When he uncovers his face, Baekkie finally finds the source of the salty scent: Chanyeol is crying.

“Baekkie,” Chanyeol says. He tries to smile while he pets his head but instead, more tears fall. “Baekkie, you’re here.”

The dog barks and rubs his snout against his hands again, hope that with that gesture he’ll be able to tell Chanyeol that he’s there and that he’s not going to leave at any moment. His owner shows him a broken smile and ends up lifting him up onto his lap.

“You’re not gonna leave—you won’t abandon me, right?” Chanyeol tells him while he takes his face in both of his hands, looking into his eyes. Baekkie barks one more time when he sees that his owner’s pain is growing. Satisfied, Chanyeol continues talking. “You’re the best dog in the whole world, you’re kind and lovely. One that doesn’t cheat or hurt anyone, but loves unconditionally. You’ll stay with me forever, won’t you?”

Baekkie gets closer and his face, earning a little laugh. It was the only way he had to show Chanyeol that he would never leave him alone nor abandon him. That night, Chanyeol doesn't have dinner, instead going directly to bed. He carries Baekkie in his arms, who notices that even though they’re in bed and the lights are turned off, Chanyeol doesn’t stop crying until dawn.

✧·ﾟ: *✧·ﾟ:* ♥︎ *:·ﾟ✧*:·ﾟ✧

A month has passed since his and Chanyeol’s routine has gone back to normal. The scent of that woman completely disappeared, which made his nose very happy. Unfortunately, his owner’s mood hasn't changed at all. In fact, it has been the same since that night.

The smiles he gives him are no longer brilliant and beautiful, and when he pets him it doesn’t last longer than three seconds before Chanyeol sits down on the couch or goes to bed and lies down. They started watching movies again but Baekkie realizes that his owner doesn’t pay as much attention as before nor does he laugh until his stomach hurts anymore.

Kyungsoo, his owner’s cousin, visits them often. This doesn’t bother Baekkie because he always brings him delicious dog-friendly cookies and a new toy, telling him how cute he is. The last time he comes, he brings Baekkie a white bone which he entertains himself with for a while on the patio, trying to pull the fleshiness off without letting the bone escape from in between his paws. Nevertheless, his attention is captured when Kyungsoo stands up from the sofa, facing Chanyeol head on with his arms crossed.

“You can’t spend your whole life crying over that girl, Chanyeol!” he hears Kyungsoo say. His ears perk up, completely alert. “I can assure you that this very minute she’s at a party grinding against whoever she meets while you’re here, drowning in your misery.”

His owner is sitting on the sofa without saying a word or moving an inch, his eyes focused on the floor as he hears Kyungsoo go on and on.

“You don’t even play with Baekkie as much as you used too, the poor thing is probably bored here. I might as well take him home with with me, I’d take care of him better.”

“Don’t you dare,” Chanyeol says, getting up and standing in front of Kyungsoo. Baekkie can smell the tension in the air; his owner is angry. Nevertheless, Kyungsoo isn’t daunted even though Chanyeol, who is almost a head taller than him, is practically looming over him. “Baekkie is the only one who’s been by my side, you can’t take him away from me.”

“Then take care of him like you should,” Kyungsoo responds, looking at him angrily. “Take good care of him, Chanyeol, or it’s him that’s gonna choose to leave you one day.”

With that, Kyungsoo takes his things and leaves the apartment in a flash. Meanwhile, Baekkie leaves his bone alone and goes to his owner’s legs, who is sitting on the sofa again and pets him once he gets close. Chanyeol doesn’t say anything to him, only looking him in the eyes and smiling at him. Baekkie barks a few times and lifts himself up on his hind legs, making him laugh a little. Kyungsoo is wrong, Baekkie thinks. He wouldn’t leave his owner for anything in the world.

✧·ﾟ: *✧·ﾟ:* ♥︎ *:·ﾟ✧*:·ﾟ✧

Another week passes and Chanyeol’s behavior still hasn’t changed at all. In fact, today is especially worse because as soon as he gets up, Baekkie can feel the heaviness of the atmosphere around him. Today, his owner doesn’t bother getting dressed or taking a shower, instead staying in his pajamas and not doing much other than walk aimlessly around the house while he eats or watch television. He would have even forgotten to put food in Baekkie’s bowl, and if it weren’t for him barking next to it, Chanyeol probably would have never noticed.

Baekkie doesn’t think it can get worse than this, but then night time comes. It’s cold so his owner dresses him in his navy blue sweater and heats the last slices of pizza that were left from the afternoon in the oven. When they’re ready, he puts them on a plate and heads towards the sofa, but while doing that the plate slips out of his hands and falls to the floor, turning into thousands of pieces mixed in with pepperoni, cheese, and lots of other ingredients Baekkie can smell.

He would have expected any reaction from his owner other than for him to curse loudly, take the glass full of soda and fling it against the wall. Scared, Baekkie hides under the table and barks forcefully, waiting for Chanyeol to calm down his anger. However, instead, a salty smell reaches his nose and his owner presses the palms of his hands against his eyes then goes to his room. Baekkie hears him kick the door and then the sound of him crying for a while until the noises completely stop. It’s then that the pup comes out from his hiding place and walks towards the remains of the pizza and sniffs them before passing by and directing himself towards his owner’s room.

The young man is lying on his bed in a fetal position, completely asleep. His breathing is a little sporadic due to all the crying he did, and seeing him like that, Baekkie begins to cry a little involuntarily. He doesn’t like how sad his owner is, he hates it more than he hates the smell of cucumbers. He’s never seen him this sad, this broken, with that gloomy aura surrounding him. He hates that his happiness disappeared in from one moment to the next, that that woman robbed him of his loving Chanyeol and replaced him with one that was cold, distant, and depressed.

So, instead of getting up on his owner’s bed and cuddling, Baekkie takes advantage of the broken window in the bedroom and leaves, immediately running through the streets to reach a specific place.

It was autumn and therefore horribly cold, but at least he had on his warm sweater. The only thing he thinks about is getting to the park that is a few blocks away from the avenue closest to his house, to go into the trees that form the park’s small sort of forest, the main attraction of said place.

He knows this place because of his brother and father who spoke to him many times about the mysterious fairy that granted the wishes of desperate puppies. He knows it isn’t a joke because he’s seen with his own eyes what the creature did to Hunnie, who was like family, when he consulted the fairy the time his owner lost a loved one and fell into depression. Baekkie was very little when it happened, it was before he’d even met Chanyeol, but he was sure of one thing: he was going to do the same thing Hunnie did then, transform into a human to return his dear Chanyeol’s happiness.

Baekkie arrives to the park panting, and he slows his pace until he’s walking, attentive to each and every sound and smell around him. Soon, his senses tell him that there’s something at the edge of the forest, and Baekkie runs toward it, moving back into a sprint. The corgi continues running through the trees, feeling as though the forest gets bigger the deeper he goes into it. He continues for a few minutes like this unt