Chanyeol is a horrible parent.

He can barely look after himself. Why did he think he could look after another life?

Ignoring the tugging at his hood, Chanyeol lies on the floor just off-center to his little living room, willing the smell of urine and feces and dug up earth to waft away through the open window. Maybe the feathers torn from their pillow are snow, and he’s actually far away, on the slopes of the Alps. He hasn’t been snowboarding in a while.

“You know,” he says, “I’m so tired... You’re a real .” Rolling over, he faces his puppy. Toben leans close to sniff his face and his nostrils. “Thanks.” The puppy pants in his face, tail wagging fast.

Before adopting Toben, Chanyeol did research. Blogs and videos from other pet owners who trained their pets to dance, retrieve particular items, flip over, give hugs… It all looked so simple. So manageable. So possible.

But his puppy is a little .