UC Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kang I-bom.

Kang I-bom was from the Kang family—the name meaning “puppy.”

“Hey, Kang I-bom.”

But that didn’t mean he was an actual puppy.

“Hey! Kang I-bom!”

Though he had inherited the blood of a canine beast-man—a dog, to be exact—he was not a full-fledged one. He was a half-beastman.

At some point in history, beastmen, who carried the blood of animals, began to coexist with humans in the human world. Before the 19th century, the worlds of beastmen and humans had been completely separate. But as modern civilization advanced, the boundary between the two became increasingly blurred—until separation was no longer feasible.

People didn’t mind living alongside these unusual beings—these so-called “mutants.” Some even fell in love with beastmen and married them.

Humans admired beastmen. Even regular beastmen—those who could only partially transform—enjoyed a level of privilege and power in the human world that was inaccessible to ordinary humans. Eventually, items designed to mimic beastmen features—such as beast ears or tails—became trendy accessories, coming in and out of fashion.

And among those who admired beastmen and sought relationships with them, a new hybrid species emerged—one that carried only half of the beastman blood.

The half-beastmen.

Just like how domesticated wolves became dogs, half-beastmen lived among humans—but they were not fully human.

Neither beastman nor human, they were a rejected, lonely existence that belonged to neither world.

Though some argued that half-beastmen shared the same ancestors as full beastmen, society saw them as nothing more than impostors—shameless thieves who had stolen their way into a bloodline they didn’t deserve.

To others, they were “fakes.” No matter how much they longed for it, they could never truly ascend to the untouchable status of the pureblood beastmen.

Like an endangered species, pureblood beastmen were rare, blending into human society while maintaining an air of mystique. They were stronger, smarter, and more gifted, effortlessly seizing wealth, honor, and influence. Unlike others, they could freely shift between their animal and human forms. They were the ideal that all beastmen aspired to be.

Meanwhile, half-beastmen, shunned as impostors in the beastman world, had little choice but to form their own clans, taking on surnames inspired by their ancestral forms and living in tight-knit communities.

But that didn’t mean they enjoyed the same privileges.

They faced subtle scorn and discrimination. Their job prospects were limited—not only were they barred from joining the military, but even securing a stable, full-time position was a struggle. No matter how hard they worked, their very birth held them back.

And so, with only one foot in each world, Kang I-bom—the half-blood mutt of the Kang family—was stuck in a life that, frankly, sucked.

“…Hey, you son of a bitch. Can’t you hear me?”

A sharp, irritated voice stabbed into his ears.

“Why?”

I-bom retorted, his expression one of sheer injustice. He wasn’t scared of being yelled at, but whenever his brother raised his voice, his shoulders instinctively hunched.

Before she passed away, his mother had once looked at him with sad eyes and said, “My little I-bom is a brave Maltese puppy, so you have to be strong.”

But in front of his brother, that courage always seemed to shrink.

‘Why does he keep calling me a damn mutt?’

Being called a “son of a bitch” was the ultimate insult to I-bom.

He was over twenty now, a full-grown adult. He should have stopped reacting to childish insults like that. He had promised himself that he wouldn’t let it get to him anymore. That he would stand his ground.

But still, he flinched.

His nose grew damp as he fought back the urge to cry, and he bit the inside of his lip to keep his emotions from showing.

After his parents passed away, there had been no one left to lean on.

But he refused to let it show.

“Hand over some cash.”

Lee-jun shamelessly stretched out his palm.

He was two years older than I-bom—the eldest son of the Kang family. He was also the only one from their village who had gotten into a prestigious university. Since childhood, he had been worshiped for his intelligence, treated like royalty.

And now, as an adult, he had turned into nothing more than a bully who tormented his younger brother.

Meanwhile, I-bom was stuck as the unlucky second-born, forever expected to cater to his brother’s whims.

His fingers curled into a tight fist.

And for once, he answered firmly.

“No.”

“…What did you just say?”

Lee-jun scoffed, blowing air out through his nose as he glared down at I-bom.

His expression said it all—like he couldn’t believe the audacity.

“Stop barking nonsense and just give me some. I finished my group project and I’m going to play pool, but I don’t have any money.”

“Hyung… I barely have enough to cover my own living expenses. I don’t have extra cash to give you for pocket money. You can get a part-time job and earn your own.”

I-bom let out a deep sigh.

“Barking nonsense.” “Son of a bitch.”

Why did he have to use such crude words when they were both the same kind—both part of the Kang family’s canine lineage? He had no interest in dealing with someone who spoke like that, but unfortunately, that person was his own brother.

So what if he went to a prestigious university? Did that give him a free pass to treat people like garbage? He had hoped that intelligence would at least come with some decency, but—beep beep—Lee-jun’s personality was an absolute zero.

Most of the other Kang family kids were bright, playful, and friendly—just like real puppies. They might not have been as smart as Lee-jun, but they had perfect scores in kindness. Even if they got shoved into the mud, they would just laugh it off. When they played with their friends, they would practically wag their tails, bouncing around excitedly.

Of course, they weren’t exactly the studious type. Most of them spent their youth enjoying life, only to flunk their college entrance exams. The usual path after high school? Working at a dog food factory or getting a job at a dog hotel.

“Do you even know how busy a top university student is? I barely have time to study. I’m nothing like a useless mutt like you.”

Lee-jun scoffed and continued.

“Besides, you work so much—why are you always short on money? Don’t tell me… you’ve been skimming some off the top?”

“Skimming?! With what money?”

I-bom’s voice rose in sheer disbelief.

“So damn pathetic… acting all cheap.”

Lee-jun muttered, scrunching his face in irritation.

How much could living expenses possibly cost?

Was that something to say in front of someone who worked themselves to the bone every day?

I-bom was sick of his brother’s arrogance.

“Pathetic? That’s what you say to your own brother? And stop saying things like ‘acting like a dog.’ Do you even realize that’s discrimination against dog beastmen? How could you say that?!”

I-bom lifted his chin, standing his ground. Every time someone threw around words like “you’re like a dog” or “you son of a bitch,” his heart pounded like it was about to drop. It was infuriating. It was unfair.

He wasn’t someone who got angry easily, but with Lee-jun, his frustration always boiled over, and before he knew it, his voice had risen.

“Ugh, this tiny little thing… always yapping back at me.”

Lee-jun clicked his tongue and flicked his wrist, glancing at his watch.

“Just quit playing around and hand it over. You seriously don’t even have fifty bucks? What are you, a beggar? You don’t carry cash?”

“Hyung. Do you even know how much I make per hour?”

I-bom exhaled sharply, the ridiculousness of the situation pushing out all his exhaustion in one deep sigh.

He had drained every last penny he had just to help pay for his brother’s fancy university tuition, yet Lee-jun had the audacity to act entitled, like it was owed to him.

Just like that old saying—you help someone across the river, and they demand your whole boat.

On top of everything, half-beastmen earned two dollars less per hour than regular workers. While other people made ten bucks an hour, he was stuck working for eight.

Fifty bucks for a billiards game? That was more than six hours of labor at the convenience store. How could Lee-jun not even grasp that?

The injustice of it all made his throat tighten with emotion.

“If you don’t have cash, just take some from the register. You can borrow it and put it back later.”

Lee-jun pointed at the convenience store cash drawer with his index finger.

Even with the CCTV camera blatantly recording everything, his expression remained indifferent.

“Do you even hear yourself right now?”

I-bom’s eyes widened in disbelief as his voice shot up.

The convenience store was run by Kang Su-hyun’s family—his brother’s friend and one of the wealthiest figures in town. Just because Su-hyun and Lee-jun were close didn’t mean he could steal from the register like it was no big deal.

Taking money without permission? That’s theft.

“No way! I can’t do that. If you need money, go ask Su-hyun hyung yourself!”

His temples throbbed, a headache creeping in from the sheer audacity of it all.

Half-beastmen already had to be extra careful in this world—always watched, judged, and scrutinized more than anyone else.

And now his own brother was telling him to steal?

“Ah, for fuck’s sake. Stop being so difficult.”

Lee-jun grumbled, scowling.

Ding-dong.

The bell above the convenience store door chimed.

The chime of the store bell rang as a tall, shadowy figure stepped into the convenience store.

I-bom, who wasn’t a thief yet still felt guilty as hell, flinched hard before hastily bowing.

“Ah—w-welcome…!”

He bent at a full 90-degree angle, greeting the customer with the kind of exaggerated politeness only possible when panicking.

Seeing this, Lee-jun scoffed, muttering a string of curses under his breath. Apparently, he did have the decency to feel embarrassed about harassing his little brother for money in public.

Quickly, he turned away.

“Hey, Kang I-bom. You little son of a—”

He cut himself off at the last second, clearing his throat.

“I’ll deal with you later.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just get lost already. I’ve got a customer.”

I-bom wiggled his fingers in a mock wave, smiling way too brightly as his brother finally left.

Good riddance.

“……”

“Oh, crap. I’m sorry.”

In the midst of watching Lee-jun storm out, I-bom completely forgot about the customer still staring at him.

Shit.

A wave of dread hit him.

Was this guy a mystery shopper? One of those undercover inspectors sent to report lazy employees?

A cold sweat dripped down his spine.

I can’t afford to lose this job.

“Welcome to Happy Convenience Store… Uh, c-can I help you find anything?”

Slowly, very slowly, he lifted his head.

And then he saw him.

The man staring at him was… gorgeous.

So tall that I-bom would have to stand on his tiptoes just to reach his eye level.

His broad shoulders looked solid, powerful—like someone who trained for a living.

His posture, his stance—everything about him reminded I-bom of a majestic hunting dog.

Like a shepherd—proud, noble, unwavering.

“Gulp.”

I-bom barely managed to swallow his saliva before it escaped his mouth.

The Kang family had a saying.

“Dogs are suckers for a pretty face.”

It wasn’t just a stereotype—it was practically coded into their DNA.

In other words—dogs were naturally weak to good-looking people.

Damn… That saying is so true.

The man was wearing a black, sleek bomber jacket, exuding an aura of authority.

Is he a soldier?

Even with sunglasses covering his eyes, his sharp brows and smooth forehead made it painfully obvious—this man was a certified heartthrob.

And that neatly slicked-back hair?

No one in this tiny town of scruffy puppies could ever pull off a look like that.

What’s someone like him doing here?

Just as I-bom’s trembling gaze landed on the stranger’s faint smirk, the man finally spoke.

“Do you have energy drinks?”

His deep, low voice rumbled like distant thunder, softly brushing against I-bom’s ears.