The Trash Wants to Live

“Who’s your Master? Jang Eui Yeol?”

[No!]

I asked Cookie if the Master was referring to Jang Eui Yeol, but the dog was so honest that it said no.

[It was Master’s friend!]

“Huh?”

I was expecting a noble, dragon-like figure to call out for its master, but I felt a little relieved when I heard Cookie talking like a child. It was small and charming; I thought it suited it better.

I inquired as I stroked Cookie’s head.

“Can you tell me who your master is?”

[My Master is Master!]

Cookie’s short tail began spinning like a propeller as he imagined its master. He couldn’t control his excitement, and his hips were trembling.

Isn’t the owner of this divine beast supposed to be a god? We have a similar odor as Cookie previously stated.

‘Did you notice I have a system in place?’

Many skills were invented as a result of such a system. I worried if it would be noticed by a divine beast.

[Smells like you—] he whispered, rubbing his face into my chest. Cookie looked like a cat high on catnip. I locked my gaze on Cookie’s crying figure and shouted out to him.

“Cookie!”

[I’m not Cookie.]

However, the answer that came back was that, surprisingly, he was not Cookie. “Huh?”  I asked stupidly, so Cookie pinched and bowed his head.

[Your friend Jang Eui Yeol is kind, but he’s a bit lacking.]

“…”

[I said my name multiple times but he still didn’t get it… and he resorted to calling me a dessert… that pathetic Jang Eui Yeol.]

He whimpered after that. It was a whimper, but I mistook it for a tutting sound, which was even more ridiculous. 

Anyway, unlike the pathetic Jang Eui Yeol, Cookie and I could communicate, so I could call it by its real name.

“Can you tell me your name?”

[Elson Anchedo Esfran Poiren Dienia]

Cookie began saying something weird and funny in response to my question. He proudly asked if I had heard his name, looking up at me with an outrageous face.

Well, since I couldn’t remember what he said, I pretended not to know and yelled out.

“Cookie!”

[It’s not! It’s Elson Anchedo—]

“Yes… Cookie.”

[I told you it’s not!]

“Elson—”

He encouraged me to pay attention a couple more times, but I disregarded him and continued to refer to him as Cookie. Finally, it was because of this that he had to give up.

[You pathetic Ki Yoon Jae, you’re just the same as Jang Eui Yeol.]

He even reassured me that calling him casually was fine because that’s what made him friendly. I listened to him while pondering over how he was making me smile.

“Do you recognize me as Ki Yoon Jae?” I asked.

Cookie’s face gave  a puzzled and pitiful expression in response to my question. I was perplexed as to why I was able to recognize a dog’s expression, but… 

Anyway, he’s a divine beast, so I figured he had detected that he was an unintentionally lousy possessor from another dimension, but that might be beyond his abilities.

[Ki Yoon Jae is Ki Yoon Jae, how absurd—]

“Uhm?”

[You have a different name but Jang Eui Yeol, that pathetic lad, calls you Ki Yoon Jae, right?]

“Jang Eui Yeol, oh, Jang Eui Yeol! A good yet unsatisfactory companion…” I giggled as Cookie whimpered bitterly. 

Is there nothing more you can see? 

Cookie may not have realized I wasn’t Ki Yoon Jae because the Ki Yoon Jae he had seen was me from the start.

There were a lot of things I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t think of any that made sense. We would spend many days together in the future, so I decided I could just immediately ask whenever I remembered something.

“We’re here.”

Jung Yi Joon stepped in through the open door with Jang Eui Yeol following behind. Jung Yi Joon walked as if he owned the place. 

They both came in carrying a lot of things in their hands.

“What did you spend so much money on?”

It’s not that it was a waste of money; however,it was just one dinner. I was embarrassed that they bought so much. After thinking about it though, having leftovers wouldn’t matter because there would be more food for Jang Eui Yeol.

Jang Eui Yeol flushed and spoke, as if apologizing in response to  my question which he thought was a stab.

“No… I was just planning on buying a few ramen noodles, but Jung Yi Joon was bringing everything—”

While saying that, Jung Yi Joon flipped the bag over, revealing an abundance of food ranging from small items such as gum and caramel to substantial snacks, ramen, hot bars, sausages, smoked chicken legs, and even dog goodies for Cookie to eat.

The food was covered in a wrapping plastic so it couldn’t smell it, but Cookie saw it. So now, he was going crazy.

[Meat! It’s meat! Give it to me!]

Cookie got out of my arms and wagged his tail, bouncing and approaching Jung Yi Joon. Looking down at Cookie, Jung Yi Joon laughed wickedly.

“You bit me before, so I won’t be giving you this food.”

[I was wrong!]

“You’re still not reflecting on it!”

[I have repented!]

Cookie’s somber comments could not be heard, but Jung Yi Joon was still having a proper conversation with him. 

He looked helplessly at the jerky in Jung Yi Joon’s hand. 

“If you eat this now, you can’t eat anything later. We’ll give it to you after you’ve eaten your dinner. Let’s eat.”

Jang Eui Yeol said as he poured food that he got from somewhere into Cookie’s bowl. When Cookie saw this, he looked at Jang Eui Yeol with a somber expression and stopped wagging his tail. However, Jang Eui Yeol was persistent.

“Snacks are meant to be eaten after the rice.”

[What—]

Cookie stared at me in search of assistance; however, that was the dog owner’s policy, and I couldn’t disagree as a guest. Cookie had no choice but to give up in the end.

[Rice without meat? I too have a mouth that can eat meat! This is just too much, Jang Eui Yeol.]

Jang Yeol picked up a ramen bag among the stuff he had poured out after seeing Cookie’s pitiful expression eating chow.

“Wait a minute, I’ll bring it to you.”

“Hey, let’s throw this in as well.”

Jung Yi Joon took some items and followed Jang Eui Yeol towards the kitchen. It seemed like they were debating on what to put in the ramen. Thanks to that, Cookie and I were left alone.

[Ah yes, the traitor, Ki Yoon Jae.]

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at Cookie’s words, calling me a traitor with a shrill voice.

Ramen was originally a dish that was easy to make, so it wasn’t long before the two quickly came back into the room with the table.

“Wow… what’s this? That’s a lot.”

What they came out with was more akin to a japtang hot pot than ramen. Of course, it smelled amazing. had to be tasty too since it looked appetizing with the addition of other delicious ingredients. Although it was quite sizable, it was enough for three high school students rather than chewing on stones.

Cookie, who had already finished eating, laid leaning on my thigh while I scooped up the hot soup, ham, sausages and noodles chopped into large chunks and placed them in a dish.

[Traitors!]

“…”

[You know that I can eat meat as well!]

To the two of them, it seemed like a gurgling and gurgling sound, but it was a voice to me. I pondered while holding the ham with my chopsticks.

Is it okay if I give Cookie the ham? Will it be problematic? He is after all a god… Will it be alright since he’s a god? Jang Eui Yeol laughed as I contemplated the situation.

“Why are you looking at Cookie like that?”

Then he snatched the jerky from Jung Yi Joon that he had stolen before. Cookie, who had been grumbling beside me, wagged his tail once more and sprinted over to Jang Eui Yeol.

[Jang Eui Yeol! You’re not the least bit decent, but this is a start!]

He claimed that Eui Yeol’s actions were too much earlier. The beef jerky was received with mixed reviews yet again. However, I was still unsure if that was okay.

Cookie appeared to have the entire world in his hands, grasping the jerky firmly with both feet and quietly munching it. While he sat patting his stomach, Jung Yi Joon opened the bag of sweets he had bought as if the food hadn’t been enough.

Cookie heard it, but since he didn’t eat non-meat treats, he immediately sat down again.

[I’m not satisfied with the little piece of meat.]

Cookie murmured in a melancholic voice.

Since we were busy, it was already 8 o’clock. Jang Eui Yeol’s grandmother, however, had not yet returned.

“She’s never been this late.”

With a worried expression, Jang Eui Yeol looked at the clock and then looked outside, but there was no sound of footsteps.

When everyone was quiet, Jang Eui Yeol’s house phone suddenly rang loudly.