Second Leash, Second Chance

퇴근길에 우연히 들른 시청 앞 유기동물 입양행사에서, 회색 주둥이가 성글게 빛나던 노견 한 마리가 내 눈에 딱 들어왔다.

Toegeun-gil-e uyeonhi deulleun sicheong ap yugidongmul ipyang haengsa-eseo, hoesaek judung-i-ga seong-geulge bitnaden nogyeon han mari-ga nae nun-e ttak deureowatda.

On my way home, at an adoption event in front of City Hall I dropped by by chance, an old dog with a gray muzzle caught my eye.

사람 발길이 드문 늦은 시간이라 그런지, 녀석은 하품을 하다 말고도 내 눈치를 슬쩍 살폈다.

Saram balgil-i deumun neujeun sigan-ira geureonji, nyeoseok-eun hapum-eul hada malgo-do nae nunchi-reul seuljjeok salpyeotda.

Maybe because it was late and few people were around, the fellow paused mid-yawn and snuck a glance at me.

그냥 스쳐 가기엔 마음이 영 개운치 않아, 직원에게 상담을 청해 이것저것 캐묻다 보니, 나보다 먼저 상처를 꿰맨 시간이 길다는 말이 가슴에 콕 박혔다.

Geunyang seuchyeo gagien maeum-i yeong gaeunchi an-a, jigwon-ege sangdam-eul cheonghae igeotjeogeot kaemutda boni, naboda meonjeo sangcheo-reul kkwaen sigan-i gilda-neun mal-i gaseum-e kok bakyeotda.

I couldn’t just walk past, so I asked for a consultation and peppered the staff with questions; hearing that he’d spent a long time mending his wounds before me stuck like a pin in my chest.

결국 임시보호부터 시작해 보자 마음먹고 계약서를 쓰는데, 펜 끝이 떨릴 만큼 책임의 무게가 손바닥에 또렷이 얹혔다.

Gyeolguk imsiboho-buteo sijakhae boja maeum meokgo gyeyakseo-reul sseuneunde, pen kkeut-i tteollil mankeum chaegim-ui muge-ga sonbadak-e ttorryeosi eonchyeotda.

In the end I decided to start with fostering and began signing the forms, and the weight of responsibility settled so clearly on my palm that my pen trembled.

집에 데려오자마자 물그릇을 앞에 밀어 두고, 나도 한숨 돌릴 틈 없이 배변 패드부터 깔고 환기를 시켰다.

Jib-e deryeo-ojamaja mulgeureut-eul ap-e mil-eo dugo, nado hansum dollil teum eopsi baebyeon paedeu-buteo kkalgo hwan-gi-reul sikyeotda.

As soon as we got home I slid a water bowl in front of him, and without a moment to breathe I laid down pee pads and aired out the room.

첫밤은 멍멍 소리 한 번 없이 지나갔지만, 새벽 다섯 시 벨소리 같은 낑낑거림에 벌떡 일어나 목줄과 하네스를 찾느라 발등에 불이 떨어지는 줄 알았다.

Cheotbam-eun meongmeong sori han beon eopsi jinagajiman, saebyeok daseot si belsori gateun kkingkking-georim-e beoltteok il-eona mokjul-gwa haneseu-reul chatneura baldeung-e bul-i tteoreojineun jul aratda.

The first night passed without a single bark, but at five a.m. a whimper like a doorbell had me leaping up, scrambling for the leash and harness as if my feet were on fire.

비가 종알대던 골목을 한 바퀴 도는 동안, 녀석은 낯선 냄새에 코끝을 바쁘게 떨리면서도, 내 걸음에 속도를 맞추는 법을 금세 터득해 버렸다.

Bi-ga jongaldaedeon golmok-eul han bakwi doneun dongan, nyeoseok-eun natsseon naemsae-e kokeut-eul bappeuge tteollimyeonseodo, nae georeum-e sokdo-reul majchuneun beop-eul geumse teodeukhae beoryeotda.

While we looped once around the alley with the rain chattering down, he quivered at the unfamiliar smells yet quickly learned to match his pace to mine.

그날 저녁, 위층에서 내려온 아주머니가 혹여 짖음이 잦아질까 걱정이라며 말을 건네셨는데, 먼저 인사드리고 배려를 약속하니 표정이 훨씬 누그러졌다.

Geunal jeonyeok, wicheung-eseo naeryeoon ajumeoni-ga hogyeo jijeum-i jajajilkka geokjeong-iramyeo mal-eul geonnaesyeotneunde, meonjeo insa-deurigo baeryeo-reul yaksokhani pyojeong-i hweolssin nugeureojyeotda.

That evening, a lady from upstairs came down worried he might start barking more, but after I greeted her and promised to be considerate, her expression softened a lot.

며칠 지나 밥 먹는 속도가 붙고 털에 윤기가 돌자, 나도 모르게 '이제야 살 좀 붙네' 하고 어깨에 힘이 빠졌다.

Myeochil jina bap meongneun sokdo-ga butgo teol-e yungi-ga dolja, nado moreuge 'ijeya sal jom bunne' hago eokkae-e him-i ppajyeotda.

After a few days, once he ate with more gusto and his coat began to shine, I found myself saying, “Now you’re finally filling out,” and the tension left my shoulders.

주말엔 반려동물 등록을 마치고 한강변을 걸었는데, 바람에 귀가 파도처럼 출렁일 때마다 녀석은 나를 힐끗 보며 발을 맞췄다.

Jumal-en ballyeodongmul deungnok-eul machigo Hangangbyeon-eul georeotneunde, baram-e gwi-ga pado-cheoreom chulleong-il ttaemada nyeoseok-eun na-reul hilkkeut bomyeo bal-eul majchwotda.

On the weekend we finished his registration and walked along the Han riverbank, and each time his ears billowed like waves in the wind, he glanced at me and kept in step.

돌아오는 길, 내내 빈집 같던 마음 한쪽에 드디어 체온이 깃들었다는 생각이 들자, 우여곡절도 살림살이처럼 차곡차곡 쌓여 갈 만하겠다 싶었다.

Doraoneun gil, naenae binjip gatdeon maeum hanjjok-e deudieo cheon-i gitdeureotdaneun saenggagi deulja, uyeogokjeol-do sallimsali-cheoreom chagogchagog ssayeo gal manhagetta sipeotda.

On the way back, as I felt warmth finally nestle into the part of my heart that had felt like an empty house, it seemed even the twists and turns could stack up neatly like household goods.

입양이란, 누군가의 두 번째 기회에 내 하루를 기꺼이 맞춰 주겠다는 다짐이요, 그 다짐을 날마다 새로 쑤셔 넣는 성실의 습관 같았다.

Ipyang-iran, nugungaui du beonjjae gihoe-e nae haru-reul gikkeoi majchweo jugettaneun dajim-iyo, geu dajim-eul nalmada saero ssusyeo neohneun seongsil-ui seupgwan gatatda.

Adoption, I realized, is a promise to gladly tune my day to someone’s second chance, and a habit of sincerity pressed in anew day after day.