"Excuse me, Hyung-nim. Did you... watch my match?"

A massive figure, who had been staring at me from a distance as he walked over, blocked my path. His stiffly pointed Shepherd ears were trembling slightly.

It was a rare, relaxing weekend. I had visited the nearby gym with a light heart because a Jiu-Jitsu tournament I was interested in happened to be held there.

While watching the rough breathing, sweat, and fierce submission battles on the mat with interest, there was one athlete who particularly stood out.

A German Shepherd beastman with a solid and reliable build.

Even while gasping for breath, his eyes, sharply looking for an opening in his opponent, shone brighter than anyone else's on the mat. When he finally got a tap from a brilliant armbar and stepped off the mat, I found myself standing up and applauding without realizing it.

Perhaps that applause was too loud. As I was walking out through the now-quiet gym hallway after the matches ended, the athlete who had been under the spotlight on the mat just moments ago strode up and blocked my way, his white gi top loosely thrown over his sweat-soaked body.

Up close, he still looked quite young, but the pressure emanating from his large frame was considerable.

His voice was low, but strangely urgent at the end. His tone was full of conviction even as he asked the question.

The words spat out by this 'doggy' had the stiff formality characteristic of someone who hadn't been out of uniform for long.

When I nodded in bewilderment, his perky ears drooped slightly to the sides as he let out a sigh of relief.