The morning sunlight tickling his face and the feel of the soft new blanket, the mattress’s elasticity supporting his back and the unpleasant smell… Unpleasant?
“Hunter!”
Shim Iyul, who had been enjoying the morning lazily while wrapped snugly in the blanket, frowned and opened his eyes. The Hunter’s smell on the new bed ruined the refreshing morning. Shim Iyul immediately threw off the blanket, got up, and opened the window wide.
When he left the room, the little ghost who had been sitting on the wooden veranda swinging his legs jumped down to the yard and bowed.
“Fox-nim! Hello!”
“You should say ‘Did you sleep well?'”
“Did you sleep well?”
“I slept well, but I didn’t sleep well.”
For sleeping at the Hunter’s house, he had slept soundly, but the Hunter’s smell remaining on the bed ruined what should have been a refreshing morning mood.
“You slept well? But didn’t sleep well?”
The little ghost who didn’t understand the meaning blinked his eyes and tilted his head. Shim Iyul flicked the little ghost’s forehead full of confusion with his index finger, then came down to the yard. Then he started stretching lightly. The little ghost, who had been staring at Shim Iyul stretching his body this way and that, sneakily approached and started following along. When their eyes met, he almost laughed at the harmless face giggling “Hehe.” How embarrassing for his pride. He quickly composed his expression and was finishing his stretching when something flew toward him.
“A ladybug?”
It was a golden ladybug. The ladybug spun round and round in front of Shim Iyul’s eyes. When he held out his hand, the ladybug, half the size of a bean, landed on his palm, and he could feel quite an auspicious energy from it.
‘For a body the size of ant poop, not bad.’
While he was thinking that and looking down, the ladybug that had been crawling around on Shim Iyul’s palm suddenly bit him.
“Ow!”
With stinging pain, drops of blood beaded up.
‘Did I just get bitten?’
While he was staring in disbelief, the ladybug that had flown up went somewhere.
“Is it because it’s a Hunter’s house? Even the bugs are arrogant. How dare it bite the Fire Fox and run away.”
Shim Iyul, who laughed “Hehe” like air was leaking out because it was so absurd, licked the blood with his tongue. When he passed through the annex door to the main house yard, he saw Han Seolju standing on the main hall veranda holding a wooden sword. He slammed the wooden sword down threateningly upon seeing Shim Iyul approach.
“The main house is off-limits for the time being, fox.”
His fiercely threatening appearance was no different from a divine general.
“Where’s the Hunter?”
“You cannot meet the CEO for the time being, fox.”
Shim Iyul glanced toward the master bedroom. When he had extracted the yokai energy from the Hunter’s body last night, he’d felt the fire energy blazing below his navel. Thanks to removing the yokai energy that had been stimulating the fire energy, it would be fine for a while, but literally just for a while. That fire energy was the Imugi’s curse that Shim Iyul couldn’t do anything about. Surely the Hunter was suffering from the Imugi’s curse that his body originally had.
‘I wonder if he’s suffering immodestly in his naked body.’
The day he’d first crossed over this house’s wall, Shim Iyul briefly licked his lower lip recalling the naked Hunter, then shook his head. Then he walked a few steps and suddenly stopped with a displeased look.
“But…”
“…?”
“Why do you keep speaking informally?”
Eun Seonmyeong being a Hunter was one thing, but a vassal constantly speaking informally.
“So should I use honorifics?”
“Of course. How old are you?”
“…Twenty-eight years old.”
“You’re still in your twenties?”
Shim Iyul asked in surprise.
“…That’s right.”
“You’re severely aged on the outside.”
He’d thought he was at least in his late thirties. Still in his twenties. Shim Iyul clicked his tongue while looking at Han Seolju, who seemed to have weathered the storms of time only on his face, then went out the gate. Somehow feeling sorry for him, he decided it was fine to keep speaking informally.
“Where are you going?”
As he was about to go outside, the little ghost chased after him going “Dodododo” and asked.
“To buy coffee.”
“Can I come with you?”
The little ghost sparkled his eyes and looked up at Shim Iyul. If he was with Shim Iyul, the little one could also go around outside.
“You’re bothersome.”
At the cold words, the little one wiggled his fingers and sobbed.
“I’ll follow you quietly.”
“If you’re annoying, I’ll leave you behind.”
Meaning it was okay to follow. The little one, who smiled brightly as if he’d never been sullen, hopped along following Shim Iyul. Shim Iyul headed straight to yesterday’s café. Since it was early morning and not open yet, he walked around the neighborhood once. The little ghost was busy looking around while tightly holding onto Shim Iyul’s clothing, wondering what was so fascinating.
“People keep looking at Fox-nim.”
The little ghost, who had been following silently for a while, spoke. As if it was fascinating that every passing person stopped at least once to look at Shim Iyul.
“It’s because I’m beautiful.”
Shim Iyul retorted while slightly raising his chin.
“Fox-nim is really pretty. You’re the second prettiest person I’ve seen.”
“Not the first?”
“The first is Mom.”
“If it’s Mom, it can’t be helped.”
Shim Iyul, who almost got choked up at being second in beauty, immediately acknowledged it. If it’s Mom, it can’t be helped. For Shim Iyul too, the most beautiful woman in the world was his mother.
“Besides Mom, Fox-nim is the prettiest.”
“Little one, you have good eyes.”
The little one who had been giggling “Hehe” said “I miss Mom” and drooped his shoulders. For a ghost, how easily tears came. Shim Iyul looked down at the little one who seemed about to wail and clicked his tongue irritably.
“If you cry, I’ll leave you behind.”
At the cold words, the little one pressed his lips tightly shut and sniffled, sucking in his snot. But tears still brimmed in his eyes.
“If you stop crying within 1 second, I’ll buy you a strawberry latte.”
“Strawberry… latte?”
At the word strawberry, the little ghost instinctively wiped his eyes and grinned, then belatedly tilted his head. As if not knowing what a latte was.
“To put it simply, it’s strawberry milk.”
“I really like strawberries!”
“I could tell. Let’s go.”
A sign that hadn’t been visible earlier was standing in front of yesterday’s café. It seemed to have opened. Shim Iyul, who had quickly walked inside, looked toward the cat occupying the window-side table. The cat with a pitch-black body and amber eyes perked up its ears warily upon seeing Shim Iyul. Then it discovered the little one who had entered excitedly and bared its teeth. At the “Haaak” sound, the little one who got scared “Hiiik” backed out of the café.
“Oh my, why is she acting like this? I’m sorry. She’s usually very gentle, but she does this once in a while.”
The café owner apologized in embarrassment.
“It’s fine.”
Shim Iyul answered lightly as if it was nothing.
The cat jumped down from the table and went to the entrance, continuing to threaten the little one stomping his feet outside.
“So you were the Seongjushin protecting that woman.”
Shim Iyul, who had been watching that for a moment, muttered toward the cat. There are cats that can see ghosts and sometimes have the power to drive out ghosts. This black cat was one. No wonder there wasn’t a trace of miscellaneous or wicked energy.
“How long have you been raising it?”
“This one? About twelve years. I rescued her when she was starving to death on the street and have been raising her ever since. Cute, right?”
“Yes, well…”
The owner, who had picked up the black cat threatening the little one at the entrance, suddenly started bragging.
“She’s really gentle and pretty. I used to get sleep paralysis a lot, you know? But since I started raising this one, all of that disappeared completely.”
“I see.”
“Oh my, I’m sorry. What would you like to order?”
The owner, belatedly realizing she’d been doting, headed to the counter awkwardly.
“One Einspänner and one strawberry latte.”
“I’ll make them right away.”
The owner started making the drinks. Shim Iyul looked down at the black cat that kept glaring at the little one. Getting sleep paralysis often meant having a constitution prone to being possessed by ghosts. Such people inevitably attract ghosts around them, so their energy weakens, their body gets cold, and their complexion darkens. But the owner was bright and overflowing with yang energy. It seemed the black cat had desperately protected its owner.
Shim Iyul approached the black cat, whose tail was proudly raised in triumph while looking at the little one crying “Hiing, Fox-nim” outside the door, too scared to even think of entering, and scratched its chin a few times.
‘To devote loyalty to a human, how foolish.’
The black cat was wary and afraid but didn’t avoid Shim Iyul’s touch. It would be more accurate to say it didn’t dare avoid it.
“Your drinks are ready.”
Shim Iyul left the café holding one cup in each hand like yesterday. The little one swallowed at the sight of the strawberry latte.
“Wait. I’ll give it to you when we go inside the Hunter’s house.”
Perhaps feeling urgent, the little one started running. Shim Iyul leisurely approached the little one who had run far ahead and was gesturing “Hurry up!”
As soon as he crossed the Hunter’s house gate and handed over the strawberry latte, the little ghost’s face looked truly happy as he held it with both hands and scurried to the stone lantern.
“He’s not here?”
Shim Iyul also happily drank his Einspänner while looking at the main hall veranda, but Han Seolju, who had been standing like a divine general, wasn’t visible. At that moment, Shim Iyul’s eyes sparkled with mischief.
‘I’ll thoroughly cover your blanket with my scent too.’
The time for revenge had come.
Shim Iyul quickly climbed onto the main hall veranda and headed to the master bedroom with cat steps.
Opening the door without hesitation, he saw Eun Seonmyeong lying on the bedding naked and moaning as expected. Shim Iyul crouched beside him and appreciated the naked body while slurping his Einspänner. As he’d briefly felt before, what a well-built body. Not an ounce of excess fat anywhere, with solid muscles and a robust lower body.
Shim Iyul, who had quickly finished drinking it leaving only ice and placed the cup on the desk, poked Eun Seonmyeong’s sleeping body. Whether in deep sleep, Eun Seonmyeong didn’t open his eyes while moaning and breaking out in cold sweat.
“Haah, he’d be delicious…”
Shim Iyul, who had been staring down at Eun Seonmyeong and unknowingly muttered, suddenly came to his senses and jumped up. Damn heat period. He’d almost lost himself for a moment. Forgetting revenge and everything, if heat came here, something irreversible seemed about to happen, so Shim Iyul, who was hurrying to escape, staggered. Only then did he smell a strange scent in the room. Thinking ‘No way,’ he turned his gaze and discovered an incense burner in a corner of the room. Blood was dripping drop by drop from a blood pouch hanging from the ceiling into the incense burner. It was blood full of spiritual energy.
Inside the incense burner, dried herbs were clearly visible, and the familiar thing was sleeping herb. In other words, sleeping herb and the Hunter’s blood full of spiritual energy were burning together. Both were fatal to Shim Iyul.
In a word, he was screwed.
The sleeping herb must have been burned to sleep rather than feel even a bit of pain, and the blood was to prevent wicked things from invading.
“Screwed…”
Shim Iyul’s body, which had been trying desperately to escape, collapsed in an instant. Falling onto Eun Seonmyeong’s body, Shim Iyul swallowed the curse “Damn it.”
After his mother died, Shim Iyul tried to live among humans. There was his mother’s saying that there was no need to hate all humans, and above all, he’d lived in human society since he was young.
Shim Iyul didn’t forget that half his body was yokai but the other half was human. He dreamed of someday meeting a human who understood that he was half-human, half-yokai like his father, and growing old together. He thought it was fine if the person was a woman or a man. As long as they accepted him as he was and kept faith until death.
