Eun Seonmyeong’s Porsche, having dropped off Shim Iyul, left with a rough engine sound.
“Damn it, you petty hunter! You really left me here!”
Shim Iyul raised his middle finger with all his might toward the Porsche’s rear end, which had already gone so far it wasn’t visible. Eun Seonmyeong, who had said he needed to go to the shop, suddenly stopped the car near Namyeong Station and drove him out, telling him to hurry and get out.
“Rude bastard. Bad guy.”
After cursing Eun Seonmyeong for a while, Shim Iyul opened his palm with a somewhat relieved face. At least having a minimum conscience, a 50,000 won bill that had been pressed into his hand before being driven out was visible. Though it had become wrinkled from being clenched, money was money. If he hadn’t given even this, he was going to sneak into his room at night and bite his nipples to make them lopsided. He let it slide.
Shim Iyul raised his hand to hail a taxi. As soon as he got in the taxi and stated his destination, leaning back against the seat, the driver sniffed and glanced at the back seat through the rearview mirror, saying:
“Did you spray perfume? The scent is absolutely amazing. If you could tell me what perfume it is…”
“I didn’t spray any, so just drive.”
Shim Iyul answered curtly and turned his head sharply.
‘We also emit a stronger body scent when our emotions become intense, aside from during heat or when intentionally trying to bewitch humans. When sad or happy, or when in love too.’
His mother’s words suddenly came to mind. It was one of the few pieces of information his mother had told him.
Shim Iyul twitched his nose. His body scent was thicker than usual. Though it had absolutely nothing to do with him, not even 0.00001 grams’ worth, whether a human kid was abandoned or not had nothing to do with a noble fox like himself, but somehow his mood had gotten a bit gloomy, so his body scent seemed to have thickened without him knowing.
Despite Shim Iyul’s cold attitude, the driver kept glancing at the rearview mirror, not knowing what to do, but regained some composure by the time they were almost at the destination.
Having paid with the money Eun Seonmyeong gave him and gotten out of the taxi, the place Shim Iyul headed to wasn’t the hunter’s house but the cafe. At first, he’d thought about going to Ban Hanseong’s house. But right now, he wasn’t in the mood to see the kid.
As he entered the cafe, the first thing he heard was a cat’s meow greeting Shim Iyul. Shim Iyul petted the cat that came over acting cute, then looked around for the owner.
“Oh my, you came again.”
The cafe owner, coming out of the bathroom, spotted Shim Iyul and opened her eyes wide.
“I need to pay back the money, and I wanted to drink an Einspänner too.”
“You must really like Einspänner.”
“The harmony of sweet and bitter is the best. I think it’s one of the greatest masterpieces humans have created.”
At Shim Iyul’s expression, the owner laughed loudly. She seemed to think it was a joke, but Shim Iyul was serious. Human food was quite excellent, but Einspänner was especially worth counting among the best.
“A masterpiece, that’s going a bit too far. Please wait a moment.”
Having dried her wet hands on a clean towel, she began making the coffee. Meanwhile, Shim Iyul played with the cat, which was overflowing with affection today.
“Here’s your Einspänner. It’s 6,000 won.”
“I’ll pay for this morning’s one I got on credit now too.”
“This morning’s was a service for a regular customer.”
“I won’t accept the service.”
He held out 12,000 won, but she insisted on giving back 6,000 won, saying she wanted to give him a service once. On top of that, even the cat meowed at Shim Iyul as if telling him to do as the owner wished.
“That won’t do.”
Shim Iyul muttered in distress.
“Excuse me?”
“This is troublesome.”
He was somehow suspicious that this black cat kept pestering him, acting familiar. Shim Iyul bent down and stared straight into the black cat’s eyes. The black cat, flinching and avoiding his gaze, ran away. Then meowed again from far away.
“Fine. Since I got a free coffee, I’ll pay it back someday.”
It was okay to receive things for free from humans. Especially from the rude bastard hunter’s wallet, he had no qualms about draining it dry. But since that black cat was meowing as if it had given something precious, telling him to pay it back someday, he accepted it while feeling uncomfortable.
“What? You don’t have to. It’s not a service given expecting something in return… No, I gave it hoping you’ll keep coming in the future.”
Shim Iyul smiled at the owner, who misunderstood that he’d been talking to her, and left the cafe. Then he sucked down the Einspänner refreshingly. As expected, delicious. His mood improved quickly, and Shim Iyul hummed a tune while walking toward the hunter’s house.
***
“Are you coming to work?”
As he entered the shop, Han Seolju and the other employees all greeted him in unison. Eun Seonmyeong barely acknowledged the greetings and headed straight to the president’s office. Then he took out jeong-ansu from the refrigerator.
Deep in the mountains of Jirisan, there’s a rock shaped like a tiger. In the crevice of the rock, which has a legend that the mountain god who protected Jirisan left as his avatar when departing for heaven, clear water flows, and this water contains sacred energy. Clear and pure, it purifies or drives away evil energy, and sometimes washes away inner demons.
Having gulped down the jeong-ansu that he cherished and saved each time he brought it back from the difficult-to-reach path where only a small amount came out, Eun Seonmyeong wiped his lips.
“Damn fox bastard.”
He was irritated because the fox’s body scent kept seeming to heat up his body, whatever trick he’d pulled. At the kindergarten too, and just now in the car on the way back, the body scent brushing past his nose felt provocative and troublesome. After almost being bewitched by the heat’s pheromones yesterday, something must have gone wrong with his body’s sensory system. He’d have to stick lots of talismans on the door to prevent the Fire Fox bastard in heat from crawling into his room.
“This is embarrassing for a hunter.”
To almost ejaculate from smelling a Fire Fox’s body scent. Having forcibly suppressed getting erect several times, his lower region ached. Clicking his tongue, Eun Seonmyeong dry-washed his face and plopped down on the sofa.
“May I come in?”
It was Han Seolju.
“Come in.”
With permission, Han Seolju entered. Eun Seonmyeong looked at Han Seolju, who was still sullen, and laughed briefly.
“Still haven’t cooled down?”
“No matter how much I think about it, I don’t want to leave just the Fire Fox and the Gaju—no, the CEO—alone together.”
“I told you. There’s a reason you need to go to Hanseong’s place.”
“You didn’t tell me what that reason is.”
“There is such a reason.”
He couldn’t say he was evacuating them because the Fire Fox was in heat and might attack. If he told the truth, Han Seolju would rather choose to turn to stone at home.
“…”
“I’m telling you, what you’re worried about won’t happen.”
When Eun Seonmyeong’s tone became annoyed, Han Seolju reluctantly backed down one step and swallowed a sigh. Then he soon composed himself, thinking ‘Right, I’m worrying for nothing. There’s no way the CEO, the Gaju of the prestigious Eun family, would be bewitched by a mere Fire Fox.’
“Then I trust you and will go home to Hanseong’s place starting today. How long should I stay there?”
“That… I’ll tell you later.”
He hadn’t confirmed exactly how much of the fox’s heat remained.
“Yes.”
“Seolju, is the yosu compendium in the storage?”
The yosu compendium was a booklet where the family’s ancestors had compiled and written down the characteristics of yosu they had personally fought or killed. Since he’d learned what was necessary for hunting from his father, he’d never opened it, but he knew of its existence.
“Yes. Should I look for it? Do you need it?”
“Later.”
“Understood. Ah, Seonjin’s wife contacted us. She said the CEO wasn’t answering the phone.”
“I blocked her. What did she say?”
“She says her son has become frigid. He can get erect but can’t feel anything, so she was angry asking if it’s a side effect.”
“Fuck, saving his life should be enough. Do I have to worry about that bastard’s erection and ejaculation too? She keeps crossing the line.”
What, frigid after I kept him alive? Just as he’d guessed, if he’d let Seo Junhui kill Choi Myeongwon, she’s a woman who would have come running like mad throwing a fit telling him to save her son.
Eun Seonmyeong rubbed his chin. Six months seemed too long after all. What six months? Even three months is generous. Frowning, Eun Seonmyeong gestured toward Han Seolju. It meant to leave now. After Han Seolju left and the door closed, Eun Seonmyeong got up and headed to the safe. What he took out were goehoangji, gyeongmyeonjusa, and incense. He kept them prepared in both his home and office so he could draw talismans anytime.
Eun Seonmyeong drew talismans carefully, imbuing each stroke with plenty of spiritual energy while thinking of Shim Iyul. They were talismans to protect his body from the bewitching, seductive fox.
“…”
Just as he was about to complete the talisman he’d drawn with more sincerity than ever, the kindergarten director’s words suddenly crossed his mind.
‘If you mean Seungjin, he attended our kindergarten until half a year ago.’
Eun Seonmyeong put down the brush. Could a child with a serious illness called leukemia have been able to attend kindergarten? The old woman’s and the director’s words didn’t seem to match up. Did that mean one of them lied?
The moment he leaned back with a suspicious feeling, the phone rang—it was Ban Hanseong.
“It’s me.”
— Gaju! I used a bit of my skills with Seungjin’s mom’s name that Gaju told me.
There was no need to ask what Ban Hanseong meant by ‘skills.’ Obviously hacking.
— Seungjin was a reported missing child! I’ll send you the current address, so go find her quickly!
“Got it.”
— You have to go right now. Understand?!
“…”
— If you don’t find Seungjin’s mom today, I’m totally going to starve.
Ban Hanseong’s absurd threat was ridiculous.
“Just starve to death and become a hungry ghost. I’ll extinguish you.”
— If I die, how will you live with only the frustrating Seolju beside you, bored to death? Ah, or not. Now beside Gaju there’s Fox-nim…
Having hung up, Eun Seonmyeong got up. When he went outside, Han Seolju immediately approached.
“Where are you going?”
“Hanseong contacted me. He seems to have found out where the dongjagwi’s mother is.”
“Please go.”
Han Seolju immediately bowed, telling him to go. His eyes even urged him to hurry. Han Seolju and Ban Hanseong were family, younger brothers, and friends to Eun Seonmyeong. But among them, one couldn’t resist anything young, weak, and cute, and the other didn’t care about anything when it came to ghost matters, so it was really headache-inducing. Lee Seungjin had found exactly the right place to resolve his nyeom. Not that he came on his own—the Fire Fox brought him.
‘Fox bastard, why did he bring the dongjagwi?’
