“Think positively that it means there’s no dangerous work that requires me to take you along. If I think it’s a dangerous commission, I’ll definitely take you, so there’s nothing to be disappointed about.”
“Are you promising?”
“I promise.”
“How long will you be at Jirisan?”
“Since it’s been a while since I went, I’m thinking of staying about four to five days to also absorb the mountain’s energy.”
“Four to five days… Will the curse be okay?”
There was about a week left until the full moon, but the White Fox’s curse was the problem. If the curse started while staying in the mountains, it would be troublesome. He could be stuck there until the curse completely ended.
“I can’t even go to the mountains freely because of that damn curse. Damn it, I’ll come back early.”
“That seems best.”
Han Seolju left the office. Eun Seonmyeong listened to the sound of the door closing and leaned back against the sofa with his clasped hands behind his neck.
“I was going to stay at least four days.”
Although drawing Jeong-ansu was the main purpose, as he told Han Seolju, he also intended to wash his body and mind, which kept having idle thoughts, with the mountain’s energy. For example, the thought that he kept wanting to roll around with the Fire Fox. His current state was like a tiger that had lived eating grass suddenly tasting meat by chance. He kept thinking of a tiger frantically searching for meat, unable to forget the ecstatic taste of meat.
“Damn…”
Since the heat cycle had ended, he couldn’t ask the fox to do it one more time, so he was going to purify his body and mind suffering from carnal desire and return, but the curse was holding him back.
Even if the heat cycle hadn’t ended, it would have been a problem.
“Let’s not forget. Shim Iyul is a Fire Fox.”
A yosu he must never trust and might have to kill with his own hands someday.
“So get out of my head, Shim Iyul.”
Stop appearing and disturbing me.
Why is a yosu so cute when he smiles? And those lips that sipped the Einspänner, whose appeal he couldn’t understand at all – why are they so bewitching? Haa, the more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became, and his insides heated up. Though the curse hadn’t even started, his body kept feeling hot, so he felt like he needed to drink something cold.
“Seolju.”
Eun Seonmyeong, who opened the office door, called Han Seolju.
“Do you need something?”
“Coffee. Einspänner with lots of ice.”
“Don’t you dislike sweet coffee?”
Han Seolju asked puzzled, as this was the second time after the other day that he asked for Einspänner.
“I don’t like it. It’s sweet and tasteless. Doesn’t suit my taste at all.”
Eun Seonmyeong said with furrowed brows. He still didn’t understand the appeal of Einspänner – what taste people drank it for. It really wasn’t to Eun Seonmyeong’s taste.
“……”
Questions filled Han Seolju’s eyes. Eun Seonmyeong avoided such a gaze and said.
“But I keep craving it. Absurdly. Get me one. No, I’ll go get it myself. You work.”
Eun Seonmyeong, who put on the coat he had taken off, left the store. After buying an Einspänner from a nearby cafe and drinking it while frowning the whole time, when he returned, he saw Han Seolju with a hardened expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“Chairman Lee and Commissioner Kim came.”
“Really?”
Eun Seonmyeong patted the shoulder of Han Seolju, who was glaring at the office door as if he would commit murder right away, then walked leisurely. When he opened the door and entered, he saw Chairman Lee sitting in the seat of honor as if he were the owner. Eun Seonmyeong swallowed a scoff and approached him.
“A guest sitting in the host’s seat – well, I’m seeing all kinds of shitty scenes.”
“CEO Eun, can’t you speak more nicely?”
Kim Intaek said while reading Chairman Lee’s mood.
“I’m a middle school graduate, so I’m uneducated.”
Eun Seonmyeong’s final education level was middle school graduation after being expelled disguised as voluntary withdrawal.
He could have taken the qualification exam, and transferring to another school was also possible. But Eun Seonmyeong gave up both. He had no attachment to school or studies, and his father had also passed away, so there was no one to control Eun Seonmyeong who acted as he pleased. Han Seolju’s father was there, but he agreed without objection to Eun Seonmyeong’s words that “I don’t need a diploma.”
Come to think of it, the spring of 12 years ago was truly eventful. Ban Hanseong withdrew from school, and not long after, his father passed away, and he was expelled after beating up Lee Seonghun excitedly. Leaving school felt rather refreshing. He decided to use his talents to make as much money as he wanted. He wandered around the country with Han Seolju’s father, learning things he hadn’t been able to learn from his father, and also visited famous shamans and renowned monks. After becoming the official Gaju at age twenty, he charged expensive prices for commissions coming to the Eun family.
Some who had known the Eun family for a long time whispered behind his back that he had fallen or was selling his talents for money, but Eun Seonmyeong didn’t care. They were cowards who couldn’t criticize openly anyway, so ignoring them was enough.
“Thanks to whom.”
Eun Seonmyeong added coldly.
“This is why uneducated people show it.”
Chairman Lee clicked his tongue. Eun Seonmyeong said “Don’t you hear me telling you to get out of my seat?” and kicked the sofa leg. Chairman Lee muttered “Uneducated bastard” and reluctantly stood up, moving across from Kim Intaek.
Only then did Eun Seonmyeong sit down heavily and cross his legs, slurping his Einspänner while gesturing with his chin at Chairman Lee. It meant if you have something to say, say it.
Chairman Lee, whose face turned red with humiliation, gripped his thigh tightly. He wanted to storm out, but his son, whose condition was getting worse by the day, appeared before his eyes.
“I’m sincerely… asking. Please save my son.”
Chairman Lee, who barely controlled his mind by gritting his teeth, said in a lowered voice.
“Is it a request? To my ears it sounds like ‘Just wait until this is over, I’ll crush a guy like you.'”
Chairman Lee, who had actually been grinding his teeth inwardly thinking ‘Lowly bastard! Just wait!’ let out a fake cough.
“It’s a request. Please help. I’ll give you as much money as you want.”
“Of course you have to give money. Were you going to make me work for free?”
Even if he gave his entire fortune, it wouldn’t be enough.
“I’ll give it. Fi—”
“Two billion.”
The cheek of Chairman Lee, who had called out two billion in front of Kim Intaek but inwardly thought it wasteful and tried to sneakily say five hundred million, trembled.
“A-alright. I’ll give it.”
Two billion to that lowly bastard when even twenty thousand won is wasteful! But for now, he had no choice but to humor him as much as possible.
“There should be an essential condition I told Commissioner Kim.”
Chairman Lee and Eun Seonmyeong looked at Kim Intaek simultaneously. Kim Intaek avoided their gaze with an awkward expression.
“Essential condition? I’m sincerely asking as you told me to, aren’t I?”
“That’s not the condition I told Commissioner Kim.”
“CEO Eun! Do you have to do that?”
“Yes. I will definitely do that.”
At the firm tone that left no room for compromise, Kim Intaek let out a sigh.
“Commissioner Kim, what is it? That bastard… I mean, what did CEO Eun say?”
“Haa… knees…”
“…?”
“If Chairman Lee you kneel and earnestly ask, he said he’ll do it…”
Kim Intaek couldn’t finish his words. Chairman Lee struck the armrest and stood up abruptly.
“You, you, you dare make me…”
Eun Seonmyeong also stood up while sneering inwardly. It was exactly the reaction he expected. Though he wasn’t entirely without the expectation of ‘what if,’ as expected, his pride wouldn’t allow kneeling before someone he regarded as worse than a pig or dog.
Anyway, Eun Seonmyeong had nothing to lose. Moreover, he had no intention of making him kneel today. The one Chairman Lee needed to kneel to was Ban Hanseong.
“You don’t seem ready yet. I have nothing to lose. Come back when you’re ready. Next time, contact me first. Do you think this is a neighborhood cafe? Barging in at any time. This is the last time I’ll meet you without contact.”
“D-dare…”
“I’m going to Jirisan tomorrow. I’ll be away for two days, so if you want to come, come after that. Of course, only after contacting me and getting my schedule confirmed. One last thing to say… He won’t last long. That precious only son of five generations or whatever.”
“……”
“Ah, I almost forgot. I have an important schedule for five days starting on the 15th. You’ll have to avoid that period too. Seolju, the guests are leaving.”
When he opened the office door and spoke, Han Seolju came in as if he had been waiting.
“Please… leave.”
Chairman Lee, who flinched momentarily in fear at the voice suppressing anger, threatened “You’ll regret this!” which wouldn’t work anyway, and left the office. Kim Intaek followed with a troubled expression.
“Seolju, when you go home today, tell Hanseong to keep his phone on from now on. Tell him that if he turns his phone off for even ten minutes before Lee Seonghun’s matter is finished, he’ll be dragged here to work.”
Han Seolju, who imagined Ban Hanseong who would shout in horror “The Gaju is a tyrant!!!!!” smiled and answered “Yes.” Eun Seonmyeong also smiled expecting the same reaction. But he needed to prepare for the case where Lee Seonghun’s condition was worse than expected and they needed to go urgently. Eun Seonmyeong wanted to forcibly make Lee Seonghun and his father kneel even if Ban Hanseong didn’t want it. He wanted to extract even a forced apology. Even if it might be meaningless, he wanted to do that. It seemed like only by receiving even a false apology could he put an end to Ban Hanseong’s suffering that must still be continuing.
Above all, now that an opportunity had come, not properly utilizing it was something only a fool would do. Eun Seonmyeong was not such a fool.
‘But that Hanseong bastard… why does he keep calling the fox?’
When I need to contact him, he keeps his phone off frustrating me, and when I’m lucky enough to get through occasionally, he says ‘Why did you call! Do you want to pickle me in electromagnetic waves!’
He should have warned more firmly at the cafe earlier to not call the Fire Fox or cling asking to play together, but he felt concerned that he spoke too lukewarmly.
“I need to warn the fox bastard.”
To not even think about bewitching Ban Hanseong. The Eun family’s Bongshin being bewitched by a Fire Fox must never happen. It’s a family disgrace.
Eun Seonmyeong, whose heart became urgent, grabbed his keys to leave work.
“I’m leaving work. Seolju, is there a bakery nearby?”
