41. Polar Night

41. Polar Night

“Kkang….”

The day after playing excitedly.

Perhaps it was the after-effect of my completely drained energy from playing, or perhaps it was because it was still dark outside, but I kept my eyes closed for a long time after waking up.

The warmth of the cozy stove and the fluffy blanket seemed to steal even more of my willpower. As I listened to the crackling sound of the firewood with my ears perked up, a yawn escaped me.

“Haaam… Huh?”

After tossing and turning for a bit, I turned my body to the side and something touched my nose. I gently opened my eyes and looked ahead.

My Sister was lying in front of me. Unlike me, who had opened my eyes, Sister was still asleep, her eyes closed and her breathing quiet.

Sister’s arm was holding me tightly. It seemed she had been holding me since we slept together last night. A comfortable weight, a warm temperature. It felt good.

Meanwhile, what touched my nose was Sister’s nose. With the tips of our noses touching, we were breathing.

“Hehe….”

The sensation of our soft noses rubbing against each other was so unfamiliar that I couldn’t help but laugh. I moved my head slightly left and right, rubbing our noses together.

One might call it childish behavior, but I guarantee that any adult in the same situation would act the same way I am.

At this distance, I could clearly feel the direction of each other’s breath. As our breaths met, my face felt a little ticklish.

After rubbing my nose for a while, when I came to my senses and looked ahead again, Sister had opened her eyes and was quietly watching me.

“Huk….”

“Did you sleep well, Seol-ah?”

“Uh, yes….”

I blushed, as if I had been caught doing something I shouldn’t have. It’s not that rubbing noses is strange, but it’s like the embarrassment you feel when you realize someone you don’t know is next to you while you’re humming a tune on the street.

Sister didn’t say anything, but instead chuckled and stroked my head, then got up from the bed. While Sister might have been trying to be considerate, it only made me feel more embarrassed.

What childish thing did I do! My heart is that of an adult, yet I giggled and laughed at such strange things. I can’t understand myself.

I kicked the blanket and then, following Sister, threw off the blanket and got out of bed.

“Sister, it’s dark outside.”

“The polar night is coming. From tomorrow, it will be dark all the time.”

The scenery outside the window was dim, like dawn or dusk. The sun couldn’t muster its strength to rise above the horizon.

According to my precise biological-wolf clock, it’s clearly morning, but it feels strange that it’s dark outside.

Even so, I’ve lived as a wolf for 8 years. This isn’t my first time experiencing the polar night, but I still can’t quite get used to it. The feeling of the polar night is, how should I put it, too… peculiar.

Maybe it’s because I’m not getting sunlight, so I feel gloomy.

I shook my hips back and forth to shake off the gloom and followed Sister.

“Seol-ah, you’re shedding too much fur.”

“Ah.”

… I followed Sister, shaking my hips a little less.

This morning’s meal was lavish. Not only the meat and fish that often appeared on the table, but also a very diverse menu including vegetables and fruits. These were things I hadn’t seen in the North.

“Yum yum….”

I raised my hand and lifted my fork high into the sky. I then brought my arm down with a swoosh, speared a piece of meat with the fork, and opened my mouth to devour the poor victim. It was a brutal and magnificent way of eating, befitting a wolf.

As I was chewing meat, Sister silently picked up a vegetable and placed it on my meat. She probably meant for me to eat vegetables too, not to be a picky eater.

I smiled at Sister and, to show off, swallowed the vegetables and meat together. A magnificent wolf doesn’t pick at its food.

Of course, I didn’t eat the broccoli and discreetly pushed it aside. This isn’t a vegetable, it’s a tree. It looks like a tree just by looking at it.

“Seol-ah.”

“Uh, uh-huh.”

… I closed my eyes tightly and swallowed the broccoli.

“Ueeh….”

It tastes bad.

After finishing breakfast, I trotted to the living room. On the living room table were the dragon toy and snow globe I had been playing with yesterday.

Dad and Mom were also there.

I ran with all my might towards Mom and Dad, and Dad, who was sitting in a chair, opened his arms to embrace me when he saw me.

“Mom!”

I jumped over Dad and went to Mom.

“Did you sleep well, Seol-ah?”

“Yes!”

My tail wagged gently. Fur scattered. The fur that flew far away went into the stove and burned.

Amidst the scattering fur, Dad had a dejected expression. Usually, as the leader, he wears a solemn and stern face, but at times like this, he looks like an ordinary dad, which makes me laugh.

When Sister, who followed me, opened the door and came in, Dad cleared his throat briefly and said.

“Ahem, now that we’re all here, we need to talk. You all know that the polar night is coming soon, right?”

“Yes!”

“As you know, during the polar night, the sun doesn’t rise, so the temperature drops significantly and the weather becomes harsh. It’s dangerous to go outside, so please refrain from leaving the house as much as possible. Did everyone understand?”

Dad looked at me intently as he spoke. He seemed worried that I might cause trouble again.

But I’m not so young that I don’t understand danger, so it’s just excessive worry. I lifted my tail high and put on a confident expression.

… Then, a thought flashed through my mind.

Not being able to go outside means having to stay inside with my family all day. Being with someone means not being able to meet Seol-gu…!

I instantly hugged my shrunken tail and asked Dad.

“Dad… When does the polar night end?”

“When does it end? Roughly… about a month? It’s not short, but it’s not long either.”

“A month….”

“Still, we bought several toys, so it won’t be entirely boring. Don’t worry.”

Boredom isn’t much of a problem. But not being able to meet Seol-gu is a big problem. That little fox has no friends other than me, and if he can’t see me for a whole month… Oh my.

I want to let Seol-gu know that I won’t be able to see him for a while, but I don’t know if it’s okay to go out since it’s dark.

As I left the living room, I asked Sister.

“Sister….”

“Why, Seol-ah?”

“Well….”

To meet Seol-gu, I have to be alone. But if I say I want to go out alone when it’s already dark, Sister would never allow it.

And I can’t sneak out either. If I did, I would only worry Sister greatly.

I hesitated and then opened my mouth.

“Can’t I go out for a little while…?”

“It’s not completely dark yet, so a little while is okay. With Sister….”

“No, I mean, alone….”

Sister’s expression stiffened for a moment. Sister quickly returned her expression to normal, but I had already seen Sister’s stiffened look.

“Ah, it’s probably not okay…? Sorry….”

“… Seol-ah.”

Just as I was about to lower my head and return to my room, Sister stopped me by grabbing my tail. When I looked up, Sister’s face was a mixture of indescribably complex emotions.

“Sister?”

Sister opened and closed her mouth, seeming to choose her words carefully. Or perhaps she was thinking deeply, or maybe both.

A moment later, Sister said.

“… Why are you trying to go out?”

“Ugh, well….”

I explained the situation to Sister. When I said I wanted to meet Seol-gu while it was still possible to go outside, Sister fell into thought again.

Sister, lost in thought and stroking my tail back and forth, finally opened her mouth.

“A little while is okay.”

“Really?”

“Yes. But don’t go too far, don’t stray, and just talk outside the house and come back. It’s dangerous. Okay?”

“Yes!”

Sister’s answer was completely unexpected.

I thought Sister would definitely say no, but I never expected her to allow this.

I quickly grabbed my coat and went outside.

“It’s right in front of the house, but you have to be careful. Okay?”

“Okay!”

Sister’s expression as she saw me off was filled with a complex emotion that was hard to understand. As Sister quietly closed the front door, I was finally alone.

And sure enough, not long after, the surrounding eyes stirred, and with a “Kkang!” cry, a white arctic fox emerged. It seemed to have been lying in wait under the snow.

“Seol-gu!”

“Pant pant.”

Seol-gu pounced on me and licked me all over with his tongue. He seemed happy to see me after a long time. I picked Seol-gu up and rubbed my face all over his fluffy belly.

After expressing our joy, Seol-gu circled around me and barked at me. It was as if he was telling me to go somewhere.

“No. I promised Sister I would just say hello and come back!”

“Kkang?”

“N-no matter how pitiful you look, it’s no!”

I firmly refused Seol-gu’s suggestion. Since Sister trusted me and let me go, I intended to keep my promise this time, really, really, really. I said “really” three times, so if I break this vow, I’m a fox, not a wolf.

“Kkang….”

“I’m sorry. But I really can’t.”

“Kking….”

“I’ll ask Sister if I can come later. Though I doubt it.”

Seeing that I wasn’t wavering, Seol-gu soon gave up trying to persuade me. I lifted Seol-gu high into the air and said.

“Seol-gu… I don’t think I can see you for a month.”

“Kkang?”

“It’s very dangerous outside during the polar night. You’re not supposed to come out.”

Seol-gu’s tail drooped. He seemed very disappointed. But it couldn’t be helped. The northern nights are very dangerous.

“I’ll stay inside, so you have to hide safely too. Okay?”

“Kkang….”

“Stay safe! Goodbye!”

I rubbed my face all over Seol-gu’s tail and then sent Seol-gu away. Until I disappeared beyond the front door, Seol-gu looked at me with a sad expression.