100. Train

100. Train

“Sister.”

“Yes.”

“When do we arrive?”

An hour had passed since I fooled the employee with my brilliant acting.

The scenery outside the window was still nothing but a white snowfield, and I had grown tired of the novelty of watching the train. Yet, the train showed no signs of reaching its destination.

Where are we going that we’re traveling for so long?

Considering the train stopped at stations intermittently, I felt like we must have traveled at least two hundred kilometers by now.

“It’s going to take a very long time. We got on the train at noon… so we’ll arrive tomorrow morning.”

“What?!”

I spread out my hands and started counting. One, two, three… Surprisingly, the time until tomorrow morning was so long that I couldn’t count it with just ten fingers.

I’ll have to use my toes for this.

I took off my shoes and then my socks. My soft, white soles were revealed to the world.

My toes, meeting fresh air after a long time, wiggled cutely. As expected, I am definitely a magnificent wolf, even my toes.

I then continued counting.

“One, two….”

Three, four, five….

Finally, after using my toes, I realized how much time it would take until tomorrow morning.

My folded fingers and toes numbered twelve. It will take at least twelve hours until the train reaches its destination.

Given my sister’s statement that it would be morning, not night, it will probably take a few more hours from here. If we add about three hours, it’s a whopping fifteen hours until we reach our destination!

“Kkang!!”

Good heavens! Only an hour has passed, and there are still fourteen hours left. I had to cry out “Kkang” in disbelief at that terrible fact.

This is just like that nightmare when I had to walk and walk and walk endlessly until I reached the human village.

The only fortunate thing is that at least I’m sitting and traveling, not walking.

Still, the fact that it takes a long time doesn’t change. I started crying “Uwaaang” while wagging my tail vigorously.

“Seol-ah.”

“Uwaaang!”

“Seol-ah.”

“Uwaaaeeng!”

“Rang Seol-ah.”

My body was suddenly lifted into the air. I was startled and looked down, realizing my sister had put her hands under my armpits and was lifting me.

My sister, with exhaustion clearly visible on her face, quietly said to me.

“Shall we go to sleep now? If you close your eyes for a moment, you’ll arrive sooner than you think.”

“But….”

“When you go somewhere far, you have to sleep until you arrive. Look, Dad is sleeping too?”

I looked back. My father, who was sitting behind me, was sleeping so soundly that I didn’t know when he had fallen asleep.

It’s amazing how he maintains such a straight posture without the slightest wobble.

Dad was sleeping majestically with his arms crossed. As expected, a leader wolf is different.

“Seol-ah is a cool wo… wolf, so you can sleep coolly too, right? I really want to see it, can you show me?”

“Yes!”

“Lie down on my lap.”

My sister laid me down horizontally across the seat so I could sleep well. This was possible because the armrests were only on the aisle side of the seat.

This way, my legs were stretched towards the window, and my head rested on my sister’s lap.

Furthermore, my fluffy tail softly supported the empty space between my waist, which was in the air, and the seat, giving me a pleasant feeling comparable to a high-end bed.

“Oh, right. Sister, what about Seol-gu?”

“What about Seol-gu?”

“It must be very uncomfortable for him to be in the bag for so long. Just a moment….”

I sat up from my sister’s lap and picked up the bag I had left in the empty space in front of the seat. I felt Seol-gu’s considerable weight.

“Seol-gu, I’ll lay the bag down horizontally for you.”

“Kkang.”

It would be much more comfortable for Seol-gu to stay in a horizontally placed bag than a vertically standing one for several hours.

I remembered seeing in a biology book that foxes like to live in dens. A cramped bag is similar to a den, so Seol-gu would probably find it comfortable.

“Hmm….”

As I moved the bag, now laid horizontally, to the empty space under the seat, a thought suddenly occurred to me.

What if I went inside that bag too?

Of course, that randoseru wasn’t big enough for me to fit into. It was perfect for the small and weak fox Seol-gu, but not for me, a big and strong wolf.

But what if, a larger randoseru was made, one that I could fit into….

I imagined myself inside the randoseru. Just my ears peeking out from the top of the bag.

Even though it would be cramped and dark inside the bag, for some reason, it felt comfortable. Like a safe hiding place.

I want to go in.

I want to go in, but that bag is too small, so only Seol-gu can fit.

Suddenly, I started to resent Seol-gu.

It’s my bag, yet he’s comfortably lying in it all by himself.

Poooh.

My cheeks puffed out.

I should pull out Seol-gu’s tail fur later. It’s punishment for enjoying the inside of the bag alone.

… It would hurt if I pulled out too much, right? So, I’ll just pull out three.

“Kkang.”

At that moment, Seol-gu, from inside the bag, barked at me. It sounded like he had read my mind.

“Huk….”

Did he find out?

No, but I didn’t say anything out loud.

It must have been a coincidence.

After all, that big idiot ball of fur couldn’t possibly read minds.

Nyah nyah, Seol-gu. Nyah nyah!

“Kkang!”

“Huk…!”

Can he really read my mind?

After thinking for a moment, I secretly thought to myself.

Pulling out a million hairs from Seol-gu’s tail-tail….

“Kkang!”

“Huk…!”

He really can read it!

In that case….

Ah~ Suddenly I want to share Ice fruit with Seol-gu~ Should I give Seol-gu delicious, sweet, and cold Ice fruit or not~

“Hek hek.”

Oops, what a shame. I don’t have any Ice fruit right now~ I really, no lie, wanted to give it to Seol-gu~ What a shame~

“Kkiiing….”

“Pooheuh.”

As expected, maybe a fox is a fox. Reading minds, it’s a divine and strange ability that doesn’t fit his goofy face.

My sister tilted her head, seeing me suddenly laugh. My sister doesn’t know what I’m doing with Seol-gu, so it’s understandable.

“Uutcha.”

I stopped the back-and-forth in my mind with Seol-gu and lay down on my sister’s lap again. I had promised my sister I would sleep coolly.

Wolves always keep their promises.

I reached out my hand towards my sister’s face and waved.

“Sleep well, Sister!”

“Sleep well, Seol-ah.”

I gently closed my eyes. My sister also placed her hand on my belly and soon closed her eyes.

“….”

Wait a minute.

If my sister falls asleep too, won’t I not be able to show her my cool sleeping posture?

“Sister!”

“Uh, uh? Yes?”

“Don’t sleep! You have to watch me!”

As if she had already fallen asleep, when I shouted, my sister woke up with a startled look, blinking her eyes.

“You said you wanted to see me sleep coolly. If you sleep with me, you won’t be able to see it.”

“Uh… yes.”

“You have to see it this time. Okay?”

I adjusted my posture again and closed my eyes.

Then, peeking with half-closed eyes, I saw my sister dozing off again.

“Sister!!”

“Hukhk.”

A funny sound that was hard to believe came from my sister. I puffed out my cheeks and said to my sister.

“Sister, are you very sleepy?”

“Uh… yes, a little. I couldn’t sleep last night….”

Seeing my sister’s face, with dark circles visible under her eyes, softened my heart.

My sister said she wanted to see me sleep coolly, but if she’s in such bad shape, she won’t be able to properly appreciate my coolness.

I am a mature wolf.

I patted my sister’s shoulder and opened my mouth.

“Then, Sister, sleep quickly. I’ll sleep too.”

“Are you sure…?”

“Yes.”

Seol-gu is sleeping, and Dad is sleeping too. If my sister sleeps here, I’ll probably fall asleep soon too.

It might be better that way. To alleviate the boredom of a grueling train journey that takes over ten hours, sleeping is the only way.

“Then… I’ll sleep first. Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

It’s truly regrettable that my sister won’t be able to see my cool appearance before falling asleep, but I understand. Staying up all night is that tiring and difficult.

Still, it’s a shame that my sister can’t see my cool appearance. But what can I do? If my sister is sleepy, what can I do?

However, it’s truly a shame that I can’t show my sister my cool appearance, even considering the reason….

“Seol-ah… are you really okay with me sleeping?”

“Huh? Uh, it’s okay. I don’t think it’s a shame at all!”

“… You believe me?”

“Yes!”

My sister sighed and then closed her eyes.

It must have been true that she was extremely sleepy, as she was breathing evenly, her chest rising and falling, within seconds. She must have fallen asleep.

“….”

Is she really asleep?

I subtly reached out my hand and placed it under my sister’s nose.

A soft breeze brushed past my hand. Her breathing was quiet and regular.

I extended my index finger and poked my sister’s nose.

It’s soft.

“Hee hee….”

Next is her cheek.

My sister’s cheek was pressed firmly by my touch, and as soon as I removed my hand, it sprang back to its original plump shape.

It’s kind of fun.

Next are her lips.

Poke poke.

“Uum….”

“Huk….”

Did she wake up?

Holding my breath, I checked, and fortunately, it didn’t seem like my sister had woken up. I reached out my hand a little more boldly towards my sister’s face….

“Kkang.”

“Ah, Seol-gu?”

“Kkang kkang.”

“Don’t do that…?”

At that moment, my hand was blocked by Seol-gu. Seol-gu pulled my hand down with his mouth and tapped his tail, telling me not to disturb my sister’s sleep.

“Uum, I understand.”

“Kkang.”

Seol-gu extended his short paws and patted me.

It felt a bit strange, like my sister taking care of her younger sibling.

Sigh, okay.

Let’s just go to sleep quickly.

If I sleep, when I wake up, this train journey will be almost over. And when we arrive at our destination… after we arrive?

… Hmm. I don’t know!

It’ll be something when we get there!