episode_0025

#2

The Yeon siblings moved around and lived in various regions.

It must have been the siblings’ own efforts to find the lowest monthly rent possible.

However, I think it would have been a difficult challenge for a growing teenager.

Imagine a life where you move to a new area and transfer schools before you’ve even made any real friends.

It would be too difficult to form proper relationships.

They say that was one of the main reasons why Suho became delinquent during puberty.

After a huge fight with his older sister, Yeon Su-jin, he ran away from home and was attacked by an unidentified person that day.

And at that time, the neighborhood where the Yeon siblings lived was a moon village in Nobong-gu, Seoul.

I went back through her memories and arrived at the neighborhood where the Yeon siblings lived.

Should I say that I’m lucky?

Half of the neighborhood she lived in was slated for redevelopment, but her house had not yet been selected for redevelopment, so it was still functioning as a home.

But… as expected, the redevelopment process could not satisfy all the residents who had originally lived there, and bright red banners expressing the will to fight were clearly visible here and there along the way, creating a strange sense of depression.

“This is… where Soojin lived… . The place where Sooho was found… .”

It was one of the foothills leading into Suraksan Mountain, a little deeper into the village.

As I headed there, I was honestly half in doubt.

It’s been so long.

This is a story from when Yeonsuho was in the 5th grade of elementary school.

It’s already been five years since that story.

It was long enough that the monster that might have turned Suho into a vampire would have left there as well.

However, I realized that my thoughts were groundless as soon as I entered the shore.

Because, a mysterious aura that could be felt clearly was knocking on my skin.

How can such an overt aura be so blatant… .

Did he underestimate me? Or was he just that strong that he couldn’t hide it even if he tried?

no.

It won’t be the latter.

Because, if that was the case, the hunters would have caught him a long time ago and subdued him.

Maybe my ability to detect mystery has become more acute.

I moved cautiously in the direction where I felt the bastard’s energy.

Saaa- Saaa-

Before I knew it, the grass that had grown up to my ankles was blown away by the wind blowing from the side, fluttering and patting my skin.

At some point, the ground was covered with thick fog, creating a strange atmosphere.

And hanging at the end of it all was a magnificent pavilion.

There was a man lying there, smoking a cigarette with his chin propped up on his head.

…even wearing a hanbok!!

Lying in this fancy pavilion with such a striking appearance, no one notices?

…Are they casting some kind of avoidance spell on the area like witches??

Although he noticed my presence, he didn’t seem to care at all.

I approached the sperm.

The man’s appearance when seen up close was quite shocking.

because….

It has ears and a tail…?

A fluffy fox tail… one. two. three. four. five. six… seven. eight. nine!?

Are you… a gumiho?

But how can a gumiho be a man?

The national rule of the gumiho is women.

That’s a pretty girl too.

How can a muscular man become a gumiho?

This is a crime.

The muscular nine-tailed fox wearing a hanbok glanced at my face with my chin dropped, took a long drag from his cigarette, and blew out a puff of smoke.

“Wow. How did you get through this body’s Qi Moon Jin?”

“… Are you a gumiho?”

“Are your eyes slits?”

You mean the nine-tailed fox?

“The nine-tailed fox is a woman.”

“That’s prejudice. What if someone so young already looks at the world with such eyes?”

“… … .”

“By the way, your face looks quite young. Did you go to the school?”

“… Seodang??”

What, are you from the Joseon Dynasty?

Why is the Seodang coming out?

For a moment, I was confused as to whether the muscular gumiho in front of me was an extreme concept junkie or a real old man who had survived since the Joseon Dynasty.

“How old are you?”

“Can’t you tell just by looking at it? It’s fourteen.”

“… … ?”

“Why are you doing that?”

“Nineteen? Don’t lie.”

How can you be fourteen with that face?

Even if I estimate conservatively, he’s in his 40s.

And if you’re really fourteen, you’re younger than me. Shouldn’t you call me older sister?

… But it’s a bit weird for you to call me older sister with that face… But.

“Hmm. You are a very suspicious child. This body is fourteen this year.”

“… Then call me unnie, you punk. I’m twenty-three, right?”

But it won’t work because it’s too thick.

I need to hear this guy call me big sister.

“Are you saying that the child is already twenty-three years old!?”

“Yeah. Can’t you call me sister sooner? You’re younger than my sister at fourteen. How rude. Use it!”

“Heh heh. What a cheeky kid. Do you really want to hear the word “sister” from this old man?”

“Old man? If I’m fourteen and old, am I a corpse?”

“Hoohoo. Hahaha. If that’s what you want to hear. Fine. Sister. You’re making one mistake.”

“A mistake? What a mistake.”

“Our clan members say that each time they add a tail, they live a new age.”

“… Huh?”

What does that mean?

Every time your tail grows, you count your age again?

“By the way, it takes 100 years to comb one tail. How is it? Do you understand now, sis?”

“… … .”

One tail is enough to live a hundred years… .

So, a nine-tailed fox… is at least 900 years old. So, 914 years old…?

This fox has been living since the Goryeo Dynasty?

“Hahaha! Sister, your expression is quite something to see! If I had my own paper and brush, I would have drawn it a long time ago!”

“Don’t call me ‘unnie’… .”

My grandfather’s grandfather’s grandfather’s grandfather’s grandfather’s… How many generations back do I have to go to be a contemporary of that old man?

I felt dizzy and put my hand on my head.

“Hmm~? Why is that? Sister. Didn’t you say you were twenty-three?”

“Don’t do that… . That was when you didn’t know!”

“Okay, 923 year old sister.”

“… … .”

ah.

Should I hit you?

If we fight, I might win.

A fox and a witch are fighting. Do you think the witch would lose?

I was thinking about whether to attack the elderly instead of respecting them, when the muscular nine-tailed fox man laughed and continued the conversation.

“So. Why did you come to see this fox?”

“Ah… . Hmm. Have you ever seen a child like this?”

First of all… I don’t think the gumiho would have turned Yeonsuho into a vampire, but I still need to check it out.

I went to Soojin’s KakaoTalk profile with my phone and selected the photo of Yeonsuho with her.

“Oh, this is another interesting thing.”

“Is this your first time seeing a smartphone?”

“It’s called a smartphone. So what is it used for?”

“I’ll explain later. For now, this is it… .”

“Okay! Let’s do that.”

“If you answer correctly, I will tell you exactly what a smartphone is.”

“Huh, then this is a deal!”

“That’s right!”

“Okay, sister!”

“… … Don’t do that.”

Why am I your sister?

I don’t remember eating my 914 year old grandfather or my sister!

The muscular gumiho took a moment to reflect, his voice cracking.

I don’t know how a gumiho living in the mountains meets so many people that it has to worry for so long.

“I’m sorry. But, at this age, I’ve met so many people that it takes a long time to remember them.”

… No. Mr. Lee. Are you really going back and looking back on your memories from the Goryeo Dynasty?

Even if you didn’t give a detailed explanation… isn’t that going too far?

The lifespan of an average person can’t possibly be that long.

I shook my head, hitting my forehead.

“That’s not it. Just tell me if you’ve met anyone like this in the past 5 years… no, almost 10 years.”

“Ah. I see. I guess I had forgotten for a moment that the lifespan of an ordinary human is not that long.”

“… … .”

Can I really trust this gumiho gentleman…?

I waited for his answer with a certain amount of anxiety.

He took a deep inhale of the tobacco, exhaled the smoke, and answered.

“None.”

“Really…?”

“Yeah. None. You’re the first human I’ve met since Tails became nine.”

“Really!?”

“Yeah. Oh. No. It’s the second time.”

“Is that true?”

“That’s right. Oh, right. It’s true.”

“Is it really true?”

“How rude! Then how could I forget the two times we met!”

but….

Sir, you just told me I was the first… .

“No… That’s not it… Then who was the first person you met?”

“This was a special being who stayed on Mt. Surak for a while.”

“You stayed? Are you saying you set up a base here like your father-in-law?”

“Base… . Ah-hae speaks a bit strangely. But you are right. ”

“Who was it? Can you tell me where they went?”

The muscular nine-tailed fox pretended to stroke his non-existent beard and slowly put the bear skewer in his mouth.

And then he took a slow, deep sip, creating a cloud of tobacco.

“The child is so anxious that he looks like he has a boil on his butt.”

“I’m sorry if I offended you. Well, it was urgent… .”

“It’s not unpleasant. In the first place, human lifespans are not that long, so isn’t it inevitable that they will have such a personality?”

“That’s right… ?”

I never thought I would hear a fox say that humans have a short lifespan… .

There are not many animals in nature that live longer than humans.

“Hmm. Yeah. The woman introduced herself as a vampire.”

“Vampire!?”

It’s that woman!

That woman must be the one who turned Suho into a vampire!

“She was a woman with a strange impression.”

“Do you know where that woman went?”

“Hmm… .”

The muscular gumiho grandfather put the bear in his mouth again.

Then, blowing out a few puffs of smoke, he looked at the mountain scenery reflected between the pillars with sad eyes.

They say smokers die young, but the gumiho seems to be an exception. … She’s lived to be over 900 years old.

So when will you give me an answer… .