Living Dangerously with a 999-Year-Old Gumiho – Chapter 109

Hyun was sitting alone on the living room sofa for a moment after Yoonhwa vanished into her room.

The unexpected contact with Yoonhwa and the warmth he felt in her embrace stirred up Hyun’s heart.

He subconsciously rubbed his cheek, reminiscing about that moment with Yoonhwa.

His feet tapped nervously as he blushed and muttered to himself.

“What was… I can’t really explain that…”

Leaning against the sofa, Hyun tried to imagine the feeling he had when he was with Yoonhwa.

Yoonhwa’s gentle touch, her warmth, and the tension of that moment sent a thrill through Hyun’s heart.

However, as soon as he felt those emotions, he began to scold himself.

“What am I doing? I really suck…”

“Yoonhwa is a monster, and I…”

“I’m just an ordinary person…”

Burrowing deep into the sofa, he subconsciously rubbed his cheek again, recalling the moment with Yoonhwa.

A delicate feeling for Yoonhwa blossomed in his heart, but Hyun feared accepting it.

His mind was a jumble while sitting on the sofa.

“I’m not good-looking, I can’t even exercise…”

“I don’t have anything special.”

Hyun pondered about his ordinariness.

“What does Yoonhwa really think of me…?”

Yoonhwa returned to her room and carefully lay down on her bed.

On one side of the bed, Nomi was peacefully asleep.

Her tiny body flipping around in her sleep was adorable.

To avoid disturbing Nomi, Yoonhwa slowly settled next to her and lay down quietly.

The room was calm, and only the sounds of the night could be heard from outside.

Yoonhwa stared at the ceiling, reflecting on the events of the day.

Especially the moment with Hyun captured Yoonhwa’s heart.

The unexpected contact with Hyun, along with the warmth and tension of that moment, made her heart race.

Without realizing it, Yoonhwa smiled. Hyun’s face, his gaze, and his voice filled her mind.

Though their contact was incredibly brief, the sensations from that moment remained vividly in her memory.

Yoonhwa struggled to recall that feeling, her heart brimming with excitement.

The sudden touch with Hyun, the tension of that moment, and the awkwardness that followed.

Yoonhwa’s mind was completely consumed with thoughts of Hyun.

Hyun’s fluttering heart, his blushing face, and his slightly unstable gaze whenever he looked at her—Yoonhwa imagined all of it and smiled.

She giggled to herself, recalling Hyun’s shyness.

“That was pretty cute…”

His bashful demeanor appeared incredibly endearing to her.

“Hyun really seems to have no idea how to express his feelings.”

“Same for me, though…”

Yoonhwa muttered to herself.

His shy side felt so lovable to her.

Seeing that Hyun seemed unable to express his feelings, Yoonhwa unknowingly empathized with him.

She too struggled to reveal her own emotions honestly.

Lost in such thoughts, Yoonhwa coiled her tail around her pillow and curled up in bed.

Her nine tails wrapped around her like a soft blanket, providing warmth.

She hugged her tails tightly and pondered about Hyun.

The room was quiet, with only the sounds of the night filtering in from outside.

Thinking of the contact with Hyun, she enjoyed the fluttering in her chest.

Embracing that warmth and excitement deep within her heart, she slowly closed her eyes.

And with sweet thoughts of Hyun, she quietly drifted into the embrace of the night.

[February 10, 19xx]

[Today was a day hard to describe in words.]

[Since morning, my head felt like it was pounding, and I went to the hospital due to nightmares.]

[Imagining that the doctor I met there was actually a monster, one can hardly fathom how bizarre the situation was.]

[I felt like I met my deceased parents in a dream, but that was a lie.]

[The only thing that felt real was that I survived thanks to Yoonhwa.]

[When people began to wake up, they yelled at Yoonhwa, calling her a monster.]

[Yoonhwa quickly hugged me and ran away, spending some time at home.]

[And… Yoonhwa kissed my cheek…]

[In the afternoon, while hanging out laundry, the sky seemed to tighten around my neck.]

[In that moment, I felt like I was teetering between life and death.]

[Fortunately, Seojin showed up and saved me, allowing me to barely escape with my life.]

[All these events felt like a dream, but this was the reality I experienced.]

[Even now, it feels hard to believe those moments, but I have to accept them.]

[Though I was prepared to die, I remained with her.]

Hyun finished the last sentence of his diary and let out a deep breath.

Putting all those emotions and thoughts into words turned out to be tougher than expected.

He closed the diary and carefully placed it in the drawer.

Then he turned off the lights in the living room and sank into his blanket.

Hyun’s backyard welcomed the quiet and peaceful night.

The moonlight gently settled on the blades of grass and petals, and distant sounds of wildlife could be heard.

In that peaceful night, a nearly invisible being quietly appeared.

It was an owl clad in a raincoat.

The owl lingered in Hyun’s backyard for a while, lost in deep thought.

Its massive cloak shimmered softly in the moonlight.

The owl reflected on the events of the day, contemplating its role and actions.

“Was Nomi a bother?”

(Was I too idle?)

It asked itself.

Its gaze drifted past the window of Hyun’s house, and at that moment, it made a firm resolution.

“Next time it rains… I’ll steal what the fox cherishes.”

(The next time it rains… I’ll take what the fox holds dear.)

The owl soared higher, gradually disappearing like a shooting star across the night sky.

Deep in the forest, the old man who had watched over the ages appeared.

Atop the back mountain of this village stood a traditional Korean house that had long been established.

No one dared climb the steep mountain.

This traditional house bore the marks of time yet remained sturdy and beautiful.

The tiled roof sparkled in the moonlight, and the garden harmonized wildflowers with ancient pines.

In its center, a quiet pond flowed, enhancing the tranquility and peace of the place.

An elderly man sat on the porch of the traditional house, breathing in the morning air.

His wrinkled face looked peaceful under the moonlight.

He gazed at the quietly flowing pond in front of his house, murmuring to himself.

“Since Qi is vibrating like this…”

“Is the new owner of the Fox Orb unaware of how to control their Qi…”

His eyes were clouded in deep contemplation, and his voice remained calm.

Beside the old man, a squirrel scampered around his feet.

Playing with an acorn in its tiny paws, it suddenly stopped and looked up at the old man, throwing out a remark.

“You’re such a complete fool!”

The old man smiled slightly at the squirrel’s unexpected words.

His expression radiated wisdom and ease from living in harmony with nature for so long.

“Haha, I see.”

The squirrel quickly darted around the old man’s ankles.

The movements of this little friend were lively and irresistibly cute.

Staring up at the old man with mischief-filled eyes, the squirrel began to fidget as if preparing to do something.

A few minutes later, the squirrel returned with a small water bottle in its mouth.

Bringing back a bottle bigger than itself wasn’t an easy task, but the squirrel dropped it in front of the old man without a hint of struggle.

“It’s time to water the flowers!”

Realizing the squirrel’s intent, the old man was touched by its enthusiasm and sincerity.

With a smile, he picked up the water bottle and slowly headed towards the garden.

As he watered the flowers in the garden, the squirrel joyfully scurried around, playing the role of the old man’s trusty companion.

They tended to the plants together, and at times, the squirrel would leap into the fresh grassy patches, brimming with joy.

In between, the old man playfully splashed a bit of water towards the squirrel, indulging in some fun.

Hyun slowly woke from a deep sleep. It seemed like the tangled emotions from last night continued into his dreams.

He couldn’t recall any of the dream’s details.

As he opened his eyes, his room was filled with morning sunlight, and the chirping of birds outside signaled a peaceful morning.

For a moment, he lay there gazing at the ceiling, trying to sort out his thoughts.

The contact with Yoonhwa from last night and the emotions he felt still warmed a corner of his heart.

However, Hyun had to return to his daily life.

He sat up and took a deep breath.

Tidying up the blanket, he began preparing for breakfast.

As he walked towards the kitchen, the conversation with Yoonhwa crossed his mind.

“Let’s work out tomorrow morning,” Yoonhwa’s suggestion weighed heavily on his mind.

Hyun’s enthusiasm for exercise was at an all-time low, and each time he thought of the promise, it added to his sense of dread.

Entering the kitchen, Hyun started preparing breakfast.

He took out some eggs and rummaged through the fridge to grab a few vegetables.

Chopping onions, green onions, and carrots into suitable sizes, he tried to lighten his mood.

“If I’m terrible at this, won’t Yoonhwa be disappointed…?”

Hyun mumbled to himself as he busied himself in the kitchen.

He poured some oil into the pan and began sautéing the vegetables.

As the vegetables lightly cooked, Hyun cracked three eggs into a bowl and whisked them.

“Ah, soy sauce…!”

Hyun reminded himself as he picked the bottle up.

Once the vegetables seemed sufficiently sautéed, Hyun poured the egg mixture into the pan.

As the eggs began to slightly set, he added rice atop and drizzled a bit of soy sauce over it.

Shaking the pan back and forth, he made sure all the ingredients were mixed evenly.

As the aroma of egg fried rice filled the kitchen, Hyun felt a small sense of accomplishment.

“With this much, I think we’ll both like it…”

He thought to himself while plating the fried rice.

Sitting at the dining table with the egg fried rice in front of him, Hyun picked up the remote control.

As the TV lit up, cheerful music from the morning news filled the living room.

The screen showed an announcer starting the weather forecast, followed by today’s news.

Hyun stirred his rice with a spoon, listening intently to the news.

“Clear weather is expected nationwide.”

“No rain is in sight, so it’s going to be a great day for outdoor activities.”

The announcer’s cheerful voice rang out.

Hyun paused for a moment, staring at the TV screen.

A small hope flickered in the back of his mind that perhaps it would rain today, so he could cancel his promise with Yoonhwa.

However, the sky was completely clear, showing no signs of gray clouds.

Hyun sighed and took a bite of his rice.

“It would have been nice if it rained…”

He murmured to himself and briefly fell into his thoughts.

He reflected on how he had arrived at this point.

“I just wanted to run away, but now there’s nowhere to escape.”

Hyun thought inwardly.

“Just as Yoonhwa hasn’t disappointed me, I don’t want to disappoint her either.”

Within him, feelings of responsibility and courage slowly began to blossom.

After finishing his meal, Hyun paused in contemplation. Then, he made a resolution.

“I’ve already committed to it, so let’s do our best…!”

Hyun steeled himself and promised to himself.