Living Dangerously with a 999-Year-Old Gumiho – Chapter 119

“How do you like my pajamas? Pretty, right?”

She looked at Hyun with a confident expression.

Hyun, seemingly infected by Sohee’s joyful energy, briefly cracked a smile.

But his eyes soon turned serious as he spotted something strange on the back of Sohee’s neck.

Hyun cautiously pointed to the back of Sohee’s neck.

“Hey, Sohee… what’s that on your neck?”

In response to Hyun’s curiosity, Sohee turned around casually and showed him her back.

She carefully lifted the collar of her pajamas, revealing a tattoo etched on her back.

The tattoo was filled with intricate patterns, and at the center was a captivating design.

“Oh, this? It’s a tattoo. Cool, right?”

Sohee’s voice was filled with pride as she showcased her tattoo to Hyun.

It seemed her attitude suggested that this tattoo held some meaning for her, rather than just being a decoration.

Hyun was briefly taken aback by Sohee lifting her clothes without any hesitation to show her tattoo.

She seemed to enjoy his reaction as she proudly exhibited her ink.

But Hyun’s response was unexpected.

Upon seeing Sohee’s tattoo, he suddenly became flustered and let out a gasp.

“Um, uh… it’s… it’s cool… but!”

“Q-Quick, put it down!”

Hyun couldn’t hide his embarrassment, covering his face with both hands, yet he couldn’t resist peeking at Sohee’s tattoo through his fingers.

His gaze was a mix of surprise and curiosity.

To him, Sohee’s tattoo looked like a strange yet enchanting piece of artwork.

He found himself unknowingly getting lost in the intricacies of her tattoo.

It felt as if the complex and delicate design was telling a story.

Sohee noticed Hyun’s fascinated gaze and smiled.

“It’s okay, my back isn’t a shameful part!”

“Look-! Isn’t it cool?”

Hyun cautiously lowered his hands.

Nomi, glued to the TV, found her curiosity piqued by the interaction between Hyun and Sohee.

Seeing the tattoo on Sohee’s back, she approached them with the innocent interest of a child.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and she reached out towards Sohee’s back.

“Wow, that’s really cool!”

“There’s a picture on your back?!”

Nomi’s fingers gently brushed over Sohee’s back.

She explored the tattoo with her curious eyes as she softly touched it.

When Nomi’s tiny fingers rubbed Sohee’s back, Sohee let out a light laugh, unable to hold back the ticklish sensation.

She seemed to find joy in Nomi’s curious actions, and that small interaction brought her happiness.

“Haha, that tickles!”

Sohee chuckled.

She then pulled her pajama collar back down to hide the tattoo.

“I just thought it looked cool.”

“There’s no special meaning~.”

Sohee explained.

Her tone emphasized that the tattoo didn’t hold any significant meaning for her.

Meanwhile, Hyun, amidst the ongoing chatter about Sohee’s tattoo, was reminded that she and Nomi had not had a proper meal.

The need for dinner preparation suddenly popped up in his mind, and feeling a tad shy, he spoke up.

“Aren’t you hungry? I’ll prepare dinner..!”

Hyun’s voice carried concern and thoughtfulness, as if he had just emerged from a whirlwind of complex emotions.

Sohee’s eyes sparkled at Hyun’s suggestion.

“Oh, you cook well?”

“The Guardian Grandfather always made us side dishes and fish!”

Hyun smiled at Sohee’s response and headed towards the kitchen.

“Pretty decent, huh?”

“Should I grill some meat a bit specially today..?”

Hyun’s voice brimmed with confidence.

He decided to prepare something extra special for Sohee.

Entering the kitchen, he began pulling out ingredients for dinner.

After gathering fresh vegetables and meat, he conceived the menu for their meal.

Thinking of delicious dishes that Sohee and Nomi would like, he started prepping the ingredients.

Hyun began to meticulously prepare the meat.

He decided to simply cook it to bring out the flavors as much as possible.

After thoroughly washing the meat, he dried it with a kitchen towel.

He opted to use only salt to keep the flavor simple yet deep.

He sprinkled salt evenly on both sides of each piece of meat.

Hyun adjusted the amount of salt, being careful not to make the meat too salty.

After letting the salt sit lightly on the surface of the meat for a moment, he started heating the pan over medium heat.

As the pan became hot enough, Hyun added a little oil and placed the meat onto it.

As the meat met the pan, the sizzling sound began to fill the air with a savory aroma.

Hyun patiently waited until one side turned golden brown before cautiously flipping it over.

He knew the meat wasn’t too thick, so it would cook quickly.

As he cooked the meat evenly, he did his best to ensure Sohee and Nomi would enjoy a delicious meal.

Meanwhile, he prepared a simple salad and a few side dishes, setting the table.

Once the meat was fully cooked, he plated it up and brought it to the dining table.

The meat was cooked to perfection, and even just seasoned with a sprinkle of salt, it looked delicious.

Calling Sohee and Nomi to the table, Hyun proudly showcased the meal he had prepared.

“Tada~”

As Hyun smiled and served the meal, Nomi came rushing to the table, clearly hungry, drawn in by the delicious smells wafting from the kitchen.

“Wow, I’m starving! It looks so good!”

Nomi’s voice was filled with anticipation.

Her eyes sparkled at the sight of the meat and side dishes prepared by Hyun.

Sohee, too, turning her gaze at Nomi’s excitement, approached the dining table, lured in by the aroma of Hyun’s cooked dinner.

Her eyes shone with excitement, and she gasped, praising Hyun’s cooking skills.

“Whoa, what is this?! It looks totally delicious..!!”

Hyun served rice to Nomi and Sohee with a kind smile.

“Eat a lot, both of you.”

He also brought out kimchi and various side dishes to enrich the table.

Nomi and Sohee beamed with happiness in front of the lovingly prepared food.

Nomi showed particular interest in the meat and reached for it first.

“This meat really looks tasty!”

She popped a piece of meat into her mouth and gasped.

“Wow, it’s delicious!”

Sohee smiled as she tasted Hyun’s cooking.

“I- I haven’t eaten this kind of food in ages!”

“It’s on a whole different level compared to the dishes from the Guardian Grandfather?!”

Hyun felt genuinely pleased as he watched Sohee and Nomi enjoying his cooking.

Amidst Nomi’s admiration and Sohee’s praises, he blushed a little and also brought out juice for them.

“Here, I brought juice too. Take your time eating.”

Hyun set the juice on the table and sat down to start his meal.

Hyun cautiously picked up a piece of meat and took a bite.

Nomi was still enjoying the meat, and Sohee was savoring her meal too.

Hyun thought to himself as he observed Sohee eating so eagerly.

‘She’s definitely still a kid. Can this kid really protect me?’

Just then, a peculiar sound broke the dinner atmosphere.

Burp-…

Sohee unexpectedly let out a small burp during their meal and appeared momentarily flustered but quickly changed her demeanor.

Rather than feeling embarrassed, she boldly looked at Hyun and grinned.

“The food is so good that I couldn’t help it!”

Sohee said, as if justifying her little mishap, acting like it was totally no big deal.

Hyun chuckled at Sohee’s attitude, feeling warmed by her confident demeanor.

“Right, right— enjoy your meal.”

Hyun continued the cheerful atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Nomi couldn’t take her eyes off the screen while munching away.

She continued eating while engrossed in her favorite cartoon on the TV.

The lively sounds of her occasional chuckles at funny moments in the cartoon made the dining experience even more animated.

In this comfy, joyful atmosphere, the three continued their dinner.

*

As the meal wrapped up, Yoonhwa stood up with a satisfied expression and said, “I ate well!”

Her voice carried a tone of gratitude for the meal, and the sight of the empty dishes on the table reflected her satisfaction.

The grandfather smiled at Yoonhwa’s words of thanks and replied.

“Indeed, it’s nice to see you enjoyed the meal.”

Yoonhwa, with a content look, finished her meal and stood up.

She intended to head to the garden, but at that moment, Tori playfully poked her ankle and scolded her.

“Hey, does that mean the Guardian needs to clean your plate?”

“If you’ve eaten, you should clean up!”

Tori’s voice was strict yet playful.

His small eyes looked at Yoonhwa reproachfully, causing her to momentarily pause.

“Ahh- right..!”

‘Before this, Hyun did everything for me, so it became a habit…’

Yoonhwa honestly apologized and returned to the table to grab her bowl.

The grandfather chuckled at Tori’s witty behavior.

“Thanks to Tori, our house seems to stay tidy.”

“Still, don’t resort to violence~…”

After the grandfather’s praise, Tori puffed out his chest proudly.

“Of course! I play the most important role here.”

Yoonhwa glanced at the bowl in her hands, falling into a moment of contemplation.

In the traditional atmosphere of the Hanok, she couldn’t find a modern “sink.” She cautiously looked back and forth between the grandfather and Tori and asked.

“Grandfather, um— then…”

“Where do I put this bowl?”

Seeing Yoonhwa’s confusion, the grandfather chuckled warmly and stood up to guide her.

“Come here, fox. Hahaha…”

The grandfather led Yoonhwa to the back of the Hanok.

There, a simple washing area was set up with a traditional basin and water container.

“You wash the dishes here.”

“If it gets bothersome, we can solve it with magic too.”

After finishing his meal, Tori followed the grandfather and Yoonhwa to the back of the Hanok, holding his small plate.

Though his small plate looked fairly clean, Tori went towards the basin out of habit.

Carefully taking some water from the container the grandfather provided, he poured it into the basin.

Tori’s hand movements were just as skillful as usual.

He began to scrub his plate carefully in the water.

Water droplets sparkled and trickled through Tori’s small fingers as he meticulously washed the plate.

This process was so familiar to him that it felt almost automatic.

“How could you live without knowing this?!”

Tori finished cleaning his tiny plate, shook off the water, and placed it neatly to the side.

His small face beamed with satisfaction.

“There, all clean, right?!”

Tori proudly displayed his completed task to Yoonhwa.

His voice brimmed with confidence and joy.

Yoonhwa smiled as she watched Tori’s actions.

Every little thing Tori did captured her heart, and she was impressed by his enthusiasm.

She felt drawn to wanting to try doing such things herself.

“Well then—I’ll also…”

Yoonhwa carried her bowl over to the basin where Tori had just washed.

As the grandfather carefully poured water from the container into the basin, she gently scrubbed her plate just like Tori had.

At first, it felt a little awkward, but gradually her motions started to become more natural.

Tori watched Yoonhwa from the side, occasionally offering tips.

“You’re doing great! Just a little softer!”

Encouraged by his cheers, Yoonhwa gained more and more confidence.

Taking her time, but cleaning thoroughly, she finally lifted the now clean plate from the basin, carefully drying it.

Tori watched Yoonhwa clean her plate with a happy expression.

“Not quite as good as me—but…”

“You did well!”

The grandfather smiled at the sight of the two helping and learning from each other.

After enjoying the meal, the grandfather glanced at the tidy table.

He stood up and began to clean the table.

Tori, seeing the grandfather move, jumped up from his seat and approached him.

“I’ll help!”

Tori’s voice was brimming with enthusiasm, and his little hands were already ready to lift the side dishes on the table.

The grandfather chuckled at Tori’s eagerness.

“Alright, thank you.”

Tori moved around carefully, handling the small side dishes.

Each of his little actions held meaning and contained heart.

Yoonhwa, seeing this, also stood up to help Tori and the grandfather.

She helped by carrying larger bowls and organizing things.

With their cooperation, the table was quickly cleaned up.

The grandfather smiled gratefully at Yoonhwa and Tori for their help.

“With a fox helping out, it’s much easier.”