Living Dangerously with a 999-Year-Old Gumiho – Chapter 123

Yoonhwa felt her nine tails gently spreading across the water.

Each tail lightly touched the surface, shimmering and dancing along with the soft waves under the subtle moonlight.

Yoonhwa spread her nine tails across the water and closed her eyes for a moment.

In the peaceful atmosphere created by the cold waves and moonlight, she sank into memories that bubbled up from deep within her heart.

Her thoughts turned to Hyun and Nomi, recalling the precious moments spent with them.

The memories of sharing delicious dishes at the dining table, laughing while watching cartoons in the living room, and the serious conversations that deepened their understanding of each other warmed her heart.

Her mind also drifted to Kangtae and Seojin.

The meetings with them, the joyful times spent together, and the adventures they experienced remained vividly alive in Yoonhwa’s heart.

Accidental encounters with Eunbi and Seojoon, though short, were meaningful moments that quietly settled into her memories.

Then, from deep within Yoonhwa’s heart, an old friend suddenly surfaced.

The time spent together, moments mingled with laughter and tears swept through Yoonhwa’s memories.

That friend was no longer in this world, but the time they shared remained vividly alive in Yoonhwa’s heart.

Yoonhwa momentarily sank into sorrow.

Longing and a sense of loss filled her heart.

“I’m sorry… really…”

Yet Yoonhwa took a deep breath and resolved to move forward, leaving the sorrows of the past behind.

“I’m not going to dwell on the past anymore.”

“I’m going to bury my longing deep in my heart…”

At that moment, as she firmly etched this resolution into her heart, she heard a sound swiftly approaching from the forest.

Tap- Tap- Tap- Tap- Tap- Tap-!

It sounded as if someone was tapping the solid ground with small feet.

Yoonhwa jolted, opening her eyes wide.

She instinctively grabbed a nearby towel, hurriedly covering her important parts from the water.

“Who’s there??!”

Yoonhwa cautiously asked from the water.

Her voice mixed with surprise and a hint of wariness.

From the source of the sound, Tori, with small, quick footsteps, rushed out from the forest.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Tori leaped into the water.

As his small body disappeared into the water, creating splashes, Yoonhwa was instantly engulfed in a whirlwind of embarrassment and confusion.

“Tori! Wait a minute!”

Yoonhwa called out carefully, still covering herself with the towel.

Her voice echoed across the water, reaching Tori.

Tori, oblivious to Yoonhwa’s embarrassment, happily splashed around in the water.

As his little hands splashed up, the sound of water filled the calmness of the forest.

“What’s up, fox?”

“Why are you covering yourself?”

Tori asked, his voice full of curiosity.

His innocent gaze was fixed on Yoonhwa.

Yoonhwa sat in the water, covering herself with the towel.

Her face was clearly flushed with embarrassment.

“Uh, it’s just… I’m shy…”

Tori tilted his head, listening to Yoonhwa’s words.

“Huh? But you’re a nine-tailed fox!”

“It’s just that I transformed into a human form—”

“Doesn’t it matter?”

Despite Tori’s naive questions, Yoonhwa continued to cover herself with the towel.

Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment, and her heart was tangled.

“Still… living among humans, I guess I’ve gotten used to it.”

“It’s a bit… embarrassing in front of someone…”

Tori pondered for a moment after hearing Yoonhwa’s words, then nodded as if understanding.

With that, Tori began to frolic in the water.

Each time his small body moved, it splashed water, and his laughter echoed in the forest.

His pure joy began to gradually melt Yoonhwa’s heart.

Watching Tori’s laughter and his playful antics in the water, Yoonhwa slowly began to relax.

She let go of the towel and started to play in the water with Tori, leaving her embarrassment behind.

The water play between Yoonhwa and Tori filled the peaceful stream in the forest with joyful laughter, resembling the innocent frolics of children.

Yoonhwa moved cautiously in the water, creating gentle ripples whenever her tails touched the surface.

Meanwhile, Tori showed off his speed in the water.

He jumped across the water, splashed, and sometimes playfully sprayed water at Yoonhwa.

His small body moved swiftly even in the water, sending refreshing splashes all around with every movement.

His laughter blended with the sounds of other creatures in the forest, bringing vitality to the whole area.

Gradually, Yoonhwa forgot her embarrassment and began to immerse herself in the fun with Tori.

Yoonhwa joyfully engaged in splashing water with Tori, pushing aside the burdens in her heart.

Responding to Tori’s playful antics, she started splashing water back.

Her movements were cautious, but the playful smile on her face was just like a child.

Tori, drenched by Yoonhwa’s splashes, giggled and playfully retorted.

Then, Yoonhwa’s playful spirit kicked in, and she suddenly reached out toward Tori.

Her hands firmly wrapped around Tori, and in an instant, she embraced him above the water.

“I got you!”

Yoonhwa’s voice brimmed with joy, and a victorious smile spread across her face.

Tori was momentarily taken aback by Yoonhwa’s sudden action.

His eyes widened, showing a startled expression.

“Hey, that’s cheating! Cheating!”

Tori shouted, surprised.

His voice rang brightly even in the water.

Though Yoonhwa’s hands and soft arms tightly wrapped around Tori, he didn’t give up and cleverly countered.

His small body was agile even in the slippery water, and he quickly slipped away from Yoonhwa’s embrace and dove back into the water.

Caught momentarily off guard by Tori’s swift escape, Yoonhwa soon burst into laughter.

Her laughter echoed in the forest, and in that moment, it felt as if all her burdens and worries had vanished.

The two dived back into the waterplay, losing track of time as they chased each other.

But like all enjoyable times, there comes a moment when the fun must wrap up.

Suddenly, Tori stopped moving and looked up at the sky.

After checking the position of the moon, he stepped out of the water onto the ground.

“I have to go now!”

Tori’s voice carried a hint of sadness but also a resolute determination.

He shook off the water, and small droplets sparkled around him.

Yoonhwa couldn’t hide her disappointment as she looked at him.

The time spent in the water was so delightful that she didn’t want this moment to end.

However, from Tori’s determined voice and actions, she realized it was time for them to return.

“Already??”

Yoonhwa approached Tori from the water and asked.

Her voice reflected her unwillingness to leave.

“Yeah, it’s already time!”

“The guardian deity will be waiting!”

Tori answered cheerfully, shaking off more water.

His eyes sparkled with anticipation for what was to come next.

“Don’t be sad, let’s bathe again next time!”

At Tori’s words, Yoonhwa smiled.

She felt infected by Tori’s positive energy, pushing aside her regrets and beginning to look forward to their next meeting.

Tori came bravely toward Yoonhwa, shaking the towel he held.

“I’ll dry you off—”

“The guardian deity told me to..!”

As his body shimmered, he transformed from a small squirrel into a cute little boy with brown hair wearing suspenders.

A large tail was also seen moving behind him.

The transformed Tori, though not very tall, still had bright and lively eyes.

“I need to be taller to dry you off better..!”

While Tori dried Yoonhwa with the towel, she felt grateful.

Tori’s thoughtful actions warmed her heart, and his clumsy touch appeared adorably endearing.

However, when Tori tried to dry a particular spot, Yoonhwa suddenly felt a ticklish sensation.

At first, she managed to suppress it, but as Tori continued to try and dry that area, her face began to turn red.

“Wait- just a moment!..!”

Yoonhwa’s voice trembled, and her hand blocked Tori’s.

While Tori wondered what was going on, Yoonhwa quickly snatched the towel from the water.

“I’ll dry it off myself…!”

Yoonhwa’s voice was small and shaky, and her face was filled with shyness.

Though Tori was taken aback, he respected her request and stepped back.

“Huh? Okay!”

Tori silently observed her awkward movements and shy voice.

His eyes were filled with curiosity.

He returned to his original form as a squirrel and posed a question to Yoonhwa.

“Fox! Why are you so fixated on your human form?”

“You can just go back to your real form and dry off!”

“If you go back to being a fox, your body will be so much lighter.”

Tori’s voice was filled with pure curiosity, but Yoonhwa’s face was etched with complex emotions.

In her deep gaze, her turmoil was evident.

“Tori, I… I don’t really like my fox form…”

While drying herself with the towel, a hint of pain appeared in Yoonhwa’s eyes.

Her movements were cautious, and her heart was troubled.

Tori didn’t miss the shadow that flickered across Yoonhwa’s face.

“Fox, what’s wrong? Is there something sad…?”

Yoonhwa fell silent for a moment, pondering Tori’s deeply concerned question.

Her hands paused briefly, and she seemed to gaze far away.

However, she soon forced a smile and turned to Tori.

“No, it’s nothing, Tori. Don’t worry…”

Yoonhwa spoke.

Her voice tried hard to sound lighthearted, but the weight of hidden sorrow couldn’t be completely concealed.

Despite Yoonhwa’s forced smile and trembling voice, Tori accepted her words without hesitation.

His pure heart earnestly wanted to believe that everything was fine and okay.

“Really? Got it, fox!”

“Then let’s dry off quickly and go!”

With a playful voice, Tori ran around the area.

On the other hand, Yoonhwa chuckled as she watched Tori’s antics.

Her heart remained tangled, yet Tori’s innocence and vitality provided her with some comfort.

She slowly dried off the remaining water from her body with the towel.

Her touch was delicate and cautious, and her beautiful nine tails gradually regained their fluffy appearance as they dried off.

Yoonhwa picked up her underwear and slowly put it on.

As she dressed, she paused to reflect for a moment.

Tori’s question had touched on scars hidden deep within her heart, but she was learning to live with those scars now.

Next, Yoonhwa took out the sportswear that Hyun had given her and began to put it on.

The sportswear consisted of a pink t-shirt and comfortable pants, a thoughtful gift from Hyun.

While putting on the clothes, she recalled the moments spent with Hyun.

The memories with Hyun were treasured gems in her heart.

The t-shirt and pants were spacious, providing her with comfort.

Yoonhwa smiled as she looked at Hyun’s gift for a moment.

Her heart felt a little lighter.

Once Yoonhwa was dressed, she briefly glanced at her reflection in the water.

She was now fully ready to return.

Tori, waiting for Yoonhwa to finish checking her appearance, shouted with vibrant energy.

“Come on, fox!”

“It’s time to go back to the guardian deity!”

With a fluttering heart, he began to leap along the path through the forest.

His little squirrel body moved nimbly, deftly avoiding leaves and branches.

Yoonhwa watched Tori as he moved ahead, and a warm smile spread across her face.

Infected by Tori’s enthusiasm and purity, she momentarily forgot all her worries and immersed herself in the joy of the moment.

Yoonhwa quickened her pace to follow Tori.

Her movements became swift and light as she navigated the forest.

Especially, her beautiful nine tails swayed gently, following her movements.

The scenery of the forest changed rapidly.

Everywhere they passed, the forest was filled with diverse life, and the chirping of birds mixed with the sounds of small animals filled the air.

Moonlight shone through the leaves, creating tiny points of light on the path, while the breeze gently rustled the leaves, providing them with coolness.

Tori would occasionally look back to make sure Yoonhwa was following him.

His little eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation.

Yoonhwa followed Tori, and within her, a sense of tranquility took hold.

In this moment, she set aside the pain of the past and focused on the significance of the present.