Living Dangerously with a 999-Year-Old Gumiho – Chapter 30

Kangtae was still having a good time with Yoonhwa even after losing the arm wrestling match, but part of his heart was worried about Choco, the dog at home.

He kept chatting with his friends while downing a few more drinks, then suddenly stood up and said.

“Wait a minute, I’m worried about Choco at home…”

“You haven’t been back for two days already…”

Seojin looked at Kangtae in surprise at what he said.

Seojin spoke up with a concerned voice.

“Really? You can’t leave him alone, can you?”

“He needs to be fed, at least.”

Yoonhwa empathized with Kangtae’s worry but was curious about the ‘Choco’ he mentioned. In a somewhat puzzled tone, she asked.

“Kangtae, what’s Choco?”

“Not chocolate…?”

“Then… why are you worried about it?”

Kangtae paused for a moment at Yoonhwa’s question and replied with a smile.

“No, Choco is the name of my dog~.”

“Right now… he’s home alone.”

Yoonhwa’s eyes sparkled with pure curiosity as she listened to Kangtae’s explanation.

“A dog? What’s that?”

Kangtae and Seojin exchanged glances for a moment at Yoonhwa’s reaction.

They realized that Yoonhwa still didn’t know a lot about the human world.

“A dog is a small, cute animal that people keep.”

“Those animals bring us great joy.”

“Choco is very precious to me.”

Kangtae kindly explained.

Yoonhwa nodded at Kangtae’s words, as if to show she understood.

“Aha, I get it.”

“So, dogs are like… friends to humans.”

“Choco must be an important friend to you…”

Kangtae spoke in a concerned tone.

“But what if he can’t even eat… what should I do?”

As Kangtae expressed his worries about Choco, the atmosphere grew a bit heavier.

Seojin sympathized with Kangtae’s concern and said.

“If you’re really worried,”

“Maybe it’s not a bad idea to go home first.”

Yoonhwa’s eyes sparkled as if she had thought of something while listening to Kangtae and Seojin’s conversation.

“Wait a minute..! I have a good idea too…!”

Everyone turned to look at Yoonhwa.

Yoonhwa said confidently.

“I’ll quickly go feed Choco and come back!”

“I can get there fast, so don’t worry…”

Kangtae was surprised by Yoonhwa’s suggestion but felt grateful.

“Really? Is that possible, Yoonhwa?”

Yoonhwa replied with a voice full of confidence.

“Of course! I can run there quickly… so don’t worry~.”

Just as Yoonhwa was about to get up, Kangtae suddenly spoke up.

“Wait, Yoonhwa! Do you know where my house is…?”

Yoonhwa stopped and tilted her head.

“No… I didn’t know that..!”

Kangtae chuckled as he replied.

“And you should know what Choco eats too.”

Yoonhwa seemed to ponder over Kangtae’s words for a moment.

“Um… then shall we go together~??!”

Seojin giggled and threw in a joke.

“Oh ho, somehow this feels like a date~?”

“Kangtae, you and Yoonhwa are going for a nighttime stroll~?”

Yoonhwa looked puzzled at Seojin’s joke.

“Date? What’s that???”

Kangtae blushed and panicked at Seojin’s comment.

“Oh, that… umm, it’s just a silly joke friends make. Don’t mind it…”

Yoonhwa giggled upon seeing Kangtae’s flushed face.

“Haha, Kangtae, what’s up? Why’s your face so red?”

Kangtae grew even more flustered and stammered.

“Ah, it’s nothing… just… kinda hot…!!.”

Seojin laughed even harder at Kangtae’s reaction.

“Ah, haha… just kidding!”

Yoonhwa still didn’t fully catch the meaning of the word ‘date,’ but she hurriedly urged them to start.

“Anyway, let’s go now! Choco will be waiting!”

The two walked out of the inn with light steps, and Kangtae found himself smiling unconsciously at Yoonhwa’s words.

Once outside, Yoonhwa and Kangtae faced the dark night. The streetlights cast a dim light on the ground, extending their shadows long. Yoonhwa stood confidently amidst the darkness, but Kangtae looked around nervously.

Suddenly, Yoonhwa stopped and looked at Kangtae.

“Wait a minute, Kangtae. I need an orb to run fast…”

She reached for the necklace hanging around Kangtae’s neck.

However, her drunken hands lacked strength, and the necklace was easily tugged off and ended up in her hands.

Kangtae looked at Yoonhwa with a shocked expression.

“Yoonhwa, be careful!..”

As the necklace broke from Kangtae’s neck, both of them paused for a moment.

As the necklace hit the ground, the fox orb fell out of his pocket.

Yoonhwa stood still for a moment, gazing at the broken necklace and the orb.

“Ah man, I’m sorry, Kangtae. The necklace…”

Kangtae smiled and reassured her.

“It’s okay, Yoonhwa. Eunho gave it to you…”

She held the orb in her hand for a moment, then looked at Kangtae and smiled.

“I’ll try to control my powers better~!”

She brought the orb to her mouth and took a deep breath.

In an instant, a mysterious light began to seep from the orb into Yoonhwa’s body. A faint glow spread around her, enveloping her body with a light energy.

Kangtae watched Yoonhwa in surprise at her actions.

“Uh-um… It’s still amazing to see…!”

“Yeah! I feel like my body has become much lighter!”

“I can go see Choco quickly now.”

After thinking for a moment, Yoonhwa looked at Kangtae and suggested.

“Kangtae, how about I carry you…?”

Kangtae hesitated at first, but he knew he couldn’t keep up with Yoonhwa’s speed.

He looked at Yoonhwa with a slightly surprised expression.

“Really? Are you sure?”

Yoonhwa confidently nodded.

“Of course! Ahaha! Did you forget? I’m strong..?!..”

Before carrying Kangtae, she checked her ears and tail.

She focused for a moment and used magic to hide her ears and tail from everyone’s sight.

She turned her back to Kangtae and slightly bent down. Kangtae hesitated for a moment, then carefully got on Yoonhwa’s back.

Yoonhwa held Kangtae tight, adjusting her strength, and began to run swiftly.

Kangtae felt flustered being carried by Yoonhwa, unsure where to put his hands.

He cautiously placed a hand on Yoonhwa’s shoulder, but couldn’t hide his awkwardness.

“Is… this okay…?”

Yoonhwa spoke to ease his worries.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine this way!”

Yoonhwa reached the bridge that connected the two towns at an incredible speed.

As Yoonhwa and Kangtae crossed the bridge, the pounding of her footsteps echoed, shaking the bridge.

The old wooden planks creaked from Yoonhwa’s speed and Kangtae’s weight, occasionally sounding precarious.

But fueled by the alcohol, Yoonhwa kept running without a hint of anxiety.

After crossing the bridge, she realized she needed Kangtae’s guidance on the way to his house, so she asked him where to go.

“Where should we go from here? Kangtae, hurry up and tell me!”

Overwhelmed by the speed, Kangtae pointed ahead from Yoonhwa’s back.

“There! We need to turn left! And it’s the second house, the one next to the big oak tree!”

Yoonhwa followed Kangtae’s directions and sped up towards his house.

Their swift movement shattered the calmness of the night, their shadows stretching long under the moonlight as they dashed through the darkness.

Some townsfolk couldn’t help but whisper among themselves in amazement at this new sight.

“What is that? A ghost…?”

But Yoonhwa ignored the reactions around her and ran towards Kangtae’s house, where Choco was waiting.

Following Kangtae’s guidance, Yoonhwa arrived in front of his house, located next to the big oak tree.

However, under the influence of alcohol and her excessive speed, Yoonhwa couldn’t stop.

“St-Stop…!!”

Despite Kangtae’s shouts for her to stop, Yoonhwa rushed towards the front door of his house, and Kangtae quickly crouched down.

Boom!!

Yoonhwa’s feet didn’t stop for a moment, and she crashed forcefully into the house’s wall.

After hitting the wall of Kangtae’s house, Yoonhwa hurriedly put him down, worried about his safety.

“Kangtae, are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

Kangtae’s face turned slightly pale, but seeing Yoonhwa’s worried eyes, he smiled.

“Yeah, I’m okay, Yoonhwa. You protected me, so I didn’t get hurt badly…”

Yoonhwa sighed in relief and looked at Kangtae’s house again. Seeing the wall broken, she decided to fix it with magic.

“I’m really sorry..! I guess I ran too hard. I’ll fix this.”

Yoonhwa sat down on the floor, closed her eyes, and focused. Beautiful light gathered, and the broken wall gradually began to restore itself to its original state.

Kangtae watched Yoonhwa in admiration as she showcased her powers.

“Whoa… that’s amazing..!!”

Yoonhwa checked the restored wall and smiled contentedly.

“All done. Let’s go in!”

After the wall was restored, Yoonhwa and Kangtae carefully entered the house. Inside, warm light filled the space, and baskets overflowed with various fruits.

Yoonhwa gulped as she looked at the fruits.

“Wow, this looks so… delicious…!”

Kangtae smiled at her and said.

“I’ll save some for you later! But for now, let’s go inside.”

As Yoonhwa and Kangtae stepped into the interior room, a small, adorable puppy ran up to them barking.

The puppy had fluffy fur and sparkling eyes, looking like a small wolf.

Under the influence of the alcohol, Yoonhwa remarked absentmindedly upon seeing the puppy.

“Wow… it looks delicious…”

Kangtae froze for a moment at Yoonhwa’s words but burst out laughing, knowing she was too drunk to realize.

“Yoonhwa, this is our dog, Choco. Not something to eat!”

Yoonhwa snapped back to reality after Kangtae’s comment and looked back at the puppy. Choco wagged its tail, running between Yoonhwa and Kangtae.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Choco…!!”

“Oh… I just blurted that out… You’re so cute!”

Yoonhwa asked Kangtae if she could hold Choco for a moment.

When Kangtae handed Choco to Yoonhwa, the puppy seemed to find comfort in her arms, licking her affectionately.

As the alcohol’s effects started to wear off, Yoonhwa melted at Choco’s warmth and innocence. She carefully returned Choco to Kangtae and said.

“Choco, I’m really sorry! Please be my friend too!”

Kangtae smiled warmly at the touching interaction between Yoonhwa and Choco.

“Looks like you two get along well, Yoonhwa. Choco seems to like you a lot.”

Yoonhwa felt her heartwarming as she watched the warm exchange between Kangtae and Choco. She pulled out a chocolate from her pocket and said to Kangtae.

“Kangtae, look! I love this, doesn’t Choco like it too?”

“Since his name is Choco, he should love chocolate, right?!”

Unaware of the dangers of chocolate, Yoonhwa tried to hand some to Choco.

Kangtae hurriedly grabbed her hand in alarm.

“Wait, Yoonhwa! Dogs can’t eat chocolate.”

“Chocolate is really dangerous for dogs.”

Yoonhwa paused, surprised at Kangtae’s words.

“Really? I didn’t know… I’m so sorry, Choco.”

Yoonhwa carefully approached Choco and expressed her affection while putting the chocolate back into her pocket.

“Oh no… I keep trying to put you in danger…!”

Kangtae smiled at Yoonhwa’s heartfelt apology and comforted her.

“It’s okay, Yoonhwa. You didn’t know.”

“What matters is your heart.”

Yoonhwa felt relieved by Kangtae’s words and made an effort to get closer to Choco.

She gently spoke to Choco, petting its fur.

“Wow.. your fur is really soft!”

“Do you want to touch my tail?”

Yoonhwa revealed her tail in front of Choco.

Kangtae watched as Yoonhwa and Choco became friends with a fond smile.

He briefly stepped away to fetch some dog treats.

“Hold on a sec, Yoonhwa. I’ll get some treats for Choco.”

While Kangtae was looking for treats, Yoonhwa had a fun time playing with Choco.

Yoonhwa showcased her tail, and Choco curiously looked at it.

“Choco, look! How’s my tail?”

Yoonhwa gently waved her tail to catch Choco’s attention. Choco carefully approached and sniffed her tail.

Then it started licking her tail.

“Haha, that’s ticklish!”

Yoonhwa burst into laughter at Choco’s affectionate antics.

She played with her tail, having a delightful time with Choco.

When Kangtae returned with the treats, he felt joy seeing Yoonhwa and Choco having fun together.

“Here, Choco’s treats are ready.”

Kangtae handed the treat he brought for Choco to Yoonhwa.

“Yoonhwa, this is a treat for Choco. Want to feed it?”

Yoonhwa looked at the treat with curiosity. It was small and round, slightly crispy on the outside, and seemed soft inside.

Yoonhwa held the dog treat, looking at Choco.

She placed the treat on her palm and softly said to Choco.

“Choco, here’s a delicious treat. Try it!”

Choco perked its ears up and sparkled with excitement as it approached the treat.

It carefully took the treat from Yoonhwa’s palm and started munching on it.

Yoonhwa smiled warmly at the sight of Choco eating. After finishing the treat, Choco licked Yoonhwa’s hand in appreciation.

“Choco really eats it well…!!”

Yoonhwa felt her heart melting at Choco’s warm reaction. She gently patted Choco’s head, wanting to bond more.

“Wow, Choco really seems to like it!”

Watching Choco’s reaction, Yoonhwa got a sudden urge to try one herself. She cautiously picked up a piece of the treat and said.

“Oh oh… can I have a try too…?”

Yoonhwa bit into the treat. At first, she felt a crispy texture, but then the soft filling melted in her mouth.

However, unlike human snacks, the dog treat didn’t taste that great.

“Um… this is a bit… unique in flavor…”

Yoonhwa made a somewhat awkward face and returned the rest of the treat to Choco.

“Choco, you finish it. This one’s taste… isn’t for me…”

Kangtae burst into laughter as he watched Yoonhwa tasting the dog treat.

“Haha, Yoonhwa, that’s not for humans. Let’s leave it for Choco.”

Yoonhwa nodded at Kangtae’s words, giggling.

“Got it, since it seems Choco likes it more!”

They enjoyed a happy time together watching Choco savor the treat.

Kangtae had a wonderful time making memories with Yoonhwa and Choco. However, he suddenly remembered that Seojin was waiting at the inn, realizing it was time to head back.

“Yoonhwa, Seojin is probably waiting, so let’s go back.”

Yoonhwa nodded in agreement to Kangtae’s words.

“Yeah, I don’t want Seojin to worry. Let’s go!”

Kangtae decided to pick some fruits for them to eat on the way back.

He carefully selected only the freshest fruits and packed them in a basket.

“Here, Yoonhwa. These are fruits to eat on the way back. They’re all fresh, so enjoy.”

Yoonhwa’s eyes sparkled with joy as she looked at the fruits Kangtae had gathered.

“Wow, thank you, Kangtae..! They look really delicious!”

After a moment of thought, Yoonhwa added.

“Um… I wish Choco could join us at the inn too…”

“Can’t we take him…?”

Kangtae replied.

“Well… I’m not sure if they allow dogs in the inn…”

“It might be a no-go, right?”