Living Dangerously with a 999-Year-Old Gumiho – Chapter 31

Yoonhwa seemed to have a bright idea at Kangtae’s worried expression.

“Wait a second!”

She said and quickly dashed outside, tucking in her tail and ears.

Yoonhwa headed somewhere and disappeared in an instant, crossing the forest under the moonlight.

Kangtae couldn’t conceal his confusion as he watched Yoonhwa vanish so quickly.

His heart was filled with both worry and trust in Yoonhwa at the same time.

‘Where could she be going like that?’

Kangtae briefly fell into contemplation, but steadied his heart with the belief that Yoonhwa would keep her promise.

At that moment, Yoonhwa reappeared with a lively expression.

“I got all the permission! We can go play with Choco!!”

Kangtae felt relieved seeing Yoonhwa’s bright face and was happy that the two of them could be with Choco.

“Really? That’s amazing, Yoonhwa. Thank you so much…”

Yoonhwa’s gaze sparkled with satisfaction for doing something for Kangtae and Choco.

“Then let’s go have a great time together with Choco!”

The two—no, the three—opened the door and went outside.

Yoonhwa planned to carry Choco while holding Kangtae’s hand and quickly dash off, but in an instant, she realized that her superhuman speed would likely leave Kangtae behind.

She pondered another way to ensure Kangtae’s safety.

“Hang on… If I do this, Kangtae, you might pull a muscle!”

Yoonhwa smiled at Kangtae and suggested, “I think it would be better for me to carry you again.”

This time, Kangtae wasn’t flustered and agreed to Yoonhwa’s suggestion.

Yoonhwa carefully picked Kangtae up while cradling Choco in his arms, making their way towards the inn across the forest.

Since she had her tail and ears tucked in, she looked completely human.

Yoonhwa’s steps were light and fast, brushing through the leaves and branches of the forest with each step.

The night air was refreshing on Yoonhwa and Kangtae’s faces, and the moonlight illuminated their path.

Yoonhwa seemed to be familiar with the forest routes, skillfully dodging obstacles as she advanced.

Her movements were incredibly swift and precise, and Kangtae felt the world whizzing by while on her back, marveling at Yoonhwa’s capabilities.

After exiting the market street, Yoonhwa led them along the village’s quiet roads towards the inn.

Her steps were almost soundless as she dashed over the cobblestones.

In the moonlight, Yoonhwa’s shadow elongated, inducing an illusion as if she were moving at the speed of light.

Upon reaching the inn, Yoonhwa paused for a moment to catch her breath and carefully set Kangtae and Choco down.

She smiled at Kangtae and said, “We made it!”

Her voice still had a hint of drunkenness from earlier, but her eyes were resolute and determined.

Kangtae was impressed by Yoonhwa’s abilities and expressed his gratitude.

“Wow! That was seriously fast.”

“Thanks to you, I was able to go and come back quickly! Should we head upstairs now?”

“I’m going to surprise Seojin with Choco!”

Yoonhwa chuckled at Kangtae’s suggestion and agreed.

“Hehe… I’m curious to see Seojin’s reaction!”

They carefully ascended the inn’s staircase with Choco in tow.

As they climbed, Yoonhwa still swayed slightly due to the lingering effects of the alcohol, yet found her balance with Kangtae’s support.

Walking through the inn’s hallway, Kangtae delighted in imagining Seojin’s reaction when she met Choco.

Yoonhwa walked next to Kangtae, bursting into laughter with anticipation for the upcoming scene.

When they arrived at their room, Yoonhwa cautiously opened the door and stepped inside.

Seojin, startled by their entrance, turned around, and her eyes widened in surprise upon seeing Choco.

“What’s this?! Kangtae, how did you get a puppy…?!”

Yoonhwa laughed heartily at Seojin’s astonished expression.

“Seojin~ It’s been a while!”

Choco wagged its tail and barked in front of Seojin, who appeared flustered.

“Can you even bring a puppy into the inn?!”

Yoonhwa and Kangtae exchanged amused glances.

“I asked the owner. Since there aren’t any guests, she said it was fine!”

Seojin nodded and gazed at Choco.

“Still, to bring Choco all the way here… Wow… impressive.”

Kangtae pulled out some treats for Choco and said, “Choco’s going to enjoy spending time with us.”

Hyun slowly woke up from a gentle sleep.

Contrary to the silence in the room, his eyes shot open at the sudden barking.

Drowsily blinking, he scanned for the source of the noise.

Kangtae, Yoonhwa, and Seojin were taken aback as they noticed Hyun was awake.

Choco continued barking at Hyun, whose expression was filled with surprise.

“W-What’s going on? Why is Choco here?!”

Hyun’s voice emerged hoarsely, as if he had just woken up.

Yoonhwa hurriedly tried to explain the situation.

“I brought him because Kangtae was worried!”

Kangtae felt a bit guilty seeing Hyun’s surprised face and said apologetically, “Um… I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Seojin attempted to brush it off lightly.

“Hyun, you like puppies too, right? You should be happy to meet Choco!”

Even after waking up, Hyun’s heart slowly began to melt at Choco’s adorable appearance.

He smiled and added to lighten the mood, “Alright, it’s nice to have Choco around.”

While looking around the room, Hyun spotted the bottles of alcohol on the table.

Seojin had come back with more while Kangtae and Yoonhwa stepped out and had a few drinks alone.

Hyun exclaimed in astonishment, “What’s this? Did you drink more while I was sleeping?”

Seojin replied with a flustered expression, “They covered me with the tail blanket, and I had a few more bottles…”

“I couldn’t help it…?”

Yoonhwa giggled as she looked at Seojin.

“Seojin, you really don’t get drunk easily?”

Kangtae approached Seojin playfully, saying, “You really are a booze monster…”

Hyun wore a worried expression regarding Seojin’s drinking habits.

“Seriously, Seojin, you can’t be drinking too much. It’s bad for your health.”

Seojin chuckled and responded to his friends’ concern.

“Sigh, you guys are such naggers—”

“I got it… I’ll stop now…”

They all looked at each other and laughed, and Choco wagged its tail at their sides, joining the cheerful atmosphere.

The warm camaraderie filled the room as the friends gathered around, teasing Seojin about his drunken antics and having a great time.

“I… really am not drunk… right…?”

Seojin said with a confused expression.

The friends chuckled at Seojin’s question.

“Seojin, your face looks like a tomato!”

Yoonhwa laughed.

“I’m telling you, I’m not drunk!”

Seojin protested playfully, poking Kangtae beside him.

Kangtae laughed in surprise at Seojin’s antics.

Hyun chimed in with a mischievous voice, “Seojin’s gotten violent from drinking!”

“Yoonhwa, watch closely—this is Seojin’s drinking habit!”

Seojin, caught off guard by his friends’ jokes, stuttered, “Seriously, I’m not drunk…?!”

Choco ran around the room, wagging its tail, taking part in the cheerful ambiance.

Their laughter resonated throughout the inn’s hallway, providing a healing moment that made them forget all worries and stress.

Yoonhwa opened a basket, pulling out some fruit and proposed, “Alright, let’s have a fruit party instead of drinks!”

“It’ll be healthy and tasty!”

The friends enjoyed their time, munching on fruits and drinks.

Kangtae burst out laughing at Seojin’s playful behavior.

“Hey, Seojin, why do you keep hitting me? That’s too much~”

Seojin, still a bit tipsy, replied with a satisfied smile, “This is just an expression of friendship…”

As they were laughing and chatting, suddenly, a bell rang through the entire room.

Dingdong~!

With the sound of the bell, the atmosphere in the room went silent in an instant.

The friends exchanged glances with tense looks, gauging one another’s reactions.

As Yoonhwa slowly approached the door, Kangtae and Seojin exchanged worried glances, wondering if they had done something wrong.

Hyun quietly clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Could it be the innkeeper…?”

Kangtae asked in a low voice.

Seojin looked concerned.

“I think we might’ve been too noisy…!”

Yoonhwa reached the door, hesitated for a moment but took a deep breath and turned the doorknob slowly.

Dingdong~!

Her gaze mixed with curiosity and slight concern reflected in the dim light.

All eyes in the room focused on Yoonhwa.

With the friends holding their breath, they awaited the moment she would open the door.

When Yoonhwa tucked in her tail and ears, carefully opening the door, it wasn’t the innkeeper as they expected, but rather two children standing there.

One was a girl holding her younger brother’s hand tightly.

The younger brother timidly hid behind his sister, looking up at Yoonhwa with a cautious gaze.

The girl appeared notably brave but had a hint of anxiety in her eyes.

Though their clothes were worn-out and tattered, they were neatly arranged, and the boy stood in a similar state.

Yoonhwa looked down at the kids with a surprised expression and gently asked, “Why are you here, little ones?”

The girl hesitated before cautiously speaking up, “We… can’t go home…”

“Can we rest here for a bit?”

The child’s voice quivered, and the younger boy gripped his sister’s clothing tightly, leaning closer to her.

Kangtae and Hyun moved closer to the door upon seeing this scene.

The friends were filled with confusion and sympathy in front of the kids.

Hyun smiled warmly at them, saying, “Don’t worry. You can rest here. We’ll help you.”

Gratitude and relief sparkled in the children’s eyes as the girl cautiously stepped inside, bowing her head.

“Thank you so much…”

The friends welcomed the children into the room and quietly sat down to listen to their stories.

Seojin, noticing the children entering, carefully shifted his position to hide his tail.

Seojin instinctively moved to a corner of the room, ensuring the kids wouldn’t notice his tail.

His actions were unconscious.

He cautiously settled into position, using the moment when the kids weren’t paying attention to conceal his tail.

Yoonhwa, seeing Seojin’s worried demeanor, felt a desire to help. After a moment of thought, an idea struck her.

“Seojin, there should be a way to hide your tail. Just a sec…”

Yoonhwa looked around and found a large blanket in the room.

She brought it over to Seojin and said, “Wrap this around your waist. It’ll look like a fashion statement.”

“You can hide your tail under the blanket.”

Seojin looked relieved and said, “Wow! Thanks, Yoonhwa!”

He wrapped the blanket around his waist and smiled contentedly upon seeing his reflection.

The blanket was big enough to completely conceal his tail, its color and patterns matching the room’s ambiance perfectly.

The friends seated the children on the sofa.

The kids cautiously scanned the surroundings as they settled down.

Yoonhwa brought the children some water and snacks, while Kangtae adjusted the pillows to make them comfortable.

Seojin smiled at the kids as well.

The room was filled with the scent of alcohol, but the children refrained from mentioning it.

Still, Kangtae expressed his regret.

“Sorry if it smells like alcohol…”

The children sat quietly, appearing to fit well into the room’s atmosphere. However, their eyes seemed to hide something, which the friends didn’t easily detect.

In the exchanged glances between the children, while grasping each other’s hands tightly, a deep secret lay hidden.

While speaking, their voices were oddly monotone, revealing almost no fluctuation of emotions.

Noticing something strange, Yoonhwa approached the kids and gently asked, “Are you… really okay?”

The children exchanged looks for a moment before nodding in unison. Their responses were extremely mechanical, generating further suspicion in Yoonhwa’s mind.

She felt a familiar yet threatening sensation emanating from the children.

It resembled the energy of the man who had attacked her that morning.

The moment she sensed that energy, a watchful light flickered within her.

Carefully moving closer to the children, she sought the truth hidden within their eyes.

“What’s the real reason you came here?”

Yoonhwa’s voice was soft, yet filled with determination stronger than anyone else’s.

The children hesitated momentarily, their exchanged glances growing increasingly cautious.

But they still remained silent, simply clutching each other’s hands tighter, appearing frightened.

The friends were taken aback by Yoonhwa’s sudden shift and the kids’ strange behavior.

They exchanged glances, struggling to comprehend what was unfolding.

“Yoonhwa, what’s wrong?”

“You seem a bit drunk…”

Kangtae asked cautiously.

Yoonhwa looked at Kangtae and tried to explain the unease bubbling within her.

“I’m not drunk… I’m fine.”

“I’m not entirely sure…”

“But I feel… a similar energy in these kids as the man who attacked me this morning…”

The moment those words left her mouth, an atmosphere of tension enveloped the room. Everyone was gripped with an unfathomable fear.

The children continued to gaze wordlessly at their friends, their eyes concealing unspeakable secrets.

Tears streamed down the children’s faces, holding profound sadness and despair that words could not express.

They clung tightly to each other’s hands, bearing their own painful secret.

Yoonhwa’s heart ached at the sight of the children’s tears. She wanted to say something, but their sorrowful eyes silenced her.

Kneeling to match their height, Yoonhwa gently wrapped their hands in hers.

“I don’t know what happened to you, but—”

“We want to help you.”

The friends gathered around Yoonhwa. Worry and compassion were evident on their faces.

They embraced the kids, aiming to provide comfort and solace.

“Don’t worry, you’re safe here.”

“We’ll protect you.”