Living Dangerously with a 999-Year-Old Gumiho – Chapter 6

Yoonhwa and Hyun agreed to prepare for the next day’s performance and went to bed together as night fell.

Though Hyun’s house was small, Yoonhwa found comfort within it.

Hyun lay down on a blanket set up in one corner of the small room, and Yoonhwa took her place beside him.

“Can we really sleep here, Yoonhwa?”

Yoonhwa smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, it’s cozy! Don’t worry.”

In his pajamas, Hyun asked Yoonhwa, “Hmm… by the way, you need to buy me some clothes tomorrow since you’re making money.”

Yoonhwa nodded and laughed.

They exchanged smiles for a moment, but soon Yoonhwa’s expression changed.

Even though she had devoured a mountain of fried food worth one hundred thousand won, she suddenly felt hungry again.

“Hyun, do you have any snacks or something?”

Hyun pulled out a small piece of chocolate from his pajama pocket and handed it to Yoonhwa.

“Just eat this.”

Yoonhwa gratefully accepted the chocolate.

“Thanks, Hyun~!”

Carefully, Yoonhwa took the chocolate, popped it into her mouth, and a sweet, smooth flavor spread across her palate—something she hadn’t tasted in the forest.

Yoonhwa closed her eyes to savor the taste.

“So this is chocolate…”

Yoonhwa murmured to herself.

Hyun chuckled, watching her and said, “The chocolate is in the fridge.”

“You can take it out whenever you want.”

“Wow… this is so delicious… Thank you!!”

Soon, they chatted and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Hyun wanted to learn more about how Yoonhwa lived in the forest and her magic, but he decided to save that conversation for the next day.

As night deepened, only the peaceful sounds of animal calls drifted in from outside.

Inside the quiet house, only their breathing could be heard.

After a while, Yoonhwa noticed Hyun had fallen into a deep sleep and carefully got up to explore the small house.

As the night’s stillness grew deeper, Hyun’s little house filled with a warm, peaceful atmosphere.

After confirming that Hyun was deeply asleep, Yoonhwa cautiously pulled back the blanket and stood up.

Though Hyun’s house wasn’t large, to Yoonhwa, it felt like a new world.

First, Yoonhwa opened the small fridge as Hyun had shown her.

Her eyes fixated on the chocolates wrapped in plastic inside the fridge.

‘What if I’m being a burden to Hyun…?’ she thought, but felt she wouldn’t be able to sleep without having something to eat right now.

Yoonhwa finished off all the chocolates in the fridge and returned happily to the warmth of the blanket.

Listening to Hyun’s even breathing, Yoonhwa began to reflect.

Living here and spending time with Hyun felt incredibly good.

It seemed like she could be truly happy living like a human.

Unlike her life in the forest, every day here was filled with new discoveries and experiences.

Slowly, Yoonhwa closed her eyes beside Hyun.

Her dreams were as sweet and cozy as the taste of chocolate.

Yoonhwa wanted to cherish this time spent with Hyun forever.

Then the next day arrived.

The morning air was chilly, and Hyun woke up at seven to make breakfast for Yoonhwa.

“There have been so many events in just two days…”

“Yesterday, I found out Yoonhwa is a nine-tailed fox…”

“And today, there’s the fox’s magic along with… a cello performance…”

Hyun murmured to himself while preparing breakfast as usual.

He skillfully moved around the kitchen, preparing a simple yet heartfelt morning meal.

He took out some kimchi from the fridge and placed it on the dining table.

The seaweed was lightly grilled to bring out its crispness, and the stir-fried anchovies were still in the pan from before Yoonhwa arrived.

Preparing a simple yet delicious meal was a familiar routine for Hyun.

Even so, Yoonhwa’s presence had multiplied the cost of food two or threefold, perhaps even more.

“Looks like we’re out of rice…”

Hyun looked at the rice bag, which only had one serving left.

He quickly changed clothes and, as he prepared to go out, glanced at Yoonhwa.

Yoonhwa was comfortably lying in the middle of the room, sound asleep.

Her pink hair flowed softly across the floor, resembling gentle waves.

Her face was filled with comfort and happiness, with an unidentifiable something smeared across her lips.

Yoonhwa’s ears twitched occasionally, as if responding to something, and her tail curled slightly to one side.

The tip of her tail moved gently, reflecting how peacefully the sleeping fox’s heart was.

From time to time, loud snoring could be heard, accompanied by some sleep talking.

“Hmm…”

Yoonhwa was so deep in her sleep that she wouldn’t have noticed if someone carried her away.

Her appearance made everyone who saw her smile.

Hyun looked at her and quietly burst into laughter.

Yoonhwa’s sleeping face was so peaceful and beautiful that he could momentarily forget all his worries.

Hyun quietly grabbed the blanket Yoonhwa had kicked away with her foot and tucked her back in before leaving the house.

“I really hate to keep Yoonhwa waiting on an empty stomach when she wakes up.”

With that thought, Hyun hurriedly headed to the nearby market.

His wallet felt light for buying a bag of rice, but there was no way he could only give Yoonhwa one serving.

Despite the early hour, the market was bustling with life.

Vendors displayed their products, enticing customers, while Hyun skillfully navigated through the crowd.

Hyun headed to the store that sold the cheapest rice, where he always bought his rice.

“What brings you here so early to buy rice?”

The shopkeeper asked, looking puzzled.

Hyun hurriedly smiled and replied, “I’ve got a friend who eats a lot!”

The shopkeeper handed over a small bag of rice that Hyun usually bought.

“Ahh… that’s the age when you eat a lot!”

“A boy needs to eat well to grow big.”

‘Not a boy, but…’

‘Is that how he got so big, by eating a lot?’

Hyun forced a smile and responded.

“Yeah, thank you!”

Finally purchasing the small bag of rice, he rushed home.

In a corner of his mind, excitement blossomed over being able to prepare a good breakfast for Yoonhwa.

When he arrived home, Hyun carefully opened the door and slowly stepped inside.

Yoonhwa was still peacefully asleep.

Hyun carefully rinsed the rice and placed it in a pot with water to cook.

As time passed, the rice cooked, and he dished it out into bowls.

He filled three bowls with rice, placing two of them on the table for Yoonhwa and the other one at his own spot to prepare breakfast.

On the table were white rice, seaweed, stir-fried anchovies, and kimchi.

Although all the food was simple, he hoped Yoonhwa would enjoy the lovingly prepared breakfast.

By the time the rice was ready and the outside grew noisy a little past eight, Hyun gently and quietly woke Yoonhwa.

“Yoonhwa, wake up, it’s time for breakfast!”

Yoonhwa was deeply snoring.

When Hyun carefully shook her shoulder, she grumbled in displeasure, rubbing her eyes as she woke.

“Ugh… just a little longer…”

Yoonhwa’s voice was thick with sleep as her eyes remained half-closed.

Hyun nudged her once more.

“Wake up, it’s already eight!”

As soon as Yoonhwa opened her eyes, she attempted to fix her tousled hair clumsily.

Yoonhwa’s pink hair was tangled and knotted, and even in her sleepy state, her ears and tail twitched reflexively.

“Hyun… Is it breakfast…?”

Yoonhwa asked, looking around with sleepy eyes.

Her gaze seemed to be trapped in the world of dreams.

As Hyun showed her the prepared breakfast, Yoonhwa’s expression gradually brightened.

“Wow… so much… really?!”

“First, let me hit the bathroom…”

Yoonhwa quickly shuffled off to the bathroom while still half-asleep.

Hyun took a refreshing glass of water from the fridge and set it on the table.

Yoonhwa returned from the bathroom and took a seat.

As she stretched and yawned, she looked like a forest fairy who had just awakened from a long night’s dream.

Her tail swayed, reflecting Yoonhwa’s mood, while her ears also perked up, revealing her state.

With a happy smile, Yoonhwa picked up her spoon and said, “I’m going to eat well, Hyun~!!”

Hyun simply smiled and nodded.

Yoonhwa picked up a piece of seaweed, wrapped some rice, and popped it into her mouth.

“Wow, this is really something!”

“I never imagined such a taste!”

A satisfied smile spread across Yoonhwa’s face.

Hyun felt delighted watching Yoonhwa enjoy the food of the human world.

“What did you usually eat in the forest?”

Hyun asked out of curiosity.

Taking another bite of rice, Yoonhwa replied.

“In the forest, mostly… leaves and grass…? Oh, fruits?”

“Sometimes animals… But this warm and soft rice is really a rare treat…”

As they ate, the two of them shared stories.

Yoonhwa spoke of the mysteries of her life in the forest and her magic, while Hyun explained the culture of the human world.

Yoonhwa marveled at the variety of side dishes she tried.

“Wow… some of this food hurts my mouth…!!”

“But I can’t stop eating it! It’s savory, yet… really delicious~”

Hyun enjoyed watching Yoonhwa.

With astonishing speed, Yoonhwa went through two bowls of rice, still looking to Hyun as if she was still hungry.

Her eyes seemed to silently scream, ‘Give me more!’

Hyun couldn’t help but burst into laughter at her.

“If you keep this up, you’re going to get fat, Yoonhwa~.”

Hyun playfully teased.

Yoonhwa momentarily looked taken aback by his comment, then playfully swatted his wrist.

“So what if I do! You fed me, so it’s your responsibility!”

Yoonhwa shot back, beaming at Hyun.

Hyun clutched his aching wrist and said to her.

“Ouch, Yoonhwa, you’re really strong…!”

Hyun exaggerated a bit in his act of pain.

Nonetheless, Hyun willingly went to the pot and filled Yoonhwa’s bowl with more rice.

Yoonhwa’s eyes sparkled when she saw the rice he brought.

“Hyun, thank you! So delicious… Hehe…”

Yoonhwa’s cheerful voice rang out as she dug into her rice once more.

Hyun beamed at how happy she looked.

Their breakfast continued in a very cheerful atmosphere.

Yoonhwa’s empty stomach was beginning to feel satisfied.

Hyun felt like the lonely times spent without his parents were washing away.

All he felt was joy being with Yoonhwa.

When breakfast came to an end, Hyun and Yoonhwa began to discuss their performance plans more thoroughly as they had planned the day before.

Hyun shared his experience of performing with the cello in the town square with Yoonhwa.

“The town square is always bustling with people!”

“I used to perform there every day.”

Yoonhwa showed interest at that remark.

“Then let’s perform there, too!”

“With my magic and your music together, it’ll surely be an amazing show!”

“But… Hyun, won’t people be scared of my magic?”

Yoonhwa asked with a worried voice.

Hyun gently reassured her, “No need to worry, Yoonhwa.”

“We’ll make it look like we’re magicians.”

“I’ll play and act like I’m your assistant helping with your magic.”

“In that way, people will think it’s all just a staged performance.”

Yoonhwa felt relieved by his words.

“Then I must dress up like a magician!”

“Let’s create a special performance together!!”

Yoonhwa said with excitement in her voice.

Hyun nodded in agreement.

“Right, if you wear a magician’s outfit, people will think your magic is just a trick!”

Hyun suddenly stood up, as if he thought of something, and picked up his piggy bank.

“Hyun, what are you doing?”

Yoonhwa asked, looking curious.

“Oh, this.”

Hyun pointed to the piggy bank.

“There’s a little money here.”

“With this money, I can buy you a fantastic outfit.”

Yoonhwa’s eyes sparkled.

“Ah! So that metallic stuff inside was actually money!!”

Hyun looked shocked.

“How did you know there were coins in there?”

Yoonhwa laughed, looking flustered, and tried to ignore his question, saying, “How do you take the coins out?”

Hyun laughed and replied, “There’s no way to take the money out of the piggy bank.”

“So you smash it to get them out.”

Hyun tapped the piggy bank on the floor a few times, but it wouldn’t break.

In a panic, he asked Yoonhwa, “Um… Could you smash this for me?”