Living Dangerously with a 999-Year-Old Gumiho – Chapter 75

The two looked at each other and shared a laugh.

In that moment of tension dissolving, the weariness of the late night was momentarily forgotten.

Yoonhwa, calming her laughter, said to Hyun.

“You need to rest a bit too.”

“Since we have a performance tomorrow.”

Hyun nodded at Yoonhwa’s advice and slowly rose from his chair.

His movements seemed sluggish, as though he was feeling the weight of the day.

Walking toward one side of the living room, he began to search for a blanket.

While searching for the blanket, his movements were careful and lost in thought.

After spreading the blanket on the living room floor, Hyun took a moment to look around.

Only after laying out the blanket did he glance at Yoonhwa and say,

“You should rest comfortably in your room too. Sleep well…”

Yoonhwa nodded, feeling grateful for Hyun’s consideration.

However, she didn’t head straight to her room; instead, she sat on the living room floor for a moment, waiting for Hyun to fall asleep.

In the quiet atmosphere of the living room, she watched Hyun sleeping peacefully, contemplating how tired he was and how much he had gone through that day.

Listening to Hyun’s calm breathing in the quiet living room, she silently gazed at his sleeping form.

Just looking at Hyun’s serene face seemed to bring her an inexplicable sense of calm.

But that peaceful moment was short-lived as an instinctive desire began to stir deep within Yoonhwa.

She found herself caught up in the thought that he looked incredibly delicious.

Unbeknownst to herself, she dripped saliva at the corners of her mouth, increasingly consumed by the thought.

Suddenly, the sound of a drop of saliva falling onto the quiet living room floor startled Yoonhwa back to reality.

She felt a deep sense of guilt about her actions and, more than anything, was filled with remorse for Hyun.

Yoonhwa hurriedly got up and headed to the bathroom.

As she turned on the cold water to wash her face, she slapped her cheeks hard to gather herself.

“Get a grip, Yoonhwa..!”

“Humans aren’t food!!”

She whispered to herself, trying to suppress any strange, instinctive urges towards Hyun.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Yoonhwa took a deep breath in and out.

After finishing her wash and calming her mind, Yoonhwa returned to the living room, reflecting on her behavior.

Confirming that Hyun was still quietly asleep, Yoonhwa felt fear and guilt about her instincts.

She was consumed by anxiety that if she stayed next to Hyun any longer, she might lose control.

“If I stay next to Hyun any longer… let’s just stop, Yoonhwa…”

She murmured to herself, cautiously glancing at Hyun.

His peaceful breathing both soothed and stimulated Yoonhwa’s heart.

Ultimately, she decided she could no longer remain there.

Quietly, she left Hyun’s side and headed towards Nomi’s sleeping room.

As she carefully opened the door, Nomi’s even breathing filled the room.

In that serene atmosphere, she felt her heart stabilize a little.

She carefully lay down next to Nomi, deciding to try to sleep.

As Yoonhwa settled into bed, she tried to soothe the conflict and regret she felt over the day.

Nomi’s warmth offered Yoonhwa a small comfort, and she began to slowly close her eyes.

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.

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‘I can’t sleep!!’

Yoonhwa was curled up next to Nomi, wide awake.

She didn’t know how much time had passed, tossing and turning while staring at the ceiling.

Her body certainly felt heavy with fatigue, yet her mind was restless and unsettled.

It felt like closing her eyes would bring sleep, but even when she tried, her head was filled with all sorts of thoughts, making it impossible to drift off.

‘Is it all because of that one sip of coffee…?’

Yoonhwa didn’t realize that just one sip of coffee earlier would affect her so much.

Because of the caffeine still in her system, it felt like her inner clock had stopped ticking.

Tossing and turning in an attempt to find genuine rest, she couldn’t quite settle down.

The room was quiet, only the sound of Nomi’s even breathing could be heard regularly.

Even within that stillness, Yoonhwa’s heart was agitated and unstable.

Yoonhwa sat up on the bed.

Even amidst the fatigue, this uncomfortable state of not being able to sleep made her sigh deeply.

She could no longer lie in bed comfortably.

It felt like sleep had completely eluded her, her body became uneasy, and her heart grew increasingly restless.

Realizing she would not be able to sleep like this, she quietly got up from beside Nomi and left the room.

Opening the door and stepping out, Yoonhwa made her way towards the quiet living room.

The air in the living room was calm and soothing, but her heart remained unstable.

Yoonhwa stopped at the center of the living room, quietly gazing at Hyun, who was asleep.

Hyun was peacefully breathing amidst the serene silence of the night.

His face radiated innocence and tranquility even while sleeping, and a childlike brightness adorned his features.

On the blanket laid out on the floor, Hyun had unknowingly curled up, creating a little nest within.

Perhaps due to the small house he used to live in, it seemed he had grown accustomed to sleeping in a curled position.

He had tightly wrapped himself in the blanket, forming a snug little cocoon, fully absorbed in his own world.

Yoonhwa smiled at the sight. She felt his adorable appearance swell her heart with affection.

However, she didn’t quite understand what this feeling meant or how to interpret it.

Seeing Hyun sleeping so peacefully gave Yoonhwa a bit of relief, yet also a tinge of loneliness.

Staring at Hyun’s small, peaceful figure, she instinctively focused on the subtle scent he emanated.

That human scent softly enveloped the living room, triggering her hunger.

Watching the curled-up figure of Hyun, Yoonhwa unconsciously whispered.

“Five bites would be enough…”

In that instant, Yoonhwa realized what she had just said, and her heart filled with guilt.

She felt a deep conflict between the fact that she was a Nine-Tailed Fox and the instinctive desires it brought.

Yoonhwa had no intention of harming Hyun.

During their time together, she had begun to develop feelings of affection for him, cherishing him as someone precious.

But the instinctual urges rising from deep within her sometimes tormented her.

Unable to resist the scent of Hyun any longer, Yoonhwa left the living room in anguish.

She stepped outside to inhale the fresh night air, hoping to calm her instincts.

Once outside, Yoonhwa took a deep breath in and out, striving to quell the turmoil and conflict within her heart.

She hesitated for a moment in the small yard before finally lying back to gaze at the starlit sky.

The night sky was filled with stars, and for a brief moment, Yoonhwa could escape the worries of reality.

The quiet yard under the dark night allowed Yoonhwa to reveal her true form without fear of being discovered, as humans were not around.

In the calm of the night, Yoonhwa felt her body reacting strangely due to the caffeine.

Her whole body had become unusually sensitive, and she felt a chill running down her skin.

This sensation was unfamiliar and uncomfortable for Yoonhwa; she had never experienced this state before.

Yoonhwa exhaled deeply under the starlight, muttering to herself.

“Is all this… because of that…?”

“My whole body feels so sensitive…”

“It’s so chilly…”

Her body was experiencing an uncomfortable strangeness due to the effects of caffeine.

“This is the first time I can’t sleep like this…”

“When he comes looking for me in this state, what will I do?!”

Playing with her tail, Yoonhwa tried to soothe her anxious feelings.

Gazing at the night sky, she was engaged in a battle with her inner self.

Her heart was as radiant as the starlight, yet simultaneously darkened by anxiety and worry.

Yoonhwa struggled to envision her future among the stars.

“Next year, I’ll be 1000 years old… and become a Nine-Tailed Fox. What will happen then…?”

Her voice trembled, and her words flowed into a mumble.

Yoonhwa was overwhelmed by the uncertainty of the future she would have to face.

“Will Hyun, Nomi, and my friends… be able to stay together?”

Deep within her heart, the precious moments with Hyun, laughter with friends, and warm times shared with Nomi became cherished memories.

Yet, the long life that came with being a Nine-Tailed Fox meant inevitable farewells to humans.

The thought of that brought a pang to Yoonhwa’s heart.

“Farewells to humans… how am I supposed to live with that…?”

“Just like last time… that feeling… again…!!”

Tears flowed down Yoonhwa’s cheeks. Beneath the starlight, her emotions shone vividly.

She tried to suppress her sorrow, yet her tears sparkled more brightly under the stars.

“Why… why does it have to be so hard…?”

Her voice trembled, her body shook under the weight of her emotions.

“I… I just want to be… ordinary…!!!”

Yoonhwa choked on her words, overwhelmed by her sorrow.

She was deeply immersed in fear for her future, the separation from loved ones, and her destined fate.

Under the sky filled with stars, Yoonhwa quietly wept, fighting her solitary pain.

Her sobbing created small ripples in the night’s stillness, radiating far away.

As Yoonhwa wept for her sorrow while staring at the stars, someone quietly approached her side.

That someone carefully lay down next to Yoonhwa, gazing at the same sky.

“Who, who is it?!!!”

Startled by the sudden presence, Yoonhwa instinctively swatted her hand.

As her hand brushed against Eunho’s shoulder, he flinched in surprise.

Yet, despite the shock, Eunho remained quietly beside Yoonhwa.

Eunho possessed the characteristic of gradually increasing in size whenever he was directly impacted by the Darkness Demon.

In fact, his body sensed Yoonhwa’s sorrow and unease, gently expanding to about 10 centimeters taller than her.

Seeing Yoonhwa’s tears, Eunho cautiously asked,

“Why are you crying…?”

His voice was soft, filled with genuine concern.

Eunho sincerely wanted to understand Yoonhwa’s sorrow.