Living Dangerously with a 999-Year-Old Gumiho – Chapter 77

A moment of silence lingered in the bathroom.

Then, Yoonhwa’s voice came through the door, mixed with sobs.

“Hyeon… are you still there?”

Hyeon hesitated for a moment after hearing Yoonhwa’s trembling voice. To lighten her mood, he replied lightly.

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“Dinner’s going to get cold, come out!”

“I grilled your favorite meat.”

His voice carried the intent to comfort Yoonhwa and brighten her spirits.

Hyeon relaxed his tension for a moment, smiling, trying to bring a smile to Yoonhwa’s face.

Encouraged by Hyeon’s thoughtful words and laughter, she gradually started to pull herself together.

The bathroom door slowly creaked open, and Yoonhwa peered out through the crack.

Her eyes were still glistening with tears, but it seemed like Hyeon’s words had brought her some comfort.

Hyeon jumped up in surprise at the sound of the door opening and instinctively took a few steps back.

His heart raced suddenly, and he worried about what she might be feeling.

Seeing Yoonhwa, his heart began to stabilize, yet he still trembled at the thought of the inner turmoil she was experiencing.

Yoonhwa, noticing Hyeon’s reaction, carefully stepped out of the bathroom.

With her head down, she gingerly crossed the threshold.

Her eyes were red and bloodshot, and her face was streaked with tears.

When she met Hyeon’s gaze, she felt the tears welling up again.

A overwhelming wave of guilt, gratitude, and complex emotions washed over her, making it unbearable to bear.

Hyeon’s heart ached at the sight of Yoonhwa, wanting to soothe her, so he rushed to the kitchen to fetch some tissues.

He approached her carefully, handing over the tissues and speaking softly.

“Here, use this to wipe your eyes…”

Yoonhwa took the tissues he offered.

Her hands trembled, making it seem even hard for her to hold them.

Touched by Hyeon’s kindness, Yoonhwa continued through her sobs.

“I’m sorry, Hyeon… Really… I’m sorry…”

Her voice cracked, and tears escaped with each word she spoke.

Yoonhwa felt an immense guilt for the fear and pain she had caused Hyeon, and her heartache deepened with gratitude for his concern.

Though Hyeon’s heart hurt at her apology, he felt a strong urge to comfort her.

He gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders, trying to calm her.

“It’s okay, Yoonhwa…”

Yoonhwa found herself flustered by Hyeon’s tender voice and warm embrace.

Her body stiffened from the tension, and she cautiously said,

“H-hey, Hyeon… step back…!”

Hyeon was taken aback by Yoonhwa’s reaction and immediately moved away from her.

His eyes reflected a mix of confusion and concern.

In that moment, Hyeon recalled the internal struggle Yoonhwa had endured and the near danger of her harming herself.

His voice shook a little as he spoke.

“I’m sorry, Yoonhwa…!!”

Hyeon maintained distance from Yoonhwa.

He pointed toward the dining area with a gentle suggestion.

“Let’s eat something. It’ll make you feel better.”

“Sit down with me at the dining table.”

His voice came from a place of genuine concern for Yoonhwa, wishing she could find some stability and regain her strength.

Hyeon carefully guided Yoonhwa to the dining table, doing his best to create a welcoming atmosphere for a meal together.

Moved by Hyeon’s words, Yoonhwa slowly approached the table.

Her eyes were still red, but she silently smiled in gratitude for his consideration.

“Thank you, Hyeon…”

With that, she hurriedly began eating.

Though her hands still trembled, she couldn’t hold back her hunger and quickly brought food to her mouth.

Hyeon let out a sigh of relief watching her, but a lingering worry remained in his heart. He cautiously said to Yoonhwa.

“Yoonhwa, eat slowly.”

“You need to chew well. You might choke…”

Yoonhwa listened to Hyeon’s advice, taking her time yet steadily bringing food to her mouth.

On the dining table lay her favorite meat, the delicious aroma tantalizing her senses.

The tender meat and seasoning danced on her palate, bringing her a satisfying joy she hadn’t felt in a while, causing her eating pace to quicken.

She scooped a spoonful of rice, topping it with a piece of meat, occasionally glancing at Hyeon.

Hyeon smiled as he watched her eat.

Yoonhwa felt her heart warm at Hyeon’s gentle gaze, and without realizing it, she began to eat even more.

After the meal, every last bit of food had vanished from the table.

Yoonhwa appeared full for the first time in ages, polishing off the last bite.

As he watched her finish, Hyeon felt a sense of relief.

But at the same time, worries grew about when Nomi would wake up and the urgency to get her to the hospital.

Hyeon lost himself in thought for a moment before cautiously voicing.

“I hope Nomi wakes up soon… We need to get her to the hospital…”

His voice was filled with concern and apprehension.

He desperately wanted to accompany Yoonhwa to the hospital and get professional help for the side effects of caffeine she was experiencing.

Hearing Hyeon’s worried words, Yoonhwa quietly nodded.

She wanted to get away from this situation more than anything and hoped that Hyeon wouldn’t get hurt because of her.

She nodded at Hyeon’s gentle words and finished her meal.

“You should rest a bit. I’ll clean up…”

As Hyeon spoke, he guided Yoonhwa to the sofa. Feeling warm from his kindness, Yoonhwa leaned back against it.

Hyeon began to tidy up the plates and utensils on the table.

While he washed the dishes and organized the kitchen, Yoonhwa watched him from the living room sofa.

When her gaze lingered on Hyeon’s clothes, she noticed something.

There were faint bite marks and little wet stains on Hyeon’s attire.

Yoonhwa’s eyes fixated on the marks.

In that moment, she recalled the actions she had taken against Hyeon and saw the remnants left on him, making her heart ache once more.

She felt a deep remorse for almost hurting Hyeon through her instincts.

“Hyeon…”

Yoonhwa cautiously called out to him.

Hyeon looked back and replied.

“Yeah?”

Yoonhwa was at a loss for words, only able to point at the marks on his clothing, tears brimming in her eyes.

Hyeon glanced down at his clothes, noticing the marks he hadn’t seen before.

“Oh-.. this…”

“It’s okay!! I’m not hurt at all.”

Hyeon seemed to hesitate for a moment but then made a joke to lighten Yoonhwa’s mood.

“Why are you giving kisses to my clothes?”

Yoonhwa flushed red at Hyeon’s joke, suddenly flustered.

Not knowing what to say, she began to fidget nervously.

“Ah, no, I just…!!”

Her voice shook, and she stumbled over her words.

Caught off guard by his unexpected response, she covered her face with her hands.

Hyeon chuckled seeing Yoonhwa’s reaction, chuckling at her shyness.

He continued washing the dishes while glancing at her.

“It’s really fine, Yoonhwa.”

“Don’t worry too much.”

Hyeon’s voice remained gentle and warm, and his laughter filled the living room.

Yoonhwa gradually relaxed, feeling the warmth of Hyeon’s attitude.

Nomi woke from her sleep and opened the door.

Rubbing her little eyes with her hand, she said in a still sleepy voice.

“I’m hungry…”

Her voice mixed with drowsiness and anticipation.

As Nomi walked slowly into the living room, she sized up the surroundings.

When Nomi spotted Yoonhwa, her expression turned serious.

Yoonhwa’s face was flushed, and her eyes were stained with tears.

Nomi gasped, startled at the sight of her sister.

“Yoonhwa! Have you been crying??”

“Did that jerk make you cry?!”

At Nomi’s shout, Hyeon turned in surprise.

“No, Nomi, that’s not it…!”

“Yoonhwa… she’s just a little tired.”

Hyeon’s voice was full of a calming intent, but Nomi’s concerned gaze didn’t easily settle.

To reassure Nomi, Hyeon headed over to the dining table.

He secretly placed the leftover pieces of grilled meat he’d set aside onto a pan to warm them up and arranged them on the table.

As the pan sizzled and filled the kitchen with delicious aromas, Hyeon moved quickly, occasionally glancing at Nomi and Yoonhwa.

Once the meat was adequately warmed, he carefully transferred it to a plate, setting it on the table.

Hyeon urged Nomi to come to the table, speaking softly.

“Nomi, come here and eat.”

Nomi excitedly sat in front of the meal Hyeon had prepared.

Her eyes widened with joy seeing the warmed meat and rice.

“Wow, it’s meat!”

She grabbed a fork and spoon, diving into the food.

The moment she took a piece of meat into her mouth, her eyes sparkled.

“It’s delicious!”

Nomi alternated between eating rice and meat, stealing glances and smiling at Hyeon.

Throughout the meal, her face beamed with happiness, her little gestures and expressions reflecting the joy of dining.

Finally, after finishing her meal, Nomi let out a satisfied sigh as she gazed at her emptied plate.

“I’m done!”

After Nomi finished eating, Hyeon approached her cautiously.

“Nomi, we might need to go to the hospital with Yoonhwa. Do you want to come too?”

Nomi frowned at Hyeon’s words.

“A hospital!? I don’t want to go to the hospital…”

“Is Yoonhwa okay? Why do we have to go to the hospital?”

Understanding Nomi’s concern, Hyeon gently explained.

“Yoonhwa’s feeling a bit unwell, and the doctor needs to check on her.”

Just then, the home phone rang unexpectedly.

Ding-ding-!

Hyeon gestured to Nomi and walked towards the corner of the living room to answer the call.

“Just hang on a second…!”

After a moment’s hesitation to gather himself, Hyeon picked up the phone and brought the receiver to his ear.

“Hello?”

As Hyeon answered, his voice displayed a hint of nervous anticipation about who was calling.

After a brief silence, a familiar voice came through the line.

“It’s me, Seojin!”

“When’s the performance today??”

Hyeon was momentarily surprised by Seojin’s voice, but soon a good idea came to him.

He cautiously asked, “Where are you right now, Seojin?”

Seojin replied on the other end.

“I’m home, why?”

Letting out a sigh of relief, Hyeon decided to make a request.

“Seojin, Yoonhwa’s feeling a bit unwell and I think we need to get her to the hospital.”

“Could you possibly watch Nomi for a bit?”

“It’s a bit dicey leaving her alone…”

Seojin fell silent for a moment before answering with concern in her voice.

“Wait, what?! I’ll be right over! Just hold on!!”

Her words carried sincerity and urgency, followed by the sound of the phone disconnecting.

Hyeon placed the phone down and momentarily got lost in thought.

He never expected Seojin would rush over.

Feeling warm with gratitude for her thoughtfulness, Hyeon’s trust for her deepened.

Nomi, observing Hyeon’s conversation with keen interest, quickly piped up as soon as the call ended.

“Does that mean we get to play and not go to the hospital?!”

Her voice was filled with excitement, a complete shift from worry.

Looking at Hyeon with an excited face, she beamed with hopeful anticipation.

Hyeon chuckled at Nomi’s reaction and nodded.

“Yep, Nomi. You can play with Seojin.”

“Just don’t be too much of a hassle.”

Delighted, Nomi clapped her hands.