Living Dangerously with a 999-Year-Old Gumiho – Chapter 82

However, even with her careful effort this time, the chopsticks split unevenly.

One side remained almost intact while the other side was once again irregularly laden with splintered wood.

“Ow… again…”

Yoonhwa couldn’t help but burst into laughter, accepting the absurdity of the situation.

Her face was filled with playfulness, and despite the failure, a joyful spirit shone through.

“Hehe, I really can’t do this…”

Kangtae, Seojin, and Hyun erupted into laughter once more as Yoonhwa’s second attempt ended in vain.

But their laughter was definitely not meant to mock her.

Yoonhwa carefully handled her imbalanced chopsticks, bringing food to her mouth.

Her movements were tinged with caution, but she seemed to enjoy the new challenge.

Nomi also seemed to struggle with the chopsticks, yet her face beamed with curiosity and delight about the new experience.

She would occasionally glance at Yoonhwa, wearing a smile that suggested she was enjoying this new challenge together.

Hyun, Kangtae, and Seojin started their meals as well.

Hyun and Kangtae used their chopsticks to twirl the Jajangmyeon and bring it to their mouths.

Seojin, with a bowl of Jjamppong before her, sparkled her eyes after taking her first bite.

“Wow, this place is really delicious!”

Seojin’s eyes followed the red broth of the Jjamppong with delight. After taking a bite, she let out a satisfied sigh.

A special thought flashed through her eyes, and she suddenly exclaimed in a lively voice.

“Oh, Jjamppong needs Soju!”

Her voice was filled with joyful anticipation.

Hyun, Kangtae, and Yoonhwa exchanged bewildered glances at Seojin’s sudden suggestion.

Kangtae smiled and said to Seojin,

“Are you always thinking about alcohol?”

“It’s daytime now, let’s save it for later tonight~”

Hyun nodded and added,

“Yeah, it’s too early. Let’s drink later!”

Nomi was intrigued by the human conversation, but she didn’t seem too interested in alcohol.

She focused more on her Jajangmyeon, showing a happy expression.

Seojin briefly wore a disappointed look but soon returned to an upbeat smile.

“Still, this Jjamppong is really good…”

“Kangtae! Give me your number later~”

Nomi picked up the remote control and turned on the TV to make the mealtime atmosphere even more enjoyable.

She pressed the buttons on the remote with excitement, flipping through channels.

“I wanna eat while watching something fun!”

Her voice was bubbling with enthusiasm.

Nomi flipped through several channels, struggling to find a program everyone would be interested in.

Eventually, she settled on an animated channel, and a bright and funny cartoon started to play on the screen.

The colorful characters and witty dialogue unfolding on screen added laughter and liveliness to the living room.

Hyun, Kangtae, Seojin, Yoonhwa, and Nomi naturally got lost in the scenes on TV while eating their food.

The cheerful atmosphere of the cartoon made their meal even more enjoyable.

As Yoonhwa ate sweet and sour pork and pickled radish, her interest in flavor discovery with this new experience was evident.

She carefully handled her chopsticks, lifting a piece of sweet and sour pork.

Yoonhwa’s eyes widened in surprise at the sweet and crispy texture of the sweet and sour pork she put in her mouth.

She savored the taste for a moment, beaming a happy smile.

Amidst the joyful laughter of her friends, the meal came to an end.

After finishing their meal, the friends began to rise from their seats one by one, still enveloped in a cheerful atmosphere.

As Hyun started to clean up, the rest of the friends naturally showed their willingness to help.

Kangtae and Hyun first gathered the chopsticks and used wraps and began putting them in a trash bag.

His movements were swift, and soon all the small trash was tidied up.

Yoonhwa and Nomi checked to confirm there were no leftover food items before organizing the dishes that had contained the food.

After verifying there was no food waste, they carefully stacked the dishes and prepared to take them outside.

Once all the trash was cleared, Hyun brought the dishes to the door to set them outside.

He arranged the dishes by the door carefully, ensuring that the delivery guy could easily pick them up later.

After setting out the dishes, Hyun returned to the living room, looking at the tidied-up house, wearing a satisfied smile.

The friends exchanged grateful smiles with each other.

In the warm post-meal atmosphere, Yoonhwa stood up for a moment.

She walked to her room and said to her friends,

“I’ll change my clothes!”

Her voice was relaxed, reflecting the comfort brought by the meal.

Yoonhwa headed to her room to change into her pajamas.

When Yoonhwa emerged from her room, she was wearing soft pink silk pajamas.

The pajamas gently wrapped around her body, highlighting her elegance.

Hyun and Nomi wore familiar expressions, but Seojin and Kangtae were in awe of her outfit.

“Wow, Yoonhwa, your pajamas are so pretty!”

Seojin exclaimed in surprise.

Her eyes were glued to Yoonhwa’s pajamas.

Kangtae also looked at Yoonhwa, smiling in acknowledgment.

“Really, it looks luxurious…”

“It suits you so well.”

Yoonhwa shyly smiled at her friends’ compliments.

“Hehe… Thank you. It was possible because Seojin lent me money!”

As praise for Yoonhwa’s pretty pajamas continued, Seojin shifted the mood to a different topic, looking at Hyun.

“Hey Hyun, aren’t you performing today?”

“You said you were going to pay me back~”

Her gaze was playful, and a smile curved her lips.

Hyun paused for a moment at Seojin’s words, deep in thought.

“Oh, right! I meant to perform today…”

“I forgot because Yoonhwa looked so sick this morning.”

At his words, Yoonhwa frowned apologetically.

“Sorry, Hyun. Because of me…”

But Hyun quickly shook his head with a smile.

“No, no, that’s not what I mean~”

“What’s more important is that you’re healthy now.”

Kangtae looked at Yoonhwa in surprise and exclaimed.

“Yoonhwa was sick??”

“She looks completely healthy now; she seems totally fine.”

His gaze carried a hint of confusion at the contrast between Yoonhwa’s vibrant appearance and the situation from the morning.

Yoonhwa chuckled lightly at Kangtae’s words.

“I couldn’t sleep because I drank coffee!”

Her voice carried a hint of regret.

“I want to see Hyun’s cello performance too!”

“I’ve never really seen it properly~.”

Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, and sincere interest in Hyun was evident.

A moment of silence fell over the living room, and everyone’s gaze focused on Hyun.

Hyun seemed to ponder for a moment at Yoonhwa’s words.

A look of contemplation flickered across his face, but soon he nodded as if he had made up his mind.

“Okay, should we go…!?”

His voice was filled with excitement and anticipation.

Hyun’s cello performance was always a significant matter for his friends, and especially the fact that Yoonhwa wanted to see it made Hyun happy.

Though Nomi didn’t understand much about the performance, she couldn’t hide her excitement about going out with her friends.

“Wow, are we going outside?”

“That sounds fun!”

Pure anticipation lit up her face, and she dashed to her room to change outfits.

After Nomi emerged from her room, Yoonhwa entered her own room to change her clothes.

“Me too!”

Her voice brimmed with excitement.

Seojin stood up and said.

“I’ll go home, change, and come back.”

“I’ll be back quickly since it’s right next door!”

She headed out briefly to change her clothes at home.

Once Yoonhwa changed her clothes and came out, Hyun rose from his seat as well.

He quickly changed into a suitable outfit for the performance.

While he had already been in casual clothes, he suited up for the event.

Kangtae was already dressed for the occasion, so he didn’t have to change.

He simply waited.

Seojin quickly came back after changing in the neighboring house.

Now, she was perfectly dressed for going out.

“I’m back! Is everyone ready~”

She said to her friends with a bright smile.

The living room, where everyone was gathered, was filled with excitement and anticipation.

Hyun prepared for the cello performance by slinging a big, heavy cello case onto his back.

His face was serious, but excitement for the performance for his friends sparkled in his eyes.

“Alright, shall we go?”

Hyun asked his friends as he took the first step out the door with his cello bag.

The friends all nodded and followed Hyun as they left the house.

At that moment, in a nearly deserted street, a man with red hair was strolling along.

The red-headed man slowed his pace and looked around him.

The alley was quiet, yet somehow, it felt alive with whispers of life.

On one side of the alley, an old man sat on an old cardboard box.

He spread the box open and placed it on his lap, writing something down.

Despite the daylight, an eerie silence surrounded the old man.

As the red-haired man approached, the old man raised his head to look at him.

His eyes seemed deep and calm, as if they had endured the test of time.

The old man pierced through the red-headed man with his tranquil gaze.

His voice filled the alley like a soft wind.

“Hmmm, seeing your future, a truly miserable end awaits you.”

“Life is transient, and destiny is unpredictable.”

“No matter how much you struggle, it ultimately flows according to heaven’s will.”

The red-headed man paused briefly at the old man’s words, his expression turning sour as he approached him.

His eyes gleamed sharply, and his voice dripped with menace.

“Who the hell are you?”

“If you touch me, I’ll kill you. Get lost.”

The old man was utterly unfazed by his fury.

Rather, his gaze deepened, and his voice carried the truth embedded in stillness.

“Demon disguised as a human, swallow your rage and listen to my words.”

Though the old man’s voice remained calm, the weight behind it overwhelmed the red-headed man.

“My eyes possess the insight to see beyond time itself.”

“I already know who you are and what your essence is.”

The old man continued his dialogue with an even deeper voice.

“For ages, I have listened to the changes of the universe and the sounds of all things.”

“The fate of someone like you has not escaped my vision.”

“A shadow of danger is looming over you, so take heed.”

He paused to catch his breath while observing the red-headed man’s reaction.

There was a hint of amusement in the old man’s eyes.

“Young one, those who defy heaven will ultimately incur the wrath of the gods.”

“Don’t harm me.”

“Then, tell me more of your tale.”

The old man’s voice held an even deeper serenity now.

A peculiar determination flickered in his gaze.

“My threads of fate have already shown me I shall ignite a fire.”

“In that blaze, the vision of my one eye vanishing has already entered my insight.”

“However, this meeting shall not be in vain.”

Though resignation tinged the old man’s voice, a sense of unyielding certainty also lingered.

As if having accepted his fate, he laughed maniacally.

Unbearable rage surged through the red-headed man at the old man’s words.

His gaze blazed intensely, and a fierce heat radiated from his body.

As his anger reached its peak, flames began to envelop him.

Driven mad with fury, the red-headed man shouted in rage at the old man’s prophecy.

“Are you saying I’ll meet a miserable end?!”

“Just a mouth running with nonsense!!”