He’s a Fox Ch 18

Chapter 18

It wasn’t long before a mud-caked baby tiger appeared in the crocodile’s arms, chirping noisily.

The reptile’s expression—usually unreadable unless he was laughing loudly or visibly angry—looked today to be worn thin with fatigue.

What on earth had happened?

Shuffling closer out of curiosity, Hohyun saw Yuri’s eyes sparkle with excitement.

Having lived with a dog for some time, the little one had learned firsthand that when speaking to a different species, one must remain in their non-beast form.

In an instant, the fluffy ball of fur became a doll-like, adorable child.

Perhaps because of this transformation, Yuri’s disheveled state looked even worse—white, chubby cheeks were caked with dried mud, and the light orange hair had darkened to a near-brown.

Wearing that unkempt look, the child beamed.

“Guess what, Yuri met a kitty! But the kitty looked a lot like Moongmoo—really black. Has Moongmoo seen the kitty too?”

Yes—he had not merely seen it; in fact, his bones still ached from the encounter.

When Hohyun nodded, the child’s voice rose in excitement.

“And also, the kitty bonked Yuri on the head!”

Among felines, pressing one’s head against another was often a sign of friendliness or affection.

In other words, this was Yuri boasting of having grown close enough to a cat to receive affection.

But Hohyun, not knowing this, heard only the literal words.

Canids, after all, showed affection by wagging their tails furiously and slobbering all over the recipient—not through head-butting.

Even if he didn’t understand the meaning, the child’s proud face made it obvious that it was something good.

“Head bonk” or not—whatever it was, it seemed to be a positive act among cats.

The fox opened his mouth in an admiring grin.

Yuri stared intently at that expression—then, as if struck by an idea, began tugging insistently on the crocodile’s sleeve.

“Put Yuri down!”

The tone was one of absolute certainty that her request would be granted.

Unfortunately for the young lady, the crocodile could not oblige today.

Thrilled by the long-awaited meeting with a cat, Yuri had torn through the muddy ground without restraint, and the aftermath still clung to her small body.

Compared to her, Hohyun had returned in far better shape—slightly spattered thanks to Kangwoon’s timely rescue—

while Yuri, having ignored the crocodile’s attempts to stop her, had rolled about in the mud until she was utterly coated.

Speaking in a pained tone, the crocodile refused.

“You need to wash up first, young miss. If you roll around on the floor without doing that, I’ll get scolded…”

Even though time had passed and nothing was dripping anymore, dried mud still flaked off in crumbly bits.

The thought of all that falling onto the rug was enough to make him wince—

and enough to make Hohyun’s tail puff out alarmingly.

While the fox stood aghast at her feet, the baby tiger clung tighter to the crocodile.

“Uncle, please put Yuri down. Yes?”

Like a cat in boots*, her gaze softened and glittered.

Already hopelessly weak to the “young lady,” the crocodile had no chance against this rare display of cuteness—complete with formal speech.

From the look in his eyes, if this continued, he would agree to whatever she wanted.

Sensing danger, the fox cried out sharply.

“Kkyaaaeng!”

Normally so quiet, the sudden loud bark startled Yuri into looking down.

Meeting his wide eyes, she watched him shake his head firmly.

Whatever the reason—washing came first!

Faced with the fox’s unwavering resolve, the child hesitated… then leaned close and whispered something into the crocodile’s ear.

It was too soft for Hohyun to hear, but the crocodile’s brightened expression suggested it wasn’t anything bad.

As they spoke, the fox—now fully awake—rose to his feet, ready to escort the young lady to the bathroom.

Yuri waved a hand in farewell from the doorway—

so much so that had you seen her, you might think she was going off on a long trip rather than simply to wash.

Hiding a smile, Hohyun lifted a forepaw and waved back.

With her farewell answered, the baby tiger departed happily,

and the fox settled himself on the mat in front of the bathroom, waiting briefly.

Before long, Yuri emerged, her hair now sticking up like the white fluff of a dandelion.

Immediately, she bounded over and attempted what she had missed out on earlier due to hygiene concerns.

Thunk!

Charging like a rocket, she misjudged her aim slightly—

and given her small stature compared to the fox, the result was… vigorous.

The fox, rammed square in the body, let out a startled “Kku-eeng!” and toppled over.

What—what was that for? I didn’t do anything wrong…

Could it be retaliation for making her wash first?

As Hohyun lay bewildered, the recovering crocodile muttered under his breath:

“Must be nice…”

…Nice? How exactly?

It didn’t sound like sarcasm; the sincerity in his tone was unmistakable.

Hohyun had heard of cat owners treating being head-butted as an “industry bonus.”

Perhaps the crocodile’s reaction was something similar.

As the fox pondered reptilian psychology from the floor, the child lying atop him let out a proud giggle.

Her chubby cheeks, squished as she laughed, were impossibly endearing.

Well—whatever it meant, it had made her happy, and that was enough.

Meeting her joyful gaze, the fox opened his own mouth in a smile, joining her.

Having accomplished her mission, Yuri scampered to the clock on the table in the living room.

Seeing her stare intently at the digital display, Hohyun sucked in a breath of surprise.

Was she… telling the time? At that age?

She might be a genius.

As the little one gazed in concentration, she suddenly called over her shoulder to the crocodile:

“Uncle Woni, when’s Oppa coming back?”

“It’s 12:24 right now… I think he should be here any minute.”

“I see. Thank you.”

The tiger siblings’ lunchtime began exactly at 12:30—

no deviation, as one would expect from felines that lived by a strict daily routine.

The fact that even the three-year-old knew it was telling;

often she would go stand in front of the clock to ask the crocodile where her brother was.

Though she knew the device told the time, she couldn’t yet read numbers herself, so she needed help to estimate.

Upon hearing his answer, she clenched her small fists in resolve and hurried toward the hallway, crouching at the corner to “hide.”

Of course, her tail and the hem of her clothes were still sticking out for all to see.

Puzzled over her intent, Hohyun glanced up just as someone emerged from a doorway in the distance.

From his position, the fox could see what the child couldn’t—a large tiger was approaching soundlessly.

Expressionless, he walked forward until his gaze fell upon something—

and a small smile tugged at his lips.

Without a doubt, he had spotted the little tail poking out.

Still smiling silently, Kangwoon deliberately began walking with heavy footfalls—thud, thud.

The closer the “prey” drew, the lower Yuri crouched and the more her tail swished.

She was so serious it made the onlooker tense.

At the perfect moment—just as her target was within striking distance—

the tiny hunter burst out of hiding with a roar:

“Owung!”

The clumsy imitation of a tiger’s “Ahoong!”* made Kangwoon flinch theatrically, pretending to be startled.

“…You scared me.”

His words were small, almost muttered to himself—

yet just loud enough for her to hear.

Crouching down, the tiger received Yuri’s triumphant head-rub against his jaw.

“Your hunting skills have improved a lot. If Mother and Father saw you, they’d be amazed.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Has Oppa ever lied to you?”

Apparently, she trusted him completely, because her tail shivered with delight.

Hohyun knew, of course, that Kangwoon hadn’t actually been surprised.

He had seen for himself the deliberate heavy steps—

and most telling of all, the tiger’s tail was perfectly smooth.

Animals with furred tails often puffed them up in surprise or anger;

with the smooth, normal tail before him, the chances of genuine shock were slim.

Still—the lengths he went to in order to boost the child’s confidence were undeniable.

Cute? Restoring one’s faith in humanity? The fox wasn’t sure what to call it.

As he savored the warm sibling moment, Kangwoon’s gaze shifted to him.

“You.”

“That’s not my name!”*

“…Alright, Moongmoo. I’ll explain what I mentioned earlier—so come with me after lunch.”

The baby tiger, unwilling to allow any name but “Moongmoo,” scolded her brother at once.

Kangwoon corrected himself without protest.

Hohyun closed his mouth tightly.

It was time—the moment he had been expecting.

The crocodile, seeing the strangely loosened tiger and the suddenly solemn fox, blinked.

Flicking the fox’s back lightly with his tail, the reptile whispered almost too softly to hear:

“…What’s going on?”

“Kki-wuung.”

No idea.

That’s what they were about to find out.

After the meal, they put Yuri to bed, and the tiger rose.

The destination was inside the house, so no elaborate preparations were needed.

Footnotes

* “Cat in boots” — This refers to the “Puss in Boots”-style big-eyed pleading expression, famously exaggerated in animation, often irresistible to adults.

** “Ahoong/어흥” — A Korean onomatopoeia for a tiger’s roar, often used by children when pretending to be one.