He’s a Fox Ch 26

Chapter 26

“There are still lots of clothes I brought in to dress Yuri with, stay and look through a few more.”

“No. Something came up.”

“Huh?”

The wolf, who knew well that the big tiger always prioritized his younger sibling and pushed all external schedules to the end of the year, expressed his doubt.

“What kind of schedule could you possibly have?”

“I think I need to go to the hospital.”

“Ah… is it because of the mutation issue?”

When Kangwoon nodded, Hyunseok let out a sigh that carried regret.

“No wonder. We were shopping for clothes when you suddenly reverted to your original form, I wondered what was going on. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious. You’re going straight to the hospital, right?”

“Of course.”

“If you need any help, call me right away.”

“Next time, drop by. Let’s have a meal together.”

“Meal… hmm, if possible, let’s eat outside.”

Knowing that the tiger household’s dining table was almost absurdly filled with nothing but meat, Hyunseok gave an awkward smile and waved his hand. Kangwoon, who also didn’t particularly like people visiting his house, didn’t reject his suggestion. After parting with the wolf, the tiger’s group headed straight for the hospital.

The name written across the large newly constructed building was a familiar one. Only upon seeing the name of a famous hospital, which had opened not long ago, did Hohyun gain a rough idea of the location of the tiger’s den. It was an area that took roughly three hours for a round trip by bus from the studio apartment he had originally lived in. It seemed he had been taken quite far while unconscious during the kidnapping.

Even as they got out of the car and walked inside, Hohyun didn’t think much of it. The fact that they were here already meant something was wrong with his body, so he was naturally a little worried, but he believed the consultation itself would proceed without a hitch.

It wasn’t until he noticed the large lettering at the reception desk near the entrance — “ID required” — that Hohyun realized with a start. If he at least had his phone, he could have tried issuing a temporary mobile ID, but since everything he wore from head to toe belonged to the tiger, he had no such option. Seeing those words gave him a sinking feeling.

Unlike the fox who stood by the reception desk fidgeting anxiously, the tiger didn’t even glance that way. Kangwoon picked up Yuri, who was busy wandering around, and handed Hohyun over to the crocodile. Unlike the tiger, whose furry embrace was somewhat soft, the crocodile’s arms were unyieldingly hard. As the fox twisted uncomfortably, the big tiger gave instructions.

“Don’t go to Professor Hong, take him to Professor Yang instead. Since that guy is human, conversation will be difficult. Ah, and take the clothes along.”

“Yes, sir!”

With a booming response, the crocodile immediately set off. A giant reptile carrying a dangling shopping bag in one hand and a fox in the other inevitably drew attention, and everyone they passed couldn’t take their eyes off them. Well, even I would stare. Feeling burdened by the constant stares, Hohyun whimpered his complaint.

“Kyekk, kyaeng.”

“You want me to put you down?”

“Kki-aong.”

Thanks to being trained by a baby tiger, the crocodile had developed a knack for understanding even non-verbal demands. He put the fox down on the ground. The moment his paws touched the floor, Hohyun hopped twice on the spot as if savoring his newfound freedom. His following the crocodile while bouncing along drew stares of a different kind, but too busy stepping on the reptile’s long tail, the fox didn’t notice.

Following the lead, they soon arrived at a door with a nameplate. The neatly written letters read Yang Jaekyung, which seemed to match the “Professor Yang” the tiger had mentioned. Since the location was a hospital, it had to be a consultation room. The crocodile knocked loudly enough for the sound to resound, then swung the door open.

Inside, as with any hospital, the white walls and simple furniture created a clean impression. A dog beastman of a certain age sat there. After adjusting his silver glasses and glancing at the nameplate before him, it was clear he was the doctor. Spotting the fox, whom he had never seen before, the doctor let out a small exclamation.

“Oh my, what a surprise. The patient isn’t a tiger today.”

“Well, yes. It’s not the young lady who’s sick.”

“It’s a relief that the youngest lady is healthy. So, what brings you here?”

“Seems like his mutation isn’t working properly. Isn’t that right?”

“Kku-uung…”

Judging by the atmosphere, the crocodile and doctor already knew each other. Continuing the conversation naturally, the crocodile tapped Hohyun’s back and asked. Hohyun reflexively nodded, then hurriedly added a further explanation.

“Kki-ing.”

“Hmm, was this forced upon you by outside cause?”

“Kyakk.”

“Then this current form must not be voluntary either, correct?”

Though it sounded like nothing more than whining fox cries to the crocodile, the doctor, being of the same canine lineage, understood Hohyun’s explanation without trouble. Learning that Hohyun had been able to remain in human form for a while, only to suddenly revert to his beast form, the doctor nodded.

What a bolt from the blue. Hohyun let out a deep sigh, weighed down with concern. Noticing his patient’s anxiety, the doctor offered words of comfort.

“There’s no need to worry too much.”

“Kki-aeng?”

“Of course. Every couple of months, I see patients with the same issue. About one out of ten cases, actually. You’ve heard of Pavlov’s dog, right?”

Who among those who went through compulsory education hadn’t heard of it? At least no one in Hohyun’s generation. He recalled what he had learned in science class — ringing a bell whenever feeding a dog, until the dog eventually salivated at the bell alone, even without food.

When he nodded, the doctor smiled in relief and explained further.

“Then this will be easier to explain. What’s happening to you is similar to that. If one form is forcibly maintained for a long time, once it’s released, the body can get confused. ‘Is it really okay to stay like this now?’ That sort of thing.”

The doctor’s calm and detailed explanation was very kind. With his assured tone leaving no room for doubt, Hohyun’s expression gradually brightened. While typing something into the chart, the doctor looked up and met his eyes.

“Your body has natural recovery ability, so if you just wait, it will resolve on its own. But that’s a slower route. For now, I’ll give you an injection and prescribe some medicine to help. Usually within about two weeks you’ll be fine. If you still feel little improvement, come again. Or you can contact me through President Beom.”

“Kkyang!”

Although the prescription was finished, the doctor’s words weren’t. With a serious expression, he went on about precautions to take when taking the medication and steps that could help alleviate the symptoms faster. Perhaps he was just a talkative person by nature, but the conversation seemed to stretch on endlessly. Leaning down, the crocodile whispered into Hohyun’s ear.

“…I’ll wait outside. Come out when you’re done.”

Seeing the obvious boredom on his face, Hohyun quickly nodded. Once the fox accepted the suggestion, the crocodile handed the shopping bag to his mouth and hurried out.

The doctor concluded with reminders to attempt transformations often, and not to panic even if they failed. He then administered an injection of some unknown medication. Well, Hohyun had been told what it was, but to him it may as well have been a foreign language.

After the shot, the oppressive tightness he had been feeling immediately lifted. His expression brightened at the sense that he could transform again. Smiling, the doctor guided him to a booth at the side of the room. Dragging the shopping bag left behind by the crocodile, the fox finally succeeded in transforming back into human form and stepped out.

Receiving the prescription slip with a congratulatory smile from the doctor, Hohyun picked up his medicine at the pharmacy and returned to the consultation room. The crocodile was waiting in the hallway. Straightening up from where he had been leaning his massive frame against the wall, the crocodile approached when he saw Hohyun.

When they had first gone into the consultation room, the hallway had been bustling with people. Now it seemed quieter. In truth, people had simply cleared out after being startled by the sight of the crocodile’s hulking figure slouched against the wall, but the fox, unaware of this, tilted his head in puzzlement. The small tiger and the big tiger were nowhere to be seen.

The crocodile, noticing the fox glancing about with the medicine bag in hand, explained where the siblings had gone.

“The boss and the young lady are on the rooftop.”

“The rooftop?”

“Yeah. There’s a garden up there, and the young lady wanted to see it.”

Thinking of the baby tiger gazing wide-eyed at the scenery outside the window, Hohyun easily understood. With the siblings’ whereabouts clear, his curiosity shifted to their next destination. Should he go join them in the rooftop garden, or head back to the car? But he quickly dismissed the dilemma.

It wasn’t like he had any real choice anyway. If he stayed still, surely someone would direct him where to go. With this resigned thought, he stood quietly. Seeing the fox blinking with such a docile expression, the crocodile scratched the back of his head.

“They explained this roughly when giving you the contract, right? The young lady doesn’t get to go out often. So whenever she does, she’s busy exploring this and that. Might take some time. Do you want to wait in the car? Or you can wait in the garden too.”

The garden seemed far preferable to an empty car. Without hesitation, Hohyun decided.

“I’ll wait in the garden.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. Wouldn’t be much to do in the car anyway.”

The crocodile, looking somewhat pitifully at the fox who had no belongings apart from the oversized clothes he wore, took the lead. They went up to the top floor of the hospital by elevator. The moment the doors opened, Hohyun spotted Yuri running around here and there. Her guardian sat in the pavilion, watching over her.

The big tiger turned his gaze toward Hohyun. Dressed head to toe in clothes he had chosen, the sight surprisingly didn’t look bad. Just as he curved his lips in satisfaction, Kangwoon paused. Clothes weren’t the point here… Fixing his eyes on the black-haired head, he asked a question.

Footnotes:

 

1. “President Beom” (범 사장님) – “범” literally means “tiger.” This is likely either a surname, a title, or a nickname referring to the tiger character Kangwoon. 
2. Pavlov’s dog reference – A well-known psychological experiment demonstrating conditioned reflexes; here used as an analogy for Hohyun’s unstable transformations.