He’s a Fox Ch 29

Chapter 29

The crocodile opened the door to a vacant room near the great tiger’s study and jerked his chin at Hohyun. The gesture, wordless but clear, told him to go inside. The fox stepped in cautiously. The room was almost identical to the guest room he had changed clothes in earlier.

“Normally, staff are supposed to live in the annex, but the master said you’re to stay in the main house.”

Hohyun didn’t know that Kangwoon had made this decision because Hohyun kept getting tangled in all sorts of accidents, and now, after being diagnosed with irregular transformation patterns, it was wiser to keep him nearby where cleanup would be easier. To Hohyun, it simply felt like unfairly special treatment, leaving him puzzled.

Having ushered Hohyun into the room, the crocodile quickly dealt with the second reason he had come. He pointed out the en-suite bathroom, then filled the wardrobe with clothes that had been bought for him.

“You must be tired today. The master said to handle the contract tomorrow, so just rest.”

That said, the crocodile left and closed the door. The moment he was alone again, Hohyun went straight for the bed. Including the time in the dorm, it had been many long months since he had last slept in a proper bed. Throwing himself onto it, the soft mattress welcomed him. A groan of bliss slipped out unbidden.

Face buried in white sheets, Hohyun inhaled deeply. Aside from the scent of fabric softener, there was no smell at all, clearly unused for some time. He reached out, hugged a spare pillow into his arms, and before he realized it, sleep had already stolen him away.

Whether it was thanks to finally sleeping in a bed again, or because he had taken off the suffocating item he wore around his neck, that night he slept deeply, dreamlessly. Hours later, he sat bolt upright.

The sun had just begun to rise, sending golden beams through the curtainless window. Without hesitation, Hohyun leapt up and walked straight to the bathroom.

Peeling off his clothes to wash, he caught sight of his reflection and froze in shock. He had known his complexion looked much better in his fox form, but this was the first time he had really seen himself as a human since then. With flesh on his bones again, he looked healthier than he had in years. Awkwardly, he tugged at the flesh of his cheek, then hurried into the shower.

Drying his wet hair afterward, he felt another wave of emotion. To use a hairdryer on his own, rather than relying on someone else—it was like a dream. Humming to himself, he ruffled his hair into place with the hot air. Checking the clock, he saw it was six o’clock. Tigers, notorious for being heavy sleepers in the morning, would still be deep in dreams right now.

When he was done, hair fluffy and clean, he found he had nothing else to do. From the corner of his eye, the bed gleamed like a siren’s temptation. There’s still plenty of time. Why not lie down? The invitation was imaginary, of course, but to a man who had just basked in the bed’s comfort only an hour earlier, it was dangerously persuasive.

A moment of hesitation, then Hohyun shook his head. True, he might fall asleep again—but then, when would he wake? Already indebted to them, he could not risk oversleeping and being late. He had too much to do today. Afraid he really would nod off again if he stayed, he took drastic measures.

To resist the temptation, he simply left the room. Sitting on the sofa in the living room, he stared through the veranda at pairs of birds flitting about outside, chirping noisily as they busy-bodied their morning routines. It struck him that life seemed hard for them too, always scurrying for survival.

But the scenery, neither entertaining nor moving, slowly lulled his mind to drowsiness again. Before long, he was dozing off where he sat.

Exactly 1 hour and 46 minutes later, Kangwoon emerged slowly from his room to find him. The tiger’s face, still pinched with sleep, froze as he spotted Hohyun curled awkwardly on the sofa.

Why not sleep in his perfectly good room? And if he insisted on sleeping here, why that posture? Knees pulled up, arms wrapped tight—a position uncomfortable to even look at. For a moment, Kangwoon even wondered if he had slept here last night as well. But the clean change of clothes and faint scent of shampoo proved otherwise.

Questions filled his head, but to ask them he would first need to wake the fox. Kangwoon gripped his shoulder and shook. Oddly, Hohyun’s body now carried the same shampoo scent Kangwoon himself used. The big cat frowned faintly at the unfamiliar familiarity. At that moment, Hohyun’s eyes fluttered open.

Blinking up at the figure looming above him, Hohyun startled. With sunrise streaming through the veranda behind him, the tiger was cast in dazzling silhouette—looming, imposing.

“If you’re not going back to bed, get up. It’s time to eat.”

His already dark pelt looked black under the backlight, and his bright eyes flashed sharply. In the past, such a sight would have made Hohyun leap back screaming or try to hide behind the sofa. But he had grown used to it. Now there was no fear, only sleepiness dulling his gaze.

Predictably, the eastern-born tiger revealed his fixation with meals. Seeing the fox awake, Kangwoon left without another word, clearly off to rouse Yuri. Not hard to guess—precisely six minutes later, the two tigers would emerge together. Add two more minutes, and they’d all be seated at the table.

Stretching with a wide yawn, Hohyun finally stood. The once-silent house now stirred faintly with sounds of life. The day had begun.

After breakfast, a black bear appeared. The household included many beastkin predators, and bears comprised a significant share among them—brown bears, grizzlies, black bears. Hohyun didn’t know them all, but this particular one he recognized.

The distinguishing feature of this black bear was his unusually thick muzzle. He had been the very first to reach out and grab Hohyun when they met in the garden for the first time. And afterward, every encounter had been the same—always the most eager to paw at him. It was impossible to forget his face. And though Hohyun never intended to be friendly, the relentless bear had become one of the very few he could vaguely consider an acquaintance.

Normally, this bear would greet him with a broad grin, no matter the circumstances. But today, his face was stiff and grim. Had something bad happened? Hohyun worried briefly, but his suspicion was quickly disproved.

For the moment the little lady came dashing past, running laps down the corridor as her exercise after breakfast, his stern features melted into softness.

The harmless, gentle face beneath the burly frame was one Hohyun knew well. Whenever he went out with Yuri in fox form, this bear would always approach them with that expression.

Not that Yuri ever paid him any mind. After a few sidelong glances at Hohyun, she sprinted straight off toward the living room.

Afraid she might fall again, Hohyun watched anxiously until the small figure safely disappeared into her room. Only then did he relax. At that point, the crocodile cleared his throat loudly, tapping the black bear’s shoulder as he introduced him.

“This is Han Kyung-woo. He’ll be driving you today.”

“Ah, I’m Yeh Hohyun. Nice to meet you.”

Tail wagging amiably, he reached to shake hands. But the black bear all but ignored him, making no move despite seeing the offered hand. Cool indifference was something Hohyun had become familiar with—so it didn’t sting. But still, given who it was, the cold shoulder left him bewildered. Quietly, he lowered his hand while keeping a smile on his face.

Watching this, the crocodile suddenly raised his arm and slapped the bear on the back of the head, hard.

Crack!

“Agh!”

The sharp snap rang out far too violently for a mere palm strike. Concerned, Hohyun instinctively stepped back, certain such a blow needed medical help. Yet both the striker and the struck treated it lightly. The bear simply clutched the back of his head, rubbing the sore spot with a grunt.