He’s a Fox Ch 49

Chapter 49

“Uncle Ho-hyun?”

“Whoa!”

Two bodies shot toward him like rockets, shouting as they went. They were his twin nephews, Yejun and Yejin. Shoving aside furniture with total disregard, they ran with all the chaos of stampeding calves while Hohyun instinctively glanced at the clock. Noon. A weekday. Shouldn’t upper-grade elementary kids be at school?

The fox froze, unable to hide his alarm.

It was typical, though. Children of his eldest brother—gregarious himself—and an even more social sister-in-law, these two had been friendly since before they could walk. The moment any relative returned home, they had bolted up to pounce and greet with their whole bodies. Over the years, as they’d grown as tall and heavy as medium-sized dogs, they’d calmed down. But for Uncle Hohyun, the youngest uncle, they made an exception.

He still remembered, back when he was drowning in job-hunting fatigue, he hadn’t been able to withstand their full-force charges. Flattened to the floor, groaning, his misfortune only entertained them. Ever since, pouncing on him was “content.” Which was why every time he opened the family house door, his guard went up.

Usually, he ended huddling against the door or sprawled across the floor immediately. But today was different.

Spending months running after Yuri the tiger cub, his strength and stamina had improved. Jaw set, expression grim, the fox braced himself. The two missiles slammed into him—yet this time, he held.

He went wobbling back a half-step, but he did not fall. First victory ever. The twins’ eyes went wide at the miracle.

“What the—Uncle, have you been working out?”

“Pfft, as if. Our youngest uncle exercise?” Yejin snorted. Yejun nodded solemnly.

“Hey, I can hear you, you know.”

“So what? We’re just saying the truth.”

“Exactly!”

Backed into that wall, Hohyun remembered himself in past years. Coming home exhausted from exams, from job tests, he had always flopped on the couch, phone in hand. Why move at all? Those images explained the nephews’ skepticism. Fair enough.

He gave up quickly on arguing and instead asked about the missing little one.

“What about my youngest niece?”

“Seon-i? No idea. Out shopping with Mom, maybe.”

That was Ye-seon, the 6-year-old.

Unlike these rascals, who treated him as a living game machine that toppled satisfyingly, Seon-i would wag her tail gently, climb into his lap, showing affection with shy grace. That such a child hadn’t bolted out to welcome him concerned him more than the twins’ rowdy attack.

But the twins didn’t care, swinging still from his arms. He grunted under their weight—nearly the size of young teens, with heads above their peers, dangling on him like sacks of rice.

At least it showed their delight. They saw him so rarely that even this grabby chaos carried affection. Asking them to stop would have been pointless anyway. Instead, groaning dramatically, he staggered into the living room carrying them both.

The house was as full as legend claimed—parents, siblings, cousins, children. The kind of brood that no one could deny deserved the word “clan.” He collapsed onto the large sofa, finally shaking them loose as they tumbled behind.

Ssshhfft. The cushions breathed familiar scents that washed over him. He smiled. Limbs spread, he stretched long, tail twitching in contentment.

The twins poked at him, whispering conspiratorially:

“Something happened…”

“Bet it’s work.”

Face buried in the sofa, he confirmed softly:

“Oh. I quit my job.”

“Whoa!”

“Seriously—thank goodness. Mom worried like crazy. Said you looked half-dead these months.”

Their words had sincerity. He chuckled awkwardly. It hadn’t been entirely his choice, after all. For one moment the face of his old boss resurfaced—was that man ever caught? Even though only months had passed, it felt like years.

Then, one twin blinked a thought aloud:

“So… Uncle’s unemployed now?”

“Gasp—he is!”

“…Means he can’t buy snacks anymore?”

“Same here…”

“I… am NOT unemployed.”

“For real?”

“Yes.”

“Swear on Seon-i?”

“Why do I need to drag Seon-i into this! And even if I was jobless, I can still buy you snacks.”

Snacks meaning cheap chips or ice-cream. Hardly much cost. The twins still looked doubtful, remembering well how their uncle used to moan about discrimination in job hunting and joke bitterly about emigrating west, where fox-beast prejudice was less common.

At thirteen now, these pups had known their Uncle Hohyun for over ten years. They knew him well enough to find this suspicious. Did he really find new work so quickly?

“Uncle, not something shady, right?”

“Not at all!”

“And no one’s harassing you because you’re a fox?”

He shook his head fiercely. No. He had safety—at least in Kangwoon’s household, where none dared openly show discrimination, since Yuri the tiger cub loved him too much. Some avoided his presence, yes, but that hardly counted. He dismissed it honestly—but then Kangwoon’s dazzling human-face flashed in his mind involuntarily, making his tail twitch hard.

The twins saw his eyes glaze at the ceiling mid-conversation. They misunderstood immediately. So there ARE fox haters at his new job… He’s lying to protect us!

In a heartbeat they judged: their uncle must be covering up, not wanting them to worry. He was suffering again. They exchanged glances and nodded gravely.

Rising as one, they declared:

“Uncle, we’re stepping out a bit!”

“…O-okay, be careful.”

SLAM! The front door rattled as it closed. He blinked, late to call after them. Kids had so much energy. Dashing out coatless into mid-winter—he’d collapse in minutes. But they hadn’t even cared. They moved like they had infinite batteries, charging on hyper-speed.

It had been only a few years ago when he too had such energy—but from his foggy perspective now, it felt like a lifetime ago.

The fox collapsed, hugging a cushion, blinking at nothing. His thoughts circled back around, inevitably, to the golden face in the tailored suit.

Too much.

Not long after, the door banged again. Four more canid beastmen piled in—three children, and one tall woman. His nephews, plus Seon-i, back with their mother, his eldest sister-in-law.