He’s a Fox Ch 104

Chapter 104

“What are you doing there, not coming over?”

“Something seems to be nearby.”

“At best, it’s probably just a wild animal. You know how many of them are around this area.”

“……”

Even with that lukewarm answer, the burly man didn’t seem to intend on moving. His sharp gaze fixed precisely on where Hohyun was hiding. Was he discovered? Just as his body trembled in fear, a pigeon nearby suddenly flapped up into the air. Looking at the bird, the other man spoke indifferently.

“See, what did I tell you? Stop worrying about weird things and hurry up already. You were scolded by Wonwoo hyung last time for being late during the shift change, remember?”

“…It felt like it wasn’t a bird but something else.”

Whether the persuasion worked or not, the big man, though still suspicious, eventually left. Hohyun only relaxed when there was no longer any sign of their presence. If that pigeon hadn’t conveniently appeared at the right time, he would most definitely have been caught. The fact he came so close to being seized before he could even try anything left his mouth dry. With such a precedent now hanging over him, Hohyun became even more cautious in his movements.

He moved forward without overlooking even a single fallen leaf stirred by the breeze, which allowed him to reach the outer edge without incident. At the farthest border of the wide garden, he gazed upward with a serious look. A wall that surely exceeded five meters stood there firmly, blocking the way.

Simply climbing over it… seemed impossible. Digging underneath was no solution either—not only would it take too much time, but it was uncertain whether it was even feasible. In most cases, large stones were buried under walls precisely to prevent tunneling.

He couldn’t climb over, couldn’t go under, and going through the front gate would be pure madness. While scanning for another way, his eyes fell upon a tree growing a bit away from the wall. After quickly gauging the distance between the wall and the tree, Hohyun approached its trunk with a resolute face.

Trying to climb using his forepaws and hind legs instead of hands and feet was pure agony. After all, foxes weren’t meant to climb trees. Naturally, it was exhausting from the start. After struggling and groaning for some time, Hohyun finally managed to perch atop a tall branch.

By his calculation, he might just barely succeed, even if it was close. Still, nervousness coursed through him. After steadying his breath on the branch, he launched with all his strength into a leap. But there was one factor he hadn’t accounted for: the branch was thinner than expected.

Barely ten centimeters in diameter, the branch couldn’t withstand the weight of a fox nearing eight kilograms launching off from it. Just as Hohyun’s body flung through the air, a loud cracking sound burst out. He managed—with difficulty—to cling to the wall’s edge, but the branch snapped and crashed to the ground.

Thud—! The booming noise echoed around, making Hohyun shudder in fright. There was no way that sound went unnoticed; discovery was only a matter of time. Indeed, moments later, murmurs and shouts erupted from behind him.

Lingering any longer meant certain capture. Alarm bells ringing within him, Hohyun hurled himself downward without hesitation, not caring about the drop. Pain shot up through his paw pads upon impact, but there was no time to fuss over it. Ignoring the numbing sting, he bolted forward at once.

He hadn’t noticed when he came here by car, but now he saw that the area was surrounded by thick forest. Just where exactly had they built such a house right in the heart of wilderness? Running with every ounce of strength, his heart pounded violently, so loud he thought he could hear it echoing in his ears. Or—no—it wasn’t his heartbeat. Listening again, it seemed more like the sounds of footsteps pursuing him. Hearing the heavy thuds closing in, Hohyun ran without pause.

As expected of beasts, pursuers closed in on him quickly, and not just one or two—five of them altogether. Running as though his soles were on fire, he suddenly saw someone burst out diagonally from the side. A huge, pitch-black figure lunged toward him, the kind of scene one would expect from a horror film. Too startled even to cry out, Hohyun froze in terror.

But the one who had jumped out was none other than a bear, black from head to toe. Recognizing the very culprit who had cost him sleepless nights not long ago, the fox’s eyes flashed open. At such close quarters, there was no pretending it could be anyone else. This black bear could only be Han Kyungwoo!

The moment they were within arm’s reach, the bear lunged and scooped Hohyun up. Clutched against its broad chest, Hohyun flailed wildly in shock and betrayal. Trembling, his heart set on physical struggle, he tried to transform back into a human. Yet his body did not shift. For some reason, Han Kyungwoo kept charging forward without slowing, making transformation impossible.

Logically, he should have headed back toward the mansion—if he intended to lock Hohyun up again or exact retribution. But instead, the bear barreled straight ahead without glancing back, as if he were helping him escape. Feeling this, some of the fox’s tension melted away.

With guarded trust, Hohyun let himself be carried, quickly scanning his surroundings. The landscape blurred past so fast it was only visible as afterimages, a speed that drew unwilling admiration from him. But it was more than speed—the bear ignored every obstacle along his path. Whether it was thick brush or stones, he simply pressed forward with brute strength. Even when a person appeared mid-way, it was no exception.

“Wha—kuhhek—!”

A wolf beastman who had appeared to block them was shoved aside with a mere brush, sent tumbling across the ground. The fox, watching the pitiful scene, realized just how foolish and meaningless it had been to consider struggling earlier. Trying to fight bare-handed against a force like this bear, who crushed through everything in his path like a battering ram—good thing he hadn’t attempted it.

After sprinting like that for some time, Han Kyungwoo suddenly slowed his pace. Hohyun’s ears pricked at once; it was uncharacteristic of this juggernaut who had carved pathways where none existed. His fur fluttered from the rough panting breaths blowing down upon him while the fox tried to assess the situation. He spotted a road a little ahead, with nearly a dozen people gathered there.

One of them appeared to be speaking into the phone.

“Hey… escape…”

From here, it didn’t look like they had yet noticed Hohyun or Kyungwoo. But if spotted, they would stand no chance. Should they turn back? But behind them, predators still prowled in hot pursuit. Trapped between hammer and anvil, Hohyun searched desperately for a way out, while Kyungwoo suddenly stripped off his polo shirt.

Startled by the sudden removal of clothing, Hohyun’s ears flattened tightly. Without looking back at the fox, the black bear set the shirt on the ground, spread it flat, dumped a pile of fallen leaves on top, and then rolled the bundle up. When it seemed roughly similar in size to Hohyun, he cradled it and, for the first time since their reunion, spoke.

“I’ll… go… draw their attention. You escape first. If you go down… there will be… a car.”

His words, broken with pauses as he tried to catch his ragged breath, were strained and weary, but the meaning came across clearly. While tucking stray leaves back into the bundle, he added quietly, almost as an afterthought.

“…I’m sorry.”

“……?”

“That day… you shouldn’t have fallen.”

At his words, Hohyun tilted his head in confusion. With a subdued tone, the black bear whispered again, clearly troubled over the time Hohyun had been abducted when he’d been left alone with the weasel while Kyungwoo was off tidying dishes. The instant Hohyun understood, he shook his head quickly. It wasn’t Kyungwoo’s fault at all; only the kidnappers bore any blame.

In fact, Hohyun wanted to say he felt sorry instead, for dragging the bear into such matters. But his throat was too parched from silence and fear, and the words caught too long in his throat. Before he could get them out, Han Kyungwoo was already striding forward. Making plenty of conspicuous noise as he charged off, the bear deliberately drew all attention away, bolting in the opposite direction from where Hohyun hid.

At once, those who noticed the suspicious beast clinging to a bundle began shouting and gave chase after the bear. Left alone, the fox hesitated for a few breaths, then quietly slipped into hiding.