He’s a Fox Ch 106

Chapter 106 Side Story 1

At the moment he felt relieved, thinking that Hohyun had successfully escaped when he had nearly fallen into the hands of the Beom family’s eldest, Kangwoon, left alone, only began to move after he confirmed to the very end that the blazing headlights had completely vanished beyond the thicket.

Because it was an unpaved road without any special treatment to make it easier for people or cars to come and go, he could feel large and small bumps beneath his shoes. One might wonder what he was doing when there was a clearly paved road right beside him, but while that road was easier on the body, in terms of distance to the destination, it was no different from taking a detour. Intent on getting home as quickly as possible, Kangwoon chose the faster path, even if it was a bit rough.

Though the forest path was so dim that he could barely distinguish even a hand’s breadth ahead, there was not the slightest hesitation in his steps forward. It was not his first time taking this road. The mansion where Beom Taeryeong currently resided had once been used as a villa by the Beom family.

Before Beom Taeryeong, newly twenty, pried the mansion from his father under the pretext of an adult gift, Kangwoon had visited the place several times, so even after more than a decade had passed, there was no need to worry about getting lost. Even if that weren’t the case, following the commotion would suffice, so it was natural that his stride was full of certainty.

As he walked quietly forward with a blank expression, Kangwoon’s appearance changed rapidly. Thick fur, close to a deep brown, sprouted densely over his sleek skin, pleasingly tanned, and atop his neatly slicked-back hair, rounded ears emerged into view.

A sense of liberation washed over him, like throwing off ill-fitting clothes. Flick, flick—after twitching his ears a couple of times, Kangwoon let out a satisfied breath. A beast that matched the forest better than anyone flashed bright yellow eyes and stared into the distance.

In Beom Kangwoon’s life, taking a perfectly human form was a rare occurrence. It was because he had spent the long span from infancy through adolescence and into young adulthood among those with soft, fluffy fur. More accustomed to adopting a form advantageous to survival than to choosing the same appearance as others, he had lived in a tiger’s shape unless it was an occasion requiring formality—such as meeting Westerners who considered that appearance barbaric, or standing before elders of considerable age.

Having lived that way all his life, there was something awkward about wearing a human appearance. Nevertheless, the reason he had maintained that form recently was purely because of Hohyun. His young lover had a particular weakness for him in that guise.

Even when he did the same things, the reaction differed depending on whether he was in tiger form or human form. At first he had been a bit uncertain, but it did not take long to notice the restless gaze fixed on him. Someone might be displeased by that fact, but he had lived too long to show such an immature response. In the art of courtship, adornment is basic. For even a handful more of his lover’s affectionate attention, Beom Kangwoon willingly chose things he had never tried.

But with Hohyun absent now, there was no reason to maintain that form. Even putting aside the various drawbacks, the person he intended to meet now was… Beom Taeryeong, his only elder sibling, was far too rough to be faced with tender human skin. If it were Beom Taeryeong, he would burst into guffaws at the sight of his younger brother in human form and would not hesitate to swing his claws.

As he walked, having finished his own preparations, people started to appear one by one. Most of them had rushed out barefoot at the order of the Beom family’s eldest daughter to chase down the fleeing Hohyun. Confronted by a tiger when they had been pursuing a fox, they exchanged startled glances.

Kangwoon looked coldly at the beastfolk who silently retreated. The mere thought of Hohyun—grimy after days, yet unable to hide his joy—made his mood sour. Though these were as good as among the culprits, those with the larger share of blame had to be dealt with first.

He walked on past those who were slyly looking for a chance to flee. Soon, the edge of a large mansion came into view in the distance. Hohyun had taken a long time to run there on fox feet, but with Kangwoon’s long stride, he reached his destination in less than a quarter of that. Thus, a group of beastfolk greeted the tiger standing before the massive front gate.

Half the faces were familiar, and the other half unfamiliar. It seemed that during his absence, they had swapped out the staff. Considering the filthy temperament involved, it was not surprising; Kangwoon simply stared straight ahead in silence. Among the foremost predators stood a tiger who looked very much like him. The moment his gaze met the blue eyes inherited from their mother, a lazily hanging tail lashed harshly.

A thick tail struck the ground, and a cloud of pale dust scattered. Despite the action brimming with hostility, Beom Taeryeong didn’t care in the least and burst into loud laughter.

“Ah, who do we have here. Isn’t this my illustrious little brother?”

“…..”

“Seeing that you rushed all the way to this remote place uninvited, it seems I didn’t do something entirely pointless.”

His tone was full of interest, as if he had finally found an opening. As always, he neither thought nor cared to hide his emotions. Seeing him like that, his thoughts were plain. It was obvious that in Beom Taeryeong’s mind, Kangwoon’s weaknesses had increased from one to two.

Clicking his tongue softly at Taeryeong’s mention of Hohyun, Kangwoon felt a weary familiarity with such behavior. From the earliest days he could scarcely remember, the Beom family’s eldest daughter had delighted in jerking her little brother around. Born the eldest daughter and hearing “heir” from those around her until her ears were calloused, she believed that their father’s possessions would someday become hers.

House, land, money, even family. To such a Taeryeong, a younger brother two years her junior was nothing more than a convenient toy to toy with. Now there isn’t much difference, but as children the difference in size had been obvious, so he hadn’t been able to resist much, and the guardians who should have intervened dismissed it as a simple dominance scuffle.

The one-sided pattern became mutual around the time their heights equalized. When the other raised claws, he raised his as well; when fangs showed, he readily threatened in kind. As the scars left by each other’s teeth and claws settled on Beom Taeryeong and Kangwoon’s bodies, Taeryeong lost interest in a younger brother who wasn’t easy prey.

For his part, Kangwoon also paid his sister little mind unless she struck first. Time passed with each treating the other like a hornet’s nest. The peace that had been maintained to some degree was broken when Beom Taeryeong began to set herself in open opposition to their father.

After a bout of fighting, her certainty that she was the sole heir shattered. In that state, her gaze fell on Kangwoon. A younger brother not far in age, and unlike herself, not estranged from their father. After a brief consideration, Beom Taeryeong elevated Kangwoon’s position from underling to rival. For Kangwoon, who had little interest in the heir’s seat, let alone in their father’s inheritance, it was an insufferable nuisance.

Unlike the past, when things could end with mutual bites and scuffles, the fights between fully grown tigers were no trifling matter. The battles between the Beom siblings did not end at mere rank sorting and degenerated into something that reeked of blood.

Their bodies became filled with scars carved by each other’s teeth and claws. Fighting alone against her father and then her younger brother as well, Taeryeong soon reached her limits. In the end, she unilaterally declared a truce and simultaneously began to coerce Kangwoon into cooperation.

Father is old, so the time for him to retire is near. Let’s form a temporary alliance to drag him down. It was an offer that would never fly.

Setting aside the impiety, it was obvious where Beom Taeryeong’s claws would turn once their father was gone. There was nothing to gain from fighting back, only nuisance, so negotiations broke down. Then Beom Taeryeong tried to seize on Kangwoon’s weakness. She sought to take control of the whereabouts of the youngest sibling he cherished.

Even so, Kangwoon did not retract his stance. A three-year-old little sister could simply be kept tucked under his arm. But the new weakness Beom Taeryeong had identified was a different story. Hohyun was an adult with a private life—he could not be treated the same as a three-year-old sister, nor did he have any desire to. Nothing in this world was eternal. To sustain a relationship, constant maintenance was essential, and Kangwoon did not want to do anything that would cost him points with Hohyun.

So there was no helping it; the only course was to remove the root cause. That was why, after sending Hohyun home alone, Kangwoon had walked into Beom Taeryeong’s mansion.

Since the other side had thrown the first punch, it was only proper to respond in kind. Staring at a face so similar it was like looking into a mirror, Kangwoon quietly curled the corner of his mouth. Beom Taeryeong accepted Kangwoon’s hostile gaze with ease. For a brief moment, time passed in silence without any conversation, and then a phone rang in Kangwoon’s pocket.