He’s a Fox Ch 13

Chapter 13

The baby’s eyes sparkled as they watched the crocodile awkwardly rubbing its chin.

It seemed as though they had just learned of the existence of a cat, their body shifting with excitement as if they were about to leap out the door any moment.

Hohyun, looking into those bright, eager eyes, retraced his memory.

He was trying to recall whether or not the cat appeared in the fairy tale in question.

Having read it dozens of times in the past three weeks alongside Yuri, he could practically see the pages in his mind without even opening the book.

The cat did appear—around page twelve, if memory served.

Fortunately, it was not in a scene of playing together; rather, it was in a scene where the cat bullied the dog and was scolded by a tiger, which ultimately strengthened the friendship between the dog and the tiger.

To an adult weighed down by prejudice and common sense, if a tiger was the protagonist, it seemed more realistic for the roles of cat and dog to be reversed.

Whether the author was aiming for an unexpected twist or wishing to depict a friendship that transcended species was unclear, but they had chosen the complete opposite.

Perhaps thinking of the same thing as Hohyun, the baby flinched slightly.

After a brief hesitation, the baby let their tail droop heavily to the floor.

“…No. Yuri has Moongmoo* already.”

Not only from the fairy tale, but by observing the adults around them, Yuri had learned quite well that dogs and cats generally didn’t get along.

Apparently, the child had made a firm decision, shaking their head decisively.

To give up seeing a cat for the sake of their dog friend—it was such a purehearted devotion it could bring tears to one’s eyes.

Though it seemed, to them, like a monumental decision, to those watching it was simply amusing and adorable.

With a quiet chuckle, Kangwoon asked:

“Why? Does Meongmeong* not like cats?”

“Mhm… Moongmooies, they don’t get along with cats.”

Glancing briefly at Hohyun, Yuri then leaned in to whisper into Kangwoon’s ear.

Not that there was much point—being so close, everyone could hear it anyway—but that only made it even cuter.

To match the child’s considerate gesture, Kangwoon lowered his voice in return.

“Not always. Oppa** is also friends with Uncle Hyun, isn’t he?”

“Oppa’s not a cat, and Hyun-uncle isn’t a dog.”

“But you’ve never asked Moongmoo directly, right? If you ask, and they say it’s okay, we can go. If they say no, we’ll just play at home.”

“……!”

Perhaps finding Kangwoon’s mention of even a wolf acquaintance reasonable, Yuri easily agreed.

With a solemn look, Yuri squatted down in front of Hohyun, bringing their gaze to eye level with the fox, who was politely sitting with forepaws together.

“Moongmoo, do you want to go see the cat with Yuri later?”

“Yip.”

Even a three-year-old knew that the relationship between canids*** and felids*** was, to put it mildly, less than ideal.

This was because the two groups’ body language was almost polar opposites.

Of course, as intelligent beings capable of speech, it was not as extreme as it was for actual animals, but there was still an odd sense of incompatibility.

However, perhaps because fox beastfolk—while biologically classed among canids—were often compared to cats in personality, Hohyun, a fox, actually got along fairly well with felines.

Thus, this was hardly a difficult request for him.

Seeing the fox agree so readily, the baby’s face lit up.

Overjoyed at the thought of seeing a cat, they began bouncing on the spot and ran straight for the front door.

But the tiger caught Yuri around the waist with his tail and said sternly:

“First, we brush our teeth.”

For the sake of his young sibling’s proper daily routine, Kangwoon firmly escorted Yuri to the bathroom.

Even in the brief time it took to brush their teeth, the baby impatiently stamped their feet, unable to wait.

Strictly speaking, Yuri was also a cat****, so it was curious to see them so excited.

Hohyun could not hide his wonder at the sight of the large feline’s cheeks flushed red with anticipation.

No sooner had they finished brushing their teeth than Yuri hurriedly changed clothes—only half properly—and ran to the front door, waiting eagerly for it to open.

The crocodile glanced at them and asked casually:

“Miss, could I come along today as well?”

“Mm. No.”

The refusal came without hesitation.

To the crocodile’s dismay, the little tiger clearly had no intention of giving any answer other than “no.”

That was when Hohyun realized—it wasn’t because felines were independent that Yuri sometimes went out alone.

It was because Yuri refused to take certain companions along.

Shaking their head so vigorously that it was unmistakable, Yuri expressed their disapproval.

The crocodile shyly tried to plead his case.

“The garden’s big, so if we’re looking for a cat, more people might help.”

“Still no. Wonie-uncle is too loud—he might scare the cat away.”

It was true that the crocodile was on the loud side—his tail made a lot of noise when he walked, and despite appearances, he talked quite a lot.

With a living noise machine by your side, most wild-animal-type beastfolk would indeed keep their distance.

Seeing that Yuri’s argument showed no sign of yielding, Kangwoon, who had been quietly standing behind, spoke up.

“Then how about oppa? I’m quiet.”

“Mm…”

Yuri’s sharp gaze scanned Kangwoon from head to toe, evaluating him thoroughly.

Finally, they granted him a passing grade.

“Oppa’s fine.”

It seemed that being quiet on a daily basis had paid off.

With the baby tiger’s approval, today’s adventuring party was set at three—leaving the crocodile behind to see them off with tearful eyes.

As Hohyun stepped outside, he found something odd—nobody approached them.

Normally, the popularity of the little tiger was such that, the moment they set foot in the garden, people would gather in droves to at least exchange a few words.

Some would even unabashedly pet the black fox beside Yuri as though kneading dough.

Petting itself wasn’t an issue, but occasionally they would touch sensitive spots like the tips of his tail or feet, which was slightly troublesome.

Yet today, strangely, no one drew near. Even those passing by merely bowed politely before hurrying away.

The reason was obvious enough—Hohyun glanced at the big tiger strolling lazily behind him.

Thanks to this unintentional guardian, the walk felt delightfully peaceful, and his steps became lighter.

The tiger, watching the little fox trot playfully ahead, suddenly lengthened his stride and blocked Hohyun’s path.

He spoke in a low voice:

“It rained yesterday, so the ground’s muddy—watch your step.”

The sudden appearance of a massive leg in his view startled the fox into stopping.

Once his racing heart calmed, he glanced down at the damp ground and nodded.

It had been five days since the last time he’d been washed; having gotten the hang of walking without tripping, he’d set a personal record. Breaking it would be catastrophic.

It wasn’t just the embarrassment of being bathed at his age—there was also the worry of skin problems.

Drying was far harder in beast form, with all that fur, and if left damp too long, he risked skin peeling or even fungus.

With a soft “kyuuung” to show he understood, Hohyun fixed his gaze on his feet and stepped carefully.

But only for a while.

Up ahead, Yuri—who’d been walking a step ahead of the adults—suddenly let out a deep sigh and stopped.

“The cat’s not here.”

“Seems so.”

“Hmm.”

Despite walking quite a distance, they hadn’t seen a single cat—or even a squirrel.

Yuri narrowed their eyes at the road ahead… and without warning, transformed into a small tiger cub.

Kicking off their shoes with a shake of the hind legs, Yuri looked up at Kangwoon and gave a whining cry:

“Muaaaowng.”

“Alone? At least stay with oppa.”

“Myaaang!”

“…Alright. But no running, stick to the path, and if you see a strange person, don’t charge at them—call an adult right away.”

After repeated earnest reminders, the tiger-to-tiger conversation ended.

Holding their tail high, the cub approached Hohyun, circling him before gently bonking their forehead against his chest.

Then they strode off determinedly.

Curious as to what had been said, Hohyun looked up at Kangwoon, who offered the short translation:

“They want to look around on their own.”

It seemed Yuri had decided that the reason they hadn’t found any cats was because they were moving around in a group.

Hohyun and Kangwoon exchanged a glance, then quietly began following in the same direction.

It was dangerous to leave them alone, but if they stayed too close, they’d be noticed—so they planned to keep their distance.

From far ahead came the faint sound of Yuri’s small whines.

Following the tiny cries at a leisurely pace, Hohyun noticed the dewdrops beading on the leaves—perhaps remnants of last night’s rain, or maybe the early morning dew.

Beneath the sunlight, the moisture glittered like jewels on the delicate foliage.

A fox and a tiger quietly following a baby tiger in search of a cat—it was a heartwarming sight.

Still sluggishness clinging to him from early hours, the tiger suddenly yawned wide, sucking in a deep breath.

Turning instinctively at the sound, Hohyun found himself staring into large eyes framed by enormous fangs—7.6 centimeters long.****

Startled, the fox quickly turned his head forward again.

About five minutes later, a rustling sound came from the nearby bushes.

notes

*** Canids (갯과) refers to dog-like species such as wolves, foxes, and domestic dogs; Felids (고양잇과) refers to cat-like species such as lions, tigers, and domestic cats.

**** Here, the “cat” reference for Yuri means that they are from the feline species in beastfolk form, not literally a domestic cat.

***** 7.6 cm fang length is about 3 inches—a detail emphasizing the tiger’s predatory nature despite the domestic interactions.