He’s a Fox Ch 32

Chapter 32

Hohyun’s fingers fidgeted nervously with the edge of the card. One could say it was only about buying a cellphone, so why act so dramatic? But for Hohyun, walking into a phone shop required mental preparation as if marching onto a battlefield. Places like that dazzled you with talk of “discounts” and “freebies,” only to wring you dry with long-term contracts.

If you weren’t careful, you could easily find yourself robbed blind while stammering, unsure of what had just happened. Normally, he would research ahead and buy devices online, but now wasn’t the time for that. He had no choice but to brace himself, accept a small financial hit, and step inside.

As expected, the moment he came back to his senses, his wallet had been thoroughly emptied. Hohyun rubbed at the tears pricking the corner of his eyes as he looked at his newly lighter bank balance and heavier shopping bag. Still, the phone itself was excellent. The sparkling new electronic device, gleaming under its protective film, made him finally feel like a person of modern civilization.

Sure, he had been walking on two legs for a while, but simple bipedal movement didn’t quite make one a modern man. Holding in his hands what was essentially the pinnacle of contemporary technology finally gave him that feeling.

Staring affectionately at the device, he tried to recall and save the phone numbers of family and acquaintances one by one. With so many accidents having piled up in his life, his human connections had naturally become few but deep; otherwise, he might not have even remembered phone numbers and suffered for it.

While saving his family’s numbers, he suddenly remembered his youngest elder brother. Hohyun’s expression darkened with annoyance, though it quickly turned into a silent resolution that he’d visit the family home soon. No matter how dense he was, seeing Hohyun in person should finally silence his suspicions about “scammers.”

As a form of survival notice, Hohyun sent his eldest brother a text—the first in a long time. He briefly explained that he had run into trouble and lost his old phone, but that he was living well. Only after sending that message did he finally return to the car that had been waiting in the parking lot.

Hearing that Hohyun had nowhere else to go, the Black Bear immediately changed their course back toward the Tiger’s den. Unlike before, this time he didn’t bother turning on the navigation. His mouth even curved ever so slightly, as if he were in good spirits since their business was done.

While the Bear drove happily, Hohyun installed messenger and banking apps in the car. His bank account balance looked thinner than usual today. Staring at the forcibly slimmed-down numbers, he made up his mind—he’d sign the contract. Honestly, where else could he find better conditions than here?

And if that was the case, then being the Tiger cub’s playmate didn’t sound so bad after all. At the very least, here he wouldn’t have to work until 5 AM only to clock in again at 7. With his mind now at ease, he redownloaded all the apps that had once been on his old phone. Thank heavens for unlimited data plans.

Arranging his apps neatly into folders by category, Hohyun lost all sense of time. By the time the car stopped, they had already reached their destination. Surprised, the fox quickly gathered his things.

Before going inside, he turned to the Black Bear who had chauffeured him all day. Though it hadn’t really been voluntary, the fact remained he’d waited without complaint everywhere they went. Hohyun bowed.

“Thank you for driving me around today.”

“Well, sure… If you have to go anywhere again, let me know.”

Between the introverted fox and the socially-challenged bear (except when it came to dogs), the air turned a little awkward. Only after stepping toward the door did Hohyun finally relax and sigh in relief—then he stiffened. This isn’t even my house, so why do I feel relieved? His face twisted in mild confusion as he pushed the door open.

But instead of emptiness, a large obstacle greeted him at the entryway. He jumped up on the spot, tail and ears bristling wildly. His heart thundered so loudly it almost hurt. Looking closer, he realized the obstacle was none other than the Alligator.

The Alligator pressed a finger slowly to his lips, signaling for silence, then pointed downward at his own feet. There, lying curled over the hard scales of the reptile’s massive foot, was the little Tiger cub, fast asleep with its head tilted upward against him.

Checking his phone for the time, Hohyun realized it was about the cub’s regular nap hour. Still, he wondered why the big Tiger wasn’t here, and why the cub had chosen this spot in particular. Reading the confusion in his expression, the Alligator whispered softly:

“…She’s been like this since you left.”

In other words, the cub had stuck by the doorway waiting for his return after hearing the “doggie” had gone out. Staring down at that round little head, Hohyun exhaled helplessly. If his nieces and nephews had done something like this, he would’ve scooped them up with hugs and kisses immediately. But this wasn’t his child—this was someone else’s precious younger sister. Waking her was out of the question. He bit down the rising impulse and bounced lightly on his toes instead, clutching the drawstrings of his bag.

The Alligator nodded, seemingly sympathizing with his struggle. After all, who on earth could resist when a child that already radiated cuteness just by breathing started doing something adorable on top of that? Filled with biased but sincere thoughts, Hohyun quietly removed his shoes and tiptoed inside.

Unable to tear his gaze away from the cub, Hohyun suddenly heard the Alligator speak again.

“Hyungnim said to come straight to the study when you got back.”

“…And you’ll just stay here like this?”

“As long as the young lady’s asleep, I have to.”

It seemed pitiful to see even his ankle being used as a pillow, but what could be done? Since he had no idea when the cub might wake, it was more efficient to quickly finish his task. And judging from the way she’d been camped here waiting, when she did wake she was bound to keep him occupied for a long while.

So, Hohyun first ducked into the room he had slept in last night, only to unload the many bags still strapped to his back. Setting everything down neatly near the door, he prepared to head to the study—but realized a problem. He still hadn’t memorized which room the study was.

Stepping into the hallway and seeing the rows of identical doors, his expression turned grim. Last time he had simply followed behind the Tiger, and his field of vision had been different in fox form anyway, so everything looked muddled now. Eventually, he abandoned sight and turned to another sense—his nose. Tilting his head back, he inhaled deeply.

Though not as sharp as in full beast form, he still trusted his sense of smell. The scent of Tiger was heavy everywhere in the mansion, but the areas they spent most of their time in should smell stronger. With the pride of a canid on the line, he traced the scents seriously until he stopped at the third room.

This is it!

But when he boldly opened the door, the room was completely empty. Not a single orange strand of fur in sight, let alone the Tiger himself. Embarrassed, he quickly shut it again. Thankfully no one had seen, otherwise it would have been mortifying.

Having lost his confidence, picking the next door seemed even harder. While he wavered, the sound of his shuffling feet must have reached the actual study, because the big Tiger finally came out.

The correct door, just two down from his first attempt, swung open and Kangwoon emerged. Spotting him wandering, the Tiger tilted his head, then beckoned warmly.

“If you’re here, you should come in. What are you doing out there?”

“Well… I didn’t know which room was the study.”

Hohyun grinned sheepishly and slipped inside. This time, at least, he knew the place. He sank naturally onto the sofa. As a fox it had once looked impossibly tall, but in human form it was just a slightly oversized couch.

Looking around idly, his eyes fell on something—claw marks scratched into one side of the sofa. He flinched and instinctively stretched out his hand to cover them. Even if the homeowner himself didn’t seem bothered, from the one who caused it, guilt lingered.

Sitting stiffly with both hands on his knees, Hohyun watched as Kangwoon finally began to speak.