He’s a Fox Ch 53

Chapter 53

From the second day onward, nothing particularly eventful happened. Hohyun spent his time at home simply eating, sleeping, and playing with his nieces and nephews. By the last day, his fox face practically shone from how well-rested and well-fed he had been. Unfortunately, the side effect of overeating was a bloated stomach—his parents had kept piling food onto him, and refusing had not been an option.

He didn’t have much to pack—he’d arrived nearly empty-handed. Still, he gathered a few personal items before stepping into the living room. Just as he was double-checking for forgotten things, someone clung onto his back.

The weight, the hold, the timing—well past noon on a weekday—meant it could only be one person. With a sigh, Hohyun shoved his older brother, Ihyeon, off.

“What now.”

“You’re leaving already? Stay longer.”

“It’ll clash with rush hour if I don’t leave soon.”

“You taking the bus? I’ll drive you.”

“You’re not tired?”

“Nope. Deadlines are done. I’ll just drop you off and go meet my sweetheart afterwards.”

The freelancer who once gave up sleep during crunch now radiated leisure. He dangled car keys with a grin.

Truth be told, a car ride sounded far better than a long bus ride. Hohyun accepted without protest.

He thought nothing of it until they neared their destination. As they drove toward the Tiger’s Den, he noticed his brother’s gaze darting about in “casual” inspection. And then it struck him—hadn’t this same brother been whispering with his sister-in-law the other night, speculating on who Hohyun’s secret crush was? Suspicion became certainty once they pulled up. Ihyeon lingered, peering intently toward the Den even after dropping him off.

“I thought you said you were meeting your girlfriend. Leave already!”

“Alright, alright, I’m going.”

Seeing his younger brother’s eyes spark upward in barely contained temper, Ihyeon backed off swiftly and drove away. Suffocating exasperation left Hohyun sighing deeply before stepping inside.

—

The one who greeted him first within the Den was Kangwoon. Phone still in his hand, having just completed a call, he nodded in recognition. The fox tensed immediately, but relaxed once he saw the tiger in his usual beastman form.

If Kangwoon had greeted him as a human again, Hohyun might have short-circuited. Relief and a flicker of disappointment mingled. And perhaps Kangwoon caught that trace—for in the next instant, his striped face blurred.

The familiar tiger visage melted into smooth skin, brilliant golden eyes flicking downward at him. The same face Hohyun had involuntarily imagined countless times while away now stood an arm’s length away. He sucked in a sharp breath.

This time, Kangwoon wore only casual knitwear, yet the physique beneath was no different from when he was striped and furred. Most beastmen shifted size dramatically between beast and human forms, but large breeds like tigers lost very little height, muscle, or presence.

“…Hhh.”

The breath left Hohyun’s throat frozen. He could hear Kangwoon murmur something under his breath, like a low comment of discovery or approval, but he dared not ask. Abruptly, Kangwoon let the form fade back into tiger stripes again. He ruffled the fox’s hair gently.

“Relax. I’m not going to eat you.”

“R-right…”

Turning, Kangwoon gestured for him onward. Behind, Hohyun followed nervously, heartbeat so loud it felt like it must echo to tiger ears. His employer seemed unfazed, commenting instead:

“Your family reunion went alright?”

“Yes!”

The quick, unhesitating nod reminded Kangwoon again—this fox was canid stock, tied closely to family loyalty. Wolves, foxes, dogs, even coyotes—they all cherished their packs.

“That’s good. Visit again next time.”

“You’re… going out again?”

“Yeah. I’ll need to be at the family estate quite often now.”

The real reason was unknown to Hohyun—he assumed it was simply for holiday gatherings, with Christmas and Lunar New Year around the corner.

They chatted lightly—the tiger mentioning the incident where Yuri had snatched the alligator’s phone, the fox recounting tales of his nieces and nephews. In that calm rhythm, his pulse at last steadied. He told himself he had only panicked seeing the human face too suddenly.

Just then, footsteps padded closer. A sleepy little voice yawned. Yuri appeared, eyes rubbed, tiny paws dragging. She stopped short two steps before them, muzzle twitching.

“Smells weird!”

Hohyun, unlike the flustered alligator the infamous “cat incident,” remained calm. “Yeah, I just came back home.”

“Mong-moo Oppa’s brother?”

Her words broke “Moong-moo(puppy)” and “Oppa” into separate terms. She didn’t mean Hohyun directly, but was asking about his elder siblings. The fox crouched down to her level and explained.

“That’s right. Not exactly Oppa—more like older brother-brother—but I saw him, and my sister too. Even met one neice, two years older than you.”

He left out the extra relatives—they would only overwhelm her.

Hearing the unfamiliar word, Yuri tilted her head. “Cousin? What’s that?”

“It means my brother’s child.”

“Ohhh… Then that means Moong-moo Oppa’s cousin is also Moong-moo?”

“Exactly. Not black like me—more yellow, like this floor.”

He tapped the pale wood beneath their feet. Curious, she peered down, but lost interest quickly. No black pup? No matter. If Seon had been black-furred like her siblings instead of golden, she might have squealed.

Customs cleared, Yuri clung firmly to his pant leg. Hohyun walked forward with her dangling freely, and she laughed with delight, swaying from his stride.

He could feel it—she had grown heavier, taller, even in just two days. “Want to measure your height again today?” he asked gently.

Her eyes blazed. She scrambled eagerly toward the growth chart.

The sticker slipped upward to mark the spot. Hohyun blinked in shock—she had surpassed average height for a three-year-old tiger cub.

“Wow! Yuri’s so tall now!”

Lifting her high, he showed the wall. Eyes shining, she checked the new sticker placement—just 4 millimeters above the old scar etched by the alligator’s claw. Instantly her face bloomed. Encouragement poured from Hohyun’s lips:

“Only two days and you grew this much! You’re probably taller than any other three-year-old. At this rate, you’ll beat your Oppa someday!”

Not just flattery—truth sincerely spoken. His earnest words filled the cub with confident pride, tail sticking high as she posed, chin up.

To solidify it, Hohyun waved nearby beastmen over. They too offered lavish praise, gushing compliments. Yuri glowed, tail vibrating skyward. With that secure confidence, he knew she would never shrink herself in shame again.

Even Kangwoon came, checking the wall. Seeing his little sister puffing belly forward, smug as a queen, the tiger’s mouth curved into an unhidden smile. He laid his hand gently atop her head.

Watching, Hohyun wondered suddenly: What had Kangwoon’s height been at age three?