A/N: Happy Belated Valentine's Day! Thanks once again to InHwa, KLSoEul, and LilisLittleRose for reviewing this chapter for me!
Things get worse in this chapter before they get better, but I promise we are not having a repeat of Chapter 15.
The next chapter will be in Ga Eul's POV.
If you don't already know, I am on Instagram as jodimarie2910, and you can find all the artwork accompanying this story on my Instagram page. :)
The Lunar New Year came and went like all the others before it, and while the advent of a new year had long ceased to hold any wonder or excitement for Rang, this year he found the celebration to be profoundly annoying because it put all of his plans with Ga Eul on pause. And by plans with Ga Eul, Rang meant fulfilling the rest of her requests.
Given Ga Eul's underwhelming reaction to him completing three out of the five items on her list, it was clear to Rang now that he needed to complete all of his assignments; once he did that, Ga Eul would surely see that she could trust him, and their relationship would return to normal. Once he'd paid his debt, everything would be fine. Everything had to be fine.
Rang missed Ga Eul.
After Saturday's disappointing date, he'd texted her to see if she felt better, but though she'd said she did feel better, she'd kept her replies short. He'd called her on Lunar New Year, but she hadn't answered her phone. She'd texted him later to say she'd been eating dinner with her parents as she was staying with them throughout the holidays. Rang had wished her a good visit, and that had been the end of their conversation so far this week. At least Ga Eul had agreed to go with him to Ha Eun's birthday party. She'd texted him a short confirmation that she would be available on that date, and he was looking forward to it immensely, especially after the awkward Lunar New Year dinner he'd just suffered through.
There had been a full house at Lee Yeon and Nam Ji Ah's dwelling—Rang's brother, Ji Ah, Ha Eun, Rang, Soo-oh, Shin-joo, Yu Ri, and, unfortunately, Ji Ah's parents. As if it wasn't enough that Rang was the only adult present without their significant other, Ji Ah's mother kept giving him the evil eye every time he so much as looked at Ha Eun. Her constant surveillance was unfathomably tiring. He ought to have the old lady turned back into a flower.
Of course, on some level, Rang had enjoyed being with his family—all of them in one place, enjoying the delicious food Shin-joo and Ji Ah's mother had prepared—but his enjoyment was overshadowed by Ga Eul's absence. Which was odd, seeing as she'd never been to a family function with him before. Seeing as he was used to being by himself at such gatherings.
He guessed this was what being in a couple felt like—the one half would always feel alone without the other.
No wonder humans made such foolish deals with foxes on behalf of their lovers.
No wonder they did such ridiculous things, like what Rang was about to do.
"Ahhh!" Shin-joo leaped in his seat upon finding Rang's grinning face right outside the driver's side window of his car. Rang had been waiting for the veterinarian to arrive at his office building, and as he was quite irritated with Shin-joo for being so late, he didn't care that he had scared him one bit.
Actually, who was he kidding? Shin-joo's terrified face was hilarious in that split-second where he was merely shocked to find someone waiting outside his car and his brain had not yet registered that it was a familiar face.
"I need you to help me find a human hobby," Rang announced when Shin-joo opened his car door, and Rang lazily stepped aside to allow it.
"Do you also need to harass me at my office? Is it not enough that you've been cleaning out our refrigerator for the last two weeks?" Shin-joo complained. He started walking to the entrance of his office building, and Rang pursued him.
"I need a human hobby. I can't ask Yu Ri, and you have to work all day."
"Why didn't you ask me for the past three days? I've been off work for the holiday."
"Because you spent most of it cooking over at my brother's house," Rang answered. Not that he had any qualms about bothering Shin-joo at Yeon's house, but...Yeon didn't know anything about his argument with Ga Eul, and Rang preferred to keep it that way.
"That was your New Year's dinner I was cooking," Shin-joo said.
Ignoring Shin-joo's comment, Rang persisted, "So...a human hobby. I already have less than three days to get one, so we have to get started right away."
"I'm guessing this is for Chu Seonsaengnim. You know a hobby isn't something you find lying around on the ground, right?" Shin-joo unlocked the door to his veterinary practice and stepped inside, with Rang hot on his heels.
'You know a hobby isn't something you find lying around?' Rang mimicked.
"You're very attractive when you mock people," Shin-joo noted dryly as they walked back to his office, with Shin-joo flicking on the lights as they went. "No wonder Chu Seonsaengnim can't resist you."
"Well, don't pretend you weren't mocking me just then. I know what a hobby is. I just don't find anything humans do to be interesting," Rang whined. "It's not my fault they're so uninspired."
"Hmmm...Well, why don't you say that to Chu Seonsaengnim when you see her?" Shin-joo shoved open his office door and deposited his briefcase and his lunch bag on his desk.
"Because she gave me this stupid list, and I have to do everything on it," Rang huffed, "which...by the way, here." Rang thrust out his left fist, and Shin-joo eyed Rang's balled-up hand warily.
"What's that?"
"Hold out your palm, and you'll find out." Rang smirked.
"Why do I feel like you're about to give me a spider?" Shin-joo said but reluctantly held out his palm.
Dammit, Rang should have given him a spider first. Oh well, he could give him a spider later. He could sneak it into his briefcase.
Rang unceremoniously dropped a set of keys into Shin-joo's hand.
"What are these for?"
"They're for your new office. You kept droning on about wanting a better location. There it is. I bought it. Now." Rang stuck his hands in his pockets and began pacing Shin-joo's office. "About that hobby. It can't involve manipulating people, whatever that means—"
"Uh, excuse me." Shin-joo held up the keys, jangling them. "You bought me a new office? As in, the building?"
"Isn't that what I just said?" Rang asked, annoyed. Unfortunately, his annoyance continued as Shin-joo began frantically bowing and rambling about Rang having a chef for life amid a chorus of 'thank you, thank you so much, hyung.' When he drew closer and latched onto Rang's arm, as though he might hug him, Rang shook him off with a shudder.
"Ah, get up. How many times do I have to tell you we're not brothers?" Rang admonished. "I told you. I'm just doing this for Ga Eul. I have to do the items on her list."
As Shin-joo straightened up, his grateful expression shifted to bewilderment.
"Chu Seonsaengnim asked you to buy me an office?" he asked.
Rang sighed.
"No." Drawing Ga Eul's list out of his suit jacket pocket, he held the paper up so Shin-joo could read it clearly.
"Number four," Rang explained.
"Do something nice for someone you've hurt," Shin-joo read aloud. Rang waited a beat. Slowly, understanding dawned on Shin-joo's face. "Ah. I suppose you expect me to confirm that you have, in fact, done something nice for me."
"I think that would be a fair repayment of my generosity." Smiling with satisfaction, Rang refolded the paper and stuffed it back in his pocket. "If you tell Lee Yeon about this, I'll beat you up again," he threatened.
Shin-joo held up his hands in surrender.
"Oh, don't worry. I wouldn't dare accuse you of reforming."
Rang raised his eyebrows.
"Still...thank you...Mister Lee Rang," Shin-joo continued, giving Rang another awkward bow. "You're really doing everything she wants?" he asked curiously.
"I've done everything except find a hobby," Rang stated proudly. "And you said I wouldn't take responsibility. Of course, I'm taking responsibility. A fox doesn't like to stay in debt. Now will you help me find a hobby or not?" He cocked an eyebrow.
"Of course, of course," Shin-joo stammered, his whole demeanor having changed since Rang handed him the office keys. "Hey!" Shin-joo snapped his fingers. "What about martial arts?"
"How is that a hobby? I already know everything there is to know...Besides, I think Ga Eul might take issue with me beating people up as a hobby, and it's not fun if I can't beat people up," Rang lamented.
"Valid point. Okay." Shin-joo circled around his desk and sat down in his chair, as though that might help him solve Rang's query. "What about sports?" he asked. "Baseball? Soccer?"
"Why? So I can watch all the humans eat my dust? You think anyone could compete with me?" Rang unsheathed his claws threateningly. "You think anyone would dare?"
Shin-joo opened his mouth, shut it, then opened it again, like he was debating what to comment.
Finally, he mentioned delicately, "Yoga? Golf? Those are physical and solitary."
"Those are physical and lame," Rang said, sheathing his claws.
Shin-joo pursed his lips.
"So nothing sports-related. Got it. Have you tried those new mindfulness coloring books? My receptionist's been working on one for an entire year. Must be fascinating."
"Mindfulness?" Rang drawled the word out disdainfully.
"Or if you don't want to color, you can always meditate. It's a solitary activity as well, so I think you'll be safe from manipulating anyone...or injuring them, for that matter."
"You think me being bored out of my skull is safe?" Rang scoffed.
Shin-joo frowned, and Rang nearly smiled from watching him grow as frustrated as Rang felt, having to even find a hobby to begin with. What the hell was this human doing to him? If she'd wanted to torture him, she couldn't have picked a better way to do it. She knew how much he despised human activities.
Wait. Was she trying to torture him?
"Well, what does Chu Seonsaengnim like doing in her spare time?" Shin-joo asked, and Rang reeled himself back in from the highly improbable suggestion that Ga Eul—sweet, innocent Ga Eul without an ounce of duplicity—would consciously make him do something he hated.
Although...he kind of hated this whole situation…
Rang squinted at a pen on Shin-joo's desk.
"Mister Lee Rang?"
Rang sighed and tilted his head thoughtfully. He rubbed his thumb over his bottom lip.
"She likes taking pictures," he replied, dropping his hand back down.
"Oh, that's it then!" Shin-joo exclaimed, rapping his hand on his desk. "Photography!"
"Why would I want to see more of the human world than I have to? Taking pictures of it is like seeing it twice. Pass."
"Hmph." Shin-joo looked unamused. "So I'm guessing scrapbooking is out as well...How about succulents?"
"You mean plants?"
"Sure. You live alone. You ought to have time and room for them. Actually"—Shin-joo's eyes widened with excitement in a way that made Rang afraid of what he might suggest—"you have plenty of room for a small garden out on your balcony. Ga Eul might like that you're helping things grow, and if you want to grow your own ingredients for food, I can tell you what vegetables and herbs would do well. I can even give you recipes—"
"Shin-joo." Rang gave him an exasperated look, and the man stopped ranting.
"Yes?"
"Are you trying to kill me?" Rang asked.
"No...Well, there's no need to look at me like that. If you don't like the idea, just say so."
"Why don't you suggest something that's not going to bore me out of my skull?"
Shin-joo frowned again and paused, rubbing his chin. After a moment, his eyes lit up.
"Magic tricks!"
"Human magic?" Rang burst out laughing.
"They seem to enjoy it," Shin-joo protested. "Fine. Uh, cosplay?"
"You've got to be joking." Rang nearly rolled his eyes, remembering the pathetic attempts of humans trying to look like people other than themselves—beings infinitely more powerful than they could ever hope to be.
"But you'd be the most believable character there!" Shin-joo insisted. "You can literally be anyone. You'd be popular."
Rang considered this for a moment. On one hand, the task required little effort on his part and would allow him to use his powers. On the other hand, he would be forced to interact with humans much more than he would like, and also, he wasn't sure if Ga Eul would count that as 'manipulating people' since she hadn't taken so kindly to him shapeshifting in front of her. Mocking handmade human costumes would only bring him so much enjoyment, and what was the point of being adored and admired if he couldn't take advantage of the attention to elicit favors or use his fox powers to convince some gullible someone that he was, in fact, a legendary character straight from the pages of their manga? In truth, he had no interest in being popular among humans unless there was something specific or concrete he could get out of it, like food or at least the pleasure of playing a joke. And this...this was the perfect setup for a prank without the permission to follow through.
He'd been mocking and rolling his eyes at all of Shin-joo's suggestions so far, but now he found Ga Eul's restrictions genuinely frustrating. He was bored enough with humanity as it was, and now he couldn't even…
Rang huffed. He felt like a bird whose wings had been clipped. Suddenly, he was acutely aware that Ga Eul was human, for all humans were irritating to some degree.
"Pass," he said flatly, with an edge of annoyance.
"Really?" Shin-joo blinked.
"Pass." Rang gritted his teeth.
"Right, okay, um...I'm guessing cooking is out. How about woodworking? Leather crafting? Pottery?"
"Pottery is for simple-minded parasites," Rang spat, taking out his frustration on Ga Eul's former love interest.
"What?" Shin-joo frowned in confusion.
"Never mind. You are very unhelpful," Rang complained.
"Dr. Gu?" Shin-joo's receptionist poked her head into the office—when had she gotten there? "Kim Sun Yool is here about her puppy who was vomiting," she informed them.
"Oh, yes. Send her into the exam room. I'll be there in just a moment," Shin-joo replied. Turning back to Rang once his receptionist had closed the door, Shin-joo said, "We can continue this lat—"
"No need. I got what I came for," Rang answered, a brilliant idea striking him.
"You did? But—"
"Good luck with your mindfulness coloring books." Rang smirked.
"They aren't mine! It's my receptionist's—what are you doing?!" Shin-joo asked as Rang changed form, morphing into his college student disguise.
"Isn't it obvious?" Rang asked, smirking more boldly. "I'm going to drive your receptionist crazy."
"I don't understand you."
"Well, don't worry your simple mind about it."
Rang opened the door to Shin-joo's office, then stuck his hands in his pockets and strolled languidly through the lobby, casting a careless glance at the receptionist who gawked at him, no doubt wondering if there had been two men visiting Shin-joo in his office instead of one.
Ever since he'd gone ice skating with Soo-oh, Rang had been itching to go with Ga Eul as well, so on Friday, he texted her to say that he wanted to plan their date and it would be a surprise. He knew Ga Eul liked surprises, and she'd complained once that she was always the one to plan where they went. He hoped the romantic setting he'd picked out would lighten Ga Eul's mood. At least, the location seemed to work in dramas.
On Saturday, Rang picked Ga Eul up from her apartment at two in the afternoon. She still wasn't wearing her butterfly necklace, he noted with disappointment as she buckled her seatbelt and asked him where they were going for their date.
"Don't you know what a surprise is?" Rang teased, petting her hair. "It means you'll see when we get there."
"Okay," Ga Eul answered, smiling up at him. Dark circles remained under her eyes. If possible, she looked more exhausted than she had on the previous Saturday. On second thought, he hoped she wouldn't be too tired for what he'd planned. But then, she didn't have to do anything, really. He was perfectly content to do all the work, pulling her around on the ice. Maybe she'd laugh as they passed by everyone, like Soo-oh had done. In any case, the activity would give him an excuse to hold her hands.
Without further comment, Rang pulled his white Mercedes out onto the road and away from Ga Eul's apartment complex. Ga Eul stayed quiet as Rang drove along, and after a few minutes, Rang couldn't help but note, "You owe me another prize now. I've managed to find a hobby, and I did something nice for someone I hurt. You can ask Shin-joo."
"Oh, really? That's great. Thank you for doing that for me," Ga Eul said cheerfully, but it sounded false. Forced. Shouldn't she be pleased?
There was a tremor of apprehension in her voice; the human ear probably wouldn't detect it, but Rang was no human.
"Do you want to hear what my hobby is?" he tried.
"Oh, yes! Yes."
"I'm going to get a puppy."
"A puppy?"
"Yeah, didn't I tell you I had one when I was a kid? Anyway, I thought maybe you could go with me when I pick one out. If you wanted, you could also get a cat since I know yours passed away. If we get them the same age, they can be siblings." Rang smiled, suddenly quite excited by the idea. He could imagine their pets having playdates together. Once they got over the whole dog-cat rivalry thing. So caught up was he in his musings that he didn't notice until some moments later that Ga Eul hadn't responded.
"Jagiya? Did you hear me?" He glanced over at Ga Eul; she had been staring out the window, but when he called her by the nickname, she returned her attention to him.
"Oh, sorry, um...Yes. A puppy is a great hobby. It's very sweet. You're very sweet," she said, but her voice was tinged with...with...sadness? Disappointment? He couldn't tell.
"Are you still feeling sick?" he asked, frowning over at her while they were stuck at a red light.
"Huh?" Ga Eul glanced up at his face, seeming flustered. "Oh, um, no. I'm fine. Really, I'm fine, just...just tired from...you know, the holidays and everything." Rang looked her over from head to toe; Ga Eul was bundled up in her purple coat with her arms crossed in her lap. She was kneading her right sleeve cuff with the fingers of her left hand. That was her tell, he'd figured out. When Ga Eul was nervous, she always fiddled with something, whatever was closest to her hands. Her purse strap or his dress shirt or his fingers.
The light turned green, forcing Rang to tear his eyes away from Ga Eul. Something wasn't right. He had an ominous feeling about this date, but he pressed on and only drove faster to their destination, his fingers impatiently drumming the steering wheel at every red light.
They soon arrived at the park where the ice skating rink was located, and Rang took Ga Eul by the hand and walked briskly with her to the entrance of the rink. At first, Ga Eul kept pace with him, but as they approached the rink, her steps grew slower and slower until she was practically dragging him backwards.
"We're going ice skating?" Her voice squeaked at the end of the question.
"Yes! That's the surprise." Rang smiled encouragingly. "See? I can plan a human date." Unfortunately, Ga Eul did not seem pleased with this turn of events.
"Uh, wait. Wait," Ga Eul said, coming to a complete halt and forcing him to stop as well. "Um...I don't...I don't like ice skating that much," she explained. "I mean, I'm really bad at it. You'd probably be bored going with me."
"You can't be worse than Soo-oh, and I just spent two hours ice skating with him." Two exhausting, lamentable hours, but still. "Besides, I can pull you around. It'll be fun," Rang insisted, tugging her forward again.
What the hell was with Ga Eul? Usually, she was the one pushing him to do human activities. She'd been so weird since...Well, he guessed the last time they'd spent a perfectly normal day together was before he'd nearly blown up their relationship. Was that it? Was she still mad at him? But she'd forgiven him. At least, she'd said she had.
Had she changed her mind? Did she want to break up with him? Had she only forgiven him to make herself feel better?
Rang shoved all of those dire scenarios to the back of his mind, but then Ga Eul came to a stop again. She even slipped her hand out of his.
"Wait. Wait," she called out, and he looked back at her exasperatedly, half-wishing she'd spit out whatever was bothering her already and half-dreading that she would.
"What?" he urged. "What is it?"
Ga Eul opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She looked to be at a loss for words, and Rang was losing his patience.
"Um…"
Rang sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Jagiya, what is it? Even for a human, you're acting strange."
Ga Eul stared down at the ground for what seemed like an eternity, saying nothing, but finally she answered softly, "I don't want to go ice skating." She touched the edge of her coat sleeve.
"That's it?" Rang bit out, ignoring the bitter edge to his voice. "You don't want to go ice skating? You've been acting strange since last weekend."
Ga Eul fingered her cuff, clenching and releasing the fabric. She wouldn't look at Rang.
She wanted to break up with him. That had to be it. That was why she wasn't saying anything. Of course. She would never be able to accept him the way he was—her with all her irritating goodness—but Ga Eul was worse than all the other humans who'd been afraid of him. She wouldn't run from him. She wouldn't scream. She wouldn't spit on him or hit with sticks. She wouldn't say anything to his face, but he could tell she didn't trust him anymore, and only because of her ridiculous ideals did she decide to give him a second chance. Suddenly, the reason for her behavior—why she shied away from talking with him and touching him—became abundantly clear.
"Um." Ga Eul bit her lip. She lifted her gaze but didn't look at him. Her eyes were wild and haunted and panicked.
Because of him. It had to be because of him.
"If there's something you'd like to say to me, just say it. I'm not going to eat you, even if you break up with me."
That made Ga Eul's eyes snap to his face.
"W-what?" The concern on her face grew.
"Come on. Be honest. Is the bad fox scaring you again, little human?" Rang remarked scathingly. Little human. Not my little human. For there was a clear distinction.
But Ga Eul only looked confused by his question.
"What? No. No, you're not scaring me at all. Why would you think that?"
"Because I know you're not just tired from work. I'm six hundred years old. I'm not stupid. I've been studying human behavior my whole life. You're scared of something, and I'm the only scary thing here, aren't I?"
"No!" Ga Eul burst out, shaking her head vehemently. "That's not it at all!"
Rang scoffed and was about to come up with a sarcastic comeback when suddenly Ga Eul launched herself at him and threw her arms around his waist.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I've been confusing. I can explain," she rushed out. "It's nothing to do with you. You've been perfect. Really. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Rang stiffened in her arms. She was babbling, and his first instinct was to shove her away. As it was, he kept his arms at his sides, his hands balled into fists. He and Ga Eul were standing in the middle of the sidewalk, and people stared at them as they circled around them, but as the people in question were humans, Rang cared little what the bystanders thought of them, of him. Slowly, though, it dawned on him that Ga Eul was crying, muffling her sobs in his coat.
Rang's hands relaxed, and he automatically brought one hand up to pet her hair.
"Ga Eul...What's wrong?"
Ga Eul shook her head but kept crying.
Oh, shit.
Maybe he'd totally misread the situation. He supposed Ga Eul would hardly be looking to him for comfort if he was the source of her anxiety.
He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to his chest.
Sliding his hand into the hair at her nape, he asked again, "What's wrong? Did someone hurt you?" Rang's heart rate spiked, and his thoughts began racing for a different reason. "Hey. You should talk to me," he urged. "What's the point in having a nine-tailed fox for a pet if you don't use him? What did I tell you about letting yourself get bitten?"
Unfortunately, Ga Eul seemed too far gone for his questions. She wouldn't even raise her head. Instead, she clung to him tighter and tighter as she sobbed, and soon he noticed he was supporting most of her body weight, as though she might collapse if she let go of him.
Fuck. He wouldn't get any answers this way. Once Ga Eul started crying, she wouldn't stop until she'd cried herself out. He'd learned that the hard way. It was terribly human of her, but rather than annoying him, hearing her cry brought tears to his own eyes.
Rang blinked them away. They wouldn't help anything.
"Come on, jagiya," he said softly. "Let's go to the car before your human heart gives out from you crying on the sidewalk. There you can cry as much as you like, and then you're going to tell me everything. Because I'm not letting you out of my car until you do." He gently pried her arms off of him and twisted her around. Her eyes were red and puffy, and hair clung to her tear-streaked face. Putting his hands on her shoulders, he guided her forward until they reached his car. There, he opened the passenger side door for her to get in, but she shook her head and opened the door to the backseat. She climbed in and slid all the way to the other side of the car, and he realized she meant for him to get in beside her. The moment he did, she shrugged off her coat and laid her head down on his lap, and—oh. She was wearing his cardigan, the caramel-colored one he'd given to her while he was following her around.
Ga Eul would hardly wear a gift given to her by someone she didn't trust, would she?
Rang flushed with shame.
When he'd thought he was being rejected, Rang could think of any number of things to say. Now he found himself at a loss. He felt bad for snapping at Ga Eul earlier. Obviously, something had been wrong. He shouldn't have assumed he was that something.
So much for not being an asshole. He'd made it an entire three weeks. Two weeks, if he considered that she almost left during his apology.
Rang stroked Ga Eul's hair. She'd curled herself up on the length of the backseat and was crying into his upper thigh.
It suddenly occurred to him that he always snapped at her when he expected her to leave him, but so far she'd done nothing of the sort, and he'd only succeeded in making her upset. It further occurred to him that if there was something—or someone—else that was really bothering her, he might have no idea because he automatically made everything about him.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, then realized she probably couldn't hear it with how loud she was sniffling. "I'm sorry," he tried again, raising his voice. "It's okay." Clearing his throat, he reassured her, with more confidence than he felt, "Your pet fox is here now. What do you want him to do?"
