A/N: Hello :) I'm happy to get back to this story, and a little early too! Happy New Year everyone! And Happy Lunar New Year as well!

In case you missed it, I posted a tenth chapter to "Good Girl, Bad Fox" and a special one-shot for Christmas titled "Rang and Ga Eul's Christmas Date." You should also check out the cute one-shot "Fox in a Box" by InHwa (InHwaSE), which I'm honored to say was inspired by this story.

There's some sexually suggestive material scattered throughout this chapter and also a few references to 'being thrown around' but in a consensual, sexual way, not in an abusive context.

Korean Terms:

Sabumnim: a guide or instructor for taekwondo

Abeonim: formal way of saying 'father'

naengmyeon: Korean cold noodle dish

samgyeopsal: grilled pork belly, a popular meat in Korean barbecue

"You can't go. It's girls' night. Are you a girl?" Ga Eul eyed Cat Rang where he sat on the edge of the bathroom sink, swishing his tail. "Didn't think so," she continued. She was curling her hair for a Friday night out with Yu Ri; they planned to eat barbecue and sing karaoke, the latter of which Yu Ri had never done before. "You hate karaoke, remember?" Ga Eul added. "The one time we went, you said your ears were on fire."

The black and white cat stared at her.

"Why don't you plan our taekwondo lesson for tomorrow?" Ga Eul suggested as she wrapped a new section of hair around her curling iron.

Cat Rang pawed the air.

"Oh, you already did that. Okay," she replied, though she wasn't sure what Rang had meant by the gesture.

Suddenly, Rang morphed back into himself, and as he leaned against the bathroom counter with his arms crossed, his open white dress shirt made him look hotter than a sulking fox had any right to be. Coming up behind Ga Eul, he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her head, messing up the curls she'd just placed behind her back.

"I want to eat barbecue," he grumbled.

"I'm going to burn you with this if you don't let go," she threatened, holding her curling iron aloft.

"You think you can burn a nine-tailed fox?" He curled his lip in the mirror.

"I can try," she shot back at his reflection, smiling sweetly.

Rang mouthed something at her that she couldn't make out, but he let her go. He moved off to the side so that she had space to move her arms, but he still looked forlorn standing next to her, so she added, "You know, I'll see you when I get back."

"You'll be tired when you get back."

Ga Eul gave an exasperated laugh.

"Okay, so I'll see you in the morning too. Then we can do whatever you want." She put down the curling iron and gently pushed him out the door. "Go. Eat your dinner, my needy fox. It's on the table."

"I'm not a nee—"

Ga Eul shushed him with a finger to his lips.

"You are, and you're making me late. I still have to do my makeup, and Yu Ri's supposed to be here in fifteen minutes. Now go eat before your food gets cold." With that said, she turned her back and shut the bathroom door behind her. She could imagine the faces Rang must be making at her on the other side of the door and had to stop herself from laughing out loud when she thought of the pinched expression he made quite often. He was highly attached to their schedule, which was cute but also insufferable at times, but Ga Eul supposed it made him feel safe, so she tried to accommodate him as much as she could. However, she wanted a girls' night. She missed having those.

When she emerged from the bathroom, Rang was picking at the naengmyeon she'd prepared for him, sifting the noodles with his chopsticks. He eyed her with equal parts appreciation and displeasure as she approached.

"I want to be mad at you. You shouldn't look like that." He gestured to Ga Eul's figure. For the night's outing, she'd chosen a black mini skirt with sheer black tights and a dark green chiffon blouse.

"That was my evil plan," she said, sitting on his lap without invitation. "You can't be mad at me now." She smiled and put her face up to his.

Rang's face grew pinched, but it was less like he was annoyed and more like he was trying not to smile. His hand was warm on her thigh, holding her in place. After a lingering once-over of her outfit and her face and her hair, he relented.

"Don't drink too much. You have a lesson tomorrow."

"Yes, Sabumnim," Ga Eul teasingly consented.

"I'm serious. If you have a headache, I'll make you practice your forms more," he threatened.

"But Sabumnim"—looking down, Ga Eul fiddled with his shirt, closing the buttons—"don't you think I should have fun after the long work week?"

Rang stayed silent for a moment, then sighed.

"Fine. Just stay together." Rang's tone sobered as he tucked her hair behind her ear. "Don't accept alcohol from strangers. And if anyone bothers you, let Yu Ri handle it."

Ga Eul smiled and lifted her eyes to his.

"Yes, Abeonim."

"I'm serious."

"I know." She circled her arms around his neck. "But don't worry. I'll take care of the human part of the evening, and if anyone bothers us, Yu Ri can beat them up like you said."

Rang tightened his hold on her, his fingers digging into her thigh, and his eyes lit with an idea.

"On second thought, she should bring them back here. I'll make sure they never bother anyone again." He smiled at the end of the threat—a vicious twist of his lips that portended murder.

A shiver raced down Ga Eul's spine, followed by a tingle of warmth in her belly. Suddenly, she felt herself falling into him, drawn in by his mercurial gaze and the warmth of his body. Their lips touched, and she began to lose track of her surroundings.

They were still kissing when Yu Ri burst in.


"Sorry about that again," Yu Ri apologized a while later as they sat across from each other at the barbecue place Ga Eul had suggested.

"It's okay." Ga Eul blushed. "I just thought you were going to ring the doorbell." With the tongs they'd been provided, she turned their samgyeopsal over on the grill.

"I got so used to coming and going when I lived with Mister Lee Rang. I didn't think about it at all." Yu Ri pouted. "Are we still friends? Shin-joo says humans are weird about that sort of thing." She wrinkled her nose.

Ga Eul laughed.

"Of course, we're friends."

Yu Ri brightened up, and Ga Eul began serving portions of the soft pork belly to each of them. They each dug into the grilled meat, and Ga Eul showed Yu Ri how to create a wrap by filling a piece of lettuce with pork, grilled vegetables, and the other side dishes they'd been served. They poured each other shots of soju, and the evening began quite comfortably.

The restaurant Ga Eul had chosen was one of her favorites. It was a bit out of the way from Rang's apartment, but she'd wanted to bring Yu Ri there because she'd come there often in college—with Jan Di and some other friends—and she'd wanted to see if the place had changed from how she remembered it. Plus, their meat had always been the tastiest, and it didn't disappoint that evening.

Speaking of meat…

"Oh! I just realized...Do...do you like your meat raw?"

"What?" Yu Ri asked. She was highly concentrated on making a lettuce wrap the way Ga Eul had taught her.

"It's just...when we eat at the apartment, Rang likes it that way sometimes. I don't have to cook all this meat if you don't want me to." She gestured to the dish of sliced meat on their table.

"Oh...um…" Yu Ri glanced around at the other customers, then leaned in and said in a low voice, "Mister Lee Rang said I have to cook everything when I eat around humans."

Ga Eul picked up a raw piece of pork and deposited it on Yu Ri's plate with the tongs.

"We're friends. You should eat however you want." She gave Yu Ri an encouraging smile. "Besides, Rang said I can be an honorary fox since I'm his girlfriend, so you're not really eating with a human."

Yu Ri slammed her chopsticks down on the table.

"Really?" she burst out excitedly.

Ga Eul nodded, and Yu Ri let out a squeal of glee, raising her fists in triumph. She snatched up a few handfuls of raw pork from the dish they'd been served and began ravenously stuffing her face with the pink meat. Of course, that wasn't quite what Ga Eul had meant, but she tried not to appear too perturbed by Yu Ri's lack of table manners or the stares of the other customers, which she could see out of the corner of her eye. All of that faded away when Yu Ri looked back up at her and smiled, her cheeks bulging with pork.

"Ga Eul! You're so cool!" she exclaimed.

Ga Eul laughed.

"Here. You can wash that down with this." Smiling, Ga Eul poured Yu Ri another shot of soju, which she cheerily accepted.

Licking her fingers, Yu Ri lamented, "I miss raw meat so much. Can you imagine eating something so delicious your whole life and then suddenly being told you can't eat it anymore?"

Ga Eul pondered not being able to eat her favorite dish. Yes, that would be very sad.

"I think around your friends, you should be able to eat anything you want," she stated emphatically.

Yu Ri grinned.

"Thank you," she said, placing a few pieces of raw meat on a leaf of lettuce. Ga Eul enjoyed seeing her so happy.

They settled into a companionable silence, each concentrating on their own food, until Yu Ri asked, "Since we're friends, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"How is Mister Lee Rang in bed?"

Ga Eul nearly choked on her pork and had to swallow it down with water.

"U-um," Ga Eul stammered, glancing around and dropping her voice. "H-how do you mean?" she asked, her face heating up again.

"I always imagined him to be really stern and impatient," Yu Ri noted matter-of-factly, chewing with her mouth open.

Stern and impatient?

Uh...well…

Sometimes...maybe...

"Not like Shin-joo. He's totally meek and submissive. Like a kitten," Yu Ri added, and Ga Eul was quite certain she could picture Shin-joo being that way and equally certain she did not want to picture Shin-joo being any type of way in bed.

Meek and submissive?

That definitely wasn't Rang.

She didn't feel particularly comfortable with this topic of conversation, but at least Yu Ri wasn't asking for graphic details—yet. She could probably say something vague.

But what to say?

"Don't get me wrong," Yu Ri rushed out when Ga Eul stayed quiet. "I'm just curious because, when I lived with him, every once in a while, he would come home with another fox, and there would be all this noise coming from his bedroom. Then one time, after they both left, I had to go in there to get something, and the room looked like the wind had blown through it and knocked everything around." She swung her fists around, mimicking such a movement. "There was broken glass all over the floor. Then the maid came and cleaned everything up. So I was wondering if he slammed you into walls and things." Yu Ri swung her fists more, and Ga Eul's eyes darted from one fist to another as she imagined the blows.

Her fox friend continued describing the damage in the room, and Ga Eul gulped down a shot.

Rang had told Ga Eul he'd had some 'mutually beneficial arrangements' with other foxes, and she guessed those were kind of like 'friends with benefits' scenarios. He'd also mentioned some 'enemies with benefits' scenarios; maybe the scene Yu Ri had witnessed was one of those…?

"Um…" Ga Eul glanced down at her plate when Yu Ri finished speaking, unsure what to say. Rang had thrown her on the bed a few times, but that was it.

"I'm sorry. I made you uncomfortable, didn't I? Talking about the other fox."

"Huh?" Ga Eul lifted her eyes.

"If it were me, I would hunt down anyone who had been with Shin-joo and make them eat their own liver."

Ga Eul smiled at Yu Ri's threat.

"No, it's not that. I just can't think of anything like what you're describing. Are you sure he didn't get into a fight with the other fox?"

"In his bedroom?"

Ga Eul laughed at the absurdity of her own question.

"You're right. I guess that doesn't make sense. But honestly, I don't know what you're talking about. With me, he's...surprisingly sweet," she answered truthfully. "Don't tell him I said that though. He probably wants to be thought of as stern and impatient."

"Oh?...Oh!" Yu Ri exclaimed, nodding. "It's like when you meet him, and you think he's cold and indifferent, but then he turns out to be the warmest person who will always protect you and teach you things."

"Yes...I think he's like that too." Ga Eul smiled, thinking of how protective Rang had been earlier in the evening. Almost like a parent.

Generally, she was very happy being with him. She just wished he could be a little more open with her, but she didn't know how to encourage that without feeling like she was annoying him too much. She knew he'd been hurt a lot before, so she tried to be patient and understanding, but it hurt to think that there were parts of himself he didn't want to share with her because she wanted to share so much with him. The missing pieces from the puzzle that was Rang were starting to irritate her after six months with him, not enough for her to want to break up with him, but enough to frustrate her. She felt like their relationship could be so much fuller than what it was.

She knew a lot of mundane things about him, of course—things other people wouldn't know—like his favorite foods and his sleeping habits and what all of his various annoyed faces meant. And what he liked to do when he was bored. But she didn't know much that was meaningful, aside from what she'd been told by other people. He never told her anything about his history, of course, but it was more than that. There were other things he wouldn't tell her—like, for example, she obviously didn't know what he liked in bed! Usually, he just made suggestions about what he could to her. She'd been figuring out things that she liked and things that she didn't, and that had been nice considering she'd started from zero experience, but it wasn't completely satisfying.

And if Yu Ri's tale was to be believed, what if she was boring him in that aspect? What if he lost interest in her, the way Yi Jeong had?

Of course, Rang was still extremely attentive to her, and maybe she was just being silly, but...she believed there were a lot of things he liked to do that he didn't do with her, that he didn't even talk about with her, and that was worrisome. She couldn't help but remember how she'd felt with Yi Jeong when he'd talk about his life in Sweden—this whole other life he had outside of her, that she couldn't be a part of. That he'd never really tried to include her in.

Sometimes she thought she and Rang were really close, but then he wouldn't answer a basic question or she'd catch him not-so-slyly tricking someone while trying to hide it from her, and it hurt for her to think he didn't trust her in the same way she trusted him. She'd opened up to him about Yi Jeong and her family and her work; she routinely told him about things that stressed her out at her job; she showed him all the human things she liked to do, even though she knew he'd find some of them to be downright silly.

She kept telling herself to be patient, that he'd been through a lot, but at times, it felt like being with Yi Jeong all over again—her giving away so many pieces of herself and him giving away even fewer pieces than he'd shared with Yu Ri.

If she told him she loved him, would he say it back?

Did he love her? It was hard to tell.

If he didn't trust her, then how could he love her?

Or what sort of love could it be, one without trust?

She wasn't sure that she wanted that type of love. She was certain it would only spell disaster.

She hadn't meant to make the evening about Rang since he wasn't even there, but she couldn't help but ask, "What all did he teach you back then, when you lived with him? I know he taught you to fight."

"He taught me everything I know about being human," Yu Ri said with her mouth full. She swallowed, then continued, "He taught me to cook my meat and use a cell phone and take a taxi and order food. He taught me what to wear and where to sleep and how to use my fox powers to get things. We used to go on hunting expeditions together and eat lots of tasty food. It was really fun."

Ga Eul perked up at the mention of 'fox powers.'

"Oh, will you tell me one of your stories? About the...fox powers?" Ga Eul asked.

"You want to hear about how we used to trick humans?" Yu Ri replied, her voice rising in surprise.

Well, Ga Eul supposed that was an unusual request—a human wanting to know how other humans were preyed upon. However...

"I don't know much about how Rang's life was before me, and we do things I like to do all the time. I want to know things he likes to do, and I think you've spent more time with him in recent years than anyone else."

Yu Ri hesitated a moment, then smiled brightly.

"Okay! I've got lots of fun stories. Let's see." She chewed thoughtfully. "We visited funeral homes a lot. You can get really yummy meals there."

"Meals? You mean, you went to the funerals of people you didn't know? Just for the food?"

Yu Ri nodded enthusiastically.

"The scent of human sadness is really delicious...Not that I want you to be sad! I just mean in general. When we ate around humans who were sad, the food tasted ten times better. It was also entertaining, watching how emotional the humans got. Mister Lee Rang always called it dinner and a show. And when we left, we felt really refreshed."

"Oh...I see," Ga Eul said, trying hard to see. She wanted to understand Rang, even the darker parts of him. "You mean, being around human sadness gives you energy?" she ventured.

Yu Ri tilted her head in thought.

"Yes." She nodded. "I guess you could say that. I'm not sure why though. It's just something Mister Lee Rang taught me."

"Hmm."

"Oh! And he taught me how to hunt businessmen."

"Businessmen? Why businessmen, specifically?"

"The wealthy ones taste good because they eat a lot of expensive food."

"Oh...And how...do you hunt them?" Ga Eul asked.

"The best way is to find out who their rival in business is. First, Mister Lee Rang gets them to ask him a favor to get rid of the rival. Then he eats the competition, and the original businessman owes him a favor. Sometimes he takes the favor, and sometimes he has a second meal."

Ga Eul blinked.

Well, that was...awful...and quite smart of him, if she thought about it. She wondered if that was how he'd amassed his money, simply by pitting people against each other and granting favors on both sides.

"But when he was bored of hunting people, we'd do other things. We'd impersonate celebrities or kids to get free stuff. Or we'd trick animal control officers by pretending to be dogs and cats, and we'd set all the other animals free. Or we'd break in and trash Lee Yeon's apartment. Or we'd move traffic cones around during rush hour traffic and watch all the drivers get mad at each other." Yu Ri laughed. "Being a fox is fun. Humans can owe you lots of favors. You never have to wait in line or pay for anything if you don't want to. You can be anyone and go anywhere you want. And if the police catch you, you can just make them forget everything," she finished happily. "Sometimes I wish you were a fox so we could do fun things together."

Ga Eul smiled, feeling warm that Yu Ri thought of her that way. And she had to admit, some of those activities did sound fun—freeing animals, for instance, and never waiting in lines. Even if some of the activities were questionable morally speaking, she couldn't deny she saw the logic in them or the reason why they'd appeal to Rang's childish nature. And if his abilities were what had enabled Rang to take care of himself for so long, and to stay alive and be well, she could hardly find fault with that. Even if it was selfish, she wanted him to stay alive and happy.

She loved him.

Sometimes I wish you were a fox so we could do fun things together.

If Yu Ri thought that, did Rang think that too?

Would he let her be his partner-in-crime if she asked?

Within reason, she would like to do things with him that he enjoyed.

Ga Eul smiled wider.

"Yes...that would be nice." she agreed with Yu Ri's last statement, then added, "But don't worry, karaoke is lots of fun, even if it's a human activity. You'll like it, I promise."


By the time they made it to the karaoke place, they were both tipsy and in high spirits. Ga Eul sang two songs first, then encouraged Yu Ri to sing one.

"Why don't you sing another one?" Yu Ri said, flipping through the songbook. "I'm still looking."

Noting Yu Ri's downcast gaze and her shift in overall demeanor, like she was nervous, Ga Eul suddenly realized that Yu Ri probably didn't know many, if any, of the songs.

"Can I see?" She held her hand out for the book.

"Oh, yes." Yu Ri handed the book over.

"Why don't I teach you all of my favorite songs, and we can sing them together? Does that sound good?"

Yu Ri nodded enthusiastically, breaking into a grin.

"That sounds fun!"

Ga Eul looked over the song offerings, trying to find something she thought Yu Ri would enjoy that would also be easy to learn. When she spied 2NE1's "I am the Best," she smiled. Besides having a catchy, empowering beat, the chorus and bridge were very simple, and it was the type of song she played when she wanted to feel confident in herself. Dispelling her gloomy thoughts from earlier in the evening, she selected the song and grabbed a microphone. She handed a second microphone to Yu Ri and, taking her by the arm, brought the fox to stand next to her as the song began playing.

I am the best.

I am the best.

I am the best.

I am the best

Th-th-the best.

Ga Eul swayed and bopped her head to the beat; she encouraged Yu Ri to try singing along on the refrain, and Yu Ri did, catching on quickly.

(Beat!) Bam, ra-ta-ta-ta, ta-ta-ta-ta-ta

(Beat!) Bam, ra-ta-ta-ta, ta-ta-ta-ta-ta

(Beat!) Bam, ra-ta-ta-ta, ta-ta-ta-ta-ta

(Beat!) Bam, ra-ta-ta-ta, ta-ta-ta-ta

Oh my god

As Ga Eul sang the first verse, Yu Ri danced alongside her, trying to copy her movements. And though Ga Eul was fairly shy in group karaoke settings, since it was just her and Yu Ri in the private room, she decided to give more of a show.

Whoever looks at me can see I'm kind of a killer, alright

(Ga Eul made a finger gun and winked at Yu Ri.)

This body is second to no one, alright

(Ga Eul flipped her hair and attempted a sexy dance, causing both of them to laugh.)

You're following behind me but I'm only running forward

I jump on top of the table you're sitting at, I don't care

(Ga Eul jumped on top of the booth in the karaoke room and pointed at herself for the next lines.)

If you touch me you won't be able to handle it

I'm hot, hot, hot, hot fire

Before I flip something over

(Ga Eul made a flipping motion with her free hand.)

Please, can someone stop me?

(She struck a pose, her palm facing outward in a 'stop' gesture.)

Yu Ri laughed and clapped as she hopped down from the booth and rejoined Yu Ri while the pre-chorus played.

I open my closet and put on the freshest outfit

The reflection of my face in the mirror, I carefully check it over

Right now it's eight, I'm supposed to meet up at eight-thirty

Tonight, I set out with bold steps

When the chorus began, they jumped in unison and punched their fists in the air, yelling:

I am the best

I am the best

I am the best

I am the best

Th-th-the best

They played the song two more times, until Yu Ri was singing more confidently and dancing more animatedly than Ga Eul. Then Ga Eul put on "Abracadabra" by Brown Eyed Girls and "Ave Maria" by Kim Ah Joong, followed by "Making a Lover" by SS501.

High on endorphins and alcohol, Ga Eul soon forgot all her worries as she and Yu Ri danced and sang and laughed together. The last song they sang was "Bboom Bboom" by Momoland, and Ga Eul tried to teach Yu Ri the dance moves, but by then they were both laughing so hard they were crying, especially when Yu Ri added in some fight moves, which Ga Eul clumsily tried to copy. She accidentally kicked over several bottles of alcohol, and they crashed to the floor. The shattered glass vaguely reminded her of something from earlier in the evening, but her head was swimming, and she couldn't recall it.

Afterwards, they took a taxi back to their respective apartments. Ga Eul got dropped off first, and when she opened the door to Rang's apartment, she was still humming one of the songs. Rang was stretched out in his beige sweatpants and black t-shirt on the couch, playing a game on his phone, but he jumped up when he saw her.

"If you touch me you won't be able to handle it," Ga Eul sang off-key, feeling deliciously lightheaded and indestructible, "I'm hot, hot, hot, hot fire. Before I flip something over, please, can someone stop me?" She ended the phrase with a hand on Rang's chest, effectively stopping him in his tracks, and giggled.

"I won't be able to handle it?" Rang raised his eyebrows. "Handle what? Are you sure you can handle your alcohol?"

"I'm not drunk," Ga Eul protested, wobbling on her feet. She tried to shove Rang's chest, but it was like pushing against a brick wall. She could tell he was unimpressed, so she tried shoving him with both of her hands.

Rang stood there, firm as a stone pillar, and merely glanced down at her hands. Bending her head down, Ga Eul dug in her heels and arched her back, putting as much force as she could against Rang's body.

He crossed his arms.

"What are you doing?" he asked, chuckling.

"I'm pushing you."

"You are?"

"You're supposed to go to the couch."

"I am?"

Grunting, Ga Eul pushed harder. She wasn't sure why she'd started this, but now that she had she wasn't going to give up until Rang budged.

"You're really drunk, aren't you?"

He was laughing at her. She could tell from his voice. Well, she would show him.

Straightening up, Ga Eul commanded, "Go to the couch."

"I have another idea. You can go to bed."

"But I don't want—" Ga Eul's protest was cut short as Rang picked her up bridal style. He carried her into the bathroom and set her down with no visible effort at all.

"I don't take orders from sober humans, and I definitely don't take orders from drunk humans." He tugged her forcefully into his chest, so that he stood right behind her in front of the mirror, their bodies pressed firmly together. "Now stay still."

"What—" Ga Eul cut off her thought again as Rang's hands slid underneath her skirt. Electricity crackled on her skin when she felt his hands on her hips and his fingers tug on the waistband of her tights. She stayed still for him, just as he'd asked her to, while he slowly guided her tights down her legs. His knuckles brushed her bare skin, and a smile crept onto her face as she leaned into the solid wall of his body.

Ahhhh...she was sexy and irresistible, just like the song said. Rang was even taking all of her clothes off. Soon he would take her in his strong arms and throw her around and around.

He pulled her skirt down; then he unbuttoned her blouse. By the time he unhooked her bra and tossed it on the floor, she was giggling uncontrollably.

"What's so funny?" Rang asked, pulling his own shirt off. "Hands up."

Ga Eul raised her hands, her whole body tingling as she wondered what Rang was going to teach her this time. He'd never told her to raise her hands before. But why were his pants still on? Why was—

Ga Eul's line of thought came to a screeching halt for the third time as Rang draped his t-shirt over her head and pulled it down her arms and over her shoulders. Once he'd tugged the hem of his shirt over her underwear, he handed her a toothbrush.

"Brush your teeth, little human. Then your pet fox will tuck you into bed."

"Wait, wait!" Ga Eul protested, but Rang had left, shutting the door behind him.

Leaving her in the bathroom. Alone.

He still had his pants on.

Stupid, mean fox.

"What is this?" she grumbled at the toothbrush. This wasn't right. He was supposed to...He was supposed to...There was something to do with glass.

In protest, Ga Eul kicked the door, but since she was barefooted, that only resulted in stubbing her toe. She shrieked, dropped her toothbrush, and collapsed onto the bathroom floor.

A second later, Rang burst into the bathroom.

"Are you okay?"

"No." Clutching her foot, Ga Eul started crying. "I stubbed my toe!"

Her toothbrush was on the floor too. Now she would have to throw her toothbrush away.

She liked that toothbrush.

This whole evening was unbearably sad.

Ga Eul wailed.

"Ah." Rang looked pained. "This is why I say humans can't handle their liquor. I told you not to drink too much! How are you supposed to have a taekwondo lesson tomorrow if you're injured?!"

At the harshness of his tone, Ga Eul only cried more.

"All right, fine, fine. Don't brush your teeth." She felt him gathering her up from the floor, and she tried to fight him as he carried her somewhere else—to his bedroom—but she was weak, and it was no use.

Not fair. It wasn't fair. Why did he get to be stronger than her?

Stupid fox.

"Stop squirming," Rang scolded as he sat on the edge of the bed, trying to tuck her in like she was a piece of pork he was wrapping in lettuce.

She didn't like being a pork.

She didn't like being a baby.

"No, no. I want to do it. I want to do it," she argued, tugging the comforter from his hands.

"I thought you liked being tucked in."

"I don't like it!" She pouted.

"What type of alcohol did you drink? You're acting weird."

"I don't like it," Ga Eul repeated, gathering as much of the comforter as she could hold in her arms.

Rang jumped up from the bed.

"Drunk humans are worse than sober ones," he complained. "Fine. Tuck yourself in. Then go to sleep." As he marched away, Ga Eul stuck her tongue out at his back. He shut the door to his bedroom, and Ga Eul launched her stuffed fox at the door.

Immediately regretting it, she scrambled to recover the plushie and hugged it to her chest.

"Go to sleep," she mimicked as she patted the fox's fur. "You go to sleep." She punched the fox's black nose with the tip of her finger. "Stupid fox."