A/N: This chapter was largely influenced by readers' numerous requests to see Rang meet Jan Di; your collective wishes have been granted! Yi Jeong will also appear...but not now.
Thank you Kiki for your sweet, sweet review; I cried when I read it, but I cannot respond to guest reviews, so I wanted to put a note here. Thank you especially for sharing how much you've enjoyed the progression of Rang and Ga Eul's relationship; I'm so happy it felt meaningful and touched your heart so much! And that my writing is easy to understand is always good to hear! I try to keep in mind when writing fanfic that many of my readers are in other countries.
In case you missed it, I wrote a one-shot spinoff of this story based on Episode 1 of Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938; that story is called "Smoke and Mirrors."
The thirteenth chapter of "Good Girl, Bad Fox" has also been posted!
At seven on Sunday morning, a profuse banging on Rang's front door roused him from his slumber on the couch, where he'd fallen asleep in his t-shirt and pajama shorts after a video gaming marathon that had ended four hours earlier.
Rang was pissed. He'd been looking forward to sleeping all morning since Ga Eul was visiting her parents, and he was not the slightest bit amused as he dragged himself, crumpled and bleary-eyed, to the door.
Whoever dared to disturb a slumbering fox would pay the consequences.
He swung the door wide, preparing himself to deck the intruder—surely it was a large brute of a man, judging by the knock—but he was taken aback as he was faced only with a small woman, roughly Ga Eul's height. Despite seeming quite awake, she wore a t-shirt as rumpled as Rang's, and her short hair hung messily around her face. She frowned when she saw him, distrustfully.
"Are you Mister Lee Rang?" she asked.
"Who the hell are you?" Rang scoffed. "And what's the idea banging down my door? I should have you arrested for property damage and disturbance of the peace." He jabbed an accusatory finger in her face and was shocked when she batted it down.
"My name is Geum Jan Di." She pointed a finger right back at him. "And you are going to answer my questions or die at the end of my fist." She twisted her hand into a fist and aimed it at his nose.
Rang laughed at her absurdity.
"I don't care who you are. If you don't beat it back downstairs, I'll…" Rang cut himself off. "Wait. What did you say your name was?"
"Geum Jan Di. You're dating my friend Ga Eul." With that said, she shoved her way past Rang and into his apartment.
Suddenly, Rang was having flashbacks of photos Ga Eul had shown him. Old ones of her and Jan Di in high school and a more recent photo from their friend's wedding.
Crap.
Now Rang was going to have to be nice to her. Or at least civil. Ga Eul would have his head if he made a bad impression on her friend.
He wanted to tie up the annoying human and toss her out the window.
He wanted to get back to sleep.
"I thought we were having dinner later this week. Ga Eul's not here," he tried, barely keeping the annoyance out of his voice. "She's at her parents' house."
"I know," Jan Di answered, surveying the apartment with an air of suspicion. "That's why I came today. Is that your bedroom?" She pointed at Rang's open bedroom door and, without waiting for confirmation, headed towards it.
Rang hurried after her. When he entered the room, she was holding up a lacy blue bra.
"Whose is this?" she demanded.
Rang couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"That's Ga Eul's," he noted dryly.
"And this?" She held up a pair of black lace panties.
"Also Ga Eul's." Rang snatched both the bra and the panties from her.
When she still frowned at him, he sighed and strode over to his bureau.
So she wanted to accuse him of something? Well, he'd show her.
Opening the bottom drawer, he revealed part of Ga Eul's clothing stash.
"Ga Eul's," he indicated. He opened another drawer and showed her Ga Eul's pajamas, including three of his dress shirts. "Ga Eul's." Rang pulled the top layer of clothing from the drawer, then tossed the rest of the drawer's contents at Jan Di—all underwear and bras, plus two lingerie sets.
When the drawer had been emptied, and Rang stood up, he was satisfied to find Jan Di red-faced, surrounded by a pile of underwear, and absently clutching one of the lingerie items. Their eyes met, and she quickly tossed away the lacy scrap.
Smirking, Rang left her there without another word and moved to the bathroom. There, he opened the cabinet below the sink where Ga Eul kept her makeup and a million other girlish necessities. It took a moment for Jan Di to catch up to him, but when she did, he showed her these things too.
"Also Ga Eul's," he explained, picking up Ga Eul's toothbrush. Without waiting for a reaction, he walked rapidly to the guest room with Jan Di scrambling after him.
"This whole room is Ga Eul's, and these are her school supplies." He opened the desk drawer and gestured to its contents. He pulled out Ga Eul's planner and flipped to one of the inside pages. "I gave her this planner. See?" He held up the planner so that Jan Di could read the inscription, then shut it and tossed it back into the drawer.
"I'm not cheating on your friend, so if there's nothing else, I'm going back to sleep."
Jan Di regarded him silently. She looked uncertain, as though she didn't know what to make of him.
Frowning once more, she said, "You still haven't answered my questions. Sit down." She pointed at the bed.
Rang glanced at the guest bed, then back at her.
Did she seriously think she could order him around? And in his own apartment, no less?
Rang laughed.
"I'm serious! Sit down right now. If you don't answer my questions satisfactorily, I won't let you date my friend."
"Let me?" Rang smiled unpleasantly and stalked towards her, done with being nice. He resented her already for breaking into his home and insulting him, but now she was threatening to break up him and Ga Eul?
"What business is that of yours?" he asked lightly, but not cordially. Venom seeped into his voice. "What are you going to do to stop me?" He looked her up and down; she didn't look as vulnerable as Ga Eul, but she was vulnerable enough. If this bothersome human made Ga Eul break up with him, he'd break every bone in her body, at a rate of one bone per hour.
To his surprise, Jan Di sprung into a fighting stance, unperturbed. When she next spoke, she raised her voice.
"It's my business because the last time someone hurt her, it was someone close to me, and I had no idea. I'm not going to let you hurt her too. So sit down and state your intentions."
This explanation brought Rang up short, and he swallowed his next threat.
"The last time? You mean So Yi Jeong?"
"She told you about him?"
Rang nodded.
"She tells me everything," he affirmed proudly, puffing himself up.
"Well, if you know about him, then you know why I'm going to rearrange your face if you try anything."
Rang scoffed, but he cracked a smile.
He didn't like anything about this human, from the way she'd barged into his home uninvited to the way she was ordering him around. And he took orders from no one except Ga Eul. But at the thought of that bastard So Yi Jeong, the anger in his gut redirected itself.
So Yi Jeong. Now there was someone he'd really like to crush into a powder.
He thought, too, of Ga Eul; at least, he now knew that someone besides himself was looking out for her.
Rang only took orders from Ga Eul, but he supposed he could make one exception. Just this one time.
He sighed; he sat.
"Fine. What is it you want?" He waved his hand dismissively, and Jan Di approached to stand right in front of him.
"First, I'm going to ask you some questions about my friend. To test how well you know her."
Rang smiled. If there was any subject he was well versed in, it was Ga Eul. This clueless human had no idea she was dealing with a Ga Eul expert.
All the same, Rang answered, "No, I don't think so."
"What?" Jan Di blinked and screwed her face up.
"I don't feel like playing twenty questions with you. It sounds tedious and ridiculous, and I don't play games with people I don't like. But if you want me to talk about Ga Eul, I'll tell you about her pens."
While Jan Di sputtered over his answer, Rang grabbed Ga Eul's pencil holder and emptied it onto the bed. "These are Ga Eul's favorite pens that she keeps here so they don't get lost at school," Rang explained, lining up the pens in a neat row. "Do you know why Ga Eul only uses this brand of red marking pens?" He held up a red pen for Jan Di's perusal.
"W-what?"
"All the other brands smear." Rang selected a pink writing pen with a cat head cap. "This is a pen she's had since college. It's broken, but she won't throw it away because one of her friends gave it to her. And this pen"—Rang chuckled, selecting a clickable pen with worn-off cartoon frogs—"this pen was a gift from a student her first year of teaching. It was in this shabby state when she got it." He picked up a similar pen with cartoon rabbits. "You should know this pen because you gave it to her in high school. She says it's lucky." He picked up two identical purple pens. "These are from a pack her mother gave her. And this one"—he picked up one last pen, a dull gray ballpoint pen if there was one—"is from the porridge shop she used to work at."
Placing the ballpoint pen back down, Rang concluded, "If you want to know about Ga Eul, there you are. I gave her a bunch of shiny new pens, and she shoved them in a drawer somewhere." Rang pouted a little over this fact. "She uses these broken ones because they remind her of people she loves. She doesn't care if they're old and worn or if they don't work like they're supposed to. She's very kind to everything that's hers, and she never throws anything away." Rang smiled at his girlfriend's silliness. "She thinks all of it is special."
"If she thinks everything is special, then why did she put your pens in a drawer?" Jan Di asked with a glare of suspicion.
Rang didn't have an answer for that; he bristled.
"The pens aren't the point."
"I thought the pens were the point."
"Look, she uses the planner I gave her. How should I know why she doesn't use the pens? She's got dozens of pens. Maybe she didn't need more pens. The point is that Ga Eul...is a good person." He drew himself up.
"I didn't come here to learn about Ga Eul. I came here to learn about you." She jabbed a finger into his chest.
Not at his chest. Into his chest. The lone digit rammed into his white cotton shirt, putting pressure on the skin beneath it like an unwanted bug.
Rang's gaze widened as it drifted down to her finger.
"If you don't put that finger away, I'll bite it off."
"Are you threatening me?"
"I threaten people for a living." He gave her an unhinged smile.
Jan Di raised alarmed eyebrows. She retracted her finger just a bit, but Rang grabbed it before she could pull it back all the way. He shoved the tip of it into his mouth and bit down on her knuckle.
Jan Di reeled back, mouth agape, and he smirked. Now he needed mouthwash, but at least he'd made his point.
And really, the pesky human was looking horrified over nothing. He hadn't even broken her skin. Humans were always whining about the smallest—
Slap!
Rang sprung to his feet, pressing his hand to his stinging cheek.
"Why you little—"
"Just try to bite me again. Just try it!" Jan Di shook her fist in his face.
"You think I won't, you...you…" Rang clenched his teeth, wanting to spit at her. How dare she touch him. How dare she slap him!
"I'm going to tell Ga Eul about this. I'm going to tell her exactly what type of person you are!"
Oh, yeah? She was going to tattle on him? Rang would show her what type of person...what type of fox he was if she even...if she even….
Rang sucked in a frustrated breath and blew it back out.
He could do so many things to her. He could erase her memory of the last hour. He could make her magically okay with his and Ga Eul's relationship. He could tie her up. He could bite off her finger. He could break her bones.
And damn it, he couldn't do any of that, could he? Not when she was Ga Eul's friend.
Forcing himself to sit and smile, Rang blustered, "What are you getting all worked up for?" He leaned back and crossed one leg over the other. "The bite was a joke. That's all." For good measure, he added, "Tell Ga Eul if you want. She understands my sense of humor." He hoped he wasn't lying.
"There's something I really don't like about you."
Rang chuckled.
"And I bet you're dying to know what it is, but I won't tell you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Get to the point before I bite you again. What questions did you want to ask anyway?"
Jan Di studied him, her frown increasing.
After a moment, she allowed, "Why do you like my friend so much? Do you even have anything in common?"
"In...common?" Rang cast about for something. "The usual things," he answered. "Eating. Sleeping...Sex." He emphasized the last word to make Jan Di uncomfortable since he couldn't do anything else to her. And also, perhaps, to hide how stumped he was. "Oh! I know something else we have in common. We like each other." He smiled.
"That doesn't count," Jan Di informed him.
Rang scoffed.
"Says who? You?"
Jan Di didn't respond.
"What do you do on your dates then?" she asked.
"Usually, Ga Eul drags me someplace. Or we eat. Or we sleep. Or we...you know."
"Will somebody shut that kid up?" Rang winced as he covered his ears.
"Aww, no one wants to play with him." Ga Eul made sad eyes at the little boy crying—no, wailing—in the playground sandbox.
So much for a relaxing afternoon at the park. Rang's ears were on fire.
"Luckily, that's not our problem. Now let's go." Rang took her by the arm and tried to tug her away, but Ga Eul remained rooted to the spot.
"Rang, can't you do something?" Ga Eul gestured to the boy.
"Do what? Rip out his vocal cords?...Wait. Can I do that? It's not killing. You only said no killing."
"What? No." Ga Eul slapped his arm. "You can turn into a...a...a puppy!"
"What?"
"Well, it made me happy when you did the animals." Ga Eul pushed him in the direction of the playground. "Now you go over there and—"
"That was for you. That was only for you." Rang halted in his tracks.
"But it would make him so happy!"
"He probably doesn't like puppies. He's probably allergic."
"If he pets you, he'll feel less alone."
"Oh great! He's going to put his hands on me! Do you know where his hands have been?!"
"Look at the karaoke bar across the street! I heard that one's good."
"No."
"But my coworker said—"
"No."
"But I've never been to karaoke with my boyfriend."
"And you're not going to."
"Rang, please. Just once. You'll like it, I promise."
"I won't like it. I've never liked it. Do you know how sensitive these ears are?"
…
"A lot of alcohol, little human. You are going to pour me a lot of alcohol."
"Oh, thank you, thank you! You're the best boyfriend in the whole world!"
"Well, don't sing me a song about it."
"Maybe we should try having a date tomorrow," Rang suggested. "Let's just eat."
The afternoon was late, and he was tired of walking around in circles throughout the city.
"No, no. This is a date," Ga Eul insisted, shaking her head.
Amused by the hint of desperation in her voice, Rang replied, "Oh? What did we do on our date then?"
"We...we…." Ga Eul cast about, as though the answer was on a building sign. "We walked around for two hours arguing about what to do." She grabbed his hand emphatically and began marching back the way they'd come.
Rang smiled, allowing himself to be tugged along.
"Let's go this way! We can argue some more!" Ga Eul called out cheerfully.
Rang smiled, caught up in a memory, but when he noticed Jan Di eyeballing him, he straightened up and crossed his arms.
"Look, we have nothing in common, okay? Hardly anything." He shoved the words at her, daring her to find fault with them.
"But if...then...why…"
"I told you. Sex." Rang smiled.
Jan Di blushed a hundred times redder.
"Listen, you! If you're taking advantage of my friend—"
Rang laughed.
"Me?" He feigned offense. "If anything, I'm the one getting taken advantage of." He pressed his hands to his chest protectively.
"Ga Eul is totally innocent." Jan Di crossed her arms.
"Is she? You haven't seen her much these past years."
"Why you...you...I really, really don't like you!"
"I don't like you either. But Ga Eul likes me, and that's all that matters, isn't it?" Rang sneered.
"Well, I think I know why Ga Eul likes you. But if you don't have anything in common, why do you like her? What do you want with her? And don't tell me she's your type because I won't believe you."
"My type?"
Rang supposed he'd never said his type out loud before, but if he had to describe his ideal woman, it would not be someone like Ga Eul, even if Ga Eul was all he could think about now.
No, if he'd wished for a soulmate like Ga Eul had done, he'd have wished for someone strong and clever. Someone who could easily defend themselves against any threat. Someone who never cried.
Someone very, very...not little and not human.
Rang was annoyed, to put it lightly.
Earlier, Ga Eul had fallen asleep, her head on her desk and her hand on her school papers, and by the time Rang had woken up from his evening nap, and had then woken her up, it was already eleven o'clock, and there was no hope of him getting one of Ga Eul's home-cooked meals. Or any cuddles.
She'd apologetically fixed him a bowl of instant noodles, but now he had to be alone in his wide awake state while she went to sleep again in order to wake up on time for school.
Grumpily, he'd watched her climb into bed, but as he was leaving her bedside, he felt a tug on his wrist.
He turned back around to find Ga Eul staring up at him.
"Will you tuck me in?" she mumbled sleepily.
"Don't you think you're demanding a lot for someone who slept through our cuddles and made me eat instant noodles for dinner?" Rang complained.
"Ah, about that…" Ga Eul looked away. "I'm sorry...never mind…" She rolled over, and Rang, satisfied with her contrition, continued his exit.
Something about her answer didn't sit right with him, however, and he paused at the door and looked back at her.
Silly human. She gave up on the things she wanted so easily.
Rang frowned.
He was still miffed about dinner, but...ah, this wouldn't do.
Approaching the bed once more, Rang rolled her onto her back.
"Don't give up so easily," he gently scolded her. "If you don't demand things, you'll be left with whatever people want to give you. But you can get a lot of things if you demand them well enough." He brought the covers up to her chin. "And if someone doesn't give you what you want, you can just break their fingers and leave them choking on their own blood." He grinned. "So next time, just say, 'Rang, tuck me in.'"
"Rang, tuck me in," Ga Eul experimented.
"Like that, but more forcefully."
"Rang, tuck me in!"
"Well, don't overdo it. Foxes have sensitive ears," Rang scolded.
"Sorry," Ga Eul replied, but she smiled as though he'd made a joke.
Rang tucked his comforter around one side of her body, then the other, creasing the fabric as he pressed his fingers into the groove between her body and the bed.
"Then...will you tuck me in every night?" Ga Eul asked once he'd finished.
"Are you going to stay here every night?" He tucked his hands in his pockets and peered down at her doubtfully.
"I-I mean every night that I stay here."
Rang squinted at her, not entirely satisfied with this answer. However...
"I'll make you a deal. Whenever you stay here, I'll tuck you in. So you should stay here lots of times," he admonished, pointing his finger at her.
"Okay." Ga Eul gave him one of those adoring smiles he wasn't used to. "Thank you. I always wanted my boyfriend to tuck me in."
Rang shifted on his feet. He never knew what to say to things like that. He'd never imagined himself as someone's boyfriend, unless it was for a disguise. It was a strange role for him to fill, opposite to nearly every other role he'd played. He felt like he'd put on someone else's shirt, and the fabric ballooned out at his sides and hung down to his knees, ill-fitting.
"Well, then...go to sleep, little human. Tomorrow, you should be wide awake so you can cook something good."
"My type?" Rang repeated. "No. Not at all...Ga Eul is my comfort flavor." He smiled.
"Your what?"
"You know, when you're having a bad day," Ga Eul explained, "and you want something that reminds you of your childhood, sometimes simple things are best."
"You know how some people like vanilla ice cream because it reminds them of their childhood?"
"They do?" Jan Di asked.
"Ga Eul is like that. She's sweet...and simple...and—"
"Naive."
"She can be naive, but that's not why I like her." He narrowed his eyes at Jan Di's insinuation. "In fact, naive people annoy me the most. And those who don't even say anything when someone hurts them. Ga Eul is like that too, as you well know."
"I don't understand you." Jan Di frowned.
"I don't care."
"And I don't trust you. I know the type of men Ga Eul is attracted to." Jan Di raised her voice adamantly.
"So do I. But even worse is the type of men who would be attracted to her." Rang stood up. "That's why...over my dead body are you going to break us up. You think I'm going to let another manipulative bastard take advantage of her?" He scoffed. "Anyone who wants to harm Ga Eul will have to go through me. Let them try to pluck a single hair from her head." He plucked at the air demonstratively.
All week long, Rang had been trying to figure out how to apologize to Ga Eul for his behavior—well, he'd basically betrayed her when she'd been nothing but loyal to him—but he wasn't very good at apologies—he always got caught with his foot in his mouth—so he'd decided it was better to show her what he meant. Hence the illustrious pillow fort.
'I'm going to take good care of you from now on,' he'd told her at dinner, and he'd meant every word. He was going to make the rest of her life cozy and safe and warm.
Presently, Ga Eul and Rang were sitting on the plush red couch in the lounge area of their hotel room. Ga Eul was devouring the chocolate-covered strawberries like they hadn't eaten dinner, and Rang was observing her while he munched on a few strawberries and drank champagne.
When she finally paused and announced she was full, her lips and fingers were covered in chocolate. He wanted to clean them off with his mouth, but she beat him to it, sucking her fingers until they were relatively clean.
She excused herself to wash her hands, and when she returned, she plopped down next to him, starry-eyed and bursting with excitement. He knew what was coming before he knew that he knew.
"I—"
"You always wanted to stay at a fancy hotel with your boyfriend."
"How did you know I was going to say that?"
"That's what you always say. Or some variation of it. 'I wanted to do this with my boyfriend.' 'I wanted to go here with my boyfriend.' I'm almost jealous of this imaginary boyfriend who was doing all these things with you before."
Ga Eul laughed.
"I must be really annoying."
Rang shrugged.
"No. It's cute," he admitted. He wondered if, on her list, 'fancy hotel' was sandwiched between 'pillow-fighting' and 'cosplaying.'
"So what's next on Ga Eul's list?" he asked. "We made it this far. We might as well do them all."
Ga Eul smiled at his offer; she snuggled up to him and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"I made a list of things we can do on my break. Some of them are outside though."
"Some?" he echoed doubtfully.
"Okay, maybe half."
"You know what my answer is going to be then." Rang tried to sound firm and took a careless swig of his champagne. He could already feel his resolve weakening though.
Damn it, he was going to spend the whole summer baking in the heat.
First, she would say, 'But I always wanted to go to the beach with my boyfriend. And take pictures.'
Then, he would say, 'And I lived six hundred years without air conditioning to get to where I am today.'
After that, she wouldn't say anything. She'd just cast down those pitiful eyes of disappointment, and he would find himself thoughtlessly agreeing to anything that would make her smile again.
Ugh, and of everywhere they could go in the summer, Rang hated beaches with an undying passion: the hot sun, the burning sand, the salt and humidity that clung to his fur. Under such conditions, his general hatred of water was an afterthought.
To his surprise, Ga Eul didn't argue. She merely said, "I know," then followed it with, "So, actually, I was thinking about it some more, and, um, what would you like to do? Whatever it is, I can do it with you."
"Me?" Rang raised his eyebrows.
"Yes, what would you normally be doing if I wasn't here? You don't hibernate all summer, do you? Well, of course, you don't. I met you last summer."
What would Rang normally be doing? Why, what he did best, of course. Deceiving humans. Eliciting favors. Playing pranks. They'd already discussed this at dinner, where he'd told her far more than he'd planned to. It was just that once he'd started talking, he couldn't seem to stop, propelled by Ga Eul's strange enthusiasm for the subject. That, and her calm acceptance. And, perhaps, how enticing she'd looked in her black dress. Still…
"You want to hunt humans with me?" Rang cocked his head, studying her. He thought he would see hesitance in her eyes, but they were entirely clear.
"I'll try it," she announced, then added, apologetically, "but no murders, please. I liked the steak, but I don't think I should eat a human heart for real."
Rang laughed and raised his champagne to his lips. Suddenly, he didn't think he could love her more than he did in that moment. His innocent human, offering to do something he liked even though he was sure she would find it intolerable.
He was certain this was partly a ploy to get information out of him, but the idea wasn't as terrifying now that he trusted Ga Eul.
He trusted Ga Eul. He could trust Ga Eul. The thought fluttered in his chest as he sipped his champagne.
"Fine," he replied, sifting her hair. "I'll take you hunting one day. But be careful what you wish for, little human."
One day. One day he would.
Maybe not this coming week. Or the next one. But he supposed he could try it once if she wanted to try it once.
Ga Eul yawned and curled her legs underneath her. She leaned more heavily against his side.
"Hey, hey, hey. You can't fall asleep yet." He poked her cheek. "We still have to fight with all those pillows."
"I'm just resting my eyes. It's already past my normal bedtime."
"That's because your normal bedtime isn't normal at all." He poked her again. "Wake up. I want to smack you with pillows."
"You already did," Ga Eul mumbled sleepily. She sank down and down until finally she stretched herself out with her head on his lap.
"Yes, but this time, I'll make it fair. I'll give you a head start."
This offer produced no result. Ga Eul appeared content to fall asleep in that position while Rang finished his champagne.
He supposed he would have to resort to bribery. He really did not want the night to end yet.
Bending his head, he murmured, "Ga Eul, do you want to see a fox trick? It's something you've never seen before."
As if she were a toy that had been activated, Ga Eul promptly sat up.
Of course.
Any mention of 'fox' information would bait her quite nicely.
"What kind of trick?" she responded, tiredness forgotten.
Rang smiled. He neatly and swiftly sliced up the rest of the strawberries with his claws. "I'm going to stand over there." He pointed across the room. "If you throw these, I'll catch them in my mouth. And to make this better…" Rang morphed into his extra furry animal form and leapt off the couch.
"Your boyfriend bit my finger."
"Huh?" Ga Eul glanced over at her mother, who was chopping vegetables nearby. She didn't seem to be paying attention, so Ga Eul hoped she hadn't overheard.
That was what Ga Eul got for picking up Jan Di's call in the middle of meal prep.
"He bit my finger. So I slapped his face," Jan Di's voice came again.
The blood drained from Ga Eul's cheeks.
Thankfully, she'd finished washing the dishes, so she quickly dried her hands on a towel and excused herself to her room.
Sitting on the floor at the foot of her bed, Ga Eul pressed her phone to her ear and whispered, "What do you mean, he bit you? Where did you even see him?"
"I went to his apartment this morning. We got into an argument."
"You went to his apartment?!" Ga Eul's heart seized with dread. "W-why would you do that? How did you even know where it was?!"
"I'm looking out for you, of course! And I'm the wife of Gu Jun Pyo, remember?"
"Oh...yes." At the moment, Ga Eul really didn't like her friend's numerous connections.
"Anyway, I don't like him. Is he in the mafia or something? He must have threatened me five times."
Threats? An argument?
Ga Eul's heart plummeted.
"Um...No, but...Hey, Woo Bin Sunbae is in the mafia!"
"Woo Bin Sunbae is a very friendly and loyal person. If you recall, your boyfriend bit me."
Ga Eul winced.
"I know. I'm really sorry about that. He's a good person, I promise, but...his social skills need some work." Even as Ga Eul heard the words, she thought they sounded pathetic, but she could only persist. "I'll be sure to talk to him about that," she assured Jan Di, then asked, hesitantly, "So you don't approve of me dating him?"
There was a brief silence.
"I didn't say that."
"Huh?"
"I don't like him, but...he seems to care for you a lot, so...he can date you for now. But I'll be watching him every second to see how he does."
"Really?! Oh, thank you, Jan Di!" Ga Eul burst out, not caring if her parents could hear her, but Jan Di wasn't finished.
"By the way, he said you were his 'comfort flavor.' What does that even mean?"
"Comfort flavor?" Ga Eul's heart warmed even further. "He said that?"
"Mm."
"Oh, it's nothing," Ga Eul said, fiddling with the couple's ring she'd hidden on a chain under her blouse. "Just an inside joke."
"Does Ga Eul want to go to sleep now?" Rang asked, his voice rumbling deep in this throat.
In their hotel room, the early hours of the morning were drawing him and Ga Eul towards slumber. That, and some physically taxing activities.
Lying beside him on the bed, Ga Eul nodded, her eyes half-closed. She looked like she was well on her way to slumber already, but there was something Rang wanted to try.
"I can...help you go to sleep," he suggested.
"Hmm?"
"I just mean...I can...put you to sleep. Really gently. And make sure you have good dreams."
"Oh?" Ga Eul yawned. "Okay." Smiling, she pressed her hand to his cheek.
"Okay." Rang tugged the covers up to Ga Eul's neck and tucked them around her sides. He touched his forehead to hers, and his fox eye resurfaced.
Her mind was a clear lake he could reach out and touch with his fingertip, and he dipped his finger in as gently as possible, careful not to disturb its surface too much.
"Don't dream about mean foxes," he murmured. "Dream about butterflies and pillow forts and all the other things you want to do with me. Now go to sleep, my little human. Go to sleep."
A single ripple spread out from his finger, and Ga Eul instantly shut her eyes and drifted off, peaceful and calm.
Though exhausted, Rang stayed awake for a while, examining his claws like he'd never really seen them before. There was so much light in the room from the string lights that even in the dark, he didn't need his fox vision to see everything clearly.
Later, he went into the bathroom to brush his teeth, and when he looked in the mirror, he realized his fox eye was still visible, but his reflection evoked none of the self-loathing that had followed him all his life. He felt strangely calm and even smiled, just a little, at the fox looking back at him.
He'd given Ga Eul a peaceful sleep, only because he was a fox.
A/N: I realized after I posted my last chapter that I forgot to include this announcement, but…
I have published a book of original short stories; it's called Magic/Madness, and it is for sale on Amazon under the pen name JodiMarie Meyer if anyone is interested :)
