“Hey, master! What’s your name?”
"Kim Yeoju..."
“Wow, such a pretty name!”
“Th-thanks.”
“I’m Jeongin! Yang Jeongin! I’m a fennec fox!”
“A... fennec fox..?”
“Yep!! Don’t you know what a fennec fox is??”
Why is there a full-grown man sitting on my sofa...?
The tiny little creature I brought home earlier had disappeared, and in its place, a man now sat.
I froze in shock, and the man tilted his head slightly and gave me a gentle smile before asking my name.
I don’t even know what I was thinking—I just told him.
As soon as he heard my name, he smiled brightly and said it was pretty…
Why… is he cute?
When I thanked him, he introduced himself.
His name is Yang Jeongin.
A fennec fox, apparently…
I remembered the tiny creature earlier being a fennec fox, so I asked again, thinking no way…
But he nodded vigorously and asked me if I didn’t know what that was.
“I do… I mean, I know…
But is it okay for a fennec fox to be here?”
“Jeongin’s a half-human, half-beast!”
“Oh… right.”
“You’re a dumb master.”
Of course I know what a fennec fox is…
He seriously thinks I’m that ignorant?
I was just wondering aloud if it was okay for one to be living in a house, and he told me he’s a half-human, half-beast.
I slowly nodded and agreed…
And this smiley fox just called me dumb.
“But… how old are you?”
“In human years, 21! In animal years, 3!”
“Twenty-one?!”
“Yup! Why?”
“Wait… you’re older than me…?”
He looked so young I asked his age, and he said he’s 21 in human years and 3 in animal years.
Hold on… if he’s 21, he’s older than me...!!
Seeing my shocked face, he looked confused.
Still stunned, I told him that meant he’s older.
“Whoa, I’m older than you?”
“Y-yeah, looks like it.”
“Wow… then can you call me ‘oppa’?” (Korean term for an older guy)
Hearing that, he was just as surprised and gasped.
I stammered a bit, and then he asked if I’d call him ‘oppa’.
I was shocked again—turned to stone.
“...”
“Don’t want to?”
“...”
“...”
“Gasp..!”
I couldn’t say anything.
Of course I was stunned.
How can someone that young-looking be older than me?
He asked again if I didn’t want to call him that.
I still couldn’t respond.
Then, he leaned his face really close to mine.
Seriously, it was so close that if he moved a bit more, we’d touch.
And then, with that face so close, he said...
“I want to hear you call me oppa.”
...My heart fluttered. Damn it.