Episode 11: Fox
As I walked down the dark slope, I saw a group of kids gathered ahead.
I headed toward them.
Though I wasn’t physically exhausted,
The destructive power of that weapon weighed on my mind like a missile—or worse.
Once I tossed this burden over to a friend, my role would be done.
‘It’s not heavy, but it’s weighing on my conscience.’
Two girls who always stuck around with Yuna suddenly ran toward me, their steps swift and purposeful.
“Yuna, are you okay?!”
“Did you get hurt?!”
Yuna scrunched her face slightly and replied,
“Yeah… I twisted my ankle a bit.”
“How did that happen?”
“I tripped over something and fell. It’s not too bad, but it’s a little uncomfortable to walk…”
“Geez, you need to be more careful! So, Dohyun carried you down?”
They examined Yuna’s ankle with worried eyes.
I carefully set Yuna down and started preparing to leave.
“I’ll be off now…”
Just then,
Yuna’s two friends exchanged glances, and a peculiar silence followed.
…….
“Oh, right! I think I left the gas stove on at home!”
“What?”
“Oh no, this is bad. I gotta go!”
One of them pulled out her phone and disappeared like the wind.
What the heck? Isn’t that dangerous?
You should just call 119 instead.
Before I could even feel bewildered, the other friend followed suit.
“Oh, right! I forgot to feed my dog!”
I nearly blurted out, ‘You’re prioritizing your dog over your friend?’ but barely held back.
That friend also made a quick exit.
Before leaving, the two clenched their fists and made some strange gestures toward Yuna, silently mouthing words.
‘Fighting?’
Their intentions were obvious.
They were leaving her with me on purpose.
I couldn’t just leave Seo Yuna on the ground and walk away.
With a sigh, I asked,
“Hey, where’s your house?”
Yuna hesitated for a moment before answering,
“It’s… really close from here.”
Thankfully, it was only a 10-minute walk.
I had no choice but to carry Yuna again and head toward the residential area.
***
The quiet alley.
Neatly arranged flowerbeds and lawns came into view.
The houses stood in a tidy row, their warm lights glowing through the windows.
“This is so heavy, I’m dying here.”
“Then just put me down, geez!”
As we exchanged trivial banter and walked, a newlywed couple pushing a stroller approached from the opposite direction.
The couple glanced at us and chuckled.
“Oh my, how adorable.”
“That was us back in school, wasn’t it?”
“So cute.”
“Ah, such sweet times.”
At their words, Yuna’s body flinched.
I pretended not to notice and turned my head away.
Sweet? Who’s sweet? I’m basically doing forced delivery for K**p right now.
I’d been carrying these two metaphorical bags of rice for over 30 minutes now.
Not long after, we arrived at Yuna’s house.
I set her down and took a deep breath.
“Go on in.”
Yuna lowered her head slightly and muttered quietly,
“Th… thank you.”
“Yeah.”
As I turned to leave, Yuna’s voice echoed behind me.
“Kim Dohyun!”
I stopped in my tracks and looked back.
Yuna’s face was red, and she stammered as she spoke.
“I-I can’t live with debts hanging over me. Do you have time tomorrow?”
Yuna hesitated, her face slightly flushed.
I tilted my head curiously at her.
Tomorrow’s the weekend, isn’t it?
I was planning to read some light novels.
“Why?”
Yuna flailed her hands nervously.
“N-no, it’s nothing…! I just… After what happened yesterday, I thought I should thank you… maybe buy you a meal or something….”
Her flustered expression made me chuckle. Feeling playful, I asked,
“Is this a date invitation?”
“Da-date?! What are you talking about?!”
Her face turned even redder as she stomped her feet and hung her head low.
“It’s just a meal… or maybe a movie…! Ugh, I don’t know! I just feel like I should do something!”
I smiled slightly, took out my phone from my pocket, and tapped on the screen a couple of times.
“Call me.”
“Huh…?”
Yuna looked up at me with a blank expression.
Without saying anything further, I turned and walked away.
When I glanced back, Yuna was clutching her phone tightly, watching me leave.
*
As soon as I got home, I opened the door and kicked off my shoes.
Stretching lightly to loosen my stiff body, I threw my training clothes into the laundry basket.
“Man, I’m exhausted.”
After changing into a functional T-shirt and shorts, I felt much lighter.
From the kitchen, I heard Harin’s voice.
“Oppa, I’ve filled the bathtub for you, so take a bath.”
“Why’d you fill the tub? I can just take a shower.”
Harin put her hands on her hips and glared at me.
“Bathing is the best way to recover from fatigue.”
“It’s fine if I just shower…”
“Oppa!”
Her gaze turned sharp.
Here we go again. My overly doting sister.
I sighed, recalling this scenario I had experienced countless times before.
Harin began an impassioned lecture about the importance of bathing.
“A bath helps with blood circulation, which relieves fatigue and reduces swelling. It also relaxes muscles and speeds up recovery after exercise. Plus…”
The rest of her words barely registered in my ears.
So, it’s good for you. Got it. Now stop talking.
At first, it was annoying, but after trying it for a few days, I had to admit it worked.
The fatigue from exercise seemed to melt away, and I felt much lighter.
‘Well, can’t complain if it helps.’
Dragging my slippers, I headed to the bathroom.
The warm water Harin had prepared was steaming gently.
As soon as I immersed myself, tension melted from my body, and I let out a sigh.
“Ah… this must be paradise.”
This is life, like good food and good rest.
I soaked for a while, letting my mind drift, and came out feeling both refreshed and a little dazed.
It felt like all my fatigue had dissolved into the water.
After taking my time, I left the bathroom.
Harin was sitting on the sofa, watching a drama.
“Feeling refreshed, Oppa?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Harin nodded, looking pleased with herself.
I returned to my room, lay on my bed, and pulled out a light novel.
“This guy’s having girl trouble, too.”
I thought to myself as I turned the page.
Yawn… Seeing words always makes me sleepy.
Before I knew it, the line between dreams and reality blurred.
I set the book aside, pulled the blanket over myself, and drifted off to sleep.
*
Harin stood in front of the laundry basket, gathering the laundry.
As she reached out to pick up Dohyun’s recently discarded black training clothes, which were crumpled inside, she found herself lost in thought.
Lately, Dohyun had changed a lot.
Ever since he started exercising, his body had become more toned, and his face seemed to glow.
She often caught him fiddling with his hair in front of the mirror or carefully choosing his outfits.
“Seriously, is he going through a second puberty or something?”
Harin murmured quietly to herself.
Dohyun was already handsome, but now that he was getting even better-looking, her heart raced every time she saw him.
Sigh…
She shook her head, trying to calm herself, but her mind was already filled with other thoughts.
And then,
She noticed white marks smeared all over the training clothes.
At first, she thought it was dust and tried brushing it off with her hand, but the texture on her fingertips was unusual.
Harin cautiously brought the fabric closer to her nose.
‘Is this… makeup?’
In that moment, her mind went blank.
Proof that someone’s face had come into contact with his clothes.
And the distinct scent of women’s makeup pricked her nose.
Her fingers trembled.
Her heart began to race wildly.
‘Who? Who? Who?’
“Die. Die. Die.”
The low mutter that escaped her lips was chilling.
Who dared to lay a hand on my Oppa? My Oppa?
Her mind felt like it was burning to ashes.
Her Oppa was innocent—too naïve to even know how to handle women. He was a gentle soul who couldn’t tell a lie.
‘Could he have fallen for some vixen?’
Ominous thoughts started taking over her mind.
She felt as though her blood was boiling.
Trying to calm herself, Harin took a deep breath.
‘There’s no way my brother lied. He said he wasn’t interested in any girl….’
Her gaze shifted toward the bathroom, where Dohyun had just finished showering.
Slowly, she approached the bathroom.
She carefully pushed the door open, and the warm, damp air filled the space.
Dohyun’s wet toothbrush sat on the sink, having just been used.
Closing the door behind her, Harin stepped forward.
“Oppa….”
She whispered softly while staring at the toothbrush. Without hesitation, she reached out and picked it up.
The lingering moisture on the toothbrush dampened her palm.
‘Just a moment ago…’
She slowly brought the toothbrush closer to her nose and inhaled its scent.
The faint smell of toothpaste mixed with soap tickled her senses.
“Sigh….”
Letting out a warm breath, Harin stared at the toothbrush.
Biting her lip slightly, she brought the trembling toothbrush to her mouth.
She gently licked the bristles with the tip of her tongue.
“…Ngh.”
The fresh taste of leftover toothpaste and a faint hint of soap spread across her tongue.
“Oppa….”
Harin put the toothbrush down and slowly licked her lips. Feeling as though she could sense Do-hyun’s very breath, her cheeks flushed red.
She gently rubbed her lips with her fingertips and murmured softly.
“Oppa belongs to Harin.”
A chill smile appeared on her face.