The Fox's Invitation
After that stroke of luck—no, after that part of me was touched—Yeoeun and I shared a more intimate conversation. "Heh, so you live in a villa. Even back in college, I always had a romanticized idea of having a small, private space of my own."
"...You wouldn't like it if you actually lived there. The alleyway leading up to it is dark and the neighborhood isn't very safe. If you care about security, you can't even install a proper smart lock. You end up having to put up stifling window bars."
From that point on, the flow of our conversation felt much smoother. The tension that had been wrapping around us melted away with the alcohol we consumed, and I finally asked Yeoeun the questions I’d been dying to know. It had started to feel like a real date. It was a time for two adults to relax, lower their guards, and get to know each other a little better.
"Hmm, the time is already..."
However, because we’d wasted so much time at the beginning, midnight was already approaching. Not wanting to be rude by keeping her out too late, I took the initiative and suggested we call it a night.
"Anyway, I'm glad I got to meet you today, Yeoeun."
"Yes, me too! My dad dragged me out here so suddenly, but I actually had a lot of fun meeting you, Seungwoo♡"
We exchanged formal pleasantries. Afterward, we stood in front of the street stall, and a moment of awkward silence passed as a chilly wind blew by.
...What am I supposed to say at the end of a date?
This was the most difficult moment of the entire day. My tongue had loosened up quite a bit, but I hadn't prepared a closing line for a set-up meeting. I was practically radiating the aura of a virgin who hadn't dated many women, but then I thought, 'Hey, it’s probably the last time anyway, just say whatever comes to mind!'
It was a chance encounter, and I wasn't even dreaming of a second date. I couldn't keep her standing in the cold when she wasn't dressed for it, so I decided to speak my mind—if I couldn't think of anything clever, I’d just be honest. I wanted to make sure the ending was memorable, so I shared my feelings without holding back.
"Look... I ended up here by chance, but I think meeting you today is going to be an honor I'll remember for the rest of my life."
"Hehe, an honor? Isn't that a bit over the top?"
"You might think so, but I'm serious! I mean, it’s not every day someone like me gets to go on a date with someone like you."
With a somewhat self-deprecating laugh, I continued, "With your specs, Yeoeun, a chance encounter like this would never happen to me in a million years. So, just being able to drink and talk with you for one day was enough for me. I’ll cherish this as a great memory for the rest of my life."
That was my honest sentiment. Even looking at it coldly, I felt it was a fair assessment that didn't need to be retracted.
"...Seungwoo."
However, she looked incredibly disappointed. It was a much clearer expression of disappointment than when I had been stiff and boring earlier.
"Don't... don't use that kind of low-self-esteem talk where you belittle yourself."
As she said that, she took a step toward me. Tap, tap! She stood right in front of me and smoothed out the wrinkles in my suit. After patting down my outfit, which had become disheveled from the drinking session, she even reached up to straighten my tie. Like a mother telling her son to keep his shoulders back wherever he goes, she whispered as if giving advice.
"Women don't like men who bow their heads easily, no matter who they are."
"No... I was just sharing my honest thoughts—"
"Being honest isn't always right. Even if it's just a bit of bravado or bluffing from the drinks we had, try to show some confidence in front of me."
Then, she gave a sly smile. She whispered, baring her white teeth.
"Ah! Was that not a bluff, but the real thing?"
"..."
She had been shy about her "mistake" earlier, but now that she seemed used to it, she was teasing me with a playful face. Those perfect, fox-like eyes that could make any man in the world fall for her. And then, mwah♥
"I had quite a lot of fun today.♥"
Yeoeun walked away after pulling that stunt. She moved forward with a relaxed gait, and after a few steps, she looked back, waving her wrist in a fluttering motion to say goodbye. After that, she disappeared into the distance, her floral dress swaying.
I watched her hips sway until she vanished completely into the crowd on the main street, then touched my cheek.
'My lips... didn't actually touch.'
She hadn't kissed me directly; she had just pursed her lips. Like a foreign greeting, a fake kiss like a goldfish blowing bubbles. 'The scent of her perfume... it's incredible.'
Right now, that alone was the greatest stimulation for me. I was on the verge of losing it. In my current state, I was reacting to the slightest touch, much like a high schooler in a constant state of arousal or someone who had just started dating their first girlfriend in college.
I stumbled my way to the main road and caught a taxi. I’d had plenty to drink, but in truth, I was more intoxicated by the woman than the alcohol.
'Wait, is this... not the end?'
I had tried to dismiss it as a one-time blessing, but now I was getting greedy. Every time I closed my eyes, Yeoeun's face became clearer.
'Well... anyway, it was the best day ever.'
So this is what it feels like to be bewitched by a nine-tailed fox. I marveled at the thought all the way back in the taxi.
'How was I supposed to do this work again?'
The next day, I arrived at the office, but I couldn't get any work done. I just sat in my office chair, staring blankly. The internet window I’d opened out of habit blinked in front of me, and I couldn't even bring myself to put my hands on the keyboard. It was the ultimate "salary thief" behavior, lacking any shred of sincerity. But it couldn't be helped; the memories of last night were just too intense.
"Assistant Manager Son."
"Why? ...Ah, yes! Team Leader Han!"
Her real name is Han Gaeun. After I answered, I turned my head late to see Team Leader Han standing right next to me, looking as impeccable as ever in her suit skirt and crisp white shirt. I looked up at her with dazed, fish-like eyes, then straightened my spine in a panic a moment later.
Team Leader Han looked down at me as if I were some pathetic fool, then said, "Assistant Manager Son, are you not sleeping these days?"
"Ah... that is,"
"Ha... forget it. More importantly, what about the work I asked for? ...Don't tell me you've been browsing the internet ever since you got to work?"
The monitor, with nothing but an internet window open, was undeniable proof. I was backed into a corner, and it was better to just keep my mouth shut. 'Damn it, it's because I went too hard for three days straight...'
One day of sleep deprivation, followed by two consecutive nights of drinking. There was no way my condition could be stable. No matter how much "virtue" I’d accumulated in the past, there’s a limit to how much slack you get for being a dead weight. This was entirely my fault for letting it affect my work, so my mouth was effectively glued shut.
"You know, I didn't want to say this until now, but..."
"..."
Finally, a vein popped on Team Leader Han's temple. It was the beginning of that classic workplace WWE, where a superior has to address a subordinate’s scattered mental state.
"I let it slide with the previous report because you looked like you weren't feeling well, but isn't this going too far today? If you have a mirror, take it out. You're a mess, to the point where anyone can see it. You look more like you need sick leave than a workday, so what on earth are you—"
I had no response to the barrage of nagging. It was entirely my fault. If anything, Team Leader Han had been looking out for my reputation until now. However, '...Did she say women don't like men who bow their heads easily?'
Suddenly, the phrase from our drinking session popped into my head. The advice Yeoeun gave me before we parted ways. The scolding I was receiving was justified, but for some reason, an impulse took over.
I couldn't suppress this strange urge that made the corners of my mouth twitch.
"Seungwoo, I know your personality. It's fine to take it easy, but if you're this disheveled, you're going to be easily ignored by your subordinates—"
"I will take responsibility and finish it by this afternoon."
"Huh? ...What did you just say?"
"I will perfectly handle the work you assigned by this afternoon. Then the problem will be solved, right?"
I declared it firmly. I lifted my chin, met her eyes, and conveyed my newfound resolve. It wasn't a late-blooming act of rebellion against my boss. It was simply a declaration that since I recognized my mistake, I would take responsibility and fix it.
But this was a first. It was the first time since joining the company that I had used the word "responsibility" with my own mouth.
"I'll make sure it's done properly so it doesn't cause any more trouble, so could you give me until the afternoon?"
"..."
"...Team Leader Han?"
"Huh? Uh, uh-huh!"
This time, it was Team Leader Han who was left dumbfounded. She seemed surprised that I’d raised my voice in a "counter-attack." Perhaps it was such an unfamiliar sight that she stared at me blankly before her shoulders suddenly trembled.
"Ahem, hmm!"
She then fussed over her already perfectly neat attire. She pulled at some stray hairs that were already tied up neatly, acting flustered, before saying, "Fine, well... if you can finish it properly by the afternoon, there's no problem."
"Then I'll have it back to you by the afternoon."
"...Good. P-please, do your best."
Team Leader Han left after saying that. She glanced at my face one last time, left the messy report file on my desk, and returned to her own seat.
'...It actually worked?'
I’d just blurted it out, but I felt overwhelmed. I had braced myself to be cursed at internally after acting on impulse, but the perfectionist Team Leader had willingly let it slide. In reality, I’d just bought myself more time for work that should have been finished quickly, but she’d left it to me anyway.
It was a first-time experience, so I actually started to believe it. The idea that women really do prefer men who act with confidence rather than those who shrink away. It was an experience that made me believe the illusion that people trust men who bluff rather than those who stay quiet.
'Alright, let's do this properly.'
Anyway, enough with the sentiment. I’d made the claim and avoided the nagging, so I had to take responsibility. 'I'll attach the data from the last meeting and the graphs here...'
Strangely, after making such a bold promise, I found it surprisingly easy to focus. I fueled myself with caffeine and completed a high-quality document.
"Phew..."
After finishing the work, I finally escaped the office today. The afternoon flew by as I buried myself in document work. The hopeful news is that tomorrow is the weekend, the oasis of a salaryman's life. I made up my mind to go home today and heal my exhausted body.
"..."
But then, another dilemma arose. I checked the messenger app once more, which I’d been peeking at every time I stepped away from my desk.
We had exchanged contact information during the relaxed drinking session, and it had developed into a fresh, budding messenger conversation. "..." But that was it. Since we returned to our respective homes in the early morning, neither of us had sent another word. To be blunt, it was because I lacked the courage.
If—if I summoned the courage, Yeoeun would reply, and I had clear evidence that this wasn't just my delusion. 'They say a kiss on the cheek is a common greeting abroad, but this is Korea, isn't it?'
The indirect contact we’d shared at the end. And Yeoeun's advice from today, telling me to at least bluff. If I connected those two clues, it surely meant something. She was likely encouraging me, saying that if I gathered the courage, she would be happy to oblige.
"...No way!"
I started typing, 'Yeoeun, are you free toda—' but then I grabbed my right arm. I performed a motion to suppress the "Black Flame Dragon" in my right hand, and while people around me looked at me like I was a weirdo, that didn't matter.
'I can't do it... if I get rejected, it'll be so damn embarrassing!'
No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't handle the mental damage of acting on it and getting shot down. I’d tried to muster up some bluffing or bravado as per the advice that worked today, but this was too much. Asking for a second date felt like I was clearly trying to punch above my weight class. It was way out of my league—
Vrrr, vrrr!
Suddenly, the messenger screen vanished, replaced by an incoming call screen. And the name displayed there didn't require any of my previous delusions. It was just there, plain as day.
<Joo Yeoeun>
My heart rate spiked just seeing the name. I stared at it intently, and after the fifth ring, I touched the screen.
『You're late!』
As soon as I picked up, she snapped at me. She lashed out in a high-pitched, genuinely angry octave.
"Ye, Yeoeun!?"
『Listen here, Seungwoo. If you had fun yesterday, shouldn't you be the one to take the initiative and call or text first? Do we really have to do it like this?!』
She acted as if she’d been waiting for me to contact her all this time. She made it sound like she was the one frustrated enough to call first, acting as if she were demanding something that was rightfully hers.
『Seriously... I laid it out for you so clearly, and you still made me move first... Tch!』
"What?"
I heard a mutter on the other end of the line that I couldn't quite catch. Then, she let out a deep sigh and changed her attitude in an instant. With a thin, sweet voice that I could only interpret as her acting cute for me, this fox shook me up once again.
『Hurry up and come to the street stall where we drank yesterday. I've decided I want to have another drink with you, Seungwoo♥』