Fox's Whiskey-Fueled Vows
Kim Charyeok and I pounded whiskey like lunatics. Neither of us had ever pushed our limits before, so we had no clue where the line was. I vaguely remembered reading in some science magazine ages ago that muscles help break down alcohol, letting fit people hold their liquor better than most. Whether that was true or not, Charyeok slammed back several bottles on his own and stayed perfectly fine. Thinking that was normal for him, I matched his pace... until everything went black.
When I came to, he was chugging the last bottle.
"...Hmm. Hanjun. You're awake."
My head throbbed like a drum. My heart pounded, vision blurry. As I groaned and tried to sit up, Charyeok stopped me, scooping up all the empty bottles in his arms and standing.
"I'm feeling it a bit now too. I'll handle cleanup, so just crash."
I heard him shuffling around the apartment. The clinking sounds meant he was even kindly sorting the recycling. After tidying up for a while, he came over to where I was sprawled on the floor and waved.
"I'm out, Hanjun."
"...You... monster."
Before we started, he'd said he'd blown 800,000 won of the million Miho gave him on whiskey. After all that, he didn't even seem buzzed. The guy really was a freak.
"...Hmm! Feels great...! Otherworld... Otherworld!"
But as I watched him mutter and stumble out of my place, I realized I'd been wrong. He was totally wasted. He was heading out in nothing but his underwear, flexing his muscles like he was onstage at a bodybuilding contest.
"...Hey... hey...!"
If he went out like that, he'd get reported for sure. I tried to yell and stop him, but my booze-rawn throat was too dry to make much noise.
In the end, Charyeok strode out the door in just his undies, posing like a pro competitor.
"...Fuck it."
Clutching my pounding head, I staggered to the sink. I splashed water on my face, brushed my teeth roughly, then yanked open the fridge and gulped down cold water straight into my gut. The chill finally cooled my overheated body a bit.
Legs wobbling, I grabbed my phone out of habit and flopped face-first onto the bed. In my haze, I glanced at the screen—midnight. We'd started at 7, so I'd blacked out after five straight hours of guzzling with the guy.
"...?"
Staring blankly at my phone, I noticed an unfamiliar icon. Missed calls and texts—stuff that never showed up on my phone before. Tapping the packed notifications brought up one name.
Miho.
Her last text ended with a period instead of a question mark, and for some reason, it sent a chill down my spine. Checking the missed calls, she'd rung me eight times.
Should I call back now? The thought crossed my mind, but at midnight, it felt too heavy. As I groaned over it, my phone suddenly rang.
I swallowed hard at the caller ID, then slowly hit accept.
"Hello?"
Miho's soft voice came through the speaker. Maybe it was the booze, but it sounded sweeter than usual. I tried to pull myself together.
"Uh... yeah, Miho."
But my throat was wrecked—my voice cracked out hoarse and broken. She went quiet for a beat, then spoke.
"Hanjun, you drank?"
"...Yeah."
No point lying; it was obvious. I clutched my throbbing head and confessed. She followed up.
"With who...?"
My mind snapped alert. Her tone was normal, but instinct screamed something lurked beneath. Groaning, I answered.
"Charyeok... he just enrolled too, so... to celebrate... we drank..."
My head spun. Thoughts fragmented. Midway, I face-planted into the pillow without realizing. From the phone, she called out.
"Hanjun...? Hanjun?"
Was that earlier tone my imagination? Now her voice dripped extra sweetness. I lifted the phone groggily to my ear, and she picked up on it.
"Hanjun, you're wasted, huh...? Video call okay?"
"Uh... yeah."
I fumbled for the video button. To see her face, I held the phone at arm's length. There she was—fox ears perked up cute as ever. I still couldn't get used to it. Those alluring upturned eyes, perky nose, ruby lips, huge sparkling eyes... a grin slipped out unbidden.
"Hanjun, why're you smiling?"
She giggled like my grin was adorable, mirroring it as she asked. Grinning wider, I told her.
"'Cause you're too pretty."
Her ears shot straight up. Eyes wide, she flashed a dangerously gleeful smile.
"Hehe... hehehe..."
Just like when I'd taken off the necklace before. Crimson eyes glinting, licking her lips—I shook my head, sure it was the booze playing tricks. Sure enough, the Miho on screen now looked sweetly worried.
"Hanjun, so... which part of me's pretty...?"
Her voice turned syrupy, worming into my ear. Coupled with her beaming face, the words tumbled out.
"All of... it. Everything."
"......"
Silence. I groaned, squinting blearily at the screen. She shifted, propping her chin on one hand to peer closer.
"Hehe... hehehe..."
She let out a goofy, loose laugh. I chuckled along without thinking. Ears twitching, crimson eyes locked on me.
"Hanjun, so... what're you doing tomorrow...?"
"Tomorrow...?"
Wasn't Kim Jihye teaching me and Charyeok sorcery? I'd heard it clear as day, but doubt crept in.
"Yeah...? What're you up to, Hanjun...?"
Her coaxing purr urged me on. For some reason, I had to answer. That honeyed voice, that gentle smile—it was like being bewitched by a fox spirit. I mumbled fragments.
I have no idea what I actually said, but screen-Miho nodded along with eager "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm"s, staring at me like I was her whole world, playing cute just for me. I grinned like an idiot again.
"...Oh, dangerous."
She muttered something. My fuzzy vision and foggy brain couldn't make out what, but those piercing red eyes staring straight through me? Crystal clear.
"Record... gotta record this for sure... save it for later... later use."
Rustling sounds—she was moving. Her eyes shook as I slurred, "Whatcha doing?" She whispered back sweetly.
"Huh...? Oh, nothing, Hanjun. Just... anyway, what'd you say you're doing tomorrow?"
Hadn't I just told her? Her repeated question puzzled me, but that aegyo-laced voice pulled more words out.
"...Jihye... with Charyeok..."
"Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm."
She chimed agreement nonstop. Forcing up heavy eyelids, I spat out my fracturing thoughts. My voice sounded like baby babble in my ear later, but amazingly, she got it, purring more questions.
Once, twice, three times. Answering her patiently wore me down until my head lolled forward.
"Hanjun... Hanjun, you asleep...?"
She whispered softly. I hovered between sleep and sense.
"Uh... yeah."
"You're falling asleep, right...?"
"Uh... yeah."
I heard her swallow hard. Then, that same coaxing tone.
"Hanjun, y'know, our fox clan's pretty famous among youkai... so... I'll do my absolute best to serve you... you'll stay with me forever, right...?"
"Uh... yeah."
I had no clue what she meant, but I answered anyway. Thrilled, her voice heated up for the next question.
"We'll date... kiss like lovers... do all the naughty stuff we want... get married, even have kids...?"
"...Yeah."
"I... I recorded it, Hanjun...? Foxes don't let go of their first groom, so you said you'd take responsibility...?"
"Yeah."
"Hehe... hehehe... you're so naughty, Hanjun."
She kept firing questions through the phone after that. I mumbled through in my daze until blackout claimed me, plunging into sleep.
Bzzz. Bzzzz.
My phone blared. Clutching my still-tender head, I snatched it on reflex.
"...Pick up."
Half-asleep, I answered. Kim Jihye's voice came through.
"...Yep."
Only then did it hit me—I'd passed out drunk last night.
"...Dodged a bullet."
Glancing at the time: noon. I hauled myself to the bathroom to rush a wash, and fragments of last night replayed in my head. I'd cleaned up, hit the bed... talked to Miho, right?
"...Did I screw up...?"
I couldn't remember our chat at all. Panicking over what blunder I'd made, a text pinged in.
Judging by her text, no major screw-ups. I sighed in relief and got ready to head out.