The Frayed First Meeting with Go Yeonhee, and the Fox Teacher Finally Causing Chaos
“WHO THE HELL ARE YOU ALL?!”
Short, neatly cropped gray hair, sharply pointed cat ears, and piercing eyes…
The cat wielding an old baseball bat in a loose training outfit approached us with a gaze full of wariness, as if defending her territory.
Standing right in front of the towering figure of Go Yeonhee, whose small stature did nothing to diminish her fierce presence as she strode forward with purpose,
Go Yeonjun ran over and hugged her tightly.
“Sis, hurry over! These sisters…”
“Go Yeonjun, stay behind me.”
Go Yeonhee quickly shoved her little brother behind her and shot glances between the two “suspicious women” and Go Yeonji.
“Yeonji, what the hell is going on right now? There’s a kid at home too—what if you just let strangers in?”
“Unnie, they’re not strangers…”
“Hey, you two. Before you call the police, get out of here. You won’t be attending the church or anything, and we don’t need help—”
Go Yeonhee charged toward me with a furious aura, but Kang Heeji stepped in and blocked her path.
“Enough of that, Go Yeonhee.”
“…How do you know my name?”
“Harsh. You can’t even recognize a classmate’s face. It’s almost like we’re total strangers.”
Go Yeonhee’s red eyes locked onto Kang Heeji’s face before sliding toward me.
I offered an awkward smile and waved.
“I’m the homeroom teacher who transferred in this time—Woo Yeoeun. Nice to meet you.”
“…What brings you here?”
“Brings me? I was worried since you kept missing classes at the academy.”
Go Yeonhee stared at my face, then finally lowered the baseball bat once she realized I wasn’t lying.
Kang Heeji snatched it in a blur of speed and tossed it into the corner of the entrance hall like it had never been there.
She must have learned that trick at the academy. Seeing it in action made me feel so relieved.
“Fine, now come eat. You’re all going to get cold.”
After getting the still-nervous Go Yeonji and the cautious Go Yeonjun to finish their dinner,
I stood up and walked over to Go Yeonhee.
“I only came to the house earlier because I was worried you weren’t there. I’m sorry if I caused a misunderstanding.”
“You didn’t even need to wait. If I wasn’t home, you shouldn’t have come in anyway. Even as a teacher, you can’t just waltz into a house without an adult.”
“Hey, Go Yeonhee.”
I caught Kang Heeji’s flaring hand and steadied her, then faced Go Yeonhee directly.
She was acting tough, but her eyes were trembling.
She must have been desperate to keep her family’s situation hidden. Now her brother was home too, and the teacher and classmates were just… there.
She was probably mortified and furious.
“From what I heard, I was too short-sighted. I’ll apologize for barging in. I’m really sorry.”
“….”
Glancing at my group while nibbling her rice, Go Yeonhee let out a long sigh and wiped her dry mouth.
“I told you I was worried because I missed academy classes, right? Since I can see you’re all perfectly fine, please just leave now.”
“Teacher, what kind of talk is that—”
“Yeonji, stop it. There are kids here.”
With a gentle tug, Kang Heeji immediately fell silent.
I held her hand tighter and looked back at Go Yeonhee.
“Since everything looks fine, I’ll leave today. But I’d like to talk a little more with Yeonhee… Could I come by again sometime? Of course, next time you’ll all be there.”
“…Even if I say not to come, you’ll still show up?”
“If you really don’t want me to come, I won’t. But I’ll worry a lot.”
Go Yeonhee closed her eyes in deep thought.
“Unnie, the teacher is an amazing person. Yeonjun even liked her. Right?”
“Yeah! And that puppy sister said she loves Diddisaurus too. Yeonhee sis loves Diddisaurus!”
“Haa… Really?”
Finally giving in to the siblings’ encouragement, Go Yeonhee sighed and spoke up.
“Next time, please contact me first. You know my phone number, right?”
“I did try calling once… Looks like you’re the type who ignores unknown numbers.”
“…Give me your number.”
After I entered my number into Go Yeonhee’s phone, Kang Heeji and I said our goodbyes to the cat siblings and left the house.
As we walked the quiet night streets side by side, a cool breeze brushing against us, I naturally took Kang Heeji’s hand and leaned my shoulder against hers.
“I worked hard today, Yeoeun-ah. Go Yeonhee… doesn’t even know how much you’ve been trying…”
“Hmm, I’m fine. And don’t hate Yeonhee too much… Have you ever seen stray cats left on the streets?”
I gazed at the glittering neon signs of the evening streets and the shadowed alleyways beyond them, my voice softening.
“Kids who’ve never been betrayed by people come right up when they see you. But smart kids who’ve been hurt know better. When someone approaches, they get super wary and bolt. To befriend them, you have to take it slow. You have to prove you’re different to that hurt kid.”
“So today was the first step?”
“Yeah. I guess my first impression wasn’t the best, but somehow I still managed to give you my number and promise to come back.”
I grinned up at Kang Heeji, whose beautiful emerald eyes met mine.
“Still, you look like you’re struggling a bit.”
“…A little, yeah.”
Nestled against Kang Heeji’s slender waist, I thought blankly.
Go Yeonhee reminded me of my old self.
The older sister who had tried so hard to shield her little sister from the world’s storms.
Who had become so unforgiving of the world that she stopped trusting anyone.
Who sharpened her spines like a hedgehog to protect the precious ones she had left,
only for those spines to eventually pierce her own heart and stab at the family she held inside.
And in the end, the hedgehog was left completely alone.
Wondering what she had even been trying to protect.
“…Heeji, want to grab a drink?”
“Drink? I can, but…”
“Then let’s go get a drink. It’s the weekend anyway, and I worked hard today… I’ll treat.”
Kang Heeji stared at me with narrowed eyes and gave a tiny nod.
I’d turned into the scoundrel teacher who drags his own students to a bar on a golden weekend, but… what could I do? The teacher—wait, girlfriend—was having a rough time.
Kang Heeji and I hailed a taxi and headed toward the old bar I used to love.
“Uncle, I’m back! Still no customers today.”
“…It’s been a while. That’s what you’re saying?”
As the door opened with a cheerful jingle, the old man behind the bar looked up from wiping glasses and welcomed me with great enthusiasm.
The old atmosphere, and the droopy-eared old bartender polishing glasses with a cloth…
It felt like time had stood still here.
But there was a change.
“Yuri, take care of the guests.”
“Yes, ha— whoa?”
Out from behind the counter was… the little runt from back then.
She’d grown into a confident young woman in just a few weeks—shirt and overalls, no more scruffy look.
“Sis…!”
She darted over on short legs and hugged my leg tightly.
The old man kept wiping glasses without a care.
“I’ve been waiting for customers to come. When I suggested calling, she said she didn’t know what to say and got embarrassed…”
“Grandpa…!”
“You can’t just talk, you know.”
The little one shot the old man a glare, but he didn’t even flinch.
“Sis, thanks to you I’m living so well here…! Thank you, sis!”
“Thank me? You should thank the uncle here. I only gave you a small sandwich and a glass of milk.”
“Even if you say that, I know you’re happy deep down, grandpa said.”
This old man and his unnecessary chatter.
I shot him a glare, but he didn’t even acknowledge it.
“Yuri, don’t trouble the guests too much. Go study inside. I’ll handle them.”
“Yes—!”
The little one bowed deeply until her head nearly touched the floor, then handed me a wrinkled sheet of paper and dashed back inside.
I opened it out of curiosity. It was a thank-you note written in messy letters plus a bit of money.
“Thank you, Fox Sister…”
“She learned to write first and wanted to send her first letter to a customer. And that money… it’s the first money she earned.”
“…This should be the uncle receiving it, not me?”
“I already took my cut, so don’t worry and keep it.”
I pressed down my twitching lips, folded the paper neatly, and tucked it into my bag.
Then, for some reason, my eyes drifted to the wall behind the counter and landed on a picture.
A gray cat… no, a gray dog wearing round glasses and wiping glasses.
…That guy better never cross my path again.
“Speaking of the guest who came with you…”
“She’s my student. I got hired at Lily Academy.”
“So the great Lily Academy is finally crumbling?”
“Looks like it’s only got a few years left. Anyway, let’s have a light one.”
After ordering from the old man, Kang Heeji and I headed to a table by the wall.
Kang Heeji, who had been strangely quiet, finally sat down and whispered to me.
“Yeoeun, you… have a different vibe now.”
“Obviously. I can’t show this side to my students at the academy. But today I showed it to you for the first time. …Disappointed?”
“Hmm, no, not at all. I actually like this side of you.”
Kang Heeji seemed only a little surprised, not turned off. In fact, she looked genuinely happy about me sharing a private part of myself with her.
“Here are your cocktails.”
The old man set down two glasses without interrupting our talk and headed back to the counter.
We each grabbed one and clinked them together.
“To our hard work today!”
The alcohol going down so smoothly felt like fresh oxygen filling my whole body.
Kang Heeji’s eyes widened after taking a sip, clearly impressed.
“So good?”
“Way better than the famous bar. Much…”
“Aww, not that much—just drinkable. But how I found this place is…”
I kept sipping my cocktail and told Kang Heeji about the little things that happened before I entered the academy.
Honestly, after transmigrating into this female body, I hadn’t really lived the girly life, so maybe my teacher image was cracking, but…
Kang Heeji listened with sparkling emerald eyes, completely absorbed.
“So… when you said to get lost, that ugly wolf guy…”
“That’s the story I told earlier.”
“…I remember? With the bottle, like in a movie, popping and… on the table…”
“Yeah, I hurt my hand and the wolf fled in a panic.”
“So you really did it…”
After a while of heavy drinking, I felt fantastic.
Not only did I have a partner to drink with who was stunning and beautiful, but she was also listening to every word of my story with genuine interest.
“You lived so roughly before becoming a teacher, Yeoeun?”
“Hmm, that’s why I didn’t want to tell you… but you’ll forget, right?”
“Forgetting would be too bad. Instead, I’ll only remember you.”
“Then that’s fine. Hehe.”
Watching Kang Heeji wink, I laughed like an idiot.
She was younger than me, one of my students… yet somehow I wanted to rely on her.
She was the kind of kid who let me spoil her without complaint, making me deeply grateful.
“Thank you, Heeji… our Heeji…”
“Yeah, I’m grateful too. Thanks to you, today was so fun.”
“No, no—I’m the one who should be grateful. You’re such a fool, Heeji.”
Muttering to myself, I buried my face in Kang Heeji’s neck.
Despite her slender build and tall, strong frame, she carried me on her back without breaking a sweat the whole walk.
…Walking?
I lifted my head in confusion. I was riding on her back along the night streets.
We hadn’t even been drinking, had we…?
“Where are we going, Heeji…?”
“To your house. Is this the right address?”
“Hmm, it is….”
Kang Heeji had clearly given me the address of my studio.
How did she know? I was still thinking blankly when a cold wind swept in. I clung tighter to her neck and pressed my body against hers.
…This back was incredibly reassuring.
It was the first time I’d ever been carried like this by someone.
I had worked so hard to become an older sister who could always support her siblings,
but when I needed support myself, no one had been there to give it.
‘Amazing… The feeling of being carried by someone you can trust.’
The wind had long since passed, but I gave Kang Heeji’s arm an extra squeeze.
The annoying weight of her large chest kept me from pressing any closer, so I tried shoving against her, but then—
I caught a glimpse of Kang Heeji’s ears turning bright red at the tips.
“Ye, Yeoeun, w-why do you keep…?”
“Because your chest is too big, I can’t ride you properly.”
“Th-that’s right. Your chest is… too big…”
Feeling a sudden spark, I gave up trying to adjust and just let her carry me.
With my heavy eyelids fluttering, I suddenly felt myself being laid down on a bed.
Familiar ceiling… my studio.
“Hey… then I should go…”
Go? No, don’t leave.
“Wait, Yeoeun?!”
I grabbed the mischievous dog’s hand before she could escape and pulled her back with all my strength.
When she climbed on top of me and hugged me tightly, the loneliness vanished instantly,
replaced by a warm, comforting presence and soft scent.
“I-I should go home. I haven’t even called…”
“Hmm, nooo…”
Please don’t go— I begged silently, and Kang Heeji’s trembling green eyes stared straight into mine.
“Why, why, why… are you doing this?”
“You really don’t know?”
I glared at her with a pouty face.
“Just being around you makes me weird. I feel like… I’m turning back into a woman.”
“….”
“I feel lonely. When I think you’re going to leave… it makes me so empty…”
Kang Heeji’s hands squeezed my shoulders hard.
But it didn’t hurt. If anything, I wanted her to hold me even tighter.
In the soft moonlight, her bright red face slowly drew closer.
“Beautiful, our puppy.”
I spoke my inner feelings straight out and gently stroked her small face with my hand.
And soon, Kang Heeji’s soft, delicate lips… overlapped with mine.