The White-Haired Fox

The next day, I was riding the subway on my way to Beomnaegol Station. If someone suddenly asked why I was heading there, the answer was simple. I was on my way to an offline meetup. …The offline fight was a joke, of course. It was the result of me provoking Snowflake even further after she claimed to be a nine-tailed fox yesterday.

After a fierce keyboard battle that lasted over two full hours, the person or creature known as Snowflake left me this message.

Just as she said, I checked the guestbook and found a secret post that read:

I cheered inwardly after reading Snowflake's post. She had responded exactly the way I wanted. I was honestly grateful for the way she took the bait. Meeting her in person would let me figure out whether the Ghost Gallery was really a gathering place for yokai and other supernatural beings, or just a forum full of cyber ghosts obsessed with their concepts.

The performance of the app was better than I expected, which threw me off a little… but I never imagined such a fast reaction. Still, it made things conveniently easy for me. So here I was, on my way to meet Snowflake.

I had planned to head out casually at first, but considering the slim chance she might actually be a yokai, I grabbed some of the talismans I kept at home. It wasn't like I had asked for them. When my parents sent me off to live on my own, they had practically forced them into my hands, insisting I take them. I never thought I would end up using them like this…

"It can't be real, right?"

I didn't actually believe the story. I had only brought them just in case.

"This stop is Beomnaegol, Beomnaegol Station. The doors on the left will open. Passengers transferring to the Busan Transportation Corporation should get off at this station."

The announcement, which put extra emphasis on the "gol," played through the speakers. A moment later, the subway stopped at Beomnaegol Station.

The moment I stepped off the train, I turned on my phone. I opened the familiar messenger app, CacaoTalk, and tapped the open chat room I shared with Snowflake. We had created it after agreeing to meet in person, so we could confirm whether the other was actually showing up.

As soon as I sent a message saying I had arrived at Beomnaegol Station, a reply came back like clockwork.

"Exit 5?"

I followed the directions and headed toward exit 5. After climbing the stairs and emerging from underground, I saw a pharmacy, a neurosurgery clinic, and a few restaurants nearby. I looked around in every direction.

"Where is she?"

No matter how hard I looked, I couldn't see anyone who resembled a gumiho…

After walking forward a bit longer without finding her, I had no choice but to open the chat again and send another message.

"The pharmacy?"

That message gave me some confidence. The confidence that this person wasn't a real gumiho at all, but nothing more than a concept-obsessed troll. If she were a real yokai, she could just heal any ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sickness with her own power, so there would be no reason to visit a pharmacy. Yet here she was, at the pharmacy?

"Definitely a concept troll."

I felt a weight lift off my chest. My instincts had been right after all. She was just another net troll playing a ridiculous concept. Still, even though there was no longer any need to verify anything, I was determined to meet Snowflake in person. I had grown curious about what kind of person would commit so hard to such an extreme act. How bored did someone have to be to spend their time roleplaying as a gumiho?

With that curiosity burning, I headed toward the pharmacy where Snowflake was waiting.

Ding~

The glass door opened and a woman stepped out of the pharmacy. Under normal circumstances I might not have paid her any attention, but I couldn't take my eyes off her. She drew the gaze of every passerby as well. She had striking, pure-white hair that you rarely saw in Korea, the kind that seemed like it belonged in a fantasy world. What made it even more unusual was that the underside of her white hair was tinted a soft blue. It wasn't a typical two-tone style. This was something far more unique.

The moment I saw her, I doubted my own eyes. Because of the hair color? That was part of it, but not the real reason. Because she was beautiful? That was also true, but mere beauty wouldn't have made me question what I was seeing.

I saw it. On the surface she looked like an incredibly beautiful young woman, but beneath that appearance lay something hideous.

"…Snowflake?"

My quiet murmur made her shoulders flinch. It was the reaction I needed. Her dark eyes slowly turned and fixed on me. Our gazes met.

Then she pointed straight ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at me and shouted.

"You! It's you! ShitGayNetCamSnowflake!!"

"……"

…Was she insane?

Her sudden outburst made the people walking by glance at us. It was understandable. She had just yelled a string of bizarre words like "shit gay net cam" right on a public street. Why would anyone say a username like that out loud in real life?

Her behavior left me so embarrassed that I couldn't help clearing my throat.

"Ahem. So you're the Snowflake, huh?"

I looked at her once more. On the outside she truly was a beautiful woman, but to someone like me, who had been born with the ability to see spiritual energy and ghosts… it was painfully obvious.

A fluffy white tail covered in soft white fur extended from near her hips, and on top of her head were a pair of perky ears. They were unmistakably those of a fox. They made it completely clear that she was not an ordinary human.

"Hehe! That's right, I am the user Snowflake! Well? Now that you've seen me in person, you believe me, right?"

Snowflake puffed out her chest with pride.

"That I am a real thousand-year-old gumiho! Now hurry up and post proof on the gallery that you've confirmed it!"

At her demand, I stared at her with a slightly dumbfounded expression. Was that really what mattered right now?

No matter ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠how I looked at the situation, it didn't seem like it, but Snowflake didn't appear to understand the gravity of what was happening at all. After thinking for a moment, I gave a small nod to myself.

What an absolute idiot.

The words that finally left my mouth were not the answer she wanted.

"Wow, you really are a yokai. Honestly, I still can't believe it even now."

"H-huh?"

"How does a community where yokai gather even exist?"

"Huh…? Something about… your attitude is weird. The way you're talking sounds like…"

By this point she should have caught on. As expected, Snowflake seemed to sense something was off and asked in a slightly anxious voice.

"It sounds like you're saying you're not a supernatural being…?"

"Me?"

I reached into my inner pocket. Pulling out one of the talismans my parents had given me, I told her.

"I'm an exorcist."

"What?"

Before Snowflake could fully process my words, I slapped the talisman onto her forehead. The moment it stuck, she began babbling incoherently.

"Uh, uh, y-you, wh-what… are… you…"

What I had placed on her was a binding talisman that sealed all spiritual movement. Whether it was a yokai, a ghost, or even a divine spirit that an ancient yokai had ascended into, none of them could move easily once it was attached… or so my mother had explained.

"Good thing my parents forced these on me. I almost got eaten back there."

Snowflake stood frozen in place, only able to move her mouth. She spoke slowly, pronouncing each syllable with painful clarity.

"Uh, th-this, take, it, off, now?"

"Why would I take it off? You think I'm crazy enough to remove it?"

"Wh-why, did, you, put, it, on."

"You might try to hurt me. You might ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hurt other people walking by. You yourself said you were a thousand-year-old fox yokai."

Snowflake wore an expression of utter disbelief. I wasn't sure what she found so unbelievable, but watching a yokai live among humans like this was quite the spectacle.

She looked extremely flustered. The way her eyes darted around proved it. With slightly teary eyes, she looked at me and pleaded in a pitiful voice.

"Pl-please, take, it, off."

Of course, the way she had to speak syllable by syllable ruined most of the pitiful effect, but combined with her beautiful appearance and delicate voice, it still instinctively stirred up sympathy.

But.

"No thanks."

I had always hated yokai and ghosts.

What do you mean I eat people…?

I hadn't harmed him or anyone else, so what was he even talking about? Snowflake tried to argue, but Se-hwan was already contemplating what to do with her.

"I can't just leave a thousand-year-old gumiho like this…"

Se-hwan pulled out another talisman. On it, the character for "thunder" was written in red ink.

When Snowflake saw it, her eyes began to tremble violently.

Is that… a Lightning Strike Talisman?

The talisman Se-hwan held was one of the highest-grade spirit-destroying tools. It displayed even greater power against beings that possessed yoki or evil energy. Even fairly strong yokai would be left in terrible shape if struck by it. If it hit her, the result was obvious.

"I wonder if this will be enough to exorcise you?"

"St-stop. I, haven't, done, anything."

"You haven't done anything yet, you mean. But you've probably lived off plenty of victims until now, haven't you? Sucking up spiritual energy, stealing people's livers whenever you got bored."

Se-hwan looked at Snowflake with clear disgust in his eyes.

"And after all that, you pretend to be pure? A yokai like you."

Hearing those words, Snowflake stared back at him with a hint of anger in her eyes. She struggled to speak and refute him.

"I, have, never, harmed, a, human."

"Try saying something believable."

"It's, true."

"How am I supposed to believe that?"

For some reason Snowflake's cheeks suddenly flushed bright red. Then, in a strained but deliberate voice, speaking one syllable at a time, she countered.

"Uh, if, you, see, that, I'm, still, a, virgin, can't, you, tell?"

At the words she forced out through her shame, Se-hwan recalled a comment he had seen on the gallery yesterday.

Virgin. The comment had definitely said virgin.

Recalling that memory, Se-hwan looked at Snowflake.

"…Really?"

The way her face had turned red with embarrassment proved it was true. But Se-hwan still couldn't bring himself to believe it easily. Ever since his parents had spoken to him about his destiny, they had always told him that yokai were wicked and cunning creatures. Was she trying to deceive him? It was entirely possible. Among all yokai, the gumiho who seduced men and drained their spiritual energy was known as one of the most treacherous.

After a moment of hesitation, Se-hwan made up his mind.

"…I'll verify it myself."

"Wha… t, are, you, saying…?"

"I have to check to know for sure."

Se-hwan scooped up the immobile Snowflake without hesitation, carrying her in his arms. He turned on his phone and began searching for the nearest motel. Snowflake, who had glanced at his screen, cried out in horror.

"What, are, you, doing, you, pervert, bastard!!!"