Plin Ch 2.23

Hugo was currently in his office, rapidly flipping through the script of a drama that his company was producing. The beginning was quite unique and immersive, but as it went on, the characters’ sluggish actions became tiring. This was not the atmosphere he had initially expected.

He thought that by the middle part, the main characters would be all over each other in bed, but they were still in the office, acting like cowards and bickering.

“This isn’t right. Just have s*x already.”

The writing team had twelve people, but the result was pathetic. He was already in a bad mood these days, and he even thought about calling the main writer and threatening him under the guise of encouragement.

Money invested was one thing, but this original drama had a symbolic meaning. It was okay to lose money, so to speak, but the problem was losing the opportunity for a quantum jump that would dramatically increase the number of paid subscribers.

The executive director slammed the script down on the desk with a thud.

He should disapprove of the production of the latest two episodes. Young people these days wouldn’t patiently watch such sluggish content. There were already so many things that didn’t go his way. Did love have to be difficult even in dramas? If they were going to pour money into production costs, they should write it properly so that it would be worthwhile.

“How frustrating.”

Hugo suddenly looked down. It had been bulging and standing upright for too long since morning. He knew that not being able to get an er*ction was called er*ctile dysfunction, but what was this called…er*ctile advancement?

He always wore suits that fit his body well, so his cr*tch and thighs were always tight and sore. He had relieved himself in the evening and again in the morning after waking up, but it was swollen again, so he couldn’t help but worry about functional problems.

They say that the body and mind are one. His d*ck was out of his mind, so his emotions these days were a bit problematic.

He was often in a bad mood. Especially right before and right after seeing the fox. He felt nauseous, sick to his stomach, irritated, frustrated…frustrated…and then sad.

“Fuck…”

At first glance, he had a gentle impression, like a puppy, but with his sharp nose, lips, and large ears, he couldn’t help but think of a fox when he saw his face. And when he couldn’t say what he wanted to say, he would get annoyed, and when he would grit his teeth and then see those brown eyes again… he couldn’t say anything. Like an idiot.

His internal organs were acting strangely. It was the first time something like this had happened.

He had rolled around on the hospital floor like a dog and ached to the point of crushing his own fingernails, but he had never experienced this kind of itching. It was an unpleasant feeling, like something was gently scratching his internal organs, an unknown pain, well, not pain, but a faint sensation similar to pain. Was this really pain?

Hugo was walking across the office when he came back to his desk at the sight of his phone, which was emitting a zing and a light.

“Haa…”

[Fucking Ethan]

It was just a phone call. But what was this filthy feeling? Of course, the probability that someone other than the fox would call was higher than the probability that the fox would call, but the moment he confirmed that the caller was not the fox, he was filled with anger.

Hugo answered the phone.

“Yeah.”

—Hugo K. von Idrohann.

“…Are you my mother? Why are you calling my full name and acting up?”

He instinctively flinched at hearing his full name after a long time, but he ridiculed him in a sing-song voice. He would not be able to forgive Ethan for saying his full name for a long time.

—It was you. Why are the manager and chef suddenly leaving?

“It’s not surprising news. No subordinate can withstand long-term abuse of power.”

—You said you wouldn’t touch the hotel.

“Our Ethan, you believed that.”

Judging by the fact that he only realized what had happened after it had already happened, he was also slow on the uptake.

—The manager is one thing. But you know very well how much effort I put into F&B.

The voice trembling with emotion sounded quite sincere, but it was none of his business.

“Ethan, I’m busy. I don’t have time to listen to your whining.”

—You, you son of a bitch.

“I’m the one who feels wronged when it’s not even certain that I did it. But even if I did, it’s your fault for not defending it in the end.”

The chef, who had been employed for five years, had crumbled before money, so it was something that his competitors would have done even if he hadn’t. He really didn’t understand why he was taking out his anger on him for his own failure to manage his people.

—Do you think I’ll just let this go?

“The same old lines. Boring.”

Ethan’s huffing and puffing was audible. It would have been very fun in the past, but these days, the process of reaching emotions was twisted, so he didn’t feel much.

—Let’s see how long you can keep that up.

“Why? I’m pretty when I smile, don’t you think?”

—…You’re a lunatic.

“If you’re going to say anything else, know that I’m going to grind your bones, not the hotel, if you touch the fox one more time.”

—…When did―

Ethan was about to say something, but Hugo hung up, not wanting to wait for his words. When Ethan ran amok, it felt like he had completed a task that needed to be done, and his mind felt a little relieved. Thinking about that insignificant guy daring to have s*x with the fox in a painful way still made him angry in the middle of the night.

He had wanted to do many mean things, and he had the ability to do so, but he had held back because he was afraid of the backlash of karmic pain that would come from earning someone’s resentment. But now he could do anything.

However, he was still frustrated because he had no leads. Andrea, whom he was looking for, was nowhere to be found, and the fox, who had been seducing him with his tail wagging from day one, was now startled by just a kiss.

He was impatient because he couldn’t tell if Plin was really falling for him or not.

Could his attitude really change 180 degrees like this? Why was he so lukewarm these days when he had been so actively trying to get his attention before?

If he interrogated him about what kind of deal he had made with Ethan and what orders he had received, he had a hunch that Plin would turn his back on him and run away without any regrets, which made him even more anxious.

How could he let go of the painkiller he had found so painstakingly? Hugo’s eyes became clouded with venom or madness.

Zing, a message vibration rang out. He thought it was Ethan sending a belated curse, so he glanced at the screen, but the name that appeared at the top was [My Darling Plin].

Executive Director, hello, this is Plin. The reason I’m contacting you is…

Hugo felt his heart rate suddenly increase at the fox’s message, which he had partially previewed. He placed his hand on his chest to calm it down a little, and carefully turned off the notifications, trying not to open the message app.

This message app was all good, but he didn’t like that it showed when a message had been read. But there was always a workaround.

Hugo opened the <Secretly View Messages> app. With this app, he could check the message and pretend he hadn’t seen it. He didn’t even know this app existed until recently, but he was using it usefully.

Executive Director, hello, this is Plin. The reason I’m contacting you is, I was wondering if you happen to have time this Friday evening 10:29

“Why…”

Friday evening, time? What’s the occasion?

An opera? Or a commoner movie date? Or an invitation to his house where they could do intimate and lewd things to their heart’s content?

Hugo waited another minute. But no additional messages arrived.

It was skillful of him to make people curious like this and not immediately state his purpose.

But if he replied right away, it would seem like he was someone who was just waiting for the fox’s message with his cell phone in hand. He couldn’t give the impression that he was obsessed with a mere lower-class peddler. It was a matter of pride.

Hugo clenched his phone tightly. And to suppress the urge to reply immediately, he read the sentence again, savoring it.

“Plin, huh.”

Hadn’t he always referred to him as ‘Fallfox’ or ‘Plin Fallfox’, his full name, until now? Just ‘Plin’…not even ‘Official Peddler Plin’ attached to his position, just ‘Plin’… This was a very unconventional expression of intimacy.

Suddenly, his heart ached with a strange sensation, making it difficult to define his own state.

Imagining the lips that would be chattering ‘Plin’. Plin… Hugo pronounced it only with his lips.

Coincidentally, the ‘lin’ in ‘Plin’ was pronounced with the lips spread horizontally, [ie], so it made him look like he was smiling awkwardly. The dimple etched only on one side deepened.

Hugo suppressed the twitching smile, threw his cell phone on the desk, and covered his head.

An hour later, Hugo replied nonchalantly.

11:29 What for

During the hour he was suppressing his desire to reply, he couldn’t concentrate on work at all. It was clear that it was a typical date invitation, so it seemed like he had achieved his initial goal of ‘making the fox fall in love with him’.

If he was invited to his house, he would bring flowers, fruit, meat, and wine. He imagined the fox’s drunken appearance. If he kept wagging his tail while drunk, he might get muscle pain from the repeated motion, so he would have to hold his tail to stop him from wagging it.

The message came immediately.

There’s a snow festival in High Forest this time 11:29

11:29 A snow festival?

The two of them going would be fun. How did he have such a clever idea? As soon as he saw the text ‘snow festival’, Hugo had colorful imaginations. A forest of conifers covered with a blanket of snow, a square surrounded by colorful light bulbs, feeding each other pink cotton candy… Buying two sodas, one melon-flavored and one yogurt-flavored, and using the excuse of wondering about the taste of the other’s to indirectly kiss…

Yes. I’m going to sell Fox Love Drink and candy there, and I was wondering if the Executive Director would like to come and see. I’ve already reserved a stall! 11:30

The imagination could not last more than thirty seconds.

Ah. It wasn’t an invitation to play, it was telling him to come and spend money because he was going to be selling things.

It felt like he had been suddenly doused with cold water while lost in a sweet dream on a cozy bed. If that was the case, he shouldn’t have set the mood by saying they should do something together on Friday night. It was easy to make one person feel ridiculous by making them hope.

11: 35 You’re going to have a stall?

Yes, I participate every year, and it’s profitable ^0^ 11:35

He was so bright, it was infuriating. Hugo smiled bitterly at the message that was just bragging about his business. He felt like an idiot for being excited for an hour, unable to work, because of what the fox said to promote his business.

He imagined that he had probably sent group texts to other employees of The Scope with content that was likely to cause misunderstandings, such as asking if they had time on Friday evening. Among them, some rational people would have blocked the fox’s promotion as spam, but some would have been excited on their own, just like him.

They would also be expecting a date invitation like him, and they would feel the same sense of defeat when they heard the answer that it was a booth promotion. Should he feel a sense of camaraderie with those nobodies?

This kid is really something.

A feeling of helplessness and annoyance welled up inside him. He covered his face with his hands. Hugo let out a sigh that sounded like a groan.

11:35 Isn’t it a bit much for lovers to just notify each other like this? How can you tell me only now that you’re doing something as significant as running a street stall, without even discussing it first?

Hugo glared at his cell phone as if he were in a snowball fight. No matter how he excused himself, he was determined to be stern. But an hour later, two hours later, three hours later, the next day, and the day after that, no reply came.

<To be continued in Volume 2>