Plin Ch 2.3

“Plin, you work so hard.”

“Good morning, Plin.”

“You’re always working hard, Fallfox.”

The casual words of encouragement and morning greetings came from more than one or two people.

“It’s nothing… Thank you. Yes. Good morning. Thank you.”

He was busy answering everyone, but his tail was wagging. He had always wanted to approach them first, but he didn’t because he thought he was just a peddler. Maybe he had set his own defenses too high.

“Take it easy. If Plin gets sick and can’t come, it’s a great loss for us.”

“Ahaha… I’ll take good care of my health. Don’t worry.”

Even though he tried not to be conscious of it, a slight blush crept onto his cheeks at the unfamiliar collective hospitality.

In the midst of all this, Branson was still grumbling and picking a fight.

“You’re really something, aren’t you?”

“…Yes? Ah, thank you for the compliment. Fox drink is made with various rare medicinal herbs…”

“Look at him, changing the subject. I guess the rumors are true.”

While he was momentarily unable to respond because he didn’t know what he meant, Branson continued his snide remarks.

“How did you manage to hook the owner’s son with that innocent face?”

“What do you mean…”

“Well, if a fox decides to sell smiles and shake his ass, who wouldn’t be charmed?”

It felt like cold water had been poured on him. It was an insult. The sudden slander was abrupt. How could anyone know about yesterday’s incident with the executive director…?

No matter how much he thought about it, it didn’t make sense. Anyway, Branson was always saying bad things to him. Maybe this time, too, he just wanted to say something bad in a new way.

No, that was just his complacency, wanting to think that way. He had slept with the executive director yesterday, and Branson was clearly talking about that incident. There were already specific rumors going around the company. If someone had spread the word, how… Could it be the executive director…?

“Branson. Watch your mouth.”

Leo called out to Branson as if to warn him. Then he whispered to Plin with an awkward smile, “Plin will understand.” Branson seemed to have more to say but decided to let it go, huffing and puffing and closing his mouth. His red hair, soaked in wax, looked like a lighter’s flame because of his flushed face.

What’s going on…? Plin felt uncomfortable, like a stone was placed on his chest. Plin, who had not had a normal school life, often felt that he had not fully learned the interpersonal relationships that he should have learned. This was also a moment when he faced his own clumsiness.

Even if he was surprised, he should have been angry at the insult. Even if it was a customer, he should have retorted immediately if they were talking nonsense.

He gradually forgot about the uncomfortable feeling and the worries about the rumors as he focused on the rest of the deliveries. Carrying the basket and going up and down a dozen floors of stairs left no room for idle thoughts. It was even more so because his muscles, which had been overworked yesterday, were screaming in pain.

The final hurdle was the executive director’s office on the 19th floor.

Plin lingered in the stairwell for no reason. What happened yesterday was a definite mistake, even if they both enjoyed it, and it shouldn’t happen again. It wasn’t just his fault, and if he had to assign blame, he thought the executive director was a little more at fault. Because that person had even come to his house.

He didn’t know why there were already rumors going around the company, but Plin didn’t want anything to change because of yesterday. Being extremely safety-conscious, Plin had already decided in the morning that he would be satisfied if he could continue delivering to The Scope just until he could find other clients.

The first experience was certainly ecstatic, but his life wasn’t leisurely enough to be lost in that ecstasy in reality.

Since it was a mutual mistake, he shouldn’t be swayed if the executive director said anything strange.

If he sneered, [You’re here? Commoners are so proactive.],

→ I’m here to deliver the drinks that ‘you, the customer,’ ordered.

If he reminded him of yesterday by saying, [You came a lot yesterday, did you like it?],

→ I’m here ‘today’ to deliver the drinks you ordered.

If he teased him by saying, [Shall I touch your ears?](which he was very likely to say),

→ I’m here ‘to deliver drinks’. You ordered them, customer.

Each had a different emphasis, but this one practical phrase, which distinguished between business and personal matters, could effectively block almost any nonsense. Plin put down the basket and took out only the 10-pack pouch for the executive director. For some reason, he didn’t want to carry the basket right now.

When he opened the emergency exit door, bright light poured in. His eyes stung a little from being in a dark place and then coming out into the bright light. As soon as he stepped inside, he was met with six pairs of eyes at the reception desk.

He felt a silent pressure. Plin, like a warrior entering a dragon’s dungeon, walked towards the huge door with a determined look. The reception desk, which had been informed in advance that a white fox would be coming, did not stop Plin.

Plin took a deep breath in front of the executive director’s office. He was practicing saying, ‘I’m here to deliver the drinks that the customer ordered,’ one last time with his lips.

“Hey, stop mumbling and come in.”

A person who suddenly appeared from behind whispered quickly. It was a voice that was deeply submerged and felt chillingly eerie. The lanky man, who seemed to be surrounded by black, smiled at Plin. There was a deep, old scar from under his left eye down to his cheek. Plin flinched at his menacing impression. He was clearly the person who had dealt with him when he pretended to be dead yesterday.

“Our master has good hearing, no patience, and a bad personality.”

He winked slyly with a nasty look, and Plin, feeling creeped out, took a step back and then opened the door to the executive director’s office with a thud.

“Darling, you’re here?”

The man sitting down waved his hand as if he had been waiting. His outstretched legs extended well beyond the lower space of the desk.

He was a man who stood out just by his presence. He was dressed even more splendidly than yesterday when he had his inauguration ceremony. He wore a navy blue three-piece suit that fit his body perfectly, a sports steel wristwatch, a harmoniously and neatly arranged tie bar, a handkerchief, and cufflinks. He had all the accessories he could have, arranged precisely.

His naturally flowing jet-black hair was extremely free-spirited, contrasting with his strictly formal suit. As a result, he looked like a rich kid.

Surprised by the way he was addressed, Plin looked around, realized it was directed at him, and asked,

“Huh? Me?”

“Yes, you, darling.”

Plin hesitantly approached Hugo. Every time he took a step, the bottles of fox drink in his pouch clinked against each other. His hand holding the pouch felt somehow shabby. He should have corrected him immediately that he was not his ‘darling’, but he missed the timing again, just like before.

He placed a total of ten bottles on the desk, one by one. Hugo still watched the fox’s actions with a sly look.

“I need to use the pouch again, so… I’ll just take out the drinks and leave them here.”

It took quite a long time to put down 10 bottles. Plin pursed his lips and looked only at the desk, trying not to make eye contact.

“Didn’t you miss this pretty face?”

At his words, Plin realized which of the practiced phrases this corresponded to and carefully answered,

“…I’m here today to deliver the drinks you ordered.”

“You’re dumping me after one night?”

“…I’m, the delivery, of the ordered drinks.”

“Are you broken?”

The end of his pronunciation elegantly lifted.

“The, drinks… are ordered, delivery… the customer… so…”

“Yeah, you’re broken.”

Plin raised his head and made eye contact. He was handsome, like a sensitive young master, even with an irritable furrow between his brows. Plin stammered and opened his mouth.

“So…”

“Ah, yes. You’re here to deliver the drinks I ordered. Who doesn’t know that? Including what you did in front of here, I’ve heard the same thing about fifty times now.”

He said, pointing at the door with his index finger. He heard him practicing. He spoke softly, but he really did have good hearing.

“Yes… Then have a nice day.”

Plin forced an awkward smile. It was a little servile. But he didn’t have the guts to ask why he was being called ‘darling’ when they weren’t in any kind of relationship, or why there were already rumors circulating in the company.

“Where are you going?”

“Since I finished the delivery, I was going to go home and rest…”

“What about the raw ingredients?”

Hugo asked as if he had caught his weakness. It was the list of raw ingredients that he had said he would report to the Food and Drug Administration if he didn’t bring it by today. Hoping that he wouldn’t find it, Plin had slightly tucked a small piece of paper under the bottle of fox drink.

“Here, I put it down earlier.”

Plin pointed to a spot on the desk with his finger. A piece of paper was placed under the fox drink.

“T-Then I’ll be on my way.”

Plin spoke quickly and turned around.

“Stay.”

“Yes?”

Hugo took something out of the drawer and threw it to Plin. With the agility of a fox, he caught the very light shopping bag.

“What’s this?”

Hugo just gestured with his chin as if it was too much trouble to answer.

When he untied the ribbon on the shopping bag, a pair of palm-sized pouches emerged. They were fluffy and looked very warm. They were ear warmers used by beast-people with protruding ears.

“Why this…”

“Because my darling’s ears might get cold.”

I’m not your darling… We’re not in any kind of relationship, so why do you keep calling me that strangely? The words reached the tip of his tongue, but this time, too, he couldn’t bring himself to say them out loud and swallowed them down.

“Wear those from now on. Since you brought the raw ingredients, it’s a gift.”

“A gift…?”