Plin Ch 4.19

Plin had a good sense of direction. He knew early on that they weren’t headed to the mansion, nor to his own place in Kill Green. Curious about their destination, he glanced at Hugo several times, but Hugo remained silent, lost in thought, so Plin didn’t dare to interrupt.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have said those things earlier. He’d thought them over carefully, but now they seemed spineless and embarrassing. Regret began to sprout in his chest.

After some time, they arrived at a mansion in Middle Forest Junction, in the heart of City Forest.

Entering the upscale residential complex, Plin felt a little intimidated and reached for Hugo’s hand. The friendly-looking doorman recognized Hugo and greeted him. Hugo introduced Plin.

“Plin, this is Randy. Randy, this is Mr. Fallfox.”

“Ah, hello, Mr. Randy.”

“Please, call me Randy. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Fallfox.”

Randy greeted him politely with a nod. Plin wasn’t sure why Hugo was introducing him to the doorman, but he assumed it was some kind of upper-class etiquette, a way of appearing approachable to the public.

Hugo remained silent as they ascended in the ornate, gold-plated elevator. He had the same contemplative expression Plin had worn earlier, as if mulling something over.

They arrived at a duplex penthouse that still smelled of new paint. He supposed they were staying here tonight. A private cinema, a villa, the main house, and now this separate apartment… Plin was once again struck by the endless wealth of the rich.

He’d been staying at the Idrohann mansion, but since they hadn’t yet met, it would have been awkward for Hugo to keep him there, with the possibility of running into his parents. The fact that Hugo hadn’t introduced them yet clearly indicated they weren’t a publicly acknowledged couple.

Plin realized that Hugo was moving his temporary residence without any warning, and not to the main house.

He looked around the apartment. It was a house, but it felt too unfamiliar to be called home, too vast to take in at a glance.

One entire wall was a long window leading to a terrace. There was a hallway, and a staircase leading to the second floor. With paintings adorning the walls instead of personal belongings, it felt more like an art gallery.

“Nice place.”

Plin responded awkwardly. His voice echoed in the vast space, like in an opera house, amplified by the high ceilings.

“Is it alright? The renovations were rushed, so the smell hasn’t completely disappeared.”

“Did you buy this place recently?”

“Yes.”

Hugo’s expression twisted slightly, as if he were holding something back, and he took Plin’s hand, leading him somewhere. Behind the kitchen, next to the pantry, there was a small, enclosed space.

“Look at this.”

“…Hmm?”

“Don’t you recognize it?”

“What about it? What is it?”

Hugo pointed.

“It’s a fox den.”

“Ah… I thought it was a dragon’s lair or something.”

“I don’t have that kind of taste. Go inside.”

It was perfectly sized for Plin. Once inside, only the tip of his tail was visible.

“Are you okay?”

Hugo asked from outside.

“Mmm…”

Plin made a small, contented sound. Hugo bent down and peered inside. Plin, nestled in the cozy space, was lying on his back, his tail wagging furiously.

Hugo touched the floor of the den. It was warm, heated. There was even a remote control inside to adjust the temperature.

“You can control the temperature. When you come home from deliveries on cold days, you can warm up here.”

They’d both been exposed to the cold wind earlier, after foolishly opening the sunroof in the middle of winter. Plin peeked his head out and said,

“This is the fanciest fox den I’ve ever seen.”

“Uh-huh.“

But Plin still seemed clueless.

“Come out now.”

Hugo said impatiently, worried that Plin would become too enamored with the fox den. Plin obediently emerged, his cheeks flushed from the warmth. He was shorter than Hugo, and from above, he looked even smaller. Hugo noticed a loose thread on the shoulder of Plin’s T-shirt.

“Anyway. Why do you think there’s a fox den here?”

Hugo asked, posing a question.

“Hmm… I wonder?”

He hadn’t expected Plin to be this dense. Hugo rubbed his forehead and then said, avoiding eye contact with Plin, his voice trembling slightly as he tried to sound nonchalant,

“I wanted to spend some money, but I couldn’t find anything to spend it on.”

“I see. You don’t mean…”

“I do.”

“Really? This fox den… is it really for me?”

Plin’s tail wagged excitedly.

“Really?”

He pressed for confirmation. A bitter taste rose in Hugo’s throat at Plin’s limited, almost bleak, imagination.

“It’s not just the fox den.”

“Huh? It’s not? Then whose is it? Do you know any other foxes? Well, I guess it could be for someone else… a raccoon, or a rabbit, or a meerkat… Lots of people like dens. But then why did you show it to me? Were you showing off?”

Plin’s face fell, and he rambled, his gaze still fixed on the fox den even as he spoke of giving up.

“It’s not just the fox den, the whole apartment is yours.”

Plin still looked dejected. He clearly hadn’t understood.

“I was going to tell you in a cooler way, but…”

Hugo sighed dramatically, as if genuinely displeased with the situation.

“I’m too much, and uncool, and unattractive. What else did you say?”

“…..”

“Ah. You said I was clingy, too. But that can’t be helped, it’s my first love. Let’s be understanding of each other, since we’re both in the same boat.”

Hugo groaned and covered his face with his hands, seemingly embarrassed by his heartfelt, unfiltered confession.

“I bought this place for you, Plin. I know it’s too much. Maybe it’s because it’s my first relationship… I wasn’t sure what to get you as a gift…”

“…..”

Hugo grimaced and then, lifting his hands, apologized,

“…And I’m sorry about breaking your roof.”

He looked incredibly awkward, scratching his sideburns. Plin, still dazed, silently absorbed Hugo’s excessive, uncool, and utterly endearing confession.

***

Inside the conference room, Hugo fidgeted, bouncing his leg. It was late afternoon. His dark hair was tousled, and his loosely knotted tie hung low. The top few buttons of his dress shirt were undone.

Yet, despite his disheveled appearance, he exuded a captivating, youthful aura. It was a testament to his natural charisma.

As an executive in a rapidly growing company, he usually didn’t have time to think about Plin during work hours. But lately, things have been different.

Cohabitation.

They had already lived together at the mansion, but sharing a space filled with staff was vastly different from living together in their own private home. The latter felt much more like a newlywed life.

He hadn’t initially planned to move in together so soon, but Plin had been overwhelmed by the gift of the apartment and, with his habit of enjoying the confines of his small fox den, was intimidated by the vast, museum-like space. So, Hugo decided to stay with Plin from day one, helping him settle in and mark his territory.

They’d done all sorts of things together in the kitchen, the media room, and the workshop where Plin prepared his juices…

Despite his disheveled appearance, the man’s mind was filled with equally disheveled thoughts.

He wanted to lick deep inside Plin’s large ears, to pin the startled fox down and do this and that with his fluffy winter tail, to taste his saliva…

He unconsciously smiled, then caught himself and schooled his expression, realizing his lips were dry and chapped.

Hugo glanced around and checked his watch. He couldn’t believe only 12 minutes had passed since he last checked. It felt like an eternity. He was experiencing the theory of relativity firsthand.

“Executive Director, what are your thoughts?”

Jolted from his reverie by the question, Hugo responded smoothly,

“I look forward to it.”

He longed to see Plin.

“Pardon?”

“I look forward to the day The Scope Media achieves the number one market share. With such a clear vision, I’m sure it won’t be long.”

“Ah… thank you.”

Thibeau, sitting beside him, saw through Hugo’s facade, thinking, ‘He’s definitely thinking about something else.’ But the other executives felt encouraged by the concrete goal Hugo had presented. He’d seemed indifferent, but he clearly had a plan, and the realization that he’d been evaluating their performance with those seemingly uninterested eyes sent a shiver down their spines.