TGHD Ch35

“Hmm…?”

“It seems the children really enjoyed coming home with you today, young master. They all like you. If you stay with them, there shouldn’t be any danger…”

Cheon Ryubeom just blinked. He was so taken aback that Yeohwi’s words didn’t quite register in his mind. His first thoughts were of worry and a sense of burden: wouldn’t it be dangerous to get this close? Was it the long-standing family teaching of hostility towards foxes, or just an aversion to getting close to anyone?

Of course, he intended to repay Yeohwi for the great help he received in Hyojomyeon, but this request was unexpected. Ryubeom had been prepared for monetary compensation or perhaps helping with some future physical task.

But compared to that, the second wish Yeohwi mentioned was so trivial. A request to share some time in daily life. Yet for Cheon Ryubeom, it felt like the most difficult thing.

And above all…

“I was… planning to go search for the Sagwido soon…”

“Can’t you spare some time, even just for a few days? The children still haven’t fully memorized the way home. At least until they do…”

Yeohwi looked at him with pleading eyes. At such a close distance, Ryubeom found it hard to breathe. The red tint mixed into those black eyes seemed to hold his gaze, preventing him from looking away.

But even while maintaining eye contact, he couldn’t easily agree, and Yeohwi took a step back. Then, as if disappointed, Yeohwi cast his eyes down at an angle and spoke.

“I suppose it would be too much to burden you…”

Beyond the window, Yeohwi looked at the triplets gathered in the master bedroom, his eyes filled with regret. Eventually, Ryubeom hesitantly asked,

“But why are you getting busy now…?”

“I’m the only guardian, so I have to work.”

“…Work, you say?”

“Yes. Guil can’t support everything. Although he did find me a job, I haven’t been able to start it because I’ve been away for the past few days…”

Cheon Ryubeom was greatly startled. The reason Yeohwi had been away for the past few days was because of him. He had willingly followed Ryubeom to Hyojomyeon.

Back then, Yeohwi had said it was just part of repaying a favor, but if you weighed the help he gave during their first meeting against the assistance Yeohwi provided in Hyojomyeon, the balance would clearly tilt in Yeohwi’s favor.

Meanwhile, Yeohwi continued to murmur. He repeated that he had to work to feed the children, but he was worried they might be bullied while he was away, until finally, Ryubeom had to blurt out his response.

“I-I’ll do it! I’ll do it!”

“Huh? Really?”

“Uh-huh, I can spare a few days. It’s not like I’ll find the Sagwido just by rushing around, so… yeah…”

Nodding, Ryubeom found reasons to convince himself, letting out a deep sigh as he took a deep breath.

“Coincidentally, one of the areas I need to search is the Han River, so I might as well stay in Seoul.”

Among the Sagwido said to be open across the country, the Han River was near his family’s home. But Ryubeom had postponed searching there until the end. Not only because of the underwater challenges, but also due to the ominous rumors surrounding the area. Even Ryubeom, who wasn’t familiar with the term Sagwido, had heard of the rumors about the Han River.

But if he kept delaying something because it seemed difficult, the fear of actually doing it would only grow. That kind of mindset wasn’t good, so Ryubeom nodded again. It might take two or three hours to commute between school and the Han River, but he could handle it.

There was just one thing he was concerned about.

“But I still need to find a place to stay, so I might be busy for a while…”

“Huh? Can’t you stay here? There’s a spare room. You’re helping with the children’s commute, so how could I not offer you a room?”

“…What? No, no, that’s not necessary…”

Cheon Ryubeom reacted hesitantly. He had been considering finding a studio apartment in an area between the school and the Han River or maybe using another lodging option, but suddenly a new choice appeared.

But this was another path that required him to get closer to a fox. Instinctively, he felt a defensive wall rise in his heart. If he kept receiving this kindness and hospitality, he might eventually grow accustomed to it. Now that he was out of the mansion, there was less chance of comparing it to a day there, but eventually, this hospitality would end. Once he solved the problems and returned to his family, it would be difficult to maintain any connection with the fox…

Ryubeom was about to shake his head when Yeohwi suddenly sighed with relief.

“Actually, I’d be more grateful if you stayed. Even after the children return from school, I still have to stay at work for several more hours, and I was worried about leaving them alone…”

“…That’s…”

“Guil helped me get the job, but since I took leave from the very first day, the other employees probably don’t see me in a good light, right?”

“…”

“And because I missed work for several days, I’ll likely have to work overtime too…”

“I-I’ll just rent an apartment in this villa! I’ll look into it…”

In the end, Cheon Ryubeom could only respond as if the words were forced out of him. Yeohwi’s face, speaking with downcast eyes, looked so delicate and fragile that it compelled him. His mind raced so quickly that he even recalled the rent flyers he had seen at a nearby real estate agency when he first came to the villa. It was an amount he could afford with his own money. Ryubeom quickly formed a plan.

Finding a place near the Han River seemed impossible anyway. In Hyojomyeon, he stayed in an abandoned house, but near the Han River, even uninhabitable spaces cost a lot. Plus, with a large floating population, any suspicious activity would easily draw attention.

In that sense, living in this villa might actually be better. It was far from his family home, and there were few residents. There was also little chance of rumors spreading about a tiger and a fox being close.

“Is it really necessary to spend money? You could just stay with us…”

“No, it’s fine. I needed a place to stay anyway.”

Ryubeom shook his head. Sharing just a part of daily life was completely different from sharing the whole of it. He needed to maintain at least a minimal distance.

“I’ll look after the kids now and then until you get off work. Even if the three are together, it’s still dangerous to leave them alone for long…”

Yeohwi had willingly accompanied him to Hyojomyeon for his sake. Because of that, the current issue with caring for the children arose, so it seemed only right for him to take responsibility. Besides, he already felt uneasy about leaving the kids alone. Maybe it was because he heard they had lost their parents…

Yeohwi smiled softly as he looked at Cheon Ryubeom’s slightly downcast expression.

“Young master, you’re really soft when it comes to children.”

“…Huh?”

“I mean, thank you. It would have been nice if you could have stayed here with us, but it can’t be helped. If you ever change your mind later, please let me know.”

Yeohwi spoke kindly, saying that the children would really be happy. Ryubeom shook his head, signaling that it wouldn’t happen, while sighing inwardly. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he had somehow been subtly swept along.

Is this why they say not to readily accept big favors? All he wanted was to return the favor, but now a part of his daily life had become entangled.

Cheon Ryubeom looked out beyond the veranda with a vague feeling. The early spring sun was setting quickly behind the mountains. The twilight, resembling Yeohwi’s eyes, slowly spread over Ryubeom’s feet as he stood on the veranda.

***

Getting a place in the villa was incredibly easy.

Just as Cheon Ryubeom remembered, there were many available properties, and there was even a short-term rental that seemed to be made for him. The only problem was that the space was right next to Yeohwi’s, making his effort to keep some distance seem pointless. However, he accepted it, thinking it would only be a temporary place to stay.

From that evening, Ryubeom was able to move into the villa immediately.

The triplets were thrilled to hear that Cheon Ryubeom would be living next door. They were so excited to visit on the first day that Yeohwi had to calm them down. Instead, Yeohwi invited him for dinner, but Ryubeom declined, saying he needed time alone to process the sudden change.

He needed to plan his daily schedule carefully from now on. Since he had decided to prioritize searching for the Sagwido at the Han River, which he had postponed until the last, he had to approach it with caution.

The strange phenomena observed at the Han River were famous in a different way from Hyojomyeon.

They said that “mermaids” could be seen there.