Mudoo - Chapter 27

“What brings you here? Should I get Tae-shin for you?”

“I’m freezing… Mind if I come in and talk first?”

Even at a glance, Hobun was visibly shaking. Seula quickly ushered him into the living room. Just like Tae-shin had done for her before, she sat Hobun down in the rocking chair by the fireplace and draped a blanket over his knees.

“You smell like a human man,” Dong-gil muttered suspiciously, sniffing around Hobun’s feet.

Hobun gave a wry smile and gently patted Dong-gil’s head.

“Of course you’d know. That nose of yours never lies.”

It was a perfectly normal thing to say to a dog—but Hobun’s strangely absent expression had Seula worried.

“Did something happen? Why were you trembling like that?”

“Someone I used to know suddenly showed up…”

He seemed reluctant to say more, so Seula didn’t push him.

“…They nearly hurt me.”

There were a million questions she wanted to ask—who it was, why they came, what kind of danger—but she bit her tongue.

Just then, Tae-shin came out of his room with a travel bag, eyebrows twitching as he looked at the scene.

“Mind explaining what’s going on here?”

Hobun’s eyes widened when he saw the bag.

“Are you going somewhere?”

“We’re going to the winter sea!” Dong-gil answered enthusiastically, tail wagging. Hobun smiled warmly, lips curling with amusement.

“The winter sea? Sounds lovely, Dong-gil.”

Meanwhile, Seula was losing her mind trying to gauge both Hobun’s and Tae-shin’s reactions.

“Hobun looked so cold, I let him in for now. That… okay?”

“It’s them again, isn’t it?”

Tae-shin seemed to already know what was going on.

“I told you to keep your tail tucked in better.”

“I was just offering a place to rest, that’s all. I guess being too beautiful really is a curse.”

“You should’ve just eaten their livers. They wouldn’t come near you again.”

“I gave up human liver a long time ago. Too much fat in it these days—very unhealthy.”

What even am I listening to right now? Seula tried to make sense of their bizarre back-and-forth.

Apparently, some gangster boss who’d been enchanted by Hobun sent his men to snatch him up. Hobun barely escaped, probably grabbing the nearest coat before bolting straight here.

Tae-shin picked up his bag and headed toward the door again.

“Just lay low here until they leave. I don’t want you dragging us into more trouble.”

Hobun turned to Seula with a hesitant smile.

“Would it be alright if I joined your trip?”

…Why are you asking me? Seula looked at Tae-shin in confusion. As expected, his face was all kinds of annoyed.

***

Tae-shin’s car merged onto the highway. He was driving, Seula rode shotgun, and Hobun and Dong-gil sat in the back.

“The winter sea… How romantic,” Hobun said, hands clasped with a bright smile.

Tae-shin, on the other hand, looked like he’d swallowed something sour and kept his eyes glued to the road.

Dong-gil, tail wagging, was practically vibrating with excitement.

“A talking dog, a talking fox, two talking humans, and the winter sea—winter sea!”

“Like a traveling circus,” Tae-shin muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Seula to hear.

She laughed awkwardly. “Well, it’s… a unique group. That’s what makes the trip special, right?”

“Sure. Special…”

“Do you like traveling, Seula?” Hobun leaned forward between the seats, cutting Tae-shin off. Seula noticed Tae-shin’s lips twitch as he pressed them together in irritation.

“I didn’t get to travel much while working. The last time might’ve been a college retreat to the valley.”

“A college MT? That sounds so fun! Seula, how do I get into college?”

The question was so random it gave her a mild headache. Then again, if Hobun and the others hadn’t followed a normal education system, maybe it wasn’t that strange.

“Well, first you need to graduate high school. But you don’t have to attend in person. You can take a GED test instead and get a diploma that way.”

Hobun smiled at her, a glint of pride in his gaze—as if telling her not to underestimate him.

“I did go to school, Seula.”

“Oh… Then I guess you could get into college easily, if you wanted.”

“He went to a Confucian school,” Tae-shin added dryly, jerking his chin toward Hobun.

“You mean like… the ones in Korean history textbooks?”

Hobun lit up as if her recognition meant the world.

“They made it into textbooks? It was a fine academic institution.”

How are we supposed to bridge this generation gap? Seula had always gotten along with older coworkers, but this—this was on a whole other level.

“Can I go to college too?” Dong-gil asked, popping his head between the seats.

This was spiraling fast.

Tae-shin finally snapped, reaching back to push both their heads away.

“Enough. Sit properly. I swear, if you unbuckle your seatbelts, I’ll leave you both on the side of the road.”

***

The moment they arrived in Sokcho, they headed straight to the hotel. Since they needed a pet-friendly place, the choices were limited, which actually made booking a room easier. Off-season availability meant they were able to check in right away.

Seula walked into their suite and dropped her backpack onto the floor.

“The view is insane.”

Beyond the massive window stretched a wide expanse of deep blue ocean. The horizon line was so clear, it felt like they could touch the sky.

“There’s an upstairs! There’s an upstairs!” Dong-gil yipped, tail wagging like mad.

They had suspected as much when the front desk offered them the penthouse, but seeing the staircase in person had both of them more excited than they expected.

Seula bounded up two steps at a time. At the top, there was another bedroom and a bathroom—with a cedar bathtub, no less.

“I’m claiming the upstairs!”

She didn’t hesitate, grabbing the railing and shouting down.

In her room, she unpacked a sweater, knitwear, and pants, hanging them neatly. She arranged her toiletries on the sink counter. Once everything was in place, she headed back down to the living room—only to see Tae-shin hauling his bag up the stairs.

“But there’s only one bedroom up here…”

“There’s only one downstairs too,” he replied, brushing past her into the room.

“I’m not sharing with the furballs.”

…So, you’re sharing with me?

Panicked, Seula trailed after him. Tae-shin was already surveying the closet full of her clothes, rubbing his chin.

“I’m a woman, you know?”

“Yeah. And I’m a man. Do I need to introduce myself again?”

“Wait, are you saying we’re sleeping in the same room? You and me?”

He slowly swept his gaze over her face. The way his eyes lingered, the warmth in his stare—it made her skin tingle.

Seula swallowed hard.

“We’ve already slept together once.”

“…”

Not in that way! She knew what he meant, but the mood turned weirdly suggestive anyway. His sharp features—those slanted eyes, that angular jaw—oozed dangerous charm.

“If we did it once, why not twice?”

“The way you’re saying that is kinda…”

“Kinda what?” he murmured, leaning closer.

“Kinda seductive.”

He arched one brow in response. Did she say too much? Embarrassed, Seula rubbed the back of her neck.

“Why do you look like that anyway?”

“Now you’re insulting my face?”

“I’m not! I’m just saying…”

Before she could finish, he leaned in, his ear brushing the corner of her mouth.

“Just saying what?”

“That I—I like it.”

Her face turned bright red. She spun around and darted down the stairs.

Once she burst onto the terrace and felt the cold air hit her cheeks, she finally started to cool down.