Nine Tailed-Tail
by Krizha Mae B. Corcega
A long time ago, in a rural village, nestled against the backdrop of majestic mountains, there was a large village school where Do Jae-jin, a very clever and smart boy, excelled in his studies.
One night, as their class ended and the moon cast an enchanting glow upon the village, Jae-jin decided to venture into the woods to collect plants needed for their biology class the next day. Little did he know that this seemingly ordinary night would change the course of his destiny.
As he traversed the winding paths of the mountains, an otherworldly presence emerged. A woman, ethereal and radiant, approached him and planted a kiss on his lips. To his surprise, she grabbed his ears, and from that moment on, an unsettling illness clung to him like a shadow.
The next day, his teacher, sensing something amiss, inquired about his well-being. Hesitant at first, Jae-jin eventually shared the strange encounter in the woods. The teacher, visibly startled, explained that the woman was a white nine-tailed fox, a gumiho. Intrigued, the teacher revealed that if a person swallowed the marble within the fox's mouth and looked up at the sky, they would gain an understanding of the heavens. Conversely, looking down at the ground would bestow knowledge of the earth.
Months passed, and Jae-jin, haunted by the memory, longed to encounter the mysterious fox once more. One night, during a school camp, Hyang Hye-sun, the nine-tailed fox, transformed into a bewitching girl and infiltrated the school to fulfill her mission of kissing Jae-jin to absorb his energy.
Despite her elusive nature, Jae-jin, who had been secretly trailing her, discovered the location of her lair. However, fate took an unexpected turn when, as he turned to leave, the fox-girl reappeared, kissing him passionately. She pushed the marble into his mouth, attempting to extract his energy until his face turned pale.
Remembering the teacher's words, Jae-jin, in a moment of clarity, decided to swallow the marble. The fox-girl, startled, tried to retrieve it, but the struggle pushed him to the ground, and he fainted before he could look up at the sky.
The following morning, Jae-jin awoke to a changed world. He realized that he had acquired the wisdom of the earth, but the heavens remained a mystery. With the support of the villagers, who had witnessed the strange events unfolding, he confronted the weakened fox. In a dramatic showdown, Jae-jin, armed with newfound wisdom, managed to defeat the fox, bringing an end to the mystical tale that had woven its threads through the village.
As the sun rose over the tranquil mountains, the villagers gathered to witness the transformation of their once-ordinary student into a wise and resilient young man, forever marked by the magical encounter that had unfolded beneath the moonlit skies.
The End