Most offices one dwells hours in during job interviews appeared as if IKEA barfed inside of them. However, not in MA. The dark walnut bookcase and dark leather chairs were nothing out of the ordinary however the antique Joseon vases and paintings told much of the beast of a man sitting on top of their food chain. Having Lee Yeon as a chairman tending to get his way, had its perks. The firm having success was one of them and the bonuses as reward was the other.
However, no bonus wage could make up for the sprint Oh Yeon Seo had from the main busy street outside through a crowd of people and into their elevator. Her hands dropped down from her hair once the silver doors slid open, entirely giving up on fixing her auburn hair and letting the curls free from the tight ponytail. She only hoped it would fix the bird's nest.
Once her coat and skirt were acceptable, Yeon Seo inhaled deeply and exhaled before marching toward her boss's office with his needed documents. Passing by the PR office a hand gripped her arm tight halting her movement, forcing her to stop in her tracks and witness the ever-so-jolly Kim Hae Yeong shaking her head.
"Not now, Yeon Seo. Boss has his panties in a twist again."- Even the ever so nosy woman in charge of their public relations was aware of when not to approach Lee Yeon.
The secretary didn't even bother pondering, witnessing their firm's lawyer pacing back and forth in front of their chairman's office, making a phone call.
"What is it this time?"- Yeon Seo raised an eyebrow at the man sweating in his well-pressed black suit, tugging on his collar.
"Papillon stole some precious info or so I've heard."
"How did they manage, sunbae?"
"That... I have no answer to it. But I think we might be looking at the prime scapegoat."- Hae Yeong giggled pointing at the lawyer that by now almost chewed off all of his fingernails waiting for Lee Yeon to summon him.
"That's still not the main news."
"You mean to tell me there's more gossip here?"- Yeon Seo smiled, indulging in the trivial matter that gave her the thrill during working hours.
"Last night while working overtime..."- Hae Yeong nudged for her to come closer. "a woman from the finance department disappeared."- she whispered.
Yeon Seo's eyes grew wide. Their firm held on to the reputation of safety. "But that's not all."- Hae Yeong continued. "She left all of her clothes. Only fox fur was found inside along with a sample of her blood."
Her whispers of horror shouldn't have moved Yeon Seo as much as they did. Suspense was definitely in the air as that sudden odd disappearance of a woman was a usual occurrence. Fur inside of deserted clothes from the kidnapped was a clear sign of a serial murderer on the run as the news headlines had reported months back. A woman disappears on her wedding day in the same manner. A dress showing obvious signs of struggle.
Much to people's horror, in a world they dwelled in, cases such as those remained unsolved and discarded.
Yeon Seo left the PR department and headed straight to her office where once one opened its doors the pink aura engulfed their sight. One night of overworking his secretary and overstepping her boundaries was all it took for Lee Yeon to buy her every demand. After emphasizing his need to repay his every debt, Yeon Seo took it upon herself and decided to punish the overbearing perfectionist architect with Hello Kitty's rendition of an office. The conglomerate's face changed colors once he saw the flower pillow on her pink leather chair and the pink heart sticky notes stuck on his own desk as a reminder.
Lee Yeon was after all a man who was one of a kind. Someone her face-reader grandma would deem as a general in his previous life with those sharp ethereal facial features.
"Good morning, Yeon Seo." - He surprised her by being the one to open the door separating their offices. The blinds already already open must've gotten him a glimpse of her figure.
The gruff tone of his voice was replaced by a much gentler one while pronouncing her name. She was sure that years would go by and no one would say her name in such a way, overshadowing anyone as if they had no right to say her name in a way only he was able to.
After seeing her face, his furrowed eyebrows and tense jawline relaxed. His hand gripped his tie, loosening it as per habit after a long prosecution over the phone which crawled on his nerves or so it seemed. He changed masks so easily. Only a second ago he was raising hell and now those warm brown eyes looked so inviting and trusting.
Long after she had begun working Yeon Seo decided that if he ever dreamed of being a performer, he would've been a brilliant one. Effortlessly his aura encompassed each room he entered. There was no need to announce his presence, that aura of his spoke volumes, always carrying himself with a sense of authority and certainty even at times recklessness. Combining that with his talent for management and his calculative nature- it was a victorious combination. A clever man indeed.
"Good morning, sir."- She bowed respectfully at her boss.
"You finally showed up, Oh Yeon Seo-ssi."- Often he made her feel vulnerable, towering over her one hand reaching the door frame from above as if he ensured he had her cornered. Those intense eyes made her feel agitated yer excited. If he intended, her boss had the power to step and crush her like a small ant. His cunning side painted his nature in shades of grey.
Yeon Seo made sure her face remained unfazed and only handed him the document.
"Kang Han Neul-ssi left for an emergency business trip to Japan. His secretary called and requested that I bring the signed document to you."- That piece of paper was the alibi for her tardiness. Those five years of working under him were a testimony of how she needed to clone herself when necessary.
"And when is my meeting with the congressman?"
"At 3 o'clock, sir."
"How about-"
"Dinner in Snail Bride at 5."- She took the liberty to cut him off and those brown eyes of his showed how he detested that robotic expression on her face.
Oddly enough he decided to test her memory of his schedule. As if wanting to deepen their conversation. Working alongside him, and at that moment, she could sense it. Those calculations in that brilliant mind.
"Exceptional as always, Oh Yeon Seo-ssi."- There it went- his compliments followed by..."Tomorrow night you will be accompanying me to an important gala event."- Hearing the words 'tomorrow night' it felt like a cold bucket full of ice was dropped on her head.
"But sir tomorrow night-"
"You are very well aware of what is stated in your contract, Oh Yeon Seo-ssi. Don't make me remind you."- Lee Yeon sternly caught her off. Aggrieved, the cheerful mood of his vanished in that split second, while she wondered where he found the audacity to feel guilty. There was no room for complaining or arguing.
Without another word of complaint, she only nodded watching him disappear into his office. Suddenly the glass window separating them felt too thin and transparent. Often he would throw her a glance with those vibrant dark eyes. Two dark pools in which a person could drown or perhaps at least ponder on what he had lived through to have such depth. Sometimes she thought about those eyes and wondered what history had they witnessed. The eyes of a general from a previous life, as grandma would say. She swiped her phone open and stared blankly at the screen wondering how to tell her frail grandma that coming to her 70th birthday wasn't possible due to the general sitting on that black leather chair behind his desk and without a care in the world.
* * *
Around a hundred people's cackles filled the empty ballroom after the charity gala event, sipping on their champagnes and their wondering eyes scanning the horizon of the room. Many of them looking for a connection rather than a donation to spend. Those hyenas were clad in silk and expensive fashion pieces just for the sake of being there. In Lee Yeon's eyes, the human mind and customs hardly changed over the years and the scenery was nothing but the repetition of history and the aristocrats of modern day flaunting their wealth. At that moment, however, he was now mingling in such a crowd much to his distaste.
His hands rested in his pocket, refusing to drink in fear of the one hosting the event. Another day, another slay due to the penchant he had signed with Taluipa long ago. All for the sake of the woman in the red dress, sulking next to him.
The waiter passing by offering him a drink was completely ignored. His thoughts and his head were filled only with her, the off-shoulder dress and the lower plump lip she kept on gnawing while lost in thought. He attempted to strike up a conversation with Congressman Yoon or a few of his kind who approached him but her wondering off was an enormous distraction.
"So, Mr. Lee Yeon, does she know?"- A mere gumiho lower in rank decided to butt into his private matter.
"No."
"Do you intend to let her know?"- Ever since he found her, they kept on pestering him. Yeon's eyes grew darker seeing the male gumiho's nostrils flare taking a whiff of her scent. "I mean I get it...Smells enticing, doesn't she?"- He didn't even respond yet the latter pat him on the back like an old champ followed by an obnoxious cackle before taking a small sip of his whiskey.
"Come on, Lee Yeon, lighten up. Share your Michelin star meal and I'll let you in on what I know."- He nudged him in the ripcage whilst the red-haired male didn't even budge nor spare him a look keeping his eyes on Yeon Seo's figure struggling to locate him in the distance.
The nine-tailed returned the favor as per his nature, giving him two pats with the palm of his hand strong enough to make the lawyer gumiho choke on his beverage. "Tell me, lawyer Park, which one of your fingers do you think will hurt less? Or perhaps I should start with your tail?"
Suddenly, the man's body shook in laughter, face reddening up whether from alcohol or plane fright under the animalistic grin he was addressed with. "You know, Yeon. There are bigger wolves in town. Now, you don't seem like a big shot, almighty God."- The lower-ranked gumiho mocked, awaiting his reaction which never came, nothing changed on that stone-cold face not even the cruelty of time. Yeon only sighed in annoyance.
"I don't usually bother with monkeys but the media will certainly eat up those pictures I have of you. It will be quite the circus, even Congressman Yoon will participate."
Lee Yeon had forgotten how his threats of dire torture didn't work anymore, but the power of blackmail always had its charm. A lawyer caught in theft, adultery, and more. No matter man or gumiho, the Korean media and public wouldn't turn a blind eye.
Before leaving to find his target, he nudged the frozen gumiho on the ribcage. The man stood like a statue, Yeon could smell the odor of his nervously sweating being.
"Reflect on it, will you?"- Yeon's lips curved up as if he wasn't on the way to execute someone.
He lost track of the bounties by the 100th anniversary of his deal with the queen of the underworld. To a certain extent, it had become like a part-time job.
Once he saw Shin Ju greet Yeon Seo from across the room, his eyes landed on his target. She ran unsuspectedly toward the vast hallway leading up the stairway. They all ran like cowards once he made his presence known and most, like the 'fox sister' in front, were led by stupid cowardice toward their doom. He could see her shaking body speed upstairs like a flicker of purple, the color of her dress.
The vibrations of her whispered curses and hitched breath buzzed in his ears. She was calculative, probably heading toward an escape room, and successfully played a trick on his heightened hearing ability and sense of smell. It took a gumiho to know another. However, she didn't count on the fact that he could sense her heart pumping that blood through her veins with the fast rhythm of a drum.
His target let him inside her labyrinth of an endless hallway with doors to each side of it barricading him in the world of mystery. The foggy air was meant to numb his senses. That's where she came in, red-slit eyes bulging out of her skull. Those sharp red claws were on the quest to spread his chest open and drag his heart out. However, the trembling figure of the woman told the story of someone scared to face death in person.
His hand gripped his sword tightly. The long shiny metal couldn't be overshadowed by mere fog. Her world of illusion was a blessing for him to show his true colors. His eyes - the color of a sunset with two dark slits slicing through the sky proved his animal nature. What took his kind by storm were those long nine tails behind his back that once were a symbol of his status in their world. The bigger the number of tails- the stronger the power.
"You had to come... ruin everything."- Her growl of despair was an obvious proof of her resilience.
"You and that husband of yours are a perfect couple... of crooks that is."- He smirked at her expression. To a gumiho, their mates were always a trigger.
"I built an empire..."- She still stood proudly, her stature more composed than before.
"Didn't know they called cannibalism a business these days."- Lee Yeon propped his sword over his shoulder waiting to hear her last words before the sword sliced its way through her corpse.
"Those humans used to worship us. They should bow and hand over our demand. It's in nature, Yeon. Did you forget?"
"I see you either dead or worshipped in a psych ward, lady."- He scoffed and readied his stance.
"Wait-" - her desperate call echoed in the empty void. "Let me at least... say goodbye to my husband." - She pleaded with the older gumiho with teary red eyes but his stoic expression didn't move.
All of a sudden, in a gust of wind a yelp resounded in a dark room, and the white tiles were painted a burgundy red. The nine-tailed stared at the disappearing corpse leaving only the bloodied red dress there as a clue that once a female gumiho existed in that mansion and he cleansed her of her horrific crimes.
"Sorry. Wasn't feeling merciful today."
As if nothing had transpired on the top floor, he dusted off his clothes, hid away his sword and tails returned to his human form, and quickly fled downstairs where the sound of the police siren screeched loudly from outside. The main hallway was flooded by reporters and policemen who led away certain groups of people many of whom Lawyer Park continuously yapped about fox-people and his now-dead wife who tricked him. His red face of fury and panic grew paler once his eyes landed on him who only took off his jacket and unbuttoned the sleeves of his white shirt without a care in the world.
"There he is. Seize him!"- Lee Yeon heard but the annoying voice only grew quieter as the criminal was led inside the police car.
"Thank you for your cooperation again, sir."- He heard from behind him and turned around to the sound of the voice.
"You're welcome, Detective Song."- He saluted the female detective who only confusedly watched his back, uncomfortable to be dismissed so fast and crudely by someone whom she considered half her age.
She only saw him place the dark black jacket on the naked shoulders of the shocked woman who stood by the floor-to-ceiling wooden doors through the whole ordeal as if not to get in the way of trouble. His grip tightened on her shoulders.
"You alright, Yeon Seo?"- Yeon asked casually though his heartbeat quickened when her wondering gaze landed on him and those brown eyes full of contempt softened. His chest warmed when he saw her small hands grip his jacket for dear life accepting his kind gesture.
"Where were you, sir?"
"Had some business to take care of."- At that point in their relationship, Lee Yeon was certain she had been accustomed to his lame excuses.
What had unnerved him was her solemn acceptance. For a girl who had a bubbly and curious tendency, she had accepted his alibi easily and only shrugged her shoulders at his response.
"Where's Shin Ju?"- He attempted to start a conversation, but Shin Ju's whereabouts were very much obvious. Only one man was kneeling in front of a puppy and having a conversation. Such a person was hard to escape the eye.
"Sir, have you ever wondered how Shin Ju's mind works?"
"Yup, had him checked eons ago. Come."- He dismissed her question swiftly and without a thought grasped her hand tightly, leading her out of the dreaded crime scene.
The gumiho ignored her shocked stare, knowing deep down he had never initiated skinship before. A needless, pointless, and innocent touch was a raging fire through his being. With that in mind, he still retained his stoicism and poker-faced expression, dark eyes never missing that scarlet blush on her cheeks as he opened the car door for her.
The driver had fixated his stare on the long open slit of her dress, once the man had looked at the review mirror he was faced with the dark glare of his boss and wisely rolled up the partition. Silence took over the atmosphere along with the muffled sound of some American song from the radio. While her face faced the window and her eyes counted all the trees and street lamps avoiding his gaze, Lee Yeon swore he could've swallowed her whole. Her puerile seduction with the dress engulfing her figure had him hooked on a spell. Even if he talked refined, his mind raged with scenarios where he had her cornered to execute all of his carnal desires.
His hand gripped his tie, taking it off to lessen the pressure on the pulse of his neck. Her sweet scent had him intoxicated more than the days of his opium addiction.
Lee Yeon never counted on being near her. He only wanted to be the guardian watching her when the clock struck midnight from the backyard of her house without her knowing. Seeing her grow old happily was a part of his deal with the Gods. However, fidgeting Yeon Seo with her adorable expression stepped into his office one day for a job interview and life had been toying with him ever since.
"A penny for your thoughts."- He cleared his throat, and his ears perked up for the sound of her voice. She was bothered. Mad. He could tell throughout the day by her silence and dry answers. At times he wished he could confess all the reasons behind what she considered 'torment' on his part.
He saw her chest rise and fall heavily as she took a deep breath. Part of him feared her response. "I have something to tell you, sir."
"I guessed that much."- Lee Yeon noted how abruptly she became agitated. Truth to be told, the gumiho heard her quickened pulse.
"Sir... I have been working diligently for you for five years. In that period I learned a lot, created wonderful memories, gained experience..."
"Your point?"- He turned towards her raising an eyebrow questioningly, an impatience hanging on the edge of his voice.
"I think it's time for me to... let you that..."- Oh Yeon Seo tried to break it to him gently, taking her time in order not to stutter and he found that expression of a lost kitten adorable.
Running his fingers through his red hair, he turned to face her with his whole body, his eyes trained on her as if he was about to pounce.
"Oh Yeon Seo, is that a love confession I'm hearing?"- He teased, loving the flush on her cheeks that extended to her neck. Even if he would face her wrath, it was the most they've conversed all day.
Her blood boiled after hearing his assumption, it could've easily melted an iceberg. The lava of the endless volcano of fury erupted at that moment. Whenever angered Yeon Seo's cheeks turned cherry red and her eyes shone like lightning. Added to the whole circus of mixed emotions was humiliation. It was all about the way he put himself on a pedestal that had annoyed her many times before. If he were delusional, he'd mistake that spark in her eyes for wistfulness.
The car came to a stop in front of her house.
"It's no love confession, sir. It's my resignation."
After that stern retort, she uncaringly left a shocked Lee Yeon in the car to watch her figure strutting away into her home. With a thousand years of hunting expertise, he let the prey slip right through his fingers. His parched throat called for a shot of whiskey as his mind was preoccupied with all the ways he could make her stay.
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A/N:
It has been years since I've written something here and the trajectory of my life has changed along with my writing and way of thinking. In the process of bettering my work, I've watched season 2 of this series and found myself dwelling in the world of my fanfic questioning if I can rewrite it.
I decided to handle it differently than intended, though some things will remain unchanged, and some chapters will be joined and altered like the first and second ones. Chapters will be longer but how do I say it with more... substance?
Thank you to those who have stuck around from the beginning and the readers yet to come.
Love,
The Leo.