Page 76 of Wicked Fox

JIHOON USED HISSunday afternoons for one thing: gaming.

It was his happy time when he didn’t have school and his halmeoni gave him a reprieve from helping out in the restaurant. He booted up the ancient computer in his apartment and debated whether it was worth it to put on real pants to go to the PC room for a better internet connection. He pulled out a pair from the pile of folded laundry his halmeoni had left for him. A yellow paper fell from the pocket and he sighed. Even when he left the bujeok in the wash, she meticulously saved it and placed it neatly back in his pocket. He started to shove it into a drawer, then stopped. Of all people, he now knew this stuff wasn’t superstition, so he stuffed it into his jacket as he shrugged it on.

The sound of his front doorbell confused him at first. Hardly anyone came upstairs when the restaurant was open below.

The yellow bujeoks around the front door fluttered as he opened it.

Detective Hae stood on the other side.

“Detective. Are you looking for my halmeoni? She’s downstairs.”

The detective’s shrewd gaze took in Jihoon’s rumpled clothes and sleepy eyes. “I’m actually looking for you. Your neighbor, Mrs. Hwang, told me you were out by the forest a few weeks ago.”

“When was that?” Though Jihoon knew already.

“It would have been about two months ago.”

Two months ago. When Jihoon first met Miyoung. When he saw her kill a dokkaebi.

Jihoon’s mind raced. Should he lie? Half truth, he decided. Easier to tell the truth even if it wasn’t full. “I don’t remember every night I’m out in the neighborhood, but I’ll try to help if I can.”

“Do you remember seeing anything strange?” Detective Hae asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Just anything.” The detective was being equally withholding.

“No, the neighborhood is pretty quiet after dark.”

“Did you hear anything from the forest?”

“Like hikers?” Jihoon asked.

“Like anything.” Detective Hae watched Jihoon so closely he felt if he blinked the wrong way, the man would file it away.

“I don’t really notice things.”

The detective sighed. “It’s about that file you saw at the station. That man disappeared two months ago. We found hisbodylast night.” The detective emphasized the wordbody, watching for a reaction.

Jihoon kept his expression blank by running through his last gaming battle strategy in detail.

“Sorry, I can’t help you.”

“Listen.” The detective hesitated, then continued. “It’s going to sound odd, but I think this is a pattern. There have been other similar attacks.”

“Similarities? Like what?” Jihoon asked.

“That’s sensitive information,” the detective replied, but Jihoondidn’t need to hear—he had a good idea. Men missing, turning up without their livers, men who looked like they had been attacked by a wolf... or a fox.

“But I’m fairly certain there will be another attack and soon. Now, are you sure you didn’t see anything?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” Jihoon set his mouth in a stern line like he’d seen his halmeoni do before.

Detective Hae dug into his pocket, pulling out his card. “Well, if you do remember anything, then let me know.”

Jihoon accepted it, making sure to keep his fingers steady.

This detective was getting in way over his head. Miyoung wasn’t the only gumiho wandering the city, and from what she’d said, Yena was ruthless. Jihoon’s eyes shifted to the bujeoks fluttering inside the door. He remembered the one the dokkaebi had used against Miyoung that first night. How it had weakened her.

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