FOX IN A SUIT

Chapter 17: Conflicting Desires

"In my house? Why in my house?" Astonished, Minwoo asked Ryu. His only expectation was to bring Jiyeon home. He needed something from her.

"Where do you want me to take this human?" Ryu said it with a sly grin on his face. "Shouldn't being a tenku require an extra virtue? Keeping up with your opponent is a good thing."

"He's not someone I consider my rival. As for Jiyeon, I have other plans," Minwoo said, trying to keep his cool.

"The decision is in your hands. Ryu said, "I can just throw him into the river," looking at Han-neul sideways.

"Okay." Minwoo sighed as he felt the weight of duty on his shoulders. "Just stay at home," he said.

Minwoo had a few options. Ryu and Minwoo had to bring the humans to Minwoo's residence as they didn't recognize their house. Instead of touching the door, Minwoo waved it open. A single streetlamp threw a warm, mellow brightness into the room via the windows. Ryu and Minwoo entered the home and went their ways. Ryu lounged on the living room couch as Minwoo went to his room.

After carefully settling Han-neul on the couch, Ryu left for Minwoo. Ryu looked around the room, and then his eyes fell on Jiyeon. Minwoo carefully placed Jiyeon on his bed as Ryu watched his soft blue radiance. Ryu grinned as the light illuminated the woman's abdomen. Minwoo's fox bead was inside the girl, which she owned.

"Would you like her to stay in the guest room?" Ryu asked with a bit of a sly grin on his face.

"No, I'll take care of her," Minwoo said strongly. "It's time for me to get back my fox bead from her."

"How will you do that?" Ryu slowly walked up to the detective, who was sleeping.

"I'll figure it out," Minwoo assured him.

Ryu looked back at him with a cheeky glint. "I can let you have access to her stomach." And with a sly grin, he stuck out his claw.

Ryu sensed Minwoo's hesitation to hurt the girl. His friend's response thrilled him.

"If you would like me to stop performing any medical operations on her belly..." Ryu spoke, and his eyes moved to Minwoo. "Just eat her up." Ryu joked, "That's much easier," and a sly grin spread across his face.

Minwoo shook his head gravely. Ryu had a creative mind. He was playing both a loyal friend and a surprising wild card. After Ryu left, Minwoo breathed and stared at Jiyeon, sleeping sweetly.

He clenched his jaw, closing his eyes. When they were opened again, a bright glow came from them, like it was from another world. Things seemed to change slowly as he stood in the room. He wore his favorite black robe, and the detailed tattoos on his shoulder were very clear to see. His long hair fell around him, and his beautiful tails danced beautifully in the air.

The soft glow emanating from the bead inside Minwoo's stomach mesmerized her as she stared at Jiyeon with wide eyes. As Ryu had said, he had the power to fully surround her. He could not fight the pull, a force that made him want to get what he wanted.

But he hesitated.

Strangely, he was drawn to Jiyeon. She held a significance far beyond being a mere tool. There was a link between them that he couldn't ignore.

As he approached the bed, his hand trembled above Jiyeon's stomach, where the bead rested. He felt a powerful urge to indulge, yet a conflicting emotion waged war inside him.

A voice whispered, "Do it," begging him to get what he needed.

However, a calm yet convincing voice spoke. "She isn't just a way to get one thing done. She's... something truly amazing."

Minwoo's hand shook as he reached for the bead. When their skin touched, it felt like an electric current ran through their bodies, sparking a link. It looked like their souls were weaving together in a way that made them feel both excited and scared.

The bead was still in Jiyeon's stomach when he pulled his hand back. As Minwoo struggled with his desires, his heart beat faster. The bead was not the only thing that Jiyeon meant. He couldn't hurt her because they had such a deep bond.

Minwoo sat down on the edge of the bed and hid his face in his hands out of anger. He was going through a constant battle inside himself, torn between the weight of duty and the draw of his inner wants.

It got darker outside as the night went on, making the shadows longer with each passing second. The growing unease in the air could be seen in Minwoo's inner turmoil.

At the same time, Ryu walked through the rooms of Minwoo's house, thinking about the fight with the Oni that had just happened. He couldn't get rid of the feeling of dread that kept coming back to him.

He saw Han-neul sleeping soundly on the couch as he walked by. The agent looked calm while he slept, which was a stark contrast to the chaos that had just happened.

Ryu looked over his shoulder at Han-neul for a moment, and his step shook. The officer was drawn to her in a way that couldn't be denied. When they were close together, there was an obvious spark of desire between them.

But Ryu was smart enough to not give in to those urges. He was like a dragon in that he was tied down by duty and custom. He had not been able to make connections with people for as long as he could remember. People had never thought to question that rule until now.

His thoughts kept going back to Minwoo and Jiyeon as he walked down the hall. There was a lot of friction between them—a complicated mix of love and disagreement that got worse over time.

Ryu stood outside Minwoo's room for a moment, his ears tuned in to see if there was any sound coming from inside. The only sounds he could pick out were the soft sound of cloth moving and Minwoo's steady breathing.

Ryu leaned against the wall and let out a sigh. He was feeling a lot of different emotions at the same time. Even though he knew it was important to let Minwoo and Jiyeon handle their problems, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

The atmosphere in the room was oppressive silence, which made Minwoo feel heavy as his deepest desires clashed. As he thought about it, he knew that he couldn't keep being torn between his duties and his desires forever.

A soft voice broke the silence out of the blue, waking Minwoo from his thoughts.

"What are you doing?" Jiyeon's voice sounded sleepy, and as she looked up at Minwoo, her eyes slowly opened.

After looking at her, Minwoo's heart was racing. There was a softness in her eyes that matched his. In the softly lit room, they seemed to understand each other without saying a word.

"Uh... I was just..." His throat tightened with emotion as Minwoo struggled to speak.

"What am I? What are we doing here?" Jiyeon asked, raising her fearful body and looking straight into Minwoo's face. She asked, "What have you done to me?"

Minwoo said in a strong voice, "Well, you're at my place now."

As Minwoo went on to talk, Jiyeon got a headache out of the blue. Her mind was filled with vivid pictures and events that she would never forget about the two people she and Han-neul had met. One of them had nine tails that moved elegantly behind him, showing a high level of accuracy. The young man let out a strong fire from inside him that consumed the Oni in a fierce flame.

It looked like Minwoo could feel that something was wrong because his face was twisted with worry. With his amazing power, he erased Jiyeon's memory of what she had seen, saving her unnecessary stress.

For some reason, Jiyeon blinked, and her eyes darted all over the place. "Why are we here? What happened? Where's Detective Oh?" She inquired uncertainly.

"You collapsed, exactly like your companion, while my buddy and I explained," Minwoo said calmly.

The vivid memory astounded Jiyeon. The crime occurred at Kim Ji Sung's apartment, where this person and his friend were seen.

"Detective Oh is in the living room, deep sleeping," Minwoo conceded, worried.

Jiyeon jumped off the bed and left. Her amazement was clear when she saw Ryu, who was snoring loudly on the couch where Detective Oh was sleeping. It didn't take her long to walk up to him.

"Detective, your friend snores pretty loudly," Ryu said with a sly grin. "Would you mind if I put a clothespin in his nose to stop him?"

Detective Oh moved and resumed his raucous snoring. Inhaling deeply, Jiyeon tried to make sense of it all. It all felt like a dream from another world.

"Go to sleep like your friend," Minwoo said nonchalantly from the doorway of Jiyeon's room. "The room is yours to use. A guest room is free so we can sleep there."

Jiyeon stared at Minwoo, trying to make sense of everything. She never knew his name, despite many encounters.

Ryu leaned in close to Minwoo as they walked toward the guest room and asked, "What if I were to personally get the fox bead? I can easily cut her abdomen."

He said in a soft voice, "No need for that. I'll find another way to get it."

Ryu lifted an eyebrow, his gaze flirtatious. "Are you sure? I could get it done quickly."

Minwoo couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Thanks for the offer, but I'll handle it myself."

They quickly made their way to the guest room, knowing that they had to get there quickly. Minwoo whispered, "Quickly." He knew what might happen if they were caught.

"Hold on," Jiyeon said, stopping Ryu and Minwoo. "I would like to know everything that happened."

Minwoo turned around and looked at her. "We'll tell you everything tomorrow. Take some time to calm down. "You need it," he told her firmly, turning away again.

"May I ask your name?" Jiyeon asked again, and this time she was interested.

Ryu couldn't help but joke. "Ah, I smell the sweet scent of a new romance..."

Minwoo sighed and faced Jiyeon again. He replied, "Lee Minwoo."

Minwoo graciously left with Ryu, leaving Jiyeon confused and full of questions.