FOX IN A SUIT

Chapter 25: A Mansion in the Woods

For Jiyeon, the trip was a blur, and she couldn't stop thinking about what happened the night before. The attacks, the Fox Bead, and Minwoo's vague answers kept coming back to her mind like a storm that wouldn't let up. She always felt like she was being chased and was the center of attention for something she didn't fully understand.

As they drove, Jiyeon couldn't help but steal looks at Minwoo, who, despite coming from a very old family, seemed surprisingly good at driving the modern car. The flashing lights made his face look even more striking, but they didn't show any of the inner struggle she knew he was going through. There was something mysterious about him that made Jiyeon want to know more about him.

The finally got to a beautiful house tucked away in the thick bush after what seemed like forever. Jiyeon was confused at first, but as she took in the beautiful sight, her confusion quickly turned into awe. No matter how old it was, the house gave off an air of class and wealth, indicating a long history of wealth and historical importance.

As they got out of the car, Minwoo spoke up and told her to "put down your stuff and follow me."

Jiyeon looked at him with shock in her eyes. She asked, clearly upset, "Are you not going to help me?"

"Those are yours. You can do whatever you want," Minwoo told her in a serious tone as he walked toward the house.

Jiyeon didn't want to take her three big bags and a heavy box out of the car, but she had to. The weight was almost too much for her to handle, and it was hard for her to keep up with Minwoo's fast pace.

Hye-sun was sitting on a long sofa in the house with her sister Aya, who was eating, and Ryu sitting next to them. Her eyes were raised.

***

Hye-sun couldn't help but ask, "What on earth are you three doing here?" when Minwoo suddenly showed up.

"Because Hye-sun mentioned that you will be bringing a..." Aya didn't finish her sentence.

"Food in here," Hye-sun cut Aya off in the middle of a sentence.

"Did you bring any food?" Aya asked while she was eating.

"What is the matter with you?" Minwoo fixed his eyes on Hye-sun for a long time before turning them to Aya. "It's Detective Jiyeon, not the food." Minwoo told him that she would be gone for a while, but his face showed no feeling. "Leave now before she finds you here."

"What makes you not want her to see us?" Hye-sun asked because she was interested.

"The detective doesn't know who Minwoo really is. When she sees us here, she will be scared and surprised because she knows all of us in our human forms," Ryu said calmly.

As Minwoo watched his friends act carelessly, his anger grew. "Quickly change how you look before she sees you!" he ordered, and no one could argue with him.

That being said, none of his friends moved, which made Minwoo even more angry. He didn't understand why they ignored his words at this time.

As Jiyeon walked up to the door with her bags in her arms, it opened suddenly. As she moved, she was unsteady and almost lost her grip. Suddenly, she stopped in shock at what she saw.

"Detective!" Ryu smiled and greeted them, and his look changed into that of a beautiful dragon. "Hello!"

Jiyeon was shocked when he saw the dragon. His eyes got really big. Then she looked at the two women sitting next to Ryu. One of them reminded her of the lady fox who had attacked her.

"You?" Jiyeon's voice was hard to hear because she was trying to make sense of what she was seeing, which seemed to be from another world.

She stood still with her bags dropped as she took in the sight of these beautiful beings dressed as humans. As she learned more about Minwoo's realm, she felt both fear and respect. It was a secret world that was hiding behind the surface of everyday life.

When Minwoo saw how surprised Jiyeon was, he quickly moved to block her view of his friends. They didn't know it until it was too late; the effects could not be undone.

Minwoo spoke up with a hint of discomfort, his eyes showing a little annoyance at their sudden appearance. "Detective, those creatures are my friends," he said.

In Jiyeon's mind, there were a lot of different feelings: fear, confusion, and interest. Her eyes were drawn to Ryu's dragon form, and the way his scales sparkled in the soft light of the house mesmerized her.

"Seen as strong-willed and assertive yet emotionally distant. It was so heavy that they couldn't even help me carry it," Jiyeon whispered to herself.

Minwoo's anger reached its peak as the environment became more heated. "Now you three can go," he told them firmly, losing his temper.

But his friends didn't seem to mind that he was in charge; their faces showed a mix of amusement and resistance.

"What?" With a sly grin on her face, Hye-sun asked.

Minwoo's anger rose to the surface as his jaw tightened. He told them quickly, "Leave before you guys eat the detective."

Jiyeon's heart was racing as she thought about what she had heard. Suddenly, her bags fell to the floor with a loud thud. She was hit by a wave of doubt all of a sudden. Slowly, worry crept into her mind. What should she worry about when it comes to these creatures? She kept thinking about Gumiho's warnings as she watched him scolded the three creatures. His eyes were filled with a grave warning that they were dangerous and would eat her if they got the chance.

Hye-sun's laughter could be heard all over the big room. It was a lovely sound that seemed to float in the air. She said in a fun way, "Oh, we're just being friendly here," and her eyes lit up with mischief.

Their lighthearted teasing made Minwoo more and more angry, and he could no longer take it. He yelled, "Enough!" and his voice rang around the room.

Jiyeon couldn't help but feel a chill run down her back as she took in this out of this world show. She was an ordinary being in a world full of extraordinary creature, and the weight of that realization hit her hard.

As things got really tense, Minwoo locked eyes with Jiyeon, and his eyes begged for understanding in a quiet way. But just as he was about to speak, the house started shaking because of a very loud noise.

Suddenly, everyone's attention was on Ryu, who made a loud noise while scratching his nose. He realized that he had everyone's attention.