The Nine-Tailed Fox's Smile
Min Tae-yeon smiled softly. Her mother was right. I really was Yun-woo’s mother.
“Mom. I’m so happy just from looking at our Yun-woo. Yun-woo loves me, so I’m over the moon.”
“Of course. If you go outside and talk about that, people will talk. My baby telling everyone she likes me? That’d be ridiculous, right, Noel?”
As Kyung-ja laughed, Noel offered an awkward smile.
“Why is that, Mom? There are plenty of kids who argue with their parents these days.”
The three of them burst into laughter together. A baby barely a hundred days old arguing with her mother? What was there to argue about?
Yet the comment wasn’t wrong. How many children truly fought with their parents? Even Choi Hyun-seo kept his distance from his mother Oh Jin-hee and rarely crossed her.
When she was young, I only ever looked for Mom. Will Yun-woo grow up the same? That’s probably why Choi Hyun-seo hired someone to play the part of a mother so confidently.
“What are you thinking about? Sandwiches just came out.”
“Oh, oppa, you already have them.”
The new little coffee shop only had three tables. Most customers came for takeout, and the neighborhood spot made sense. But the coffee was excellent and the sandwiches even better.
“Oppa, this place is going to be a famous taste spot. It’s really delicious.”
“Isn’t it?”
Shin Noel took a sip of his extra-shot Americano and watched Tae-yeon. Sticky rice cakes had stuck, it seemed. His eyes never left her.
***
Choi Hyun-seo kept thinking of Min Tae-yeon at work.
Last night she had seemed full of energy, but she had stayed up holding Yun-woo until dawn and ended up sick. When he called the family doctor, the report said a stomach bug, but it still worried him.
Thinking of the promotion Tae-yeon loved so much—challenging titles like “Deputy Manager” or “Manager”—made him grin. He was annoyed at himself for laughing out of nowhere.
Yet the image of Tae-yeon constantly intruding on his thoughts, wagging her tail like a fox, was far more distracting than normal.
Where had he gone wrong? Was it acceptable to be so distracted by an employee?
No, he had hired her precisely to play the part of wife. Was this how a good marriage should feel?
His head was a complete mess.
The worst part was the unexpected flashes of Tae-yeon’s bare body.
Her curves were surprisingly soft and lovely. He could still feel the way her flesh had clenched around him when he thrust deep. Those plump, mature curves refused to leave his mind.
How could a woman’s body look so perfect no matter how he closed his eyes?
He was in his thirties, not a teenager, yet the sight of her graceful curves still haunted him?
It was mysterious. Those round, pretty eyes and flowing lines. That smooth, tender skin that lured people in.
Well, if that wasn’t enough to stir a man, it was obviously true.
If he got the IV drip today, he’d be better. Maybe tonight would be possible.
Why was he throwing such a tantrum after only one day without her?
Deputy Manager who loved his promotion title? Something seemed off.
Maybe that was exactly why he had chosen Min Tae-yeon. A strange discomfort rose in him.
Yet it was strange. He resented the single word “wife,” but remembering her rocking Yun-woo felt strangely three-dimensional. Then Oh Jin-hee appeared in his mind and he felt pity.
An unplanned situation felt unpleasant. Min Tae-yeon occupying his mind made him irritable. Still, just thinking of her made him smile.
No, not because of Min Tae-yeon herself, but because of the child she was holding.
She looked so cute and was growing well.
Even in that moment, the image of Min Tae-yeon holding Yun-woo naked flashed in his head.
What on earth?
“Is there something good happening, Director?”
Only after Hwang asked twice did Hyun-seo lift his head.
“Why do I need something good to make me smile? Life is good when you live with a smile.”
Hwang looked puzzled at the odd answer. The usually serious man must have had some inner change.
As chief director, his schedule was packed. He had to check everything at the company and keep the other directors in line. Of course he looked serious. That serious man rarely smiled.
“You seem different today.”
Hyun-seo answered Hwang’s secretary without looking up.
“What’s good as a promotion gift these days?”
“A promotion gift? Let me check.”
Hwang’s secretary quickly searched on her tablet and placed it in front of him.
“Mini flower pots, humidifiers, Dutch coffee, mugs, macarons.”
Everything unnecessary. Mini flower pots and macarons, however, were worth buying for atmosphere.
Hyun-seo nodded. He had asked Icheon-daek earlier. She was visiting her hometown.
Officially his wife, he had never visited his mother-in-law’s house. Tae-yeon was sick, too. Maybe he should go and surprise her.
***
Choi Hyun-seo’s car glided slowly through the narrow Sin-dang-dong alley.
The oversized sedan looked completely out of place, but it headed straight for its destination.
The street was famous for tteokbokki, yet how many places sold only that?
Entering the alley, he saw rows of multi-family houses and detached homes. His eyes caught the florist just ahead at the entrance to the narrow street.
“Park here for a moment.”
“Is there something you need, Director? I’ll get it for you.”
“No, I’m fine. I’ll handle it myself.”
Hyun-seo stepped out and entered the small florist. A tall, handsome woman in her thirties greeted him with a bright smile.
“What would you like?”
“A mini flower pot as a promotion gift.”
“Ah, yes. How about this one?”
But every pot displayed looked plain. The explanation was long and unnecessary.
“Normally, a flower pot conveys the heart that brings good fortune. It’s the best way to wish for everything to go well. This is my recommendation. Every time you place it on your desk, it will remind you.”
The small, flat pot was not even a flower. Just green leaves. Nothing caught his eye.
“What’s this?”
“That one? A customer ordered it. She said she’d take it tomorrow. Hydrangea, eucalyptus, and roses. The one right under the hydrangea is called gloryosa.”
The unusual color had drawn him first. Not plain pink—a vibrant crimson hydrangea. The color reminded him of Tae-yeon’s skin. Crazy.
Next to it was a long, reddish-yellow flower, perhaps gloryosa.
“Can I buy this?”
“Of course. I’ll make another one for you.”
“Then give me this.”
A pleasant feeling stirred. He had found something more colorful than a pot. She would like it. When she rang the bell, he imagined Tae-yeon and her mother would be delighted.
It was just a way to show proper manners after a promotion. He didn’t need an excuse.
Leaving the florist, he passed a nearby café. The scent of freshly baked cake drifted out. With flowers, buying a cake seemed fine. The good bread smell suggested the small shop was run by a skilled person.
Hyun-seo pushed the door open with the bouquet in hand. He had no idea what he would see inside. Tae-yeon sitting across from Shin Noel.
His eyebrows shot up like mountains.
What was this?
He had avoided the nearby hospital because she was sick. He had come to her hometown out of concern, yet here she was flirting with another man.
The moment he entered with the large bouquet, both Tae-yeon and Noel turned toward the door.
Tae-yeon saw Choi Hyun-seo standing there with the flowers and froze in confusion. Then she stood up reflexively.
“Director.”
Noel heard the low murmur.
Director? After marriage and a child, calling him Director? That was the only title that described their relationship accurately. Noel also rose. Choi Hyun-seo was the chief director of the company Noel worked for.
“Hello, Director.”
Noel spoke first. Hyun-seo turned toward the table without looking at him and offered the bouquet to Tae-yeon.
“This.”
Tae-yeon’s eyes widened at the suddenly enormous bouquet. It wasn’t anyone else’s flowers. Choi Hyun-seo’s.
*Suddenly? He came all the way here to give me these flowers? How did he know I was here?*
She stood there blinking silently. Hyun-seo stepped closer, brushed his lips against her cheek, and said,
“You said you went to your hometown, so I bought flowers and came. I found you here.”