The Story Of A Small Fox Who Has A Star Chapter 17

The next day, as soon as the sun rose above the horizon, JHo went to visit Master Cheon-Ho.

Master Cheon-Ho at the time was enjoying the lingering imagery of last night's banquet.

Silently, Master Cheon-Ho admired the beauty and the fragrant of a flower that he personally picked as he drank his tea.

"It was very noisy yesterday."

"Yes, my apologies. Some human had come up to our front gate yesterday."

As if he was not interested in talking to JHo anymore, Master Cheon-Ho simply continued looking at the flower by his side with pleasant eyes.

"Is there some kind of story to this flower? It looks like any other flower to me."

Master Cheon-Ho sipped his tea with a slight smile on his face.

"You are right, it is just an ordinary flower. If you look around the Dong-Lang mountain, you can find a few millions, no, more than hundred million of this flower laying around."

"However, some days my eyes drift to things that have nothing special about them. Just like today."

To Master Cheon-Ho's comment, JHo began to study the white flower that had only four petals.

Without turning his gaze from the flower, JHo indifferently started speaking.

"Ho-Chi returned yesterday, carried by a human."

"Ho-Chi?"

"Yes, I thought he was a human at first because he stank of human smell but the human who carried him up the mountain begged earnestly for me to heal him."

"A fox named Ho-Chi…"

Master Cheon-Ho turned his gaze to JHo as he swished the liquid inside his teacup.

"Who is that?"

To Master Cheon-Ho's casual question, JHo put on a open smile as he spoke.

"Ho-Chi is my sibling who was born from the same tail. Long time ago, we've sent him away to Master YMang. Because his spiritual energy was so weak, Master Cheon-Ho personally had given him a name which translates to ‘a disgrace of foxes'."

"Ah, now I think about it, there was a such fox."

Master Cheon-Ho spoke in an unconcerned voice until he opened his eyes wide and looked back at JHo.

"Then, why are you even bring him up? If my memory serves me right, you hated him."

As if agreeing with Master Cheon-Ho's words, JHo smiled bitterly as he continued speaking.

"Because Ho-Chi's spiritual energy is so weak, he did not have a fox bead of his own. Right now, he is unconscious. It was unpleasant when I saw his sorry figure carried by a mere human."

"Ha, he doesn't have a fox bead? Is he that weak?"

"Kek, yes. Even his hair color is dark like that of a human."

Hearing JHo's hostile tone when talking about Ho-Chi, Master Cheon-Ho further relaxed his body against his cus.h.i.+oned seat.

"Ho-Chi must have been living with that human who carried him up the mountain. When Ho-Chi got sick because he could not make a fox bead, the human brought him here. If I did as I liked, I would have left Ho-Chi in front of the gate to die…but he is still my brother."

"Ah, so that's why the place stank of human yesterday. The whole palace is now smell strongly of human."

"I apologize. To get rid of the human smell from Ho-Chi, we had to clean him in the palace bath."

Master Cheon-Ho let out a subdued yawn as he closed his eyes.

"I placed Ho-Chi in my living quarter for now, but I feel uncomfortable to have him there."

"Just throw him away."

To this merciless comment, JHo broke into a laugh.

"That is very mischievous of you, Master Cheon-Ho. I've just took him under my wing, If I let him go now what would others say about me. Although it matters little to me what they say, their gossip will definitely give me a headache."

"If so, why don't you save his life and send him on his way?"

"I feel bad!"

JHo suddenly shouted. Master Cheon-Ho opened his eyes wide as he studied JHo's reddened face. Master Cheon-Ho let out a smile with a sound of pff.

Embarra.s.sed, JHo turned his face away to avoid Master Cheon-Ho's gaze.

"You are too much Master Cheon-Ho. Ho-Chi came because I am his brother. What if he makes up excuses to keep on asking for things in the future? Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl. If Master Cheon-Ho help Ho-Chi this time, he wouldn't be able to ask for other favors from you in the future."

"Kek, so what do you suggest? I can't understand why you've brought him into your chamber when you hate him so much in the first place."

"May I ask for you to create and bestow Ho-Chi a small fox bead?"

When provided with an opening, JHo clearly stated what he wanted. Master Cheon-Ho felt that this aspect of JHo was cute.

JHo was a creation from one of Master Cheon-Ho's tails.

JHo was different from the other children of Master Cheon-Ho in that he was much adored by Master Cheon-Ho.

"So that is why you came here."

"Yes, there is no other way. What do you think I should have done?"

Looking at JHo who was grumbling, Master Cheon-Ho closed his eyes once again.

"Master Cheon-Ho, please bestow him a fox bead. It gives me the shudder just knowing that we were born from the same tail. I do not want to share my energy as well. Please, please."

However much JHo explained, Master Cheon-Ho did not open his eyes.

JHo complained couple more times before studying Master Cheon-Ho's unmoving form. With a deep sigh, JHo turned to leave with his tail and ears drooping.

Even after JHo left the room with the sound of dragging tails and close the door behind him, Master Cheon-Ho did not call JHo back.

Du-Ito who was waiting by the door saw JHo leaving the room and raced to his side. Following JHo, Du-Ito noticed JHo's bad mood.

It was scary for Du-Ito to ask about what happened because of how stony JHo's expression seemed.

"How did it go?"

"…Just wait, his answer will come."

As if to confirm JHo's words, a small gift was delivered to JHo that evening from Master Cheon-Ho.

Holding the gift, JHo entered the bed chamber where Ho-Chi lied.

The room was dark, just like before.

Being as quiet as possible, JHo pushed the blinds that separated the bed and the room.

Even though the room was silent, the sound of Ho-Chi's shallow breathing couldn't be heard.

Inside the box, there laid Master Cheon-Ho's gift. It was a white flower.

It was the same flower that Master Cheon-Ho was looking at while he was drinking his tea.

When JHo realized what was inside the humble box, he could not help but feel the strong urge to throw the whole box to the floor. But, with much difficulty, JHo instead placed it onto the floor as he set down cross legged beside Ho-Chi.

JHo bit down on his lower lip as he covered his reddened eye rims.

"Look, the person whom you so carefully prepared those gifts for sent you this in return."

Fighting back the tears from falling, JHo gripped his hands into fists to prevent them from shredding the flower.

"Master Cheon-Ho didn't even remember who you were and what your name was. Even though you sincerely presented him with all those gifts."

JHo gently spoke to Ho-Chi who was lying on the bed.

"My heart…was hurting."

Ho-Chi could not hear JHo's words.

"When I spoke to Master Cheon-Ho about you, my heart broke."

And JHo felt relieved about the fact that he felt the pain.

"When I cursed you, mocked you, and made up hateful words about you, even thinking about whom I was talking about cause me pain. But I had no other choice. In order to receive the fox bead, I had to. If I showed any affection for you, Master Cheon-Ho would have delayed giving you the fox bead just to see what happens."

JHo was glad that Ho-Chi wouldn't be hurt by what was happening.

"But what is this, a flower. Not a fox bead but a flower that contains barely enough energy to sustain your life. I should just give you my spiritual energy…Even if you might not be able to accept them as your own, it could be better than this."

However, JHo knew that Ho-Chi's origin of power was not him.

It was most safe for Ho-Chi to receive the spiritual energy from the root of power, Master Cheon-Ho.

Even though JHo scarred his heart by spitting out hateful things about Ho-Chi, Master Cheon-Ho did not grant JHo's request as he thought.

JHo picked up the flower from the box.

After separating the single petal from it, JHo placed it on Ho-Chi's lips.

When the petal made contact with Ho-Chi's lips, it glowed and disappeared into Ho-Chi's mouth.

For a moment, JHo sucked in his breath.

"Ha."

Picking up the second single petal, JHo placed it on Ho-Chi's lips again.

The petal disappeared once again with a light and, this time, Ho-Chi flinched his finger.

"What does that human means to you.."

When the third petal disappeared into Ho-Chi's mouth, a wind blew in to scatter little strands of Ho-Chi's hair.

Little bit of vitality returned to Ho-Chi's body. Watching the change happen, JHo picked up the last petal and stopped his movement, just holding the petal in his hand.

"Are you…going back.? When you open your eyes, are you going to return to that human?"

Ho-Chi who was still in his sleep did not answer JHo's question.

JHo stared down at Ho-Chi's sleeping face for a long while. When he finally moved, JHo deposited the last petal between his own lips.

JHo then bent down his body to meet Ho-Chi's lips with his own.

With a sweeping noise, JHo's violet hair fell from JHo's shoulders and formed a curtain around Ho-Chi.

JHo stared at Ho-Chi for a moment before closing his eyes.

With a small glow, the last petal disappeared, and JHo felt Ho-Chi's dried lips with his own.

Ho-Chi opened his eyes and saw JHo.

TN: One thing I am confused about the chapter is JHo's argument with Master Cheon-Ho. What was JHo's excuse for requesting Master Cheon-Ho to save Ho-Chi's life? It wasn't very clear in Korean either. Maybe it's just me. If you have a theory, let me know. Thank you for reading!