CH 1

Every time the season changes, the mountain puts on beautiful makeup and greets the sky. 

The Taebaek Mountains stretch like a tiger’s backbone in the east of the Korean Peninsula. Among them, when autumn came to Seorak, which is known as a famous mountain, people lined up to see its shape in five different colors.

The movement of hikers dressed in clothes more colorful than autumn leaves is like a river coming down from the sky and going back.

It reminded me of quite an old story.

Like those people who climb to the highest point their toes can reach, a serpent waited a thousand years to ascend to heaven. 

Of all things, a curious girl was playing by the lake and made a sound when she saw it at that time.

The Imoogi, which tried to ascend to heaven, was startled by the sound, dropped the Yeouijoo, and didn’t ascend to heaven. The Imoogi, angry and cursed the girl to turn into a fox. (t/n: Imoogi is a legendary giant snake, which is said to have failed to become a dragon due to a curse and lives in water. While Yeouijoo is a kind of mysterious ball or orb that is supposed to have a supernatural power for the person who has it. Usually called a dragon orb.) 

And the main character of the story was me.

I’m not talking about Imoogi.

But I’m just a girl who said “Wow!” out of curiosity and was turned into a fox under a curse of a serpent with a bad temper. 

The Heavenly God, who pitied me like that, taught me one way. 

If a fox turned into nine tails or Gumiho, it could turn back into a human if it made a 100-year deal with a human man and spent 100 nights gathering energy. 

‘That’s already a thousand years ago.’

I thought I could be soon too. However, Imoogi’s curse didn’t just stop me from becoming a fox.

– “It will be easier if I give you the same pain!”

Who knew this serpent brat would interrupt me every time I tried to become human? 

After failing many times over a thousand years, I thought I had met a really good guy this time. He was a nice person with a handsome face. 

He liked me quite a bit, and his affection didn’t fade despite Imoogi’s interruption, so I thought I’d be able to become a human this time.

‘It seems that even the serpent has evolved over a thousand years….’

In the past, we used to make a big difference. Now it has been upgraded and strangely seduced the man I want to marry.

‘I’ve got all the wedding venues….’

The man said he didn’t have enough money for a wedding and he said he’d invest the money I’d saved so far and call me back. It turned out that the Imoogi was trying to lure that man in and show him a ‘good investment destination.’

In the end, the man ran away after wasting all my property.

I climbed a tree that was quite high and leaned on it, watching the procession of those who climbed towards the top of the mountain for a long time. 

“Uncle. How long until we reach the top?”

“You just have to go a little further. Cheer up!” 

“It was like that 30 minutes ago!”

“Oh, it’s really not long. Young people, try harder!”

I can hear people cheering for each other as they pass by in less than 10 seconds in life.

Even though I am human in appearance, I, who don’t belong among them, seem to have nowhere to go or return to.

‘When will I be able to become a human?’

My wish, which I’ve had for a thousand years, now includes a color dress.

Just as I was about to choke on my sad heart, I heard a bright, raspy voice from under the tree.

“Baekho-nim, I’m here.”

Beneath my swaying feet was a water deer with bright eyes.

My gloomy mood just a moment ago disappeared, and a smile spread across my lips. 

I jumped down from the tree and solemnly asked the water deer as if I were living in a palace. 

“Did you know what I asked you to find out?”

“There are seven circles, 831.”

“Mmh. Great.” 

I took my treasure out of my pocket and held it. 

My small, square world. A necessity for modern people, the smartphone. 

There are many other mountains, but there was only one reason why I settled on Seorak.

Because of the great wifi.

Perhaps because it was a mountain where many people came and went, Wi-Fi was well installed in each store.

“0000000831…” 

I pressed the Wi-Fi password that the water deer gave me. 

In a den without tigers, a fox acts like a king.

As I was entangled in Seorak without an owner, all the mountain animals groaned, supporting me as a spirit creature.

‘How nice would it be to sit down and be treated like a king while browsing the internet?’

If I think about it, didn’t humans want this kind of life the most? 

‘Well, I’m not human, but I’m living a life that they can envy, so there’s no need to be depressed.’

I raised the corners of my mouth, entered all the passwords, and pressed the ‘Enter’ button.

But.

[ The password is different. ]

The unwanted screen on my phone made my brow furrow.

“Hey! This password is different!”

I glared at the water deer as if I were going to kill it right away. 

“Are you got it right?”

“I am telling you what I saw!”

“Be honest! Did you come here after grazing and playing around here?”

“No!” 

“Don’t lie! I heard you crying while making a fuss a while ago!”

“No…”

“You don’t have to do anything that I can find out! You said you will find out, so I said yes!”

I grumbled and yelled at the water deer. 

“I have to buy a lottery ticket within today!”

The water deer’s bright eyes became moist.

“Oh, what are you going to do with a water deer, it’s unfair!” 

I was surprised when it suddenly hit the ground with its front foot.

“I even memorized how to read numbers, but how come you blame me!”

“No, but the password is wrong.”

“I almost got hit by a car and went to the other world if I asked to go out to find out that piece of the number!” (t/n: Oh, I feel bad about the deer  ) 

I’m sorry to hear that. 

“If you’re relaxing in a mountain without an owner, you should take care of the lowly creatures!”

The water deer vomited out resentment, probably because there were a lot of accumulated things. 

“There is no such thing as this! Isn’t this against the heavenly way!”

What kind of water deer is talking about the law?

‘Ah really. You’ve got it wrong.’ 

I thought I should try to change it, so I put the letter B instead of the number 8 just in case.

[ Connected. ]

Ah. This kid doesn’t know English yet.

“Oh my, Heavenly God. Please understand the injustice of this humble water deer.”

“No, to even call the Heavenly God. Would that busy elderly go through such a trivial thing?” 

I couldn’t even call it in the first place. It was when I was gently comforting the water deer that was running back and forth in excitement.

Suddenly, the whole area started darkening instantly, and I looked up.

The gray dark clouds covered the clear and high autumn sky in half.  The clouds gradually changed and appeared clearly as one shape.

“You lazy fox.”

A majestic voice descends like lightning through the clouds. That was the appearance of a Heavenly God. 

As soon as the Heavenly God appeared, the water deer ran away without looking back. 

‘Anyway, to scream loudly like that.’ 

I sat down halfway down on my knees, and with my hands raised neatly over the long hanbok skirt, I paid him respect. 

“Are you here?”

“I told you to become a human, so why are you hiding in Seorak and harassing wild animals?”

I’m doomed. As expected, he’s here to nag me. However, when this moment came, I gave the excuse I had prepared in advance.

“Since there are many people who go to Seorak for its outstanding scenery, I was always looking for an opportunity to become a human being in that gap.”

“What opportunity? Apparently, you have been living with that.”

The Heavenly God pointed his finger at my smartphone.

“This is to learn the news of human society quickly….” 

“What news can you learn from (A Passionate Memories with Him?” )

I opened my eyes wide at Heavenly God’s words and opened my mouth.

‘No. How did you know that?’

It was the romance fantasy story I was reading these days.

“Did you wait a thousand years to read a dirty novel?” 

I was dazed, as if I had been hit for a moment. It was unfair.

“It is not a dirty novel! Only the title is click bait!” 

After I bought and read it, I realized that it was not a dirty novel!

“Noisy!” 

I lowered my head again when the sound of thunder startled me.

“A mere fox has lived for a thousand years and has only grown cunning.” 

Originally, wasn’t the fox a cunning animal?

“You’re not thinking about becoming a human being; you’re just looking at it so your neck may be bent over it.”

I didn’t bend my neck.

“Another nine-tailed fox meets her man well, marries him, and gets the energy, but what are you messing around with?” 

Why are you comparing and making a fuss?

“Don’t you get caught whenever you go down to human society?”

The last time I got caught was 300 years ago.

“Still, 200 years ago they were even married. These days, you can’t even get married.”

Ugh. If you build a tower with nagging, it will reach the sky.

He seemed to be talking about the time one of his relatives got married on holiday, so what was the problem?

Give me a coma, or just give me advice!

“There are many young men who can’t get married even at the foot of this mountain and are looking for a virgin.”

“….!”

“They even paid for it to get it.”

The advice is very similar advice! 

“Why am I marrying anyone?”

I couldn’t stand it at all, so I held my head stiffly.

“I’ve been waiting for a thousand years! I want to do it with the guy I like!”

“Then you should go down and find a human!”

“Korean society is so tight these days!”

Why would a normal person like me want to live in Seorak? -Of course, it’s good to be king in Seorak-

But I’m here because I went bankrupt because of the guy who ended the marriage. 

“How do I meet a man while being bankrupt and being chased by a creditor?”

It wasn’t easy to live like a normal modern person.

“In the end, I have to prepare a new ID first! It’s not something that can be done lightly! It takes time!”

Of course, it could be made up of lies. Isn’t the Imoogi going to interfere with it again?

“Then why are you sitting here doing that in Seorak!” 

“Do you think there is money left after paying the rent and living expenses? Even breathing is money!”

In human society, people don’t save money, but rather spend it, so I have no choice but to come to Seorak and live there.

“So you’re going to spend hours reading novels on this mountain?”

“What do you mean! It’s time to heal my wounded heart, right?”

“What healing…” 

“At least the characters in the novel, even the supporting characters, are all handsome! Every villain has a story! I understand!” 

Even though I choose a guy with moderate eyes, doesn’t he fall for the Imoogi’s trick every time?

The same goes for Imoogi. I understand, but what’s the point of interrupting for a thousand years?

“All novels encourage good and punishing evil, so if you are kind and work hard, the ending is good!”  

Even though he was a Heavenly God, why did he make the world roll like this? 

Did I not try? Did I do something bad?

“Honestly, if reality were like a novel, I would have become a human already!”

The anger I had been holding back exploded like a volcano.

I’ve complained before, but I’ve never been this angry, so I thought the Heavenly God would be angrier.

“Is that so?”

He was looking at me with mysterious eyes.

Looking at those eyes, like magma cooling down, the anger subsided and only hard discomfort remained.

“You lazy and foolish fox.”

Ah, what have I become? Did I talk too much? 

When he suddenly gestured, the smartphone in my hand floated into the air.

You’re not trying to break this, are you? I still have a deal left.

“Then, try becoming a human once in a place where you are healed like that.”

Oh, it’s not about breaking cell phones. That’s a relief—.

“…What?” 

“There will be no Imoogi there, so no one will disturb you. In the world that encouraging good and punishing evil, you can become a human as long as you live kindly.”

“What…” 

“If you don’t become a human within a year, you will live as a fox forever.”

Brilliant light poured from the smartphone in the air.