“…once upon time, there lived a silver gumiho in a sacred forest in Korea. Every one hundred years, he got one tail and getting stronger. He was a really handsome and nice creature. Trained in earth to maintain his power and patience to become a god and lifted to the heaven. He will become a god once he reach a thousand years and got full nine tails.

But, when his age turned 99 years old, he fell in love with a beautiful creature called human. A noble man who has pure heart and elegant behavior caught the young gumiho’s attention. He lured the young boy with his charm, but the noble man refused to be with him, thinking that a man with morale should marry a woman. But, that gumiho showed the noble man that world never been so clean. What makes you a nice people is your heart and not the social perception. The noble man went to the said gumiho after experienced an injustice tragedy where the cruel King killed his entire family for unreasonable excuses.

Since that time, the nobleman became gumiho’s mate and being in his side until his death. Realized that he had mated with a mere mortal human, the said gumiho beg heaven emperor to make the noble as his destiny. The emperor granted the gumiho’s plea and in return, the said gumiho couldn’t go back to the heaven. That gumiho agreed as long as he could be with his beloved mate. So, he burnt his mate’s body at the sacred fire to be rebirth in every one hundred years.

The gumiho had been passing periods of dynasties and met his mate in every one hundred years, loving him until his lover death and burn the body at the sacred fire every hundred year. Now, the gumiho had reached his 1000th years old and he has been searching for his lover. He finally got the power to live together with his lover forever, make his mate immortal. But, he hasn’t found his lover.”

“ahjussi, who is the name of that gumiho?” a little girl asked, excited with the story that a strange ahjussi told in a public park. The said ahjussi smiled warmly at the little girl.

“his name is Yi-en.” He said and the children squealed excitedly. But, there was a five-years-old boy who timidly walked closer to the story teller. The handsome ahjussi noticed it and instructed the cute boy to get closer. The little boy obeyed and looked at the ahjussi with hope.

“what is it, little boy?” the man asked, encouraging the boy to ask what he wanted to ask.

“umm…ahjussi, c-can I be his lover?” the little boy asked, made the man taken aback. But, he covered it with smile.

“what’s your name?” the man said.

“um…Junior.” The little boy answered and the man smiled at him lovingly.

“sorry, little boy… but you’re not his mate” the man said and the little boy pouted.

“yah, Junior! You will be my mate! Not that monster!” another young boy said aggressively.

“aish! I hate to be your mate, JB hyung!” the boy whined and the man giggled, took Junior at his lap.

“you should! Our parents said that you will marry me!” the JB boy said and Junior was sulking at the stranger’s lap who giggled cutely.

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“where are you…

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Jinyoungie?”

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17 Years Later

It had been ten years Mark Tuan worked as a teacher in Senior High School. Moving from one school to another, Mark hoped that he will see the face he missed so much. After resigned from his previous job, he started to be a teacher after changed his identity for nth time. His eyes always sharply scanned the students in every school he taught, his ears cautiously searching for a melodic voice he missed so much. He wished he would find his 17th years old mate like he always did in the previous periods. He had never been knew when his mate would born. So, he never knew the child version of his mate. Eye whiskers were his mate’s special feature that was given by him when he mated with his lover for the very first time.

This time, Mark was entering JYP School in Seoul as a history teacher. He was welcomed by the headmaster of the school, Im Jaebum, fiancée of JYP Group heir. He was a young but capable man, handling the school in professional way. His age wasn’t a barrier to lead a school.

“please have a seat, Mr. Tuan.” Jaebum said politely, knowing that the man in front of him was a really amazing teacher.

“thank you Mr. Im” Mark answered politely.

“so, what brings you to accept our proposal to teach in JYP school?” Jaebum asked and Mark smiled, answer had been in his brain for long time.

“I really care with education, and JYP School is one of the best schools in Seoul.” Mark answered shortly and Jaebum smiled pleasantly.

“well, your capability in teaching is unquestionable, I heard it from your previous school’s headmaster at Jinhae.” Jaebum praised the elder while Mark smiled politely.

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***

For a week, Mark had been searching for his mate in JYP School. He sharpened his ears and nose to catch certain voice and smell, his mate’s melodic voice and vanilla smell. He never forgets his mate’s scent and voice. His eyes didn’t miss anything at the school. There were plenty Jinyoung’s name with different surname, but they weren’t someone who Mark searched.

“when will you come up, Jinyoungie?”

He was arranging his stuff at his desk, checking the materials that would be taught to his students. When he about to go up, his ears caught the teachers talking about someone named Jinyoung at the teacher lounge. He sharpened his ears to eavesdrop what they talked. It was found that Jinyoung was the headmaster’s fiancée and he would set his birthday party and invited all the teacher of JYP High School. Mark doubt if it was his Jinyoung because he always met his mate when the latter was 17 years old. But, his curiosity kill