Random Rambles: So, yeah, relatively short in-between chapter before we get back to business. I'm struggling a little with some writersblock, plus it's Chinese New Year! Xian nian kuai le, gong xi fat chai to all who celebrate the Lunar New Year! I'll be celebrating it myself, so do forgive me if the next update will take a little longer ^^" thank you guys for your patience, feedback and support! Saranghaeyo~ <3

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The only reason why Ryo Miyano was able to go home safely to his family that night was because Miss Kumiho maintained her self-control when he fell out against her. Had she allowed herself to think that he was worthy to get her angry, then his wife would’ve been widowed for sure. 

She found to her surprise that she was still rather fuming about the incident, but she was comforted by the fact that far more important matters were afoot. With the newly refreshed dagger pulsating in her hands, she went to meet with her employer. As she had suspected, the dagger needed to be replenished with just the right - material. 

The dagger reacting so positively to her little experiment confirmed what she had suspected; it longed for the wolves that her boss was after. It might have been risky on her part to trick them like she had, using dear, sweet Jae as a piece of juicy meat to dangle in front of their noses, but it had been worth it. It was time for those boys to man up anyway. They couldn’t have been completely obtuse this entire time. If anything, she helped shake them up a bit, prepare them for what was to come. 

Miss Kumiho smiled contently to herself. The master will be pleased…

Mr. Yok’s office was a secluded, secure place, undetectable and hidden from prying eyes. It was riddled in shadows and darkness- just the way he liked it. Of course he had told Ryo Miyano that he would go back to the main land and await news about the Hanwol branch from there, but in truth, he had never really left. 

She straightened her hair and attire before knocking on the door, but she knew that he was already aware of her presence. 

“Miss Kumiho, finally,” Mr. Yok greeted, gesturing for her to take a seat. He was dressed in a sleek black suit, not a hair out of place. She had aspired to be like that. He beamed sophistication and authority, so when she bowed to greet him, she meant it. 

“Hello, sir. Forgive my tardiness, there were some things I had to take care of before I could come and meet you,” she stated as she sat down. 

“I knew that waiting patiently for you to arrive would be worth it, my dear,” he replied, smiling at her as he her cheek. Miss Kumiho gleamed for a moment, until she read the dissatisfaction in his eyes as he regarded the object in her hands. 

“Is there a reason why you’ve brought my yeouiju with you?” he asked and she swallowed, immediately extending the dagger towards him. 

“I’m sorry, I brought it with me because there was something I wanted to show you,” she explained, her gaze lingering on the shining object as his hand hovered tentatively over it. He’s afraid to touch it, she noted, but her face betrayed nothing. 

“Is there now?” Mr. Yok retracted his hand and refused to touch the dagger. Miss Kumiho noticed how it had momentarily shone red before returning to its pulsating green. She cleared and smiled sweetly at him. 

“You read my report on the declining health of the dagger,” she stated, rather than asked and he nodded curtly. 

“I was worried. You know how I dislike bad news,” he mused, standing up from his desk to pour himself a glass of water. Miss Kumiho smiled again when he handed her one as well. 

“Thank you, sir,” she accepted the glass thankfully and drank from it. Her eyes went wide a moment, her blood freezing in her veins. A look of alarm and surprise graced her face as Mr. Yok watched her calmly, sipping from his drink. He smirked when she cleared and chuckled herself. 

“Arsenic. How subtly delicious, sir,” she grinned as he raised his glass towards her. Her master knew exactly what she liked. 

“I’m always impressed at how you’re able to distinguish its taste, my dear,” he said. 

“Impressed, or amused, sir?” she shot playfully back, taking another sip. “Perhaps you’re trying to see which poison could actually kill me?” she added with a dangerous bite, because her master might know her, but she knew him just as well- if not better. 

Mr. Yok let out a throaty laugh. “How could I dare dream to kill an exquisite creature such as yourself with the very thing that rushes through your veins?” he asked playfully. “Now then, you’ve come bringing my yeouiju with you for a reason? Do not tell me that its condition has worsened. These pesky storms are becoming annoying.” 

Miss Kumiho nodded, taking this as her cue to get back to business. 

“Yes, sir. The dagger has many secrets, but we both know that it’s alive. For all these years you’ve kept it in your possession while we’ve been looking for our little wolves, it has maintained its strength,” she started. 

“Strength that has been waning recently,” Mr. Yok added in agitation and Miss Kumiho noted how he was awfully impatient for a patient man at times. 

“Indeed. Until now. I think I found a solution,” she felt a little excited now, like a child who did well at school and was about to show her father her report card so he could tell her how proud he was of her. 

“You’ve told us that the dagger needed to be connected to energy. Even though it is energy in itself, it has needs, desires, even. But not any kind of energy would do. That is why-,”

“Why I’ve been searching for those boys, yes. Get to the point, please, Miss Kumiho,” Mr. Yok interrupted and she cleared . 

“Yes, sir. Now, for the dagger to truly become yours and for you to obtain all of its powers, it needs to stay alive and healthy first,” Miss Kumiho knew that she was only telling him things he already knew, but she thought it worth the trouble so that he would see how brilliant she was in coming up with a solution for the dagger to stay energized. 

“I think I know how. Our wolves,” she said, showing him strands of hair to which he frowned. Mr. Yok picked one of them up carefully as he inspected it. 

“The wolves?” he inquired. 

Miss Kumiho nodded. “Their energy is strong and familiar to the dagger. That fool of a CEO had been researching how patterns of DNA that make up the dagger had been missing, but then I found out how to stabilize it,” she said with a smug grin.  “So to test my theory, I added one strand of hair from one boy to the dagger. It absorbed it instantly as though it was embracing a long lost friend,” she cooed mockingly, a slender finger the silver blade. 

“The dagger, sir, got better. The energy it had lost returned again. I could have, of course, added the other eleven strands of hair, but I thought you might like to do the honors-,”

Miss Kumiho gasped and let out a short shriek when Mr. Yok had suddenly smashed his glass of water against the wall. 

“You did what?” he asked, his eyes darkening as a sliver of golden ember shone in them. 

Why is he angry? 

Miss Kumiho felt panic overcoming her as she tried to swallow down the lump that had formed in . 

“I healed the dagger, sir,” she tried as she racked her brain on what it was she could have done wrong to make her boss so furious. She winced slightly when he slammed his fist against the desk.

“You tampered with my yeouiju?” he asked calmly, but there was an undertone of danger in his voice. 

“I didn’t tamper with it, sir,” she started explaining, trying to stay calm herself. “I fixed it, as I promised I would. The hair helps stabilize the dagger so it won’t lose any energy-,”

“You think that giving the dagger the hair of those pups keeps it healthy?” Mr. Yok then asked, stepping away from his desk. “You think the dagger is that simple, Miss Kumiho?” 

The woman her lips and fidgeted slightly in her seat, holding the dagger tightly in her hands. She jumped a little when Mr. Yok caressed her cheek with one finger, sending shivers up her spine. She held in her breath when he leaned forward, breathing in her scent. 

“Foolish little fox,” he whispered, though she could hear the vibration of anger in his voice. 

“You really think that this is the answer?!” he asked, holding up the strands of hair and slamming them on the desk once more. “How did you even come to acquire these? Had I not made it clear that I wish for those boys to come to me in due time?”

“But there was no time to spare, sir,” Miss Kumiho immediately replied, hoping that it would justify her actions. 

“So you wish to waste the dagger’s energy instead? You think this strengthens it?! All it does is unleash its powers unto this miserable world until it has consumed that measly bit of hair! Then it will wane as it had before and my plan will be ruined!” Mr. Yok yelled. “So it was you that was the reason for this storm!” he then added, but Miss Kumiho frowned, shaking her head. 

“No, sir, I had nothing to do with that. The dagger was, as you said, unstable-,”

“And when you added the hair you thought you had fixed it, while in truth-,” Mr. Yok grabbed a random strand of hair and let it fall on the pulsating seed at the hilt of the dagger. The seed lit up a bright green and the hair disappeared. 

The rushing of the wind outside grew louder and the woman rose from her seat when her boss gestured her to take a look out the window. 

She furrowed her brow as she saw swirls of tornadoes manifesting in the horizon and she gasped softly while she looked at the dagger. 

“It wreaks havoc when it merges with unsuitable people. It becomes uncontrollable, since it is an empty vessel,” Mr. Yok explained through gritted teeth and Miss Kumiho realized that she made a terrible mistake. 

“Observe the destruction outside,” he told her. “So much awesome power gone to waste. Unbridled power that I cannot yet control,” he hissed. “Brother knew the secrets of the dagger,” he started softly, but her heart clenched at hearing him mention that person. She automatically put on her stoic mask, returned calmly to her seat while resting the dagger easily on her lap. 

“But he never shared them with me. Said that I was unworthy,” Mr. Yok chuckled. “Unworthy,” he repeated as though utterly amused. Mr. Yok turned to look at Miss Kumiho and smiled again, adjusting his collar. “But who am I to tell you this? You, of all people, should know exactly what it feels like to be rejected by one you so love,” he mused sympathetically. Miss Kumiho showed no emotion. She simply turned away when Mr. Yok attempted to make eye contact. She looked at the dagger instead. This infernal dagger. His legacy. Her curse. Her boss’ object of desire. 

“I’m sorry, my dear,” Mr. Yok suddenly said, kneeling down before her so he could catch her attention. “You know how important this is to me,” he placed a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t want to be let down by you- not you. I just hate to see that my brother was right. That neither of us are worthy to get what we want,” he spoke, and those poisonous words struck a cord. 

“We will succeed, sir, I promise you,” she said fiercely. 

Mr. Yok clacked his tongue and slightly lifted her chin so he could look her in the eyes. “Don’t make promises-,”

“I can keep my promises, sir,” she cut him off, a look of determination on her face. Mr. Yok smiled. 

“Don’t make promises that you’ll regret, my dear,” he corrected, but Miss Kumiho was unfazed. 

“I won’t regret anything as long as I remain by your side,” she replied, much to her employer’s satisfaction. 

“Hm,” he mused. “You wish to stay by my side, but you stray from me regardless,” he then started, grabbing the remaining strands of hair. “You never answered how you came by these, Miss Kumiho.” 

She pursed her ruby lips briefly. “I made use of the thirteenth wolf,” she answered, willing to take responsibility, despite Mr. Yok’s discontentment. “They came flocking for her, so I made a trade. Her life for their hair,” she said. “They were already suspecting me, but now I’ve nudged them in the right direction.” 

“Our direction,” Mr. Yok corrected as she nodded. 

“Like you wanted, sir,” she reminded him. 

Mr. Yok clacked his tongue again, looking only mildly agitated this time. “This thirteenth wolf- she’s Ryo’s daughter, is she not?” he asked. 

“Yes. Strange little pet. She doesn’t seem to have a purpose to our cause,” Miss Kumiho remarked, inspecting her nails. She remembered how she had full control over that girl, how she relished in her anguish. 

“There was never thirteen,” Mr. Yok suddenly spoke, looking outside again as the wind banged violently against the windows. The fact that the wind might be destroying half the town of Hanwol didn’t concern him for one moment. This island was a speck of dust which really couldn’t bother him. 

“And the boys…they still don’t know?” he inquired and seemed less tense when Miss Kumiho confirmed the statement. 

“They will come to you, as you wished, sir,” she said. “However, I had always thought the dagger would connect to them, that they would help in unlocking its secrets so you can gain its full power as your- brother,” she had much difficulty pronouncing the word, “once gained. But if they are unable to stabilize the dagger as I thought they would, then how are they still useful?” she wondered. 

“Those boys are necessary once I unlock the dagger. I will be needing their strength to ensure endless power, but first I will need this dagger to stabilize. It still needs something, Miss Kumiho. It’s missing an essential ingredient.” 

“But why those mongrels, sir? You have me, you have-,”

“I know very well who is on my side, Miss Kumiho, make no mistake.”

They both looked up when trees were felled by the raging winds outside and Mr. Yok chuckled. “You’re lucky I didn’t pick the hair that belonged to the teleporter,” he mused dryly. “Though I assume you understand that I wish this world not to be destroyed before I get the fun to wreak havoc, of course.” 

“Naturally, sir,” Miss Kumiho replied steadily. 

“At least you’ve done one thing right, my dear,” he breathed. “That dagger is properly connected to this world now. That’s a step in the right direction,” he nodded absently while Miss Kumiho watched him with interest, as she often had. There was a distant look in his eyes and when her boss was worried, so was she. 

“There’s something still troubling you, sir,” she commented. 

“Who is she?” he asked and Miss Kumiho felt agitation at the mention of the thirteenth wolf. The fact that her employer didn’t know who she was or where she came from was unsettling. 

“I’m not sure. Twelve, thirteen. Does it matter, sir? Perhaps she’s a little extra that you could tap into,” she suggested and a smirk appeared on her face. “I wouldn’t mind having a plaything myself, to develop my skills,” she purred, smiling when she saw that Mr. Yok was smirking as well. 

“Besides, she could be useful in persuading the boys to do whatever we wish in case they feel reluctant to do so,” she added. 

“You make it sound like you don’t want me to worry about this,” Mr. Yok mused suspiciously. 

“Because there’s no need for you to do so,” Miss Kumiho assured. 

“Is that so?” he replied. “Do you remember there being thirteen, Miss Kumiho? We’ve always complained about there being twelve, and suddenly there’s one more?” 

“An anomaly, I’m sure. I assure you that she is no threat to us,” Miss Kumiho urged in her honeyed voice, but her boss had eyes only for the dagger. 

“Those boys will want to find the answers, Miss Kumiho,” he stated. “And if this girl is close to them, she’ll help them. You are responsible for my greatest treasure, for my precious yeouiju. Keep it safe and locked up in that facility to not raise any suspicions,” he instructed. “Find what its missing, and, please,” he added a bit derisively, “no more of this, alright?” 

The strands of hair that lay on the palm of his hand disintegrated into black shadows. 

“I know, sir,” Miss Kumiho smiled. “Patience,” she stated solemnly. 

“No, my dear,” Mr. Yok replied, surprising her. “The time of waiting is over. It’s time for the tree to grow again. We have to prepare ourselves. No more mistakes,” he spoke determinedly, smiling at her as he placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“Let us both get what we want this time, my little fox.” 

Miss Kumiho’s eyes shone pleasantly at his words. “I won’t let anyone stop us, sir,” she bowed. “I promise.” Knowing that her boss wanted her to leave to make this happen, she regained herself and headed for the door. 

“Oh, and Miss Kumiho?” Mr. Yok called out kindly. “Do not disappoint me again. There are limits to patience, even for me.” 

Miss Kumiho was not fooled by the charming smile and the gentle tone in his voice. His threat was real and she could sense it. But next to the unsettling fear, she also sensed her own determination and confidence growing.

“I’ll bring you the wolves, and then, the world on a string,” she tempted. “What will you give me in return?” she purred. 

“If I get the world, then it is only appropriate you receive the sun and the moon, my dear,” he answered, knowing exactly what she wanted to hear. 

“What if I don’t want the sun and the moon?” she asked. She had been offered that before, but had never received them. 

“Then I hope a place by my side will suffice,” Mr. Yok replied gently. 

“That is all I wish,” she smiled and with another bow, she left. 

Mr. Yok was left alone to contemplate his plans, his future and let out a sigh of satisfaction as he turned to look at the roaring winds outside. 

“Oh, my little fox,” he mused, eyes lighting up and fangs protruding from the corner of his mouth. “Always be careful what you wish for…”