~ Chapter Forty-Three: The Hunt ~

The Fallen

***

Imagine this; a lonely girl wearing torn jeans and a black hoodie, waiting at the edge of an abandoned forest. Mist slowly starts rolling in, the glow of the pallid full moon casting shadows that moved like wailing spirits, as she looked around, waiting. Her eyes most likely glowing amber. Nothing suspicious about that right? 

"Nope. Just hella awkward," I mused quietly to myself, shoving my hands in the pocket of my hoodie, waiting at the same spot where I sat with Xiumin last night. I was early this time, probably because I miscalculated when I left home, or maybe it was because I was nervous. We were going to go hunting tonight, and it wasn't hunting for chickens. Suho was going to explain everything, but meanwhile, I was anxious and oddly excited. 

I moved my leg up and down while waiting for them to show up, turning my head at every little movement. I somehow managed to convince my parents that since it was a Saturday night, no teen should sit cooped up in their house, so I was going out to see a movie and perhaps meet with some classmates. Dad was cool with it, though I think he was hardly listening since he had his nose stuck in paperwork, while Mom saw through the fib and insisted in accusing me of going out on a date with the, and I quote 'dimpled cutiepie on legs'. Since I was too worked up and too nervous to get out of the house already, I was in no mood to argue with her. In conclusion, I left the house with my mother thinking I was going on a date with Lay, but it's okay, I'll bury my head in the sand later. What mattered was that I didn't have to worry about them for tonight. 

My ears suddenly perked up and my senses sharpened, an admittedly cool feature that came with being a wolf, and I immediately smelled a bouquet of flowers in the air. The scents together were earthy and fresh, like a meadow being showered in spring rain. My eyes widened and I gawked a little when I saw twelve silhouettes walk- no swag - their way towards me, moving in the mist. For a short moment, I thought that the world moved in slow motion, the way how nature seemed to welcome the brothers' presence by making the light of the moon shine just a bit brighter, just a bit more mysteriously. The mist twirling and dancing as they walked through it, like freaking runway models on an elite catwalk. And then those eyes, gleaming red like silken rubies, giving me no trouble in believing that they were vicious wolves. 

But then, they'd step into the light and they turn back to puppies with sheepish grins on their faces, waving at me or nodding at me when they caught sight of me. I shyly waved back and looked up in surprise when I suddenly heard the barking of a dog. I then noticed that the rottweiler from last night was walking beside Xiumin. She ran up to me to greet me and I was overwhelmed by slobbery kisses from a stray dog. 

"Whoa, hey, hey, nice to see you too, girl," I tried pulling away, but couldn't help but laugh. I petted her back while wiping my face and smiled up at the twelve when they joined. 

"Hey, Jae-noona is popular," Chen remarked, patting the dog gently on the belly. "She likes Jae-noona better than you, Xiumin-hyung," he teased, to which the eldest of the pack only grinned and knelt beside the dog. The moment he did so, she turned her head, glanced quickly over to me as if to apologize and walked to his open arms again. 

"Aha, you adopted her," I noted happily, getting to my feet. 

"Honestly, I think she's the one who adopted me. I saw her waiting in front of my house when I went out just now," Xiumin explained, standing straight again while the rottweiler  his hand. 

"I can get you a collar from the animal shelter, hyung. At least she won't be caught by the dogcatcher then," Lay offered and Xiumin nodded. The dog, seemingly having understood what was being said, moved to Lay, happily allowing him to gently her head. 

"Have you been waiting long, Jae?" D.O. asked me, smiling when I looked at him. I removed my hoodie and ran my fingers through my long, cyan green hair. I still wasn't used to it. I should wear it in a ponytail from now on. 

"No, just arrived," I lied, since I didn't want to appear lame by having arrived half an hour too soon. "So, what's the plan for tonight?" 

"Not here," Suho interjected, looking around before he suddenly extended his hand towards me. "Come with me," he said with a smirk, his brothers protesting heavily behind him. 

"Ehh, what's with this hyung?!" they protested, causing Suho to be bewildered a moment before blushing. Luhan was clapping his hands as he laughed at the leader, while Kai had buried his face in his hands, unable to look.

"Come with me," Baekhyun imitated with something that sounded like a German accent and shook his head, mocking Suho who got more embarrassed by the second. I chuckled as well now, since Suho's instruction sounded cheesy and cliché beyond compare.

"What? It wasn't that strange," Suho muttered.

"You don't have to hold her hand when we run, hyung," Sehun pointed out, looking a little pouty. "She can run perfectly fine by herself, right, Jae-noona?"

"Right, thank you, Sehun," I said, kind of enjoying seeing this dorky side of Suho. It kind of felt like I was having payback without me even having to do anything. "Why don't you lead the way, leader?" I said to Suho and he chuckled. 

"Hope you can keep up," he said with a jerk of the head and ran, the others quickly behind him. 

"Whoa!" Okay, so he wasn't joking. 

"Come on, noona!"

"Or you'll get left behind!" Tao and Sehun called, running after their older brothers. 

"Wha-, hey! W-wait for me!" I saw that I wasn't the only one that got abandoned as I looked at the rottweiler who made herself comfortable to wait for Xiumin's return. "What a bunch of gentlemen, huh? First letting me wait and then running off without me," I told her while she rolled to her side. I know what you mean, girl, she seemed to be saying. "Don't wander off into the woods, stay and wait for Xiumin here, okay? There are fences around this place that could hurt you," I said softly, scratching her ear before I prepared myself to run as well. 

That was when a shadow cast over me and I let out a squeak when Kris hovered next to me. "Need a ride, my lady?" he asked in his deep velvet voice. 

"Oh, wow, you just made it possible to sound cheesier and more embarrassing than Suho," I commented dryly, though Kris chuckled. 

"Alright, I was just trying to be a gentleman," he chimed and I bit my lip. Of course he heard that. "But, if you want to run all the way that's fine, but you won't catch up with them," he added, his hands folded behind his head, a smirk on his lips as he started to float away, his feet a subtle few inches off the ground. "Hope you have a good sense of direction," he provoked, starting to hover away. 

"Wait! Okay, okay, lead the way," I gave in, but Kris lifted an eyebrow at me, the smile never leaving his lips when he extended his hand towards me. "Seriously?" I asked. He wiggled his eyebrows, waving his fingers at me. "Ugh, fine," I rolled my eyes and held his hand. 

"Great! Hold on!" he exclaimed and all too sudden he pulled me towards him and swept me off my feet- literally. I blinked in astonishment when I realized that Kris somehow managed to carry me princess style before he flew away. And let me tell you, he's fast! 

"AHHH! KRIS, WAIT, NOT SO FAST!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, holding on for dear life, my face buried in the crook of his neck. I heard his laughter rumble within his chest as he picked up the pace. I didn't even want to open my eyes to see where he was going. The wind was whistling as we flew past, I didn't even care that I was clinging onto him when I felt my stomach tingling. 

"Open your eyes," Kris urged and laughed when I shook my head fiercely. "It's amazing, Jae. Unbelievable sights, a fantastic point of view," he summed up and I continued shaking my head, gripping to him more tightly. 

"I swear to cow, Kris, if you start singing 'A Whole New World', I will bite you!" I growled, my threat dying away as his laughter just grew louder. 

"Will you just open your eyes?"

"No!"

"You're perfectly safe, Jae. I won't let go of you, I got you," he said solemnly, and the gentleness in his voice surprised me so much, I carefully blinked my eyes open. Kris' face was the first thing I saw, his eyes gleaming with mirth as he looked at me, his scarlet hair waving in the wind. "There we go. Check it out," he gestured around us and I carefully followed his gaze, but the first thing I saw was how the forest had disappeared and had magically appeared below us. 

My body jolted out of fear. "Oh my God!" I shrieked, wrapping my arms around his neck. "What do you think you're doing?! We're gonna fall- people will see us!" 

"Calm down, no one ever comes here and I don't fall. Falling is not my style," he stated confidently. "Now will you just look again?Don't be afraid. I told you, I've got you," to emphasize his words, his grip on me tightened and I actually did feel more secure. Taking a deep breath, I carefully took another glance at our surroundings without looking down. To say that the view was spectacular was an understatement. The moon looked fuller, bigger and brighter and I felt that if I had the guts to extend my hand at the stars, I could be able to touch it. They twinkled like diamonds in the sky and the island itself looked stunning. The lights of the town were behind us, a sea of forests outstretching before us, seamlessly flowing into the actual ocean that seemed to mirror the lights of the stars above. 

"Oh, wow..." I gasped, smiling at Kris when he looked at me. 

"Yeah," he nodded, his eyes on me, "wow." 

Suddenly I realized the proximity of our faces and I subtly leaned a bit back without losing my grip. Kris smiled though it looked like he was trying to suppress it and then adjusted his hold on me. 

"Don't let go now," he warned and soared through the sky before taking a slight turn and dipping down. I did all I could to stop myself from screaming at the rushing sensation that tingled from my stomach and fluttered throughout my body and I still refused to let go of Kris, even when he landed near a clearing where the others were waiting. He stood at the edge to avoid any awkwardness. 

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, I think so...You can land now," I said, still a little dazed. I just flew with a guy who can fly. That actually happened. What is this life? 

"We've already landed, Jae," Kris chuckled.

"Oh, are you sure? Why does it feel like everything is still moving?" I asked, blowing a stray lock of hair from my face. 

"Yah! What kept you two?! We can smell you, you know!" Chen remarked from a distance. The voices of the others startled the both of us and Kris straightened himself. 

"It's okay to let go now, you know?" he teased, trying to embarrass me. 

I scoffed. "Right back at you, Superman," I gestured at the situation since he was the one that was still carrying me. 

"Ah- right, uh...touché," he stammered, setting me down with utmost care. My legs were still a little wobbly, but they adjusted as soon as they hit solid ground. We walked towards the clearing, all eyes on us as we came into view. I rubbed the back of my head. They didn't see us, did they? I noticed the looks of suspicion on some of their faces, but oddly, they weren't directed at me. Rather, they were glaring at Kris. Why would they do that?

"That took you long enough. Trouble with keeping up?" Suho asked, though he looked at Kris as well. 

"She needed a little help in orienting. Someone needed to make sure she wouldn't get herself lost," Kris explained before I had a chance to open my mouth. Alright, so we don't mention that he just took me out flying. Got it.

"Ah, next time say something, noona, we'll wait for you," Chanyeol said, adjusting the snapback on his head.

"Well, you guys left so suddenly I didn't get a chance to," I chuckled and sat down on a boulder next to D.O., who had been watching Kris and me since we arrived together. "So, you were saying?" I looked at Suho since I wanted to get down to business. The leader nodded and looked at Luhan who just appeared to have been having a conversation with Kris that no one else could hear. A tiny smirk appeared on his face before he directed his full attention on Suho.

"Suho wants me to share with the others what I saw in your dreams, in your mind. Would it be alright if I showed them?" the pallid blonde then asked me and I swallowed.

"I guess it would be alright, if you think it's that important," I shrugged.

"I do," Luhan nodded, still waiting for my official okay.

"Okay, go for it," I said, and without having to say anything, the brothers closed their eyes when Luhan did and I just watched them. There was no need for him to show me my dreams since I was the one that had them in the first place, but it was interesting to see the expressions on the others' faces. I wondered how Luhan was able to show them what he saw. Was he sending the images to their minds? Was that how his power worked?

When I heard Tao gasp and saw him frown, I suspected that Luhan was at the part of showing them the dream of a world in disarray. Beside me, D.O. was swallowing, his face serious and his eyes moving behind closed lids. He was the first to open his eyes, looking at me in concern.

"How long have you been having those dreams?" he asked me.

"Recently. I've dreamt about far away, otherworldly places before, though, but these dreams are different. They feel real," I answered, looking at the others who were listening.

"And that tree? Have you seen that before?" Suho inquired, looking upset somehow, like he was recalling a sad memory. 

"No, only recently. Why? Do you remember a tree like that?"

Suho looked at Kris first before directing himself to the rest of his brothers. No one spoke for a while. Was the tree in my dreams significant, somehow?

"The energy feels the same, hyung," Baekhyun eventually commented, and I could only assume they were talking about the tree and this pulse of energy they said they were looking for. 

"But it can't be the same, can it?" Suho looked at Luhan and, unsurprisingly, I was confused. 

"Um, does someone care to explain?" I chimed, looking around for the person with the answer. 

"Well, as you know by now, you're not the only one who has questions concerning all of this. We've been trying to figure out what it all means as well. On occasion, there's this pulse of energy that all of us can sense, and for some reason, we're attracted to it. Almost as though that faint pulse of energy is the missing link to all our memories, the answer to why and how we are the way we are," Luhan elaborated. 

"Some of us remember there being such a thing as a Tree of Life," Suho then continued cautiously, watching me for a reaction, but I really didn't have one to give. Tree of Life? Really? 

"That Tree is the only memory I have. I don't have more. Kai remembers something like it as well, as does Luhan and Chen. None of quite know why, but this Tree of Life seems to be a big deal. The fact that you've dreamt about it as well, has to count for something, especially since the energy it gives off is similar to the pulse of energy that we've been tracking for some time now," Suho's worry and determination were both evident on his face while I was still processing what he was saying. 

"Except, until recently, we've no idea what the pulse of energy is exactly, but now, we might have a clue," Kris added. 

"Thanks to you, Jae," D.O. remarked quietly beside me. 

"You think that this tree is what you've been hunting for?" I asked, a little confused. What could a Tree of Life even do? What answers could a tree hold?

"We don't know, but it's a bit too much of a coincidence that the energy we've been hunting overlaps with the energy that is emitted from the tree you've seen in your dreams," Suho pointed out and I suppose that that is rather strange. "Perhaps if we find that pulse again we can track it and, who knows, it'll lead us to-," 

"A tree," I finished, unable to mask my skepticism. 

"We know how this sounds, Jae, but what have we to lose? We've been searching the source of that energy ever since we got together, but we never gotten far," Luhan said. 

"More like gotten nowhere," Kai commented suddenly, leaning against the bark of a tree, reminding me a lot of a younger, Asian James Dean.  

"Precisely," Luhan conceded before looking at me- attacking me was probably the better word since his doe-eyes shone sadly at me. Honestly, who could ever resist that look? "Jae, we don't know how everything fits in, but if you're willing to help us, then we can definitely help you in return." Now he was speaking in a language that I could understand. I wanted answers just as much as they wanted them, and if it's some kind of tree they're looking for, then so be it. 

"You want me to help you hunt for a tree," I summed up for good measure. 

"Basically, yes. Perhaps you'll have better luck than us," Suho answered instead. 

"And you think this tree is important?" I asked again. 

"Yes, if it is the source of the energy we've been tracking," the leader nodded. I bit my lip to think about it and then looked at D.O. who was watching me for an answer. 

"How would I even know what to look for? I only dreamt about that tree, I didn't have a particular feeling connected with it," I told them, doubtful whether I was the right person for them to depend on. 

"The energy would feel like it's pulling at you," D.O. started. 

"Like you've no other choice but to follow it," Baekhyun added.

"The feeling like you'll go mad if you ignore it," Sehun remarked quietly, shaking his rainbow colored hair.

"Annoying, pinching, like it's trapping you and you're allowing it to," Kai also said, his face expressionless when I looked at him. 

"It's like a call you have to answer," Suho elaborated. "It probably won't feel very strong, but it's persistent once you've found it." 

"I guess I could give it a try, though I'm not sure whether you'd get any results from me," I bit my lip. 

"We don't expect it, but we'd appreciate the help," Luhan told me and reminding myself that I came here and even joined their pack was because I wanted to find answers. They were wolves longer than I was. If they think this is important and worth the shot, who was I to argue with it?

"What do I do?" 

A heavy amount of concentration and a few moments later, I was dashing in my wolf-form through the forest, trying to track down this pulse of energy the twelve have been talking about. The group was split into subunits to enhance the chance of finding it. Sehun, Tao and Kai were a group, though Sehun didn't seem particularly happy about that. I think he wanted to come with us instead. I was with Luhan, Kris and Suho, the three of them acting nearly like bodyguards. Suho and Luhan flanked both my sides, Kris making up the rear. Chen, Baekhyun and Chanyeol took off as well, which left Xiumin, Lay and D.O. as a group. 

Stay away from the fences, I warned, whilst passing one of the contraptions. Those nets are apparently used to capture wolves, so it's best to stay away from them completely. 

Capture wolves? What would a company like E.T. Corp want to do with wolves? sounded Suho's overly concerned voice in my head. 

Supposedly to tag and preserve the wild animals on the island, but the method is questionable, I replied. We stopped near a babbling brook and Suho stood before me, his dark fur shining. 

Luhan, can you warn the others? he asked his hyung and the pallid brown wolf bowed his head. Ask them as well whether they've picked up on something. It's been a while now and there's no sign of anything interesting on this part of the island. 

I looked around and sniffed the air for anything that would strike my interest, but there was nothing. I tilted my head in amusement at seeing Kris panting, lying down on the ground. Guess even wolves with super powers could get worn out too. 

You should drink something, Jae. You don't want to get dehydrated, Suho told me, flicking his tail to make the water move. I drank eagerly from a floating ball of water, my snout afterwards. 

Thanks, I said. Suho parted his mouth slightly, giving the impression that he was smiling. It was at this time that I felt my ears twitch and I followed the hunch. I didn't smell anything in particular, but my senses were heightened. I was anxious and alarmed without good reason and that made me feel uncomfortable. I glanced over at the three wolves that were with me, but they appeared to have a discussion about something. When I tried to listen in on the conversation, I heard they were communicating with the other groups. 

I turned around and peered into the thick woods ahead. That's when I saw it. I heard myself whimper to catch the boys' attention, but they weren't looking at me. Afraid that I might lose sight of the target, I tried calling to them without having to turn around again to look at them. 

Guys, you're seeing this, right?

No response. Guess I have to do everything myself. The white wolf in the distance hadn't moved from its spot as though it was waiting for me to make the first move and that was exactly what I was doing. I saw this wolf the first day I arrived at the island. Even its green eyes were the same. What surprised me most, however, was the fact that the wolf emitted a kind of aura that made me want to chase it. That must've been the pulse of energy the twelve were talking about, right? Why else would I feel this way towards another wolf? 

When the white wolf saw that I started following it, it quickened its pace. Surprised, I went after it, making sure to tell the others that I was in hot pursuit of something. I'm sure they heard me this time, but I didn't look back to see if they were following me. I had to run, because this wolf was fast. It jolted through the woods, easily jumping over fallen trees and boulders, leading me to- where, exactly? Was the wolf somehow connected to the tree? Was there even a tree? Where was it going and why was it rushing? 

Eventually, it stopped running rather abruptly and I noticed a little too late that it had lead me to an obscure part of the forest where the light of the moonbeams hardly shone. The green eyes of the white wolf looked nearly hellish, the way it glowed and I kept up my defenses when the wolf bared its teeth at me. Okay, maybe this wasn't necessarily the best idea I've ever had, but I could also not deny the fact that this wolf felt very- addictive? Was this what we were looking for? 

Who are you? I tried talking to it, but the wolf only growled, its back hunched as though it was ready to attack me if necessary. You don't have to be afraid. I'm not here to hurt you, I tried, but to no effect. 

...Wake up... 

Huh? That voice... who was that? 

Was that- was that you, just now? 

The wolf only growled this time and I wished I'd waited a little longer so Kris, Luhan and Suho could've come with me. 

You're the source, aren't you? It's you!

It was quiet again, the wolf baring its teeth at me. Wake up! I heard it snarl, but I didn't understand. 

Wake up? I'm already awake, I said, taking tentative steps backwards when I saw how ferocious its green eyes were gleaming at me. 

Wake up!

It sounded once more and I was too late to make a run for it when the white wolf pounced at me and started attacking. Panicked and afraid, I whimpered, whilst screaming internally for someone to come help me. The wolf didn't skip a beat when it attacked my neck, using not only its teeth, but claws as well. I couldn't move underneath its weight, struggling aimlessly to get away. 

Stop it! Someone, please, help me! 

I tried snapping my jaws at it, but to no avail. I screamed when its claws ripped open my side, scraped over the ribs. All I saw were flurries of white and green- and red. My blood? No. Red eyes. What took them so long?!

Jae!

Wake up!

My vision was blurred, but I could distinctly see wolves' silhouettes shift shaping into human forms. "Jae, are you okay? Hey, look at me, look at me, you're alright," Luhan's gentle voiced soothed, his hands cupping my face. 

I blinked and found myself in my own human form as well, still jittery over the attack. I pulled away from him in a reflex, but Luhan soothed me again. 

"Shh, shh, it's okay. Calm down, you're safe," he assured me, but I shook my head. 

"No, no! The white wolf- it was just here!" I looked around wildly, the three of them exchanging glances. 

"What white wolf, Jae? You're the only white wolf in the pack," Kris said gently. "How did you even get here?" he looked around in the darkness and I frowned at them. 

"Did you not hear me? There was a white wolf with green eyes! I-I followed it because it felt like the pulse of energy you were talking about- I mean, I think that wolf was the source, not a tree," I rambled, but could you blame me? I was scared less right now. 

"White wolf with green eyes?" Luhan repeated as I nodded. 

"It attacked me," I breathed, feeling my heart thunder in my chest. Why were they so quiet? Why didn't they say anything?

"Hey! What happened?! Jae, are you alright?" D.O. came crashing through the bushes, quickly sliding over to my side, inspecting me. Xiumin watched and leaned his hands on his knees to look at me, Lay bending over me as well. 

"I'm-," fine? Was that what I wanted to say? Why would I if that wasn't the truth? I was still shaking. A moment later, Chanyeol, Chen and Baekhyun appeared, equally worried expressions on their faces. Luhan must've told everyone that I was freaking out. Kris was standing a little further away, sniffing around. 

"There was a white wolf," I called towards the tall young man. "I followed it here and it attacked," I repeated, trying to calm down. 

Kris looked at me before he glanced over at Suho, subtly shaking his head. "Jae...there's nothing here. If there was a white wolf we would've sensed it, smelled it," he explained. 

I shook my head. "It was right here!" I argued, feeling very much like crying. "Why would I lie about that?" 

"We're not saying that you're lying, it's just, that we're saying it's not entirely plausible. If there was another creature here, we would've sensed it. Maybe you suddenly fell asleep and dreamt it?" Suho suggested, but I glared at him. 

"I'm not crazy," I said. 

"We're not saying you are, Jae, but, there's nothing here," Luhan stated quietly, still speaking gently to not upset me more, but it had the opposite effect. Why couldn't they sense it? Did they not see the white wolf? I could still sense its presence, so why couldn't they?

"Alright," I then started, feeling irritated. I pushed away the fussing hands and got to my feet. "How do you explain this then?" I lifted my hoodie where I could feel the trickle of warm blood oozing out from where the white wolf had scratched me. Their eyes went wide out of shock and at that moment Kai, Sehun and Tao teleported to the site. They startled as well at seeing the wound. 

"Jae-noona! What's going on?" Tao exclaimed, shocked as they watched Lay quickly getting to action to heal me. I was grateful for his help, but even his soothing touch couldn't take away the fear I was feeling. 

"Yeah, we'd like to know as well," Luhan murmured, looking in concern at me before gazing at his brothers. I leaned on Lay for support, trying not to see how much blood I had lost. 

Those green eyes...that voice telling me to wake up... Find the source of the energy and we find answers, huh? At what price, I wonder? I should have stayed home...

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Nin-Nin
Hi guys~ my first original ebook is available on Amazon and I'm having a lot of feels. If you have the time, check out my previous blog post for more details - I'd appreciate the support <3 Thank you and have a lovely weekend! Love, Nin-Nin

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Wanderer_bj
#1
I don't even know how many times I have read this.😍
BeckyBooGirl
#2
Chapter 4: This is one of my favorite exo fanfic. I have read this story 5 or 6 times already and still love it like i did when I first read it❤
InspiritCarolyn
#3
This is one of those fics I can come back to again and again without getting tired of re-reading it. Each time I read it, I love it the same as the first time.
aonani_k
#4
Chapter 109: I finished it once again and as before, I enjoyed reading such a great story. Hope all is well. :)
aonani_k
#5
Chapter 2: It's been years since I read the story and today I just felt like re-reading it! Glad it's still here. :)
Sehixneeo
#6
Chapter 109: Argh, I will never ever forget this story. Ever. 🥺💛
Jaerin
#7
Chapter 109: This story will always be one of my favorite, a masterpiece 🤧💞❤️
Pxnellyxq #8
Chapter 107: WHAT IM LEGITIMATELY SHOCKED AND TEARING UP
Pxnellyxq #9
Chapter 100: why is the white wolf making me feel emotional :///
Pxnellyxq #10
Chapter 61: Stinky kumiho