WITH cold sweat running down from her forehead and her heart almost destroying up her ribcage, Joohyun won't be able to deny the fact that she's very much nervous about her first ever aeroplane ride. It was also her first time in the airport and her eyes couldn't stay in one place but nervousness was much greater than her excitement.

Her anxiety grew stronger when Seulgi suddenly left her side without saying anything. Minjeong and Jimin were nowhere to be seen as well. 

“Where did she even go?” Joohyun asked herself as she looked around, biting her thumbnail. She was already panicking internally when she felt something cold on her cheek.

She was so ready to throw hands but thankfully, the holder of the cold drink was fast enough to evade her attack. When she turned around, she saw Seulgi with that sly smile on her face. 

“S-Seulgi!” Joohyun shouted, her tone was stained with relief but then she realised that she was being played at. “Where did you even go!? Did you really leave me alone without saying anything!?”

“Is this separation anxiety that I am seeing?” Seulgi handed her a drink before sitting on the seat beside her. “I didn’t know that you’re the type who misses your master that quickly.”

Joohyun’s eyes widened. She anxiously looked around to confirm that no one heard that. “Stop talking like that in public, people will surely misunderstand!”

Seulgi just smiled at that hissing from the other girl. “I thought I took in a human pet, not a snake.”

“Seul—“

“No one will bother.” Seulgi cut her sentence. The gumiho just looked at her straight to the eyes. “If someone did even bat an eye about our relationship then I will get rid of them with my own hands…”

‘Nope, I will just erase their memory but I should keep this ability from her.’

Seulgi laughed internally, thinking that she managed to put fear in Joohyun’s heart but she was surprised when the human just rolled her eyes.

“W-What is with that reaction?” Seulgi couldn’t help but to ask.

“Get rid of them with your own hands, you say? I doubt you can even hurt a human being.” Joohyun casually took a sip of her drink and there was an evident spark in her eyes.

Seulgi grumpily leaned her back on her seat. “How could you say that so easily? You don’t know anything about me.”

Joohyun finally calmed down, all thanks to the milktea that Seulgi bought for her. “I just know you can’t. You said your special person is a human, right? I believe you’re completely aware of the importance of human life.”

“I am aware of her importance. I don’t really care about other humans.” Seulgi took a sip of her drink. “I’ve seen a lot of sides of the human personality. You don’t know how many times I have given them up because of how dirty they are.”

Joohyun's eyebrows twitched as she looked at Seulgi with those doubting eyes. She couldn’t believe that she actually felt disgust from those words of Seulgi. She was being true about her hate to humans.

"You… don't really care about humans?" Joohyun asked. 

"You heard what I said, Joohyun. I only care about the person I love." Seulgi's eyes gleamed really coldly. "There's no way I'd trust any other human other than her."

'Then how about me?' Joohyun really wanted to ask that at that time but she couldn't even bring it out of . 'What's the point of having me with you if you don't trust me? Do you really just see me as a lowly being fit to be a pet? Come to think of it, she even planned to put me in a cage together with the other pets in the plane.'

Seulgi continued looking at Joohyun for a moment before she looked away. "The gate will be opened soon. We better get ready."

"Seulgi…" The fox had to look back at Joohyun after that one call.

"Why? Is there something wrong?" Seulgi asked. 

"I am just wondering..." The human took a deep breath. "...If we manage to find the person you love as soon as we step on Busan... Or just anytime inside the one year contract... Are you going to--"

"I will not abandon you if that's what's worrying you."

Seulgi then started to reach out to her and gently caressed her face. Joohyun's heart started to rampage again. "A contract is a contract. The only way to make it void is when you step in my room. Aside from that, our pet and master relationship will push through even if I find her during the contract term."

"Are you sure?" Joohyun asked, she could feel her worries melting just with that touch from Seulgi. She then realised that it's one of the reasons why pets want to be caressed. 

"I am always true to my words. There's no way I would abandon you."

'This fool... She talks like she really wants me to fall for her...' Joohyun lowered her head but Seulgi didn't let go of her face. "...That's... a relief then."

Seulgi smiled softly. "Why is my Joohyunie this cute all of a sudden?"

'My Joohyunie!? You're really killing me, you old fox! You won't be catching me so stop making me fall!'

Joohyun grumpily moved away from Seulgi's hand. "So, I'm not cute everytime?"

"Eung!" Seulgi answered right away which made Joohyun's eyes bulge out. "You were just about to give me a neck slice earlier. You looked scary!"

"YA!" 

"OHO!? Look at you!" Seulgi flinched at the sight of the impending neck slice. "There goes that scary face again!"

Joohyun immediately retreated her hand after getting all conscious with the term 'scary face'. "D-Do I—“

Joohyun's question was cut when the announcement for the boarding echoed. Seulgi gave her a smile before standing up. "Let's go, Joohyun."

"YOU can hold my hand, you know?"

Joohyun, who was trembling in fear, turned to Seulgi. "W-W-What did you say?"

"You're afraid of flying, right? First time?" Seulgi took a better look at Joohyun's face as she leaned forward. "Your whole body says so."

Joohyun rolled her eyes before shutting them close again. "I d-don't have the luxury to fly somewhere and yes, this is indeed my first time--"

The human's breath hitched when she felt Seulgi's warm palm hold her hand. She looked at their hands first before looking back at Seulgi.

"Don't hit me." Seulgi said with a chuckle. "I know you're nervous. It's fine to lean on others... It's fine to lean on me specially."

Joohyun held Seulgi's hand back. "Because you're my master?"

The fox just stayed silent and tightened her hold on Joohyun's hand. The human was about to speak again when the plane suddenly took off, forcing her to close her eyes in fear.

A few moments after, she felt a soft whisper by her ear. "It's okay now. You can open your eyes."

The brunette slowly opened her eyes and saw the face of her master that was looking at her with those warm eyes paired with a soft smile. "You did well, Joohyun."

Joohyun remained looking at Seulgi for some time, confused on how this one person (fox) can manage to calm her down but also shake her heart at the same time…

“T-Thank you—”

“You know? My special someone is also really afraid of heights… You suddenly reminded me of her.”

…Joohyun also couldn’t help but be curious and annoyed at the same time that Seulgi can easily take her high just to drop her back to the ground at the very next moment. 

“Ahh…” Joohyun bit her lower lip as she looked away. “She’s afraid of heights too?”

“Yeah.” Seulgi leaned back to her seat and started staring outside. She was still holding Joohyun’s hand and was even running her thumb in circles. “No matter how many times she was born, she would always be afraid of heights. And me, being the selfish fox that I am, would always want her first time riding a plane to be with me. I want to be the first one to show her the sky. I want to be the one holding her hand like this the first time she flies. I want to be the one who would calm her down.”

“She…” Joohyun gulped. “She’s really lucky to have you as her lover…”

Seulgi suddenly turned to Joohyun which made the latter fluster. “W-What I mean is she has a very loyal lover in you! I-It’s really rare to find someone who would never look at someone else in just their short life. But you always look for her every time she’s reborn.”

“You think she’s lucky to have me?” The fox asked with disbelief. Joohyun suddenly felt off.

“Shouldn’t this loyalty of yours be treated as a blessing?” The human asked which earned her a smirk from Seulgi. “I-Is there something wrong?”

“Nothing…” Seulgi was smiling but those eyes of hers were reflecting something else and Joohyun could feel it. Seulgi’s next words proved her intuition. 

The fox let out a deep sigh as her eyes landed on their clasped hands. “...I sincerely think that she’s cursed to have someone like me as a lover…”

“Seulgi…” Joohyun saw loneliness in those eyes and she knew she must do something to relieve the stress. She is Seulgi’s stress reliever anyway. She’s the pet whose role is to take the stress away.

“W-Why do you think like that though?” Joohyun tried to sound cheerful to lift the mood up. “Aside from your loyalty and unchanging feelings for her, you’re crazy rich! You’re also very good-looking! You’re very charming and attractive! Y-You’re—“

The brunette stopped when she noticed that Seulgi was staring at her. Blood quickly coloured her cheeks up, realising that she sounded like she was hitting on the blonde.

“W-What I mean is—“

“You find me attractive, huh?” A playful smile curved up Seulgi’s lips. The loneliness in her eyes was not so evident anymore. Joohyun could feel that she was actually pleased with all her compliments. She was worried that Seulgi would be offended that she commented about her wealth first but it seemed like she was happier about the physical appearance appreciation.

Joohyun immediately looked away to hide her blushing face. “W-Whatever…”

Her breath then hitched when Seulgi suddenly let go of her hand. She then watched the fox lift up the arm rest that was separating them. The next thing she realised was Seulgi swiftly but gently pulling her closer with the fox’s arm wrapped around her waist. That same hand travelled towards her head and gently directed her to lean on Seulgi’s shoulder.

Joohyun’s eyes were not even blinking during the whole process. She was so stunned.

“You’ll feel safer like this, right?” She heard Seulgi whisper.

The other girl is right—she did feel safer with her body close to Seulgi like that. Everytime they are in close proximity, there's this weird feeling that would fill her but it isn't anything dangerous even though she's being close to someone who threatened her that she will be eaten once she commits a mistake. Strangely, Joohyun would always feel warm... She'd feel rather nice... That feeling she never felt anywhere else—the feeling of being home.

“…Eung…” Joohyun softly answered, the sound barely left her lips. “Do you also do this to your special someone?”

Yes, sometimes she can also be a masochist.

“Of course. I always do.”

Joohyun bit her lower lip again and whispered, “That’s why she’s really lucky…” then closed her eyes not knowing that Seulgi heard her despite how softly she whispered and how noisy the plane engine was.

The fox just gave out a meaningful smile and leaned her head on Joohyun’s before she also closed her eyes. “Success.” The fox whispered.

Joohyun ended up falling asleep after feigning it for a while but she could still remember what was bothering her before sleep took over.

‘Why is Seulgi’s heartbeat so loud though? Is this a gumiho thing or something?’

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter