Yokai Come to the Countryside Café

Chapter 5: The Second Guest is a Raccoon Dog (2)

A roughly 20-pyeong conference room with black blinds drawn tightly shut.

– Beep. Beep. Beep.

In this ordinary conference room, employees dressed in black suits swept the floor, ceiling, and interior with detectors in hand.

"Geez, who’s eavesdropping every day that you make such a fuss? I’ve already blocked everything, so stop with the nonsense and get started already."

"Yes, Elder."

When had he come in?

A young man with fox ears sat indifferently at the head of the table, where a large monitor screen was facing forward, and spoke languidly.

The employees didn’t seem unsettled, as if the young man’s sudden and rude behavior was something they’d grown used to.

"We will now begin the briefing on Kim Jinseong, the true owner of the Dangsan-ri Café building."

The presenter pressed a small remote, displaying a screen with Kim Jinseong’s face and profile on the monitor.

"He is 32 years old, graduated from Myungseon University with a degree in Computer Engineering, and is currently working in the Strategic Planning Department of the LTN Group..."

It was then.

"Oh dear, I’m late."

"Don’t block the screen and sit down quickly. I’ve never seen a young man show up on time. If you’re going to do everything on your own all wrapped up like that, what did you hire subordinates for?"

"Yes, yes, it’s all my fault. Ah, this is the young man, huh? He looks better in person than in the photo."

Fanning himself with his hand, Director Baek Mahyeon, who had sat next to him, hurriedly turned the topic to Kim Jinseong on the screen, fearing a long scolding.

"Let’s skip the stuff we all already know and move on to what you actually found out."

"Yes, then please take a look at the next screen."

– Beep.

"Based on interviews and gathered information, it appears he lived an ordinary life during his school years, military service, and work. Aside from slightly higher performance scores at work, there’s nothing particularly notable. However, there is one unusual point. It’s this number of 119 emergency calls."

In sync with the presenter, a speaker played a heavily static-ridden phone call.

(Hello? Is this 119? This is the cafeteria in the Kang Building, and there’s a strong smell of gas.)

"Before being investigated as an arson suspect in 2022, he made no less than twenty-three reports. All had the commonality of almost leading to major accidents."

"Elder, isn’t this strange? If he awakened a Shinan, that means he can see the future, but all he’s doing is reporting to 119?"

"Then why don’t you use the Shinan we gave you to invest in stocks? You’d make thousands of times your salary."

"Pfft, I’m old enough and have enough money already. What would I do making more like that? And with so many eyes on me in my position, I can’t even change my car freely."

"That’s it."

"Excuse me?"

"Mago the Old Hag wouldn’t give someone a Shinan from birth if he were a fool. She must’ve chosen someone inherently good and upright. If someone greedy had awakened the Shinan, the world would have turned into a demonic realm."

"So you mean he’s a more humble guy than he looks. Was that why you gave him the five million won, to confirm that?"

"Would I really do that? He didn’t even know he had a Shinan and just enjoyed the coffee, then left looking like a fool."

The gumiho crossed his arms with a pout, seemingly still stung in pride by what had happened.

"So don’t any of you dare try anything foolish. Try using him poorly, and you’ll find yourself suffering in the afterlife."

"Did you forget? Just the other day, we went to Gyeryongsan because you pressured us."

"Ahem… That’s because he drove us out so coldly, that’s why!"

"So did it ease your mood?"

"Of course. He’s in for a hard time. Do you know what kind of guy that raccoon dog is? Stubborn as a mule, and once he starts begging for something, not even old Mago can stop him. Tsk tsk."

‘You’re not much different from him, Elder.’

Baek Mahyeon held back the words that rose to his throat and swallowed them bitterly.

***

– Pat pat.

"I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore."

Getting up in the middle of the night to pat the back of a raccoon dog who fell asleep exhausted—it looked pretty ridiculous.

Honestly, I was doubtful. Whether yokai or not, isn’t he still an animal not fit to drink coffee?

No, when he said it was his first time drinking coffee, I should’ve stopped him.

I recalled how, as a child, I once secretly drank the coffee that adults had, and spent the night wide awake.

Luckily, the raccoon dog, who had been bawling, finally fell asleep after drinking several cups of hot barley tea.

But if I stopped patting his back for even a moment, he groaned and tossed around, so in the end, I stayed up all night with my eyes open.

– Chirp chirp.

Just then, a few sparrows flew to the window sill and chirped among themselves for a long while.

For a country morning alarm, it was quite gentlemanly.

I gently pulled my hand away from the raccoon dog and began getting ready to go out.

Even if he seemed fine for now, I couldn’t determine if anything was wrong.

That was also what the hurried responses from the pet forum had said.

【What should I do if a raccoon dog drank coffee?】

『While I looked away, the raccoon dog drank the coffee I had made.

No fever or vomiting, just kept crying without sleeping, but finally nodded off.

I plan to take him to the vet when it opens in the morning, but if it’s serious, I’ll go to a 24-hour animal hospital.』

┗ ㅇㅇ : Just make a new cup. Are you dumb?

┗ ㅇㅇ : Wait a day and you’ll get civet coffee. LOL

┗ ㅇㅇ : Only weirdos post at dawn. Give him plenty of water and go to a vet in the morning. If it’s instant coffee mix, it shouldn’t be that serious. But isn’t owning one illegal?

┗ (Author): Thank you for the reply.

Strictly speaking, it’s something that only looks like a raccoon dog, but I managed to get an answer by phrasing the question vaguely enough.

"Hmm, where are we?"

"You’re awake?"

While I was changing clothes, the raccoon dog rubbed his eyes and asked what had happened.

He must not even remember how he got here because he had trouble sleeping through the night.

At that defenseless look, I almost confessed the entire plan.

He had cried so much even just entering the café—there's no way he’d follow quietly if I said we were going to a hospital.

"That’s right! I came because I couldn’t sleep! Thanks to you, I survived!"

"No need for thanks."

"But still…"

I stopped the raccoon dog, who was about to take something out of his pocket again.

"Instead, do you want to have breakfast together? It’s lonely eating alone."

"Breakfast, you say?"

– Grrrgle.

No sooner had he asked than a loud rumble came from the raccoon dog’s belly. He probably hadn’t eaten since the moment he couldn’t sleep.

This makes things easier.

"Have you ever had tonkatsu?"

"I haven’t. Human food isn’t easy to find in the mountains."

"Really? Here, look at this."

I quickly searched and played a YouTube video.

"Looks good, right? It’s pork deep-fried in oil."

"Hoooooo!"

Gotcha.

tonkatsu is a magical spell cast upon children.

When going to the terrifying dentist.

When heading to the place where a boy must part with something precious…

Even knowing it’s a trap, they’re drawn in by the bait and end up walking straight into the net—led by their parents’ hands.

The spell is tonkatsu.

And because it’s something they actually end up eating fairly often, they fall for it every time.

The moment they realize they’ve been duped is when the hospital door opens. That’s the point of no return.

This time it was even easier.

A high-definition YouTube video was playing the entire cooking process of tonkatsu he had never tasted before in such detail.

The phrase “food porn” wasn’t exaggerated at all. Even when getting into the car and putting on his seatbelt, the raccoon dog was fixated on the phone screen held in both hands.

"Hmm hmm~ When do we get to eat tonkatsu?"

"It’ll be soon once we’re in the car. Oh, remember what I told you?"

"I remember! Outside, like a raccoon dog, not a human!"

"Right, if you’re in human form, you might not get to eat tonkatsu. Gotta be careful."

"Careful, I’ll be extra careful."

Honestly, even if his pants were taken off, no one would notice, but if he spoke even a word after arriving at the hospital, it could be disastrous, so I made sure to hedge my bets.

I do feel bad for lying that he had to transform into a raccoon dog to eat tonkatsu—but we’re on our way to a hospital, not lunch.

Lies breed more lies, and guilt doesn’t last very long.

To begin with, if he hadn’t stubbornly begged for coffee, we wouldn’t even be going to the hospital.

After about ten minutes of driving, we arrived at a small animal hospital inside a large supermarket.

This was the closest place in the countryside and the reviews weren’t bad.

【Saengsaeng Animal Hospital】

Aside from the slightly odd name, that is.

"You’re here early! Did you make a reservation?"

"No, it was an emergency so I didn’t have time to book one."

"Oh my! Then come on in!"

We had arrived a bit before opening time and were waiting at the entrance, but the vet, having just turned on the lights, told us to come in and opened the door.

Just as we stepped into the hospital, carrying the cup ramen box—

– Shake shake shake.

The inside of the box shook violently.

So now you realize it. But we’ve come too far to turn back.

I already knew he couldn’t disappear in a flash like the gumiho youth. He couldn’t even shapeshift, let alone teleport.

From this point on, he would have no choice but to pretend to be a raccoon dog.

"A raccoon dog! So what brings you in today?"

"He secretly drank a cup of instant coffee I made, and I was worried it might cause issues."

"Hoho, members of the raccoon dog family do tend to be gluttonous. Hmm, he doesn’t bite, does he?"

"Um… I’m not sure. He’s never been touched by others before. Should I hold him?"

"No, it’s fine. Somi! Bring the gloves!"

The vet put on thick mittens brought by an assistant and began to examine the raccoon dog skillfully.

She flipped his eyelids and pressed a stethoscope to his chest—just like a doctor treating a patient.

"He seems fine. Very healthy."

"Thank you."

"By the way, do you do regular checkups? He looks young—how old is he?"

"I’m not really sure. He was wandering near the house, drank the coffee, so I brought him right away…"

Keeping wild animals is clearly illegal. Because of that, I began to feel awkward and my words trailed off.

The only truthful part of anything I said was that he drank the coffee. He’s 3,200 years old, wasn’t picked up, and isn’t even a wild animal.

Whether she knew the discomfort I was feeling or not, the vet suddenly widened her eyes and said something I didn’t expect.

"Oh my! No, that won’t do! Wild animals carry lots of diseases, so he absolutely must be tested! And even if we don’t do anything else today, you must get the heartworm and rabies vaccinations. Got it?"

"Wait, vaccinations?"

This was bad. Vaccinations weren’t part of the plan.