Chapter- 50 : Yena is Like a Fox
“To me, Yena is like a fox.”
“A fox?”
“Yes.”
I was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected comparison. Seeing my expression, Kang Bada smiled softly and explained.
“Have you ever read The Little Prince?”
“Ah, are you talking about the fox from that story?”
“Yes, exactly.”
The Little Prince by Saint-Exupéry.
It’s a story so well-known that there are probably fewer people in the world who haven’t heard of it. Kang Bada seemed to be comparing Yena to the fox from the story.
“Could you tell me why?”
“In the story, the fox teaches the Little Prince how special the rose is. At the same time, she’s a precious connection that makes him realize love and responsibility.”
“That’s true.”
“To me, Yena is just like that.”
Listening to her words, I nodded slightly. I was beginning to understand what Kang Bada was trying to say.
“Didn’t the fox say, ‘You are responsible for what you have tamed’?”
“Yes. When I saw Yena’s paintings, that’s exactly how I felt. I realized that since we’ve tamed each other in our own way, we’re responsible for that bond.”
“So that’s why you compared her to a fox.”
“Yes.”
As if lost in thought, Kang Bada gazed out the window at the sky. A soft smile lingered on her lips.
“Honestly, at first, I didn’t like Yena very much. She kept saying she was going to marry Ha-neul-ssi and treated me like a rival.”
“But wasn’t that just her way of saying she really likes him? She’s still in kindergarten.”
“Kindergarteners know exactly what they’re doing.”
For a moment, Kang Bada’s expression turned cold. Sensing it wasn’t a topic to joke about, I waited silently for her to continue.
“But after meeting her a few times, her attitude towards me changed. If she spotted me from far away, she’d run right up to me.”
“That must have felt amazing.”
“Right? This tiny little thing would cling to me, calling ‘Unnie, Unnie.’ It was so adorable. Honestly, it was surprising. I was never really fond of children before.”
“Really?”
That was a bit unexpected.
She always played with the children at the orphanage with a warm smile. From what I saw, it was definitely not a fake smile.
“Like I said earlier, kids are so honest, right? Sometimes I envy that, but other times, it makes me anxious. I wonder if it’s really okay to just let them be like that.”
“I see.”
Perhaps it was because of her upbringing as an heir. Compared to a normal household, there were probably far more things she couldn’t do than things she could.
“But my perspective has changed a lot now.”
“How so?”
“Well… I feel like I’ve become a bit more honest? In the past, even if I didn’t like something, I’d just endure it. But now I can say no when I need to. I often think, ‘What would Haneul do in this situation?’”
“Ahem… That’s kind of embarrassing to hear.”
“Hehehe.”
Kang Bada let out a small laugh and rested her chin on her hand. There was a faint smile on her lips, and she seemed much more composed than yesterday.
It felt like a good change. Her slightly low self-esteem seemed to have improved, and she looked even more beautiful now.
“I’ve learned a lot from Yena. I realized there are so many ways to express yourself, and sometimes being honest can actually help make relationships better.”
“Speaking of which, I heard you’re having dinner with your sister-in-law this weekend?”
“That’s something I couldn’t have even imagined in the past.”
She used to find Kangbyeol incredibly intimidating, but their relationship seemed to have improved significantly after they looked at Yena’s paintings together.
It probably helped that Kangbyeol had a child around Yena’s age, so she was learning a lot about creating a suitable environment and educational methods for raising kids.
“After meeting Yena, my whole approach to life changed. Honestly, it’s thanks to her that I had the courage to approach Ha-neul-ssi.”
“It kind of feels like your roles have been reversed.”
“Sometimes it does feel that way. Hehe.”
Kang Bada accepted the joke with an easy smile. Her relaxed demeanor made me chuckle lightly as well.
“To be honest, I’m a bit worried about whether I can do a good job as Yena’s mom. Of course, a nanny will help out for a while, but still…”
“Oh right, you mentioned living with a nanny before?”
“Yes, she’s been with me since I was a baby, so she’s practically like my mom.”
From what I’d heard, Kang Bada’s biological mother passed away from an illness not long after giving birth to her.
Her father, who had deeply loved his wife, never remarried. Instead, he hired a nanny to fill the empty space left behind.
“My dad was always so busy, so I barely saw him when I was little.”
“What about your siblings?”
“My older sister and brother went abroad to study for most of their lives. I spent most of my time alone with my nanny.”
I listened to her and quietly nodded. Maybe it was because of her unique upbringing that she had less hesitation about adoption.
These days, even raising one’s own child is challenging. Adoption, beyond financial stability, is never an easy choice.
In that sense, her decision to adopt showed just how much Kang Bada truly cared for Yena.
“Maybe that’s why Yena and I have so much in common. Like being overly aware of how others see us… or enjoying time alone.”
“Including liking me?”
“Aren’t you embarrassed saying things like that yourself?”
“It’s not like I’m lying, though.”
“…Seriously.”
When I shrugged exaggeratedly, Kang Bada let out a scoff. The shadow that had briefly crossed her face faded away.
She glared at me in mock disbelief, then continued speaking in a lighter tone.
“Just like I am who I am today thanks to the unconditional love my nanny gave me, I want to be that kind of person for Yena too.”
“I’m sure you will be.”
“Thank you. I ended up talking about myself again… Was any of this helpful?”
“Of course.”
Learning about Kang Bada’s past was genuinely interesting. It felt like I had taken a step closer to her.
At the same time, it gave me another chance to reflect on Yena—a presence much like the fox in The Little Prince, one that teaches the value of relationships.
“…I think I’m starting to see it.”
Swish, swish—
I immediately pulled out my tablet and began sketching the image forming in my mind. On a photo of Yena I had taken before, I added fox ears and a tail.
“…Cute!”
Gasp—
Realizing what she had blurted out, Kang Bada quickly covered her mouth. I stifled a laugh and continued sketching.
‘The base will be the fox from The Little Prince.’
Of course, since Yena is the protagonist, I needed to prepare a story just for her. Maybe I could draw inspiration from Alice in Wonderland.
What about a story where Yena discovers an old fairytale book on a dusty shelf, gets pulled into its world, and uses her creativity to repaint people who have faded with time?
“This sounds really fun!”
“You think so?”
“Yes! Yena loves drawing, so using her talent as part of the story is perfect. And the idea of her helping people find their true selves is so touching!”
“Then the next step is creating the characters…”
With the main theme set, it was time to design the characters. While I was mulling over ideas, Kang Bada suddenly chimed in.
“How about reimagining The Weaver Girl and the Cowherd?”
“The Weaver Girl and the Cowherd?”
“Yes! Our birthdays are all on July 7th, and it was Yena who brought us closer together. I think we could weave that into the story.”
“Oh, that’s a great idea! We could change the Ojakgyo Bridge into a rainbow bridge, and design the characters to reflect our personalities…”
“And maybe add something like this…”
Discussing it together sped things up significantly. The background and characters were quickly filled in, and even key lines carrying the core message were completed in no time.
That day, we spent the entire day at the café building the framework of the story and, surprisingly, managed to finish the entire plot by the end of the day.
“…I can’t believe we actually finished this in one day.”
The result was impressively solid. Any minor details could be adjusted during the actual writing process.
“But are you going to draw the illustrations yourself too?”
“No, I have someone in mind. But they’re incredibly busy, so I’m not sure if they’ll accept the commission.”
“Who is it?”
“The person who drew my book cover.”
Nickname ‘Soon-ae Jjang’.
They were the first person who came to mind when I thought about illustrations. To meet Yena’s high expectations, the illustrations would need to be at least at that level.
‘The problem is, this isn’t just a one-page commission.’
Even for a children’s storybook, there would need to be around 24–40 pages. No matter how fast Soon-ae Jjang worked, it would still take at least one or two months.
Production costs aside, their schedule was likely fully booked already. I wasn’t sure if it would even be possible to secure their time.
—If you ever need more illustrations related to the Princess, please contact me. You must. Absolutely!
Since a character inspired by Kang Bada was going to appear in this story, it wouldn’t hurt to at least reach out.
“If they say no, you can leave it to me.”
“Wait… are you planning to kidnap them?”
“…You’re seriously asking that, aren’t you!?”
“Oh, I got a reply.”
“Don’t change the subject!”
Ugh—
Kang Bada leaned over and started pulling on both of my cheeks. While awkwardly checking the message in that state, I felt a bit stunned.
*: It’s possible! ٩(•̤̀ᵕ•̤́๑)ᵒᵏᵎᵎᵎᵎ*
*: I can make time if I need to.*
*: Let’s meet up and discuss the details. But you have to bring the Princess! Absolutely!!!!!!!*
The message carried an undeniable hint of intensity.
Would it really be okay to bring Kang Bada to a meeting with someone like this? As I hesitated, she leaned in even closer to read the message.
“They seem… unique.”
“I’ll go meet them first.”
“No, we’ll go together.”
“Huh?”
Pull—
Kang Bada tugged on my cheeks again, pulling my face right up to hers. When I tried to back away in surprise, she held my face firmly.
“I can’t stand the thought of Haneul being alone with another woman.”
“But we don’t even know if they’re a woman or a man.”
“They could be a woman.”
“…Well, that’s true.”
“Then it’s settled.”
Smile—
Kang Bada curved her lips into a bright smile. As I looked at her, an inexplicable chill ran down my spine.
***
A few days later, Kang Bada and I arranged to meet Soon-ae Jjang at a quiet café.
We arrived a little earlier than planned and leisurely stepped inside when someone suddenly blocked our path.
‘A middle schooler?’
They wore a leather jacket on top, a red plaid skirt on the bottom, bold red socks, and striking Chelsea boots.
Despite their unique and punky style, their height was remarkably short. Even with noticeably high heels, they barely reached my chin.
“Hello! Princess.”
“······!?”
The person leaned in close to Kang Bada’s face, scanning her up and down without hesitation.
Uncharacteristically flustered, Kang Bada stepped back behind me, and I instinctively stepped in front of her.
“You definitely look better in person. I was wondering if someone like you really existed.”
“Who are you?”
“Then, you must be ‘Bookworm,’ right?”
Hearing my pen name out of nowhere caught me completely off guard. Among the people here, there was only one person who could possibly know it.
“Wait… don’t tell me…”
“That’s right. I’m Soon-ae Jjang. My real name is ‘Lee Tae-ri.’”
Italy turned her head towards me and began scanning me up and down with the same analytical gaze she had given Kang Bada.
It was an odd habit, but considering she was the illustrator behind the Princess artwork, I could somewhat understand it.
No, if I recalled her earlier messages, this was actually her being quite composed.
“Hmm, I see.”
“······?”
“Honestly, when I first got the illustration request, I thought you might be a stalker. The drawings you sent me… they weren’t something someone could create without observing a person with genuine affection for a long time.”
“What on earth are you talking about···.”
“I drew them because you gave me permission, but I still couldn’t fully understand. But now that I see you in person, it makes sense. You have textbook-perfect proportions!”
Grab—
Lee Tae-ri suddenly grabbed my arm. With an incredibly serious expression, she started feeling my arm as if it were the most natural thing to do, and I missed my chance to protest.
“Your muscles are even firmer than they look. It’s like I’m seeing a modern-day Terminator.”
In many ways, Italy was an extraordinary person. From her eccentric style to her overly enthusiastic messages, I had expected her to be unique, but not this unique.
“I have a suggestion.”
“What kind of suggestion?”
“I usually don’t draw couples, but this time I’m genuinely curious. I’d love it if you two could model for my next work together.”
“······.”
“How about it? I’ll handle all the illustrations you asked for too. Opportunities like this don’t come often. Huh? Huh? You’ll accept, right?”
Lee Tae-ri’s eyes sparkled with a strange passion. I was used to dealing with people’s hostility, but pure-hearted intensity like this left me completely defenseless.
At that moment, Kang Bada stepped forward. She gently removed Lee Tae-ri’s hand from my arm and spoke calmly.
“Shall we sit down and discuss this in detail?”
A small smile played on Kang Bada’s lips. Having spent so much time with her, I instinctively knew what that smile meant.
‘…She’s angry.’
Oblivious, Lee Tae-ri cheerfully sat down at the table, completely unaware of the storm brewing in front of her. Feeling a little sorry for her, I quietly offered a prayer for her well-being in my heart.
Note:
Ojakgyo translates to “bridge of crows and magpies” and comes from a Korean legend about birds that fly together across the Milky Way to meet the stars Vega and Altair. The term Ojakgyo can also refer to someone who connects two people in love.
