Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 107

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The man lay motionless on the floor. Just by looking at the small pool of blood that had formed beneath him, it was clear that he would not be safe. However, for some reason, the other man in the room hesitated to approach the fallen figure.

“Ugh…”

Kim Hanju stared at his collapsed superior with trembling hands, making no attempt to hide his fear. The man known as Chief Hong was both his direct superior and a source of terror. Others might have seen him differently, but from the perspective of a subordinate who had served him closely, that was the reality.

Perhaps because Chief Hong had always left such an intense impression on him, even though he had suffered injuries so severe that an ordinary person would find it impossible to wake up, Kim Hanju found himself unable to approach. It felt as if the moment he got closer, Hong would suddenly open his eyes and glare at him.

“What are you doing? Didn’t you hear what the boss said?”

As Kim Hanju stood frozen in place, the employee who had earlier escorted Director Jang outside returned and spoke to him. A light tap on the shoulder made him flinch violently, and when he turned around in shock, he met a gaze that regarded him with curiosity.

They only knew each other by face and name. This man, who usually only followed President Yoo’s orders, seemed perplexed as to why Kim Hanju was so afraid of the fallen Chief Hong. But Hanju could not explain his unease. Even if he tried to put it into words, he knew the other man would only look at him even more strangely.

“Hurry up and take care of it. Do you want the boss to come in and say something?”

Speaking casually, the man then walked past the unconscious Hong toward the desk. He picked up a small drink carton sitting on it before heading back out of the office. The office door shut behind him with an unsettling noise.

Creeeeak—.

The shrill sound made Kim Hanju swallow nervously. The man was right. No matter how terrifying Chief Hong was, he was currently unconscious. Even the person who had just passed right by him had been unharmed. Finally gaining some courage, Kim Hanju slowly took a step forward.

Tying up an already unconscious person felt somewhat absurd. The man who had left earlier had also seemed to find President Yoo’s order incomprehensible. But Kim Hanju was different. He understood better than anyone why Yoo had given such an order. Anyone who knew Chief Hong even a little would have made the same decision.

Stepping right up to the fallen man, Kim Hanju slowly crouched down. As he knelt with one knee on the floor, the coldness seeped into his body, sending chills up his spine. Shivering, he reached out to tie Chief Hong’s hands behind his back.

But the moment his fingers touched Hong’s seemingly lifeless wrist, the fallen man’s eyes snapped open.

“H-hurk…!”

Kim Hanju, staring into those piercing eyes glowing in the darkness, gasped in shock and collapsed onto the floor. He scrambled backward, heedless of the mess he made of his own hands. Meanwhile, Hong furrowed his brows as if in pain, then spoke in a low, calm voice.

“You.”

“Gah, y-yes…!”

“Be quiet.”

It was just two words, but Kim Hanju immediately clamped his mouth shut and nodded frantically. No matter how terrified he was of Hong, the man was still lying down and couldn’t harm him immediately. But alongside the fear already carved into his memory, something about Hong was different now—something that made his terror even worse.

The office was already shrouded in darkness, yet Hong’s eyes were clearly visible. They shone yellow in the dim light—not like a human’s, but like a beast’s. And Kim Hanju knew exactly what that meant. At that moment, the true nature of the fear he had always felt toward Hong was revealed.

Hong was a shifter. Not just any shifter, but likely one akin to a predator, an expert in hunting.

Gripped by overwhelming fear, Kim Hanju froze, unable to move, waiting for Hong’s next command. Hong blinked a few times as if trying to regain his focus, then, still lying on the floor, continued speaking in a quiet voice.

“Where is President Yoo?”

“H-he’s outside.”

Beyond the closed door, the muffled sound of President Yoo speaking could be heard. Hong listened for a moment before glancing at what Hanju held in his hands, then let out a quiet chuckle.

“So you thought you could tie me up with that?”

There was a low growl mixed in his voice. Seeing Kim Hanju stiffen in fear, he softened his tone slightly and spoke again.

“I don’t know what Yoo told you to make you do this, but I’ll let it slide this once.”

“W-what…?”

Completely caught off guard by those words, Kim Hanju blurted out a foolish response. Normally, Chief Hong would have exploded in rage. But instead, he remained calm and added an explanation.

“On one condition—you do exactly as I say. Understand?”

His golden eyes locked onto Kim Hanju’s, making it feel impossible to escape his gaze. Instinctively sensing that refusal would lead to a terrible outcome, Hanju hurriedly nodded.

“Did he tell you to tie me up with that?”

“Y-yes….”

Hanju hesitated and tried to hide the object behind his back, but Hong stopped him.

“Forget it. If you don’t tie me up at all, it’ll only raise suspicion. Just make it look convincing.”

“Th-then…”

“I’ll handle the rest. Just do as I say, and I’ll spare your life.”

“H-hurk! O-okay…!”

Frightened by Hong’s sharp words, Kim Hanju nodded desperately.

Satisfied with his answer, Hong slowly sat up. Any normal person would have taken a long time just to regain consciousness, let alone move. Though his expression briefly twisted in discomfort, he still got up as if nothing was wrong.

Watching him, Kim Hanju’s fear only deepened.

Hong rolled his shoulders a few times as if loosening up, then gave Hanju a nod.

“What are you waiting for? Tie me up.”

Fearing that he might let out a scream if he opened his mouth, Kim Hanju kept his lips tightly shut as he cautiously approached. His hands trembled. After several failed attempts, he finally succeeded in loosely tying Chief Hong’s hands. Hong, confirming that Kim Hanju had followed his orders, sat back down. Instead of sprawling unsightly on the floor, he leaned against the desk.

Though the entire situation had unfolded suddenly, he appeared composed, as if he had already formulated a plan. What was he thinking? Curious, Kim Hanju was about to ask him a question when Ryu Beomju raised his eyes sharply.

“Shh.”

At the same time, from beyond the closed door, President Yoo’s voice could be heard greeting someone. Unlike his previous hushed conversation with Director Jang, this time, his words were clear and distinct.

“Oh my, Director Sa. You must have had a hard time coming all this way.”

There was no response from the other party. However, upon hearing the name that had left Yoo’s lips, Kim Hanju instinctively turned his gaze toward Chief Hong, who was sitting on the floor. What he saw was a pair of beastly eyes, gleaming with an entirely different light than before.

“So, he’s crawled all the way here….”

Chief Hong was smiling. But there was no warmth in that smile. It was the grin of a predator who had spotted its prey, brimming with nothing but the excitement of tearing its target apart. Though the smile was not directed at him, just seeing it made Kim Hanju’s legs go weak. He barely managed to support himself by leaning against the wall before collapsing completely.

From outside the door, the low murmur of a conversation between Director Sa and President Yoo could be heard. The exact details were unclear, but soon, footsteps approached the office. It was likely one of Yoo’s subordinates who had stepped out earlier.

Kim Hanju’s eyes wavered with anxiety. If Chief Hong were to walk out now, it wasn’t difficult to imagine how things would unfold. Should he warn them of the danger right away? Just as the thought crossed his mind, Hong spoke in a quiet voice.

“Stay still.”

“……”

“I’ll keep my promise to spare your life.”

Facing those piercing eyes, he no longer had the courage to shake his head. It felt as if refusing would lead to Hong sinking his teeth into his throat that very instant.

After a moment of hesitation, Kim Hanju slowly nodded. Hong stared at him intently before finally closing his eyes and lowering his head as footsteps approached the office door. It seemed he was continuing his act of unconsciousness.

Creeeak—.

With a loud, grating sound, the door swung open, and as expected, one of President Yoo’s subordinates appeared.

“What are you doing? Bring him in.”

The man gestured toward Kim Hanju with a nod as he approached the seated Hong. Hanju tried to steady his trembling hands and did as he was told, helping Hong to his feet.

His steps felt unbearably heavy as he walked out of the office, but he swallowed dryly and forced himself to move forward.