Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 132

Sa Muheon, who had gotten down from the bed, covered Garam, who was lying face down on the bed, with a blanket and headed to the bathroom.

Garam lay still, catching his breath. His whole body felt languid. He blinked blankly, feeling like he didn’t even want to move a single finger. Before he knew it, Sa Muheon had come out of the bathroom and approached, sitting on the bed.

“Are you very tired?”

The hand that swept up the hair falling over Garam’s forehead was gentle. When Garam quietly blinked up at him in response to his affectionate voice, Sa Muheon suddenly burst into laughter.

“You must be so tired you can’t even speak.”

Garam was indeed so exhausted that even talking felt like a hassle. When he gave a small nod, Sa Muheon lifted him up, blanket and all.

“Ah…!”

Even though Garam was smaller than Sa Muheon, he was still an average man. There was no way he could be used to being lifted so effortlessly.

At least, since Sa Muheon had picked him up like this a few times recently, he had gotten a little more accustomed to it. But it still felt awkward and a bit scary.

As Garam quickly wrapped his arms around Sa Muheon’s neck, Sa Muheon chuckled in satisfaction and carried him toward the bathroom.

Only when they arrived did Sa Muheon set Garam down and unwrap the blanket from around his body. Then, without giving him a chance to feel the cold, he guided him straight into the bathtub filled with warm water.

Splash—.

“Hoo…”

As he sank into the perfectly heated water, it felt like all the tension in his muscles melted away. Leaning back against Sa Muheon, Garam let himself relax. Sa Muheon wrapped his arms around Garam’s waist and pulled him a little closer.

“Is it too hot?”

“No… It’s just right.”

“I see.”

The temperature might have felt a little hot for Sa Muheon, but he didn’t seem to mind at all as long as Garam was comfortable. With just that short reply, he rested his head on Garam’s shoulder.

“Ugh, that tickles.”

Sa Muheon playfully kissed Garam’s exposed shoulder a few times, making Garam finally burst into laughter.

“Ah, I said it tickles! Hah!”

As Garam laughed and twisted away, Sa Muheon finally let him go.

Since the hotel was near the beach, there was a large window in front of the bathtub offering a clear view of the ocean.

They had arrived at the hotel at sunrise, but now the sun was already high in the sky.

The blue waves rolling in looked completely different from how they had at dawn. Garam stared at the sight blankly and unconsciously let out a yawn.

“Haaaam…”

He quickly covered his mouth, but there was no way Sa Muheon, right behind him, wouldn’t hear it.

“Sleepy?”

“A little… I didn’t get any sleep, after all.”

It sounded like an excuse, but it was true. However, compared to Garam, Sa Muheon had slept even less—perhaps not at all—yet he looked completely unaffected. That realization made Garam’s voice grow smaller.

“You overworked yourself, so of course you’d be sleepy.”

Sa Muheon said this as he adjusted his position to let Garam lean on him more comfortably. As if that wasn’t enough, he even started patting Garam’s chest slowly.

“What are you doing? I’m not a kid…”

Garam chuckled awkwardly, but Sa Muheon ignored his words and kept patting.

At first, Garam thought he was just being silly. But as he soaked in the warm water and the rhythmic pats continued, a strange drowsiness began to wash over him.

“I’m getting sleepy…”

“Should we go lie down?”

“Yeah…”

When Sa Muheon suggested it, Garam nodded. Sa Muheon helped him out of the bathtub and, seeing that his eyes were already half-closed, carefully dried off every drop of water on his body.

By the time they lay down on the freshly changed, soft sheets, Sa Muheon pulled Garam into his arms and resumed the slow, steady pats on his chest.

Garam felt like he might start laughing at the absurdity of it, but sleep overtook him before he could.

After returning home from their short trip, peaceful days followed.

Sa Muheon’s shoulder had completely healed, and as he had wished, he spent his time lazing around with Garam in his arms, enjoying his vacation.

However, there was a mountain of work he had postponed using his injury as an excuse. He wanted nothing more than to hold Garam and play forever, but he couldn’t—at least not until he had caught and dealt with Ryu Beomju.

Besides, the longer his vacation dragged on, the more Garam would send him concerned looks. To maintain a respectable image in front of his lover, Sa Muheon had no choice but to make a decision.

“I’m heading out.”

“Don’t suddenly leave work early today.”

“Why, are you already tired of being with me?”

“No, that’s not it.”

Sa Muheon pretended to cry jokingly. Garam chuckled and quickly reassured him.

“If you suddenly leave, the others will have to take on more work. You’re a director, aren’t you? Don’t you have a lot of responsibilities?”

“I’m just a figurehead. I barely have any work. Isn’t that right, Chief Han?”

Sa Muheon’s teasing remark landed on Chief Han, who had been waiting for him. Chief Han had been watching their conversation with a pleased expression, but at Sa Muheon’s words, his face hardened, and he shook his head.

“A figurehead? Who told you that?”

“Well, I was just saying… It’s true that I don’t do much, isn’t it?”

“No. There are important documents that require your approval.”

As Chief Han continued speaking, Garam gave Sa Muheon a pointed look as if to say, “See?” In the end, Sa Muheon had to abandon his plan to linger by Garam’s side.

“Alright, alright.”

Shrugging, he leaned in and placed a light kiss on Garam’s lips. The sound of the kiss was unmistakable, making Garam glance at Chief Han in embarrassment. But Chief Han, ever perceptive, had already averted his gaze.

“I’m heading out.”

“…Take care.”

Even now, Garam still got flustered showing affection in front of others. His cheeks tinted a soft pink as he whispered his farewell in a quiet voice.

Smooch.

“Make sure you eat well, and call me if anything happens.”

With one more kiss on Garam’s cheek, Sa Muheon ended his affectionate nagging and got into the car.

Han, the chief manager who had boarded earlier, started the car. Silence filled the vehicle as they headed to the office.

There was another reason for going to work today. It was related to the documents that Han had brought last time—documents that had instantly ruined Sa Muheon’s mood.

As the car came to a slow stop and Sa Muheon got out, he walked briskly. Upon arriving on the floor where the office was located and exiting the elevator, Jang Seokgyu, who had been seated at the front, quickly stood up and bowed.

“You’ve arrived.”

“Oh, Team Leader Jang. Nothing’s happened, right?”

“Ha ha, if something had, I would’ve reported it already.”

After casually finishing the trivial conversation with a nonchalant face, Sa Muheon entered his office. Han followed behind him. In his hand was a file folder.

“So, did you find anything more?”

“…It’s best if you see for yourself.”

Sa Muheon had secretly hoped Han hadn’t discovered anything, but reality, as always, strayed from his wishes.

Receiving the file folder that Han handed him, Sa Muheon began reading its contents one by one, and his expression gradually darkened.

“…Ha.”

Placing the folder down, Sa Muheon closed his eyes and pressed firmly on his furrowed brow. His head throbbed from what he had just read.

“…We called him a damn cat this whole time, but now I feel like I owe cats an apology.”

Sighing deeply, Sa Muheon leaned back in his chair.

“At the very least, even a cat wouldn’t mess with its own family, don’t you think?”

“……”

Han said nothing and just bowed his head. Perhaps it was because of what he had just seen, but he suddenly craved a cigarette—despite not being a smoker.

The contents Han had investigated contained detailed records of the tasks Ryu Beomju had undertaken in the past.

It was a command handed down shortly after he joined the organization—a test given by President Yoo to gauge his loyalty.

The order he received was to silence a certain couple.

The man, the head of his household, was a researcher at a particular company. He was highly capable and trusted by everyone, steadily climbing the ladder of success—until one day, he uncovered a dangerous truth. A chemical substance used by the company could have severe adverse effects on the human body.

He immediately reported the matter to his superiors, but those at the top tried to silence him with money.

Had he taken the money and stayed quiet, there would’ve been no issue. But he decided to reveal the truth. That was his downfall.

The truth was such a serious matter that if it came to light, it could threaten the very existence of the company. So the higher-ups decided to silence the bothersome researcher. The task was first handed to President Yoo, who was a gangster at the time, and the one chosen to carry it out was Ryu Beomju, who had just recently started working under him.

Yoo selecting Ryu for the job wasn’t coincidence or whimsy. It was the perfect opportunity to test Ryu’s loyalty.

Because the target was someone Ryu Beomju personally knew.

“He did that to his own cousin, even knowing that child would be left all alone…”

On the very first page of the file spread out in front of him was a photo of the man killed by Ryu Beomju.

In the picture, taken with his wife and young son, all three wore wide smiles.

Sa Muheon couldn’t take his eyes off the child’s face.

The child in the photo was a young Garam.