Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 18

For now, Garam decided to take it easy, as there was no immediate need to escape from this house.

It wasn’t as though the thought of running away today hadn’t crossed his mind. But when Garam reached the front door, he ultimately stopped in his tracks. After a long moment of hesitation, he turned back and trudged back into the house.

If he wanted to leave, he could have done so today. He could transform into his human form just long enough to open the front door, then revert to his original form and climb a tree to escape the house. It wouldn’t have been difficult to get out of here.

Of course, he’d still have to figure out how to contact Attorney Yang again, as he had no idea where this house was. But escaping the house itself wouldn’t have been a challenge.

Still, Garam didn’t go through with it. As soon as he stepped toward the front door, he remembered Sa Muheon’s gentle smile when he had realized Garam was awake. He recalled the worried expression on Sa Muheon’s face when he had run to him after being attacked by a cat, and the affectionate voice that praised him simply for eating well. Those memories stopped him in his tracks.

Sitting on the sofa, Garam continued his train of thought. He would have to leave this house eventually, but there was no need to make a rushed decision right now.

‘Just a little longer, just a tiny bit longer.’

At the very least, Garam wanted to stay until the man named Sa Muheon found a little more happiness because of him. He wanted to savor the warmth Sa Muheon gave for just a little longer before leaving.

From the very moment they met, the man had shown Garam kindness and affection without any reason. For Garam, who had always been starved for affection, Sa Muheon was an irresistibly sweet presence. Garam had always been weak for those who showed him love.

Having made up his mind, Garam stood with a lighter heart. Just then, he heard the sound of the front door’s lock being unlocked. Perking up his ears, he dashed toward the entrance.

Patter-patter.

“Chirp!”

Hearing Garam’s cry as he reached the front door, Sa Muheon, who was in the middle of taking off his shoes, greeted him with a bright smile.

“Did you have fun while I was out? Did you come to greet me because I’m home?”

Happiness was evident in Sa Muheon’s eyes as he spoke. At the very least, Garam wanted the man who had shared his warmth to experience no sorrow and plenty of happiness. So, for the time being, leaving the house was on hold.

—

From early in the morning, Jang Seokgyu had been forced to call Sa Muheon, and even after ending the call, his face remained grim. Watching him, Chief Han cautiously asked a question.

“What did he say?”

“He just said he understood and then hung up.”

At Jang Seokgyu’s answer, Chief Han nodded. That meant Sa Muheon wasn’t in an especially bad mood. That was a huge relief.

Chief Han had worked under Chairman Go for nearly 20 years. Having spent such a long time by his side, he was confident that no one knew the chairman’s thoughts better than he did. And this was something even Chairman Go acknowledged.

In truth, having been Chairman Go’s right-hand man for so long, many people had questioned why Chief Han didn’t hold a more impressive title. But Chief Han didn’t see it that way. The higher the position, the more responsibilities and risks there were to bear. He enjoyed the balance of his current position.

However, not many people understood Chief Han’s reasoning. Perhaps that was why, when Chairman Go’s only son, Sa Muheon, took over as CEO of Mirae Capital, several individuals badmouthed Sa Muheon in front of Chief Han—and promptly disappeared.

“What could be so urgent that he’d bother us on a Saturday morning?”

As expected, Sa Muheon didn’t seem to be in a particularly bad mood. Jang Seokgyu quickly lowered his head at the question. Chief Han inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and opened the door to Sa Muheon’s office for him.

“Someone from the construction department requested a meeting with you today….”

“Don’t they have weekends off?”

Sa Muheon replied lightly. Chief Han silently bowed his head in response.

“Well, never mind. What time are they supposed to arrive?”

“They should be here shortly.”

Chief Han glanced at his wristwatch. The appointment time was near, yet the visitors were nowhere to be seen. This annoyed Chief Han. Regardless of Sa Muheon’s status as a shifter, he was still Chairman Go’s only son. In Chief Han’s opinion, no one in the organization should dare to disregard Sa Muheon.

Besides, their opponents had no right to look down on Sa Muheon for being a shifter. He was—

Bang!

Before Chief Han could finish his thoughts, the sound of the office door slamming open echoed loudly. Chief Han frowned and turned to look at the door.

“Ah, I’m not late, am I?”

The man who entered and opened the door briefly glanced at his watch and gave a sly grin. His smile, which looked rather underhanded, irritated Chief Han. However, Chief Han didn’t respond to the man’s words and instead walked around the desk, moving behind Sa Muheon. Once Chief Han had settled into his position behind Sa Muheon, the man, who had walked up to the front of Sa Muheon’s desk, opened his mouth with a casual attitude.

“Director Sa, I wonder how you’ve been.”

In response to the man’s greeting, Sa Muheon smiled and spoke.

“Well, I’ve been doing fine, but I would’ve preferred it if I hadn’t had to see your face on a golden Saturday morning.”

“Haha! You’re good at jokes, Director Sa. Is it because you’re a snake?”

Chief Han frowned, but Sa Muheon’s smile didn’t falter at all, as if he hadn’t been affected by the man’s provocation.

“Well, I suppose snakes live off their words, so I can see how that might be true. But I guess you don’t know much since you’re just a kitten.”

The man fell for the provocation first. His face hardened at the mention of “kitten,” but he forced a laugh and replied.

“Haha… If you can’t even tell the difference between a tiger and a cat, I guess your memory’s already starting to fail. Can you still play with money, though?”

“At least I can calculate how much money I’ll give you while sleeping, so don’t worry about it.”

“……”

The man shut his mouth tightly and walked over to the sofa prepared for guests. After he settled into his seat, Sa Muheon stood up leisurely and leaned back in the more prestigious chair. The man, trying to maintain an air of nonchalance, continued the conversation.

“My boss has been pushing me to get this done. We’re all family, so can you just sign this one document for us?”

“Family?”

Sa Muheon let out a small laugh.

“Look at you, acting like you’ve made something of yourself because I’m being nice to you. Have you forgotten who I am?”

“……”

“Do you think you’re something because you’re a tiger shifter? You can’t even form a group, and you’re just pretending to be dead while wandering around as a human, so what gives you the right to talk?”

Sa Muheon’s words pierced the man like a sharp blade.

“Do you think you’re above me just because my half-blood status hasn’t earned me recognition from my clan? I didn’t know you were so bad at doing math. You’re still a loser with no decent group to your name. You think the snake shifters will just sit by if something happens to me?”

“…Director.”

Chief Han, noticing the words had gotten too sharp, finally stepped in to calm Sa Muheon down. He had thought Sa Muheon seemed to be in a good mood today, but it seemed he was wrong.

“Watch your mouth, Ryu Beomju.”

“……”

“Oh, that’s a dead name. Watch yourself, Chief Hong Taegyu.”

“…I apologize.”

The man, Ryu Beomju, quietly lowered his head. Only then did Sa Muheon appear to lighten up, flashing a bright smile and taking over the conversation.

“If you need the document, tell your CEO to come in person. Don’t send some low-level guy to bother me.”

“…Yes, understood.”

Ryu Beomju, who had only just entered the office, was soon kicked out. From the open office door, Chief Han could hear Jang Seokgyu hurriedly greeting someone, but no reply came. When Sa Muheon thought Ryu Beomju had left the building, he let out a small laugh.

“Anyway, he’s even worse than a cat.”

“Don’t tease him too much. A tiger is still a tiger, you know.”

At Chief Han’s advice, Sa Muheon, who had rested his arms on the back of his chair, turned his head to look up at him.

“Chief Han, as I said earlier, that guy is worse than a kitten. How could someone who left his group and pretends to be dead in the human world even compare to a tiger?”

“……”

Chief Han’s expression didn’t lighten; in fact, it grew even darker. Realizing this, Sa Muheon gave a brief nod, understanding. Unlike his harsh words toward Ryu Beomju, Sa Muheon was typically respectful toward Chief Han, who had served by his father, Chairman Go’s side for a long time. Chief Han was someone who certainly deserved respect.

“Of course, I understand what you mean, Chief Han. I’ll be more careful.”

“Yes, understood.”

Once Chief Han’s mood seemed to improve, Sa Muheon stood up with a bright expression.

“Are you heading out now?”

“Yeah.”

“…Is something good happening?”

Earlier, Sa Muheon had been clearly showing signs of irritation due to Ryu Beomju, but now he was smiling brightly. Chief Han, noticing the change, casually asked if something good was happening. Sa Muheon, as if waiting for the question, smiled and nodded.