Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

It was morning, and Garam opened his eyes, but not much had changed. In fact, seeing Sa Muheon’s peacefully sleeping face only made Garam feel more troubled.

“…Chirp.”

‘…So frustrating.’

After learning the true identity of the person who had been kind to him, a feeling similar to betrayal filled Garam’s heart. Sa Muheon hadn’t lied to him about anything, and in fact, it was Garam himself who had been hiding the truth. That was even more so because Garam knew that Sa Muheon’s kindness was genuine.

“Phew…”

Garam let out a deep sigh and flopped back onto his bed. Since Sa Muheon was still asleep, Garam needed time to sort out his thoughts.

The first thing that came to mind was Ryu Beomju.

‘That bastard, pulling out my fangs and pretending to be human.’

Yesterday, Sa Muheon had said exactly that. Garam tilted his head. The words of Lawyer Yang, who said Ryu Beomju was already dead, seemed to have some connection to what Sa Muheon had said.

Though Garam didn’t know the full details, based on what he understood, Ryu Beomju had somehow fabricated his death and was living as someone else, under the identity of Manager Hong. If Sa Muheon’s words were true, it seemed that Ryu Beomju was hiding the fact that he was a beastman.

But why?

Garam tilted his head again. It was a decision he couldn’t understand. His grandmother had once said that his child was worse than a cat, but that didn’t mean Ryu Beomju was a cat beastman. Ryu Beomju was a proper tiger.

Among beastmen, it was strictly forbidden to divide their ranks based on their true form, but even so, the natural perception attached to what animal they were couldn’t easily be erased.

A long time ago, tiger beastmen were called mountain kings, revered by humans and ruling like gods. Even now, tiger beastmen were dignified beings, and so there was no need for Ryu Beomju to pretend to be human. At least that’s how Garam thought. But why had Ryu Beomju made that choice? Garam wracked his brain, but he couldn’t come to any conclusion.

“Chirph…”

Garam let out a long sigh. He didn’t understand why Ryu Beomju had made that choice, and he couldn’t understand why he had wanted to bring Garam to Sa Muheon. Everything right now was just speculation.

At that moment, Garam felt as though his small bed was being lifted entirely. Startled, Garam tried to sit up, but a voice came before he could.

“My little one, did you sleep well?”

Sa Muheon’s voice, having just woken up, was lower than usual. He had stretched out his hand, bringing Garam’s bed over to him without even opening his eyes.

“Chirp!”

Startled, Garam cried out in protest, but Sa Muheon seemed to mistake it for some kind of cute behavior and let out a soft chuckle. He was still keeping his eyes closed. When Garam cried out again, he slowly opened his eyes. As his eyelids lifted, Garam saw Sa Muheon’s eyes gradually reveal themselves, and he realized his own reflection was within them. He cried out louder.

“Chirp!”

“Hmm, you slept well, didn’t you?”

Sa Muheon smiled gently and reached out his hand to Garam. It was the same warm touch as usual, gently lowering onto Garam. He carefully kept his hand light, afraid that the little squirrel underneath might get hurt. Garam felt his hand, still careful and unchanged, and it almost made him want to cry. Holding back his tears, Garam accepted Sa Muheon’s affection.

Though Sa Muheon showed him affection now, Garam couldn’t be sure how things would change once Sa Muheon learned he was a beastman. It was Garam’s fault for hiding the truth, so he couldn’t resent Sa Muheon.

“Let me see…”

Sa Muheon sat up halfway and lightly picked Garam up, lifting him onto his own body.

“Chirp, Chirp!”

“Hmm, you seem fine…”

Sa Muheon turned Garam’s body this way and that, carefully checking him over.

“Chirp!!!!!”

‘Let go!’

Garam struggled, but Sa Muheon didn’t budge. After carefully inspecting the squirrel in his hands and confirming that it was fine, Sa Muheon finally met Garam’s gaze. Garam fumed with frustration, exhaling sharply, but Sa Muheon had no way of understanding his feelings.

“Why did you act like that last night?”

Sa Muheon seemed relieved now that he was sure nothing was wrong with his squirrel. Still, his voice carried a faint trace of worry, likely because of Garam’s odd behavior the night before. Hearing his voice, Garam stopped struggling and quietly looked at him.

“Are you okay now?”

Even though he knew there would be no answer, Sa Muheon always spoke to him like this. Garam, afraid his identity as a beastman might be discovered, usually gave vague responses or ignored him altogether. But today, seeing Sa Muheon’s concern, he felt like he should at least say something.

“Chirp.”

‘I’m fine.’

It was a short cry, but Sa Muheon’s face lit up with a radiant smile.

“Really? You’re okay now?”

“Chiiirp…”

‘I said I’m fine…’

Sa Muheon, interpreting Garam’s response however he pleased, couldn’t stop smiling. The fact that Garam was responding to him seemed to delight him endlessly.

After spending quite some time lounging on the bed with Garam, Sa Muheon finally got up.

“You must be hungry, little one.”

As soon as Sa Muheon opened the door, Garam darted outside. He quickly found an empty room to hide in. Moving so swiftly, there was no way Sa Muheon would know where he went. Even a brief moment of solitude to think was what Garam needed. Sitting in a corner of the room, Garam let out a heavy sigh.

Sa Muheon, still oblivious to everything, continued to treat Garam with kindness. But Garam had no idea how long that kindness would last. Before Sa Muheon discovered his identity as a beastman and withdrew all his affection, Garam needed to leave this house.

“Little one, where’d you go without eating?”

Sa Muheon’s voice called out from afar, but Garam pretended not to hear as he continued his thoughts.

First, he needed to leave this house and head to Lawyer Yang’s office.

Previously, the lawyer had mentioned finding someone who might be Ryu Beomju. At the time, he hadn’t been certain, but now Garam knew. The lawyer must have discovered by now that the person disguised as “Manager Hong” was actually Ryu Beomju.

However, Lawyer Yang had also said he needed more time to confirm the details. If Garam shared what he’d learned, things might progress more smoothly. He also needed to find out how things had been unfolding while he was staying in this house.

“Chirp.”

‘Yes.’

With a determined nod, Garam made up his mind.

He’d always known he’d have to leave this house someday, but the moment had arrived sooner than he’d expected.

As Garam lifted his head with renewed resolve, he noticed a familiar figure standing by the door.

“Little one, I’m heading out. Make sure to eat and rest, okay?”

Sa Muheon had found him and was standing in the doorway. Garam met Sa Muheon’s gaze and gave a small nod.

“Chirp.”

“Good boy. I’ll be back.”

Sa Muheon smiled contentedly at the brief chirp and waved lightly before leaving. Garam heard the faint sounds of the front door unlocking and locking again as Sa Muheon left.

Garam remained still for a moment. How much time passed? When Garam felt confident that Sa Muheon was completely gone, he sprang into action.

Heading to the dressing room, Garam scanned the surroundings before closing his eyes. In an instant, the squirrel was gone, replaced by his true form.

“Hah…”

Having stayed in his beast form for so long, the human perspective felt oddly overwhelming. Garam staggered briefly but steadied himself by grabbing onto the closet.

He’d always thought Sa Muheon was tall, but holding up the clothes from the wardrobe revealed just how big he was. Garam chose the smallest tracksuit he could find and put it on. Standing before the mirror, he saw how oversized it looked, but this would have to do for now.

Avoiding the reflection of his unfamiliar face, Garam turned away.

It was time to leave this house.

Reaching the front door, Garam paused before the door lock. Just pressing a few buttons would let him leave this place.

Garam turned to take in the familiar view of the home. It wasn’t his, but somehow, he’d grown attached to it. With a firm bite of his lip, Garam turned back and moved without hesitation.

Beep beep beep–.

The door lock released with a sound. Swallowing nervously, Garam grasped the handle and slowly turned it. The door opened smoothly. Garam stood still for a moment, staring beyond the open door, before finally stepping forward, one foot at a time.