Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 30

Chapter 30

 

As Sa Muheon’s words flowed out nonchalantly, as if he couldn’t even remember, Ryu Beomju’s expression twisted, but in the next moment, he forced a hearty laugh.

 

“Haha! Sorry, it was so sudden…”

 

“Well, that can happen.”

 

Sa Muheon nodded and continued to stare intently at the pitifully laughing Ryu Beomju.

 

“So… you and my baby know each other?”

 

“Ah, that… yes. That’s right.”

 

“Really?”

 

Ryu Beomju hesitated and nodded. His gaze briefly touched Garam. It was just for a moment, but Garam could clearly sense the threat in his eyes.

 

Just as Garam’s body tensed in response to the clear threat, Sa Muheon pulled him closer by the shoulder. At that touch, Garam’s gaze shifted toward Sa Muheon.

 

Sa Muheon smiled with a warm expression Garam was familiar with, and spoke softly.

 

“Is that true?”

 

“…Yes?”

 

Still startled from Ryu Beomju’s threatening gaze, Garam blankly asked, not understanding what Sa Muheon meant.

 

“I’m asking if you know him.”

 

Sa Muheon asked the question without any sign of anger or urgency, but the slight tightening of his grip on Garam’s shoulder made it clear he was waiting for an honest answer.

 

“…Yes. That’s right.”

 

“Really? Then why have you never heard of Chief Hong?”

 

Sa Muheon’s gaze remained on Garam as he slowly looked over his face. For some reason, his eyes seemed a little lighter than usual.

 

But when he blinked, his eyes returned to their usual dark hue, making Garam wonder if he had imagined it.

 

Garam didn’t respond and blinked in confusion. Sa Muheon, perhaps not expecting an answer, shifted his gaze.

 

Ryu Beomju, catching Sa Muheon’s gaze, spoke hesitantly. The hearty laugh he had shown earlier was nowhere to be found, and his expression was now full of bewilderment.

 

“That’s…”

 

Ryu Beomju struggled to answer. Garam, without thinking, grabbed the sleeve of Sa Muheon’s coat. Though he only held the very edge gently, Sa Muheon immediately noticed and turned his gaze to Garam.

 

“Hmm? Why?”

 

“Y-yes, we know each other.”

 

A crooked smile appeared on Sa Muheon’s lips as he nodded, signaling Garam to continue.

 

“My grandmother, who took care of me, is his mother. We weren’t close, but we knew each other.”

 

Looking at Sa Muheon and Ryu Beomju in front of him, it was clear that Sa Muheon held a much higher position in their relationship.

 

Moreover, if this situation wasn’t handled carefully, it seemed Sa Muheon could easily harm Ryu Beomju.

 

Garam wasn’t speaking out of concern for Ryu Beomju or thinking of saving him. Instead, Garam still had things to say to him and matters to resolve through him. The debt Garam still owed had to be settled, and for that, he needed Ryu Beomju.

 

Garam looked at Sa Muheon with desperation. Without realizing it, he gripped Sa Muheon’s sleeve tighter.

 

Sa Muheon glanced down at Garam’s hand gripping his sleeve and then chuckled.

 

Garam, startled when he realized his grip had wrinkled the sleeve, quickly tried to pull his hand away.

 

But before he could, Sa Muheon firmly gripped Garam’s shoulder and spoke.

 

“Well, if my baby says so, then I guess that’s the case.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Ryu Beomju, looking puzzled by the direction things were taking, wore a strange expression. Garam, watching him, subtly turned his head. Sa Muheon, who seemed to be enjoying the situation immensely, kept the smile on his face.

 

“Then, was it Chief Hong who introduced you to our company?”

 

“Eh?”

 

“Really? So, what does that mean? My baby came to me recently, needing quite a lot of money. Didn’t you know?”

 

“Ah, that… yes. I knew. Yes, I introduced him. He came urgently needing money…”

 

Garam, still tightly held by Sa Muheon’s hand, sensed that the conversation between the two was taking an odd turn.

 

While Sa Muheon had learned about Garam’s debt through investigation, why was Ryu Beomju saying he was the one who introduced him? Garam’s curiosity grew, and when he noticed Ryu Beomju’s flustered expression, Sa Muheon chuckled.

 

“Ah, I see. Thanks to Chief Hong, I was able to meet my baby.”

 

“Hahaha…”

 

Sa Muheon released his grip on Garam’s shoulder and stepped closer to Ryu Beomju, lightly tapping his shoulder.

 

He didn’t seem to care at all about the twisted expression on Ryu Beomju’s face as he accepted the touch.

 

“What should I do to thank you?”

 

“……”

 

“Well, it’s not much of a reward, but…”

 

Ryu Beomju scrunched his face as if Sa Muheon’s hand touching him was disgustingly dirty and unpleasant. He clenched his jaw, as if trying to hold back his anger, but Sa Muheon acted as though he couldn’t even see his expression.

 

After drawing out his words as though thinking, Sa Muheon suddenly had an idea and spoke.

 

“If Chief Hong does something wrong next time, I’ll let it slide just once.”

 

A sharp, grinding sound echoed.

 

The noise was so chilling that Garam could feel the hairs on his body stand up.

 

If any other beastmen had been here, they probably would have reacted similarly to Garam.

 

Tigers were apex predators, and among beastmen, they were treated similarly.

 

Born predators, they always leisurely looked down from the top of the pyramid, choosing their prey, and not many could withstand the aura they exuded.

 

But standing right in front of him, Sa Muheon seemed completely unaffected by Ryu Beomju’s threat, wearing a calm expression.

 

Garam thought to himself that Sa Muheon must be an ordinary human.

 

It was rare for a beastman to react so nonchalantly in front of a tiger, someone Garam knew.

 

“So, is the business over now?”

 

Sa Muheon smiled slyly and asked. Ryu Beomju didn’t say anything and just glared at him with his mouth tightly shut.

 

Despite the menacing glare, Sa Muheon’s smile didn’t fade. In fact, it seemed to widen, making Ryu Beomju grit his teeth and slowly respond.

 

“…Yes.”

 

Satisfied with the answer, Sa Muheon nodded.

 

“Okay. See you later, Manager Hong.”

 

The sarcastic politeness in his tone made Ryu Beomju’s expression twist.

 

Sa Muheon turned without a care, but as he did, Garam couldn’t hide his unease, wondering if Ryu Beomju might attack from behind. His heart raced.

 

However, until Sa Muheon returned to Garam’s side, Ryu Beomju only ground his teeth in frustration, not doing anything to harm him.

 

From this, Garam realized once again that Sa Muheon held complete dominance in their relationship. Then, when Sa Muheon’s hand wrapped around Garam’s shoulder, Garam froze. He suddenly felt like he had made a huge mistake.

 

“Then let’s go.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Sa Muheon’s face, as beautiful as ever, held a gentle smile, but Garam could easily sense the coldness hidden behind it.

 

After hearing Garam’s response, Sa Muheon smiled in satisfaction and opened the passenger door for him.

 

The open car door felt like the gaping mouth of a venomous snake. For a moment, Garam’s gaze shifted to Ryu Beomju, who wasn’t saying anything.

 

Their eyes met in the air, and in an instant, Ryu Beomju’s expression twisted violently.

 

Garam quickly turned his gaze and took a step forward. He had just prevented something from happening with Ryu Beomju, so now was the time to leave. Although Sa Muheon didn’t seem like a good person, at least Garam had the memory of his kind words to him.

 

Garam didn’t know why Sa Muheon had lied, saying they were lovers, to separate him from Ryu Beomju, but he was certain that following Sa Muheon now was safer than staying with Ryu Beomju.

 

Garam climbed into the car, feeling like he was walking toward his own grave.

 

Sitting in the passenger seat, Garam looked up at Sa Muheon, who was standing by the car door. He still had an inscrutable expression and smiled.

 

As Garam turned his head, Sa Muheon buckled his seatbelt for him and closed the door. Then, after saying something to Ryu Beomju, he returned to the driver’s seat.

 

Ryu Beomju glared at them with a murderous look. If looks could kill, Garam and Sa Muheon would have been dead on the spot.

 

But Garam’s thoughts didn’t last long.

 

Once Sa Muheon was alone with him in the car, the smile that had been on his face disappeared without a trace.

 

His face, now cold, made Garam tense up as he gripped the seatbelt tightly.