Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 36

Chapter 36

“What are you staring at?”

“Ah…”

At those words, Garam turned his gaze back to the laptop. The sound of Sa Muheon chuckling above him fell.

“I didn’t say you couldn’t look.”

“……”

Garam, who had been staring at the laptop screen, didn’t say anything. Sa Muheon, with a playful attitude, placed his arm on Garam’s shoulder and continued speaking.

“However, it’s not as simple as just sending you to school, there’s a condition.”

At the sudden mention of conditions, Garam raised his head slightly.

“A condition?”

“Yeah.”

Sa Muheon grabbed the back of Garam’s chair and turned it so that Garam was facing him.

Garam, still sitting in the chair, quietly looked up at Sa Muheon. The playful expression he had just shown toward Garam had disappeared, and Sa Muheon now looked serious as he began to speak.

“As I mentioned yesterday, Ryu Beomju will target you.”

Although Garam had already known this, it still made him uneasy. He nodded with a slightly tense expression.

“As I said, I want to use you to get rid of that damn cat.”

“…Yes.”

Sa Muheon’s eyes glinted dangerously as he spoke.

“Then we need to make that guy act in some way… If I just keep you hidden, nothing will happen.”

“……”

“So, I thought it might be best to send you out.”

Despite the clear statement that he would be used, Garam couldn’t find any words to respond.

“Oh, but I’m not saying I’ll put you in danger. I don’t want anyone unrelated to this getting hurt either.”

“Then…?”

When Garam hesitated and opened his mouth, Sa Muheon smiled slightly and continued.

“Going to school is fine. But the condition is that you have to always stay with the person I assign you.”

“Ah….”

It didn’t seem like such a big deal after all. Garam, wondering if there were any other conditions, glanced at Sa Muheon’s face, but he tilted his head slightly, as if asking what he was looking at.

“Why?”

“Is that all?”

“What else would there be?”

With his nonchalant attitude, Garam hesitated and spoke up.

“I just thought there would be more conditions.”

“No. Just that. You have to always move around with the person I assign.”

As Garam nodded, Sa Muheon suddenly remembered something else and added, “Oh, and if a stranger talks to you, don’t respond, and don’t take food from a stranger either.”

“…What?”

“I’m not joking, so listen carefully. If you’re with the person I assign, it probably won’t happen, but…”

Sa Muheon continued speaking with a serious expression, as if he wasn’t joking at all. Garam, who had been hesitating, eventually nodded.

Finally, Sa Muheon relaxed his stiff expression, placed his hand on Garam’s head, and gave it a light pat.

“Good. Looks like you understand.”

“……”

Garam felt a strange sensation, as though he were being treated like a well-behaved pet, and just as that thought crossed his mind, Sa Muheon removed his hand from Garam’s head and said lightly.

“Well then, you should start getting ready to leave.”

“Ah, are you going out?”

At Garam’s question, Sa Muheon gave him a strange look, as if he had heard something odd.

“You’re coming too.”

“Me?”

“You need to cancel your leave of absence, and there are things we need to buy right away.”

“Ah….”

Only then did Garam realize he didn’t have anything with him. However, the idea of Sa Muheon providing everything Garam needed made him feel uncomfortable.

Garam quickly shook his head and spoke.

“Ah, no. I’ll have everything at home anyway…”

“You don’t know how long you’ll be staying here. It’ll be more of a hassle to move everything again later, so just buy the things you need here. I won’t ask you to pay me back.”

After his grandmother, the last guardian, passed away, Garam had not lived in financial hardship, but he certainly wasn’t wealthy. The only thing he had left was the house he inherited from his grandmother through Ryu Beomju.

Of course, it was a better environment than most people, in that he had a place to live without worries, but since he had always worked part-time to earn living expenses, Sa Muheon’s offer, which he spoke of as if it were nothing, felt somewhat burdensome.

“Still, I feel really sorry about it…”

“You’ve got plenty to be sorry about. That amount of money isn’t a lot to me, and it’s easier for me, so just do it that way.”

Despite Garam’s attempts to refuse, Sa Muheon immediately cut him off. In the end, Garam had no choice but to nod obediently once again.

“Alright. Then get ready to go. As for clothes…”

Sa Muheon said this as he looked Garam up and down. Garam, wearing the clothes Sa Muheon had given him yesterday, had to endure his gaze in silence.

After observing Garam’s attire, Sa Muheon clicked his tongue briefly.

“You’ll need new clothes. The ones from yesterday are too big, and that was the smallest size. You’ll have to wear those when you go out. Is that okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine with it.”

“Alright.”

Sa Muheon nodded lightly and reached out to close the laptop.

“Then let’s get ready and go.”

He was smiling pleasantly, looking like he was in a good mood.

—

After finishing his preparations, Garam once again got into Sa Muheon’s car. When he left this house yesterday, he thought he would never return, but now he was back, riding in the homeowner’s car, heading somewhere together. It felt surreal.

When he had left the house earlier, wearing shoes that didn’t fit, it had taken quite a long time just to reach the main road. But now, as they drove, they quickly left the quiet residential area and entered a busy street.

Sa Muheon didn’t say much as he drove. Their conversations usually consisted of Sa Muheon asking questions and Garam answering, so when he remained silent, Garam didn’t have anything to say either.

Garam quietly enjoyed the rare peaceful moment, gazing out the window. He had spent time in a large park, and then had been “kidnapped” to Sa Muheon’s house, so it had been a long time since he had observed people’s daily lives.

The people he saw outside seemed to be heading somewhere with their own purposes.

Watching them, Garam felt a pang of envy. In his uncertain situation, the peaceful-looking lives of others seemed to be something to be jealous of.

As he watched the scenery and people pass by without realizing how much time had passed, the car Garam was in turned into a building’s driveway. Only then did Garam turn his head and look at Sa Muheon.

“Now you’re finally looking.”

Sa Muheon, who caught Garam’s gaze, smirked and said this in a teasing tone. Garam, feeling embarrassed, quickly turned his head away.

“I was about to ask what’s so funny.”

“…Just because.”

“I knew you’d answer like that, so I didn’t ask.”

At that moment, the car stopped. Garam’s gaze returned to Sa Muheon.

Without saying much, Sa Muheon opened the car door and got out. As Garam stared blankly at him, Sa Muheon walked around and opened the door on Garam’s side.

“Get out.”

“Ah… Thank you.”

Sa Muheon didn’t stop there and even reached out his hand. Garam, unsure how to react to this sudden kindness, felt awkward. However, he didn’t take the hand that was offered. Sa Muheon shrugged lightly, then turned and entered the building. Garam quietly followed him.

They entered a department store. Garam hadn’t even noticed entering such a large building, and it was only now that he realized how absorbed he had been in the outside scenery.

“Let’s buy clothes first.”

“Yes…?”

Coming to a department store just to buy clothes? Garam thought this sounded like a joke, as he usually just bought clothes from online stores, like people his age did.

But Sa Muheon, perhaps noticing Garam’s reaction, grabbed his arm and began to walk.

Garam wanted to say that he didn’t need expensive clothes, but before he could say anything, he just kept quiet.

Through the conversation that had started yesterday, Garam had realized that no matter what he said, he could never change Sa Muheon’s mind.

Garam quietly followed him as he led the way. Instead of entering any of the surrounding stores, Sa Muheon took Garam’s arm and led him to an elevator.

Sa Muheon noticed Garam looking at him with a confused expression but didn’t say anything, waiting for the elevator doors to open.

When the doors opened, a person was waiting for them.

“Hello, sir. Thank you for contacting us in advance. The items you mentioned are ready inside.”

“Ah, thank you. This is the one who needs clothes, so please pick out something that suits him.”

“Yes, of course. This way, please.”

While Sa Muheon spoke with the woman, who seemed to be an employee, Garam just stood there, silently watching them.