Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 4

The men continued their conversation as if Garam wasn’t even there. From their exchange, Garam could infer a few things. These people weren’t shifter, and they probably didn’t know that Garam was one either.

The man with the rough demeanor finally turned his head and spoke to Garam.

“Hey, kid. Are you Kang Garam?”

“…Yes.”

Garam nodded with difficulty.

“I heard the shifter who used to live here were tiger shifter or something. Anyway, that doesn’t matter. Are you one of them too?”

The man looked Garam up and down. As expected, they knew nothing about him. Garam instinctively realized this was his chance. Shaking his head, he suppressed the trembling in his voice and replied.

“No. I’m not. My mom isn’t shifter, so I wasn’t born as one either.”

“Really? Then you’ll be easier to deal with. Those half-beast bastards can be frustrating sometimes. Guess it’s because they all live together like animals.”

The man jabbed a finger at his head as he laughed, and the other men around him joined in, their laughter loud and boisterous as they humored him.

“Anyway, here. Is this your signature?”

Garam looked down at the document thrust before him. The name written in his handwriting was indeed his, but the content above it was completely unfamiliar. He was sure he had carefully read the document before signing, and nothing like this had been there. Still, the name was undeniably his. Garam nodded heavily.

“…It seems to be.”

“Seems to be? Either it is or it isn’t.”

“This is my name, but I never signed anything like this.”

The man raised an eyebrow and asked again.

“You didn’t sign it?”

“No, I really didn’t. I don’t need that much money, so why would I….”

The man cut him off with a wave of his hand, speaking in an irritated tone.

“Enough. You owe 1 billion won under your name. I don’t know how you spent it all, even with a house like this, but that’s none of my business. I just need the money. So, when are you going to pay it back?”

“…I really didn’t borrow it.”

“That’s not my problem. The money was issued under your name, so what? Did it just vanish into thin air? The repayment period has already passed, so the sooner you pay it back, the better. If you can’t manage it, sell this house and pay up.”

“That’s…”

As Garam hesitated, the man shoved his hands into his pockets and stared at him for a moment before smirking and heading toward a cabinet near the entrance.

Inside the cabinet were delicate teacups and ornaments that Garam’s grandmother had cherished. Without hesitation, the man tipped the large cabinet over.

Crash! Shatter!

A loud noise echoed. Garam’s eyes widened to the limit. His heart raced as if his ears and tail might pop out, but he barely managed to suppress it. The man turned back to Garam, acting as if nothing had happened, his movements casual.

“When it’s time to pay, people always try to weasel out of it. Anyway, we’re just here today to check if there’s someone who can pay. Now you know your options. Next time, have the money ready, or at least the house deed, got it?”

With that, the man turned to his companions and said nonchalantly.

“Let’s go. Leave the kid a business card.”

One of the men handed Garam a card. Trembling, Garam took it, and the men filed out of the house. Their muddy footprints left a chaotic trail behind them.

Though the men had been in the house for only a short time, it felt as if a storm had swept through. Both the house and Garam’s heart were left in shambles. In a daze, Garam stared at the overturned cabinet and the shattered remains of his grandmother’s cherished teacups scattered across the floor.

“…Ah.”

Something heavy seemed to press down on Garam’s chest, making it hard to breathe. Just moments ago, he had been enjoying a pleasant day off, but now his mood had plummeted into despair. His chest felt so tight he wanted to scream, but he didn’t even have the strength for that. Slowly, Garam sank to the floor. As he sat there, tears began to well up.

“One billion won…?”

It was a sum beyond Garam’s imagination. He had never dared to consider borrowing such a large amount, nor did he have any immediate need for it. There was only one person who could have done something like this.

“…Ha, haha…”

A hollow laugh escaped Garam. He resented Ryoo Beomju, who had orchestrated this, but what he resented more was his past self. He hated himself for signing those documents with trembling hands when he didn’t even know what could happen, wondering if the house might be lost, just because of the sly lawyer’s pressure.

Garam looked down at the business card in his hand.

[Mirae Capital]

A powerless laugh escaped him. Anyone who might contact this place had probably long since given up on any future. Why would anyone name it like this? Who came up with such a name? Garam stared at the card in his palm, then clenched his fist. The stiff card crumpled under his hand.

Sitting helplessly, Garam pushed himself up using the wall. His legs still felt shaky, but he couldn’t stay there forever.

He wanted to confront Ryoo Beomju, but he didn’t even know where he was, let alone how to contact him.

As the first anniversary of his grandmother’s death approached, Garam had spent a long time thinking about whether he should contact Ryoo Beomju. After much hesitation, he dialed his number, but all he heard was a brief message saying the number was no longer in service. All Garam’s worries had been in vain.

So now, contacting or confronting him was impossible. Moreover, Garam didn’t even know the lawyer’s contact details, the one who had made him sign those strange documents. All Garam had left were the 1 billion won debt, the business card the men had left, and the house. A faint light of resignation appeared in Garam’s eyes.

Slowly rising to his feet, Garam removed his hand from the wall and stood on his own two feet, looking around. Everywhere in the house were memories with his grandmother. His gaze eventually landed on the broken cabinet.

He stared at it blankly for a while, then, as if having made a decision, clenched his teeth and lifted his chin.

This house was more precious than money, full of memories with his grandmother. The men had told him to prepare either money or the house deed, but Garam couldn’t give them any of that.

“I can’t do that.”

Garam muttered softly. The resignation disappeared as if it had never been there.

Although he didn’t know where Ryoo Beomju was or how to contact him, he couldn’t just sit back and let him have his way. Ryoo Beomju had always looked down on Garam, calling him a worthless squirrel, but the one who raised Garam was a fierce tiger. And Garam had grown into a person with a strong heart, just like the teachings he had received.

“…I’ll find him.”

Garam didn’t naïvely believe that finding Ryoo Beomju would solve everything. The documents clearly had his name on them. Though something still felt off, it was certainly Garam’s signature on the surface. So, even if he found him, the situation surrounding Garam might not change. But doing nothing was not an option.

“A tiger can’t succeed in hunting if it just sits still. It has to give its best effort in even the smallest things.”

As his grandmother had once told him, he had to try whatever he could. The lights at the entrance had been turned off, leaving it in darkness. In that darkness, Garam’s eyes gleamed with resolve.

—

The moment Garam decided to take action, the first thing he did was pull out his suitcase and start packing. He couldn’t take everything, but he quickly gathered important documents and clothes he needed.

After checking that he hadn’t forgotten anything, Garam immediately grabbed his phone and searched for a contact. Among the many saved numbers, there was one person who came to mind first—a reliable person. He pressed the call button, and after a brief dial tone, the other person picked up. Before they even spoke, Garam opened his mouth first.

“Minjae, are you free to talk right now?”

“Garam hyung? What’s up, this late?”

Minjae was Garam’s junior in college, a cat shifter who was adored by everyone for his gentle demeanor. However, Minjae didn’t just get along with everyone who came his way. He seemed to have a rather picky set of standards, and Garam was the senior he followed the most.

Only after hearing Minjae’s voice did Garam glance at his phone screen. It was already close to 10 PM.

“Ah, sorry. Were you sleeping?”

“Not really… What’s going on?”

“I need a favor. Would you be able to hold onto something for me? I’ve got an urgent situation right now… but I’m not sure when I’ll be able to come by.”

Hearing Garam speak faster than usual, Minjae paused for a moment. In that brief silence, Garam’s anxiety gnawed at him. Fortunately, the silence didn’t last long.

“I’m not sure what it is, but if it’s not too difficult, I can come over right away. I’ll text you my address.”

“Ah, thanks.”

Not long after the call ended, Garam received a text message. After confirming the address, Garam grabbed his suitcase and headed for the entrance.