Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 44

Chapter 44

 

—

 

Garam made up his mind.

 

He had been putting it off until now, but today he had to talk to Sa Muheon about getting a part-time job.

 

The money left in Garam’s account was barely enough to last a week.

 

As he recalled the balance he had checked earlier, the shameless face of Ryu Beomju came to mind as well, and his teeth clenched involuntarily. It was undoubtedly one of Ryu Beomju’s schemes, but without a way to prove it immediately, Garam felt frustrated.

 

Not only had Ryu Beomju saddled him with an enormous debt of one billion won that he had never even seen, but he was also planning to introduce him to Sa Muheon. Garam had no idea what was going through his mind, nor did he care to find out.

 

Just as Sa Muheon had mentioned using Garam to get rid of Ryu Beomju, perhaps Ryu Beomju was thinking of using Garam in a similar way. Normally, Garam would have been terrified at such a realization, but this time it was different. With Sa Muheon as his solid protector, Garam’s fear of Ryu Beomju had diminished. Moreover, he trusted that Sa Muheon would prove Garam had nothing to do with that billion-won debt.

 

For now, what scared Garam the most was his dwindling bank balance.

 

If Sa Muheon didn’t grant him permission immediately, Garam would have to convince him somehow—but even thinking about persuading him made it clear that time was already tight.

 

From the moment he left home in the morning and throughout his lectures at school, Garam’s mind was occupied with how to bring up the topic with Sa Muheon. The same thoughts followed him on his way home. With the impending conversation looming closer, Garam couldn’t hide his nervousness.

 

Even Jang Seokgyu, who rarely spoke unnecessarily, glanced at Garam’s unusual behavior and cautiously broke the silence.

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

“Huh?”

 

Lost in thought while gazing out the window, Garam was startled and turned to look at Jang Seokgyu, who was in the driver’s seat.

 

“You seem to have a lot on your mind today.”

 

Jang Seokgyu smiled as he continued.

 

“You’ve been looking a little anxious for a while now.”

 

“Ah…”

 

Realizing his feelings had been so transparent, Garam felt embarrassed. Without noticing his reddening ears, he lowered his head and hesitated briefly.

 

If Jang Seokgyu had noticed something was wrong, then Sa Muheon probably already knew as well.

 

In that case, it might be better to stop hiding his worries and instead confide in someone close to Sa Muheon for advice.

 

Having made up his mind, Garam looked up and asked Jang Seokgyu, who was still driving.

 

“Can I ask you something?”

 

“If it’s something I can answer, of course.”

 

“Well…”

 

Garam decided to honestly share his situation.

 

“…So, I’d like to get a part-time job. Do you think Sa Muheon will allow it?”

 

“Hmm…”

 

Jang Seokgyu, who had been nodding along attentively, smiled a little awkwardly at Garam’s final question. Instead of giving a direct answer, he asked a question of his own.

 

“You haven’t told him anything about this yet?”

 

“No.”

 

When Garam nodded, Jang Seokgyu fell silent for a moment. Knowing better than to interrupt someone driving, Garam waited patiently for his response.

 

“Well… I’ve worked with him for quite a while, but this is a first…”

 

“Ah…”

 

“And since I don’t know everything that goes on in his mind, it’s even harder to give you a clear answer.”

 

Hearing this, Garam couldn’t hide his disappointment. He had hoped for some useful advice from someone who knew Sa Muheon well, but Jang Seokgyu’s response was vague.

 

“Still, I think it’d be best to talk to him directly.”

 

“…Will it be okay?”

 

“Of course. He may not seem like it, but he’s actually quite kind.”

 

Encouraged by Jang Seokgyu’s confident words, Garam nodded without hesitation.

 

After all, Sa Muheon did seem kind.

 

He had been kind when he mistook Garam for a squirrel, and even after learning the truth about Garam being a shapeshifter. Technically speaking, Garam had deceived him, yet Sa Muheon hadn’t scolded him and had even let him stay in his house while assigning Jang Seokgyu to look after him.

 

Seeing Garam nod so easily, Jang Seokgyu seemed taken aback despite having been the one to call Sa Muheon kind.

 

“…Do you really think so?”

 

“Yes? Yes.”

 

When Garam responded calmly to Jang Seokgyu’s skeptical question, he saw the corners of Jang Seokgyu’s mouth twitch as if trying to suppress a laugh.

 

Garam didn’t know why he reacted that way, so he simply shrugged and turned back to the window.

 

Sure, Sa Muheon was kind—he had shown plenty of kindness even now. But Garam also knew that he had drawn some boundaries between them.

 

When Sa Muheon had thought Garam was just a squirrel, he had been even kinder. He still teased him occasionally, just like before, but having seen the way Sa Muheon genuinely adored him back then, Garam couldn’t help but feel a little stung by his more distant behavior now.

 

Of course, Sa Muheon had no obligation to be even kinder, and the kindness he showed now was already more than Garam deserved. But sometimes, Garam’s emotions stirred in strange ways.

 

Lost in thought, Garam suddenly noticed that the scenery outside the window had grown familiar. He blinked and snapped out of his thoughts.

 

“Tomorrow’s the weekend, so I’ll see you Monday.”

 

“Alright. Thank you. Have a great weekend.”

 

Bowing slightly, Garam watched Jang Seokgyu laugh heartily as he turned the car around and drove off.

 

After seeing the car leave, Garam stepped into the house.

 

Lately, Sa Muheon had been coming home late every night, so Garam had stopped greeting him out of habit.

 

But today, there were shoes by the entrance—Samutheon’s shoes. Garam’s expression brightened a little.

 

Quickly taking off his own shoes, Garam stepped inside and spotted Sa Muheon sprawled on the living room sofa.

 

He didn’t know when he had come home, but Sa Muheon had already changed into comfortable clothes and was half-lying down with his eyes closed.

 

Assuming he was asleep, Garam quietly observed him for a moment before turning to leave.

 

But before he could take more than a few steps, a low voice called out from behind him.

 

“You’re not even going to say hello anymore?”

 

“Oh.”

 

When Garam turned around, he met Sa Muheon’s gaze staring intently at him. Despite appearing to have just been asleep, there wasn’t the slightest trace of drowsiness in Sa Muheon’s eyes.

 

“I wasn’t trying to avoid greeting you… I just thought you were sleeping.”

 

“Ah… I wasn’t asleep, just a bit tired.”

 

Sa Muheon pressed his fingertips against his eyes and slowly sat up. He looked extremely exhausted.

 

If he was that tired, wouldn’t it be better to just go to sleep? Unaware of Garam’s thoughts, Sa Muheon moved closer to him.

 

“Nothing happened, right?”

 

“No.”

 

When Garam nodded, Sa Muheon murmured quietly.

 

“Well, if something had happened, you wouldn’t be here right now.”

 

His tone was calm as if they were having an ordinary conversation, but the words themselves were anything but. Garam froze, a chill running down his spine, and could only look at Sa Muheon without responding.

 

Unfazed, Sa Muheon casually walked toward the kitchen, as if he didn’t realize what he had just said.

 

“Just in case, if anything feels suspicious, let me know. Seokgyu is actually quite reliable.”

 

“Ah…”

 

Only then did Garam recall the conversation he’d had with Jang Seokgyu in the car earlier.

 

He also remembered that Seokgyu had noticed something off about him lately and likely reported it directly to Sa Muheon.

 

It seemed like Sa Muheon had heard about it and was now subtly probing to see if something was wrong.

 

“It might be better to talk to him directly.”

 

Seokgyu’s earlier advice echoed in Garam’s mind. And right now felt like the perfect timing to speak up.

 

Garam swallowed nervously as tension built up inside him, and he carefully opened his mouth.

 

“Um…”

 

Sa Muheon, who had been drinking water, shifted his eyes to look at Garam without turning his head. Garam waited for him to finish drinking, then spoke again once the cup left his lips.

 

“There’s something I’d like to ask.”

 

“Go ahead.”

 

Garam slowly began to explain his situation—how he’d managed his life after his grandmother passed away, how he received the house from Ryu Beomju but still had to work part-time jobs to cover living expenses.

 

“…So I kept working part-time. My tuition is covered by a scholarship, so that’s fine, but aside from inheriting the house, I don’t have any extra money. I couldn’t sell the house, so I just focused on earning enough for daily expenses through my part-time jobs…”

 

“Why can’t you sell the house?”

 

“…Because if I lose that house too, I won’t have anything left to remember my grandmother by.”

 

“Alright. I get it. And then?”

 

Sa Muheon, who had been listening surprisingly calmly, tilted his head slightly and asked.

 

“…But now the savings I had are almost gone. So I wanted to ask if it’d be okay to get a part-time job again.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

After Garam finished speaking, Sa Muheon seemed to ponder for a moment. But once again, instead of giving an answer, he asked another question.

 

“What do you think I’ll say?”

 

Caught off guard, Garam hesitated before answering honestly.

 

“I’m not sure.”

 

“Really?”

 

Looking slightly amused, Sa Muheon immediately gave his response.

 

“No.”

 

Garam had anticipated rejection, but he hadn’t expected it to be so immediate and final. He couldn’t hide his disappointment.

 

Still, Garam had no choice but to convince him somehow. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even have money to eat.

 

“Well…”

 

Just as Garam opened his mouth to plead again, Sa Muheon cut him off.

 

“Wait a second.”

 

“……”

 

Seeing Garam fall silent, Sa Muheon continued speaking calmly.