Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 45

Chapter 45

 

“For now, no matter what you say, I have no intention of allowing it.”

 

“……”

 

“You know you’re in a pretty dangerous state. That’s why I had Seokgyu watch over you.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

“So what part-time job are you talking about?”

 

There wasn’t a single flaw in his words. Of course, Garam hadn’t overlooked those things either. But he needed money right away, and to earn money, he had to work part-time.

 

Garam’s mind went blank in his panic. As he bit his lip tightly, Sa Muheon sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

 

“Ask for it.”

 

“…What?”

 

Sa Muheon sighed again, as if frustrated, and repeated himself clearly so Garam could understand.

 

“You said you don’t have money. Just ask me to lend you some.”

 

“That’s…”

 

“I told that kid the same thing last time—right now, I’m your guardian. I didn’t just say that to get out of the situation. I really am protecting you, so it’s not wrong. Can’t you tell just by how I’ve been buying you all sorts of things?”

 

Garam couldn’t say anything.

 

“Is it really that hard to ask for help?”

 

At Sa Muheon’s murmured words, Garam bit his lip again before finally speaking.

 

“For me, it is.”

 

“What?”

 

Sa Muheon asked again, unable to hear Garam’s soft voice. This time, Garam looked straight at him and repeated himself.

 

“Asking for help… It’s hard for me.”

 

There was no immediate reply from Sa Muheon, but Garam continued speaking.

 

“I… lost my parents when I was young. None of my relatives wanted to take me in, but my dad’s aunt said she would.”

 

“……”

 

“Living with my grandmother was fine. Even without my parents, it was okay because I had her. But… still, sometimes I missed my mom and dad.”

 

For the first time, Garam began to share feelings he had kept deeply hidden from everyone.

 

“But since I had my grandmother, I thought I should be satisfied with that. No matter how much I missed them, I could never see my parents again. I thought I had to get used to that or I’d just keep being sad.”

 

“……”

 

“But just when I was starting to get used to the sadness, my grandmother passed away too.”

 

A bitter smile appeared on Garam’s lips.

 

“It was another car accident. My parents and my grandmother both died in car accidents. After that, I couldn’t even go to school properly. I was terrified of taking the bus. I kept thinking I might die too. Being left alone was so painful, but I didn’t want to die. And thinking that way made me feel even worse.”

 

Sa Muheon didn’t say a word. But the fact that he didn’t interrupt gave Garam the courage to keep going.

 

“I’ve gotten used to being alone now.”

 

Garam revealed the deepest part of his heart—something he had never shared with anyone before.

 

“I finally got used to being alone…”

 

“……”

 

“Why did you take me in?”

 

Although Garam’s voice trembled slightly, there were no tears in his eyes as he looked at Sa Muheon. It was as if he had already cried too much, leaving his voice dry and brittle.

 

“You asked if it’s hard for me to ask for help.”

 

“…Yeah.”

 

It was the first response Sa Muheon had given since Garam started his long explanation.

 

“It is hard. Because… I don’t have many people I can ask.”

 

“……”

 

Sa Muheon’s fists clenched tightly. Garam spoke the words he had been holding back.

 

“…Once I start relying on someone, I feel like I’ll keep getting weaker.”

 

The last sentence came out like a sigh. After finishing, Garam lowered his head deeply.

 

It was the weakest part of himself that he never wanted to show anyone. But at the same time, he wanted someone to comfort him or even pity him.

 

Yet after finally speaking out, Garam had no idea how Sa Muheon would react.

 

Sa Muheon had already shown him plenty of kindness, so Garam suddenly felt like he had said something unnecessary. Regret quickly flooded in.

 

While Garam’s mind swirled with countless thoughts and what-ifs, Sa Muheon remained silent. Just as Garam was about to apologize, Sa Muheon finally spoke.

 

“I don’t really know about things like that.”

 

“……”

 

“You probably heard from that junior of yours—I grew up without much hardship.”

 

Is he bragging now? Garam looked up in confusion to see Sa Muheon wearing a stiff expression that gave nothing away. He continued speaking in his usual tone.

 

“Of course, my mother’s side of the family doesn’t like me much, but that doesn’t affect me. What can they do to me anyway? I was lucky enough to be born to loving parents and receive plenty of affection, so their words don’t hurt me.”

 

Garam couldn’t figure out what point he was trying to make. But since Sa Muheon had listened to him, Garam decided to return the favor and kept listening.

 

“So…”

 

“……”

 

Sa Muheon looked at Garam and let out a deep sigh.

 

“Haa…”

 

Not knowing why he suddenly sighed, Garam just stared at him blankly. Sa Muheon ran his hand roughly through his hair before speaking again.

 

“Anyway, it wasn’t my place to speak carelessly about your situation. I’m sorry.”

 

“Ah…”

 

That was all Garam could say. Sa Muheon, who had admitted his apology without hesitation, continued speaking.

 

“That doesn’t mean I’m allowing you to go out and work. Instead, borrow the money from me.”

 

“What?”

 

“I’m not telling you to take out a loan or anything. Didn’t you say that 1 billion won wasn’t even something you borrowed yourself?”

 

“Yes. I… I didn’t borrow it.”

 

As Garam nodded eagerly, Sa Muheon let out a short sigh and muttered something under his breath. The words were so quiet that Garam couldn’t make them out, but it sounded like curses directed at someone.

 

“I told you I couldn’t completely trust you. That still hasn’t changed. Once we dig into Manager Hong… I mean, Ryu Beomju, we’ll find out the exact truth. Until then, I can’t fully trust you.”

 

“…Okay.”

 

“It’s not that I’m doubting you, it’s just… ha… that’s the kind of person I am. If I don’t have concrete proof right in front of me, I tend not to trust things easily. So don’t feel bad about that.”

 

As Sa Muheon continued to speak, a faint smile appeared on Garam’s lips. In the end, all these lengthy explanations were for Garam’s sake. Sa Muheon was trying to be considerate, worried that his words might hurt Garam.

 

Garam thought Sa Muheon was, as expected, a kind person. That’s why he was still looking out for him even in this moment.

 

Noticing the smile on Garam’s lips, Sa Muheon made a subtle expression.

 

“…Why are you smiling?”

 

“No reason.”

 

Despite Sa Muheon’s sharp tone, Garam couldn’t hold back his laughter. When Garam finally burst out laughing, Sa Muheon shook his head as if giving up.

 

“If it turns out that Ryu Beomju was responsible, I’ll consider your debt cleared.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Why would I lie about something like that? You didn’t even borrow that money, so I had no intention of making you pay it back anyway. The one who borrowed it should pay it back.”

 

Sa Muheon’s eyes gleamed dangerously as he spoke. Garam swallowed nervously and looked at his face.

 

“Anyway. For now, I’ll handle any expenses, so don’t worry about it.”

 

“But I feel bad…”

 

“Then just think of it as payment for helping me out with my work.”

 

Helping? When Garam looked up at him in confusion, Sa Muheon answered briefly.

 

“I told you I wanted to use you to get rid of Ryu Beomju. Just think of it as helping with that.”

 

“…Oh.”

 

Only then did Garam nod. Thinking about it that way made him feel more at ease.

 

“Alright. Then everything’s settled, right?”

 

“…Yes.”

 

It really felt like all his worries had been perfectly resolved.

 

The problem that had troubled him all day unexpectedly turned out in a good way. On top of that, Garam had opened up about feelings he had kept hidden for so long, making him feel lighter than ever.

 

When Garam nodded with a bright smile, Sa Muheon looked at him briefly before turning around.

 

“…Then that’s settled. Let’s eat. I’m hungry.”

 

“Yes!”

 

After what Sa Muheon considered a simple meal, he went into his bedroom and came back out with his wallet. He pulled out a card from it and handed it to Garam.

 

When Garam just stared blankly, Sa Muheon firmly placed the card in his hand.

 

“Use this.”

 

“What?”

 

Startled, Garam tried to return the card, but Sa Muheon was adamant and pushed it back into his hands.

 

“Use it. What do you think this is, paying you a salary every month?”

 

“But…”

 

In the end, Garam couldn’t win against Sa Muheon’s stubbornness. He accepted the card carefully and expressed his gratitude with heartfelt sincerity.