Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 49

Chapter 49

 

Sa Muheon’s head turned so quickly it made a sharp sound.

 

“What are you apologizing for?”

 

“For making you skip a meal…”

 

“It’s not like I couldn’t eat because of you, it was because of that jerk, so don’t say that.”

 

“……”

 

When Garam pressed his lips tightly shut, Sa Muheon let out a small sigh and murmured.

 

“You’re such a little thing, always worrying too much.”

 

“…I’m not little.”

 

“Sure, you’re not little, but you’re young.”

 

“I’m not that young either.”

 

Garam, who had been sulking just moments ago, retorted in a sharp tone as if to prove otherwise. Sa Muheon chuckled and unbuckled Garam’s seatbelt.

 

“Saying you’re not young is proof that you are.”

 

“……”

 

Unable to counter that remark, Garam pouted. Before Sa Muheon could open the door for him, Garam opened it himself.

 

Though Sa Muheon expected him to head inside first, Garam stood by the entrance, waiting for him.

 

He looked like a puppy wanting its sulking to be noticed, and the sight brought a chuckle to Sa Muheon. Naturally, Garam glared at him with wide eyes upon hearing the laugh.

 

—

 

Since that day, Garam never mentioned what happened. It was as though he was deliberately avoiding the topic, and Sa Muheon didn’t bring it up either.

 

Sa Muheon only brought it up when he was with Jang Seokgyu and Chief Han for the first time in a while.

 

Both Jang Seokgyu, known for his hot temper, and the usually calm Chief Han were enraged by Ryu Beomju’s rudeness.

 

“It’s clear he’s up to something. There’s no way he could act that brazenly without something to back him up. Something’s definitely off.”

 

“I agree. He’s been gathering money on the side, so he’s clearly planning something…”

 

Chief Han trailed off.

 

“You’re not sure what his intentions are yet, right?”

 

At Sa Muheon’s question, Chief Han nodded heavily.

 

“I’ve also asked my mother to look into something separately, so let’s start with that and dig deeper afterward.”

 

“Understood.”

 

“What about you, Seokgyu? Nothing unusual on your end?”

 

Turning his gaze to Jang Seokgyu after hearing Chief Han’s response, Sa Muheon prompted him to speak. Jang Seokgyu jumped at the chance.

 

“At first, no one approached me at all. But recently, there have been instances of people taking photos from afar.”

 

“Photos?”

 

“Yes. I caught a few and made them delete the data on the spot, but there were cases where they took pictures from very far away. In those instances, I made sure to block their view as much as possible.”

 

Although it was just photos, with Ryu Beomju’s schemes unclear, nothing could be taken lightly.

 

Frowning in thought, Sa Muheon asked, “No one has approached directly?”

 

“No, not yet.”

 

Reassured by Jang Seokgyu’s firm reply, Sa Muheon nodded. With Jang Seokgyu around, there was little chance Garam would be kidnapped.

 

“Seems like there’s nothing more to uncover for now. I’ll visit my mother tomorrow, and after that, I’ll report back to Chief Han.”

 

“Yes, understood.”

 

“Seokgyu, I know you’re doing well, but I’d appreciate it if you could stay extra vigilant.”

 

“Yes, I will.”

 

Hearing their responses, Sa Muheon rose from his seat without hesitation, signaling the end of their meeting.

 

“You’re leaving already?”

 

“Yeah. I dropped him off at home earlier. He gets really lonely when he’s by himself.”

 

At Sa Muheon’s reply, Jang Seokgyu widened his eyes and glanced at Chief Han sitting beside him. Chief Han simply smiled and shook his head.

 

Seeing the two exchange a meaningful look, Sa Muheon frowned deeply.

 

“What are you two doing?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

Realizing Sa Muheon’s mood was souring, Jang Seokgyu quickly bowed his head and hurried out of the office.

 

Sa Muheon turned to Chief Han, but Chief Han merely said he was leaving too and walked out, leaving Sa Muheon alone.

 

Left by himself, Sa Muheon felt a vague unease but couldn’t pinpoint its source. Clicking his tongue in frustration, he left the office.

 

He thought seeing Garam would help ease his irritation.

 

—

 

It had been a long time since Sa Muheon had looked forward to the weekend like this—probably not since he was a high schooler. He thought this as he finished preparing to go out.

 

“Don’t skip meals just because you’re alone.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Don’t open the door for anyone, no matter who it is. Even if Seokgyu says it’s him, don’t open it.”

 

“Yes…”

 

Garam quietly nodded. Sa Muheon smiled contentedly and patted Garam on the head.

 

“I won’t be too late.”

 

“Yes. Have a safe trip.”

 

When Sa Muheon showed no sign of wrapping up his farewell, Garam let out a small laugh.

 

Only after confirming Garam’s smiling face did Sa Muheon finally seem ready to leave, heading to the front door.

 

Before the door fully closed, Garam could be seen waving his hand lightly. It was a smooth start to the outing.

 

The family home, where Sa Muheon arrived for the first time in a while, was as splendid as ever. The garden, tended to his mother’s taste, was filled with flowers blooming in vibrant harmony, even from a distance.

 

Taking in the familiar surroundings, Sa Muheon pressed the doorbell. The door opened without any question of who was there.

 

As he stepped inside, the delicious aroma of food wafted toward him. Naturally, Sa Muheon headed to the kitchen, where his mother was busy moving about.

 

“I didn’t think you’d come this early. I’m not quite done yet, so just sit in the living room for now.”

 

Sa Heeran glanced briefly at her son before returning to her bustling activity. Sa Muheon, not expecting a particularly affectionate greeting, was satisfied with that.

 

However, instead of heading to the living room as she suggested, he stayed by her side, helping with small tasks. Sa Heeran, pleased with his actions, smiled as she spoke.

 

“You don’t even eat much, yet you’re so good at helping in the kitchen.”

 

“That’s because you taught me since I was little.”

 

“Exactly. A man should at least know how to handle kitchen work.”

 

Her remark reflected the mindset of a snake shapeshifter who saw housework as naturally within a man’s domain.

 

Sa Muheon chuckled and carried the dishes as his mother instructed.

 

“What about Father?”

 

“He said he was going to work out today. Why, do you miss him?”

 

“Not particularly. I see him often anyway.”

 

At his reply, Sa Heeran gave a faint smile and continued preparing the meal.

 

Although there were only two people to eat, the dishes laid out on the table seemed excessive for just the two of them.

 

Ordinary people might have worried whether they could finish the table so densely packed that no empty space was visible, but these were two snake shapeshifters.

 

The two devoured the food quickly. From start to finish, no conversation passed between them.

 

Despite the abundance of dishes, it didn’t take long for them to be cleared away.

 

“I prepared a lot because it’s been a while since you came, but it seems it wasn’t enough.”

 

“It’s fine.”

 

Although it did feel a bit lacking, as his mother mentioned, Sa Muheon shook his head, saying it was fine.

 

Clearing the table was Sa Muheon’s job. While he tidied the kitchen, Sa Heeran simply told him to come to the study once he finished before disappearing into it herself.

 

For Sa Muheon, this was nothing unusual, a scene he was accustomed to.

 

Snake shapeshifters followed a strict matriarchal system, and this was no different in Sa Muheon’s family, where his mother was the head of the household.

 

Having been raised under her guidance, Sa Muheon had grown highly skilled at household chores. Even his father, who was fearsome enough to be called “the formidable chairman” outside, couldn’t lift a finger against her at home.

 

Although he now paid others to do such tasks out of convenience, this didn’t mean Sa Muheon wasn’t adept at housework.

 

Finishing the kitchen cleaning in no time, Sa Muheon headed to the study. After knocking on the closed door, he entered before hearing a response, greeted by his mother’s smiling face.

 

“Oh my, you’re done already?”

 

“Yes.”

 

When Sa Muheon approached, his mother gestured to the chair in front of her desk with a tilt of her chin. Sa Muheon obediently sat down, waiting for her to speak.

 

“It’s been so long since you asked me to look into something, so I put in some effort.”

 

Sa Heeran smiled brightly as she handed a file to Sa Muheon.

 

“You said that tiger shapeshifter was suspicious, so I looked into him and a few people around him. They all seemed a bit strange.”

 

“Hm…”

 

“For starters, it’s most suspicious that a shapeshifter with a tiger as his essence would fake his death and live like an ordinary human.”

 

Sa Muheon nodded quietly.

 

It had been quite some time since Ryu Beomju, under the name Hong Taegyu, started working under CEO Yoo Taewoo.

 

Because his mother was a highly respected figure in the shapeshifter society, there were many who knew of Ryu Beomju. That’s why, when Ryu Beomju introduced himself as Hong Taegyu, Sa Muheon found the situation quite interesting.

 

“I heard he’s been hoarding money in secret, so I focused on that. Turns out, there have been cases where he illegally embezzled funds and pinned the blame on others, causing innocent people to suffer.”