Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Jang Seokgyu made eye contact with the squirrel perched on his shoulder and raised one eyebrow. However, when Garam didn’t react, he merely shrugged his shoulders lightly and stepped inside.

Sa Muheon, who was walking ahead, clicked his tongue and flicked his hand lightly. Garam realized that it was the same hand he had bitten before running away. His gaze naturally followed the hand cutting through the air.

And it seemed Jang Seokgyu, who knew nothing about the situation, also noticed, as he cleared his throat and asked a question to Sa Muheon, who was walking ahead.

“Are you hurt?”

Since it was only a small squirrel bite, there was no way Jang Seokgyu, standing at a slight distance, could see the wound. Sa Muheon glanced briefly in Jang Seokgyu’s direction before turning his head away again.

“No.”

His response was curt. But as if to preempt any further questions, he opened his mouth again.

“I bumped into something.”

Jang Seokgyu didn’t seem to find anything odd about this and nodded in understanding, but Garam’s gaze remained fixed on Sa Muheon’s bitten hand.

Garam was still shocked that Sa Muheon had touched his tail, and startled by Jang Seokgyu’s sudden arrival, he had instinctively bitten Sa Muheon’s hand harder than he intended. The sensation of his teeth sinking into flesh was unmistakable. It was likely that Sa Muheon’s hand bore a visible bite mark.

Yet, Sa Muheon brushed off Jang Seokgyu’s curiosity with a ridiculous excuse, as if nothing had happened. The way he seemed to downplay the incident out of consideration for Garam left Garam feeling conflicted.

There was no doubt that he had been hurt. It must have stung, yet Sa Muheon spoke as though it was no big deal. Garam couldn’t stop his gaze from flitting between Sa Muheon’s hand and his face. While he felt guilty, a part of him was also resentful. After all, why had Sa Muheon been touching his tail in the first place?

Sa Muheon made himself comfortable on the living room sofa. Jang Seokgyu, who had come to deliver a report, reached out to hand him some documents but seemed to belatedly notice the presence of the squirrel still perched on his shoulder. He cast a brief glance at Garam.

Realizing belatedly that he had stayed on someone else’s shoulder for too long, Garam was startled and quickly scurried down Jang Seokgyu’s body. His final descent was more of a leap from a considerable height. Alarmed, Jang Seokgyu awkwardly bent over and reached out his hand, but Garam had already landed safely on the floor and was looking up at him.

“Whew…”

Jang Seokgyu let out a small gasp, seemingly impressed by the quick movements, and stared at Garam. Sa Muheon, who had been leaning back on the sofa, half-rose as though ready to rush to Garam’s side at any moment. His lips parted as if to call out to Garam, but he quickly shut them again and leaned back against the sofa.

Watching Sa Muheon’s reaction, Garam scurried off. As he stepped into the slightly open bedroom, Jang Seokgyu’s voice came from behind him. Garam paused to listen to their conversation.

“He’s heading into your bedroom, sir.”

“…Leave him be.”

Ordinarily, Sa Muheon would never have let Garam go anywhere alone, but today he allowed it, likely because of what had just happened between them.

Hearing Sa Muheon’s reply, Garam continued into the bedroom.

It was a room he had grown accustomed to. His tiny claws made soft clicking sounds against the floor. Climbing the small steps Sa Muheon had prepared for him, Garam ascended to the bed and headed straight for the side table.

Hopping onto the little bed placed there for him, Garam plopped down.

“…Squeak.”

With a small sigh, he lifted his arms and rubbed his face furiously. His head was spinning from the events that had unfolded so quickly.

The most baffling thing was why Sa Muheon had secretly touched his tail in the first place.

Even though Garam was currently living in his original form, a small squirrel, that didn’t mean he was truly a squirrel. He was a proper squirrel shapeshifter and an adult.

Yet, for another shapeshifter—not even a clueless human—to casually play with his tail like that? That was a bit…

As he thought more about it, he could almost feel the sensation of Sa Muheon’s hand on his tail again. His face burned at the memory, and he rubbed his face even harder.

But this time, even that wasn’t enough to dispel his embarrassment. In the end, he stomped his feet a few times before the shame began to subside.

After calming his turbulent emotions, Garam resumed his train of thought.

When he first came to this house, there had been a few occasions when Sa Muheon had touched his small ears or stroked his fluffy tail.

But that was back when Sa Muheon genuinely thought Garam was just a squirrel he had picked up on the street. There was no point in bringing up those past incidents now. If Garam had encountered a real animal, he likely would have acted similarly.

However, things were different now. Sa Muheon knew that Garam was not a squirrel but a squirrel shapeshifter. Touching the tail of a sleeping shapeshifter… there was only one reason Garam could think of for such an action.

It could only be interpreted as a signal of wanting to form a bond—or perhaps spend just one night together.

The thought made Garam swallow hard.

“Squeak, squeak…”

‘N-no way…’

Sa Muheon had certainly said such words when he first brought Garam to this house. Despite all the prejudices against snake shapeshifters, he had firmly assured Garam that he had absolutely no such intentions in bringing him here.

But now, secretly touching Garam’s tail while he was asleep—how was he supposed to interpret that? His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.

And there was one more thing that left Garam feeling troubled.

“Jang Seokgyu! Catch him!”

The words Sa Muheon had shouted behind him when he had bitten Sa Muheon’s finger and fled continued to echo in his mind.

Garam had run away not to escape the house but merely to get away from Sa Muheon’s hand for a moment. However, Sa Muheon had shouted in a terrifying voice, as if Garam were about to flee the house entirely. That was what made Garam feel even more conflicted.

Ryu Beomju always looked down on him, calling him a foolish squirrel shapeshifter. But Garam had grown up hearing from his grandmother that he was a clever and wonderful squirrel. In truth, Garam was far from a foolish squirrel.

He knew all too well the dangers of going outside carelessly and risking capture by Ryu Beomju. Sa Muheon had explained this to him, and Garam had agreed with his reasoning, finding no flaws in it.

That was why, ever since Sa Muheon had brought him into this house, Garam had never once thought of going out on his own or even wanted to.

And yet, Sa Muheon still seemed to worry about Garam leaving the house. That made Garam feel a bit hurt. And that loud voice that had erupted behind him—it had scared him, too.

Feeling dejected, Garam drooped his shoulders as he recalled the day Sa Muheon had brought him back to this house and the words Sa Muheon had said then.

“I believe you weren’t lying. But I still can’t completely trust you.”

Was that why? Of course, Sa Muheon had admitted that he wasn’t someone who trusted others easily and had said he would wait and observe until everything became clear…

“Squeak…”

‘Even so…’

Garam had secretly thought that by now, all of Sa Muheon’s doubts would have been resolved.

Even before Garam started living in his original form, Sa Muheon had begun to show him considerable kindness, even openly doting on him. That was why Garam believed that Sa Muheon had finally opened his heart to him.

Garam understood that what Sa Muheon offered him wasn’t quite affection, nor was it mere sympathy—it was something that fell somewhere in between, stemming from a sense of pity for a child caught in a complicated situation.

But for Garam, even that was enough. However, the possibility that Sa Muheon might still distrust him made Garam reconsider everything Sa Muheon gave him as something temporary, something that might end at any moment. And that realization left Garam feeling a bit downhearted.

“Phew…”

A sigh escaped him. Startled by his own sigh, Garam lifted his head and quickly looked around. Fortunately, Sa Muheon’s voice could still be faintly heard through the slightly ajar door, indicating he was still talking with someone. Strangely, just knowing that Sa Muheon was nearby put Garam’s mind at ease.

Sa Muheon might not fully trust Garam, but at least Garam trusted him completely.

If Sa Muheon were to find out how Garam felt, how would he react? Would he think Garam was a bit foolish and naïve?

But Garam couldn’t help it. Sa Muheon had willingly reached out to him when he was cornered and had chosen to become his protector. It was only natural for Garam to trust him and open his heart to him.