Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 70

Chapter 70

“Th-that….”

Sa Muheon hesitated, his lips trembling slightly, but after that one syllable, he closed his mouth without saying anything further. Raising one hand to cover his face, he seemed to stop breathing for a moment, and when he finally spoke, his voice sounded as though he was on the verge of choking.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Okay.”

Seeing him so embarrassed and genuinely apologetic, it must have been a simple mistake. Thinking so, Garam nodded lightly, brushing it off as no big deal. Hearing Garam’s breezy response, Sa Muheon lowered the hand covering his face to gauge Garam’s expression.

“…I really am sorry.”

“Alright, I understand.”

Garam nodded again, picking up the chopsticks he had set down.

Sa Muheon had said it was okay, understanding that what had happened to him was completely unexpected. From Garam’s perspective, what had occurred the previous night—when Muheon had pressed his lips against his—could be fully explained as something done under the influence of alcohol. Considering how attentive and caring Sa Muheon had always been toward Garam before learning about his true nature as a shifter, it didn’t seem strange at all.

“Ah… I see….”

When Garam continued eating with an unaffected expression, Sa Muheon let out a sigh, muttering as though he were finally letting his guard down, before resuming his meal.

The only sounds at the table were the faint clinking of utensils against the bowls.

Normally, Sa Muheon ate quickly and in large amounts, but today, he seemed to be picking at his food. It was typical for him to finish eating first and wait for Garam, but this time, even after Garam had finished his meal, much of Sa Muheon’s food remained untouched.

Garam sat quietly, waiting for him to finish, but in the end, Sa Muheon left food on his plate. The sight of him leaving food was something Garam had never seen before, and his eyes widened in surprise. However, Sa Muheon didn’t seem to notice Garam’s reaction.

“I’ll handle the cleanup, so go rest.”

“Oh, but I can—”

“You’re still recovering. Get ready to go to the hospital and rest. I’ll finish up and come out soon.”

“Okay….”

Reluctantly agreeing, Garam left the kitchen.

As he unconsciously made his way toward Sa Muheon’s bedroom, Garam grabbed the doorknob, then suddenly realized what he was doing and quickly retraced his steps. Fortunately, Sa Muheon, busy in the kitchen, didn’t seem to notice where Garam was headed. Garam carefully moved to his own room, ensuring he wouldn’t attract attention.

It had been so long since he had been in his room that it felt slightly unfamiliar. Perhaps it was because he had always lived in Sa Muheon’s bedroom since moving into this house. Despite the money and effort Sa Muheon had poured into decorating it, Garam had never truly felt that this was his room.

Garam sat briefly on the unfamiliar bed before standing up again. He needed to get ready, just as Sa Muheon had said.

—

At the hospital, Garam underwent a brief examination and was told he seemed to have fully recovered. His face lit up with astonishment and joy. Though Sa Muheon maintained his composure, a faint smile spread across his lips, clear for anyone to see.

“Living in your original form for so long couldn’t have been easy. You’ve done very well. We were worried your recovery might take longer since you were hospitalized for a short period not long ago.”

“Will it be okay to stop monitoring him for now?”

“Yes. If you look here, you can see his stress levels.”

The doctor pointed to the test results and continued speaking.

“Currently, his levels are within a very stable range—actually, they’re even lower than average. It seems he’s been managing very well. Unless he experiences an extremely severe stressor that’s too overwhelming to handle, he should be fine. Just go about your daily life as usual.”

“Understood. Thank you.”

After Sa Muheon gave a polite bow, Garam quickly followed suit, bowing his head deeply.

“Thank you, doctor.”

“Haha, it’s nothing. The patient worked hard to recover. I hope you stay healthy from now on.”

“Yes!”

Garam’s energetic response made the doctor laugh heartily as he handed him a few pieces of candy. It was something usually given to children, but Garam, already in high spirits, accepted it with a bright smile.

His steps felt unusually light as they left the hospital. It was as if he were walking on clouds, his heart buoyant.

Watching Garam brimming with excitement, Sa Muheon let out a small laugh and grabbed his arm as he walked ahead.

Garam turned around, wondering why, and then noticed a car passing in front of him. Embarrassed, he smiled sheepishly.

“I can see you’re in a good mood, but you still need to pay attention to where you’re going.”

“Okay…”

Dragging out his reply, Garam nodded, and Sa Muheon ruffled his hair lightly, as if satisfied.

“Let’s take it easy for this week, and you can return to school starting next week.”

“Alright.”

Garam quietly nodded. Either way, the opportunity to take exams properly had long since passed. He would need to complete alternative assignments, so it seemed best to rest at home until the end of this week. To return to school, he would need Jang Seok-gyu’s help, and it seemed like he would also need time to adjust his schedule.

Seeing Garam comply so easily, Sa Muheon gave a small nod in response.

—

After returning home and confirming that Garam had gone into his room, Sa Muheon walked past it and headed to his own bedroom.

Once he closed the door and was alone, he leaned against the closed door and slid to the floor. Sitting there, he let out a long sigh and ran his hands repeatedly over his face.

“Ha…”

He had no idea how he had managed to go back and forth between home and the hospital all day. The flustered situation he had faced that morning had left him in a daze, as though half his mind had been elsewhere throughout the day.

When he first saw Garam in his arms, he thought he was dreaming.

Even with his muddled head, he could recall meeting Eun Suhyeok the night before and drinking with him. He had wondered what major issue had prompted Eun Suhyeok to call him out, only to find out it was a consultation about his romantic relationship.

If it had been anyone else but Eun Suhyeok, Sa Muheon might have cursed them for dragging him out over something so trivial. However, Eun Suhyeok’s face had looked unusually grim, and so Sa Muheon had no choice but to listen to his story quietly.

Moreover, for Eun Suhyeok, romantic matters were extremely significant. His true form was a gray wolf, and wolves, once they set their hearts on someone, never allowed anyone else into their lives. In that sense, a struggling relationship was effectively a life-or-death issue for him.

Listening to his friend’s story had left Sa Muheon feeling strangely weighed down himself. Before he knew it, one drink turned into two, then three, and so on. He had also felt a bit at ease, knowing Jang Seok-gyu had been left at home to look after things.

Even though he wasn’t someone who usually got drunk easily, the constant flow of drinks had completely inebriated Sa Muheon within just two hours. Fortunately, Eun Suhyeok, who had been pouring his heart out, received a call from his significant other as he was finishing his story and left the table looking visibly relieved.

Although Sa Muheon managed to return home safely, his memory of what happened after that was completely blank. He could only assume he had either walked to his bed on his own or that Jang Seok-gyu, unable to stand by, had moved him there.

That’s why, at first, he thought the sight of Garam in his arms was just an extension of his dream.

But the warmth of Garam’s body, which was much hotter than his own, the way Garam averted his eyes shyly, and, most of all, the words that came out of his mouth—all these things made it clear to Sa Muheon that this wasn’t a dream but reality.

He hadn’t even had time to feel overjoyed that the little squirrel had finally returned to his original form. Instead, overwhelmed, he had quickly left the bedroom and rushed to the dressing room. It was only after bringing clothes for Garam, closing the bedroom door behind him, and stepping outside that he realized he should have brought the clothes into the room. But he didn’t have the courage to go back inside.

“I’m insane.”

Recalling the morning’s events, Sa Muheon muttered under his breath, his voice brimming with conviction.

“Yes, I’ve finally lost it.”

With that, he closed his eyes tightly.

What on earth had he been thinking when he saw that boy in his arms that morning?

Feeling the warmth of Garam’s exposed shoulder under the blanket, Sa Muheon had wanted to sink his teeth into his neck. Claiming it was because he had mistaken it for a dream was no excuse. Even if it had been a dream, the mere fact that he had harbored lust for someone eleven years his junior made him feel like a despicable piece of trash.

“Ha…”

There was a time when he had suspected Garam was Ryu Beom-ju’s hidden lover. Back then, what had he said about Ryu Beom-ju?

A scumbag of the lowest order. A man so useless he couldn’t even be recycled. He had mocked him countless times, saying he was a tiger living worse than a housecat. Yet all of that was like spitting in his own face.

Sa Muheon sighed repeatedly, running his hands over his face, unable to muster the strength to get up from the floor.

Until now, he had thought his feelings for Garam were similar to those of an older brother caring for a younger sibling. But after today, he realized that wasn’t the case at all.

What kind of lunatic harbored lustful thoughts toward someone they saw as a younger sibling?

Sa Muheon knew he needed to re-evaluate and define the direction of his emotions toward Garam.