Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 73

Chapter 73

 

While they were talking, lecture time crept up on them. Garam and Minjae parted ways near the back gate with promises to meet again.

 

During the lecture that followed, Garam found himself unable to concentrate for the first time, his mind wandering aimlessly. The thought of wasting an entire lecture made him feel worse, and even after the class ended, his worries lingered.

 

In the end, Garam sought someone who could help.

 

On his way home, Garam turned to Jang Seokgyu, who was sitting beside him, and spoke.

 

“Um… I have something I’d like to ask.”

 

“Go ahead.”

 

“Well, about the Director…”

 

At the mention of Sa Muheon, Jang Seokgyu cast a sidelong glance at Garam. Then, after a brief pause, he replied quietly.

 

“Anything regarding the Director is difficult for me to discuss.”

 

“I’m hesitant to ask him directly… Please listen, and only answer if you think it’s okay.”

 

“…Alright.”

 

It was only after Garam’s earnest plea that Jang Seokgyu nodded. With his permission, Garam asked what he was most curious about.

 

“Does the Director have someone he’s seeing?”

 

Screech—!

 

The car came to a sudden halt at Garam’s question. Nearby vehicles honked loudly as they passed, but thankfully, the commotion subsided as Jang Seokgyu resumed driving.

 

“My apologies.”

 

Was that such a shocking question?

 

Caught off guard by the unexpected reaction, Garam blinked in confusion. When Garam didn’t respond, Jang Seokgyu spoke again cautiously.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“Oh, yes…”

 

Still bewildered, Garam nodded, prompting Jang Seokgyu to exhale a short sigh. He glanced at Garam, his lips twitching as though he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.

 

“If it’s difficult to answer, you don’t have to.”

 

“No, that’s not it…”

 

The reply came quickly. But why was he being so hesitant? Garam’s curiosity only grew as Jang Seokgyu continued to gauge his reaction.

 

“So, can you answer?”

 

“……”

 

Although he said it wasn’t difficult to answer, Jang Seokgyu’s lips shut tight at Garam’s follow-up question. With a slightly stiff expression, he started the car again. His gaze stayed fixed on the road, giving no indication of turning toward Garam. But Garam wasn’t ready to give up and kept staring at his profile. In the end, it was Jang Seokgyu who surrendered.

 

“…He’s not seeing anyone right now.”

 

“Does that mean he used to?”

 

As if waiting for that question, Garam followed up quickly. Jang Seokgyu glanced at him briefly, as though surprised by the idea.

 

“…Of course not. The Director is a snake shifter, after all.”

 

“Oh…”

 

Garam nodded. Right, he’s a snake shifter.

 

Having grown up in the shifter community, Garam was well aware of the general perception of snake shifters. What surprised him more was the way Jang Seokgyu, an ordinary human, answered as if it were obvious.

 

“You’re not a shifter, but you seem to know a lot.”

 

“I’ve had frequent meetings with Madam—that is, the Director’s mother. That’s how I learned.”

 

“Oh…”

 

Garam nodded automatically. He knew the person Jang Seokgyu was talking about.

 

Though much of his explanation was left unsaid, the fact that Sa Muheon was a snake shifter was enough to fill in the gaps. In the shifter community, few people sought out snake shifters as romantic partners. Being a shifter himself, Garam understood Jang Seokgyu’s words easily.

 

“That aside… The Director doesn’t show much interest in others, generally speaking.”

 

Noticing Garam nodding quietly, Jang Seokgyu continued.

 

“Why is that?”

 

Garam tilted his head. Sa Muheon not being interested in others seemed like an odd statement. In Garam’s experience, Sa Muheon was quite attentive, even to someone he’d just met. He had shown unexpected kindness and care toward Garam.

 

“I wouldn’t know why… but…”

 

Jang Seokgyu trailed off, choosing his words carefully before finally speaking.

 

“He’s more interested in animals than people.”

 

“Animals?”

 

Garam reflexively repeated the word, but even before Jang Seokgyu could answer, he found the answer himself.

 

“Oh…”

 

As Garam let out a small sound, Jang Seokgyu silently nodded. That reaction confirmed Garam’s guess.

 

It was true; Sa Muheon had some unusual traits for a snake shifter. The fact that he kept a pet—a hamster, of all things, rather than a common dog or cat—was unusual. Considering he was a snake shifter, it was even more peculiar.

 

“…He is quite unique.”

 

Garam nodded as he spoke. He truly was. Memories of their first meeting surfaced belatedly. Back then, Garam had been in his squirrel form, and Sa Muheon had taken him in, mistaking him for a wild squirrel.

 

“That’s why strange rumors have circulated about him.”

 

“Strange rumors?”

 

“Like the one that says the Director has a thing for small rodent shifters…”

 

Even though he had brought it up, Jang Seokgyu hesitated as though he regretted mentioning it. But the key words had already been said. Garam’s mouth dropped open in shock.

 

“Really?”

 

Seeing Garam’s shocked expression, Jang Seokgyu quickly denied his earlier statement.

 

“No. It’s just a strange rumor. It’s absolutely not true.”

 

“Are you really saying it’s not true…?”

 

Even as he asked, Garam couldn’t completely erase the doubtful look on his face. He even leaned closer to the car door as if trying to distance himself from the innocent Jang Seokgyu. Jang Seokgyu had no choice but to admit his mistake. Letting out a deep sigh, he quickly began to explain.

 

“Yes. The story about the Director bringing a hamster into his home somehow turned into that bizarre rumor. But I assure you, he absolutely does not have such preferences.”

 

After hearing Jang Seokgyu’s explanation, Garam felt a mixture of relief and a strange sense of disappointment.

 

“Still… he likes hamsters and squirrels, doesn’t he? So, who knows?”

 

“…….”

 

The car came to a stop at a red light. Jang Seokgyu turned to look at Garam as if to ask if he was serious. Then, as if realizing something, his eyes scanned Garam’s face. Under the weight of his meaningful gaze, Garam stiffened in nervousness.

 

“…Hmm.”

 

The ambiguous reaction made Garam tilt his head slightly.

 

“…Well, as far as I know, he hasn’t shown interest in anyone so far. But, as you said, there’s no telling who he might meet in the future.”

 

Hearing this, a faint brightness appeared on Garam’s face. Noticing the change, Jang Seokgyu suppressed the urge to laugh and started the car again.

 

“Then, do you happen to know what Mr. Sa Muheon’s ideal type is?”

 

“Ahem.”

 

Jang Seokgyu cleared his throat. The direct question almost made him slam on the brakes again, but this time, he managed to avoid the crisis.

 

The person asking the question might not realize it, but to Jang Seokgyu, the intention behind it was crystal clear. That made him hesitate to reveal anything about his boss. While he wouldn’t make anything up, he didn’t want his words to cause misunderstandings or lead to any unintended consequences.

 

Moreover, during the time Jang Seokgyu had known Sa Muheon, he had never seen him date anyone—not romantically or even casually. Sa Muheon was extremely fastidious in that regard. Therefore, Jang Seokgyu had little knowledge of his boss’s ideal type or preferences.

 

The only thing he could say for certain was that the rumor about Sa Muheon being interested in rodent shifters was completely false. And yet…

 

Jang Seokgyu’s eyes briefly flickered toward Garam, who was sitting beside him with a curious glint in his eyes.

 

In his opinion, his boss seemed to be interested in this young squirrel shifter.

 

Of course, Sa Muheon had never explicitly said so, but it was obvious to anyone who observed him. At least, both Jang Seokgyu and Manager Han, who knew Sa Muheon best, shared the same view.

 

This made him question whether it was right to share anything with this young man.

 

“Was that a difficult question to answer, too…?”

 

But the dejected tone of Garam’s voice made Jang Seokgyu surrender. Despite trying to appear indifferent, he had grown fond of this young man. And since this was the first time he had seen his boss take such an interest in someone, he hoped Sa Muheon’s first love would succeed.

 

“I’ve never heard him mention an ideal type specifically… but why not ask him yourself?”

 

“Me?”

 

Garam jumped in response to Jang Seokgyu’s suggestion. With wide, wavering eyes, he stared at him as if to say, “How could I possibly ask something like that?” The expression almost made Jang Seokgyu burst out laughing. He barely managed to suppress it and spoke in a calm tone.

 

“Well, it’s not that difficult, is it? I’m sure he’d answer that much.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

Really? A small mumble escaped from the seat beside him. Jang Seokgyu had to bite the inside of his cheek hard to keep from laughing.