Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 76

Chapter 76

 

“Hmm…”

 

Lying flat with his hands clasped over his chest, Garam let out a small sigh.

 

Having drifted in and out of sleep, he was now fully awake, his mind becoming clearer with every passing moment.

 

Eventually, Garam gave up trying to force himself to sleep. He sighed softly and turned over to lie on his side.

 

In the dead of night, surrounded by pitch darkness, countless thoughts began to flood his mind. Most of them revolved around Sa Muheon.

 

Why was Sa Muheon keeping his distance from him? Why didn’t he smile warmly at him anymore?

 

One thought led to another, and Garam’s mind raced until it stopped at the final question.

 

To be honest, Sa Muheon didn’t need to smile warmly at him. During the time Garam had lived in his original form, it had been a given. Sa Muheon had to be careful not to stress him out too much, and since he found Garam’s squirrel form adorable, it probably hadn’t been a difficult task.

 

But now, things were different. No one knew when Garam might revert to his original form due to severe stress, but for now, there was no such danger. And it didn’t make sense for him to be doted on like a child now that he was an adult.

 

To be honest, Garam was slightly taken aback by his own attitude—by how he had taken Sa Muheon’s affection for granted. The affection Sa Muheon had shown him was in no way something Garam was entitled to. Though Sa Muheon was technically his guardian, he wasn’t a blood relative, nor were they close before their encounter. In fact, under normal circumstances, they would never have crossed paths.

 

So, Garam should have been grateful for Sa Muheon’s kindness and affection. And yet…

 

“Sigh…”

 

In the darkness, Garam’s deep sigh dissolved into the air. He turned over again, facing the other side.

 

Sa Muheon had always smiled easily at Garam in his squirrel form. No, perhaps it was more accurate to say that he had worn a gentle smile almost constantly. But after Garam returned to his human form, Sa Muheon stopped smiling at him that way.

 

In fact, his expressions were often somewhat stiff, and his interactions with Garam had become almost formal. Each time Garam saw this, it felt like a small part of his heart was being pricked. And he found himself wishing to see Sa Muheon’s smile again.

 

It wasn’t until today that Garam realized something important.

 

Why do I want to see him smile?

 

That question hit Garam like a bolt of lightning. Feeling heartache simply because someone wasn’t smiling—this was like…

 

Garam cut off his train of thought and pulled the blanket over his head. Beneath the covers, his face burned red. He felt as though he knew the answer. Yet, he also found himself hoping that the answer he suspected wasn’t the truth.

 

His heart wavered, alternately cooling and heating. But the sound of his rapidly beating heart continued to unsettle him.

 

When the alarm woke him, it was already morning. He had no idea when he had fallen asleep.

 

His gaze naturally drifted toward the bedroom door. He was curious whether Sa Muheon had returned safely. Rising quickly, Garam raked a hand through his messy hair, tidying it somewhat, and stepped out of his room.

 

Hearing the clatter of dishes from the kitchen, he headed there, only to be greeted by the sight of a large man who turned and welcomed him with a cheerful smile.

 

“You’re up?”

 

“Oh, yes…”

 

It was Jang Seokgyu. Garam’s eyes widened in surprise, not expecting to see him in the kitchen so early in the morning. Looking around as if searching for someone, Garam’s head swiveled. Noticing this, Seokgyu grinned and gestured with his chin toward Sa Muheon’s bedroom.

 

“He came back late. He’s still asleep.”

 

“Oh…”

 

Realizing he might have been too obvious in his search, Garam’s cheeks flushed slightly. But Seokgyu didn’t seem to notice and turned his gaze away.

 

“He told me to make sure you eat breakfast, so I was preparing something suitable.”

 

“You didn’t have to…”

 

“It was an order from the director, haha.”

 

Seokgyu laughed it off as if it were nothing and told Garam to get ready before breakfast. He also mentioned that it would take a little more time to prepare. Nodding, Garam headed back to his room. On his way, he glanced at Sa Muheon’s closed bedroom door. But the door showed no sign of opening.

 

—

 

In the car on the way to school, Garam kept sneaking glances at Seokgyu, who was in the driver’s seat.

 

Eventually, unable to withstand Garam’s gaze any longer, Seokgyu spoke first.

 

“Is there something you want to say…?”

 

As if waiting for this moment, Garam quickly opened his mouth.

 

“Well, this is about a friend of mine… someone I know pretty well.”

 

Seokgyu had to stifle a laugh. Didn’t Garam realize that starting with such a line made it obvious that he was talking about himself? Or was it that his worry was so pressing that he couldn’t think beyond that?

 

Seokgyu struggled to recall a sad memory to suppress his laughter and managed to compose himself.

 

“Ahem, go ahead.”

 

Encouraged by Seokgyu’s response, Garam continued, unable to meet his eyes.

 

“There’s someone who helps my friend a lot. But lately, my friend has started to feel bothered by that person… They say they don’t really understand their feelings.”

 

“…”

 

Though Seokgyu didn’t reply, Garam seemed emboldened by the silence and kept talking.

 

“They’re wondering if it’s just gratitude because that person has been protecting them, or if they really have feelings for them. Lately, it’s been bothering them that the person doesn’t smile at them…”

 

“Hmm…”

 

Seokgyu could sense that his response here was crucial. He knew full well that the “friend” Garam was referring to was himself and that the person in question was Sa Muheon. This understanding made him even more cautious.

 

“Hmmm…”

 

As Seokgyu’s deliberation dragged on, Garam grew increasingly tense, nervously swallowing.

 

Did he figure out this was about me? I purposely framed it as someone else’s story to avoid that…

 

Garam glanced at Jang Seokgyu in the driver’s seat, but there were no discernible clues in his expression. Anxiously, Garam waited for him to speak.

 

After choosing his words for some time, Jang Seokgyu finally opened his mouth, speaking slowly. If he hesitated any longer, the kid sitting next to him might just pass out from suspense.

 

“I don’t know the full details of the situation, but…”

 

“Yes, yes.”

 

Garam answered like a nervous rookie employee.

 

“For now, the feelings your friend has toward this person could simply be a fondness or affection for a protector—something akin to the feelings one might have for parents or family.”

 

“Ah…”

 

Noticing the slightly disappointed look on Garam’s face, Jang Seokgyu suppressed a chuckle.

 

“Ahem, that’s one possibility. But if that were all there was to it, there wouldn’t be such a concern in the first place, would there?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“In other words, there wouldn’t be a reason for your friend to be so bothered by the fact that this person isn’t smiling.”

 

Jang Seokgyu, watching Garam blink quietly in response, softened his tone even further as he continued.

 

“Right now, your friend is curious about what this person thinks of them, and what’s going through their mind, isn’t that so?”

 

“Ah! That’s right.”

 

Garam nodded vigorously, then awkwardly added a comment.

 

“T-that’s what they said.”

 

“…I see. Anyway, this seems to go beyond simple gratitude for a protector.”

 

“Oh…”

 

Jang Seokgyu’s confident statement caused Garam’s expression to take on a complex nuance. It seemed he had wanted someone to confirm his feelings, but hearing it made his emotions all the more tangled.

 

Having easily deciphered the young man’s thoughts, Jang Seokgyu chose to remain silent and refrained from saying anything further.

 

Garam, too, stayed quiet, gazing out the window until they neared the school. Whatever he was thinking about remained a mystery, but Jang Seokgyu sincerely hoped his words had been helpful to the young man.

 

As they passed through the school gate, Jang Seokgyu spoke again. He wanted to offer a bit more support to the deeply pensive Garam.

 

“And about that protector…”

 

“Yes? Yes…”

 

Lost in thought, Garam jolted slightly and turned to face him.

 

“As your friend likely knows, looking after someone isn’t an easy task. Even among family members, it can be quite challenging.”

 

Garam’s expression darkened for a moment. He recalled how, after his parents passed away, his relatives had tried to shift the responsibility of taking him in onto one another. His head lowered as he nodded heavily.

 

“Well, putting that aside…”

 

Seeing Garam’s face cloud over so quickly, Jang Seokgyu quickly shifted the topic.

 

“In any case… Since this person has been exceptionally helpful, your friend likely feels that the level of care they’re receiving exceeds what might be considered typical.”

 

“Oh…”

 

“It’s also possible that the person in question sees your friend as more than just someone they’re taking care of.”

 

Garam’s eyes widened. Jang Seokgyu figured he’d said all he could. Just as their conversation wrapped up, the car came to a stop.

 

“I hope your friend gives it some serious thought.”

 

“…Yes. Thank you.”