Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 86

Chapter 86

Last time, he had the excuse of thinking it was a dream, but this time, even that flimsy justification wouldn’t work. Unlike Garam, who was too drunk to remember anything, Sa Muheon had been completely sober. He wasn’t even drowsy. Although he hadn’t told Garam, Sa Muheon had spent the previous night wandering aimlessly around the living room, waiting for him to return.

If someone who knew Sa Muheon had seen that scene, they would have doubted their eyes. Even Jang Seokgyu, who had brought Garam home, couldn’t have guessed that his boss was suppressing his nervousness while waiting for Garam, who hadn’t come back yet.

—

When Sa Muheon heard through Jang Seokgyu that Garam had plans with his university classmates, he simply replied with an acknowledgment. He knew very well that as long as Seokgyu was with Garam, nothing serious would happen to him.

But knowing that in his head didn’t stop Sa Muheon from failing to hide his unease until Garam returned.

No one could have expected it. Of course, Sa Muheon himself hadn’t expected it either.

He had been fine when he first arrived home. But as the sun began to set in the empty house, a strange sense of anxiety crept over him. Sa Muheon, who had been comfortably sprawled on the sofa until then, rose to his feet, unable to endure the restlessness any longer. From that point on, he spent the entire evening pacing around the living room, straining his ears for the sound of a car pulling into the garage.

As Sa Muheon wandered the living room throughout the evening, he eventually realized that he was acting completely differently from his usual self. The realization struck him like lightning, and he froze in the middle of the living room.

This was no longer normal. It wasn’t hard to notice that his feelings for that much younger “squirrel” were veering in an entirely different direction. That realization left Sa Muheon feeling even more subdued.

To make matters worse, not long after, he received a call from Jang Seokgyu that sent his mood plummeting.

I’m on my way back now, but he seems to have had quite a bit to drink and isn’t fully coherent.

It wasn’t hard to guess who was drunk. Sa Muheon let out a deep sigh.

Not long after the call ended, the doorbell rang. Sa Muheon’s steps toward the front door were noticeably quicker than usual.

When he opened the door, the first thing he saw was Jang Seokgyu’s troubled expression. Sa Muheon’s gaze slowly shifted downward. Garam, with one arm draped around Seokgyu’s neck, was completely limp. His closed eyes made him look as if he were asleep. Without taking his eyes off Garam’s face, Sa Muheon spoke.

“Is he asleep?”

“You could say that. He doesn’t seem fully asleep, though… I’ll bring him inside.”

“No, it’s fine.”

When Seokgyu tried to help Garam inside, Sa Muheon shook his head. Instead, he took Garam from Seokgyu. As if noticing that he was being moved, Garam’s eyes slowly opened. His half-lidded gaze reflected Sa Muheon’s face.

“Uh…”

Garam’s lips parted slightly as if he wanted to say something. But without a word, he pressed his lips together again and blinked slowly, taking in the sight of Sa Muheon. Seokgyu, looking unsure of what to do, glanced back and forth between Garam and Sa Muheon.

Though he knew Seokgyu was waiting for him to say something, Sa Muheon remained silent. He stared intently at Garam’s eyes, which gradually disappeared beneath his eyelids. Only when Garam’s gaze was fully hidden under his lashes did Sa Muheon finally turn his attention to Seokgyu.

“You can go.”

“But…”

Despite Sa Muheon’s dismissal, Seokgyu hesitated. But when Sa Muheon said nothing and simply stared at him, Seokgyu eventually bowed his head.

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

“You’ve done well.”

“No problem. I’ll see you Monday.”

With another bow, Seokgyu stepped back and left through the front door. Once the door was fully closed, Sa Muheon carried the limp Garam inside.

Not long after, while Garam had been breathing evenly as if asleep, his brows furrowed. Sa Muheon, who had been observing Garam’s condition, immediately stopped walking. Garam, frowning as if uncomfortable, slowly opened his eyes.

Squinting as if his vision was blurry, Garam tried to steady himself. Sa Muheon lowered the arm that was draped over his shoulder and grabbed Garam’s shoulders to support him. But Garam, unaware that Sa Muheon was holding him, swayed precariously and barely managed to extend an arm.

Thud.

Garam flailed and managed to grab onto Sa Muheon’s arm, regaining his balance.

“Phew.”

He let out a small sigh. A strong scent of alcohol wafted through the air with that sigh. Sa Muheon frowned slightly and tightened his grip on Garam’s body.

“Hehe…”

After the sigh, Garam suddenly burst into laughter. At this point, even Sa Muheon couldn’t help but laugh. On top of that, he realized how much he had underestimated Garam all this time. When they first met, Garam’s small squirrel-like appearance had likely contributed to that perception. It was surprising to see someone who seemed like they wouldn’t even touch alcohol come home completely drunk.

Holding Garam by the shoulders, Sa Muheon simply looked down at him without saying a word. For some reason, Garam, who had been nodding to himself, suddenly lowered his head. At the same time, his knees buckled, and he began to collapse. Fortunately, before he completely hit the floor, Sa Muheon managed to catch him.

“Haa…”

A sigh of relief escaped Sa Muheon’s lips. His heart had nearly dropped at the sudden situation. But oblivious to Sa Muheon’s alarm, Garam started laughing foolishly again. Did he even realize he had almost slammed his face into the floor? Sa Muheon’s concern quickly turned into exasperation.

“Ha…”

Still unaware of Sa Muheon’s feelings, Garam turned his head and laughed again. The smell of alcohol filled the air. Sa Muheon let out another sigh as he spoke.

“What’s so funny?”

“Hehe…”

“Do you even know who I am?”

Garam nodded faintly in response, and surprisingly, that small gesture melted Sa Muheon’s heart. But when he saw Garam frown as if he had a headache, his mood soured again. Yet, during that brief moment when his heart softened, a tinge of concern seeped in.

“…Tsk.”

Clicking his tongue, Sa Muheon reached out and touched Garam’s forehead. His temperature was higher than usual. It wasn’t a fever, just the result of too much alcohol, but even that was enough to worry Sa Muheon.

“If you’re dizzy, you don’t have to answer.”

“Mm…”

Whether it was a reply or a groan, Garam made a vague noise and blinked slowly. Yet, as if he liked the coolness of Sa Muheon’s palm, he lightly leaned his cheek against it. That small movement made Sa Muheon’s heart race.

His mood swung wildly between good and bad, and he felt like he was losing his mind over Garam’s every little action. Yet strangely, it didn’t feel all that unpleasant. Without realizing it, Sa Muheon let out a small laugh. Seeing him laugh, Garam giggled too.

“What’s so funny? How did such a tiny thing end up drinking this much?”

Though he scolded him, Sa Muheon carefully helped Garam to his feet. Garam, following his lead without protest, suddenly looked up at him. For a moment, Sa Muheon met Garam’s gaze, now quieter than before.

“What is it?”

“…Sa Muheon.”

Hearing his name come from Garam’s lips, Sa Muheon’s lips curved upward into a smooth arc.

Although he had told Garam to call him by his name, it wasn’t often that Garam actually did so. While Garam refrained from using the title “Director,” he often avoided saying Sa Muheon’s name altogether, opting instead for vague terms like “hey” or jumping straight into whatever he wanted to say. Even in his drunken state, hearing his name from those lips felt irresistibly sweet.

“Yes, it’s Sa Muheon.”

“…Really?”

“Would it be fake, then?”

Sa Muheon, his mood instantly uplifted, responded playfully to Garam’s question. Garam stared at him for a moment before slowly reaching out. Then, mimicking Sa Muheon’s earlier actions, he cautiously placed his hand on Sa Muheon’s cheek. Sa Muheon accepted the touch with delight.

“…Really?”

This time, Sa Muheon gave no verbal response. Instead, he allowed Garam to fumble and explore his cheek at will. A drunken Garam fondling his cheek didn’t faze him in the slightest. However, what happened next was something Sa Muheon hadn’t anticipated in the least.

“What…”

Garam’s face gradually drew closer. It wouldn’t have been difficult to push away a drunken Garam, but Sa Muheon didn’t want to.

All he could do was stare blankly at the approaching face. And in the next moment, Garam’s lips pressed against Sa Muheon’s.