Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 87

Chapter 87

***

“Haah…”

Sa Muheon sighed and covered his face. It was a memory that had already replayed hundreds of times in his head since last night. But every time, it was hard to control the blushing or the reactions in certain parts of his body. After splashing cold water on his face, he continued his thoughts while covering his mouth with his hand.

He couldn’t tell exactly how long it had lasted, but after what felt like a long kiss, Garam had fallen asleep right away. Sa Muheon had tried to lay Garam down in his own room and leave, but Garam wouldn’t let go of him, so he had no choice but to carry Garam to his own room.

Even after arriving in the room, it was the same. Sa Muheon had no choice but to lie down on his bed with Garam and spend the night there. Unlike Garam, who had fallen asleep peacefully, drunk and breathing evenly, Sa Muheon couldn’t sleep for a single moment, staying awake all night, acutely aware of the breathing of another person beside him.

Honestly, even during the meal earlier, he had no idea how he managed to eat and carry on a conversation.

From Garam’s attitude, it seemed like he didn’t fully remember what had happened last night. But it also seemed like he had a vague sense that something had happened.

Without realizing it, Sa Muheon almost spilled everything that had happened last night, but fortunately, he managed to keep his mouth shut.

The sleepless night had been very long. Glancing occasionally at Garam’s face, half-cuddled in his arms as he slept, Sa Muheon had plenty of time to sort through his thoughts.

They say you never know what life will bring, and he was a perfect example of that. When he thought Garam was Ryu Beomju’s secret lover, he had cursed Ryu Beomju for being a scoundrel. But now, it seemed like the real scoundrel was himself.

He had felt a sense of self-loathing when he realized he had desires for someone so much younger than him, but this time, it wasn’t like that.

At the end of the long night, as he watched Garam snuggle closer into his arms, Sa Muheon had no choice but to fully acknowledge his feelings.

He had come to hold this young, small squirrel in his heart.

That’s why he couldn’t say anything when Garam asked what had happened last night. He wasn’t so naive as to hold onto hope from a drunken kiss from a young kid, and he had seen and experienced too much in life to do that.

Moreover, even if Garam had kissed him sincerely, that would have been a problem too. Of course, just as Sa Muheon had come to hold Garam in his heart, it was possible that Garam might feel the same way about him. But in Sa Muheon’s mind, those feelings shouldn’t have arisen at this point.

Sa Muheon believed that the kiss had been an accident caused by alcohol, or perhaps a manifestation of Garam’s anxiety due to being cornered by Ryu Beomju, misdirected in the wrong way. Sa Muheon didn’t consider himself a good person by any stretch, but he also didn’t think he was trash enough to toy with the emotions of a young kid who was in a tight spot.

Especially when that kid was someone he had come to care about. Sa Muheon believed he had made a rational judgment. That’s why, even when Garam seemed like he wanted to say something, barely moving his lips, Sa Muheon could suppress the urge to spill the truth.

But now that he was alone, the last expression he had seen on Garam’s face kept flickering in his mind. It was so vivid that even when he closed his eyes, it remained. Eventually, Sa Muheon sighed and opened his eyes.

Turning his head, he saw the spot where Garam had been lying just moments ago. After tidying up, there was no trace left to show that Garam had been there. Sa Muheon stared at that spot for a long time before slowly leaning back onto the bed.

As he looked at the spot where Garam had lain all through the long night, a faint scent rose from the bedding. It was a scent that had become familiar to him now. Sa Muheon closed his eyes quietly and inhaled the lingering fragrance. It felt as though the scent, reaching deep into his lungs, filled his heart. His heartbeat, slightly faster, pulsed throughout his body.

The scent Garam had left behind, and his own feelings—though invisible and intangible, Sa Muheon felt as though they were enveloping his entire being. The confusion in his heart momentarily gave way to a sense of calm.

After a while, Sa Muheon opened his eyes again. Unlike before, there was a sharp glint in them.

“…I need to resolve this quickly.”

He muttered softly and sat up.

Whether last night’s kiss was just a drunken mistake or born out of a misguided emotion, it didn’t really matter to Sa Muheon. What mattered to him was that the person in his heart right now was Kang Garam.

Sa Muheon recalled something his mother had told him when he was young.

‘Muheon, what do you think is the best way to increase your chances of success?’

He couldn’t remember how he had answered back then. But the words his mother had said with a smile after hearing her young son’s response remained vivid in his memory.

‘It’s about eliminating the things that could lead to failure. Remove the obstacles to success one by one.’

Why Garam had kissed him wasn’t the issue to focus on now. Ultimately, the most important thing was winning Garam’s heart. The brief self-loathing he felt for having fallen for someone so much younger quickly faded. He immediately began to think about what methods he should use to fully win Garam’s heart.

Before long, Sa Muheon decided on the first thing he needed to do.

The most important thing was to eliminate the obstacles to success. The biggest obstacle to courting Garam was…

“Ryu Beomju.”

The name was uttered in a very soft voice, but the anger and hostility within it were not hidden at all. The corners of Sa Muheon’s tightly closed lips twisted upward in a crooked smile.

The first thing he needed to do was hunt the tiger.

***

“Here’s what you asked for.”

Despite the suddenness of Sa Muheon’s request, Chief Han didn’t ask any questions and had prepared what he was asked for. However, perhaps unable to contain his curiosity, he spoke up while watching Sa Muheon read through the documents he had handed over.

“But why are you suddenly looking into this?”

“I just got curious, that’s all.”

“It’s something that happened years ago.”

At Chief Han’s quiet remark, Sa Muheon looked up from the documents and shifted his gaze to the middle-aged man in front of him.

“I know. I’m sure you handled it well, Chief Han. Just to be clear, I’m not doubting you or suspecting that you made any mistakes.”

“Then….”

Even after hearing Sa Muheon’s words, the furrow in Chief Han’s brow didn’t ease. Instead of answering, Sa Muheon continued reading the documents in his hand. After finishing, he tossed the file onto the desk carelessly and looked at Chief Han as he spoke.

“Do you know what this guy’s been up to lately?”

“…I did some preliminary checking. It seems he was kicked out for running his mouth too much, so no one in this field is willing to take him in anymore. With his money running out and no one willing to hire him, he eventually started dabbling in illegal gambling.”

“You didn’t push him into that, did you?”

“…….”

Chief Han didn’t respond to the sharp question. Reading his answer in the silence, Sa Muheon smirked and continued.

“Well, that’s not important anyway.”

“Yes, let me continue. There’s been a lot of talk about him borrowing money here and there, but recently, he suddenly paid off all his debts. He’s been boasting about hitting it big in gambling, but….”

Chief Han paused for a moment.

“However, the chances of that are extremely slim, so I suspect he might have gotten the money through some other means.”

“And you haven’t found out what that is yet.”

“…That’s correct.”

At Sa Muheon’s pointed remark, Chief Han gave a slight nod. It wasn’t that his abilities were lacking; it was likely that he simply hadn’t had enough time to uncover it. Sa Muheon held Chief Han’s abilities in the highest regard. So, if given enough time and clues, how quickly could he find out? Thinking such trivial thoughts, Sa Muheon opened his mouth.

“Even if he was kicked out for running his mouth, he must still have some connections with the people he used to be close to, right?”

“That’s likely.”

Chief Han nodded. However, he looked at Sa Muheon with a puzzled expression, as if he didn’t understand why he was asking such a question. The corners of Sa Muheon’s lips curled up.

“Find out if there’s anyone among them who’s met him recently.”

“Recently, you say?”

Chief Han’s voice had an edge to it, as if he had guessed something from Sa Muheon’s words. Sa Muheon smiled and nodded.

“I think the little rat might be one of the guys under Team Leader Jang.”