Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 88

Chapter 88

Chief Han, who could not hide his surprise at Sa Muheon’s words, soon nodded.

“I’ll look into it right away.”

His expression was so fierce as he said that, that Sa Muheon could not help but believe that, as always—or perhaps even faster than usual—he would bring back the results.

The report would make things clear, but Sa Muheon was certain that the information had leaked from the inside. Of course, since they had set examples in the past, he didn’t think it was done with ill intent. However, regardless of the reason, the fact that someone had carelessly spoken without thinking remained unchanged. Moreover, since there was now a victim as a result, Sa Muheon had no intention of letting this matter slide easily.

Chief Han, as if something had occurred to him after hearing Sa Muheon’s words, looked ready to leave the office immediately. Just as he was about to step out, Sa Muheon stopped him to add another request.

“Oh, and one more thing. I’m sure you’ll look into it thoroughly as always, but check where that sudden influx of money came from as well.”

“Understood.”

With a determined expression, he nodded and looked at Sa Muheon, as if asking if there was anything else. When Sa Muheon shook his head, he gave a slight bow and left the office.

As the door closed completely, Sa Muheon straightened up from his relaxed posture in the chair. He had already provided Chief Han with all the key clues, so now all he had to do was wait for his report. There was no need for him to occupy this space any longer.

Putting on the suit jacket he had taken off earlier, Sa Muheon finally took out his phone from his pocket. There were no new messages. Entering his messenger app, he scrolled through his past conversation with Garam and let out a small chuckle before putting the phone away again.

He already knew that the message he was waiting for wouldn’t come.

Since that day, Garam had been noticeably avoiding him. In the past, Sa Muheon had always been the one to create distance between them, but this was the first time Garam had done so. However, it wasn’t as if Garam was completely avoiding him or trying not to see him at all. At most, he had started eating out occasionally instead of joining him for meals, and the small questions he used to ask had disappeared.

But was it because he had become aware of his own feelings for Garam? Sa Muheon found himself increasingly bothered by Garam’s changed behavior. It was only then that he began to reflect on his own actions.

He didn’t know what kind of feelings Garam had for him, but when he had distanced himself before, had Garam felt the same way? If so, how stifling must it have been, unable to confide in anyone about his frustration?

As that thought crossed his mind, Sa Muheon realized just how much of a mess he had made with his own hands. If he wanted to win over the person he liked, he should have been showing his best side. But instead, he might have hurt him. The realization made him feel slightly anxious, which was unlike him.

Still, Sa Muheon was not one to dwell too much on the past. There was no point in agonizing over things he could not change—it would do nothing but hinder him in the future. Now that he was aware of his mistakes, all he had to do was avoid repeating them. And if he could replace Garam’s bad memories with good ones, that would be even better.

“It’d be nice to have dinner together tonight…”

Muttering to himself, Sa Muheon slowly started walking. If the other person took a step back, he just had to take two steps forward.

“Why isn’t he picking up…?”

Garam tilted his head as he pulled his phone away from his ear. The only sound coming from the device was the automated message informing him that the recipient was unavailable. This was already his third call. His expression grew troubled.

He had been following Sa Muheon’s advice by never going anywhere alone, but after encountering Ryu Beomju at school last time, Garam had been even more diligent about staying close to Jang Seokgyu. He had come to realize just how much of a threat Ryu Beomju truly posed. On top of that, the last words he had left behind had put Garam even more on edge.

The way he spoke, as if he could show up or contact Garam anytime, made his voice cling unpleasantly to Garam’s ears. Just thinking about it made him feel sick. Shuddering briefly, Garam glanced toward the hallway outside the lecture room before slowly stepping forward.

He had no intention of leaving the building. It was just that, given how difficult it was to reach Sa Muheon, he thought it might be a good idea to wait for Jang Seokgyu on the first floor instead. Besides, the lobby on the first floor had a lot of foot traffic. If someone suddenly appeared to threaten him, there would be plenty of witnesses. That gave him some reassurance.

“It’ll be fine…”

Still, because of what had already happened, he couldn’t feel completely at ease. Pausing with his hand on the door handle, Garam muttered quietly to himself before slowly opening the door.

Even as he walked down the hallway and descended the stairs, Garam kept glancing around. He was constantly checking if anyone was approaching or if there were enough people nearby. Because of that, what should have been a quick trip down a single floor took much longer than usual.

Fortunately, just as he had expected, the first floor was bustling with people. His gaze naturally drifted toward the building’s entrance, following the movement of the crowd. Then, his eyes landed on someone standing there, and they widened in surprise.

“Oh…?”

There was someone there who shouldn’t be, someone he had never even considered would be in this place. Was he seeing things? Garam stopped in his tracks, rubbed his eyes, and looked again, but the person was still standing there.

Moreover, just a moment ago, he had been looking outside, but now his head had turned in this direction. Their gazes met in midair. It was nothing more than locking eyes, yet Garam felt as if he were caught in the other’s stare. The man said nothing and simply looked at him in silence.

Gulp.

The sound of his swallowing felt unusually loud. Garam slowly took a step forward. The man watched him approach with an unwavering gaze. As the distance between them shortened slightly, the corners of his lips curved up. At that moment, the tension that had been wound tightly around Garam finally loosened a bit, and he grumbled softly.

“What brings you here?”

“Why? Am I not allowed to be here?”

Sa Muheon responded in a leisurely yet playful manner. When Garam shook his head, his smile deepened. Seeing that smile made Garam’s heart start pounding. He worried for a moment that his ears might be turning red, but the other’s expression gave nothing away.

“I was just… surprised since you came without notice. What about Team Leader Jang?”

Feeling awkward, Garam glanced past him, but the person he was looking for was nowhere in sight. Since Jang Seokgyu was both taller and more physically imposing than Sa Muheon, he hadn’t even considered the possibility that he might be hiding. However, realizing that he was actually alone with Sa Muheon made him strangely tense.

“I sent him away. There’s no need for both of us to be here when I am.”

“Oh…”

“If you want, I can call him back.”

As Sa Muheon said this, he immediately took out his phone. Seeing him look as if he would summon Jang Seokgyu at any moment, Garam quickly waved his hands in protest.

“N-No! That’s not it.”

“Really? That’s a relief. It seems like you’re fine with just me.”

He grinned as he spoke, looking frustratingly perfect. That smug face made Garam clench his mouth shut. If he opened it now, he felt like he wouldn’t be able to get angry but would instead let Sa Muheon sweep him along into saying something foolish.

“Do you have any plans?”

“…No.”

Garam quietly shook his head. Sa Muheon, satisfied with his answer, smiled and nodded.

“Then how about we have dinner together?”

He couldn’t answer right away and hesitated for a moment. But his hesitation didn’t last long. He had already admitted that he had no plans, and it was difficult to come up with an excuse to turn away someone he liked, especially when that person had come all the way here. He couldn’t bring himself to tell a visible lie to Sa Muheon, who was looking at him with sparkling eyes.

“Alright.”

As soon as he nodded, Sa Muheon smiled and casually draped an arm around his shoulder. The sudden closeness made Garam’s body tense up momentarily, but as the familiar scent of Sa Muheon washed over him, his tension gradually melted away.

Though Garam himself didn’t notice, Sa Muheon, who had his hand on Garam’s shoulder, clearly felt the change.

“Isn’t this a bit too close?”

Garam mumbled, complaining in a small voice. For some reason, Sa Muheon’s grin had grown even wider than before, which he found irritating. But as he stared at that smiling face, even that irritation seemed to slowly dissolve away.