Even a Lonely Squirrel Has Its Burrow - Chapter 93

Chapter 93

Eun Suhyeok, who had been quietly sipping his drink as if his role ended there, spoke up again when Sa Muheon’s contemplation dragged on.

“You’ll probably have to dig around.”

Sa Muheon quietly lifted his gaze.

“No matter how discreet Manager Hong is in handling things, there’s a limit to what he can do alone. There must be someone helping him.”

“That’s probably true.”

“And that person is more likely to be an outsider rather than someone from within.”

Sa Muheon hadn’t thought that far. His brows furrowed slightly.

“If he wanted to siphon the money as safely as possible, he’d have funneled it overseas from the start. Unless he had a truly trustworthy subordinate on the inside, it’d be much safer to entrust the work to an unrelated outsider. Someone well-versed in legal matters, perhaps?”

Eun Suhyeok was merely voicing a possibility that came to mind, but upon hearing his words, Sa Muheon immediately thought of a name. Someone not within the company but well-versed in law—someone particularly close to Ryu Beomju.

“…Ha.”

The corner of Sa Muheon’s lips curled into a crooked smile. Now, he could finally guess why two seemingly unrelated people had become entangled.

“Yeah. I think you’re right.”

“Did something click for you?”

At that question, Sa Muheon quietly nodded and lifted the glass in front of him.

“Thanks. There was something that had seemed off to me for a while.”

“Yeah? Whatever it is… since it’s you, it’s only a matter of time before you uncover everything.”

Eun Suhyeok clicked his tongue as if the outcome was obvious, and Sa Muheon let out a small chuckle.

“You don’t mean that.”

Eun Suhyeok shrugged and emptied his glass. Having grasped a clue from his words, Sa Muheon also drank more comfortably than before.

As the alcohol kept flowing, a hazy feeling settled over his mind. Even through the fog, the thought that Garam might be waiting for him made his hand, which was about to refill his glass, pause in midair.

“What’s wrong?”

“…Nothing.”

But rather than returning home at an ambiguous hour and facing him directly, it seemed better to go back when Garam was already asleep. As Sa Muheon refilled his glass, Eun Suhyeok began boasting about his partner. Sa Muheon nodded along absentmindedly, while his thoughts remained focused on Garam.

“…Then, I’ll be heading in.”

“Alright.”

Jang Seokgyu couldn’t quite erase the worried look on his face. Even as he said he would go, hesitation was clear in his voice. But Sa Muheon waved him off as if to say he was truly fine, prompting Seokgyu to eventually bow his head slightly before stepping out of the house.

After confirming the door lock had engaged, Sa Muheon slowly walked inside. His steps were not unsteady, yet there was an unusual sluggishness to his movements.

“Hoo…”

A deep sigh carried the heavy scent of alcohol. He frowned, displeased by it, but didn’t stop moving. He paused in front of Garam’s closed door, but assuming he was already asleep due to the late hour, he quickly shook his head and walked on. Even under the influence of alcohol, he wasn’t so far gone that he couldn’t tell the difference.

As he passed through the living room toward his own bedroom, Sa Muheon’s gaze landed on the large window. The dim moonlight filtering in cast the living room into near darkness—too dark for most people, but not for him. He immediately noticed someone curled up on the sofa.

Unconsciously stopping in place, Sa Muheon stared at the figure lying there. He didn’t need to think about who it was. At this hour, there was only one person who would be asleep in that spot.

Even so, he felt an irresistible urge to confirm it with his own eyes. That impulse moved him forward. With slow, careful steps, he approached the sofa. Even when he reached it, the figure remained undisturbed, breathing evenly in sleep.

“……”

Holding his breath, Sa Muheon lowered himself. Garam was lying on his side. Seeing him fast asleep in a spot he usually monopolized filled Sa Muheon with a deep satisfaction.

At the same time, an overwhelming affection for the other swelled within him. In the end, he couldn’t resist lifting a hand. He gently brushed aside the strands of hair covering one of Garam’s eyes.

Sarak—.

The smooth hair slid through his fingers. As the obstruction disappeared, Garam seemed to sense something unusual, his brows furrowing slightly as if he were about to wake.

Watching him teeter on the edge of wakefulness, Sa Muheon clicked his tongue internally. He had disturbed him for no reason, waking someone who had been sleeping soundly. Maybe he should have just let him be. As that thought crossed his mind, Garam’s closed eyelids slowly lifted.

“…Ah.”

Beneath them, warm brown eyes emerged, still heavy with drowsiness. As he blinked slowly, just waking up, Garam finally noticed Sa Muheon looking down at him and met his gaze directly. Even in the darkness, he recognized him instantly, and a smile appeared on his lips.

At that moment, whatever thin thread of guilt Sa Muheon had felt disappeared without a trace. If he had missed this smile, that would have been a true loss. A shameless thought filled his heart. He reached out and lightly caressed the corner of Garam’s eye.

“You’re home?”

Garam slowly sat up. Perhaps because he had been sleeping in an awkward position on the sofa, he stretched with a slight grimace. Sa Muheon silently watched every one of his movements. Garam, feeling the weight of his gaze, let out an awkward laugh and spoke.

“I meant to stay up and wait for you… but I guess I fell asleep.”

Saying that, Garam reached toward the table, seemingly to turn on the light. Without thinking, Sa Muheon caught his hand. Surprised by the sudden stop, Garam looked up at him, unable to hide his confusion.

By then, they were close enough that they could clearly see each other’s expressions, even in the darkness.

“Why….”

It seemed like he wanted to ask something, but Garam’s words never reached their end. Watching him murmur, Sa Muheon couldn’t resist his impulse and pressed a kiss to Garam’s lips.

It was undoubtedly an impulse. Perhaps, under the influence of alcohol, he had made the wrong decision. According to his plan, he should have exercised more patience and waited for the perfect moment. Until this little squirrel’s heart completely belonged to him, until there were no obstacles left in choosing him.

But what Sa Muheon hadn’t realized was that the moment one holds someone in their heart and desires them, it becomes impossible to judge the situation purely with reason.

He saw Garam’s eyes widen in surprise. Without blinking, Sa Muheon observed every one of his reactions. Garam, too shocked, neither pushed him away nor moved—he simply froze.

The kiss wasn’t long. Sa Muheon slowly withdrew, just as reluctantly as the lingering attachment in his heart. As their lips parted, a damp sound echoed. Only then did Garam’s cheeks flush red. Sa Muheon let out a quiet chuckle as he slowly brushed over the warmth that had spread across Garam’s face.

“Y-you’ve been drinking?”

Garam’s voice trembled as if he had only now realized that Sa Muheon was intoxicated. Sa Muheon nodded at the question, but then shook his head as if that wasn’t quite right. When Garam looked at him in confusion, he finally spoke in a low, steady voice.

“I have had a drink.”

“Then…”

“But I’m not so drunk that I can’t recognize who I’m with.”

Sa Muheon was fully aware of his state. He wasn’t completely sober, but he also wasn’t so intoxicated that he couldn’t tell whom he had kissed. Even if he were far more inebriated, the situation wouldn’t have changed much. Because there was only ever one person he had desired—just one. And no matter how drunk he was, he could never mistake that person.

“What do you mean…?”

But Garam, unable to accept the sudden situation, stammered with a shaky voice. Sa Muheon chuckled and lightly grasped his chin.

“It’s not the first time, is it?”

“…What?”

Garam’s eyes wavered violently. Seeing his reaction, Sa Muheon quickly realized that Garam had remembered something. He had thought Garam wouldn’t recall anything due to intoxication, but apparently, that wasn’t the case. Or perhaps, the kiss just now had brought back the memory. Whatever the reason, it worked in Sa Muheon’s favor.

“So, you don’t completely forget everything, after all.”

“I…”

“You can do it, but I can’t?”

Tilting his head slightly as he spoke, Sa Muheon watched as Garam’s face turned red in an instant, as if set ablaze. Seizing the moment, Sa Muheon leaned in even closer.

“Hmm?”

“T-that’s…”

With the distance between them becoming almost unbearable, Garam’s eyes began trembling uncontrollably. Then, as if he could no longer handle it, he turned his head away, breaking eye contact. But Sa Muheon had no intention of letting him escape so easily.

Chok—.

“W-what!”

Sa Muheon’s lips brushed against Garam’s cheek before pulling away. Garam, startled out of his wits, clutched his cheek and tried to retreat, but the sofa behind him blocked his path, making even that impossible.

“You know exactly what’s going on.”

“……”

There was no verbal response, but Sa Muheon simply laughed in amusement and continued.

“I was planning to wait a little longer, but I don’t think I need to anymore.”

“…Ah.”

“Hmm? Baby.”

(Eung? Aegiya)

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Sa Muheon my bbg